Back in the saddle…
OTTAWA—In an era of perpetual electioneering you could be forgiven for assuming that the last fall session before the next election would resemble a slow and seamless crawl toward the status quo, but you’d be wrong. Regardless of the previous levels of partisan activity, elections are the Red Bull at the party and, given our […]
Freeland, LeBlanc, Morneau voted most influential ministers in 26th annual Politically Savvy Survey
PARLIAMENT HILL—Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland are this year’s best cabinet ministers in Question Period, according to politicos who participated in The Hill Times‘ 26th annual Politically Savvy Survey. Mr. Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) claimed the top spot with more than a quarter of the […]
Conservatives ‘keen’ to make 2019 election about the economy, say observers
As parties square their sights on the 2019 election, expect Conservatives to spotlight the economy and related issues, like NAFTA renegotiations and the federal carbon-pricing plan, and to do so with “sharper” rhetoric and “a little bit more feistiness,” say observers. “The last year of Andrew Scheer’s leadership the focus has really been on trying […]
Respecting First Nations rights will make Canada a better place
First Nations and Canadians can agree on two things: the importance of respecting rights, and the importance of caring for and loving our children and securing a prosperous future for them. Those values form the essence of the First Nations agenda. Canada has acknowledged that the failure to respect First Nations rights is a national […]
Notwithstanding everyone, Ford steamrolls ahead
OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s municipal hijack is likely to be just the beginning of a tumultuous four-year ride. It matters little that he will throw Toronto municipal elections into a tailspin because the majority of the people will not even bother to vote. The rest of a province will shrug and mostly smirk over the […]
Former Chrétien-era minister to host ‘last supper’ at Parliamentary Restaurant
Former Liberal MP-turned-lobbyist Don Boudria wants to “pack” the historic Parliamentary Restaurant “to the rafters” just before it closes in December for at least the next decade. Mr. Boudria has been sending out invites to former and current MPs in the hopes that they’ll break bread with him for a “last supper”—possibly the last night […]
Not rising from the ashes: everything you need to know about the Phoenix pay system
The federal Phoenix pay system has been such a headache for so many people, it’s become a verb: Phoenixed. Intended to streamline the government’s $22-billion annual payroll and originally projected to save $70-million annually, the Phoenix pay system has instead has left more than half of the 290,000 federal public servants in Canada either underpaid, […]
What youth are getting wrong in Canada
We all know the drill: Doug Ford supporters? Shame them. Refugees? Shun them. Anti-feminists? Block them. They’re racist, misandrist, dumb, manipulated—or downright evil. Or are they? Zealous beliefs amongst different groups of young Canadians have prevented us from meaningful civic engagement. Being constantly told that “our voices matter,” many of us youth tend to unflinchingly […]
Singh’s leadership has set the NDP back
Were the federal New Democrats to conduct a leadership review this fall, Jagmeet Singh would likely be handed his walking papers. Over his first year as leader, he has presided over a steep decline in the party’s byelection fortunes. The New Democrat family is more divided today than it was on the day he won […]
Trudeau Liberals to target NDP-held riding in northern Saskatchewan in 2019, hoping to win ‘several’ more in province: Goodale
SASKATOON—The federal Liberals have been winning only one seat in Saskatchewan in every federal election since 2004, but now are bullish about their prospects of winning “several” in 2019. In an interview with The Hill Times at the Liberal caucus retreat in Saskatoon, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) said that his party has a […]
