Deputy director Sommer exits the Prime Minister’s Office
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has seen a number of staffing changes of late, including the high-profile exit of now-former principal secretary Gerald Butts, and as of last week, there was another senior staff departure to add to the list, Dave Sommer, deputy director of digital and creative. Mr. Sommer had been working in the […]
Reeling from Wilson-Raybould’s explosive testimony, Liberal MPs brace for more damaging fallout on SNC-Lavalin controversy
Reeling from former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s damning testimony, which accuses 11 top Liberal government officials, including the prime minister, of political interference in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, Liberal MPs say they can fight their political opponents, but not one of their own “who continues to fire at us.” “Nobody can save us when one of […]
Jagmeet Singh passed his first test, but now it’s time for the next big one
The New Democrats and their leader, Jagmeet Singh, are breathing a big sigh of relief after Monday’s byelection victory in Burnaby South, B.C. But they should think twice if they think they can stop waiting to exhale, because it’s only a small (albeit significant) hurdle that’s been cleared. Mr. Singh has a lot of ground […]
Singh’s byelection win brings ‘stability,’ say politicos, but NDP still has a long road before October
After a rocky start as NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh’s byelection win should quiet internal concerns about his future and bring at least a period of stability for the party as it seeks to “change the channel” and capitalize on an opening for the leader to prove himself on the national stage, say political pundits. But […]
This year’s election will test populism’s allure in Canada like no other
OTTAWA—To get a glimpse of the state of politics in 2019, it isn’t necessary to witness the months of violence and vandalism in Paris or the plots in the United States by would-be killers intent on murdering prominent members of an opposing party. Just take a look at Conservative Senator David Tkachuk’s admonition to the truckers […]
Byelection results offer glimpse into October storylines, but no clear crystal-ball gaze
OTTAWA—Canada has three new Members of Parliament. What lessons can we learn from the federal byelections that ushered them into power in Burnaby South, B.C., York–Simcoe, Ont., and Outremont, Que.? First, the NDP has a pulse—albeit a weak one. The closest race of the three fought on Monday night was in British Columbia, where Jagmeet […]
Gould says she doesn’t have ‘full confidence’ Facebook will meet Ottawa’s expectations to implement electoral safeguards
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould signalled the government is warming up to the idea of requiring social media giants to remove inflammatory content that threatens violence, but says her current mandate limits her from tackling that issue. Speaking at the House Ethics Committee, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith raised concerns around Facebook’s inaction in taking down […]
Nigeria’s frontrunners in upcoming vote embody characteristics that define country’s problems
LONDON, U.K.—Lengthy delays before announcing the results of African elections are commonplace (the Democratic Republic of Congo last month, Zimbabwe last July, etc.). It just means that people voted the wrong way, and the government needs time to rearrange the results before publishing them. Postponing the vote at the last moment is much less common, […]
‘Underdog’ NDP in Outremont faces ‘hard battle’ to keep ex-leader’s seat: NDP analysts
The Quebec riding of Outremont is the Liberals’ to lose, with the NDP a “long shot” to keep former leader Tom Mulcair’s seat in the upcoming byelection, say NDP analysts, who call candidate Julia Sánchez a “star,” but still the clear underdog. From what he’s heard on the ground, former NDP national director Karl Bélanger […]
Some Independent Senators say ISG rules around political activity go too far
The Independent Senators Group has disclosed that two of its members are card-carrying members of political parties and another is a high-paying donor, but the internal rules that required the ISG to publish the names are still a little hard to swallow for some members of the Senate’s largest collective. According to disclosures published last week, three […]
