Let’s not forget what sparked the SNC-Lavalin affair
OTTAWA—Almost lost in the media storm surrounding the resignation of former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, sparked by allegations that she faced political pressure from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, is the timeline of events surrounding the alleged infractions that sparked the controversy. Yes, we are all aware that Quebec-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin was lobbying Trudeau’s […]
Tory MPs push for loosening rules to allow more partisan mail-outs
It should be up to an MP’s constituents, not faceless bureaucrats, to decide if the messages they receive in their tax-funded mail-outs are too partisan, according to Conservative members of the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy (BOIE). Conservative whip Mark Strahl (Chilliwack Hope, B.C.) said that there is “an increasing frustration” among his […]
New faces join PMO, Liberal research bureau
There’ve been a few recent changes in both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Liberal caucus’ research bureau, among other offices, including a new communications manager for the bureau. Lindsey Staples has joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office as a new correspondence assistant. She enters a team led by correspondence manager Jean-Luc Marion, which also […]
NDP ‘under the gun’ to name candidates, say politicos, as they trail Grits, Tories on campaign slate
The NDP has 12 per cent of its candidates confirmed for the 2019 election, far behind the 61.5 per cent nominated under the Conservative banner and 50 per cent for the Liberals. It puts the New Democrats in a tough spot, say some analysts, but the party’s ex-national director said isn’t yet a problem. The […]
Name caucus reps to get MP input on Centre Block rehab, says Board of Internal Economy
MPs weren’t consulted enough in the planning process for the renovation of the West Block, say House of Commons administrative staff, who welcomed the idea of a working group of Parliamentarians tasked with giving feedback to avoid pitfalls in the upcoming revamp of Centre Block. Michel Patrice, the House deputy clerk of administration, told the […]
Liberal response to Chinese canola dispute another example of agriculture file failure
Canadian-grown canola is an essential part of Canada’s agriculture sector. According to the Canola Council of Canada, 90 per cent of canola grown in Canada is exported as seed, oil, or meal to 50 markets around the world. Approximately 40 per cent of those exports go to China, a market valued at more than $3.5-billion […]
Trudeau Liberals’ final budget features measures for skills training, rural broadband, border security
The Trudeau government’s final budget before voters hit the polls in seven months includes some spending measures aimed at addressing perceived vulnerabilities and shoring up support among millennial and rural voters. Whereas last year’s budget was largely pitched at women, this year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s (Toronto Centre, Ont.) budget is focused on skills training […]
Everybody’s shuffling: Singh shakes up his House leadership and party critics
When NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh takes his front-row seat in the House on Monday, March 18, for the first-time since he was elected in the Burnaby-South, B.C., byelection last month, he will be sitting next to his new NDP House leader Peter Julian, who he shuffled into the post on March 14. Mr. Julian previously […]
Observers eager to see bills on Indigenous languages, child services passed, but legislative time-crunch a cause for concern
Ten weeks remain before Parliament rises, and two long-awaited bills on Indigenous languages and child welfare remain in the early stages of the legislative process, with many observers eager to see them passed and others concerned a late-stage rush could mean less openness to broader changes being called for. Loss of language, familial disconnect, and […]
Big democracies get buried with little shovels, like last week’s House Justice Committee shutdown
TORONTO—Big democracies, like ours, don’t often die all at once. Big democracies get buried with little shovels. They die in plain view, bit by bit. Incrementally. So there was Liberal MP Francis Drouin at the House of Commons Justice Committee, last Wednesday afternoon, waiting for his moment. Drouin is a former lobbyist who flitted across […]
