Stepping back to look ahead: why this outspoken parliamentary secretary volunteered to be demoted
When Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes turned down the offer to serve another term as a parliamentary secretary, it wasn’t a decision made lightly, she says, nor was it solely based on the social media abuse to which she’s been subjected for being a woman, particularly a woman of colour, who speaks her mind. First elected […]
Every time Ford busts out the bazooka to get his way, he’s playing with fire
OTTAWA—Premier Doug Ford’s new Ontario government sure knows how to pick a fight. Question is: does it always have to be a racket? Hours after an Ontario court overturned the Ford government’s legislation to shrink the size of Toronto city council, the premier hauled out the bazooka—announcing he would invoke the notwithstanding clause to reset […]
Judge tosses defamation case against veterans minister
An Ontario judge has dismissed a defamation case against Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan, saying the need to protect the freedom of expression is more important than any harm alleged to have been suffered by an outspoken veterans advocate. Sean Bruyea, who represented himself in Ontario Superior Court, says he plans to appeal the ruling. […]
After MRIA’s demise, new polling industry group aims to set ‘high bar’
A month after a national polling association shut its doors, a new one has popped up. The who’s who of Canadian polling joined forces to open the currently nameless new polling association on Aug. 30. “We have a rare opportunity here to start fresh as an emerging industry association and to set a really high […]
Public servants finding advice, laughs on meme-filled social media accounts
The public servant stereotype might be of someone who is a little staid, but, judging from social media, the archetype should be more sarcastic and supportive. For example, the GC Memes Instagram page details the relatable aspects of working for the federal government, such as how Workplace 2.0, and the subsequent GCworkplace, refit office spaces to […]
Judge to rule on throwing out advocate’s defamation case against veterans minister
An Ontario judge is expected to rule in the next week or so on whether outspoken veterans’ advocate Sean Bruyea’s defamation lawsuit against Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan will go ahead. The two sides argued for five hours in small claims court on Aug. 24 at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa about […]
Now is the summer of our Twitter discontent
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Anyone who regularly follows all the political chatter on social media these days would surely get the idea that Canada is enduring an unprecedented summer of discontent. Indeed, political debate over the past few months has been as hot as the soaring temperatures. Some people are in an uproar over the removal of a […]
Maxime Bernier’s Twitter tirade a gift to Justin Trudeau
OTTAWA—Professional tip to all Members of Parliament, but particularly the Conservative ones, if you want to have a discussion about Canadian identity: Twitter isn’t the the best vehicle for you. That should seem self-evident but apparently that is not the case. Now if you want to wreak havoc, piss people off, and throw verbal hand […]
Political advocacy via hashtag is only tweeting to the choir
OAKVILLE, ONT.—For political advocacy groups, such as organizations that rabble rouse on issues like taxes and the environment and various other causes, the ongoing social media revolution has brought with it both boon and potential peril. The boon part, of course, is pretty obvious. Thanks to social media, political advocacy groups can now reach vast […]
PC propaganda Ontario News Now is news no one can use
From a purely theoretical standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative messaging machine. It’s rare to find any political operative, at any level, who doesn’t use all the digital means at their disposal to communicate with their base. This includes in-house produced videos, social media posts, podcasts—you name it, someone is doing it. […]
