Youth more likely to talk politics than older generations, Samara survey suggests
There are hopeful signs that more young people will hit the polls this fall after an unprecedented turnout among youth voters in the last election, says one researcher. A new survey from the Samara Centre for Democracy suggested youth are more politically engaged on a number of fronts than older generations, including when it comes […]
Early Manitoba election call bad news for Trudeau Liberals: observers
Manitobans are going to the polls on Sept. 10, a year earlier than planned, and observers say the timing could mean a harder slog for federal campaigns in the province, with Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives most likely to benefit. “[The Manitoba provincial election] is most likely to benefit the Conservative Party,” said Mitchell Davidson, an executive […]
Despite majority support for a Canadian handgun ban, the politics of doing so may remain insurmountable
OTTAWA—There’s nothing like the gun lobby. Imagine if car manufacturers objected to the registration of automobiles because it was an infringement on the liberties of people with cars. Canadians are rightly reassured, however, that the obsession with these weapons here is nothing like in the U.S., where possessing guns is constitutionally guaranteed, and ownership of […]
PSAC head says avoiding Conservative government ‘No. 1’ election issue
The head of Canada’s largest federal public service union says the number one issue for the Public Service Alliance of Canada is “not to end up with another Conservative government” and to “get the NDP elected wherever we can.” “There’s no way we can have more of Stephen Harper, and that’s exactly what Andrew Scheer will […]
OECD praise of ‘model’ skilled labour track system a rejection of anti-immigrant stereotypes, says Kwan
Canada’s high marks from an international organization for its skilled-labour migration system can serve as a rebuke against anti-immigration attitudes in Canada leading into the election, says the NDP’s immigration critic—an environment that is already expected to be ugly. “Canada has not only the largest in terms of numbers, but also the most elaborate and […]
‘Tread on Bill 21 waters very, very lightly’ Green Party warns Quebec candidates
Despite officially opposing the “divisive” ban on religious symbols for public servants in Quebec, the Green Party is warning its candidates to be careful of commenting on Bill 21, calling it a “provincial issue.” Daniel Green, deputy leader of the federal Green Party and candidate for the riding of Outremont, Que., said Quebec candidates are […]
Time for ethics commissioner to wield sharper sword, say opposition MPs in wake of Trudeau report
The ethics commissioner’s scathing report about the prime minister’s involvement in the SNC-Lavalin affair has critics calling for greater powers given to Mario Dion’s office and others saying it’s long past time to review the Conflict of Interest Act that Justin Trudeau has twice been found to have violated. In his Aug. 14 report, Mr. Dion […]
Ethics watchdog’s SNC-Lavalin report a replay of Trudeau, Liberal Party’s greatest rule-flouting hits
OTTAWA—I don’t want to moralize, and I don’t want to be partisan as it relates to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent second sanctioning by the federal ethics commissioner. It is now a simple fact that this prime minister has twice been called out by two different commissioners for violating the Conflict of Interest Act. This […]
When it comes to climate campaign advice, Elections Canada has it wrong
The adage that you’re “better safe than sorry” can be used as cover for many a potential gaffe—especially in politics. And as the tip of the spear for our democratic process, Elections Canada has a lot to be cautious about. However, there’s being safe, and then there’s being swaddled in bubble wrap and hidden under […]
Tale as old as time: Liberal ethics breach proves politics still about comforting the comfortable
OTTAWA—This past April, Prime Minister Trudeau spoke to the Daughters of the Vote delegation, which included Indigenous women protesting his treatment of former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould following her expulsion from the Liberal party over the SNC-Lavalin debacle. He pontificated in response that “diversity only works if there’s trust.” Now, after having been found to […]
