Feds hearing more from industry than environmentalists on pipelines, according to lobbyists registry
There has been a steady stream of lobbying activity related to pipelines lately, the federal lobbyists registry shows, and there are indications that pipeline proponents are getting the ear of government more than pipeline opponents are. Thirty-one communication reports for contact with government since Sept. 1 were shown on the registry when doing a search last […]
Charlie Angus is no Bernie Sanders
OTTAWA—Charlie Angus is being heralded as the Canadian Bernie Sanders. His decision to resign as chair of the New Democratic Party caucus to explore his leadership ambitions was wise and welcome. Angus is a solid parliamentary performer who is well-respected for his understanding of rural, northern and aboriginal issues. He stands up for the marginalized, […]
Liberals not ruling out using time allocation in last three weeks before House adjourns
With three weeks left before the House adjourns until 2017, the government wants to pass some of its top priorities and it could use time allocation or extended House debate hours to do so. “It will be very tight and difficult in the last couple of weeks. At some point we’re going to have to start seeing bills […]
Next lobbying commissioner must have teeth and a voice
OTTAWA—Karen Shepherd, the federal commissioner of lobbying, announced a number of weeks ago that she wouldn’t seek a second term. To date, the Trudeau government has not yet named her replacement. Hopefully, whoever succeeds Shepherd will have worked in the advocacy milieu. When she was appointed to the job, under the Conservatives, Shepherd was placed […]
Universities call for more financial support for research, while colleges eye bigger share of funding
Advocates for Canadian post-secondary institutions are calling on the federal government to improve on the expanded investments in research seen in Budget 2016 to ensure the country can keep pace with surging global competitors. In what backers are calling the biggest increase in a decade, the Liberal government earmarked an additional $95-million this year to the Canadian granting councils, […]
Bains, Carr, Garneau most lobbied ministers, health most lobbied topic in October
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains remained the most lobbied minister of the Trudeau cabinet in October, while health was the most lobbied issue between federal officials and lobbyists, according to the federal lobbyists registry. There were 21 communication reports filed for contact with Mr. Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) last month, according to registry numbers last week. Natural Resources […]
Tighter political fundraising rules could push activities ‘underground,’ says Canada’s outgoing chief electoral officer
Canada’s outgoing chief electoral officer says tightening up rules around so-called “cash-for-access” events or other kinds of fundraising might prompt political operatives to conduct their business less transparently. In an interview with The Hill Times last week, Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand, who steps down next month, said with recent examples of Liberal “cash-for-access” events, he […]
‘We live in a globalized world,’ House most ethnically diverse in Canadian history, but still has long way to go: research
PARLIAMENT HILL—It’s the most ethnically diverse House of Commons in Canadian history, but it still has a long way to go. The House is still mostly white, male, and English-speaking, according to a study conducted by Kai Chan, who released his data to The Hill Times, and most MPs are married, 30 per cent are bilingual, 13 […]
Trump and Trudeau: double trouble on climate change
GATINEAU, QUE.—The election of Donald Trump is not good news for the environment, but it doesn’t mean the end of progress and it certainly doesn’t mean that Canada should abandon its timid steps towards sustainability—including the proposed federal carbon tax. In fact, the immediate challenge for Canadian environmentalists—for anyone, actually, a tad concerned by news […]
Stay calm, and be prepared to work with all levels of government
The Hill Times’ Canada-United States Partnership policy briefing could not be better timed. Discussions about the United States’ future relationship with Canada, but also with the global community at large, are at a heightened level because of the election of a new U.S. president. Some are reflecting on comments that president-elect Donald Trump made during […]
