Team Canada shows co-operation pays after 3M mask supply threatened
OTTAWA—As Canada’s COVID-19 containment enters its fourth week, with many weeks still likely to go, a bouquet to some of our political leaders for how they handled U.S. President Donald Trump’s initial efforts to limit 3M from providing N95 respirator masks to Canada. Late last week, in a time when the world needed—and still does—co-operation, […]
Trump administration’s demand for 3M to halt shipment of masks will ‘hurt’ Canada, U.S., Trudeau says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the Trump administration’s request demanding that manufacturing giant 3M stop exports of U.S.-made N95 masks to Canada will “hurt” both economies, but stopped short of saying if his government is considering retaliatory measures. Speaking to reporters on Friday from Rideau Cottage, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said that Canada has […]
This changes everything, for a while, at least
CHELSEA, QUE.—After the virus is gone—and it will go—will life, particularly political life, be any different? Will ideology, of any stripe, look like the clumsy, rigid tool that it is, wholly inappropriate for dealing with the mess of a real-life crisis? Will the shared sense of purpose, the empathy for those leading the response, hold—and […]
‘It’s incredibly dire here’: Alberta MPs navigating COVID-19 and oil crises
“I’m not really one to panic,” said Alberta MP Stephanie Kusie, speaking over the phone from her home, after closing her constituency office in Calgary Midnapore as the COVID-19 virus spreads across Canada. “I believe in preparation, but I don’t believe in panicking.” Still, the former Canadian diplomat-turned Conservative MP says she is taking a “day […]
On the appeal of punching down
TEC DE MONTERREY, MEXICO—In her fantastic new book In The Ruins of Neoliberalism: The Rise of Anti-Democratic Politics in the West, philosopher Wendy Brown discusses Nietzsche’s well-known arguments about resentment and the slave morality. Nietzsche famously opined that for centuries Western civilization had been dominated by a Christian outlook which stresses that weakness, humility and poverty […]
It’s a matter of identity, says Ottawa letter-writer, of Alberta and Saskatchewan
Alberta, for many decades, has been seen as the energy powerhouse of Canada, providing well-paid jobs to many Canadians and being a significant contributor to the federal coffers. And now, the West is seen as the country’s “bad boys” who ruin our reputation as a responsible global player by disregarding the climate emergency. The real dilemma […]
Lead up to Buffalo Declaration ‘disingenuous’ to Alberta, national caucus, says Conservative MP Kusie
Despite agreeing with many of the sentiments expressed in the Buffalo Declaration, a Calgary Conservative MP says she felt “complete disappointment” the manifesto was based off of the work of only “a few individuals, acting independently,” without the backing of the Tories’ Alberta caucus, and that the lack of consensus in its creation does more to […]
Being premier of Newfoundland and Labrador may be the toughest job in the country
OTTAWA—In the midst of the maelstrom of news last week involving the Wet’suwet’en in B.C., the rail blockades in Ontario, the Prime Minister’s trip abroad and sudden return home, the news that Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball was stepping down was almost a footnote. It was not a surprise to observers of politics on […]
Political rumbles on the horizon for Newfoundland and Labrador
OTTAWA—Politics in Newfoundland and Labrador is never dull at the best times. Dwight Ball just upped the ante. To the surprise of some, Premier Ball announced on Family Day—Feb. 17—that he was going to step down to spend more time with his family. He will stay on until a replacement is chosen at a soon-to-be-determined […]
Collaborate and listen: Bloc Québécois hopes to leverage minority Parliament dynamics to make mark
The 2019 election saw the Bloc Québécois’ caucus increase three-fold, elevating it to third-party standing and recognized status in the House, and the team is looking to “leverage” its new circumstances to make a mark in this Parliament, according to the deputy House leader. “The fact that it’s a minority Parliament, we have more leverage […]
