Redrawing the political landscape as COVID becomes a way of life
OTTAWA—Throne Speeches are always aspirational, but the blueprint for the future that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rolled out goes a step beyond. It stands as the kind of comprehensive policy wish list political parties normally accumulate over the course of an entire election campaign. Touching on the full spectrum of social and economic policy, […]
Parliament returns with the theatre of building back better
CALGARY—It’s Fall 2020 and we still have a government. That’s nice. It’s the best one can hope for in the midst of a global pandemic, economic disintegration, and a society that is held together, not by a common purpose, but the tenuous glue of predictable racial fragmentation. A lot of people are telling on themselves […]
It’s time to bridge our country’s great digital divide
If you’re of a certain age, chances are you’ll never forget the screeching symphony of sounds your computer once had to perform just to get online. Today, dial-up internet is a relic of the 90s for most—something many reminisce and chuckle about. However, for many rural Canadians, particularly farmers, lack of broadband internet is still […]
Canada’s pandemic spending ‘barely sustainable,’ says PBO, projecting $328.5-billion deficit
Spending commitments outlined in the Liberals’ Throne Speech last week could plunge the country’s finances deeper into the red, says the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who released a new report estimating the federal deficit could hit $328.5-billion. Speaking to reporters through a videolink on Tuesday, Yves Giroux said that, under “current policy parameters” his office took […]
Has failing to call a fall election signalled Trudeau’s undoing?
Justin Trudeau possibly made his first fatal mistake when he prorogued Parliament on Aug. 18 rather than calling an election to reset the government agenda to face the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. His decision to prorogue was likely a calculation that Canadian voters would turn against the Liberals for calling a snap election in the […]
Committee should study proposed changes to election rules to prepare for future vote, say MPs
Legislative changes that Elections Canada is looking to make to election rules require a deep dive by a House committee, say some Parliamentarians, while one expert says there is a need to be “innovative” beyond tweaks to the Canada Elections Act. The agency will submit its recommendations to Parliament with amendments to the act sometime […]
Lapse in early pandemic warning system ‘a colossal failure,’ says former federal Liberal health minister Dosanjh
Following the abrupt resignation of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) president Tina Namiesniowski on Sept. 18, a former Liberal federal health minister says the lapse in the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN)’s role under this government’s watch was “a colossal failure,” with the Bloc Québécois’ health critic saying the new president of […]
‘It’s much lonelier’: MPs talk about doing politics in the age of the pandemic
Backbench MPs say the global pandemic has turned doing retail politics on its head, say the legislative job is much lonelier without all the human interaction on the Hill and in the ridings, and some even say pressing the flesh could be off bounds forever. Liberal MP Judy Sgro (Humber River-Black Creek, Ont.) and other […]
Trudeau’s adversaries putting political gain over national interest
HALIFAX—Justin Trudeau has received a lot of kicks in the pants during his nearly five years as prime minister. I know, I delivered quite a few of them myself. The Mr. Dress-Up tour of India; the disgraceful treatment of former cabinet ministers Jodie Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott during the SNC Lavalin Affair; the freebie getaway […]
Trudeau says some promises ‘clearly’ touch provincial jurisdiction after premiers slam Throne Speech, but calls for unified approach
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged Friday that, while the Liberals’ Throne Speech waded into areas that fall squarely in provinces’ jurisdiction, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for all levels of government to work together. Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau. Que.) brushed aside suggestions that he had lost the co-operation and […]
