On the road to 2019: Singh, Scheer needs to steal Trudeau’s sunshine
OTTAWA—It’s hard to believe, but Canada’s 150th anniversary is almost done; it seems like it has gone by in a flash. It has been a year of significant change on the federal political front: for the first time since he has been prime minister, Justin Trudeau now knows who will compete against him in the […]
Easy pickings for tow-truck operators and politicians alike
Re: “Despite Ontario law, some operators blowing it when towing it,” (The Hill Times, Dec. 6, 2017, p. 11). Sadly, legislation and policies around automobile accidents turn out to be window dressing at election time, with no real benefit to the public at large. The tow-truck legislation is toothless from the start, as tow trucks sit roadside like […]
Conservatives have ‘brand problem’ among female voters, pin hopes on Scheer, star women MPs to reverse trend
The Conservatives continue to trail badly among women and have what one pollster is calling a “gender issue,” despite pulling nearly even with the federal Liberals among male voters in polls over the last few months. Weekly polls from Nanos Research show a double-digit advantage for the Liberals over the second place Conservatives, nearly every week […]
Sports Minister Hehr plucks press secretary from his former Veterans’ Office
Sports and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kent Hehr, who found himself in hot water and fielding media questions last week, did so with the help of a brand new press secretary, Annabelle St-Pierre Archambault. Ms. St-Pierre Archambault officially started on the job as press secretary to Mr. Hehr on Dec. 4—the day before recent comments the […]
Lebouthillier’s comms director heads for Quebec, she recruits from Bibeau’s office
National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier has hired a new director of communications and parliamentary affairs to work in her ministerial office after former director Cédrick Beauregard left to work for the Liberal government in Quebec. Bernard Boutin is Ms. Lebouthillier’s new communications and parliamentary affairs director, arriving straight from International Development and La Francophonie Minister Marie-Claude […]
Conservatives playing long game on daily Morneau attacks, Liberals accuse Tories, NDP of an ‘unholy alliance’
The federal Conservatives will keep hammering away at the ethical controversy surrounding Finance Minister Bill Morneau in the coming weeks as part of a long-term strategy, planting seeds for the next election campaign and taking the Liberals off message, say Conservatives. “We will keep pushing. The Canadian people want to have somebody who is in […]
Status of Women Minister Monsef hires two new advisers
Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef has a pair of new advisers working in her office, including new senior policy adviser Lori Lee Oates, a former co-chair of Equal Voice’s Newfoundland and Labrador chapter. Ms. Oates is a former part-time lecturer with Memorial University’s master of philosophy program, where she herself previously earned a master’s […]
Policy director Berinstain exits transport minister’s office for job with moon-mining firm
Transport Minister Marc Garneau has promoted a new director of policy in his office following the recent departure of Alain Berinstain for a job in the private sector. Mr. Berinstain officially switched to post-employment status on Nov. 17, and has left the minister’s office to serve as vice-president of global development for Moon Express, a […]
Liberals rebound in polls, Nanos says women giving Grits lead over Conservatives
Liberal MPs are pointing to a strong economy and more generous Canada child benefit program to explain their party’s surge in the polls since mid-October, while one pollster is pointing to a steady advantage among female voters for the Grits, despite a deluge of negative news headlines and withering opposition attacks. The opposition Conservatives haven’t […]
Liberals exploring creation of independent commission for leaders’ debates, but not all convinced of need
The Liberal government is eyeing the creation of an independent body to run televised federal leaders’ debates during elections, and while some former campaign organizers say they are open to the idea, others say the large number of debates in 2015 demonstrate the ad hoc system works the way it is. “These matters are for […]
