The paradox of freedom
The arrival of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest of questions. Canadians are not who we thought we were. Peter Newman wrote about a Canadian Revolution in the 1980s. He argued Canadians were no longer deferential, but rather defiant towards authority. That defiance was on stunning display during the three-week […]
Decolonization is at the heart of effective climate action
Let’s face it, the environmental movement has always centred white voices. When you think of a climate activist, who do you envision? Would it surprise you that millions of people engaged in greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation live in African nations? And that many of them are women? Black History Month spotlights the legacy of […]
‘No wonder we continue down this path’: Conservative, CSG Senate leaders say use of Emergencies Act stoked division
The federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act created division in an already polarized Canada, argued two Senate leaders as the Red Chamber debated approval of the powers in the hours before they were revoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday afternoon. Earlier that day, Canadian Senators Group Leader Scott Tannas (Alberta) told the Senate, […]
Combatting political polarization a tall order with no consensus craved, say experts
Dial down the rhetoric and turn up the volume on conversation to bridge the seemingly deepening political and community divide, say pollsters, analysts, and politicos, even if some say a consensus on the issues of vaccine mandates and the trucker protest isn’t necessarily possible. “We’ve seen for years now, declining trust in government,” said Brad […]
Attacked for betraying NDP legacy, Singh plays balancing act while supporting Emergencies Act
In supporting the invocation of the Emergencies Act, the NDP is playing a balancing act, but party insiders say it had to be done. The party is facing charges that it broke with its own history when the great majority of NDP MPs voted against the invocation of the War Measures Act during the October […]
Ginned up by the truck mob, Conservatives go full Republican
OTTAWA—Donald Trump amazed the political world by transforming the venerable Republican Party into a full-scale personal cult in the United States. But, even so, no one thought he would be able, by proxy, to take over Canada’s right-wing political factions. The occupation of Ottawa and protests elsewhere may have been touched off by vaccine requirements […]
Strong start for Poilievre, but room remains for other serious leadership contenders, say strategists
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre may be off to a strong start, but strategists say there’s still plenty of time for other serious contenders to emerge in the party’s upcoming leadership race, which will help define its path forward. Putting his name forward quickly was definitely a good move for Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.), said Garry Keller, […]
Public service union helped residents take back their streets as citizens grew weary of law enforcement lag
As the “Freedom Convoy” that descended on downtown Ottawa and surrounding residential streets moved into its third week, thousands of counterprotesters in the nation’s capital began pushing back, many of whom were upset with the ongoing occupation and the lack of action by police services prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act. Alex Silas, […]
Seeing double: a look at International Development Minister Sajjan’s new team
Responsible for two portfolios, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan, who’s also in charge of the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, has two directors of policy and two press secretaries in his office. As previously reported, Ashley Wright is chief of staff to the minister. Sacha Atherly has been named director of policy for international […]
Trudeau, Joly lead cross-border convos, as Freeland appears to step back from U.S. file
Since the first cabinet shuffle of the new Parliament on Oct. 26, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ministers have been meeting with their American counterparts to start and maintain dialogue and raise concerns on numerous issues. Recent high-level Canada-U.S. engagement was led by Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.). […]
