NDP to support Liberal election bill, Tories won’t, after committee makes 73 changes
After more than 17 hours of line-by-line deliberation in committee, the House of Commons will get its chance this week to settle on 73 proposed changes to the Liberals’ sweeping election reform bill, but critics say the legislation is still flawed. “It’s better than nothing,” said NDP MP Nathan Cullen, his party’s democratic reform critic. […]
Every federal party sees opportunity in Quebec government
In the wake of the election earlier this month of a Coalition Avenir Québec government, Parliament Hill insiders and Quebec watchers have been scrambling to figure out how the new dynamics will play out in next year’s federal vote. It is testimony to the uncertainty that attends the arrival of an unknown untested quantity in […]
Major Conservative ad buy an ‘opening salvo’ for 2019 aimed at introducing Scheer to suburban men, female voters, say experts
The Conservative Party’s reported $2-million national ad push is its “opening salvo” of the 2019 election, and pollsters and strategists say the two ads currently on airwaves are both aimed at introducing new leader Andrew Scheer and putting “pocketbook” issues in focus in the lead-up to the next campaign. “I would consider this the opening […]
Elections debate commissioner coming before 2019 election, but not through legislation: Minister Gould
With less than a year before the 2019 writ drops, the Liberal government is abandoning any possibility of introducing legislation to establish an independent leaders’ debate commissioner before the next election, though it says a commissioner will be in place. Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould (Burlington, Ont.) told the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) on […]
Liberals turn sights on social media giants in bid to boost elections bill
The Liberal government wants to push major online platforms to expand their political advertising registries north of the border, as part of a package of more than 60 changes it’s proposing to its already-sweeping elections modernization bill. When MPs return from their ridings on Oct. 15, members of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) […]
CAQ victory not an automatic win for Scheer, say strategists
Being aligned on the political spectrum might make the Coalition Avenir Québec and the federal Conservative Party natural allies, but strategists say the CAQ majority win in this month’s provincial election isn’t automatically good news for Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. The Oct. 1 election results were more about kicking out the Quebec Liberal Party, in […]
Québec Solidaire vote may be more than a sign of youthful rebellion
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The young woman who serves me my croissants and brioches at the local bakery surprised me today when she revealed she has an accounting degree from Université de Montréal and used to work for a heavy-equipment company. When the bakery closes for the season, she will do the books for the restaurant next door. […]
Surprising takeaways from Quebec’s vote
To fully measure the electoral earthquake that left Quebec’s once-dominant parties in shambles on Monday, consider that 84 of the 125 members of the new national assembly ran under the banner of parties that did not even exist a bit more than a decade ago, let alone at the time of the 1995 referendum. That’s […]
Nomination race spending limit doubles for 2019 campaign, creating barrier to recruiting new female candidates, say MPs
The spending limit for federal parties’ nomination contestants in the 2019 election cycle is almost double what it was in 2015, chiefly because of the long election campaign last time around, and some say the higher donation limit is a barrier to recruiting new female candidates. “There are so many barriers to recruit women candidates, […]
‘I don’t see any end to this any time soon’: Conservatives dig in heels over Liberal elections bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould was left cooling her heels last week as the committee studying the government’s elections bill continued to squabble over a timeline to send it back to the House. And Conservative MPs say they’re willing to draw out the debate for as long as they think is necessary. Ms. Gould (Burlington, Ont.), […]
