Stories by Tim Powers
Newfoundland politicians can’t afford to duck its problems
OTTAWA—Dale Carnegie, in his renowned book How to Win Friends and Influence People, would have probably advised not to go to your hometown to tell your brethren they are almost shagged. But I did that…
OTTAWA—The saga of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, from the resignation of Patrick Brown now to the race to replace him, has captured part of the national political stage. The plot twists are many and…
OTTAWA—Not unexpectedly, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario is reeling following the resignation of its leader Patrick Brown after sexual misconduct allegations were levelled against him. A few days later, another top PC Ontario executive,…
OTTAWA—When Justin Trudeau’s government was elected in late 2015, one of the things the then incoming prime minister signalled was there would be a change in tone and approach: a lot less smash-mouth wedge-type politics…
OTTAWA—Compared to our southern neighbours, we are blessed these days to have predictable patterns in our national politics. One of those familiar routines is to have columnists and others write the obituary of the opposition…
OTTAWA—Who thought the Showtime hit drama Homeland was fiction? Because it seems we now have a copycat program playing out for real in Canada. Yes, the Joshua Boyle-Justin Trudeau meeting and the subsequent charges laid…
Thankfully the national and personal dialogues about mental health and wellness have improved dramatically over the last decade. That is a marvelous occurrence and almost as valuable as the increased investment in public funding that…
OTTAWA—It’s hard to believe, but Canada’s 150th anniversary is almost done; it seems like it has gone by in a flash. It has been a year of significant change on the federal political front: for…Author
OTTAWA—No dissection of the latest attacks on Bill Morneau by the opposition, or assessment of the Trudeau trade agenda for me this week—though both are topical and interesting. Instead, it is time to talk tow…
OTTAWA—If you were a recipient or are about to be a recipient of the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal, hand it back or refuse to accept it. The medal, which was supposed to be given…
OTTAWA—Many of you, I am sure, have been privately lamenting over these past few months how Canada is so much lesser because Kevin O’Leary still hasn’t made it into public life. If only he had…
LONDON, U.K.—Lately I have been on a bit of a tour outside of Ottawa. Last week it was Newfoundland. This week, it has been a few days of working at an international sports meeting in…
ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Yes, yes, you have read and heard about it many times before, but truly all politics is local. After spending the last week at home in Newfoundland and Labrador guest-hosting one of our…
OTTAWA—Followers of politics, or even those who study organizational behaviour, can't help but look at what Jason Kenney has just done in Alberta and be somewhat impressed. In what seems like a blink of an…
OTTAWA—Andrew Scheer will not win the 2019 federal election if he espouses and advances the editorial content of Rebel Media. But he is not jeopardizing the Conservative Party’s prospects by bringing former Rebel Media corporate…
OTTAWA—It seems the Trudeau government has lost its mojo. There was a time when nothing could cut down the vibe of invincibility that was Trudeau 2.0. They were hip-hop, non-stop, cool, connected and no one…
OTTAWA—So much has been said and written lately about the positive, changing nature of Canadian politics. There are three main federal party leaders under the age of 46, all trying to strike a more upbeat…
OTTAWA—Not since the New Democrats’ historic showing in 2011 when for the first time they became the official opposition have Dippers across the land been so pumped. Jagmeet Singh’s historic election as NDP leader has…
OTTAWA—Donald Trump, keep your hands off my football. Go find Billy Bush and wreak havoc elsewhere. The only decent thing you ever really did for the sport was invest in the old United States Football…
OTTAWA—When Justin Trudeau came to power he promised a different tone and approach than his predecessor Stephen Harper. He was going to be more respectful and not play people off each other, or that is…
OTTAWA—While I know the chances of anyone shedding any tears for me is akin to a snowball in hell, it is hard not to feel like in Central Canada these days governments are out to…
OTTAWA—Is Justin Trudeau’s government truly vulnerable for the first time? Failure to deliver on electoral reform, a badly broken deficit promise, and even a $10-million payout to Omar Khadr have had to date no real…
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau changed up parts of his cabinet this week, in response to Judy Foote’s departure and an apparent dissatisfaction with the state of the Indigenous Affairs Department. Having worked in that department in a…
OTTAWA—Until recently, one of the sneakiest political plays of the summer of 2017 was getting little notice. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s supposed tax fairness initiative and consultation announced in July seemed to have been an…
OTTAWA—As Brad Wall steps away from politics, an era of conservative leaders is now retired and the door is open for new champions to emerge. Since Stephen Harper hung up his skates, Brad Wall was…
Two weeks ago, I had the occasion to see the truly moving Broadway production Come from Away. Theatre reviews are not my specialty, but to say the show was emotionally powerful would be an understatement…
OTTAWA—Career advice: if you are looking to work in a stable environment with a reliable boss, avoid the White House. At least Donald Trump’s White House. Trump has been president for a little over six…
OTTAWA—John Horgan, the new premier of British Columbia, made history last week when he took office. He fulfilled a campaign promise and created a full ministry responsible for mental health and addictions. Establishing a stand-alone…
OTTAWA—The NDP leadership race is providing political junkies with a bit of a fix this summer. The contest, which concludes in the early fall, shows some fault lines opening between long-time well-liked Member of Parliament…
OTTAWA—The news that Omar Khadr received $10.5-million and an apology from the government of Canada has left many with a sick feeling in their stomachs. Regardless of the fact that the rule of law, based…
OTTAWA—Summer is upon us and so is a new political season. It is one that matters a lot for different reasons to our biggest political parties. For the opposition Conservatives, the Andrew Scheer roadshow begins.…
OTTAWA—An old political adage is “define or be defined.” Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown seems be on the side of defining himself before the Ontario Liberal Party does it for him. Brown was…Politics This Morning
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