The thin line that separates public policy and politics
Paul Martin’s government is keenly aware that vacating a decades-old place in the non-proliferation vanguard will be good for Liberal prospects in an election that is months, if not weeks, away. Would the federal Liberals abandon Canada’s historic opposition to the spread of nuclear weapons just to win votes? No, that would be too cynical […]
Senate shuts down, has nothing to do
The Senate shut down last week and won’t be back until Oct. 18 because it has no bills to scrutinize. The Senate shut down last week for two weeks and won’t be back until Oct. 18 because it has nothing to do and no bills to scrutinize, after sitting an extra month in the summer. […]
The Prime Minister did good [Governor-General’s appointment]
What is remarkable is that it was an appointment by Prime Minister Paul Martin, based on his gut instinct, something he should evidently do more of. No? Michaelle Jean’s selection for the post of Governor General was greeted with surprise, but reasonably good press back in early August. And then her separatist friends struck and […]
Michaelle Jean steps out
Last week’s newspaper headlines said it all. Michaelle Jean was a hit.The 48- year-old refugee from Haiti and former Quebec journalist dazzled the crowd on and off the Hill.The Ottawa establishment and the Prime Minister’s Office were pleased. Not bad, considering all the earlier reviews from the monarchy abolitionists, conservative talk radio hosts, some newspaper […]
Layton says while Conservatives talk election, the NDP is talking programs and McGuinty is talking about more money
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says the next election will depend on the NDP but Jack Layton is still dismissing the challenge. NDP Leader Jack Layton says he’s disappointed with the Liberals’ legislative agenda this fall and wants the government to work on concrete, urgent issues. “It looks like they came back from the holiday with […]
Pallister: the Conservative MP who took down David Dingwall
At 6’8″ Conservative MP Brian Pallister is the tallest drink of water in politics. He’s also getting skilled at uncovering excessive Liberal spending. At 6′ 8″Conservative MP Brian Pallister is the tallest drink of water in politics. He towers over everyone.To scrum him is to feel lilliputian. Mr. Pallister (Portage-Lisgar, Man.) ,who is an athlete […]
CBC doesn’t need increased funding: Global’s Peter Kent
While I believe, passionately, that Canada needs a strong, publicly-funded national broadcaster, CBC TV does not need increased funding. The sorry state of the corporation today is a direct result of a chronic, misdirected fixation on its original 1950s-era mandate to provide a spectrum of local and regional television services that are irrelevant in today’s […]
Hamm’s departure no surprise
Hamm’s departure no surprise… Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm’s retirement announcement last week came as no surprise to Nova Scotians, the rest of Canada’s premiers and readers of this column. They’ve been hearing of Mr. Hamm’s intentions all summer. Talk of federal Deputy Conservative Leader Peter MacKay’s possible interest in the job was also not […]
Correction [Warren Kinsella on punk rock, his new book and the real Liberal Party, in Ontario, September 26, 2005]
Regarding last week’s story, “Warren Kinsella on punk rock, his new book and the real Liberal Party, in Ontario,” (The Hill Times, Sept. 26). Warren Kinsella says he has never called any Liberal MP a “neo- Nazi.” Said Mr. Kinsella: “I’ve met the real ones for Web of Hate, and that’s not an allegation I’d […]
Missing Newsworld’s Politics
Re: “House is back, but Newman and Lessard won’t be on the air,”(The Hill Times, Sept. 26). I think that it is terrible that we won’t be able to watch Politics because of the CBC lockout; it’s one of my favourite shows on Newsworld. Judi Johnny Whitehorse,Yukon Re: “House is back, but Newman and Lessard […]
