Door-knocking can be “critically important” to some candidates
It may be the era of, instant e-communications, but on the election trail, candidates say there’s nothing as effective as the personal touch. Hundreds of Parliamentary hopefuls, incumbents and cabinet ministers are devoting much of their campaign time to door-knocking, in an effort to win over voters one household at a time. Winning can sometimes […]
Kenney campaigns for leader, leaves little time for his own riding [Calgary Southeast]
Wearing the many hats of politician, finance critic, talking head and party strategist this election, Alliance MP Jason Kenney hasn’t had much time for his other campaign, the one for his own riding of Calgary Southeast, Alta. When the bright 32-year-old MP kicked off the Alliance party’s election campaign, he used the word “arrogance” to […]
PM seeks third term by campaigning against US health care
Sigh. There he goes again. Jean Chretien seeking to be Prime Minister of Canada by campaigning against the United States. This time Mr. Chretien couples the tired canard that there are 40 million Americans without health insurance with the accusation that Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day seeks to transform Canada into such an ostensibly horrific […]
The politics of cocktails, appetizers, entrees and desserts: a handy dandy who’s who of the 49 members of this year’s governing Grits Maple Leaf Dinner committee
The Liberal war chest was filled with almost $600,000 following this year’s Maple Leaf Dinner. For the privilege of attending the federal Liberals’ premier social event and fundraiser in the Nation’s Capital hungry Liberal loyalists, lobbyists and consultants paid $400-a-plate to nosh on bison and Manitoba wild rice with toasted almonds and listen while the […]
[President & CEO appointment]
R.J. Ritchie, Chairman of the Board of the Railway Association of Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of William (Bill) Rowat as its President and Chief Executive Officer. The 54 member railways represent virtually all rail freight and passenger operations in Canada today. A career officer in the federal public service with extensive experience […]
It’s chaotic at Elections Canada’s headquarters these days
Elections Canada office manager Denise Paradis has been dealing with a bit of a staffing problem lately. She was recently asked to find 250 new employees virtually overnight who are willing to take a job that has no chance of lasting more than five weeks, and she’s had to do this in Ottawa, a city […]
Stockwell Day’s is not the tale of the little party that grew
We are now getting a somewhat better look at Stockwell Day. Save for the gullible, there are no surprises. The Reform Alliance leader is a twister, a wobbler, a primitive. He has two sorts of health-care plans. He preaches “respect,” but his tongue is busy with innuendo, (about the Prime Minister’s in-laws). He has complained […]
Alliance sees Liberal Vintner Pilliteri’s seat as ripe for the picking [Hill Times’ list of vulnerable ridings in Atlantic, Ontario and Quebec]
With the U.S. election showing the importance of every vote, footsoldiers for all parties have an added bounce in their step as the campaign heads into the home stretch, especially in these ridings, where the sitting MPs are considered vulnerable. NEWFOUNDLAND Tory Norman Doyle St. John’s East, Nfld. This one-time Tory stronghold ain’t what it […]
Don’t listen to hypercentralists: devolution of power is a real possibility and our national parliament could be given more power
Arguments to centralize the main powers of the federation at the federal level or to vest the main federal power in the hands of a small oligarchy in Ottawa are very similar: they constitute an argument for centralization of power in few hands at the centre. This project is built on the model suggesting that […]
Douglas can “ruffle up your spirits, put a tongue in every wound” [in defence of medicare]
An argument between the Liberals and the Canadian Alliance about their health platforms aroused some interest last week. Prime Minister Jean Chretien and an influential Opposition spokesman, namely Canadian Alliance MP Jason Kenney, tossed around the question of one- tier, two-tier medicare. Some observers declared that the biggest issue in the campaign is the health […]
