Monday marks 150th anniversary of first meeting of Canadian parliamentarians
OTTAWA—Monday marks the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of Canadian parliamentarians. Celebrations include the usual fanfare, with a declaration in the House of Commons, and a commemorative plaque unveiling. But the real story of these 150 years is best expressed in how we govern ourselves. Americans live by the credo of exceptionalism. They (falsely) […]
Feds’ vague response to committee report will not protect whistleblowers, say critics
Opposition Members of Parliament and advocates are panning the government’s response last month to the House Government Operations Committee’s report on whistleblower legislation, saying it is too vague and takes no real action to further protect public-servant whistleblowers. The two-page response by Treasury Board President Scott Brison (Kings-Hants, N.S.) is being called a “brush-off” by […]
‘They’re starting from zero;’ MPs take stock after flood waters recede
MPs are looking ahead to recovery efforts after unprecedented flooding in Ontario and Quebec earlier this month, as well as to future work to prevent further crises from occurring. The water has receded, allowing communities to fully assess the damage incurred, physical and emotional, as some residences were completely destroyed. “I think we’re going to have to […]
New heads of Liberals’ rural caucus vow to force ‘rural lens’ upon ‘all policies’
With the national electoral landscape dominated by urban ridings, the new executives of the 54-member Liberal rural caucus are vowing to use “all the tools at our disposal” to make sure rural issues are on the national agenda and considered in all decisions. “We’ll use all the tools at our disposal to champion the issues […]
Rural Liberal MPs ‘awfully nervous’ about upcoming gun legislation, any tinkering could be trouble
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is expected to table legislation this spring to get handguns and assault weapons off the streets and promises not to create a new national long-gun registry, but some rural Liberal MPs say they are anxious about any tinkering of the gun laws. “They’re awfully nervous about what the legislation could […]
Free Liberal memberships attract thousands of new members ahead of hotly-contested Ottawa-Vanier nomination
With the incentive of free party membership, Liberal Party membership in the riding of Ottawa-Vanier, Ont., has grown eight times over in anticipation of a nomination meeting there, and the 10 candidates running in this safe Liberal riding are focused on getting as many of these members out as possible on voting day. The nomination vote is […]
Next budget should fund Indigenous Guardians Network
One year ago this month, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report. Its pages described the anguish caused by residential schools and the gaps remaining between indigenous and non-indigenous people in terms of education and prosperity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the report, saying “This is a time of real and positive change. […]
Making a home away from home: MPs room together to cut costs, gain company
Becoming an MP means living part-time in Ottawa, often hundreds of kilometres away from family, which can be a lonely experience. A number of MPs have opted to live together while in the capital, not just for the company, but also to reduce expenses. In their early days on the Hill, Conservative MPs Kevin Sorenson (Battle […]
Ban ten percenters
Re: “Conservative letter to electors claims Liberal scheme to rig next election” (The Hill Times, Oct. 19, p. 1). Tim Naumetz incorrectly described the letter as a “householder.” Householders are the quarterly reports sent by MPs to their constituents. This letter was a ten percenter: one-page, black-and-white flyers, usually containing partisan propaganda, usually originating from […]
How to make lobby days more effective
Lobby days still play an important role in advocacy. However, meeting with 10 or 20 Members of Parliament over a couple of days can waste time, resources, and political capital if it continues to be done in the same old-fashioned style of who-you-know lobbying. Let’s look at a single week as an example: from April […]
