Every time Ford busts out the bazooka to get his way, he’s playing with fire
OTTAWA—Premier Doug Ford’s new Ontario government sure knows how to pick a fight. Question is: does it always have to be a racket? Hours after an Ontario court overturned the Ford government’s legislation to shrink the size of Toronto city council, the premier hauled out the bazooka—announcing he would invoke the notwithstanding clause to reset […]
It’s not the economy, stupid: Quebec’s counterintuitive election
The Saint-Tite Western Festival is to the Calgary Stampede what Atlantic City is to Vegas: smaller in scale, shorter on high rollers, and a little rougher around the edges. But like its western counterpart, Quebec’s eastern rodeo is a required stop on the province’s summer political calendar, especially during election years. Which is why incumbent premier Philippe […]
Can small-town Canada survive?
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—One small challenge of summer life in small towns is finding a trusted person to do skilled work one cannot do. I can sand, paint, cut the grass, and do some small DIY projects. But for the complex carpentry, electrical, or plumbing projects, I rely on people with real skills. This year, my relatives […]
The cursed state of Canadian politics
OAKVILLE—When people say, “may you live in interesting times,” it’s supposed to be a curse, since “interesting” equates to turbulent, i.e. “World War II sure was interesting.” If that’s the case then I guess Canada is mightily cursed right now, since interesting politics is busting out all over the place. To see what I mean, […]
Trans Mountain court decision a ‘political no-win’ that could hurt Liberals in Quebec, B.C., Alberta, says pollster
The Liberals stand to take a hit on multiple political fronts from the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision to but the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on ice, and the governing Grits have now alienated “basically everyone” with an opinion on the pipeline, says pollster Nik Nanos. “It’s a political no-win,” said Mr. Nanos, chairperson at […]
Pipeline politics won’t help Scheer in Quebec
OTTAWA—It is not a Maxime Bernier-led breakaway party that stands to most damage Conservative prospects in Quebec in next year’s federal election, but rather some of leader Andrew Scheer’s own promises. In a keynote speech to his party’s national convention on Friday, Scheer laid out part of his 2019 battle plan. As expected, it borrows heavily […]
Cuts to Toronto city council point to ‘paternalistic’ city-province relationship, says Edmonton mayor
The mayor of one of Canada’s biggest cities says Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to slash the size of Toronto’s city council shows an imbalanced relationship between provincial and municipal governments, but he isn’t worried that his city is next on the chopping block. “It’s a Toronto-specific issue. But what is coming as a surprise […]
Convention supply-management tumult ‘opened the floodgates’ for Bernier supporters, says organizer
A Conservative Party member and proponent of ending Canada’s supply management system said he’s received plenty of interest from current and former MPs and businesspeople in support of maverick MP Maxime Bernier’s future party. This follows a tense scene at the party convention that saw a policy resolution on phasing out the system dropped before reaching a vote. […]
Scheer tries out his Ford-Trump routine
OTTAWA—If you’re tired of the mendacious, anger-spewing modus operandi that now passes for political discourse in the United States, you may want to find something to do outside Canada next year. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who is so uninspiring that rival Maxime Bernier finally quit the party over what he said was moral and intellectual […]
Hope isn’t yet lost for the Quebec Liberals
If the Quebec election were held tomorrow, François Legault would become the first leader since René Lévesque to bring a new party to power in the province. For more than four decades since its initial 1976 victory, the Parti Québécois has been the main alternative to the Liberals. A Coalition Avenir Québec win could consign […]
