Senators crack down on ‘culture of delay’ in access-to-information regime
Senators say they are trying to tackle the “endemic” culture of delay in the federal access-to-information regime as they propose changes to a bill meant to overhaul the system, C-58. But the Upper Chamber’s sponsor of the government legislation says “delay tactics” are at play as the committee studying the bill gears up for its […]
Outspoken Liberal MP Wayne Long could face contested nomination
Outspoken Liberal MP Wayne Long could face a fight for his seat from within his party, after he didn’t meet an October deadline to complete party goals needed to protect incumbents from contested nominations, and hasn’t heard back about an extension. The MP for Saint John-Rothesay, N.B., is one of about 20 Liberal MPs who […]
Defence minister hires new press secretary
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has a new press secretary in his office following the recent exit of Byrne Furlong after almost a year and a half in the role. Former Queen’s Park Liberal staffer Todd Lane has been hired in the job. “We are very happy to have him on board,” Renée Filiatrault, the […]
Feds’ housing pitch beckons millennials, sets stage for opposition to offer alternatives, say strategists
The Trudeau government’s transparent pitch at drawing millennials to the ballot box with its incentive for first-time homeowners may help animate this fickle demographic amid an erosion of enthusiasm for the party, say some political strategists, while also setting the stage for other parties to offer competing visions. Largely billed as a salve for the […]
Pharmacare steps in budget ‘waste of money,’ ‘meaningless’ if they don’t cover all Canadians: academics
The Liberal plan outlined in this year’s budget to launch a new drug agency amounts to another delay on pharmacare, according to NDP health critic Don Davies, while others say it represents a small first step forward. The budget set aside $35-million over four years, starting in 2019–20, to establish a “transition office” to create […]
Shugart will be tested in clerk’s role ‘very quickly’ in light of SNC-Lavalin controversy, says ex-PBO Page
Incoming Privy Council clerk Ian Shugart will be tested “very quickly” on how to walk the line between serving political masters and staying professionally non-partisan, but he’ll rise to the challenge, said former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page. PCO clerk Michael Wernick is one of the key actors in the SNC-Lavalin affair, and was accused […]
Tories block some House committee travel, want to stay in Ottawa as election looms
The Conservatives are blocking House committee travel, say some Liberal committee chairs, but Tory whip Mark Strahl suggested it’s only some trips. A number of committees have had travel budgets approved by the Liaison Committee’s Subcommittee on Committee Budgets, but have not made it to the next step to get travel authority from the House […]
Liberals on Ethics Committee defeat opposition parties’ motion to probe SNC-Lavalin affair
A week after the House Justice Committee shut down its probe of the SNC-Lavalin affair, the House Ethics Committee also defeated an opposition motion calling for it to examine the scandal that’s been hounding the government for nearly two months, and to invite former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to share more of her side of […]
Rural Liberal chair says he’s putting his faith in Blair as gun ban decision looms
The chair of the Liberal rural caucus says he trusts Border and Organized Crime Minister Bill Blair to take the “right approach” as he prepares to announce whether the government will ban handguns and assault-style weapons following a lengthy consultation. Liberal MP Francis Drouin (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Ont.), who now chairs the Liberal rural caucus, said […]
Liberal scramble to help SNC-Lavalin warrants investigation
HALIFAX—If the RCMP end up taking over the investigation of the SNC-Lavalin scandal, as it increasingly looks like they should, the prime minister will have no one to blame but himself. The only thing longer than Donald Trump’s tie is the amount of time it is taking for Justin Trudeau to realize that being judge […]
