‘Worst debate format in the history of Canadian TV debates’: English-language debate failed to inform Canadian voters, say politicos
The format of the only English-language debate with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this election is being panned by political analysts, who say it descended into incomprehensible cross-talk and shallow, rehearsed one-liners, and let down Canadian voters. “I would say that was the worst debate format in the history of Canadian TV debates,” said […]
Singh’s Atwater Market encounter became about comforting the comfortable
OTTAWA—The tenor of this election has abruptly and sharply turned towards race, and with every incident, we choose to stick our heads in the sand or “move on.” The most recent one being a white man—who CBC’s The National referred to as “a concerned voter”—who took it upon himself to approach NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh […]
Canadian Catholic bishops show world leadership in condemning nuclear weapons
Canada’s Catholic bishops have bravely stuck their necks out in a formal statement by solidly backing Pope Francis’s condemnation of the possession of nuclear weapons, and blasting NATO and the nuclear weapons states for continuing “to shirk their legal obligation … to pursue good faith negotiations toward the elimination of nuclear weapons.” Some may consider […]
‘Bonjour-Hi’ may seem like a fiasco, but it has a serious side
OTTAWA—Bonjour-Hi. These two innocuous words, spoken in combination, have struck fear in the hearts of Quebec politicians of late. “Bonjour” was endorsed by unanimous resolutions in the Quebec National Assembly last June encouraging merchants and their staffs to use the word “Bonjour” alone to welcome people to their establishments. The cause for concern was a […]
Little difference between Liberal, Conservative policies on defence
OTTAWA—We are now past the midway point of this year’s 40-day federal election campaign. If the polls are to be trusted, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are locked in a dead heat with Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives. The public furor over Trudeau’s blackface/brownface shenanigans has seemly blown over without seriously tipping the voter balance in favour of the […]
The blurred line between interesting and incriminating
Among the consequences of the recent, bizarre decoupling of character from electoral success has been the eradication of settled conventional political wisdom on how much “interesting” is too much in a candidate. When Boris Johnson was mayor of London, his mutinous hair and quippy gob were interesting because there was only so much damage he […]
Five key takeaways from the English-language leaders’ debate
GATINEAU, QUE.—The English-language leaders’ debate on Monday night saw Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh cast Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau as inauthentic, with both accusing him of failing to back up his rhetoric with action over the course of his tenure. Mr. Scheer and Mr. Singh found themselves supporting each other’s assertions […]
French debate puts Bloc in kingmaker territory
VANCOUVER—Despite the dramatic events of this campaign, there has been relatively little movement in the key battlegrounds. The Conservatives will likely win more rural Atlantic and suburban Vancouver and Toronto seats, but those wins are not enough to pull ahead of the Liberals. In addition to holding on to most of the Atlantic and a […]
Are politicians deceiving taxpayers about the generous approach to veteran benefits?
With great fanfare, the Trudeau government announced a new version of veteran benefits stylishly labelled “Pension for Life.” Presumably this was a “promise kept” as Justin Trudeau’s 2015 election campaign zeroed in on veterans’ anger over the penny-pinching, no-pension “New Veteran Charter,” and he promised a return to the original Pension Act established that provided […]
What role, if any, do security issues play in the 2019 election campaign?
OTTAWA—They don’t call Canada “the peaceable kingdom” for nothing. Yes, we have our problems with violence—gun crime is a growing concern, for example—but we are blessedly removed from the levels of extreme violence (i.e. terrorism) that beleaguer other countries. We have had less than one terrorist plot, foiled or successful, per year in this land […]
