NDP staffer and international marathon runner volunteers time to teach first-time Hill runners to run
Six years ago, the NDP Whip’s Assistant Theresa Kavanagh, 48, decided to take up running. Today, she’s a qualified personal trainer, has run in a handful of elite 42.2 km marathons in Canada and the U.S., has done one Ironman, triathlons for fun and bikes 10 km to work every day from her west end […]
Liberals get to chair five House committees in 39th Parliament
The Liberals will chair the House Standing Committee on the Status of Women for the first time and four other committees usually chaired by opposition members. There will also be four new House of Commons committees in the 39th Parliament. Chief Government Whip Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River, B. C.) said the Conservatives decided to […]
High-profile Liberals line up to run for the party’s presidency
At least six high-profile Liberals are considering a run for the federal Liberal Party presidency. And at least two of the well-known Liberals-former Liberal Cabinet minister Tony Ianno and Ontario Liberal Senator Marie-P. Poulin confirmed with The Hill Times that they are seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party. Three other prominent Liberals Akaash Maharaj, […]
Tories to create a citizen’s assembly on proportional representation
After the Conservative Speech from the Throne promised to look at electoral reform, NDP leader Jack Layton (Toronto-Danforth, Ont.) said he hopes to see special consultations on proportional representation up and running very quickly. “This House of Commons could have before it, by the end of the year, a recommended system of proportional representation,” Mr. […]
Health Minister Clement hires a new communications adviser
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn hires Roxanne Marchand as his press secretary Federal Health Minister Tony Clement has hired a new communications adviser for his ministerial political office in Ottawa. Tina Arvanitis, 25, started her new job as communications adviser to Mr. Clement recently. Minister Clement’s communications office is led by director of communications Robin Walsh, […]
Political parties receive first quarter allowances
The Liberal Party received $2,282,186.93 last week in first quarter allowances from Elections Canada for Jan. 1 to March 31. The allowance is part of the $1.75 per vote that parties receive if they got more than two per cent of all valid votes or at least five per cent of the votes in the […]
Would-be reformers of the Westminster model yearn for a legislature that provides effective scrutiny on actions and decisions of Cabinet
“You can’t always get what you want But if you try sometimes, you just might find You get what you need. (a.k.a. The Reformer’s Theme Song) In my last column, I suggested that New Zealand might have blazed a trail for any would-be political reformers in this country. On the surface, at least, it seemed […]
Parliament is broken, shows new televised documentary: series part of an ‘underground royal commission’ showing waste, lack of accountability is endemic [Does your vote count?]
As part of its continuing series showing that Canada’s Parliamentary system has broken down, Toronto-based Stronoway Productions is launching a television documentary series on Oct. 7 featuring an impressive array of MPs, bureaucrats and political insiders who lament the sorry state of democracy in this country. It makes for sober viewing. The event kicks off […]
We can work it out: Alliance and Tory strategists: contentious issues of leadership selection, grandfathering of MPs are resolvable
John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Conservative Prime Minister, said it best, “Treat them as a nation and they will act as people generally do — generously. Call them a faction and they become factious.” [Graph Not Transcribed] [Graph Not Transcribed] [Graph Not Transcribed] Enough with the factions and the divisions, it is time to move […]
Inside House Finance pre-budget consultations: ‘our testimony will take care of whoever is Finance Minister having this testimony on-record’
The House Finance Committee is plowing ahead on its pre-budget consultations and plans to wrap up hearings on Nov. 7 before the House breaks, but it’s uncertain if the usually influential report will be released this year, before the next federal budget, says the committee’s leader. Liberal MP Sue Barnes (London West, Ont.), chair of […]
