No deal yet on remote House proceedings, with app process and Chamber-wide testing still to be resolved
An agreement to allow the continuation of remote hybrid sittings of the House of Commons and its committees still has yet to be reached, and with Liberals pushing pursuit of a new voting application system, opposition House leaders say Chamber-wide testing and key details on its process are still be ironed out. “I don’t doubt […]
Canada’s investment in ACT-Accelerator helps strengthen our global health-care system
The increasing number of COVID-19 cases is staggering. It’s hard to read the news, it’s hard for those who are being infected by the novel coronavirus, and it’s especially hard for health-care workers who are witnessing the effects of the coronavirus on our loved ones, on a daily basis. While we all depend on our […]
Trudeau told Liberals’ national board of directors ‘it looks like’ a spring election, according to a Liberal source, but Grits say it will happen based on important conditions
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose Liberals are enjoying a comfortable lead in public opinion polls, told members of the party’s national board of directors before Christmas that “it looks like” the next election would happen this spring, said one source, but other sources say a spring election will only happen if the vaccine rollout is […]
Should feds intervene in provincial vaccine rollout? Experts in health, governance and politics weigh in
The federal government should not wrest control of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout from the provinces—or at least not now, say a pandemic policy expert, a former Liberal MP and general, and a former top Ontario public servant. One Toronto physician, Dr. Vincent Lam, however, said the government should step in and use the Emergencies Act […]
‘It seems to have hit a nerve’: no margin of error left for politicians caught in travel controversy over holidays, say MPs and political insiders
Elected politicians who travelled abroad during the Christmas break have no margin of error left for their credibility, and any more mistakes could prove to be fatal for their political careers, say some political players and MPs. “They can put it behind them as long as there are no more breaches of the rules,” said […]
Premiers can ‘ramp up’ vaccination plans in coming months, says official
Federal officials signalled to provinces and territories Friday that more vaccines are coming in February, as premiers decried a looming shortage in stock. Maj. Gen. Dany Fortin, who is overseeing the logistics of vaccine distribution at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said as of this week, Ottawa has already delivered 124,800 doses of the […]
Advocates welcome vaccine rollout in prisons, say risk for outbreak still high amid second wave
Canada’s prison watchdog and some opposition critics are welcoming a federal effort that will start vaccinating hundreds of high-risk prisoners Friday, and decrying Conservative statements that “no criminal” be vaccinated before other vulnerable populations. Correctional Investigator of Canada Ivan Zinger said he’s “encouraged” to see the government following the advice of health agencies that regard […]
Not yet clear if MPs will pay steeper price for holiday travel abroad, say politicos, but damage could come at polls
It is too early to say if some politicians caught travelling abroad over the holidays will face long-term consequences, say some Hill observers, as timing will play a big role in determining if they lose their jobs in the next vote. Speaking to The Hill Times, former NDP MP David Christopherson said he was “outraged” […]
Trudeau’s move to wait his turn for vaccine signals difference in political dynamics with U.S., say experts
Canada’s political leaders are hewing to the vaccine guidelines the federal advisory committee has issued in waiting their turn for the shot, a departure from some of their American counterparts that some experts say speaks to differences in political dynamics. While a number of high-profile political leaders in the U.S., such as incoming president Joe […]
Feds expect ‘predictable flow’ of vaccines as Trudeau to meet with premiers to speed up rollout
Federal officials are hoping the arrival of a “continuous and predictable flow” of COVID-19 vaccines in January will help jurisdictions more “promptly” deliver them into the arms of Canadians—an issue that will be up for discussion when premiers meet with the prime minister on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Dany Fortin, who […]
