Rodriguez, Tassi staying as government whips for now, changes expected soon
New cabinet members Pablo Rodriguez and Filomena Tassi are staying in their whip roles for the time being, but an announcement will be made in the coming weeks about who’s taking on the posts, says a PMO spokesperson. “Pablo Rodriguez remains the government whip with the responsibilities that come with the role until a new […]
Confident and well respected, Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr’s business roots will help in new role, say insiders
Political insiders say Jim Carr’s confidence and great communication skills make him a smart fit and his new title as the international trade diversification minister is a signal to the U.S. that Canada will double down on new trade deals as a way to mitigate the uncertainty of NAFTA. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) […]
Ford has proven that the populist formula shouldn’t be underestimated
OTTAWA—When it appeared that Doug Ford was on his way to landing the job of Ontario premier, a lot of people tried to reassure themselves that the Progressive Conservative leader, while a coarse, macho populist, was no Donald Trump. But the Ford government has immediately shown its willingness to follow the demagogic, disruptive politics of […]
So much for the West holding the moral high ground
OTTAWA—When United States President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16, the critics were quick to pounce. The general consensus from Western pundits and politicians alike was that The Donald had been too soft on Putin. This sentiment is rooted in the notion that the U.S., and by extension […]
Northern Ontario offers insight into Canadian paradox
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT.—For the past two weeks, I have been fulfilling a longtime dream, to cycle from Dryden, Ont., in the province’s northwest, to Toronto. When I arrive in the Toronto area at the end of this week, I will have cycled 1,700 kilometres. But it will also signify the last link in my […]
Independent Senators still most likely to vote with government, but less and less
Independent Senators, who make up the largest group in the Red Chamber, are the collective most likely to vote in step with the Liberal government, but as time passes and more of their ilk get added, that cooperation is decreasing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can still count the most on the Independents he appointed to […]
Bill Blair is a solid cabinet choice
OTTAWA—Apparently serving as Toronto’s chief of police is a good training ground for federal politics and ultimately the federal cabinet. In last 10 years, two former chiefs have gone from locking up the bad guys to making the laws that mete out the punishment. First it was Julian Fantino who served in Stephen Harper’s Conservative […]
Samara aims to find out which political party is the most democratic
The Samara Centre for Democracy is in the process of a new series of reports that will peg political parties against each other “to promote positive competition” around internal party democracy. Mike Morden, a research director at Samara, said the project is in “its early stages and not fully designed.” He said that the centre, […]
Blair’s focus will be guns, drugs, organized crime, more than migration, suggests Parl. Sec. Vaughan
Though his new cabinet post gives him responsibility for irregular migration, the job of newly appointed cabinet minister Bill Blair will be about so much more, including “guns, drugs, and organized crime,” says Adam Vaughan, the parliamentary secretary for housing and urban affairs. “Where I see this [post] going is not around border security vis-a-vis […]
Newly-created, rebranded cabinet posts expected to be key policy planks in 2019 Liberal election platform, say political insiders
The newly created and rebranded cabinet posts in last week’s shuffle, including “irregular migration,” “digital government,” “export promotion,” “seniors,” “international trade diversification,” and “accessibility” will be some of the key policy planks in the Liberals’ 2019 election platform, say some Liberal insiders and pundits. “If you look at the portfolios created what you’ll find is […]
