‘I started there with Mr. Trudeau and I finished with Mr. Trudeau’: longtime Parliamentary Restaurant stalwart Marguerite Charlebois retires
For 38 years, Marguerite Charlebois could be found amongst prime ministers, cabinet ministers, MPs, and Senators at the historic Parliamentary Restaurant. The red-haired Ms. Charlebois started working at the restaurant during the Pierre Trudeau government, arriving for her shift on Jan. 21, 1981, as John Lennon‘s (Just Like) Starting Over topped Canada’s music charts. “I […]
The Château’s not your building; if you want to keep it the way it is, buy it
TORONTO—Several lifetimes ago, when this writer was a chief of staff in Jean Chrétien’s government—and when the Reform Party was a political force to be reckoned with—stuff started to fall out of the sky. Well, not the sky, actually. Centre Block’s Peace Tower, to be precise. Bricks and mortar and other stuff was crumbling and […]
Many Indigenous youth optimistic about future of reconciliation, poll suggests, as election looms
Nearly three-quarters of Indigenous youth across the country are hopeful that reconciliation is possible within their lifetime, a new survey suggests. With an election coming up in the fall, the onus is on party leaders to capitalize on that momentum, said Max FineDay, executive director of Canadian Roots Exchange, which aims to foster better relations […]
Federal government’s efforts to rein in climate change fall short, with expectations highest in Quebec, poll suggests
The Trudeau government’s response to climate change is falling short of many Canadians’ expectations, a new national poll suggests. But that doesn’t necessarily mean people are willing to bear the costs of aggressive targets and policies designed to reduce fossil-fuel dependency, said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. Forum Research’s survey suggested that 63 per […]
New policy directors for ministers Morneau, Champagne, and LeBlanc
Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne both have new directors of policy in their respective ministerial offices. Justin To exited as director of policy and deputy chief of staff to Mr. Morneau on June 21. Over his years working for Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, Mr. To helped to draft the last four […]
Forget cash-for-access, NDP needs cash-for-survival
There are many things to call the NDP, but it seems hypocrites—at least when it comes to fundraising—isn’t one of them. As Huffington Post Canada reported on July 8, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh has only attended one fundraiser in which participants had to buy tickets to attend since the beginning of the year. The […]
U.S. Ambassador Craft in ‘departure mode’ with ‘unconventional’ Fourth of July, say former diplomats
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft spent her country’s recent national day in Calgary, passing over the traditional fête in Ottawa, a move that raised some eyebrows but was fitting for the unconventional administration, say former diplomats. While the ambassador’s absence from the Fourth of July celebration in Ottawa was definitely a departure from tradition, […]
Heading into October, gone are the halcyon days of the NDP ‘Orange Crush’
OTTAWA—One of the strangest things heading into the 2019 federal election is the lack of conversation surrounding the NDP. Not since the last days of Alexa McDonough have the New Democrats been such an afterthought in the public dialogue. Maybe that changes in October, but right now it feels like the NDP and their supporters […]
Privy Council Office ready to support government transition with new clerk, ‘whatever the result of the election’
Although Clerk of the Privy Council Ian Shugart has only been in the role since April, the Privy Council Office says they will be ready to support the government transition, “whatever the result of the election.” PCO spokesman Pierre-Alain Bujold told Civil Circles that “with more than a decade of service as a deputy minister, […]
No sign Canada ‘making inroads’ with China, strategy not working as Trudeau claims, say former diplomats
Canada should be taking more direct action against China instead of “turning the other cheek” and touting its record of getting other countries to advocate on its behalf with the superpower as the diplomatic row escalates, say former diplomats and experts. Charles Burton, former counsellor at the Canadian embassy in Beijing, said he’s “very concerned” […]
