Convention supply-management tumult ‘opened the floodgates’ for Bernier supporters, says organizer
A Conservative Party member and proponent of ending Canada’s supply management system said he’s received plenty of interest from current and former MPs and businesspeople in support of maverick MP Maxime Bernier’s future party. This follows a tense scene at the party convention that saw a policy resolution on phasing out the system dropped before reaching a vote. […]
Next year’s election will shine a light on trade
The U.S. and Mexico have announced a tentative trade deal, putting the pressure directly on Canada and Prime Minister Trudeau to get back to the table and negotiate with President Trump, who says that, “if (Canada) would like to negotiate fairly we will do that.” The U.S. president also pointed out that Canadian supply management […]
Supply management proposal gets the short shrift as Tories prepare policy package
Conservative Party members wrestled Friday with how they’ll be perceived by the general voting public in 2019 as they began the process of whittling down a swath of policy resolutions that will help inform the party’s next election platform. When delegates reconvene on Saturday afternoon to talk policy, they’ll be staring down a list of […]
Maxime Bernier’s explosive exit from Conservative Party has ‘no impact’ on Tory Halifax huddle, say MPs
HALIFAX/PARLIAMENT HILL—Quebec MP Maxime Bernier announced in Ottawa on Thursday that he is leaving the Conservative Party, saying that he is in “politics to defend ideas, real conservative ideas.” But in Halifax, where thousands of Conservative Party members have gathered to debate those ideas, Mr. Bernier’s (Beauce, Que.) now-former caucus colleagues say his decision changes […]
Divisive riding-refund clawback pulled from agenda, as Tories set to talk policy in Halifax
A proposed change to the federal Conservative Party’s constitution aimed at stopping the national body from clawing back money from its riding associations has been pulled from consideration at this week’s convention. The proposal, sponsored by the electoral district association for Carleton, Ont., was part of the association’s campaign to stop the implementation of a 2017 decision […]
Tories must ‘find a way to manage Max,’ but Bernier’s ‘selfish gesture’ won’t cast too dark a shadow over convention: strategists, MPs
As Conservatives huddle in Halifax this week to hash out their plan to topple the Liberal government next year, Tory MPs and politicos say they expect the convention’s focus to firmly remain on 2019 strategy, despite the recent distraction caused by MP Maxime Bernier. The three-day Conservative National Convention kicks off on Aug. 23 at […]
How Canada landed at the top of Trump’s trade-enemies list
OTTAWA—The uproar over milk pricing that morphed into the growing United States-Canada trade war began 18 months ago with a series of letters that appeared to put the livelihoods of some American dairy farmers at risk. About 75 Wisconsin and Minnesota dairy farms (out of the 40,219 in the U.S.) received a letter from milk […]
Rough trade: Trump and his tariff fixation
OTTAWA—One can’t help but wonder what the hundreds of market researchers, university experts, and economists—part of the multi-million-dollar trade intelligence industry focused on U.S.-Canada dealings—thought about the White House spokesperson’s analysis of bilateral trade last month. Reducing the entire matter to the language of a grade school spat over who didn’t get a card on […]
Economists, ‘not surprised’ by carbon-pricing changes, explain what they mean
Economists say the Liberal government’s changes to its proposed carbon-pricing subsidy rates for industrial emitters offered them no surprises, despite growls from politicians and some journalists that the update was a “retreat” from carbon pricing. Politicians, including Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, were quick to accuse the feds of “watering down” their carbon-pricing plan. On social […]
Canada needs to better champion its innovative industries
Canada is home to a highly innovative and reputable aerospace industry. This is an industry that developed the Canadarm, develops aircraft used around the world, and designs innovative technologies that are used worldwide. There are more than 400 aerospace firms in Canada, which employ more than 70,000 people. While our aerospace industry is admired by industry groups worldwide […]
