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 […]
Public patience wearing thin in labour dispute between Ontario government, teachers
OTTAWA—Another week goes by here in Ontario with another set of rotating strike actions by Ontario’s teachers, who are in a labour dispute with Doug Ford’s government. These groups have been out of sorts since the fall. To date, no full-on strike has occurred, but neither has a negotiated settlement been reached. For me, this […]
The case for a ‘For Indigenous, By Indigenous’ housing strategy
OTTAWA—When politicians and commentators discuss Indigenous peoples in Canada, it’s not often recognized that 87 per cent of Indigenous peoples in Canada live in urban, rural, and northern settings. Given that fact, it’s an unfortunate reality that the federal government is not living up to its housing obligations for Indigenous people living in urban, rural, […]
Newfoundlanders struggling from historic storm in need of federal funds, MPs say
In the aftermath of the biggest blizzard to hit Newfoundland and Labrador in half a century, propelling its capital into a state of emergency, the province’s MPs say the blizzard revealed its resident’s resilience, but the federal government will need to step up for those hardest hit. NDP MP Jack Harris (St. John’s East, N.L.) […]
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Snowmaggedon shows the power of community helping community
OTTAWA—Last week I was in St. John’s for the memorial service for John Crosbie. It was an excellent occasion, well attended by the mighty and the meek. A fitting testament to the connection Crosbie himself had with so many. The sun split the Rock that day, but shortly thereafter, Snowmaggedon arrived. You have all seen […]
The beauty of billboards
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Maybe this is a sign I’m getting old, but it always pleases me when, in this age of high-tech communication strategies, an “old-fashioned” tactic manages to score a huge public relations success. So when I learned recently that a political message plastered on a billboard—an ancient medium of communication if ever there was one—had […]
2019: the year of the unexpected
OAKVILLE, ONT.—One of the fun aspects about politics is its unpredictably. You just never know what’s going to happen next. And nowadays it seems, for whatever reason, politics is more unpredictable than ever. This is why I’ve decided not to write a “Here’s My Predictions For Next Year” column, since I’m sure 2020 will be […]
Premiers’ nuclear announcement a potential boon, but issues remain: experts
Canadian nuclear energy experts say the recent announcement by three provincial premiers of plans to develop small and modular nuclear reactor technology, which could provide large amounts of greenhouse gas-free electricity, but one environmental expert says serious issues with the technology remain. On Dec. 1, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and New […]
We are not really ‘The North’
OTTAWA—Thirteen years ago, I went to Whitehorse, the first time I had ever been north of the 60th parallel. It was a memorable visit, as I was enveloped by the northern lights, travelled around the region, and met people of all ages and backgrounds to talk about international policy. In doing so, I was part […]
