Some defeated Conservatives want to back Scheer for their own ‘survival’ as future candidates
Some Conservative candidates who were defeated in October’s election say they want to support Party Leader Andrew Scheer in the April leadership review, to protect their own nominations in the next election. Voting for Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) would give them a better relationship with the leadership, and better odds of being party candidates in […]
Veteran Senate staff get walking papers; leaders split over giving extra cash to keep PSG afloat
Three veteran Senate staffers have been served with layoff notices since the Progressive Senate Group lost official status, and now Senate leaders are split over whether to send the former Senate Liberals money to keep operating until the fiscal year’s end. Senate leaders agreed privately at the end of last month to set aside $50,000 […]
Will parties face a cash crunch in 2020?
OAKVILLE, ONT.—According to an old military adage, “amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics.” So just to sound professional, I will forgo discussing topics related to grand political strategy—how will the Liberal government deal with the unity crisis; will Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer put down the mutineers within his party; what kind of socks will […]
Ranked preferential ballot is the way to go if we want to elect a government supported by majority of Canadians
OTTAWA—The ranked preferential ballot is how we ended up with a new House Speaker last week. Many arcane processes surrounding the opening of a new Parliament are obscured by the subject matter of the Throne Speech. Political parties, especially in a minority, are most interested in discerning whether their political wish lists are included in […]
Who will do the heavy lifting on trade policy and strategy? Is that Ng’s job or Freeland’s?
TORONTO—What is Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng’s real cabinet job? To diversify Canada’s exports to make us less reliant on the U.S. market? To be the government’s big thinker on the future of trade policy? To focus mainly on her previous job as cheerleader for Canada’s small businesses? This […]
Nine of 26 cabinet ministers’ chiefs of staff confirmed so far are former PMO aides
It’s always noteworthy to see where those who have worked at “the centre” in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office land, and nine of the 26 confirmed cabinet chiefs of staff so far previously worked in the PMO. Much of politics comes down to who you know, and staffers who flow through the PMO’s doors have […]
PMO completes hiring chiefs of staff to 26 cabinet ministers, 10 ministers still waiting to recruit their top aides
The Prime Minister’s Office has finished hiring 26 chiefs of staff for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 36 cabinet ministers while 10 cabinet ministers are still waiting to hire their top aides, more than a month after the Liberals won a minority government and a second term in the Oct. 21 federal election. A senior PMO […]
What do Texas and Saudi Arabia know that Jason Kenney doesn’t?
HALIFAX—It is time someone looked under Jason Kenney’s cowboy hat to see if anyone’s home. His tenure as premier has been like a ride in Bumper Cars at an amusement park—plenty of jolts. After just a few short months in power, he has returned to the fossil fictions that economically-speaking have turned his entire province […]
‘Competence’ of Scheer in doubt, says ex-Tory Senator Segal, while progressive Conservatives eye the future
Progressive or moderate members of the Conservative Party are unimpressed with Leader Andrew Scheer, but haven’t yet begun to organize against him in force. Time is up, or running out, for Mr. Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) to lead the party in the right direction, say some Conservatives close to the centre of the political spectrum. One […]
Rookie PSPC minister a ‘calculated risk’ as a cabinet pick, say observers
The prime minister took a risk when he put a rookie Liberal MP in charge of the government’s decisions around procurement, but the Oakville MP seems to be up to the task, given her professional chops, some political observers say. During the Nov. 20 cabinet unveiling, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) named Anita Anand […]
