Foreign Affairs Minister Dion hires a new PSA
Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion, who has been busy this summer meeting with his international counterparts and responding to a number of global incidents, recently hired a new parliamentary secretary assistant, also known as a ‘PSA,’ in his ministerial office. Francis “Josh” Grehan is now working in Mr. Dion’s office as a special assistant to Liberal MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, parliamentary […]
No easy solution in housing crisis
The British Columbia government’s decision to institute a 15 per cent tax on foreign home buyers in the Vancouver region reads like smart politics. Wealthy foreign buyers, largely from fast-growing markets in Asia, are the easiest of targets in the increasingly heated debate about soaring prices in the Lower Mainland. They are the safest to blame […]
‘Senate is not this monolithic rubber stamp anymore,’ independent Senate will change legislative process, Hill power structures
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s strategy to create a non-partisan and more independent Upper Chamber also means Senators will have to be involved in the front end of the policy process, there will need to be attitudinal changes at the political and institutional levels, changes will have to be made in how Senators are engaged, new parliamentary strategies will […]
Let the good times roll: large boost in lobbying thanks to new government’s collaborative, accessible approach, say lobbyists
Federal lobbyists say they are busier now than in years past thanks to a new and more accessible Liberal government eager to consult along with new possibilities opening up under an increasingly independent Senate. “The Senate has undergone a real change. I won’t say that it wasn’t relevant before, but pretty well once things got through the House […]
Federal parties eye Halifax as potential convention host, StrategyCorp recruits new VP
Halifax is suddenly the hot destination for Canadian politicos. Both the federal Conservative and Liberal parties are considering hosting upcoming conventions in Atlantic Canada’s most populous city, according to an Ottawa insider with ties to the Liberal Party who spoke on a non-attribution basis. The Conservative Party is eyeing the city as a potential host for its […]
Annual Financial Reports of Federal Political Parties
Liberal Party: Category 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total Contributions $10,119,908.62 $8,166,657.76 $11,292,845.85 $15,063,142.28 $21,276,897.57 Total Contributors 49,650 44,466 71,655 77,064 93,426 Total Transfers $235,572.91 $760,406.58 $282,457.59 $2,187,478.58 $1,312,625.13 Total Loans $15-million 0 0 0 $40-million Overall Total Contributions, Loans and Transfers $25,355,481.53 $8,947,064.34 $11,575,303.44 $17,250,620.86 $62,589,522.70 Total General Election Expenses $19,507,745.82 – – – […]
Trudeau government ‘most activist government since Mulroney,’ but ambitious agenda ahead: political observers
Justin Trudeau is a unique prime minister for Canada for many reasons, including the level of celebrity status he has achieved at home and abroad. Yet, in terms of raw substance, even critics acknowledge that he’s embarking on an agenda that’s more ambitious and activist than anything seen from a prime minister in some time. […]
Canada needs strong per capita economy growth, but can Morneau deliver?
TORONTO—In his first budget speech in March, Finance Minister Bill Morneau declared: “what the Canadian middle class needs most is strong economic growth.” But we don’t just need strong economic growth. We need strong per capita economic growth. But what if he can’t deliver? This is a question confronting not just the Trudeau government, but all three […]
Liberals raised $21.3-million last year, but Conservatives broke record high, raked in $29-million
The Liberals raised $21.3-million last year, but the Conservatives raked in a record-breaking $29-million, roughly $7.8-million more than the Grits did, marking an overall federal party high, according to the recently published parties’ annual financial reports filed with Elections Canada. The Liberals raised $21,276,897 in 2015, up from the roughly $15-million in 2014, while the Conservatives raised a […]
Mike Robinson remembered by hundreds of his friends at Métropolitain reception
Known to be the kind of man to break a serious moment with some well-placed humour, the late Mike Robinson’s post-memorial reception at the Métropolitain Brasserie last Tuesday evening in Ottawa was a well-balanced mix of levity and grief. The sudden July 1 passing of seasoned lobbyist Mr. Robinson at age 65 left the Hill […]
