Parliament’s in a pickle

Is Parliament doomed to fail? Or is it not as bad as most Canadians think it is? Jonathan Malloy, a scholar of Canadian political institutions, discusses his new book, The Paradox of Parliament.
Lots of goodwill between Liberals and NDP on pharmacare, but ever-present chance they’ll ‘mismanage the relationship,’ warns pollster Lyle

On Dec. 14, the parties announced they had agreed to extend the deadline for passing legislation to create the framework for a national pharmacare program. The supply-and-confidence agreement between the two parties, established in March 2022, had called for that to be achieved by the end of 2023. The parties have now given themselves until March 1, 2024, to achieve this piece of their agreement.
Why I’m picking my 105-year-old neighbour, Joy Saunders, as Person of the Year

When she was 102, Joy Saunders raised more than $76,000 for the Victoria Order of Nurses by walking around her Lunenburg, N.S., neighbourhood, and was awarded the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers. She reminds all of us of the glory of life and of moral agency.
Basketball, and all sport, could save the world

In times when people feel hopeless to influence the global agenda, sports like basketball can become a vehicle for social change. If we spent as much time and money on building understanding and co-operation through sport as we do on creating instruments of war, the world would be a safer place.
Citizens’ Services Minister Beech backed by 10-member team

Additions to Minister Beech’s office since Hill Climbers’ last check-in include senior policy adviser Nathan Bowles and Justine Vincent, an adviser for parliamentary affairs, issues management, and West and North regional affairs.
Cracks in Ukrainian consensus have Conservatives on the defensive

At issue are five votes during which the Conservatives were the lone party to vote against a new modernized Canada-Ukraine trade deal and increased funding for Operation Unifier.
Affordability will remain a top political issue in 2024 after inflation stalls in latest CPI report, say observers

With inflation holding at 3.1 per cent, the Bank of Canada may wait until the summer to start cutting interest rates, instead of starting as early as the spring, said business prof Ian Lee.
The fight against antisemitism is not easy

‘How well we manage this period and how we emerge from this vitriol will in part determine whether we can be the just and compassionate society we thought we were,’ says Canada’s antisemitism envoy Deborah Lyons.
Who’s who in Foreign Affairs Minister Joly’s office

Senior staff in the minister’s office include director of policy Tania Belisle-Leclerc and director of outreach and strategic initiatives Caroline Séguin.
Brace yourself for an incoming political storm

Given how we’re in the season of peace, love and joy, it pains to say that we need to brace ourselves as a country for an incoming storm of political negativity.