The misconception of Canada’s foreign aid generosity
Earlier this year, Statistics Canada reported that in 2017 there were 278,000 fewer children living below the poverty line, compared to 2015 when the Liberals took office. Through policy measures, including the introduction of the Canada Child Benefit, the Liberal government has done some admirable work in reducing poverty in this country. For this, credit […]
Early third-party advertising ‘unintended consequence’ of fixed election dates, says minister
The Toronto Raptors deep push through the playoffs en route to their first NBA championship has offered third-party groups a rare opportunity to get their message in front of tens of millions of Canadians in television spots in the final months leading up to the October election. A record 7.7 million Canadians tuned into watch […]
The evolution of impeachment, or this time we’ll be pining for a sticky Gap dress
On the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, I did what I’d been doing every morning since I’d started just weeks earlier on the desk at United Press International in Washington, D.C., two blocks from the White House. I went to Starbucks on 14th Street, ordered a coffee and started reading the Washington Post. The […]
‘Embarrassing,’ ‘bullying’ social media posts prompt some Senators to push for policies governing how Senators, staff use the platforms
Online comments made by a handful of “bad actors” in the Upper Chamber has some Senators pushing for new guidelines for how to govern social media use that one Senator says has crossed into bullying and harassment. Independent Senator Tony Dean (Ontario) has asked the Senate’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee—a powerful group that […]
Tory MP Doherty, Senator McPhedran top 2018-19 Parliamentarian spending
Overall MP spending has hit a new peak at $151.1-million in the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to Members’ expenditure reports. Conservative MP Todd Doherty (Cariboo–Prince George, B.C.) was the year’s biggest spender, totalling $662,466.23 in the last fiscal year. That includes $332,510 on staff, $169,387.52 on travel, $26,650 on advertising, $3,382.37 on hospitality, $13,753.61 on […]
Managing economic tightrope a make-or-break factor for October
OTTAWA—Embroiled in an uncertain Ontario election campaign back in 2011, then-premier Dalton McGuinty observed: “The polls tell us I’m not the most popular guy in the country. I accept that.” But McGuinty went on to win that election by keeping the focus on the Liberals’ commitment to a moderately activist role in promoting economic growth […]
‘We have to be part of it’: Indigenous MPs say there needs to be better representation
More electoral education, mentorships for rookies, and proactive party policies will help bring about a needed increase in Indigenous representation in federal politics, from the elected-level down, say Indigenous MPs and a former candidate. The last 150 years of Canadian history have shown the devastating impact government policy can have on Indigenous lives, the residential […]
There’s a gaping hole in our democracy
Canada was once the envy of the world with our legislation on multiculturalism, tolerance, and ethnic fairness. But our democracy, indeed all our democratic institutions, have failed us because, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said,” our House of Commons, the heart of our democracy, should look more like the composition of Canadian society”— including more […]
Pharmacare debate a symptom of chronic electoral grandstanding
OTTAWA—On June 12, an advisory council appointed by the Trudeau government recommended the establishment of a universal, single-payer public pharmacare system. When fully actualized in 2027, it is estimated it would cost $15-billion dollars per year. The council was led by Dr. Eric Hoskins, a former Ontario health minister. Hoskins is a well-respected physician and […]
Trudeau lays out case for re-election in Trans Mountain speech
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted the importance of middle class jobs, catalogued his record on the environment, took shots at his Conservative opponents, and evoked the spectre of U.S. President Donald Trump in a campaign-style speech defending his government’s approval of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trudeau’s lengthy speech, flanked by five cabinet ministers, […]
