Advocates, NDP welcome ‘long overdue’ paid sick day legislation for federally regulated employees
Small business advocates and the NDP, who have been calling for the introduction of paid sick leave by the federal government for months, say they welcome the tabling of the government’s legislation that would provide federally regulated workers with 10 days of paid sick leave per year. The legislation was tabled almost 20 months into […]
The continued mystery of the NDP’s existence
OTTAWA—During the post-election lull between choosing cabinet and the Speech from the Throne, I ruminated on the political issues that have shaped the year. And increasingly—now perennially—one question always sticks in my mind and will continue to in the years to come. Why does the NDP exist? No seriously. The recent pointless election was an […]
Who’s who among senior political staff confirmed so far
From government to opposition, staff have been hard at work behind the scenes to get ready for the start of the new Parliament, and while cabinet ministers are still finalizing their new staff teams, Hill Climbers is diving into who’s who among senior staffers settled so far. Topping the list for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s […]
NDP’s new slate of critics comes online
On Oct. 29, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced the new set of critics and roles that the NDP MPs will be taking on in the coming parliamentary session. This lineup sees women in critical critic roles like environment and climate change, foreign affairs, national defence, and Indigenous services, with new MPs taking on core duties. “Canadians […]
Hill Climbers: O’Toole’s OLO sees some staff changes, promotions post-election
Change is in the air on Parliament Hill, and while many members of Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s office are resuming their posts, Hill Climbers understands there have been a few key changes, including Jake Enwright’s promotion to deputy chief of staff. Tausha Michaud, who was campaign secretary for the Conservatives during the recent election, remains […]
There’s ‘potential’ for progress on gig worker supports after an involved election season, experts, politicians say
Gig workers are on the rise in Canada, and with a new minority Parliament in place, politicians and workers’ advocates see an opportunity for the Liberal government to collaborate with the NDP to push forward progress on supporting this sector. At its foundation, gig work is a descriptor that covers all kinds of work done […]
First two-spirit MP aims to be architect of change, speak up for Indigenous, LGBTQ2+ voices
Newly elected New Democrat Blake Desjarlais didn’t always want to be a politician. The 27 year old, who recently won the riding of Edmonton Griesbach, Alta., originally had his sights set on becoming an architect, following in the footsteps of Indigenous trailblazer Douglas Cardinal. “I wanted to show people in North America that Indigenous people […]
Suppose they gave an election and nobody won
It would be very easy to simply slide alongside the emerging narrative that the 44th Canadian general election was a waste of time, a waste of money, and an empty exercise where the hopes and dreams of political junkies met their maker. To be fair, the Liberals were indeed hoping for a majority and fell […]
The Seinfeld election: an election about nothing
This election might be called the Seinfeld election, an election about nothing. There was no single issue, as there was in 1988 when free trade turned that election into a referendum. Nor was there a burning desire to vote the bums out, as there was in 1984, 1993, and 2015. Instead, it just was. Sure, […]
‘We have drive’: Indigenous MPs on their election and their future
Another election has come and gone and there was a record number of Indigenous candidates put forward this time, at least 77 people, with the end results showing that the actual count of Indigenous MPs who will sit in the House has also gone up, to 12 from the 10 elected after the 2019 campaign. […]
