Morneau keeps his job, but it’s going to be an extraordinarily tough job
TORONTO—Finance Minister Bill Morneau keeps his job in the new Trudeau government. But it will be an extraordinarily tough job and will test Morneau’s capacity to handle it effectively, given his mixed reviews of his first four years on the job. In many respects, the past four years may seem easy compared to what could […]
‘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 […]
New Parliament, who dis? Post-election staff transition now underway
Change is in the air on the Hill—as is plenty of post-election anxiety—with a new minority Parliament and a new, larger cabinet sworn-in last week. Of the new 36-member cabinet—18 of whom are men, and 18 women—seven are first-time ministers, 20 are returning ministers in new portfolios, and nine ministers have been kept in their […]
Foreign aid should not be partisan
Did you hear that muffled sound during the election campaign? That was the Canadian development sector—who have seen first-hand the difference Canadian aid makes in the world— and our collective gasp of frustration over Andrew Scheer’s attempt to politicize ‘foreign aid’. We were caught off guard by a surprise campaign pledge to slash aid by […]
Canada’s leadership in dispelling the rhetoric of space war
Recently, a lot is being said on outer space becoming a new frontier for conflicts, and there are voices advocating Canada’s preparedness and strategy for what some call “the inevitable space war.” This sensationalism to a good extent is unqualified, unduly inflated, and unnecessarily propagated to catalyze extensive militarization, and indeed weaponization, of space. Lest […]
Champagne entering the territory of a narcissistic megalomaniac’s America, hopefully in its twilight
HALIFAX—None of Justin Trudeau’s 36 cabinet ministers will inherit a bed of roses. But one of the more daunting tasks has fallen to François-Philippe Champagne. That’s because Canada’s new foreign affairs minister has to deal with the Mad King of Queens, U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The torture could go on for as much as […]
Watch out for the Bloc
OAKVILLE, ONT.—The most interesting playing piece on Canada’s political chessboard right now is the Bloc Québécois. It might be just a regional and third place party, but in a minority Parliament it has a chance to play a key and unpredictable role in the ongoing drama of Canadian politics. Basically the Bloc is a wild […]
Liberals hope beefed-up Quebec presence in cabinet will help capture more seats in Trudeau’s home province, win them next election, say pollsters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost five seats in Quebec in the October election, but still handed 11 cabinet posts and control of six federal economic development agencies to Liberal MPs from the province last week, and Liberals are betting on the prime minister’s home province as the path to a third term in power, say […]
Freeland may have just bitten off more than she can chew
OTTAWA—Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland may have just bitten off more than she can chew. And her success or failure could determine the fate of this minority government. The diminutive outgoing foreign minister has broad shoulders and proved that she could do the heavy lifting on tricky files like negotiating a free trade agreement with […]
Mending global relationships, defending economic interests Champagne’s top tasks, say foreign policy analysts
Repairing Canada’s global relationships and defending its economic interests will dominate the work of Canada’s new top diplomat, which will likely include less unilateral condemnation of human rights records around the world, say foreign policy analysts. Repairing Canada’s trading relationship with China will be front and centre for new Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice-Champlain, […]
