Platform costing measure gets nod, but fixes for getting info needed, says PBO
A platform costing service offered by the Parliamentary Budget Officer is receiving a thumbs up from one expert, but the office is looking to Parliament to clarify an “oversight” in its powers in accessing information to do its work, ahead of the next election. In a report released Jan. 24, the PBO wrote that “legislative […]
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Snowmaggedon shows the power of community helping community
OTTAWA—Last week I was in St. John’s for the memorial service for John Crosbie. It was an excellent occasion, well attended by the mighty and the meek. A fitting testament to the connection Crosbie himself had with so many. The sun split the Rock that day, but shortly thereafter, Snowmaggedon arrived. You have all seen […]
Key directors hired in Labour Minister Tassi’s office
Labour Minister Filomena Tassi has made a number of key hires in her ministerial office, which, as previously reported, is being run by chief of staff Jude Welch. Miles Hopper has been named director of policy to Ms. Tassi. He was previously working with then-employment, workforce development, and labour minister Patty Hajdu as a policy […]
In a world of increasing disparity, it is time for new leaders to come forward
OTTAWA—The passing of former cabinet minister John Crosbie has been the opportunity for much nostalgia, especially among those who knew him best. My sympathies to his family and friends, who were legion: he was both a great Newfoundlander and a great Canadian. I had the opportunity to interview Crosbie on a few occasions; what I […]
Senate should be ‘very careful’ of widespread rule changes and ‘unintended consequences,’ says retiring Sen. Day
After nearly two decades in the Upper Chamber, Joseph Day, the outgoing Senate Liberal-turned-Progressive Senate Group leader, said he feels he still has unfinished business. “There’s a lot of things that you want to make sure [to] get in place so that you’re confident that the decisions taken will be in the best interest of […]
‘We’re flying the plane while we build it’: demolition work in Centre Block has begun
A final budget and timeline for the renovation of the iconic Centre Block building have yet to be determined, but work is plowing ahead, with demolition underway from the fourth floor up, which will see those floors stripped down to the building’s bones. “With these kinds of projects, we’re flying the plane while we build […]
Agriculture Minister Bibeau was the most-lobbied MP in 2019
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, House Veteran Affairs Committee chair Wayne Easter, and active backbench Liberal MP Francis Drouin were 2019’s top-lobbied MPs, according to a Hill Times analysis. Ms. Bibeau (Compton-Stanstead, Que.) became the most-requested minister for lobbyists soon after she was named to the agriculture portfolio in March 2019. At the time, Canada was […]
If requirements are ‘unattainable,’ drop out of race, says Conservative Senator to leadership hopefuls
With those eyeing the Conservative leadership required to raise triple what 2017 contenders had to and less time to meet the qualifications, one Senator says those who worry about making the final cut may want to reconsider running. Speaking to The Hill Times, Conservative Senator Leo Housakos (Wellington, Que.) said raising $300,000 in just over 10 […]
Omnibus bills could be ‘new normal,’ says Samara researcher
Lengthy government bills are shaping up to be “the new normal” in Parliament, despite the Liberals’ campaign pledge in 2015 to halt the practice, according to a new report. In a report published on Jan. 21 by Samara Centre for Democracy, researchers found that the use of omnibus bills—legislation that is complex and lengthy—grew by […]
The beauty of billboards
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Maybe this is a sign I’m getting old, but it always pleases me when, in this age of high-tech communication strategies, an “old-fashioned” tactic manages to score a huge public relations success. So when I learned recently that a political message plastered on a billboard—an ancient medium of communication if ever there was one—had […]
