Ministers Anand, Fortier make headway in firming up their staff teams
New Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand has her senior staff team in place, with new directors of operations, communications, and parliamentary affairs recently hired. Caitlin Mullan-Boudreau has been hired as operations director. She was previously working in the office of the minister of fisheries and oceans, starting under then-minister Hunter Tootoo in 2016 […]
Citing intelligence sources, Trudeau says Ukrainian airliner may have been unintentionally struck by Iranian missile
NATIONAL PRESS THEATRE — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday “multiple” intelligence sources suggest the Ukrainian airliner that killed all 176 passengers on board may have been unintentionally shot down by an Iranian missile. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) cautioned against drawing any conclusions until there is a “full and […]
It is known: policy directors named for ministers Lebouthillier, Bibeau, Ng
Ministerial staffing on the Hill is coming along, with directors of policy now confirmed in the offices of International Trade and Small Business and Export Promotion Minister Mary Ng, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, and National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier. An avalanche of staffing news is expected soon, as ministers have until Dec. 20 to decide […]
Rookie PSPC minister a ‘calculated risk’ as a cabinet pick, say observers
The prime minister took a risk when he put a rookie Liberal MP in charge of the government’s decisions around procurement, but the Oakville MP seems to be up to the task, given her professional chops, some political observers say. During the Nov. 20 cabinet unveiling, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) named Anita Anand […]
‘Disappointing’ cabinet picks show Trudeau still needs to address diversity ‘blind spot’, say advocates
The latest cabinet picks were disappointing for some advocates of better representation for racialized Canadians in positions of power, including former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes who offered a plea to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to demonstrate he is correcting an admitted blind spot. She said that didn’t happen during the Nov. 20 cabinet shuffle, which […]
Liberals hope beefed-up Quebec presence in cabinet will help capture more seats in Trudeau’s home province, win them next election, say pollsters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost five seats in Quebec in the October election, but still handed 11 cabinet posts and control of six federal economic development agencies to Liberal MPs from the province last week, and Liberals are betting on the prime minister’s home province as the path to a third term in power, say […]
‘You’re there out of respect for the country’: MPs talk about Canada Day celebrations
In Pontiac, Que., Canada Day is really a three-day affair. For Liberal MP Will Amos, who has represented the large, mostly rural riding since 2015, the occasion brings three days of non-stop travel across his riding’s 85,000 square kilometres, broken up only by eating food, delivering speeches, and taking part in parades. “It’s like Christmas […]
‘We have to be part of it’: Indigenous MPs say there needs to be better representation
More electoral education, mentorships for rookies, and proactive party policies will help bring about a needed increase in Indigenous representation in federal politics, from the elected-level down, say Indigenous MPs and a former candidate. The last 150 years of Canadian history have shown the devastating impact government policy can have on Indigenous lives, the residential […]
New-parent MPs allowed year-long pass from House duties under long-awaited leave changes
Long-awaited parental leave provisions are in the final stretch in the House of Commons, with the proposed new system allowing Members of Parliament to be absent from the House Chamber for up to 12 months after the arrival of a new child. “I feel hard work is accomplished now. But I’m just a little bit […]
Conservative MP Gallant blames spring flooding on fed regulations, but experts say there are no links
Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant is blaming federal regulations for the recent heavy flooding in her Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Ont., riding and other ridings along the Ottawa River last month, but experts dispute her claims, saying there’s no link between the damages and the measures being taken to manage the water flows. This is the second time in […]
