New book on Afghanistan war is revealing, misleading
OTTAWA— Retired major-general David Fraser has just released a book, Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban, about his days as the Canadian commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan during this battle in September 2006. In the interest of full disclosure, I know Fraser from the social circuit, and I […]
Canadians see a home ownership crisis that governments aren’t addressing
Home prices have been rising for nearly two decades, far outpacing average income growth. The result is a growing anxiety among younger Canadians about their prospects for home ownership and a middle-class lifestyle. Most feel their political leaders are failing to address this situation—or even making it worse. New public opinion research, commissioned by the […]
MP travel rules relaxed, but family costs make them a target for ‘media scrutiny,’ says Tory whip
Changes made last week to the MP travel policy are aimed at making the Hill more “family friendly,” according to the House of Commons administration, but some MPs on the Board of Internal Economy say the way the rules are now written and the way travel spending is disclosed are still problems. On May 24, […]
Inside Andrew Scheer’s weekly morale-boosting lunches with Tory MPs
Conservative caucus morale has been on an upward swing since Andrew Scheer took over a year ago, according to some Tory MPs, who say the mood is bolstered by weekly lunches hosted by the official opposition leader. Though his office wouldn’t confirm their existence, it seems Mr. Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) has held a weekly informal […]
Policy advisers exit offices of ministers Gould, Garneau
Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould returned from maternity leave last week—with her newborn son Oliver in tow—but as she resumes her duties as minister, her office is down one policy adviser. Until recently, Samantha Nadler had been working for Ms. Gould since shortly after the October 2015 federal election, starting off as an executive assistant to the […]
Reality check needed on pipeline rhetoric
Last week, before the Liberal government made the extraordinary announcement that it would buy the Kinder Morgan pipeline, a majority of Senators moved to push the government on the pipeline by passing Bill S-245. Throughout the process of crafting their legislative message to the Trudeau government, I witnessed pro-pipeline Senators repeatedly invoking the “rule of […]
Phoenix building and implementation an ‘incomprehensible failure, says auditor general
In a scathing report released on Tuesday, Auditor General Michael Ferguson concluded the department responsible for building and implementing the Phoenix pay system knew about all of the expected issues, lacked an adequate contingency plan, and still gave the project the green light. Calling it an “incomprehensible failure of project management and oversight,” the report […]
Ontario election has everything to do with identity politics
Since Wilfrid Laurier and his promise of “Sunny Ways,” referencing Canada’s multi-ethnic fabric, the “big red tent” for cultural diversity has been a cornerstone of the Liberal Party’s position as Canada’s “natural governing party. In Ontario, the same strategy has been a central foundation of the ongoing “left consensus” seen since the collapse of the Tory […]
Young Liberals may taste defeat for the first time
Reason suggests Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland does not seriously think Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are headed for a “triumph” on June 7. Justin Trudeau’s go-to minister on the Canada/U.S. file predicted a big Liberal election victory at a GTA rally on Thursday. But if Freeland really does believe that, she may have had her hands too full […]
House to decide next month if Centre Block will make its massive move out this summer
The House Board of Internal Economy will make a final decision on June 14 on whether or not the move out of Centre Block and into the West Block will take place this summer as originally planned, according to Government House Leader Bardish Chagger, a member of the powerul management board. There’s similar uncertainty in […]
