Trudeau has right to express preferences for local candidates
TORONTO—The Trudeau Liberals have been called hypocrites lately because of their meddling in the democratic process to nominate local candidates. Is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a hypocrite? According to the political rhetoric and some statements made by the Liberals during the last campaign and before, the answer could be yes. In reality, the issue is […]
A night of firsts and girl power at the Museum of History
It was a night in a room full of firsts. The first female prime minister, the first female opposition House leader, the first black female Member of Parliament, and most importantly, the first time 338 young women, each representing a federal riding, sat in such historic company. Attending the Daughters of the Vote Equal Voice gala dinner […]
Anne Dawson new chief of staff to Science Minister Kirsty Duncan
Science Minister Kirsty Duncan has hired a new chief of staff, with former press gallery president and reporter Anne Dawson officially starting the job on March 6. Before joining Ms. Duncan’s office, Ms. Dawson was wearing a number of hats, as a strategic partner with M&C Consulting in Ottawa, a communications and crowdsourcing company, and […]
Oliphant calls it a victory for Parliament, Grit backbenchers defy government to pass Genetic Discrimination Bill
PARLIAMENT HILL—The Senate private member’s bill S-201, which seeks to introduce the first-ever nationwide penalties against genetic discrimination and which has pitted some Liberal backbenchers against its own government as Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has pushed hard for amendments—passed third reading, without the government’s desired changes. The report stage and third reading vote on the proposed changes, which were criticized for essentially gutting […]
Liberal nomination process: so much for openness and transparency
OTTAWA—Old habits die hard. Witness the Liberal Party of Canada’s nomination process, if you can call it that, in Markham-Thornhill, Ont. where a former senior staffer in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office is now the Liberal candidate. While I don’t know Mary Ng, the former director of appointments in Trudeau’s office and now the Liberal […]
Rookie Democratic Institutions Minister Gould continues to build up her staff team
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould has been building up her ministerial staff team since she was sworn into cabinet on Jan. 10. Ms. Gould hired a new director of parliamentary affairs, Dan Lindenas, who is set to join the office next week from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett’s office where he’s been working as a special assistant […]
New political order pits keepers against disrupters
OAKVILLE, ONT.—I’ve never put our culture on a couch to study its psyche, but if I did, I bet the resulting diagnosis would be it suffers from “political bipolar disorder.” Okay, I just made that malady up. But the point I’m trying to get across here is that the collective subconscious of our society likes […]
Canada’s former chief electoral officers eager for successor, laud proposed electoral legislative changes
Canada’s former chief electoral officers Marc Mayrand and Jean-Pierre Kingsley are lauding changes proposed in new legislation, including moving the elections commissioner back under the authority of Elections Canada and removing restrictions on who can apply for the job of commissioner. But they also say there are other issues to be addressed, and with only […]
Despite Liberals’ ‘dirty tricks’ in Markham-Thornhill nomination, Qureshi decides not to run as Independent for sake of Grit party unity
A Markham-Thornhill Liberal nomination candidate, who was considering running as an Independent in the April 3 byelection because of the party’s nomination “dirty tricks,” has decided not to run against his own party in order to prevent Conservatives from taking advantage of divisions among Liberals in the riding. Businessman Nadeem Qureshi, a Muslim Canadian, told The […]
New communications staff for ministers Hussen and Gould
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen has strengthened his communications team by recently hiring Tia Tariq to his ministerial office. She started on the job the week before last and is now a senior special adviser for strategic communications to the minister. Mr. Hussen was sworn in to cabinet and took over the portfolio […]
