Aboriginals fear they were shut out of Supreme Court, push as selection committee winds up hearings this week
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has excluded aboriginal candidates from his short list for an upcoming nomination at the Supreme Court of Canada, members of the Indigenous Bar Association alleged last week. “What it means is a significant loss of opportunity,”said IBA president Jeffery Hewitt.”To be clear. We’re not seeking a quota, but in terms of […]
Quebec Liberals divided, but no civil war, say Quebec Grit MPs
Andre Harvey quit the Liberal Party six months ago, but the former Liberal MP, who once sat as a Conservative MP, is running under the Liberal banner in the next election. Despite insults and attacks flying back and forth, the feuding factions of the federal Liberals are not on the verge of a civil war, […]
Of hurricanes, climate change, politics and public opinion
Politicians like policies and programs that no one can find offensive. Tackling climate change, avoiding the kind of abrupt and devastating impacts increasingly in forecasts, will require much more than we have yet imagined. These days, it is hard to tell CNN from the Weather Channel. Wolf Blitzer has traded being imbedded in Iraq to […]
Pollsters, strategists warn against Christmas election
Opposition parties threaten to resort to ‘nuclear’ option and say they’re prepared to pull the plug on the House of Commons if necessary. With a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the House of Commons, pollsters and strategists say opposition parties may want to reconsider plans to torpedo the shaky Liberal government before they start gunning […]
Bloc Quebecois goes on $400,000 Adscam offensive: But Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe admits his own party asked to use program before scandal broke
As his party launched a $400,000 ad campaign to remind Quebecers about the sponsorship scandal, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe admitted his party also sought after money from the controversial program. “Of course, on this point we never denied that,” Mr. Duceppe (Laurier, Que.) said, before the House adjourned for its week-long break. Borrowing a […]
Chief Government Whip pulls in all Liberal MPs for intense political week in Ottawa
With election fever hitting Parliament, the Liberals aren’t taking any chances about the possibility of MPs being absent for crucial Commons votes, says Chief Government Whip Karen Redman. “It’s my job to try to provide for every eventuality,”Ms. Redman (Kitchener-Centre, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week. “Starting Monday with [Finance] Minister [Ralph] Goodale’s economic […]
The Parti Quebecois won’t want another leadership race for at least 20 years, after they get through this one
Combine the Gomery after-shock with the Paul Martin government centralist attitude and it’s impossible not to believe that Gilles Duceppe, as soon as he passes ‘go,’ will collect votes like Bill Gates collects billions. QUEBEC CITY – As you read this column, Quebec sovereigntists are voting by telephone to choose their new leader. Out of […]
The week ahead in Parliament: This week it’s all about the opposition days
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe were both pleased last week to see the NDP join them in committing to defeat the government at the earliest possible time. But no one, they say, wants a Christmas election. Tuesday, Nov. 15, belongs to the Conservatives in the House, as the first opposition day […]
It’s ‘the friendship factor’ and lobbying [lobbyists fund raise for politicians]
Ten years ago, ‘the friendship factor’ and trust relationships may have helped politicians and lobbyists argue against any potential conflicts of interest, but not in today’s ethically-sensitive environment. So, you’re a lobbyist and you throw a fundraiser for a politician whom you’ve known for years.You charge $150 a person and raise $9,000.Then you find yourself […]
Harper’s ethics package
One of the “major flaws”in Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s ethics package is that it targets only former Cabinet ministers and their staffers and not the opposition critics and their staffers from lobbying the government after they leave public office, says a senior Liberal lobbyist, who didn’t want to be named. “These people do get access […]
