Nova Scotia massacre again drives home urgent need for action on gun control, gender violence
OTTAWA—At a raucous party in Portapique, N.S., some years ago, the shooter in the recent massacre had an argument with his girlfriend, removed the tires from her car so she couldn’t leave, and then locked her out of their house, a long-time neighbour recalled. Trying to help the girlfriend, John Hudson went to the house […]
Feds to eventually share ‘guidelines’ for provinces, territories to begin reopening, says Trudeau
With some provinces looking to gradually reopen their economies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the federal government is working with jurisdictions to ensure their plans follow agreed-upon “principles,” but Ottawa will not necessarily be vetting those plans, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Speaking to reporters at his daily, morning briefing on April 27, Mr. Trudeau […]
Nunavut politicians say feds must ‘step up’ prevention measures, fearing COVID-19 could spread ‘like wildfire’
Nunavut politicians are calling on the federal government to put aside more funds to prepare the territory, saying the $30.8-million promised last week is “a drop in the bucket” and not near enough to prepare for COVID-19 cases, which they warn could spread like wildfire in small communities. As the lone MP representing the largest […]
Politics-as-usual likely to return after COVID-19, but chance for change down the road, say politicos
Although politicians across the country are working across party lines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, pollsters and politicos are split on whether partisanship and politics will change much, if at all, as a result of the crisis. But some say the personal relationships formed between politicians during the pandemic could last and help in resolving disputes […]
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 […]
