Stories by Abbas Rana
‘The risk is there’: marijuana legalization unpopular in ridings with high Chinese-Canadian populations, says former Ontario Liberal minister Chan
Marijuana legalization could be the deciding factor in major urban centre ridings with high concentration of Chinese-Canadians in 2019.
Conservative MPs sat they're ‘surprised’ and ‘disappointed’ that an experienced politician like Tony Clement engaged in an inappropriate online behaviour.
Canada can be a ‘guiding light’ of civility for the U.S. in tackling tough issues, says former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, who blamed the White House's divisive rhetoric as the primary cause of recent violent
Borys Wrzenewskyj has endorsed former Ontario Liberal MPP Yvan Baker for the federal Liberal nomination in Etobicoke Centre, and Conservatives have already nominated former MP Ted Opitz as their candidate for 2019.
‘I wouldn’t want to be a Conservative running in Ajax’ in 2019, says chief government whip Mark Holland. 
But pollsters Nik Nanos and Greg Lyle say they expect the next campaign to be issue-focused, and say a nasty campaign may motivate political party’s base, but it won't move swing voters.
But Brome-Missisquoi incumbent Liberal MP Denis Paradis, who has been confirmed as the party candidate for 2019, says the current and former riding association presidents are trying to push him out.
But Rachel Curran, a senior political aide to former prime minister Stephen Harper says the Conservatives campaigned on the promise in the 2011 election that the Afghanistan mission would ‘begin winding down' the same year.Author
Paul Wernick says that, if invited, he would be happy to appear before any House committee to make a case for his proposed pledge sent out to MPs of all parties.
Former Brampton Conservative MP Kyle Seeback says he will make a decision about running in Dufferin-Caledon after the Oct. 22 municipal election.
MPs offer mixed reaction to Paul Wernick’s ideas and are expressing concerns that following some elements of the pledge would violate the privacy of their staff. 
Coalition Avenir Quebec's majority government victory on Oct. 1 follows Doug Ford's Ontario Progressive Conservative victory in June. Meanwhile, Progressive Conservatives may form government in New Brunswick while Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party in Alberta are polling high.
Opposition parties will predictably exploit the issue, pundits say, but the issue could be defused long before 2019 vote. The feds have pledged to develop a compensation package to mitigate the dairy industry’s losses.
The spending limits for nomination contests are higher in the 2019 election cycle, almost double what they were in 2015, because of that election's longer-than-usual, 78-day campaign period.
'Yellowhead is a huge riding that has 15 municipalities and voting over lunch hour is common in these type of rural ridings as EDAs try to get to as many communities as is practical,’ says party spokesman Cory Hann.
Liberals MPs were briefed by party officials and Liberal Research Bureau staffers about polling numbers, fundraising, strategy, and nominations in held and unheld ridings.
NDP MP Georgina Jolibois says she’s surprised the Liberals are hoping to win her riding, as she's heard that constituents are satisfied with her work as an MP. 
The report landed on day two of the Liberal caucus retreat in Saskatoon, the annual gathering that serves as a venue for backbenchers to draw attention to issues constituents have been raising and to get briefed on minis
The summer caucus retreat ‘really brings MPs from across the country together and we get to share our concerns, look for allies on different issues,’ says Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux.
'What are the Liberals and the Conservatives afraid of?' says NDP MP Jenny Kwan.
‘The role of the [riding] association is not to focus on the MP’s interests, but rather to promote and protect the interests of the membership,’ says newly-elected riding association president Guillaume Tétrault.
'The 1993 election and the 2015 elections were the two most wonderful elections from a Liberal Party candidate’s point of view,’ say veteran Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Wayne Easter.
Faith leaders speculated that ‘the next logical step’ for the government is to revoke the charity status of faith groups that don’t hold the same values as the Justin Trudeau government.
'Norm! You want to come against me? Come and get it my boy,’ says former eight-term Liberal MP Karygiannis.
The House of Commons is refusing to say if there will be any penalties for Darshan Kang after and a legal panel recently 'affirmed' that he had violated the House's harassment rules.
Challenger Patrick Brown has 'unfinished business' with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, says Brampton incumbent mayor Linda Jeffrey, whom Mr. Brown described as a 'life-long Liberal.'
The survey is a good first step, say Liberal Hill staffers, but it remains to be seen if the PMO will take concrete action based on what it tells them about the concerns of staffers. 
Heated debate between the feds and provinces is expected to 'bubble up' in the coming months, and Dominic LeBlanc is the Liberals' best bet to lead the federal side, says Prof. Donald Savoie. 
'The opportunity is real, but the capacity to take advantage of it is what’s in question,' says former Liberal MP Joe Jordan. 
One of the key aspects of the cabinet shuffle to watch in the coming months would be how cabinet ministers with shared responsibilities resolve contentious issues, says former Ontario cabinet minister John Milloy.
If PM Trudeau does not provide a ‘full explanation’ to his caucus, Liberal MPs will question him at the Liberal caucus retreat Sept. 11-13 in Saskatoon, says a Liberal MP.
Liberal staffers got an email from the deputy whip outlining the help available to them. Conservative staffers didn't even get that. Politics This Morning
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