Call religious extremism what it is: terrorism
OTTAWA—Pop quiz! How can you tell an election is coming up in Canada? (A) the government puts out a report that some identifiable part of our society takes offence to; (b) that part happens to be concentrated in several ridings which the ruling party currently holds and which hanging on to may decide whether it […]
Crowded field of candidates expected for Liberal nomination in GTA swing riding of Oakville
A crowded field of candidates is expected to seek the Liberal Party’s nomination in the affluent, GTA swing riding of Oakville, which opened up after rookie incumbent Liberal MP John Oliver decided not to seek re-election in the October election. The Liberal Party recently officially opened the contest, but as of last week had not […]
I went to Ottawa to fight for social justice
When I arrived on Parliament Hill in 1997 as a new MP, it was with a compelling sense of urgency about the staggering number of deaths from overdoses amongst people who used street drugs in the Downtown Eastside in my riding of Vancouver East. I knew I had to do something to stop these tragic […]
Kenney’s Alberta win both good, bad for Trudeau, Scheer, say strategists
Alberta premier-designate Jason Kenney’s victory may deliver the political boogeyman Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to ward off the federal Conservatives, but it will also further test his—and the official opposition’s—ability to manage dynamics with the provinces, say political observers. Tuesday’s election capped the end of Alberta’s four-year flirtation with the NDP and return to […]
Policy, parliamentary affairs directors named in Minister Bibeau’s office
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has appointed two new senior staff, directors of parliamentary affairs and policy. Making a return to the agriculture portfolio, Dan Lussier moved over from International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr’s office to run Ms. Bibeau’s policy team at the beginning of April. He had been working as a policy adviser in Mr. […]
ISG Senators say poll shores up Red Chamber reforms, but feds running out of time to make them law
A poll commissioned by an Independent Senator suggests Canadians support changes made to the Upper Chamber and don’t want to see them reversed. But with the clock running out on the ability to pass legislation before Parliament dissolves before the next election, the laws governing the Senate aren’t likely to be changed in time—despite the […]
Budget misses the mark on international development
On March 19, Finance Minister Bill Morneau released his government’s fourth federal budget. In an election year, it sought to reach potential voters on what matters to them: millennials with support for home ownership, parents with child-care subsidies, seniors with pensions, and workers with skills training. It also used spending and incentives to signal a […]
Time for Ontario lawyers to scrap rule that violates their freedom of expression
Beginning in mid-April, Ontario lawyers have started voting to elect their representative leaders (called “benchers”) and have a chance to revisit a strange new rule that binds all of the more than 58,000 lawyers and paralegals of the Law Society of Ontario, whether working or retired. Under this new mandatory “statement of principles” (SOP), lawyers […]
Brexit toxicity spreads to Europe
OTTAWA—It didn’t take long for the black humour to pour out across Europe once it was revealed that the latest delay in British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit endeavour would have the United Kingdom leaving the European Union on Oct. 31. “It’s a Halloween Brexit,” blared the Netherlands’ NRC Handelsblad. The night of “the Anglo-Saxon festival of […]
Diving into uncertainty: Canada’s submarine crisis
The Canadian government recently announced plans to rehabilitate its aging fleet of Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines it acquired from Britain in the late 1990s. This endeavour raises critical questions about the future capabilities of the Royal Canadian Navy in an increasingly complex area of naval operations. Officially known in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) by their […]
