United Airlines, an excuse that doesn’t fly
TORONTO—The video of the United Airlines passenger violently evicted from a plane has brought to our attention a couple of things: the power of modern technology and the problem of overbooking. There is nothing new about either, just like high speeds and the possibility of a car accident. But when reality hits you with a […]
Pakistani icon for female education to address House this week
Malala Yousafzai, who captured the world’s respect by fighting for the rights of girls to be educated, getting shot, and then continuing the fight, will address a joint session of Parliament in the House of Commons on Wednesday, April 12. At 19, she will become the youngest person ever to address Canadian Parliament. Ms. Yousafzai […]
The future of polling lies in social media
Social media isn’t just a broadcast technology, it’s also a polling technology; one that is far superior to any other on the planet today, including the telephone. So why does the Canadian government continue to use telephone polling to find out what the citizenry is thinking? Why haven’t public servants progressed to new tools for polling, […]
Jumping the gun on terrorism, again
OTTAWA—I know that in a world of 24/7 news and intense competition to be first with a breaking story that time is of the essence. Individuals and news outlets feel that they do not have the luxury to wait to publish, for fear that another individual or outlet will scoop them. In their haste, there is seldom […]
After brief sojourn at the Star, Paul Wells prepares to return to Maclean’s
Veteran political columnist Paul Wells is heading back to Maclean’s. Mr. Wells announced Friday on Twitter that he would return to the magazine as a senior writer after less than a year with the Toronto Star. He said he’ll be based in Ottawa and start next week. “This amounts to a personal decision about where […]
Summa’s Lanthier moving over to CN Rail
Summa Strategies senior adviser Louis-Alexandre Lanthier is taking his game over to Canadian National Railway as of next month as senior manager of government affairs. Mr. Lanthier had been at Summa for the last three years, and before that was a staffer to Justin Trudeau before he became prime minister. Mr. Lanthier, in his lobbying […]
Most Hill reporters don’t see merit of bringing White House-style press briefings to Canada
PARLIAMENT HILL—White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s daily press briefings may capture global attention, including Saturday Night Live’s, but many parliamentary press gallery reporters say they don’t see a need for similar daily PMO briefings here on Parliament Hill. Parliamentary press gallery president Tonda MacCharles, a veteran Hill reporter for The Toronto Star, said the […]
Jimmy Breslin: not an enemy of the people
MONTREAL—I was reminded Sunday of an applause line Joe Biden used during the 2012 presidential campaign to sum up the state of America: “Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.” Pondering the news coming across my Twitter feed, it seemed the line required updating. “Jimmy Breslin is dead and Donald Trump is […]
Norm! Gagnon leaving Parliamentary Press Gallery after 30 years
Normand Gagnon, coordinator of technical services for the Parliamentary Press Gallery, is retiring this week after 30 years with the office. His last day on the job is March 23, one day after the federal budget comes down. “I was hoping for a smooth week before I left; it’s not going to happen with the budget,” […]
Canadians trust science, CBC, media, government, though Conservatives less trusting: survey
Canadians put a lot of faith in scientific experts, and most have at least some trust in things like the CBC, the news media, and the federal government, according to a new survey conducted by Campaign Research. However, it found those identifying as Conservatives were less trusting of all these institutions. Results shared exclusively with […]
