Ageism in Liberal ranks? There’s no consensus
Re: “Put out to pasture, or not proactive? Some longtime Liberals are feeling left out,” (The Hill Times, April 4, p. 1). The following are excerpted responses from Twitter, edited for style. I don’t agree that it is “ageism.” It is elite accommodation and ill-informed belief that the leadership is the only reason for […]
Feds shelled out $73,000 to find new investment agency CEO, an ex-Liberal Party exec
The federal government is spending $158,200 on headhunters to help it staff up Canada’s new foreign investment promotion agency, part of $1.1-million spent on executive searches last year that opposition MPs say raises questions about the effectiveness and cost of what the Liberals say is a merit-based process when it leads to appointees with Liberal connections. […]
The systemic subterfuge of Trump’s news firehose
In the days when the news cycle was still a cycle and not a vortex, the cliché among critics and many alumni was that the White House press corps was constrained by spoon-feeding. They were tethered by proximity, competition, and the obligations of access to the administration’s political agenda, from daily thematic policy roll-outs to […]
Ambrose’s ex-chief of staff lands new Queen Street job
Garry Keller, the former chief of staff to interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose, has taken up a new job as a vice-president at government relations firm StrategyCorp. “Really pleased to be joining the excellent team @StrategyCorp in their Ottawa office as a vice president. Looking forward to working with a great group of smart […]
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 Reestablishment and Compensation Act C-27, An Act to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 C-28, An Act to amend […]
$37-million spent on veteran legal costs a ‘broken promise’: critics
The Liberals have spent at least $37-million since January 2016 on legal proceedings with veterans in a move opposition MPs and the veterans they’re fighting in court say represents a broken platform promise. The vast majority—$36.3-million—makes up two years’ worth of budgets for two programs: $18.4-million for the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, a body […]
Liberal MP Nault top House spender for most of 2017, Conservative Reid one of most frugal
Liberal MP Bob Nault is the highest spender for the first nine months for the 2017-18 fiscal year, with $426,306 in expenses he says come down to mainly chartered flights to reach the communities in his sprawling riding. “The Kenora riding is approximately the size of France,” he said of his Ontario constituency in an […]
Distressing to think of Doug Ford as Ontario’s premier, says reader
Re: “The horror of free child care and other political crimes,” (The Hill Times, April 2, p. 11). The headline of Susan Riley’s article subtly emphasizes her ironic attitude toward people who consider massive social-program funding insane. Ms. Riley makes her point of view clear in asking: “Where will Kathleen Wynne’s manic spending leave the […]
When disaster strikes, real leaders set aside political opportunity, partisanship
OTTAWA—The terrible bus crash in northeast Saskatchewan involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has broken a nation’s heart. Fifteen souls, most of them 20 years of age or younger, were taken from their loved ones in the blink of an eye on a journey to compete in a playoff hockey game. It’s a familiar […]
Liberals relying more on ‘omnibus’ bills to fulfil promises before 2019 election, say observers, critics
With the clock ticking down to the next election, the Liberal government is increasingly being accused of tabling “omnibus” legislation, as it puts forward big bills to fulfil its ambitious agenda. With 18 months left before the 2019 election is set to be held, and only around one-quarter of the promises it made to get […]
