In wake of blackface scandal, actual Black Canadians left in out-of-cabinet cold
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau doesn’t care about Black people. In a post-blackface Canada, with a post-blackface prime minister, Black representation in the House of Commons, the Senate, and the judiciary—much less cabinet—remains abysmal, with only a smattering of chocolate in a sea of mayonnaise. After all of the ostensibly remorse-filled, Lena Dunham-esque apologies, peppered with activist language […]
‘Disappointing’ cabinet picks show Trudeau still needs to address diversity ‘blind spot’, say advocates
The latest cabinet picks were disappointing for some advocates of better representation for racialized Canadians in positions of power, including former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes who offered a plea to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to demonstrate he is correcting an admitted blind spot. She said that didn’t happen during the Nov. 20 cabinet shuffle, which […]
Will Scheer take one for the team?
OTTAWA—The main question about Andrew Scheer’s leadership is shifting from whether he can survive a party-wide review of his role in April, to whether he should quit now and let the Conservatives get on with choosing a new leader. Scheer turned in a middling campaign. He helped his party surpass the Liberals in the popular […]
In tweaking front bench, Trudeau signals shift inward to focus on fraught domestic relations: experts
With a diminished caucus heading into a minority Parliament, the Trudeau government has signalled through tweaks to its front bench that it is scaling back its ambitions, as it shifts its focus to attending to fraught domestic relations, say political experts. “The dissatisfaction that led him [Justin Trudeau] to a minority government are the things […]
Trudeau’s new normal: the brazen sanity of Chrystia Freeland
One of the funniest moments during CBC’s live coverage of Justin Trudeau’s cabinet swearing-in on Nov. 20 came from veteran political Svengali David Herle. On the news of Chrystia Freeland’s promotion from foreign affairs to deputy prime minister, Herle reminded anchor Vassy Kapelos that Freeland is not known in Ottawa for her leadership ambitions. In […]
Sharks are circling Scheer, not that he seems to have noticed
OTTAWA—There is blood in water and the sharks are circling. Andrew Scheer ought to be legitimately concerned, despite his recent, predictable, token gesture of firing two senior staff members to show action in response to criticism of his leadership. Those who worked for him are not at the root of Scheer’s troubles. Since the end […]
Canadian labour backs U.S. Democrats, unions in USMCA impasse, but ratification timing a ‘worry,’ says Canadian Labour Congress
In the midst of ongoing U.S. negotiations over the implementation of the new NAFTA, Canadian labour unions are supporting the efforts of U.S. House Democrats and American labour to strengthen labour enforcement provisions in the trade pact, but a leading Canadian labour voice says the delayed timing is a “worry.” Hassan Yussuff, president of the […]
Rookie Nunavut MP to push for greater focus on ‘basic human rights’ for Indigenous people in Ottawa
In a province that’s home to 14 million more people than Nunavut, the territory she represents, rookie NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq thought she would be able to fly under the radar in Ottawa. But since being elected on Oct. 21, Ms. Qaqqaq, who just turned 26, has been recognized around the capital city, including at the […]
Senator Beyak facing review that could lead to expulsion, as temporary suspension ends
Update: Senator Beyak issued a press release May 27 that said she had fulfilled all of the conditions laid out for her by the Senate Ethics Committee. Senator Lynn Beyak’s temporary suspension from the Senate has expired, but the Senate Ethics Committee is expected to review whether she has satisfied the conditions laid out for […]
‘Unprecedented’ upheaval in Senate spurred by election, 2015 reforms: ‘150 years of tradition has unravelled’
The dramatic changes in the Senate over the past few weeks were driven by the fresh start offered by a new Parliament, and the reforms to the Chamber started by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau back in 2015, say one of the Senators appointed under his watch and two experts on Canadian political science. Eleven Senators […]
