After a campaign that only reinforced Canada’s divisions, it’s unclear what, if anything, will be resolved Monday
OTTAWA—Not surprisingly for a national election during a once-in-a-century health crisis, Canadians appear likely to wind up on Sept. 20 more divided than ever and with a government with no clear mandate. The campaign is the most unfocused federal contest in recent memory. It has emerged as a mish-mash dominated by populist-style personal attacks, Trumpist […]
Legislative change needed on access to information, but ‘overheated rhetoric’ doesn’t help, says Wernick
Canada’s record management systems are “underfunded and shambolic,” and new access-to-information legislation is needed to prevent “backsliding” by future governments on proactive disclosure, says the country’s former top bureaucrat. Speaking during a Sept. 14 debate on access to information (ATI) reform, former Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick, despite having to argue the opposing position, agreed […]
AFN’s call for Indigenous voters to be election ‘kingmakers’ challenged by lack of voter enthusiasm, say chiefs and politicos
Despite the Assembly of First Nations’ assertion that Indigenous electors in 24 ridings could play the role of “kingmakers” in the upcoming election, regional chiefs and political experts say it is unlikely that there will be a huge boost in turnout like there was during the 2015 election. Three chiefs and two experts say that […]
The 24 ridings AFN says First Nations voters can decide the election outcome
There are 24 ridings where First Nations voters could play “kingmaker” in the upcoming election, according to the Assembly of First Nations. To come up with the list, the national advocacy organization said it analyzed First Nations population data from Statistics Canada and combined it with 2019 election outcomes, taking into consideration ridings with very […]
Election 2021: what will the parties sacrifice for veterans?
OTTAWA—Typically, the sacrifice of Canadian veterans has been invoked on Remembrance Day and sometimes during an election. Far less frequent is remembering the other side of that bargain: what we owe veterans for defending our much-admired democracy. For the fourth straight election, substantive commitments to veterans and their families are included in the three big […]
Only a few days before federal election, and I feel like I’ve been here before
TORONTO—It’s just days until a federal election in Canada and, despite only moving to this country in 2019, I feel like I’ve been here before: an upstart Conservative party leader putting on a friendly, faux-progressive face. He’s looking to take power, a struggling centre-left governing party stares down the barrel of a global crisis. He’s carrying […]
Canada has the right ingredients to be an automotive powerhouse
As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, one important issue they will be weighing is the future of Canada’s economy. Strong and sustained economic growth and job creation depends on a rebound in business investment, consumer spending and exports. Fortunately for Canada, the auto industry is well-positioned to lead the way for Canada with […]
Nuclear disarmament must be a priority for the next Canadian government
Much like the global climate emergency, the continued existence of nuclear weapons constitutes a clear and present threat to human civilization. But if the topics being addressed by party leaders and platforms during this federal election are any indication, nuclear disarmament would seem to be a non-issue in the Canadian political landscape. Today nearly 14,000 […]
Has Canada’s populist finally arrived?
TORONTO—Maxime Bernier and the People’s Party of Canada are a new addition to the Canadian election cycle and people are having a hard time defining him and his party. The word “populist” is by no means perfect, but still a step up over nebulous terms like “far-right” or “alt-right.” To call Bernier “Trump light” would […]
Politics This Morning: Polls put Liberals, Conservatives neck and neck as campaign wanes; O’Toole in two Atlantic provinces
Good Thursday morning. Welcome to day 33 of the campaign, A pair of polls out yesterday put the Liberals and Conservatives neck and neck with just a few days to go. An Ipsos poll for Global News has the two tied at 32 per cent of the vote, pulling from a survey of 2,001 Canadians […]
