NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, pictured addressing NDP staffers at an annual all-staff meeting in Ottawa on Dec. 4, during which he touched on his call for a national pharmacare program, among other things. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
‘Failure is not an option’: NDPers say they’re optimistic heading into 2019, despite falling political fortunes, but much rides on Singh’s byelection win
Burnaby South, B.C., byelection offers a key chance for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to take the national spotlight, but ‘failure is not an option,’ says former NDP staffer Farouk Karim.
‘Alberta is angry,’ says political strategist who predicts big trouble there for Trudeau’s Liberals in 2019
The federal government needs to put in place a plan to help out Albertans in the fossil fuel industry to retrain themselves to find jobs in the green energy sector, says NDP MP Linda Duncan.Feds’ justice reforms, poverty-reduction bill priorities for House in coming months: Chagger
House Leader Bardish Chagger said the government is hoping to see progress on Bill C-87, which seeks to halve poverty by 2030, and Bill C-75, a package of reforms to the justice system, in the coming months. Politics This Morning
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End of an era: reporters say goodbye to the Hot Room as Centre Block closes for the next decade
The Hot Room, located at 350-N, gives regional correspondents and freelancers colleagues to bounce ideas off of and grow, says Winnipeg Free Press reporter Dylan Robertson.It’s ‘forever redefining itself’: Centre Block closes to mark new era, House curator looks after 6,000 heritage assets
Chief architect John Pearson deliberately left more than 200 spaces in the building unadorned. That’s allowed successive generations to leave their own imprint on the stones of Centre Block.NDP MP Cullen wants Canada Elections commissioner to investigate Grewal’s April $600,000 fundraiser, Grewal’s lawyer says he did nothing wrong
According to Ind. MP Raj Grewal’s Facebook posts, the cost to attend the April 6 fundraiser was $500 per person, and 1,200 people attended the event Liberals all talk, no action a year after LGBTQ apology, say critics, advocates
‘We’ve got a team of six full-time public servants working on LGBTQ matters every day, every week. That’s not something we had two years ago,” says LGBTQ adviser Randy Boissonnault.‘Ambitious’ feminist aid targets potential victim of Liberal ‘gender washing,’ says report
'If Canada actually achieves these targets smoothly, we should seriously question that,' says researcher Aniket Bhushan.Liberal government unlikely to suspend Saudi arms deal as pressure to respond to Khashoggi killing grows elsewhere, experts say
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland wouldn't rule out suspending already-approved arms export permits when asked by reporters in the lead up to the G20 Summit in Argentina. Feds’ opening offer in contract talks an ‘insult,’ would put 90,000 bureaucrats in a virtual wage freeze: PSAC
Meanwhile, contract negotiation talks are also slow-going between the Union of Taxation Employees and the Canada Revenue Agency, said UTE president Marc Brière.NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, pictured addressing NDP staffers at an annual all-staff meeting in Ottawa on Dec. 4, during which he touched on his call for a national pharmacare program, among other things. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
‘Failure is not an option’: NDPers say they’re optimistic heading into 2019, despite falling political fortunes, but much rides on Singh’s byelection win
Burnaby South, B.C., byelection offers a key chance for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to take the national spotlight, but ‘failure is not an option,’ says former NDP staffer Farouk Karim.
Climate fears are real so the filthy oilsands must close
Climate change is not another blip in federal-provincial relations that can be resolved by changing the equalization formula. If the scientific consensus is correct, it is a crisis on par with worldwide nuclear war.Pipeline politics will keep Ottawa, Alberta divided
Any government—Liberal or Conservative—looking to meet the court requirements rather than to challenge them would have to avoid shortcuts liable to bring about a new round of litigation.Ukraine-Russia sea spat no place for NATO intervention
It would be foolhardy for NATO to heed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s request for warships to escalate the tension in the Sea of Azov.
Why the oil and gas industry meltdown over environmental laws? They didn’t get to write them this time
Enough with the hysteria being drummed up by the oil and gas industry over Bill C-69. They’re going to have to learn to play by the rules, just like everyone else.Senators push back on Liberal plan to expand voting rights for Canadians abroad
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould says that restoring expat voting rights is the ‘right thing to do.’Astronaut Saint-Jacques will be busy on his six-month ISS stay, says CSA head Sylvain Laporte
David Saint-Jacques blasts off to space on Dec. 3, along with Russian Oleg Kononenko and American Anne McClain.
There are serious flaws in foreign aid
When it comes to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the current state of international aid could (and should) be substantially improved. When Canadians carry out terrorist attacks abroad
We will see more Canadians who think travelling to hook up with terrorist groups is a good idea. We must not allow that to happen as we cannot allow innocent lives to be lost to these extremists. Launch of campaign against gender-based violence comes ahead of ‘landmark’ year, says UN official
‘There are particular moments that come in our lives that give us the opportunity to be the best part of ourselves—and such a moment will soon be upon us,' says Lopa Banerjee.
Deliberation: can we fix government decision-making?
We believe that using deliberation to support big projects, say, in infrastructure or procurement, would give citizens a more meaningful role in planning and build legitimacy and resilience around the decisions.
Sky’s the limit for small business exporters
Ottawa needs to ensure that officials are committed to understanding the unique challenges faced by smaller companies when it comes to accessing and successfully using federal assistance measures.Fourth year of governing more crucial than first three combined, says Dalton McGuinty, tougher as partisanship spikes
Panellists at the Pearson Centre’s Year 4 conference say campaigns kick into high gear, and the ex-premier says governing is like a ‘political straitjacket.’
Ministers Bennett, Joly make director-level staff changes
Plus, Alexandra Bernier is no longer an advance in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office.
