Year-long deadlock between Libs and Tories could be ‘new normal,’ but ‘perfect storm’ of inflation and health-care crisis creates a ‘windfall’ for opposition parties this fall: Coletto, Nanos
A week out from the official return of Parliament on Sept. 19, the Liberals and Conservatives appear deadlocked in the polls, and analysts predict this winter will provide a “perfect storm” of issues for all the opposition parties. But if the Conservatives hope to defeat the Liberals in the next election, it will be up […]
Poilievre wins Conservative leadership with commanding 68.1 per cent of the points on first ballot, pledges focus on pocketbook issues; party promises unity, downplays division
Seeking to rebuild a Conservative Party that has been relegated to the opposition benches in three straight federal elections, Pierre Poilievre convincingly won the Tory leadership race on Saturday night with a commanding 68.15 per cent of the points on the first ballot. A member of the Conservative caucus since 2004, Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.) was […]
‘This is the time for getting things done,’ says former Liberal staffer after retreats wrapped up
The confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberals and the NDP looks to be in good shape as Parliament returns for the fall, say strategists, even as both parties look to address growing frustrations with the rising cost of living, and prepare for the election of a new Conservative leader. Sheamus Murphy, a former senior staffer to […]
Does the federal government fund and support racially discriminating groups and individuals?
OTTAWA—Federal funding of hateful messaging has been in the news lately after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the comments of a senior consultant who was working on a federally funded anti-racist project. As a result of Laith Marouf’s anti-French and anti-Semitic postings, the $130,000 funding of the group, the Community Media Advocacy Centre, was suspended. […]
Skating down the middle: Centre Ice Canadians look to ‘take action’ despite trope of ‘malleable’ centrists, with name change as first step
Organizers of the newly renamed Centre Ice Canadians say they will be raising issues that have not been a focus for “any political party with any type of vigour,” as they push back against the idea of centrists being “malleable” or not prone to action. The first step came with the group’s recent rebranding, replacing […]
The sad plight of classical Liberals
OAKVILLE, ONT.—I’d like to tell you a sad tale about a beleaguered political faction. It’s a faction no political party seems to care about it; it’s a faction no political party seems to want. The people who make up this unwanted faction are sometimes referred to as “classical liberals.” Maybe you’ve heard of them, since […]
A user’s guide for what comes after the Tory leadership race
OTTAWA—The six-month-long Conservative leadership race, barring some unforeseen circumstance, ends this weekend. This time next week, they will have their third “permanent” leader in three years. Losing professional hockey coaches have had longer tenures than recent CPC leaders. Will the new leader break the streak of short-termism and hang on for a while? The clock […]
MPs say ‘game changer’ UN report on China’s Uyghur persecution should propel increased action from feds
MPs from across the political spectrum say they are hoping that the United Nation report detailing human rights abuses in China’s persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang will be met with an increased effort from the Liberal government to confront the mistreatment. A long-awaited report from UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on the situation was […]
Conservative cohesion is only the first step
On Saturday, Sept. 10, the Conservative Party of Canada will have a new leader. This race has been nasty, brutish, and not-so short, and the post-election tone shift will be interesting to watch. From the moment former leader Erin O’Toole was ejected by caucus as head of the Conservative Party, there has been talk of […]
‘Small army’ on hand to ensure no repeat of 2020 Tory leader vote-counting drama
With the deadline to return Conservative leadership race ballots now passed, the main challenge will be ensuring those hard-fought votes get counted in time for Saturday’s coronation—without a repeat of the 2020 snafu. The Conservatives will announce the final tabulation on Sept. 10, at the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa, with event programming beginning at […]
