A daunting task could be ahead for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May as the party looks to expand its image beyond a party that's preoccupied with environmental issues, say political observers.
The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Greens to pitch fiscal prudence, as it looks to widen appeal among voters
The Green Party is promising a balanced budget by the end of their mandate, should they be handed one come October, in an effort to be seen as more than a single-issue party.
Media struggles to separate politics from climate story, hurting coverage, say experts
'We've never really been in a time where reporting the truth of an issue has made us seem biased to so many,' said journalism professor Sean Holman.Senate ethics review ‘last act’ for retiring Senator Andreychuk
Conservative Senator Raynell Andreychuk reflects on her 26 years in the Upper Chamber, including her proudest moments and the unfinished business of ethical reform.Politics This Morning
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‘In-depth’ understanding of Congress, Capitol Hill outreach to be part of MacNaughton’s D.C. legacy, say experts
David MacNaughton 'made it a priority' to understand who the key U.S. influencers were and which Canadian would be best to deliver the message, says former PMO Canada-U.S. war room staffer Diamond Isinger. Ethics watchdog says Trudeau broke conflict-of-interest rules in SNC-Lavalin affair
'The evidence showed there were many ways in which Mr. Trudeau, either directly or through the actions of those under his direction, sought to influence the Attorney General,' the commissioner's report says.Shorter fall campaign anticipated by many political watchers
The government has an advantage during the pre-election period, and with a volatile electorate, the longer the campaign, the more potential for unpredictable ‘hinge moments,’ says John Delacourt. Canada’s child care ‘crisis’ should be ballot box issue, say advocates, economists
'It’s a crisis situation in many, many jurisdictions and provinces,' says Liberal MP Wayne Long.Fed’s chief information officer steps down, says new CIO should aim for ‘quick, small’ wins in government reform
Alex Benay says digital has changed everything and is going to continue changing everything—'so why wouldn’t it change the civil service role as well?'Political ads reaching Canadians, who say they have ‘no impact’: poll
More than half of Canadians polled said they have seen a political ad during or in the few days before the pre-election period kicked in. Kenney’s campaigning could help Conservatives in B.C., hurt them in Quebec, say politicos
“He actually serves a purpose for the Liberals if he’s not careful,” says pollster Greg Lyle.A daunting task could be ahead for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May as the party looks to expand its image beyond a party that's preoccupied with environmental issues, say political observers.
The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Greens to pitch fiscal prudence, as it looks to widen appeal among voters
The Green Party is promising a balanced budget by the end of their mandate, should they be handed one come October, in an effort to be seen as more than a single-issue party.
Jack Harris throws his hat in the ring one more time
‘For quite a while I have been receiving a lot of encouragement from people. The decision to run is the right one; I have something to offer and I want to continue to serve,’ says the former NDP MP.Late MP Obhrai demonstrated the good that can still be found in federal politics
Deepak Obhrai got into politics for the right reasons, wasn’t misdirected by ambition, spoke truths to power when needed, and departed with a well-earned reputation of decency.Downloading ideology works efficiently in banana republics, juntas, and dictatorships, but not so well in democracies, as the Conservatives should have learned in 2015
The Conservative Party is trying its best to suggest that the media is the enemy of the people. Certainly of conservatism. An important message in an election cycle—and a derivative one.
Liberals passing the buck on weapons ban
If the Liberal government truly believes that the legal availability of assault weapons puts the public at risk, then why not enact measures that are available to them right now, while they are still in power?Trudeau’s legislative record unlikely to motivate voters in the fall, with a few exceptions: pollsters
Many achievements and blunders enshrined in legislation are ancient history in the minds of voters, who cast their ballots based on the next thing you can do for them, say politicos and pollsters.Will the Senate respect democracy and First Nations rights?
Three important pieces of legislation sit in the Senate today, subject to the whim of a small group of Senators, which is a gross undermining of the democratic process.
