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 […]
‘Passionate, outspoken’ Ghislain Maltais bids adieu to the Red Chamber
Conservative Senator Ghislain Maltais will retire from the Senate on April 22, which is his 75th birthday—the mandatory retirement age for all Senators. Sen. Maltais was appointed to the Senate by former governor general David Johnston on the advice of then-prime minister Stephen Harper in 2012. He represents the region of Shawinegan, Que. “Senator Maltais […]
Bring in quotas, financial incentives to get more women to run, says House committee
Federal parties and riding associations should set goals and report publicly on their efforts to recruit women as candidates, as well as set quotas for the number of women they field as candidates, recommends a new House committee report, which also suggests giving parties financial incentives to get more women to run. As well, House […]
PM Trudeau ought to go back to government by cabinet
OTTAWA—Back in 2013, the Liberal Party of Canada was looking for a new executive director. I applied and was on the short list, but not hired. Nonetheless, it was a good experience: I was able to offer my own ideas to the interview board about the way the party and its then-new leader could promote […]
Senators blame bad bill, justice minister’s absence for long C-58 study
A Senate committee’s work overhauling a bill meant to reform the federal access-to-information regime has been one of the Upper Chamber’s longest studies of a government bill, said its chair Senator Serge Joyal, a delay some Senators blamed on the five months it took to get a justice minister to testify on a key section […]
‘We’re finding our way’: MP Gord Brown’s widow reflects on year that changed her whole life
The morning Gord Brown died, he woke up early to play his first hockey game in months, kissing his wife, Claudine Courtois, goodbye like he did each day before starting his work as a Conservative MP. Every single time their little Maltese dog, Hercules, would interrupt that loving routine with a protective rumble. That morning […]
There’s more to Jason Kenney than he allows to meet the eye
OTTAWA—By the time you read this column, Jason Kenney is likely to be the premier-elect of Alberta. Barring yet another Alberta surprise, Kenney will take the national stage again, this time as a first minister. A lot has already been written about how that will impact federal political dynamics for both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]
Defeated MPs to get access to more support services to navigate life after the Hill
MPs who get booted out of office in October will have access to more services helping them navigate what those who’ve seen an election defeat call a “terrible blow.” The Board of Internal Economy—a powerful group of seven MPs who make financial, legal, and administrative decisions for the House of Commons—approved on April 11 a […]
The Sahel Spring: who will own the future in Sudan, Algeria?
The protests had gone on for weeks—so long that life in the capital was now divided into before and after. Viral villains and heroes emerged and faded, demands were issued, princes were toppled, and euphoria was witnessed and registered around the world. “It was a sense of liberation for me,” said one high-profile opposition leader. […]
Assange extradition
LONDON, U.K.—Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is an unattractive character, and he also has very poor judgement. He should have gone to Sweden seven years ago and faced the rape charges brought against him by two Swedish women. (Those charges have since been dropped, but Swedish authorities are considering whether to reopen the investigation.) […]
