Consequential election on the Rock worth watching
OTTAWA—Canada is now in the midst of its fourth pandemic election. Following the lead of New Brunswick, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador voters will head to the polls on Saturday, Feb. 13. Newly minted Liberal Premier Dr. Andrew Furey, son of Senate Speaker George Furey, was required by provincial law to call an […]
As Ford declares second state of emergency, some federal Ontario MPs say situation at ‘critical point,’ looking for more clarity
Following Ontario’s second state of emergency declared last week since the pandemic began as a result of escalating COVID-19 numbers, a number of Ontario MPs are saying the pandemic has reached “a critical point” and are looking for more clarity from the provincial government around stay-at-home orders that will persist until well into February. The […]
First ministers’ meeting likely to hit on health transfers, vaccine rollout
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc are set to meet virtually with Canada’s premiers on Thursday, a gathering that the provinces have been clamouring for since September. Ottawa and the provinces appear to be at odds over the focus of the meeting. The premiers have been calling for a permanent 13 […]
Addressing high rates of assault in the North ‘daunting’ as Senators press feds to support shelters, address housing gaps
More than half of Canadians living in the territories have been victims of physical or sexual assault at least once since they were 15, a “daunting” reality that has northern Senators and advocacy groups redoubling requests for more shelters and housing as an essential safety net. In the territories, a little more than half of […]
Bill 101 applying federally? Time for some constitutional common sense
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—I miss Eugene Forsey. The late, great former senator was a source of incredible insight into the Constitution. And he was always accessible: as a political assistant or journalist, if I had a question on constitutional law, I would phone him up and he would settle things with a succinct answer. He was a […]
Climate and shifting markets define energy challenges for Canada
The state of energy policy in Canada, as it relates to fossil fuels, is defined by two major issues: the stalling out, with the possible exception of Quebec, of meaningful progress on climate change; and distress in the Alberta oil and gas sector, a product of weak demand and low commodity prices—trends that pre-dated the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]
Hillier is a great leader, but not the right one for the vaccine job
OTTAWA—Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the appointment of retired General Rick Hillier to head the provincial task force that will oversee the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Ford told reporters that this challenge “needed a general,” and he went on at length as to why Hillier was the right man for the job. The […]
Eight months into the pandemic, we’re no longer pulling together
As the prospect of a dim and diminished Christmas approaches, social cohesion is fracturing. Like hostages trapped in the same room for too many months, people are lashing out—at politicians of all stripes, at once-revered public health officials, at partying young folk, at anti-maskers, at the big-box stores that profit while local restaurants and shops […]
Anglo Quebecers are not a threat to French, we shouldn’t be treated as such
MONTREAL, QUE.—Sometimes things in life don’t happen as quickly as they should. An article in La Presse in September 2017 focused on my plans to move back to Quebec in 2018. Two years later, I have taken the step, moving to my ancestral home in Kamouraska and taking a pied à terre in Montreal. There […]
Hillier is the right choice to lead Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution
OTTAWA—Much like General Douglas MacArthur returning to the Philippines during the Second World War when the beleaguered nation needed rescue, Gen. Rick Hillier has returned to the national stage to oversee a key battle against COVID-19. Hillier has been asked by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to run the task force that will manage the distribution […]
