Pipeline conflict tests Trudeau’s tenets
OAKVILLE, ONT.—If nothing else, the current pipeline dispute pitting British Columbia against Alberta has exposed the basic weakness of “Trudeauology.” In case you’re wondering, “Trudeauology” is my name for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s unique brand of political philosophy, a philosophy which stresses optimism, platitudes and photo ops. And by the way, when I say that, […]
Convention designed to rev Grits up for 2019, election win or bust
OTTAWA—Thousands of Liberals from across the country will descend on Halifax this weekend to plan their path to a potential electoral victory. It will be the final national meeting in advance of the next election and, in keeping with conventions of a party in government, will likely be non-controversial and inclusive. Most raucous conventions, where […]
Three presidents face jail
LONDON, ENGLAND—Presidents and prime ministers who start wars still don’t go to jail, but in democratic countries it is getting common to see presidents facing jail for corruption. In fact, we have had three since last Friday. In South Korea, former president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined $17-million on […]
Indigenous Services Minister Philpott’s chief of staff poised to depart
Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott’s chief of staff, John Brodhead, is set to exit the minister’s team at the end of April. Mr. Brodhead addressed his impending departure in a Facebook post on April 11, noting it was “not an easy decision.” He’s set to move back to Toronto to do policy and strategy work […]
Turning politics and religion right side up
OTTAWA—Since the late 1980s, the emergence of the religious right in the United States, as a cultural crutch for the Republican Party, has been a cause for dismay among religious people who once saw the churches unite around Martin Luther King Jr. during the birth of the civil rights movement. In Canada, it was equally […]
Canada to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment at G7
OTTAWA—With Canada’s hosting of the G7 less than two months away, public and private sector players have been busy preparing to leverage the forthcoming deliberations at the official meetings of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Charlevoix, Que., on June 8 and 9. The priorities announced by host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this past December in […]
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Inquiry is a farce: Kinsella
TORONTO—July 2017: the Assembly of First Nations has gathered for its 38th general assembly in downtown Regina. Thousands of Indigenous people from across Canada are in attendance. Along with speeches, seminars and cultural events, there is a trade show. Dozens of businesses and organizations have paid thousands for booths to advertise their services and wares […]
Chicoutimi byelection a ‘referendum’ on Trudeau, could determine PM’s main opponent in Quebec in 2019 election: politicos
The yet-to-be-scheduled byelection in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord will test the theory that potential electoral gains in Quebec could offset Liberal losses in the rest of Canada in 2019, and some politicos say it will determine which federal political leader will be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s main opponent in the province in the next election. “It’s a […]
Few options for peace on the Mountain
MONTREAL—In the increasingly fiery debate over the planned expansion of the Alberta/B.C. Trans Mountain pipeline, there is no mystery about the conflicting end games of the three governments embroiled in the dispute. But what about Kinder Morgan itself? Alberta and Ottawa want to see the project designed to bring more of that province’s oil to […]
Ford’s tight-knit Ontario election campaign team stacked with Harper-era players
Ontario’s provincial parties are in campaign-mode, and new Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has a tight-knit team in place, stacked with experience at both the federal and provincial levels. “They’ve all spent a ton of time together in the last 10 to 15 years, so even though they were thrown together quickly out of […]
