Former PMO staffer Webb dies, ‘won’t forget his good nature, intellect, and hard work in PMO from 2010-15’
Shaun Webb, a former staffer in the office of prime minister Stephen Harper from 2010 to 2015, died on March 26 at the age of 34. It’s believed his death was caused by a blood clot that dislodged into his heart as a result of complications from a broken foot he suffered on a recent […]
Time for more action, less talk, on climate change
TORONTO—You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand there is something seriously wrong with the environment. At the same time, you don’t have to be a political scientist to understand that politics is the major obstacle to the solution of the problem. This is because in politics you are not judged by what […]
Five things to watch for in Tory leadership race
MONTREAL—Now that the deadline has passed for Conservative rivals to sign up new members for the May leadership vote, here are a handful of observations on the fluid state of play in the battle for Stephen Harper’s succession: 1. There are still 14 names on the Conservative ballot, but a consensus is emerging that the […]
The baneful morality of the political ‘pivot’
GATINEAU, QUE.—Our media culture is so drenched in cynicism that the most outrageous, even despicable, pronouncements—from Conservative leadership candidates, for instance—are treated as mere strategy, even tactical coups. The underlying assumption is that once someone has won the contest, he or she will “pivot” back to a more reasonable, compassionate, and thoughtful posture. No harm […]
Leitch’s campaign says mass email to supporters while pictured firing a handgun intended to communicate directly to gun owners, ‘very important’ community
OTTAWA—Conservative Party leadership candidate Kellie Leitch’s email to supporters about her proposed firearm policies, which included a photo of her firing a 1972 Walther P1 handgun at a shooting range while discussing the “tradition of using firearms for hunting and for recreational purposes,” was intended to communicate to lawful gun owners who are important to the party, […]
Leitch pictured firing Walther P1 in fundraising email to her Conservative Party supporters, not a Nazi-era handgun, says gun owner
OTTAWA—An email blast from Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch to supporters shows her firing a 1972 Walther P1, not what two national gun associations had identified as a Nazi-era semi-automatic weapon, a 9mm Walther P38, the owner of the gun told The Hill Times later Tuesday night after reading the story. “The handgun is not a P38. […]
Why are we still talking about Trudeau’s Christmas vacation this close to Easter?
TORONTO—Defending the spending habits of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not the best topic for a former director of communications of Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. But this is not about partisan politics. It is about the institution of the Prime Minister of Canada, the preferred target of opposition and media, not always justified. The […]
Conservative Party must be transparent about fraudulent memberships or it will ‘undercut credibility of outcome,’ says Kent
The Conservative Party has to be transparent to Canadians and to its more than 100,000 members about the process it’s undertaking to scrub fraudulent memberships from the party list or it will undermine the outcome of the leadership race, says Conservative MP Peter Kent. “That will undercut the credibility of the outcome. It is incumbent on the […]
Bernier’s national membership chair MP Nuttall was accused of membership fraud in 2010
Amid unproven allegations that Maxime Bernier’s leadership campaign fraudulently signed up members, which Mr. Bernier denies, The Hill Times has learned his membership chair was accused of using similar tactics in 2010. Conservative MP Alex Nuttall (Barrie-Springwater-Oro Medonte, Ont.) was one of the first MPs to support Mr. Bernier’s (Beauce, Que.) leadership for the Conservative Party. Mr. Bernier […]
Norm! Gagnon leaving Parliamentary Press Gallery after 30 years
Normand Gagnon, coordinator of technical services for the Parliamentary Press Gallery, is retiring this week after 30 years with the office. His last day on the job is March 23, one day after the federal budget comes down. “I was hoping for a smooth week before I left; it’s not going to happen with the budget,” […]
