Senators agree on timetable for 10 bills, but not C-69, while House readies for budget bill
The government secured a deal last week that could make life in the Senate more predictable—for now—after leaders from all four groups in the Chamber signed off on dates for the third reading vote on 10 bills currently in the Chamber. That deal, if Senators stick to it, will likely seal the passage of a […]
Trudeau’s loyalty to SNC-Lavalin has tainted the Liberal brand
HALIFAX—With the House of Commons full of young women, the last thing Justin Trudeau expected was to have 50 of them turn their backs on him while he was speaking. This PM expects selfies, not shunning. Quibbles about just how many of the 338 Daughters of the Vote tuned out the PM and why aside, […]
Senators strike deal to schedule third-reading vote on 10 bills, controversial environmental assessment, tanker ban bills left out
Senate leaders agreed April 4 on firm dates for the third-reading vote on 10 government bills currently in the Upper Chamber, including several key government bills, but not the two that have drawn the staunchest opposition from the Conservatives, C-69 and C-48. The deal sets dates for the progression through one, two, or three stages—depending […]
In Canada, whistleblowers pay steep price
Victims of sexual misconduct in the workplace and whistleblowers have a lot in common. Both are typically terrified about coming forward and reporting wrongdoing. Both face a high risk that they will be blacklisted and have their reputations smeared. Too many are left paying a steep price with their health and careers that can carry […]
Sen. Harder moves to put deadlines on 11 bills in Senate at once
The government’s representative in the Senate is proposing to put deadlines for Senators to finish their debate, study, and voting on 11 bills now in the Senate, a move that opposition Conservatives say violates committee independence and amounts to a massive time-allocation motion. Senator Peter Harder (Ottawa, Ont.) gave notice of a motion to impose […]
American exceptionalism: applying a 19th-century belief to the 21st century
Last week, I was in California, a state I had never visited. The trip was a respite from the long Ottawa winter. And while San Francisco was a bit chilly, the choice to go there over a much warmer Florida was simple: California is a state held by the Democratic Party. Travelling to the site […]
Senate to reconsider short staffer contracts as part of harassment review
The Senate needs to check in more regularly with its staff, and should consider dumping its one-year employment contracts to improve the Red Chamber’s working environment, says a group of Senators tasked with studying its anti-harassment regime. The Human Resources Subcommittee, a subgroup of the Chamber’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee, has recommended that […]
Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the evolution of political comedy
If there were any residual doubt, anywhere, about the blurring of the line between fiction and non-fiction in public life, the victory of Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election on March 31 may have obliterated it. Zelenskiy, 41, is the actor who played the president of Ukraine in the series Servant of the People, which […]
‘I want to be audited’: Seven years after expense scandal, some Senators say scrutiny still missing
Six years’ worth of Senators’ expenses have largely gone unscrutinized since the federal auditor general dug into the Upper Chamber’s books following the 2012 expense scandal, and the Upper Chamber is due for another comprehensive review, say some Senators. With progress stalled on a committee meant to oversee their spending, Senators will examine options to […]
‘Civil wars’ are ‘incredibly damaging’: Trudeau boots Wilson-Raybould, Philpott from caucus
After weeks of being hounded with allegations of political interference in judicial affairs, sparked from within his own party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday expelled former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus, citing a breakdown in trust. Speaking to the national Liberal caucus in an emergency meeting on Tuesday […]
