Presence of backbench MPs, cross-Canada representation restricted during in-person House sittings amidst physical distancing

Backbench MPs who typically make up a majority of the House of Commons have had their presence shrink as cabinet members and House officers make up the majority of the Chamber in COVID-19 sittings.

No consensus on adoption of remote House voting, but parties agree legislative scrutiny necessary, says Samara report

As parties attempt to hash out a workable sitting plan, House administration has been working behind the scenes to test the voting app for potential glitches. 

PM should create permanent emergency preparedness cabinet committee, say experts, political players: be ‘prepared for the next natural disaster, terrorist act or health crisis is the objective’

A former national security adviser to the prime minister says 'if this country wants the national security agencies to worry about a pandemic, then they need to raise it on the list of priorities set by cabinet.'

‘These jobs are not coming back’: economists pour cold water on O’Toole‘s Canada First policy

‘Some people are going to win from a Canada-first policy. Most people are going to lose,’ says Queen’s professor Ian Keay.

Liberal tilt to the left could have electoral consequences for NDP, say pollsters

The Liberals should be careful about the ‘recoil effect’ as some of their supporters could back away if they vacate the political centre, says pollster Nik Nanos.

Old and new priorities compete for space in Liberals’ fall agenda

Talk of pharmacare, childcare and clean energy is nothing new, but a re-surging pandemic could sideline everything else.

‘Ping-pong’ gun politics continue to divide voters, as O’Toole courts GTA seats

'I think it’s going to help some of the Conservative candidates in some of those swing ridings,' says Ontario Tory MP Alex Ruff of the Liberal ban on 'assault weapons.'

Recovery measures for ‘national safety net’ should be in place before any talk of election, says Singh

Bloc Québécois Leader tested positive for the virus and is in isolation until Sept. 26, which means he will be missing the Throne Speech.

‘Disheartening’ report on child well-being places urgency on creation of commissioner, say experts

'We know this generation will be paying the debt that's incurred in the pandemic for a long time, so Canada needs to look at things we’ve been calling for for a long time now,' says Lisa Wolff of UNICEF.

‘Like a criminal’: Canada-U.S. asylum agreement has a human cost, refugee says

The U.S. 'is not a safe country for refugees,’ says a woman who Canada turned away because she entered the U.S. first. Her case helped convince a Federal Court judge the SCTA should end, a ruling the feds are appealing.