Foreign Affairs Minister Dion hires senior policy team
Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion now has a senior policy team in place. He recently recruited Christopher Berzins as director of policy and Jocelyn Coulon as a senior policy adviser. Mr. Berzins joined Mr. Dion’s ministerial team on Feb. 20, after moving back to Ottawa from Washington, D.C., to take on the job. He’s spent roughly […]
Labour Minister claims Conservatives buried ‘significant’ union report in last Parliament, releases it
Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk is alleging the previous Conservative government buried its own government report in the last Parliament about union certification regimes because it went against the anti-union private member’s bill it pushed through into law. The report found that mandatory voting systems had a negative effect on union certification rates, which was […]
‘It’s been quite a learning curve,’ rookie Grit MPs want more House committee training, but veteran Liberal, opposition MPs say time’s up
Rookie Liberal MPs, who are trying to learn the ropes of House committees, say they want more formal training because they’re concerned opposition MPs will try to exploit their inexperience and embarrass them in front of stakeholders and Hill media. But veteran Liberal and opposition MPs say the House committee training is over and it’s time to […]
Government betting that Canadians’ dreams include deficits
OTTAWA—Welcome to the era of deficits and dreams. Some of the dreams are deferred, but the deficits seem cast in stone. Here’s betting, however, that Canadians will not give much thought to a $29.4-billion deficit that scales down, but does not disappear, during the Liberal mandate. Rookie Finance Minister Bill Morneau has a budget that […]
Liberals’ first budget an easy sell to Canadians: Tim Harper
OTTAWA—Welcome to the era of deficits and dreams. Some of the dreams are deferred, but the deficits seem cast in stone. Here’s betting, however, that Canadians will not give much thought to a $29.4-billion deficit that scales down, but does not disappear, during the Liberal mandate. Rookie Finance Minister Bill Morneau has a budget that […]
Liberals set to put stamp on new government with first federal budget in a decade, ‘watershed’ moment
This week’s budget presents the Liberal government with an opportunity to truly differentiate itself from a decade of Conservative rule that ended after last year’s election, say those within government and outside observers. On Tuesday, the Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) government—as articulated by Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.)—will bring down the first budget of its […]
If Ottawa bails out Bombardier, feds should help 400 laid-off Aveos workers, say Manitoba Liberal MPs
If the federal government bails out Quebec-based aerospace giant Bombardier with a financial aid package, Manitobans will expect financial help for more than 400 workers who were laid off by aircraft maintenance company Aveos in Winnipeg in 2012, say Manitoba Liberal MPs. “There’s a strong group of Liberal MPs who will fight for our aerospace industry, and that […]
RCMP incident creates stir in downtown Ottawa
Ever since Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s shooting rampage on Parliament Hill and at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2014 that left reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo dead and most of the city in lockdown, those of us working near the Hill get a little nervous whenever we see scores of police officers, police cars and […]
Politics This Morning: Liberals hold 44 per cent support
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s selfies are paying off, according to a new poll by Abacus Data. “Mr. Trudeau’s trips, selfies and all, are far from a source of dismay for most people: instead they seem to sense value in Canada’s profile being raised in a positive way,” said Abacus Data’s Bruce Anderson in a statement […]
Canada must reaffirm important role of women in conflict, experts tell Senate Liberal Caucus
As the Liberal government strives to work toward gender equality here at home, they must also ensure that the threat to women and girls in the world’s conflict zones and the advantage to having women participate in peace building efforts is addressed in Canada’s international peace and security efforts. This was the sentiment shared by […]
