Feds funnel another half-billion dollars into fixing public service pay in 2019 budget
The Trudeau government’s final budget heading into the October election features a mixed bag of spending measures, including a $500-million boost to alleviate some of the headaches caused by the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system. The 464-page budget, titled Investing in the Middle Class, follows along the government’s pitch that targeted deficit spending on programs will […]
NDP ‘under the gun’ to name candidates, say politicos, as they trail Grits, Tories on campaign slate
The NDP has 12 per cent of its candidates confirmed for the 2019 election, far behind the 61.5 per cent nominated under the Conservative banner and 50 per cent for the Liberals. It puts the New Democrats in a tough spot, say some analysts, but the party’s ex-national director said isn’t yet a problem. The […]
Trudeau Liberals’ final budget features measures for skills training, rural broadband, border security
The Trudeau government’s final budget before voters hit the polls in seven months includes some spending measures aimed at addressing perceived vulnerabilities and shoring up support among millennial and rural voters. Whereas last year’s budget was largely pitched at women, this year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s (Toronto Centre, Ont.) budget is focused on skills training […]
SNC-Lavalin affair ripe for opposition to capitalize on, say politicos, but Scheer, Singh poll numbers still flat
The SNC-Lavalin affair has hurt Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval numbers, but political commentators say it remains to be seen whether Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh can use the controversy to bump past the Liberal leader in the polls ahead of October’s election. Recent polling shows that Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) […]
Prime Minister Trudeau has his eyes wide shut
As Members of Parliament, elected officials are entitled to a variety of health-care benefits. This includes a drug plan, hearing aids, hospital benefits, dental care, and—importantly—vision. Perhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in need of availing himself of the latter. Because when everyone else is seeing something differently than you do, it may be time […]
Liberal Party, feds launch campaigns to get Canadians aware of carbon price rebate
The Liberal government is pushing a broad public opinion and awareness campaign to get Canadians in the know about carbon pricing rebates, but one expert says a return at tax time won’t guarantee a bump in popular support for Ottawa’s pricing policy. The federal benchmark carbon pricing system will go into effect on April 1 […]
What do you make of the three by-election results on Feb. 25? What stands out most?
Cory Hann Conservative strategist “We’re proud of all three of our candidates, and their tireless work bringing our positive Conservative vision to voters in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Jasmine Louras and Jay Shin ran solid campaigns, and fought hard in their ridings to show that Conservatives will put people before government. “Adding a caucus […]
Under fire over SNC-Lavalin crisis, Trudeau still has ‘credibility’ to rebound, say strategists
Though the loss of two high-profile ministers threatens to undercut the Liberal Party’s pitch for a new style of politics, their decision to remain in caucus appears to send a signal that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can salvage the situation and still has the credibility to recover from this crisis, according to political observers. At […]
The not-so-great reformer: PM Trudeau tone deaf and disconnected in handling of SNC-Lavalin kerfuffle
OTTAWA—To state the Liberal government is chasing its tail in figuring out how to respond to Jody Wilson-Raybould’s masterful performance at the Justice Committee would be understating it. The Trudeau Liberals have a tough job to do if they hope to lighten the impact of the former attorney general’s admission of feeling sustained pressure to […]
Can Trudeau solve the mystery of millennial voters again this time?
OTTAWA—We’re spending a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what motivates young people and what might get them out to vote. It’s not surprising since millennials will make up the largest cohort (about 37 per cent) of eligible voters in the October federal election. It’s also notable because the upsurge in young […]
