Some MPs treat staff ‘like cattle,’ others great bosses, say Liberal and Conservative Hill staffers
Some Liberal and Conservative MPs are on a “power trip” and treat their staff “like cattle,” say some staffers, who add that they want fair compensation for their work and standardized employment practices in MPs’ offices. “While some MPs are excellent employers, others, who’ve had not one iota of management experience, treat their staff like […]
Morneau plucks new press secretary straight from the Trade Minister’s Office
Finance Minister Bill Morneau has hired press secretary Pierre-Olivier Herbert straight out of Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office. Mr. Herbert will soon wrap up his work as press secretary to Mr. Champagne and is set to start in Mr. Morneau’s ministerial office on July 10. The finance minister has been without a press secretary since Chloe Luciani-Girouard […]
How bad can it get? Look south
CHELSEA, QUE.—It is a miserable ending to a miserable political season. Spite rules the day at home, Canadian livelihoods are menaced by an intemperate megalomaniac to the south and no one seems to want to go to the famous July 4 party at the American Embassy. With a tariff war raging, no amount of bourbon […]
Parliament Hill has an opportunity to lead on workplace mental health
OTTAWA—Before I moved to Ottawa from Newfoundland, I thought of Parliament Hill as hallowed halls where laws were passed or a raucous Chamber where barbs were tossed and jabs were parried. It was only after I came to work in the nation’s capital—and had occasion to meet some of the many staffers who work on […]
Will a new immigration crisis influence the outcome of the next federal election?
TORONTO—A refugee crisis influenced the outcome of the 2015 federal election. Will a new immigration crisis do the same in the planned 2019 federal election? It was the shocking photo of three-year-old Alan Kurdi lying face-down and dead on a Mediterranean beach, after he, his five-year-old brother, and mother all drowned when their raft capsized […]
Time for mid-year leader reviews
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Since we’ve just passed the year’s mid-point, it’s time for me to write my long-awaited column on the following topic: “How did the federal party leaders fare during the past six months?” Okay, I was the only one long awaiting it, but that’s beside the point. What matters is we can now indulge in […]
‘Confident’ they’ll win back Calgary Centre in 2019, Conservatives predicting ‘a nail biter’ nomination in early fall
Conservatives say they’re “confident” they can win back rookie Liberal MP Kent Hehr’s Calgary Centre riding in the next general election, where they lost by a margin of 750 votes in 2015 and the party’s nomination contest is expected to be a “nail biter” with five potential candidates already knocking on doors, and more are […]
It’s time to require CCTV in Canadian slaughter plants
Use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in slaughter plants is evolving globally. In preparation for Brexit, the U.K. passed legislation in May requiring CCTV in all British slaughter plants. Both countries and corporations recognize CCTV as an effective tool to ensure better treatment of animals. For example, Cargill, a multi-national slaughter company, adopted CCTV as policy, […]
Liberals, Conservatives did the right thing by voting against Iran
It was an intense two weeks in Parliament before the House of Commons adjourned for the summer last week. Parliamentarians stayed up into the wee hours of the night debating and mainly agreeing on Canada’s future relationship with Iran. Day after day, the official opposition pressed the government for clarity about Canada’s position vis-a-vis Iran. […]
Status of government bills
HOUSE OF COMMONS Second reading: C-5, An Act to Repeal Division 20 of Part 3 of the Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1 C-12, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act C-27, An Act to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 C-28, An Act to amend […]
