If Conservatives keep O’Toole as leader, more conservative voters will move to Bernier
HALIFAX—The most spectacular self-immolation of Election 2021 was Annamie Paul and the Green Party; but the more consequential one belongs to Erin O’Toole. The Conservative Party of Canada wasn’t aiming at party status in the recent election, as the Greens were. It was aiming at government—for the third time since the days when they last […]
Suppose they gave an election and nobody won
It would be very easy to simply slide alongside the emerging narrative that the 44th Canadian general election was a waste of time, a waste of money, and an empty exercise where the hopes and dreams of political junkies met their maker. To be fair, the Liberals were indeed hoping for a majority and fell […]
Trudeau has plenty of fresh faces, proven talent to address clear gaps in his cabinet
OTTAWA—A new cabinet is coming and there are some clear gaps or changes needed. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to a gender-balanced cabinet and now needs to appoint at least four new women to cabinet. Three women ministers lost their seats—Maryam Monsef, Deb Schulte, and Bernadette Jordan; and one, Catherine McKenna, didn’t […]
Get ready for O’Toole 2.5
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Should he stay or should he go? That’s the burning question people in political circles are asking these days about Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole, in light of his disappointing finish in the recent federal election. But in my view, another question needs asking, i.e., if O’Toole does stick around for another kick at […]
Charities, non-profits need more than upped disbursement quota from feds to advance equity in communities
A re-elected Liberal government means commitments made will be revisited, and a vision for Canada post-pandemic unveiled. One commitment, in particular, made in the 2021 federal budget, was the government’s intent to increase the disbursement quota, or the minimum amount that charitable organizations must spend or grant each year, as a means to “boosting charitable […]
Bloc willing to ‘turn water to wine’ in House, but won’t budge on health transfer boost
In the new minority Parliament, the Bloc Québécois will continue to push for increased health transfers from the federal government as the “main demand,” says one MP of the platform plank that some experts say could be made a condition of the party’s support for Liberal legislation. “We have always presented ourselves in Parliament as […]
The Seinfeld election: an election about nothing
This election might be called the Seinfeld election, an election about nothing. There was no single issue, as there was in 1988 when free trade turned that election into a referendum. Nor was there a burning desire to vote the bums out, as there was in 1984, 1993, and 2015. Instead, it just was. Sure, […]
A new perspective for the Leaders’ Debate Commission
Having watched and worked with Members of Parliament from different parties as a non-partisan parliamentary intern, I came to appreciate the importance of non-party leader MPs as legislators and as advocates for their constituents. Whether it’s participating in committee meetings, advocating for local issues within the House of Commons, or simply helping constituents navigate the […]
On par voter turnout an important outcome in pandemic election
With mail-in ballots now counted, it seems about 17 million Canadians took the time to vote in the 2021 federal election. While some have decried the low voter turnout (62.3 per cent) compared to 2019 (67 per cent), in actuality these numbers indicate that voters had a vested interest in the outcome of this election—even […]
Hope remains for Liberal action on Indigenous promises, but spotty record leaves many advocates skeptical
After an election that saw little talk of Indigenous issues, advocates decry a “scaling down of ambition” over time by the Trudeau Liberals and argue the need for continued public pressure to effect real change—but hope remains. For Legacy of Hope Foundation president Adam North Peigan, there’s mainly fragile faith. “We do have a lot […]