Ninety years of Canada-France diplomatic relations celebrated with wine, oysters, and French desserts
The night also celebrated the reopening of the French embassy's Salon de Bouleaux, which had undergone renovations in September.
James Travers foreign correspondent fellowship to be revealed this week
Plus, politicos and diplomats recently united to mark World AIDS day, and outsiders' row in the House of Commons keeps on growing.
Centre Block will be transformed into a modern, functional space to serve Canadians for generations to come
The Centre Block is our town hall, our office, our home away from home, a place of reflection and reverence, and it is my duty to safeguard this space for my colleagues and for all Canadians, today and in the future. ‘After GM’s decision to end production at its Oshawa plant, and others, in 2019, how should the feds respond?’
Bains issues notice of libel to the National Post over report of alleged involvement in Brampton real estate deal
Plus, Parliamentarians honour George H.W. Bush, and reservations for February tours of West Block and new Senate Building now available. 
Canadians continue to face barriers to access and care
In the upcoming federal budget, the government has the ability to make an overdue change that would make a meaningful difference for Canadians in need.
House committee report a good first step to improving help for Canadians in trouble overseas
The report on consular services for Canadians overseas will only have meaning if reflected in appropriate action by the government.
Committee calls for review of rules for kidnapped Canadians, while former diplomats say to make changes now
‘Weakness’ in House Foreign Affairs Committee report lies in its lack of direct recommendations for action, says Gar Pardy.
Eastern promises: Canada should look to Asia to shift away from a sole export market, say experts
By 2030, China will surpass the United States as the largest global consumer of oil. At the same time, its government is trying to diversify its oil dependency on the Middle East.Natural Resources Minister Sohi calls oil market access an ‘urgent priority’ as Indigenous consultations continue on Trans Mountain
Mr. Sohi talks about policy priorities in the lead up to next October's federal election, the small modular reactor roadmap, and the fall economic update. 
Politics This Morning: Morneau to host provincial, territorial counterparts in Ottawa
While Canada has signalled it will sign the UN migration compact, other countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, and Australia, have decided not to.
By pushing a favourite off playlists, those who deem the lyrics improper are applying their own narrow, sexist lens, the same lens that used to characterize society’s negative view of sexually active unmarried women. 
Justin Trudeau so far has a mixed track record on byelection wins, which is not necessarily all bad, but not all good either. 
The challenge is to improve our productivity performance so that the economic pie is larger and, at the same time, find new ways to ensure that the pie is more fairly shared.
Politics is essentially a business where you need to persuade people quickly. So forget about any idea that’s too complicated or too nuanced or that’s in anyway counter-intuitive.
As the fantasies fade and reality bites, the members of House of Commons (of whom a majority always supported Remain, even if many hid their views in order to survive politically) have become an extraordinarily volatile.
We need federal protections for farmers and third-party independent mechanics to access the software on farmers’ machines in Canada, similar to American exemptions.The Hill Times in print
Politics This Morning
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Ministers Sohi, Duncan, Ng nab new talent from Liberal research bureau
There’s been a string of recent staffing changes in the Liberal caucus’ research bureau, including five new hires. PMO hires new special assistant for Canada-U.S. relations team
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould has bid farewell to her press secretary, Nicky Cayer. Poutine and Tim’s: a new book looks at Canada’s motifs
Plus, Ian Waddell's memoir hits shelves, urging for increased bipartisanship in politics, and politicos mark the passing of Harry Leslie Smith.More than 50 years later, PPS constable honours family’s place in Canadian history
Plus, Vice's Supreme Court press freedom decision to be delivered Friday, and the former iPolitics publisher catches the acting bug.Chicken Farmers party with Olympians, while MacAulay celebrates 30 years, and Newfoundland Shed shindig draws hundreds
Now-retired Rio Olympic swimmers Brittany McLean and Hillary Caldwell were at the Chicken Farmers' event, promoting a partnership between the Chicken Farmers and Swimming Canada.Nathan Cullen wins Maclean’s Parliamentarian of the Year, NDP caucus cheers loudly; Dewar tells parties to ‘put our swords down’
Meanwhile, 47 college students showed off their applied research projects at the annual Colleges and Institutes Canada's annual student showcase.Canada’s expertise, funding could help Lesotho’s reforms as it seeks renewed ties, says new envoy
Lesotho's new high commissioner says Canadian know-how on democratic institutions and small business skills are of use to Lesotho, which faces widespread unemployment.E-governance a ‘mutual interest’ with Canada, says Estonian envoy
The Baltic country tries to ‘push the envelope’ in the information and communications technology sector, which Toomas Lukk says is the ‘future of humankind.’
Freeland, Bains, Carr, Morneau and Ford to speak at Toronto Global Forum on navigating a world in disruption
On Monday, at the Toronto Global Forum: Navigating A World In Disruption, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains will speak at 2:30 p.m. about superclusters and at 4 p.m. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will have a fireside chat with former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, now deputy chair of TD Bank Financial Group, about diplomacy and leadership in a world in disruption. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault directs MPs gathered in the rotunda of Centre Block on Dec. 10 as they sing Christmas carols. 
Felix Holtmann, pictured in his Hill office in April 1990, became a household name when he added fuel to the national firestorm after the National Gallery of Canada announced it had bought a $1.8-million abstract painting, Voice of Fire, by American painter Barnett Newman, as the country was slipping into a recession. Mr. Holtmann, a Progressive Conservative MP at the time, told one interviewer that the painting ‘looks like two cans of paint and two rollers and about 10 minutes would do the trick.’Annual Features
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