Who wants to replace Tom Mulcair? Few, it seems
MONTREAL—The federal New Democrats who showed Thomas Mulcair the door last April must have had various dream candidates in mind to replace him. Almost two months later, most of those presumed successors have vanished into thin air. On Friday, MP Nathan Cullen—who finished in third place against Mulcair in 2012 and was widely considered the […]
No tears for Harper as Ottawa marks new era at press gallery dinner
OTTAWA—The Conservatives have raised the bar in the hypocrisy sweepstakes ever since the election with their suggestions that the nastiness of the past decade originated with Stephen Harper and that “Hey, we’re just everyday, nice people.” Rona Ambrose cranked this newfound sense of decency up to its highest level yet at this year’s press gallery […]
A tale of two conventions
VANCOUVER—Little could be more different than the post-election conventions the New Democrats and the Conservatives have held this spring. The first featured the summary execution of leader Thomas Mulcair at the hands of party members and an unresolved divisive battle for the soul of the party. The New Democrats left Edmonton in early April in […]
A new Liberal constitution and 80 policy resolutions will make for a busy convention
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will likely appreciate the day he took off in Japan this week by the time he arrives in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the wee hours of Saturday morning for a historic convention of the Liberal party of Canada. There will be little time to adjust to any jet lag from the 14-hour […]
Avoiding prohibition 2.0
VICTORIA, B.C.—When Thomas Mulcair recently asked Justin Trudeau “when the hell was he going to legalize marijuana,” it was almost surreal. For those of us who have been working to end cannabis prohibition for many years these are ‘the days.’ Thankfully Prime Minister Trudeau gave the correct answer that politicians and policy makers need to […]
Childish behaviour all around
When cameras were introduced into the House of Commons in 1977 it was argued that their presence would increase civility, productivity, and accountability. What a ridiculous notion. Since then, antics to stall debate, ridiculous theatrics, and childish name-calling have echoed through our hallowed chambers of Parliament. After all, that is the sort of stuff the […]
Politics this morning: CANSEC, Bank of Canada announcement, and a clean slate for Duffy
Good Morning, It’s Wednesday, May 25. Here’s what you need to know before starting your day: Suzanne Legault, the Information Commission of Canada, will present the 2015 Grace-Pépin Award to Ken Rubin and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission this morning at 10:30. The award is presented annually to an individual or group that makes a significant contribution to […]
Liberals pull controversial motion after a day of upheaval in the House
To shouts and applause from opposition MPs, the Liberal government withdrew an unprecedented motion Wednesday that would have given Cabinet absolute control over House of Commons sittings and adjournment—while stripping the opposition of tactical ability to filibuster contentious legislation—after Prime Minister Trudeau gave the Commons a lengthy apology for physically aggressive behaviour during a bitter […]
House dissolves into chaos after PM accused of ‘manhandling’ Conservative Whip Brown, elbowing NDP MP Brosseau
Just a few hours after receiving unanimous House support for his formal apology regarding the Komagata Maru incident, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) found himself apologizing again to an angry Commons after being accused of “manhandling” a male Conservative Member of Parliament and elbowing a female NDP MP in the chest. The incident occurred […]
Politics this morning: NDP to elect new leader in fall 2017, Mulcair will exit politics
Today is Monday, May 16. Here’s what you should know before you start your day: The NDP Federal Council met yesterday, and decided on a time frame in which it would elect its next leader. The council set a window between September 17, 2017 and October 31, 2017 with a nomination period beginning on July 2, […]
