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 […]
Not all Liberals want preferential ballot electoral system: reader
Re: “Wrapping your head around electoral reform,” (Power & Influence magazine, summer issue 2016, p. 70). Carl Meyer’s piece is mostly quite good, which is why his two mistakes bother me. Mr. Meyer writes: “The Liberals, in turn, want a preferential ballot.” That should be “some Liberals.” Many Liberal MPs have said they prefer proportional representation […]
Majority of Liberal voters disagree with assisted dying for minors, people with mental illnesses
Six in 10 Canadians do not support allowing mature minors or people who suffer from mental illnesses to access physician-assisted dying, according to a new Forum Research Inc. poll provided exclusively to The Hill Times. The random sampling of 1,429 Canadian voters indicated that 62 per cent were against allowing mature minors aged 12 to 18 […]
Meet Jack Siegel, the guy who led Grits’ green-light committee, and why he favours preferential ballot electoral system
Jack Siegel’s been a lawyer for more than 30 years and involved in politics for even longer. He was also the guy who oversaw the Liberals’ powerful green-light committee in the last federal election and the one who decided who got to run as Liberal candidates. Mr. Siegel, 58, was born and raised in Toronto, where […]
Most want referendum on electoral reform, new poll suggests, question dominates initial House committee, feds deke and dodge
The topic of holding a national referendum on changing Canada’s voting system was a hot one at meetings of the Special House Electoral Reform Committee on the Hill last week, and a poll conducted by Forum Research released Monday found 65 per cent of respondents think a national referendum on electoral reform should be held. “The public […]
Robinson was a giant in backrooms of Canadian politics
Decency in politics is something you rarely hear about. Programs like House of Cards, or real-life dramas like Boris Johnson’s neutering by his colleagues last week, capture the deceit and dirty games of the political arena. Being good and gracious often gets you less attention, but it says a hell of lot more about your […]
Transparency should start before decisions are made
The Liberals and Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion have found themselves in trouble over a lack of transparency in three foreign policy decisions: weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and Thailand, and a “Joint Action Plan” with Gulf allies. This is in contrast to early pronouncements by the Liberals that openness was going to be a hallmark of […]
Leaders summit still holds weight: politicians, pundits
Trade, unity, and cross-border relations dominated talks at the North American Leaders Summit last week, which ended with Canadian members of Parliament chanting “four more years” for outgoing President Barack Obama after his address in the House of Commons. They might have been chanting that because of the likelihood that either presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton […]
Senate Liberals name new caucus executives, acclaim new leader Joseph Day
The 21-member Senate Liberal caucus recently chose a new executive for a two-year term. New Brunswick Liberal Sen. Joseph Day, the new Senate Liberal leader who replaced Sen. James Cowan, told The Hill Times that for each caucus executive position of leader, whip, and caucus chair, one candidate each put forward their name by election day, […]
International storylines dominated North American Leaders’ Summit
The world was watching when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had his awkward handshake moment with American and Mexican presidents Barack Obama and Enrique Pena Nieto. But it was also watching to see what the three North American leaders would say about the Brexit, about the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, and about the threat of terrorism. All of […]
