The power of political polling
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Now that Canada Day is in the rear-view mirror and the summer season is finally in full swing, it’s a good time, I think, to have a little fun with Canadian politics. And, yes, I know the words “fun” and “Canadian politics” don’t really belong in the same sentence, but surely we can find […]
Liberal MP Tan’s wife eyes party nomination in wake of his decision not to seek re-election to ‘spend time with family’
Rookie Liberal MP Geng Tan unexpectedly announced last month that he won’t seek re-election in the fall to “spend more time with his family,” but, in a surprising development this week, his wife launched her bid for the party nomination to succeed him in their GTA riding. In a statement, Mr. Tan’s wife, Dr. Xinglai […]
Arms exports to Saudi Arabia reach $1.2-billion in 2018, despite calls for Canada to suspend permits
Arms exports to Saudi Arabia doubled to $1.2-billion in 2018, which advocates say makes Canada “complicit” in human rights violations and “puts a lie” to Canada’s ongoing eight-month review of the munitions it’s sending to the desert kingdom. That amount suggests a ramping up of production on Canada’s controversial multi-year $15-billion deal to send light-armoured […]
With drop in irregular migrant numbers, experts split on immigration as potent election issue
Immigration has become a hot political wedge issue in Canada over the past few years, but its impact on the upcoming federal election could depend on what happens along the border this summer, say pollsters. The numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Canadian border at unauthorized points of entry has significantly decreased in 2019. […]
‘Do you believe waiting for the next government to regulate social media is too late? Why or why not?’
Cory Hann Conservative strategist “I said only weeks ago about how the Liberals are acting like rushed high schoolers that put off their homework for too long and are now panicking at the deadline. The same applies here. The Liberals have spent three-and-a-half years waffling, and now people are asking where they’re at on key […]
Liberals passing the buck on weapons ban
On June 14, The Globe and Mail reported that the Liberal Party has finally decided what it will do about the thorny issue of legal access to handguns and assault weapons. Regrettably, Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair announced that his party has ruled out a ban on handguns, arguing that “we’d […]
Feds, financial professionals’ union agree to study gender wage gap
Financial professionals in the federal public service have come one step closer to resolving a complaint that their female-dominated ranks are being underpaid compared to their male counterparts. The Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) is North America’s largest union exclusively representing accountants, comptrollers, auditors and financial professionals, according to their website. The Public Service […]
Dealing with climate change is ultimately a moral responsibility
TORONTO—We were promised a climate action plan that would be more effective than that of the Trudeau government, a plan that would meet Canada’s greenhouse gas emission targets for 2030, and a plan that would be cheaper. Instead, we got a big zero. Andrew Scheer’s long-awaited climate plan turned out to be long on wishful […]
Managing economic tightrope a make-or-break factor for October
OTTAWA—Embroiled in an uncertain Ontario election campaign back in 2011, then-premier Dalton McGuinty observed: “The polls tell us I’m not the most popular guy in the country. I accept that.” But McGuinty went on to win that election by keeping the focus on the Liberals’ commitment to a moderately activist role in promoting economic growth […]
PSPC Minister Qualtrough names new press secretary
Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough recently promoted communications adviser Marielle Hossack to take over as her new press secretary. Ms. Hossack has been working in Ms. Qualtrough’s ministerial office since September 2018, and had spent almost a year leading up to that working as a parliamentary assistant to Ms. Qualtrough as the Liberal […]
