To guard mental health, Hillites recommend exercise, eating right, and saying no
When it comes to achieving good mental health, elected officials and staffers say it’s important to set good boundaries, get in regular physical activity, and stay away from the food at receptions. The Hill Times spoke to more than 15 MPs, Senators, and staffers about how they manage their mental health in a job where it […]
Trade deal with U.S., Mexico muted political win for Trudeau Liberals: observers
After more than a year of gruelling negotiations over a signature trilateral trade agreement with an often mercurial administration, the Trudeau government emerged with a deal that, some trade observers say, is the best one it could have reached, handing it a political win even in the face of immediate backlash from the dairy lobby. […]
What it’s like to be a rookie MP in a workplace that fetishizes exhaustion
PARLIAMENT HILL—The polls open, you cast your ballot, and for the rest of the day volunteers, friends, and family members do everything they can to distract you as the results pour in, sequestering you from televisions and the radio. In the moment, you can’t help but be frustrated with being “managed.” But looking back, it’s […]
Hard to believe beard ban was a dealbreaker for military recruits
OTTAWA—It was announced last week that the Canadian Armed Forces are going to relax limitations on beards and allow more soldiers, sailors, and airmen to grow facial hair. Under the terms of the previous regulations, only sailors assigned to shore duty and infantrymen serving in specialized Pioneer engineering units were allowed to sport beards. There […]
Work-life balance tough in 24-hour news cycle, but there’s help for Parliamentarians to cope
PARLIAMENT HILL—As Speaker of Canada’s Upper Chamber, I am expected to preside over matters impartially. However, there are some issues that transcend partisanship and party lines. One is the mental health of Parliamentarians and employees. More and more, Parliamentarians are speaking openly and candidly about their personal struggles with mental illness. In sharing such intimate […]
Too many are still suffering in silence on the Hill. This has to change
PARLIAMENT HILL—They come to Parliament Hill, the best and brightest people, eager to watch from a front‑row seat as history is being made. They are the thousands of political staffers who work here—dedicated and driven, with an unwavering desire to serve. They may not know it, but when these people begin their parliamentary careers in […]
NAFTA deal a win for Trudeau, but not a get-out-of-jail-free card
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau has a trade deal. Over the weekend, Canada and the United States were able to come to a preliminary agreement on a successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), henceforth to be known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). While its acronym could be confused with a Village People song popular […]
Parties ‘doing more’ to boost awareness of mental health resources, Liberals to hire HR adviser for staffers
The parties with the largest presence on the Hill say they are upping efforts to bring awareness of mental health resources available to political staffers working on Parliament Hill, including the planned hiring of a human resources adviser for Liberal employees. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesperson Eleanore Catenaro said via email that the Liberal Party has […]
USMCA: better than nothing, but don’t expect a breakthrough with Trump
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has put as positive a face as possible on his government’s rearguard action to save Canada’s trading relationship with the United States. And, given President Donald Trump’s paranoid view of international dealings as commercial warfare in which everyone is trying to take advantage of the U.S., the new version of NAFTA […]
My mental-health journey: from sister to social worker to minister
More than two decades ago, a concerned citizen contacted Canada’s minister of health. Worried about the scant resources dedicated to mental health, he petitioned the minister for action. The minister declined—not because he disagreed, but because as health minister, mental health was “not his issue.” While you might find this shocking, I do not. I […]
