Don’t forcibly out Alberta kids, Mr. Kenney
TORONTO—“Are you gay?” It was 1983 or so, and my Carleton journalism professor, Roger Bird, had asked me if I was gay. I was surprised. “Is that an issue?” I asked him. “If you are writing an investigative series about gay people in politics, I think it is,” Bird said, and he was probably right, as […]
Newfoundland and Labrador: a gift to last
OTTAWA—On March 31, Newfoundland and Labrador will celebrate 68 years since it joined Canada, the last province to do so. In this 150th year of celebration, it is worthwhile to examine our youngest province’s perspective of Confederation. While it represented a new beginning as a province of Canada, it also marked the end of its […]
Poor journalism proved costly to Andrew Potter
It was shoddy journalism, not a debatable take on Quebec society, that cost former Ottawa Citizen editor Andrew Potter his “dream job” as the head of McGill University’s prestigious Institute for the Study of Canada this week. He failed to let the facts get in the way of a good rant. Potter wanted to make […]
Politics at its worst in political parties
OTTAWA—Politics is at its worst in political parties. Internal decisions are usually made in secret with little recourse to the rules of due process that apply to normal business decisions. That may change, as a disgruntled New Democrat took his case to the courts last week after his party would not allow him to run […]
Manitoba premier calls for action from Trudeau on asylum seekers from U.S.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in New York City where he addressed the audience of and took in a Broadway performance of Come From Away, the musical about Newfoundlanders accommodating thousands of American airline passengers stranded in Gander after 9/11. While Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) was hamming it up for a crowd that […]
We need to talk about Kevin
GATINEAU, QUE.—Imagine, for a moment, prime minister Kevin O’Leary presenting his first Speech From the Throne, amid the smouldering ruins of politics as we know it. He’s not going to like it. First, the timing will be all wrong: mid-afternoon ratings suck. Second, the venue—the Senate Chamber—is too cramped, the decor too Victorian. There is […]
Ottawa must stop meddling in health care
Refusal to negotiate, ultimatums and threats: when it comes to health, the federal government behaves like a bully. But beyond the appalling attitude, what is at stake is of utmost importance. If health transfers don’t rise at the same pace as health costs, there is a real possibility that the health system implodes. In its […]
Meet Gérard Deltell, the rising-star Quebec MP whose leadership endorsement will be one to watch
He may be a rookie in the House, but rising-star Conservative finance critic Gérard Deltell is a known entity in Quebec, where his upcoming endorsement in the Conservative leadership race is expected to be significant. The 52-year-old (Louis-Saint-Laurent, Que.) has garnered attention since arriving on the Hill last year. Though his name is recognized in […]
Trudeau will have a close eye on B.C.’s spring election
VANCOUVER—With all hands on deck on Parliament Hill to keep Canada/United States relations on as even a keel as possible, the last thing Justin Trudeau needs is a political storm in British Columbia. With the province heading to the polls this spring, there are clouds on the horizon. Donald Trump’s presidential victory has already forced […]
Five byelections will be first real test for Liberal government
OTTAWA—Five byelections across three provinces will be the first real test for the Liberal government. With vacancies in former Liberal ridings, the pressure will be on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to grow his majority. Whatever happens, the outcome will likely result in a rise in diversity, as all ridings were formerly held by white men […]
