The case for firing the governor of the Bank of Canada
OTTAWA—Canadians should expect two things from their central bank: independence and single-mindedness. And if the governor of the Bank of Canada can’t deliver on these two essential components of the job, then he or she should be replaced by someone who can. When it comes to monetary policy, the Bank of Canada’s only job is to keep the country’s inflation rate at an average of two per cent, with one per cent of wiggle room […]
In a pitch to supporters, Charest lays out his plan for the Canadian economy
Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest promised to make the country’s taxation regime more practical, to reduce barriers for both Canadian and international professionals who are trying to find work in different provinces, and to modernize the work of government, in a public webinar pitched to small business owners on Tuesday, and organized by his campaign. […]
Feds table bill to limit handguns, meanwhile, most Conservative leadership candidates say they would scrap Firearms Act and start over
Prompted by the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the federal Liberals introduced a new gun control bill on Monday that would limit handguns in Canada. The new bill, C-21, will effectively prohibit any further circulation of handguns across the country. “We’re introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership. […]
Fast says he has ‘no regrets’ speaking out against Poilievre’s ‘monetary quackery’ on Bank of Canada
After resigning from the role of his party’s finance critic on May 18, Conservative MP Ed Fast says he has “no regrets” after publicly criticizing his colleague and leadership front-runner Pierre Poilievre’s pledge to fire the Bank of Canada governor, and what he calls “monetary quackery” coming from Poilievre’s camp. Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.) said he […]
Canadians should fear ‘pseudo-American’ populism
OTTAWA—The Americanization of Canadian politics. That is what we can expect if Pierre Poilievre wins the Conservative leadership, according to chief rival Jean Charest. Charest pulled no punches in an aggressive closing statement at the party’s French, and final, debate in Laval last Wednesday night. “The question we face is a very serious one. Will […]
Federal parties spent $82.9-million in last federal election, Conservatives spent $28.9-million, Libs spent $27-million
Collectively, the five main political parties spent nearly $83-million in the last federal election, according to data from Elections Canada, with the Conservative Party leading the way in election spending with $28.3-million. Parties were required to file their expense returns for last year’s 44th General Election on May 20, to Elections Canada, and the data […]
Brown leads charge against Poilievre in French debate, but stakes highest for ‘combative’ Charest, say strategists
Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest is widely regarded as having delivered the best performance of the night in a French-language debate on May 25 that saw the candidates go “literally five against one” in taking on perceived front-runner Pierre Poilievre, who used American-style tactics, say observers. But according to Yan Plante, a Conservative strategist who […]
Poilievre using cryptocurrency to attract the disaffected, radicalized in Conservative race, say experts
The embrace of cryptocurrency by Pierre Poilievre, the presumed frontrunner in the Conservative leadership race, has been met with derision by his political opponents and other parties, but as a strategic political tool, cryptocurrency may serve a purpose for Poilievre’s campaign. In the first official Conservative debate on May 11, Brampton, Ont., mayor Patrick Brown […]
Charest’s campaign says it expects to raise more than $2-million in fundraising as leadership race could double party memberships
With less than two weeks left for Conservative leadership campaigns to sell new party memberships, former Quebec premier Jean Charest is touting his camp’s successes not just in recruitment but also in fundraising. “We are well on track to reach $2-million within the next two weeks,” the campaign’s director of communications, Michelle Coates Mather, told […]
Heated Conservative leadership race could cause ‘some bleed,’ but desire to win government will keep party united, say strategists
Amidst one of the most heated and divisive political leadership races in recent memory, Conservative strategists argue the party’s desire to win government in the next election could be enough to keep the party united, no matter the result—and no matter how ugly it might get along the way. “I think it’s been more personal […]
