Trans Mountain expansion could be ‘major issue’ in next election, says Riis, but most MPs in pipeline’s path cite ‘overwhelming’ support
The government’s approval of Kinder Morgan’s $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is expected to cost the party electorally in 2019, but most MPs in the pipeline’s proposed path say the majority of their constituents support it. “This could be one of the major issues in the next federal election, particularly in the Lower Mainland […]
Foreign Minister Freeland hires (another) Rhodes Scholar as policy aide
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland recently hired former University of Oxford Rhodes Scholar Joseph Singh to serve as a new policy adviser in her ministerial office. Mr. Singh officially started on the job on Feb. 26, and fills a gap left by former policy adviser Omer Aziz, who ended his time in the minister’s office […]
Minister Chagger shuffles director Arsenault between her cabinet offices
Liberal MP Bardish Chagger, the minister for Small Business and Tourism minister and the government House leader, recently shuffled one of her senior staffers from one ministerial office into the other. Daniel Arsenault had been serving as director of parliamentary affairs to Ms. Chagger in her role as the minister for Small Business and Tourism […]
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent trip to India has been much maligned by political observers and the opposition. What did it accomplish?”
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “The prime minister’s key priorities during his trip to India were to deepen the cultural ties between our people, expand investment and trade opportunities, and advance shared goals with the Indian government. On all three fronts, we made substantial progress all Canadians can be proud of. “The prime minister began his […]
Trudeau made some rookie mistakes in India because feds lack diverse staff, says former Freeland staffer
Diversity among the political staffers who populate Parliament Hill has come far from days past, but more needs to be done to increase multiculturalism at the staffing level, and recent gaffes on Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trip to India are a symptom of this problem, says former staffer Omer Aziz. “It’s not enough to […]
Budget 2018 not an election-year spending plan, but Liberals ‘pre-staging’ some issues: stakeholders
The Trudeau government’s third federal budget is not an election-year spending plan crafted with an eye towards the campaign trail, though certain elements could hint at what issues the Liberals will run on in the 2019 vote, say stakeholders. Nearly 200 representatives from the private and non-profit sectors gathered in the Reading Room in Centre […]
New Ottawa-based national manager hired for ministers’ regional offices
Christine Burke joined Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough’s office on Feb. 12 to work as the Liberal government’s new national manager for ministers’ regional offices. Ms. Burke comes to Parliament Hill from the Ontario Liberal staff ranks at Queen’s Park in Toronto. She was most recently working as a senior communications adviser to Ontario […]
Trudeau’s personal approval rating drops, but voters still back his federal Liberal Party: poll
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s personal approval rating has dropped nearly 10 points since last May, but the Liberal Party of Canada has yet to take a hit, polling as strongly as it did when the Grits won a majority in the 2015 federal election, according to the latest poll from Campaign Research. The poll showed […]
Country’s largest provincial Conservative party in uncharted territory in many more ways than one
There is not a political observer or insider anywhere in Canada whose attention is not riveted on the ongoing Ontario Tory leadership drama and with good reason. The country’s largest provincial Conservative party is in uncharted territory in many more ways than one. That starts with the minor celebrity status that comes with some of […]
Trans Mountain pipeline support to cost Liberals in 2019, but unclear how much, say pollsters
The federal Liberal government will pay a political price over its support for the $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion among First Nations and B.C. voters in the next election, say pollsters, but how high a cost remains to be seen. “There will be a political price to pay, and I think there’s an understanding […]
