Changes in PMO, including a promotion and Ben Chin joins the team
The Prime Minister’s Office has a new senior adviser on staff. Ben Chin moved over from his post as chief of staff to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on May 17. A former broadcast journalist, Mr. Chin has been working on the Hill since October 2017, first as a senior adviser to Mr. Morneau. Roughly one year ago, […]
The Green Party has won a second House seat in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, B.C. What does this suggest for the federal election in October?
Cory Hann Conservative strategist “This is the 13th byelection this Parliament that the Conservative Party has increased its share of vote from 2015. We’re the only party that can say that. By contrast, the Liberals watched their share of the vote decline in more than a dozen of the byelections. Why? Canadians are starting to […]
An ‘ugly’ federal election not inevitable
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Conventional wisdom holds that the upcoming Canadian federal election will be one nasty affair. Indeed, a recent news story in this very newspaper sported the dramatic headline: “Expect ‘ugly’ and ‘intense’ election in the fall, fuelled by anger, say Liberal and NDP MPs.” So yes, everyone it seems is expecting the worst, including, I […]
The sad state of Canada’s left wing
OAKVILLE, ONT.—According to recent media reports, Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer supposedly blundered when he secretly met not too long ago with oil company executives to plot a grand strategy aimed at ousting the Liberals from power. Why was that meeting seen as a blunder? Well, in ordinary times, such a move would certainly cause […]
Conservatives’ first-quarter haul breaks ceiling, but Liberals say grassroots support ‘strong’
The Conservatives’ record-breaking haul for the first quarter of $8-million puts them far ahead of the pack, and has them outpacing the Liberals by more than double—a sign that some strategists say suggests the Tories’ base is in far better shape than the governing party’s as the next federal election approaches. “What’s worrying [for the […]
‘We don’t know why it’s taken so long’: critics question the wait on federal-provincial housing agreements
Housing critics are questioning why the government is taking so long to finalize the cost-sharing housing agreements with provinces, since it’s been more than a year since the unveiling of the Liberals’ National Housing Strategy. But many of the accords are on the cusp of an announcement, says Liberal MP Adam Vaughan (Spadina–Fort York, Ont.), […]
Trudeau PMO scoops up new policy aide from Minister Bains’ team
The policy team in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has a new member on board, with the recent addition of Javid Dharas who until recently was working for Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains. Mr. Dharas marked his first day as a special assistant for policy in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on […]
With seven months to go, Singh under crunch to introduce himself and his vision to Canadians
His journey to the House of Commons was the subject of much speculation, and after a long wait, and 534 days after being elected the new leader of the federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh says it was a “really poignant” moment when he first, finally, took his seat in the House on March 18. “That was […]
New faces join PMO, Liberal research bureau
There’ve been a few recent changes in both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Liberal caucus’ research bureau, among other offices, including a new communications manager for the bureau. Lindsey Staples has joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office as a new correspondence assistant. She enters a team led by correspondence manager Jean-Luc Marion, which also […]
NDP ‘under the gun’ to name candidates, say politicos, as they trail Grits, Tories on campaign slate
The NDP has 12 per cent of its candidates confirmed for the 2019 election, far behind the 61.5 per cent nominated under the Conservative banner and 50 per cent for the Liberals. It puts the New Democrats in a tough spot, say some analysts, but the party’s ex-national director said isn’t yet a problem. The […]
