LeBlanc ‘accepts’ ruling on his conflict-of-interest breach, but dodges further questions
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc ducked questions on his party’s familiarity with federal ethics rules in the wake of the ethics commissioner’s ruling on Wednesday that he was in a conflict of interest over his decision to award a lucrative contract to his wife’s first cousin. Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said in a report on Wednesday […]
Feds tout ‘steady progress’ on closing data, service gaps exposed during Syrian refugee operation
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada says action taken over the last few months and lessons learned from Syrian refugee settlement will reduce wait-lists and address data gaps the auditor general revealed in an audit last fall, though an opposition critic says the damage has already been done. In a report issued Aug. 30, the government offered […]
Ford’s resort to nuclear option ought to have us all nervous
Ontario Premier Doug Ford may have good reasons for wanting to slash Toronto city council from a proposed 47 to 25 councillors. But he’s gone about it the wrong way by trying to hastily jam through legislation, Bill 5, to enact the cut in the middle of a municipal election campaign. He’s continued down that wrong […]
Rejecting the courts, Ford dismisses any limits to his power—and that’s scary
OTTAWA—Ontarians got a taste on Sept. 10 of what they are in for under Premier Doug Ford’s version of populist government. In a performance fully worthy of U.S. President Donald Trump, Ford indulged himself in a bombastic outpouring of misinformation, personal attacks, fear-mongering, and conceptions of unchecked power. He specifically rejected the role of the […]
Stepping back to look ahead: why this outspoken parliamentary secretary volunteered to be demoted
When Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes turned down the offer to serve another term as a parliamentary secretary, it wasn’t a decision made lightly, she says, nor was it solely based on the social media abuse to which she’s been subjected for being a woman, particularly a woman of colour, who speaks her mind. First elected […]
Every time Ford busts out the bazooka to get his way, he’s playing with fire
OTTAWA—Premier Doug Ford’s new Ontario government sure knows how to pick a fight. Question is: does it always have to be a racket? Hours after an Ontario court overturned the Ford government’s legislation to shrink the size of Toronto city council, the premier hauled out the bazooka—announcing he would invoke the notwithstanding clause to reset […]
NDP in midst of ‘complete overhaul,’ fixing broken fundraising system Singh inherited: party consultant
The New Democratic Party’s fundraising program is undergoing “a complete overhaul,” according to its new fundraising consultant, as the party tries to rebound from internal neglect that has the party struggling to build a war chest a year out from the next election. “The system [NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh] walked into was broken,” said Josh […]
Three years in, a government can’t blame the last guys for its problems
Every politician likes to use humour to warm up a crowd; most like to use it to skewer their opponents. One of my former bosses used to flout convention by telling stories that were self-deprecating or provided insights into the ironic side of politics. One such story we referred to as the “three envelopes joke.” […]
New advance hired in PMO, as policy adviser exits for Liberal Research Bureau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently welcomed a new advance aide to his office, while policy adviser Tyler Meredith has left the top office for a senior role in the Liberal caucus’ research bureau. Mr. Meredith left the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) late last month and started as a senior policy adviser to the Liberal caucus, […]
Terrorists, freedom fighters, and the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani
OTTAWA—On Sept. 4, it was reported that Jalaluddin Haqqani had died. His claim to fame was the founding of a militant network in Afghanistan that is considered to be the most effective fighting element of the Taliban. Believed to be in his 70s, Haqqani’s passing will in no way affect the combat capability of his […]
