When it comes to climate change, Scheer should ignore the media
OAKVILLE, ONT.—One fun thing about elections is how they suddenly turn journalists and columnists into masters of political strategy. Indeed, if you scan social media, or read newspaper opinion pages, or watch public affairs shows on TV, you’ll find legions of media pundits offering up their strategic advice to political party leaders as to how […]
Leadership contradictions, affordability, and a redefined Ford among election highlights so far
OTTAWA—How do you define excitement? Spoiler. Campaign 2019 is so far not the answer. But hope springs eternal as we hit the halfway mark of the election. If polls are to be believed, if the election ended today, we’d likely have a minority government, probably of the Liberal variety. Were that the case then the […]
New book explores legacy of the first female Supreme Court chief justice
In a recently released book, two academics explore the legacy of Canada’s first-ever female Supreme Court chief justice, Beverley McLachlin, who held the role from 2000 to 2017. “Not only has McLachlin had the courage to confront the ‘issues that really divide society,’ but she has developed techniques for considering these issues dispassionately, effectively, and […]
Five decades later, the class of 1969 looks back
MONTREAL—I attended my 50th anniversary high school reunion here over the weekend. I helped organize it, which is a paradox, because I disliked high school. For one thing, I attended the same school for 12 years, from kindergarten to graduation. Familiarity does breed contempt, and consequently, scholastic indifference. Our high school was not untypical of […]
Liberal campaign spinning its wheels: media bus gives the Grits more trouble
As the Liberals were stuck in crisis management mode after the revelation that its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, had previously been photographed wearing brownface and blackface as recently as 2001, the party’s media campaign bus was also stuck—at a campaign stop in Burnaby, B.C., on Sept. 24, to be exact. The campaign bus “bottomed […]
Clout of young voters remains the crucial election question
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau’s theatricality and mindless whimsy have cost him dearly. The prime minister’s dress-up antics in India last year raised a lot of doubts about his judgment. And it’s obvious the photos of him from years ago in racial face paint have undermined his credibility and stature at home and abroad. The Liberal campaign stalled […]
Manitoba Liberal MPs not deterred by recent provincial Tory majority win
Despite a provincial election that coloured Manitoba a Conservative blue last week, some Liberal MPs say they’re hopeful when it comes to their party’s position in the province federally. The federal Conservatives currently hold five of the 14 Manitoba seats in the House of Commons, but are edged out by the Liberals, with seven seats, […]
Arctic policy framework released ‘last minute’ ahead of October election, say experts
After nearly three years of waiting, the release of the Trudeau government’s much-anticipated Arctic policy framework was rushed ahead of the looming election, possibly with the aim of avoiding a campaign “vulnerability” for the Liberals, say experts. The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was released with little fanfare on Sept. 10, just a day before […]
Trudeau should follow his father’s lead and let others challenge Bill 21
OTTAWA–It was October of 1977. Marc Lalonde, the powerful federal cabinet minister, was glowering at me as he yelled into my microphone. I was a 25-year-old radio reporter in Montreal, and he had just announced that the cabinet, led by then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau, would not challenge the constitutionality of Quebec’s language law, Bill 101. […]
Facing the nation: leaders’ tours hint at parties’ vulnerabilities, seats in play
The party leaders’ sprint across the country in the run-up to the election hints at where campaign strategists think their team can make inroads, or—depending on the state of the electoral map and public opinion polls—where they need to play defence, say political observers. It’s no surprise the four major party leaders have been logging […]
