Liberals dethrone Tories in Lac-Saint-Jean; Conservatives hold Alberta stronghold
The governing Liberal Party surged to victory in a competitive northeastern Quebec riding Monday night, showcasing newfound strength in a rural stretch of the province it had arguably not seen there since the early 1980s. Liberal candidate Richard Hébert beat back a spirited push from the Bloc Québécois and Conservatives to take the riding of […]
Liberal political financing bill moves ahead, after opposition amendments voted down
The Liberal government’s political financing bill, C-50, is moving ahead, having passed the committee stage with only technical amendments made, but Conservatives remain steadfast in opposition, calling the proposed changes “window dressing.” “There was a practice which Canadians didn’t approve of, it didn’t pass the sniff test, and created a very significant public backlash, and […]
Canadians shouldn’t start feeling all superior to our neighbours to the south
TORONTO—When do you cease to be a country? When do you stop being a people, a nation? Romeo LeBlanc, who I loved, had an answer. “When children sleep on the streets,” he said to us once. “When they have nothing to eat. That is when you are no longer a country, and when you become […]
Ministers Joly, Qualtrough hire new press secretaries
A new press secretary has started work in Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s office, diving into the job during a rocky time for the office, with the minister having largely had a rough go of it in the media, particularly in Quebec, since announcing the new federal cultural policy last month. Simon Ross marked his official […]
Two Senate committees at standstill, as membership negotiations ensue
Members of a pair of Senate committees are still cooling their heels after the summer break, as negotiations over how committee leadership positions are allocated play out. Former Conservative Senators Daniel Lang, chair of the National Security and Defence Committee, and Bob Runciman as well as former Liberal Senator George Baker, chair and deputy chair […]
Economy doing well, but year-on-year federal deficits leading to creeping debt is concerning, say experts
Canada’s federal finances appear to be on a solid footing, but fiscal experts say the Liberals need to be concerned about paying down debt in the long term to remain fiscally responsible to Canadians. Canada’s federal debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio is sustainable at its existing level of 33.2 per cent. The federal government saw a higher-than-expected […]
Board of Internal Economy opening a historic first step, but the test will be if transparency holds
This week, the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy will hold its first-ever public meeting. It comes after the Liberals promised in the last election to open up the board to the public. “Except in rare cases requiring confidentiality, meetings of this group will be open to the public,” said their platform. The board […]
Chan’s widow, Jean Yip, considering run at his vacated riding Scarborough-Agincourt
Jean Yip, the widow of late-Liberal MP Arnold Chan, who died of cancer last month, says her late-husband encouraged her to run federally and she is considering seeking the Liberal nomination in Scarborough-Agincourt. “Arnold and I did talk about it, the possibility, so I’m considering it,” said Ms. Yip in a brief interview with The […]
Two years from now, we’ll be in midst of election 2019 campaign: let’s look at the leaders
TORONTO—It may be hard to believe, but two years from now we could be in the midst of a federal election campaign. In barely a month, we will be at the mid-point of the Trudeau government’s mandate. Next year, we will start to see positioning for the 2019 federal election. If Canadians are to be […]
Some 643 campaigns later, pollster Michael Marzolini calls it quits
Storied pollster and Liberal adviser Michael Marzolini has left the business, closing out a nearly 40-year career in September with a resume that includes helping Jean Chrétien win three straight majority governments, a perfect election poll, and training a roster of future star Liberal staffers. Mr. Marzolini started Pollara Strategic Insights in Toronto in 1980, […]
