Liberal government’s electoral reform survey mocked
The Liberal government’s new survey website, MyDemocracy.ca, was roundly mocked in the MSM and social media, under the Twitter hashtag #rejectedERQs, after being launched last week as a tool to gauge the public’s attitudes on electoral reform. Thousands made fun of the survey. Conservative MP Scott Reid said it felt like “being on a dating […]
Feds aim to get electoral reform bill tabled by May, despite ‘incredibly cynical’ response to committee report
PARLIAMENT HILL—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is still “working towards” tabling legislation to change Canada’s federal voting system by May next year, Liberal MP Mark Holland, parliamentary secretary to the Democratic Institutions minister, told The Hill Times last week. The government’s online survey on democratic values is set to close at the end of this month, at […]
Thalmann exits Liberal Research Bureau, joins PMO
Brett Thalmann recently bid farewell to the Liberal Research Bureau offices at 131 Queen St., vacating his role as managing director to join the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s PMO as director of administration and special projects. Mr. Thalmann acted as head of the Parliament-funded Liberal Research Bureau office, also known as the LRB, as managing director. […]
Electoral reform has become that dog turd in the park no one picks up
OTTAWA—When it comes to political communications, as in life, you win some and you lose some. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government won for the way it messaged its pipeline decisions and flamed out miserably when it came to its stick-handling of electoral reform. In announcing that he was conditionally approving two pipelines, rejecting […]
Former top NDP staffer Bélanger named president of Douglas-Coldwell Foundation
PARLIAMENT HILL —NDP stalwart Karl Bélanger was recently named the new president of the Douglas-Coldwell Foundation after working on the Hill for almost 20 years. Mr. Bélanger said he was approached to take on the volunteer position after former president David White resigned for “personal reasons,” having already been elected to sit on the foundation’s […]
Feds’ electoral reform in doubt, pollsters say one broken promise won’t sink Liberals, but more could spell trouble
PARLIAMENT HILL—There are doubts the government will keep its election campaign promise to replace the first-past-the-post electoral system by 2019, but pollsters say one broken promise on electoral reform alone would unlikely sink the Liberal ship, however, more than one could be trouble down the road. “If you’re looking at this through the political cost of inaction of […]
Genetic discrimination bill headed back to Senate, Liberals deny it reopens possibility for government changes
PARLIAMENT HILL—The bill that pit Liberal backbenchers against cabinet is headed back to the Senate, but not for the reason Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould had hoped. During Thursday’s clause-by-clause by the Justice and Human Rights Committee, the Senate public bill, S-201, Genetic Non-Discrimination Act passed as it was proposed, untouched, but on the suggestion of Liberal […]
Canada’s on track to disappoint
Canada truly seemed to be back and here to help. A year after a recently elected Trudeau government made ambitious pledges at the Paris Climate Summit, Canada hosted the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, to which we pledged $785-million over three years. This is a laudable commitment, […]
Climate plans in focus as Ottawa gears up for December first ministers’ meeting
Federal government officials and staff have been busy discussing climate action plans with provincial and territorial counterparts ahead of a first ministers’ meeting scheduled for Ottawa in December. The hope is to finalize a pan-Canada climate plan, but “additional pieces” could be announced even before then. “There will essentially be, perhaps, some additional pieces that may come even before the […]
LeBlanc hires press secretary after Belliveau joins PMO
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc has hired Laura Gareau as his new press secretary. She started on Nov. 21. Sébastien Belliveau had followed Mr. LeBlanc from the Government House Leader’s Office to the minister’s Fisheries Office earlier this fall, serving as director of communications. But it seems his time in the portfolio was brief, as Mr. Belliveau left […]
