Public Services Minister Qualtrough recruits director from Innovation Minister Bains’ team
Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough has undergone a couple of staffing changes recently, including the departure of her director of operations, Lucio “Luch” Durante. A longtime Liberal staffer, Mr. Durante had been working in the Public Services Minister’s Office, located in Gatineau, Que., since January 2016, starting under then-minister Judy Foote. He officially […]
A mistake to nationalize Trans Mountain pipeline
The federal government’s decision to nationalize the Trans Mountain pipeline is deeply flawed. It is flawed politically because it doesn’t solve the real problem—which is that a good many British Columbians oppose any project that would increase the likelihood of heavy-oil spills along the Pacific Coast. It is flawed economically because it is predicated on […]
The politics behind the PM’s pipeline gamble
To understand the counterintuitive political calculus behind Justin Trudeau’s controversial decision to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline, one has to go back to the fundamental equation that has governed this prime minister’s energy and climate change policies since his days in opposition. That Trudeau had no choice but to take over the pipeline if he […]
Canadians see a home ownership crisis that governments aren’t addressing
Home prices have been rising for nearly two decades, far outpacing average income growth. The result is a growing anxiety among younger Canadians about their prospects for home ownership and a middle-class lifestyle. Most feel their political leaders are failing to address this situation—or even making it worse. New public opinion research, commissioned by the […]
Policy advisers exit offices of ministers Gould, Garneau
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould returned from maternity leave last week—with her newborn son Oliver in tow—but as she resumes her duties as minister, her office is down one policy adviser. Until recently, Samantha Nadler had been working for Ms. Gould since shortly after the October 2015 federal election, starting off as an executive assistant to the […]
Ontario election has everything to do with identity politics
Since Wilfrid Laurier and his promise of “Sunny Ways,” referencing Canada’s multi-ethnic fabric, the “big red tent” for cultural diversity has been a cornerstone of the Liberal Party’s position as Canada’s “natural governing party. In Ontario, the same strategy has been a central foundation of the ongoing “left consensus” seen since the collapse of the Tory […]
Young Liberals may taste defeat for the first time
Reason suggests Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland does not seriously think Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are headed for a “triumph” on June 7. Justin Trudeau’s go-to minister on the Canada/U.S. file predicted a big Liberal election victory at a GTA rally on Thursday. But if Freeland really does believe that, she may have had her hands too full […]
New speechwriter in the PMO, Minister Hajdu has a new press secretary
Two staffers recently exited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office for jobs elsewhere in the Liberal government’s ranks, and at the same time, the PMO has scooped up a new speechwriter, Astrid Krizus. Until recently, Ms. Krizus was working as a legislative assistant to Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi, who represents Willowdale, Ont., on the Hill. Her […]
Majority of Canadians says pipeline could lift economy, but generational divide in support exists: poll
Ottawa is ensnared in a legal battle with British Columbia over concerns of the environmental impact of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but one recent poll suggests that a significant proportion of Canadians thinks that the project could be a boon to the economy, though there’s a sharp generational gap in support that could dampen […]
Wynne’s nightmare is Couillard’s dream
As Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals go in Ontario’s spring election, so too will go Philippe Couillard’s ruling party in Quebec in the fall? Given the turn of the campaign for the Ontario Liberals, there certainly are too many parallels to comfort their Quebec cousins. But there are also striking differences. Wynne and Couillard became leaders of […]
