Time reporter Kambhampaty says she learned of Trudeau’s brownface use from ‘gossip’ among Vancouver school’s community
The U.S.-based Time Magazine reporter who broke the story about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wearing brownface at an Arabian Nights-themed party in Vancouver says she learned about the existence of the picture from ongoing gossip among the Westpoint Grey Academy community. “I had heard about it as a source of gossip in Vancouver community and, […]
Clout of young voters remains the crucial election question
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau’s theatricality and mindless whimsy have cost him dearly. The prime minister’s dress-up antics in India last year raised a lot of doubts about his judgment. And it’s obvious the photos of him from years ago in racial face paint have undermined his credibility and stature at home and abroad. The Liberal campaign stalled […]
A rattled Liberal team may be most pronounced impact so far of Trudeau blackface controversy
OTTAWA—While Justin Trudeau’s repeated blackface appearances may be forgiven by Canadians, the greater political problem for the prime minister is that his once potent political brand continues to wither. If this were the 2015 campaign, it is likely his political career would have ended. In 2019, he may indeed survive, but his days of conveying […]
PBO campaign proposal costing ‘above expectations’ so far, hundreds more estimates expected
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux and team have been going full steam in costing this year’s election campaign proposals, with a flurry of reports looking at policy commitments from three of Canada’s major federal parties posted online since the beginning of September. As of filing deadline on Sept. 24, the Conservatives were leading the way […]
Not so woke: Trudeau’s use of blackface should prompt a second look at his governance
OTTAWA—“Diversity is our costume” would be a more appropriate catchphrase for our so-called woke bae prime minister. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a political career, and a life, by trading on his good name, wealth, privilege, and whiteness; but also on his proximity to Indigenous people (stare into his Haida tattooed bicep) and to […]
Trudeau, the Mr. Dressup of Canadian politics
HALIFAX—A long time ago, a Liberal MP told me he was not supporting Justin Trudeau for the leadership of the party. At that time, Trudeau was a cross between a rock-star and a political messiah-in-waiting for the then battered Grits. So I wondered why this particular MP had peeled away from the pack that was […]
When is an apology good enough?
OTTAWA—When is an apology good enough? As most Canadians, I watched the brownface incident and response on Sept. 18 and felt a range of emotions, from anger to grief. Racism is like that—it elicits such a range of emotions. The question is when is an apology good enough? It’s complicated, but the first point: only […]
Liberal war room may have to stop releasing dirt on Tory candidates, for fear of appearing ‘hypocritical’
In the traditionally Conservative-area of Kanata-Carleton, the Liberals have highlighted the relationship between the Conservative candidate and a far-right activist, but they may have to curtail attacking the alleged detriments of Tory candidates in light of photographs surfacing showing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in brownface and blackface. When Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) headed […]
Liberals going to have to make fundamental shifts in their communications and strategy
OTTAWA—The perfect analogy for how I participate in elections now: I head toward the crowd, hang around the fringes, graciously accept whatever is on offer, and speak with confidence about things I neither know, nor understand. The timing of the call was a bit of a surprise, although in hindsight the timing calculation had to […]
Climate crisis requires industrial mobilization on scale not seen since Second World War
The climate crisis requires industrial mobilization on a scale not seen since the Second World War. While Canadian governments have moved at snail-like speed to fully address the emergency, in just a few weeks last spring, thousands of Canadians gathered in town halls across the country to discuss ideas for sweeping transformation under the Pact […]