Despite all the killing, obsession with guns still dominant in U.S. politics
U.S. demographics are changing, and one has to think that the obsession with guns is part of the waning fantasy of past greatness at the heart of what President Donald Trump is selling.Liberal lip service to peacekeeping didn’t live up to election pledge
After a four-year term, Canada under the Liberals will be back to contributing zilch to the UN, while we continue to deploy considerable forces on U.S.- or NATO-led military adventures.The new Rasputins
As we gear up for elections on both sides of the border, the new must-have campaign accessory is your very own ‘crap Rasputin.’
Majority of Canadians may support TMX, but the project remains an electoral risk for Liberals: pollsters
It’s up to the prime minister to decide if he ‘wants to go into the next election arresting Indigenous communities and leaders,’ says the Squamish Nation council’s Dustin Rivers.Controversial addition to Château Laurier hotel could mean a ‘jettison’ of its history, opponents say, as MPs take note
Current and former Hillites against plans for the Château Laurier Hotel include Liberal Senators Serge Joyal and Jim Munson, staffer Penny Collenette, former cabinet minister David Collenette, and Maureen McTeer.Lobbying watchdog says glitch in system skewed volume of registrations
Lobbying commissioner Nancy Bélanger says she's considering doing 'spot checks' for political activities in an effort to advise lobbyists of how their lobbying activities might be affected in the future.
No national leaders at Capital Pride Parade, but 10 Liberal MPs will attend
Plus, the People's Party leader is ruled out of debates by commission, for now; and former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair to write for Postmedia Sun newspapers.
Health Minister’s director of communications exits for private sector
A couple of staff departures have taken place in the Prime Minister’s Office, including the exit of special assistant for policy Mark Calderaro.
Directors depart offices of Minister Sohi and Minister Hajdu
Plus, Marjorie Michel, who only recently took over as chief of staff to Families Minister Duclos, has taken leave to serve as the Liberal Party’s Quebec campaign director.
Ivison launches his Trudeau chronicle at the Métropolitain
Plus, The Globe and Mail hires two to parliamentary bureau, and Mark Critch gets hitched to Melissa Royle. ‘He was like a brother to me’: colleagues reflect on death of long-serving Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai
Conservative MP Dean Allison remembers Mr. Obhrai's sense of humour, saying "he liked teasing people and he liked being teased, and he could give as good as he took.”PMO down a regional adviser for the Prairies after recent staff exit
Plus, Hill Climbers takes another look at where a number of former political staffers landed after leaving Parliament Hill. 
Inexperience of British trade team created ‘frustration’ during early talks for a potential Canada-U.K. pact, experts say
Rideau Potomac Strategy Group's Eric Miller says 'a number' of Canadians have been offered positions on the British team, but turned them down due to the inadequate salary being offered.
Feds offer ‘lip-service’ on committee roadmap to improve Arctic sovereignty, Tory MP says
The government isn’t showing a ‘sense of urgency,’ on climate change or international threats to Arctic sovereignty, says Liberal MP John McKay.
Damage control: China pulls out all the stops in an effort to denounce international claims of human rights abuse
The Chinese wanted to make the point that terrorists had in fact hit them hard, and thus they are justified in taking strong measures to reduce future threats, but provided few straight answers on a curated media tour.
Cenotaph rededication a reminder of an unjustified sacrifice
The Aug. 17 ceremony to rededicate the Kandahar cenotaph at the Department of National Defence Headquarters will be a sad commemoration of lives lost in a war we could never win.Scheer’s abandoned pledge to quickly balance budget if elected a ‘confirmation’ Liberal plan is working, says Grit MP Easter
With the Conservatives now banking on a five-year balanced budget plan, former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page says campaigning on modest deficits 'may be the new normal.'Annual Features
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Politics This Morning: Opposition parties call for emergency committee meeting
As Yogi Berra once famously said, 'It ain't over till it's over,' and the latest episode in the now three-year epic drama featuring Ottawa's beloved Château Laurier Hotel may soon see the City of Ottawa in court.
Tiered citizenship exists. Naturalized Canadians have more rights many Canadian-born citizens and some children born to a Canadian citizen parent have been denied basic rights.
