Opposition MPs slam Conservatives’ lack of good governance, say legislative process ‘dysfunctional’
PARLIAMENT HILL—The government used time allocation to limit debate 17 times during the 19-day marathon of Commons sittings to midnight from the last week in May through most of June, as Conservative MPs passed or pushed forward a flood of bills before Parliament’s summer recess nearly two weeks ago. The dust settled on June […]
Political parties can spend up to $336,996 on byelections
PARLIAMENT HILL—The main national political parties will each be able to spend up to $336,996 to help their candidates in the four federal byelections scheduled for next Monday, June 30—either in all four electoral districts where votes are taking place or two of the ridings or even just one. But three of the parties declined […]
How the Ontario election polls were so wrong yet so right
At first glance, it seems like public opinion polls delivered a poor prediction of the Ontario provincial election outcome. On the day of the election, poll aggregator Éric Grenier described the trend as "likely Liberal, possibly PC victory" with “a likely return to a minority legislature." While admittedly there was a lot of scatter […]
NDP accuses government of ‘ugly, secretive, partisan’ in-camera trial ordering party to pay back $1.17-million
PARLIAMENT HILL—The final days of Commons sittings before the House adjourns for the summer erupted Tuesday into heated exchanges between NDP and Conservative MPs, as the New Democrats accused the government of using an “ugly, secretive, partisan” trial behind closed doors to taint the NDP with a ruling that it violated House bylaws with […]
NDP MP says Tories, Libs going after NDP mailings to influence Ontario election, Grit calls claim ‘absolute paranoid fantasy’
PARLIAMENT HILL—An escalating Conservative and Liberal attack against the NDP—over allegations the NDP broke Commons rules with politically-charged mailings to voters and the establishment of an NDP office in Montreal staffed by aides on the Commons payroll in Ottawa—is an attempt to tarnish the party’s wider image as the Ontario provincial election looms, NDP MP […]
Elections overhaul bill includes loophole that could hinder investigations into fraud between election cycles
PARLIAMENT HILL—Opposition MPs mounting a last stand Tuesday in the face of government closure of debate on controversial election bill discovered yet more “bread crumbs for a starving man” as they realized last-minute Conservative amendments include a loophole that could hinder completion of investigations into fraud on voters between elections. The provision, an amendment to […]
Feds ‘making haste’ with massive elections overhaul bill ‘dangerous,’ says expert
PARLIAMENT HILL—A government deadline that drew an abrupt end Thursday to detailed committee examination of its controversial election legislation is a “dangerous” tactic for a new law that is at the core of Canada’s democratic system, one of the country’s leading parliamentary experts says. “This government has been known to try and slip things […]
Elections commissioner ends robocalls investigation, but opposition MPs say report shows Bill C-23 needs to be beefed up
PARLIAMENT HILL—A report from a three-year Elections Canada investigation that found insufficient evidence of widespread attempts to mislead voters with fraudulent telephone calls in the 2011 federal election nonetheless supports calls to beef up the federal election commissioner’s investigative powers, opposition MPs say. The report from Elections Commissioner Yves Coté Thursday highlighted the fact […]
‘Most of major attacks on democracy in C-23 left untouched by Senators’ in committee report, say NDP, Libs
PARLIAMENT HILL—A puzzling aspect has emerged over nine amendments Senate Conservatives recommended to the controversial government bill that would radically alter federal election law: why would the Senators ignore a widely-denounced clause that could prevent tens of thousands of electors from casting ballots in the next election, while urging the government to remove a party […]
Mulcair shuffles NDP shadow Cabinet, Julian new House leader, Cullen finance critic
PARLIAMENT HILL—NDP Leader Tom Mulcair surprised New Democrats Thursday as he shifted NDP MP Peggy Nash out of her finance critic post and realigned his shadow Cabinet more dramatically than expected in the wake of former NDP MP Olivia Chow’s departure and a limited government Cabinet shuffle following former finance minister Jim Flaherty’s resignation […]
