MPs in rural, remote ridings do put themselves at greater risks
When former Alberta premier Jim Prentice was killed in a small-plane crash shortly after takeoff from the Kelowna airport on Oct. 13, some MPs back in Ottawa could particularly relate. There is a handful of MPs who not only fly the big airlines every week, but then have to get on small single or dual-engine planes to […]
The Liberals screwed up, but let’s not overestimate the impact of pricey fundraisers
OTTAWA—To date, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals have done a reasonable job of not sounding smug or looking self-interested. But with political fundraising back in the news and focused squarely on current Liberal Party of Canada practices, the vanilla veneer is getting smudged. In different reports last week The Globe and Mail […]
The story behind Robert-Falcon Ouellette’s attention-grabbing button
You might have noticed the Liberal MP for Winnipeg Centre, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, sporting an odd, bobble-head-looking button on occasion. If you felt like you wanted to know more, but were too shy to ask, don’t be: that’s exactly what it’s there for. Mr. Ouellette wears the button, which features cut-outs of his wife and five […]
Former Postmedia reporter De Souza files complaint against National Post
Parliament Hill journalist Mike De Souza spent about eight years writing on energy issues for the Postmedia Network Inc. newspaper chain. But after the National Post, a Postmedia property, published an opinion piece in its Financial Post section that he claims questions his journalistic work, Mr. De Souza filed a formal complaint against the newspaper last Tuesday […]
Stéphane Dion needs communications help
Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion needlessly antagonized the anguished mother of four children abducted by their father and held in Iran last week. He said his thumbs-down gesture was in response to what he characterized as a partisan member’s statement by Conservative MP Michael Cooper in the House, but the mother, Alison Azer, seated in the […]
No need for profanity in headline, follow The New York Times rules on swearing: Marland
Re: “Shit disturbers play well in drab contests, step forward Brad Trost,” (The Hill Times, Oct. 5, p. 11). I am a huge fan of The Hill Times. It is in that spirit that I’d like to convey that the occasional decision by staff to include profanity in the headline of some of your opinion […]
Newspapers seek federal help, major lobbying push made in recent months
Canada’s newspaper industry has been making a push to have its concerns heard by federal officials on Parliament Hill in recent months, with goals that include more advertising from the government, more funding from a government periodical fund, and reforms to copyright law. Newspapers Canada has filed 14 communication reports with the federal lobbyists registry […]
Committee drops probe into assisted-dying-law leak, Conservative MP ‘disappointed’
Liberal MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee voted last week to end its study of a possible breach of privilege as a result of details on the government’s assisted-dying bill being leaked to media prior to its tabling last year. Conservative MP Blake Richards (Banff-Airdrie, Alta.) said in a pre-prepared press release handed out at […]
Pipeline pandering and broken promises
OTTAWA—I don’t know about all y’all, but I’m wondering when the social licence shows up. “Social licence” is a term, never too carefully defined, for broad social acceptance of some big change. It came into vogue in the late years of Stephen Harper’s government to explain why he couldn’t get oil pipelines built even though […]
After 40 years, ‘it’s time’ to step away from full-time journalism: CBC’s Milewski
PARLIAMENT HILL—From ducking rebel gunfire in El Salvador to explaining the functioning of some newfangled thing called a computer mouse, senior CBC national correspondent Terry Milewski has covered a lot during his more than 40 years in journalism. He’s set to officially retire on Sept. 30 and said “it’s time” for him to leave the hard pace of […]