With this increase in transient accommodation in our residential neighbourhoods comes community disruptions and safety concerns.
In the U.S., the white supremacy movement hasn’t bothered to hide the sense of licence created by Trump.
We need to envision and support a new way of doing electoral politics, and we need to give space and support for leaders from Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities to lead us there.
We can expect discussions of foreign policy to play a big role in the election campaign, as it reaches out to political bases and allows parties to distinguish themselves. But whose foreign policy will it be?Thunberg presents climate emergency with freshness and force, as if we hear of it for the first time
Greta Thunberg's speeches are collected in this book, No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, her first in English, at age 15 and 16, and like other great leaders, she denies she’s up to the task history has set her. World Trade Organization should abolish fisheries subsidies, stop crisis
Daniel Pauly talks about his recently released book, Vanishing Fish: Shifting Baselines and the Future of Global Fisheries. 
Politics This Morning
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Treasury Board President Murray’s chief of staff exits for Liberal campaign
Dan Lindenas is now acting chief of staff to Treasury Board President Joyce Murray after Adam Carroll’s recent exit.Mid-summer staffing changes for ministers Sajjan, Duncan
Marc Gervais takes over as interim chief of staff to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains as of Aug. 6, with Gianluca Cairo exiting for the private sector on Aug. 16. Conservative dean Deepak Obhrai dies at 69, MPs honour his service to Canada
Plus, Veteran Liberal MP Denis Paradis won't seek re-election, and Trudeau, Singh, May walk in the Vancouver Pride Parade, while Scheer is absent.Ottawa Lawn Summer Nights raises $97,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada; McGuire, Sarazin, MacEachern top fundraisers
Plus, new associate deputy ministers named for foreign affairs and public safety, and Canadians are split over if they think Trump will get re-elected, a new poll suggests. Public servants, feds inch closer to contracts with tentative agreements before election
The Public Service Alliance of Canada remains at an impasse with the federal government however, with national president Chris Aylward saying they won’t take an ‘inferior’ deal just to get it done before the election. SAP Canada pitches NextGen plan to standardize human resources processes
When processes are 'standardized, the collective input into a payroll system becomes a lot simpler,' says Robert Conlin, SAP Canada's vice-president of the public sector.U.S. Embassy brings bayou to Bytown for Fourth of July
Though U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft was in Calgary, the U.S. Embassy's Fourth of July party was still filled with food and fun. Hill media descend on 24 Sussex for annual garden party
The prime minister opened up his backyard for one last shindig before politicians and journalists gear up for what's going to be a busy summer. Sri Lankan envoy reflects on ‘very challenging’ first year handling ‘sensitive’ files
‘This is what we can’t accept’: A unanimous House motion in June called on the UN to investigate ‘allegations of genocide’ against the country’s minority Tamils, a term the South Asian nation categorically rejects.
U.S. Ambassador Craft in ‘departure mode’ with ‘unconventional’ Fourth of July, say former diplomats
The outgoing U.S. ambassador was big on relationships and will be remembered for key Trump ties that proved useful during NAFTA renegotiations, says Liberal MP Wayne Easter.Capital Pride kickoff a real drag (brunch) on Aug. 18
Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance, pictured marching in the 2017 Capital Pride Parade, was the first chief of defence staff to march in a Pride parade. The Ottawa Capital Pride Festival kicks off Aug. 18, with events across the city, including the parade on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., starting at Bank and Gladstone Streets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Marco Mendicino, parliamentary secretary to the infrastructure and communities minister, make their way to the National Press Theatre on Monday to take the Conservatives to task over their promise to review the feds' revamped Canada Food Guide, arguing the party is spreading misinformation. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has argued that the guide was developed without proper consultation and that it's biased against milk.
Comedian Rick Mercer and then-Reform Party MP Deb Grey, pictured in the late 1990s on Parliament Hill doing a shoot for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, which Mr. Mercer hosted at the time. The Hill Times photograph by Terry McDonald 
