Stories by Tim Powers
Pick a lane: lessons from the first debates commission showdown
It is most certainly a step in the right direction to have a third-party body organize debates. However, hopefully they will learn some lessons after this first experience.
While Doug Ford may be using Election 2019 to redefine his identity, Canadians are looking to figure out who the real Justin Trudeau is, and why Andrew Scheer looked to inflate his own resume.
Since Trudeau's masquerade party mess was exposed, the Liberal campaign itself has looked a bit rattled in a way that hasn't happened to date. This might be the most pronounced impact so far of these incidents.
If you want to run for office, the easiest thing to do is effectively become a cyborg. Have no flaws; be a perfect, shareable graphic in the space that is now our political arena.
To win a debate or an election, you must be able to grab the opportunity to achieve victory. The question is: whose political story will be the most opportune?
Becoming Oprah isn't necessary, but Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer needs to be a bit more inclined to open up about his personal thinking on matters beyond taxes and the Liberal government malaise.
Twenty-six years ago, then-Progressive Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell was quoted as saying that elections weren’t the time to talk about serious matters. That sentiment has been proven right.
The problem for Justin Trudeau is this pattern of behaviour plays into the Liberal Party of Canada’s greatest vulnerability with the electorate: the sense that Liberals act in their own self-interest. Rules be damned.Author
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.
When Canada looks like its mimicking message control approaches from the Chinese, we are failing in making the case that we are some virtuous democracy that should be listened to. 
When he stepped down before, Gerald Butts wasn’t meant to be sentenced for an eternity to purgatory. However, timing is everything, whether in politics or sport, and he is back on the field a tad too early.
While Canada's premiers were at a prostates-only party in Saskatoon and Donald Trump was being Donald Trump, the U.S Women’s National soccer team was disrupting all manner of cultural norms.
The party might be engaged in a clever form of psychological warfare where in fact it has built a Trojan horse, or it may truly be out of steam. Let us hope not, as the NDP is good for Canadian democracy.
Recent provincial elections have taught us that there is a bit of a disruptive mood in the land that has led voters to make less predictable choices.
With all the major parties recognizing they need to compete on climate policy, that should create openings to address the issue seriously—not dodge it.
It looks like we are about to step backwards as politicians want to be safe in talking about some romantic health-care system that doesn’t exist as opposed to the one that does. 
The prime minister may apologize too much, but Andrew Scheer also needs more than words.
Rodger Cuzner had a massive impact in Ottawa by being who he is. He did Cape Breton proud because he reminded the rest of us what fine, capable leaders look and act like.
Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott can afford to be fearless, since most of the scenarios they have gamed out show many more positives than negatives in their upcoming electoral contests.
The openness of the retiring Supreme Court of Canada justice also affords the court an extra degree of credibility in showing how key societal institutions are connected to the rest of us.
Contain yourselves, one and all, for the enlightenment that awaits us. I'll buy the beer and popcorn.
Be wary of old prisms and assumptions when looking at things political these days.
Corporate leaders need to play a consistent, open role in daily political discourse, like smart unions and environmental bodies do. And that’s not as simple as aligning with one party.
It’s unfortunate our political leaders don't spend as much time addressing people’s concerns as they do playing off them.
The Alberta politician isn’t the villainous, heartless character out to destroy the planet, as some of his political opponents ridiculously try to characterize him.
If tripping over themselves with a leaking campaign wasn't enough, someone thought it would be a grand idea for the prime minister's personal lawyer to send Andrew Scheer a libel notice.
The Rock goes to the polls before school rises for the summer, but the large number of undecided voters means there’s no certainty about the outcome.
Trying to figure out the next plot twist in this ongoing political drama would be a fool’s errand.
After a month trying to clean up this self-made mess, the PM appointed ex-Liberal minister Anne McLellan as a special adviser, leaving little faith the advice might be free of the appearance of political influence.
The NDP’s Jagmeet Singh has arguably outperformed Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer in the wake of revelations from the former attorney general.
Instead of manning the barricades, Justin Trudeau is better off admitting he and his officials erred in the way they dealt with former minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.
Will Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party play spoiler for the Tories? Will the SNC-Lavalin story help or hinder the Liberals in Quebec? Time will tell.Politics This Morning
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