U.S. should rethink gun control policies, now
Last Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama held a press conference to talk about another mass killing in the United States, this time the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. It was the 15th time President Obama had to address the nation about a mass atrocity. He looked shaken. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, June […]
‘It’s pretty hard when you’re working on Macdonald to not become extremely impressed with Laurier,’ former Harper speechwriter preparing book on Laurier speeches
Arthur Milnes, a speechwriter for former prime minister Stephen Harper from 2012 to 2014 and a political history expert, has been putting together a book that includes some of the most important speeches of former prime minster Wilfrid Laurier and essays from several prominent Canadians that put Laurier’s stature in perspective. The book is called […]
“The Chinese Foreign Minister recently scolded a Canadian journalist for asking about China’s human rights record in a press conference in Ottawa and while here demanded a meeting with the PM. Do you think the federal government responded appropriately?”
Kate Purchase Liberal strategist “The freedom of press is essential to our democracy and country. “We believe it is the media’s job to ask tough questions—of our government and governments around the world. Canadian journalists should always raise issues of concern to Canadians, including human rights and consular cases. We thank the media for the […]
Family-friendly Parliament study expected this week, some measures could be implemented this year
A study into how to make Parliament more family-friendly is expected to be tabled this week, and members of the committee say some measures, including changes to Hill child care, could be made this year. “What we have with the report is really a snapshot of the highlights of things that we all feel are very […]
It will take a lot of digging to strike a new Canada-China ‘golden era’
When China’s foreign minister visiting Ottawa last week tore a strip off of a Canadian reporter for asking a critical question, it illustrated two very different things. Wang Yi, angrily waving his pen, said the reporter was “full of prejudice against China and arrogance” for asking about China’s human-rights record and its imprisonment of a Canadian, […]
Budget boost allowing CBC to expand local, international coverage, says Hill bureau chief
With the Liberal government injecting an extra $675-million into the CBC over the next five years, as set out in the 2016 budget, CBC parliamentary bureau chief Rob Russo says the public broadcaster will be investing in more international reporting, as well as more “primarily digital” local and regional reporting. “Look for an expansion in the […]
Sharp Wits & Busy Pens takes a ‘sober-minded look’ at history of press gallery on Parliament Hill
OTTAWA—When Bloomberg Hill reporter Josh Wingrove volunteered to co-edit a coffee table book on the 150-year history of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, he had no idea what he’d signed up for. And he knows hard work. Probably best known when he was at The Globe and Mail as the only print reporter who video-recorded, with his cellphone, the […]
Heckling is good, legacy media may be doomed: what we learned from Travers Debates
Heckling is one of the oldest ways to get a cheap thrill and has done for public discourse what pantyhose have for backseat romance. But without a good heckle the Chamber would be pretty dreary. As well, democracy in Canada is still thriving despite struggles of the legacy, or traditional, news media. Those were the winning teams’ arguments […]
Trudeau’s love-in with media can’t last, whoever the media are
TORONTO—A good relationship with the media is an important achievement for a politician. However, this job is becoming more difficult as it becomes harder to identify who the media are. The former Conservative government made a mistake by entering into a collision course with the Ottawa press gallery and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also make a mistake […]
Why are Canadians in Iraq wearing the Kurdish flag?
OTTAWA—Last Thursday, CTV News broadcast a story from the front lines in Kurdistan. The hook for this feature was Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance’s surprise visit to liaise with members of Canada’s special operations forces. There are about 200 special-forces members being deployed as trainers to assist in preparing the Kurdish peshmerga militia […]
