Attempts to tap into issues behind populist mood will be front and centre in this election campaign
OTTAWA—By Oct. 21, Canadians will have a better idea how the populist wave that has swept through Western democracies in recent years will play out in Canada. The Conservatives are running an essentially populist campaign against the Liberals’ Justin Trudeau. In keeping with the pattern seen in Europe and the United States, Conservative Leader Andrew […]
Big mistake to bash China in federal election
TORONTO—It is quite possible that the federal election could, when it comes to relations with China, turn into a contest on who can bash China the hardest. That would be a big mistake. China bashing is already standard fare in U.S. elections. But it will be newer to Canada, although the Conservative Party has long […]
What we learned the last time we tried to save the planet
As eco-anxiety rises in response to the growing evidence that climate change is hitting us here and now, let’s take a moment to celebrate a disaster avoided. Thirty years ago, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer entered into force. Without its implementation, millions more people would be dealing with skin cancer […]
Trudeau triggers federal election call amid shadow of SNC-Lavalin affair
RIDEAU HALL—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from Rideau Hall on Wednesday after asking Governor General Julie Payette to dissolve the 42 Parliament, officially triggering the start of Canada’s 43rd federal election campaign. With the sun beaming on an unusually hot day in Ottawa, Wednesday’s ceremonial event was a far cry from the frigid weather that […]
The pre-writ period just left more time for the Liberals to campaign
Over the weekend, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP laid out their campaign accoutrement, welcoming media into their Ottawa headquarters and rolling out their bus in Toronto. On Sept. 11, Andrew Scheer kicks off the Conservative campaign in Quebec, before heading back west, north of Toronto, with an evening rally in Woodbridge, Ont. By law, Prime […]
NDP defection gives Greens ‘boost’ in New Brunswick, but it’s still an ‘uphill battle’
The federal Green Party’s endorsement by a group of former provincial NDP candidates—though inflated in its original number—gives the party a “bolt of energy” in New Brunswick, say observers, though the province remains an “uphill battle” for the Green Party. At a press conference on Sept. 3, a group of provincial New Democrat defectors presented […]
New deputy ministers at helm of immigration, innovation, health, environment
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced more than a dozen shifts in the higher ranks of the public service and within government agencies, including four deputy minister changes, in the final weeks leading up to the election call. Catrina Tapley was tapped for the role of deputy minister of Immigration from her previous role as […]
Parties take on phone bills, internet prices in election platforms
Unlike the 2015 race, affordable cell phone and internet bills—and better access in rural areas—are shaping up as key campaign planks so far this election, say consumer advocates, who are praising party pitches so far as a step forward but caution they’re short on details. There has been a “big shift” with these issues getting […]
True, Patriot Act love was a glorious demo of what a free press could be
OTTAWA—Traditional media needs to get its act together for the upcoming election. This has never been more apparent than last week, when Canadians found themselves enamoured with Netflix’s breakout political show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, and its report on Canada, complete with an interview with the prime minister. Patriot Act is a half-hour political […]
Money scandals irk Canadians more, but ethics a grey area, says UVic Prof. Bryden
Canadian voters have consistently been more upset with misspent dollars than any other political shenanigans that have been at the heart of political scandals in Ottawa since Confederation, says one historian, but experts remain split on just how strongly scandals that challenge ethics resonate with voters. “We care collectively about proper financing, we care about […]
