Opposition critics, House committees to be key lobbying targets in minority Parliament, say lobbyists
Hill lobbyists are bracing for a cultural shift in the new minority Parliament, anticipating a in period in which committees and opposition critics will take on a more influential role. “The government agenda is no longer made in the axis of the PMO, or the line-department minister,” said Yaroslav Baran, principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group […]
What’s at stake for Canadian business this election
After four years of Liberal leadership, we are three days away from major change in Canada. Despite campaign rhetoric, all political leaders have been silent on international trade and foreign policy. Canada is a trading nation and most dependent on exports for our total economy. Yet, all parties are appealing to voters’ worries about significant […]
If it’s a minority government, Liberals can stay in power even if Conservatives win more seats on Oct. 21, but could prompt public backlash
With public opinion polls suggesting Canada is heading towards a minority government, the Liberals will have the first crack at maintaining power if they can gain the confidence of the House of Commons, even if the Conservatives win more seats, but fail to gain a majority. As of Oct. 11, the CBC poll tracker projects […]
Rail safety is a shared responsibility
Canada grew up along the railroad. Those who work in the railway industry are immensely proud of that legacy, and their contribution to the economic development of hundreds of towns and cities, large and small, across this country. As Canada has grown and its population increased, the rail industry shares a common challenge with those […]
CIJA, Dairy Farmers lead last lobbyist push before election call
The summer months and final days before the official federal election call didn’t stop some lobbyists from reaching out to government ministers and their staff before the caretaker mode took effect. Lobbying levels in August, the last month ahead of the election call on Sept. 11, dipped by roughly a quarter from the month before. […]
Liberal war room may have to stop releasing dirt on Tory candidates, for fear of appearing ‘hypocritical’
In the traditionally Conservative-area of Kanata-Carleton, the Liberals have highlighted the relationship between the Conservative candidate and a far-right activist, but they may have to curtail attacking the alleged detriments of Tory candidates in light of photographs surfacing showing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in brownface and blackface. When Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) headed […]
BCE lobbied Trudeau and senior advisers on ‘industry’ month before key CRTC decision
The CEO of Bell Canada’s parent company extended an intensive lobbying campaign to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his top officials last month, reporting discussions on “industry” a month before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced a decision the company has since said would cost it $100-million. On July 17, George Cope, president and […]
‘Show up and do something’: critics call on lobbying commissioner to act on Dion report
Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion’s damning report on the prime minister documented previously undisclosed interactions between SNC-Lavalin and the government during the embattled company’s pursuit of a deferred prosecution agreement, raising questions from critics about whether it was operating in full compliance with federal lobbying regulations or whether disclosure rules should change. SNC-Lavalin is registered to […]
Canada’s life-saving supervised consumption services could be in jeopardy
Supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites save lives by allowing people to use drugs safely under the supervision of trained volunteers and staff. This should be reason enough for any government to take bold, rapid action to scale up access to these services, especially as Canada is now fully immersed in an opioid overdose crisis—fuelled […]
Despite majority support for a Canadian handgun ban, the politics of doing so may remain insurmountable
OTTAWA—There’s nothing like the gun lobby. Imagine if car manufacturers objected to the registration of automobiles because it was an infringement on the liberties of people with cars. Canadians are rightly reassured, however, that the obsession with these weapons here is nothing like in the U.S., where possessing guns is constitutionally guaranteed, and ownership of […]
