Scheer, Singh yet to dent Trudeau’s big Liberal lead in Quebec, polls show
The federal Liberals still hold a commanding lead among potential voters in Quebec, polls show, despite Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s courting of the province and its strategic importance for the federal NDP. A four week rolling poll by Nanos Research published on Jan. 4 showed the Liberals had 47.7 per cent support in Quebec, a […]
Can Irwin Cotler become Canada’s second Nobel Peace Prize winner?
Irwin Cotler has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by his former boss Paul Martin. Mr. Cotler is the founder and chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and has a noted history of defending human rights around the world from fighting for the release of Nelson Mandela in the 1980s to […]
Some Liberals concerned party hasn’t yet named top campaign officers, compromising election readiness
With the 2019 election campaign already unofficially underway, some federal Liberals are concerned that the party has not yet appointed a national campaign director, or campaign co-chairs at the national or provincial levels, saying it is negatively affecting the election readiness of the Liberal Party. “There’s been a lot of complaints and concerns right across […]
Best way to address sexual harassment on the Hill is ‘to raise the bar’ of acceptable behaviour, says leading expert Lalonde
The best way to address the issue of sexual harassment on Parliament Hill or in any other workplace is for managers to raise the bar of acceptable behaviour to where everyone is treated as equals, and for bystanders to call out unacceptable behaviour whenever they see it, says Julie Lalonde, an Ottawa-based women’s rights advocate […]
The NDP needs a strategic genius
OAKVILLE, ONT.—More than anything else, Canada’s NDP needs brilliant strategists. Of course, that should go without saying since all political parties need skillful tacticians, but the point I’m making here is that the NDP, more than the other parties, desperately needs first-rate generals, people who can concoct and then implement a carefully thought out, well-targeted […]
It’s closing time: West Block and Senate Building move-ins pass halfway mark as the Hill readies for return
MPs, Senators, and the PM have all cleared out of Centre Block—with House officers among those on the move this week—as the West Block and Government Conference Centre get ready for the start of the new session. “Things are going well. We’re happy with the state of the building. … We’re looking forward to the […]
Brison’s departure a wake-up call for Atlantic Liberals
OTTAWA—Scott Brison’s surprise departure is a wake-up call for Atlantic Liberals. His successor will have big shoes to fill. Brison was always ahead of the curve. One of Canada’s first openly gay Members of Parliament, he moved seamlessly from the Progressive Conservatives to the Liberals when the Tory party severed with its progressive wing. Brison […]
Senate to work on shortened schedule in pre-election spring session
Renovation delays and an extra break week in March mean Senators are scheduled to spend just five weeks before May debating legislation in the Upper Chamber, as the government begins its final push to pass bills before the 2019 election campaign. There is an agreement among Senate leaders to meet on Mondays and Fridays to […]
Is Justin Trudeau defeating himself?
TORONTO—Governments defeat themselves, as everyone knows. So is Justin Trudeau defeating himself? His opponents certainly shouldn’t keep him up at night. Most Canadians couldn’t pick Andrew Scheer out of a police lineup. He’s remarkably unremarkable. And his social media—the main way in which political parties communicate with voters these days—looks like it was put together by […]
Polls show tight race between Grits and Tories in Ontario to start 2019, with 905 set for another election showdown
The Liberals and Conservatives start 2019 in a “horse race” in Ontario, pollsters say, as some end-of-2018 polling showed the Tories slightly ahead of the Grits and possibly headed towards an electoral showdown in key suburban ridings outside of Toronto come October. Weekly Nanos Research polling throughout December 2018 found Conservative support had swung ahead […]
