Top Liberals push big fundraising email campaign in effort to outdo Conservatives in first financial quarter
Lagging behind the Conservatives in fundraising, the Liberals pushed a massive email campaign last month that included messages from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, and more to the party faithful asking for donations to ensure the Conservatives don’t out-fundraise their party again this year. “As revenue chair for […]
It’s a mistake for feds to increase share of infrastructure costs
The Trudeau government has increased the share of infrastructure project costs that it’s prepared to cover from one-third to 40 per cent for municipal projects. This is a mistake. More federal spending on local infrastructure undermines jurisdictional exclusivity and political accountability by further breaking the link between financing and spending. It also in turn diminishes […]
The perils of partisan punditry
OAKVILLE, ONT.—It seems the plague of partisan party politics (try saying that three times fast) is taking a toll on Canada’s TV punditry class. Or at least, it has claimed one notable casualty—Ian Capstick. If you haven’t heard his sad story, Capstick recently took to the pages of Maclean’s magazine to explain why he was […]
Toronto Pride should be ashamed
OTTAWA—Toronto Pride should be ashamed. Last week’s misguided decision to deny the Toronto Police Service official participation in the country’s largest gay pride celebration is a blot on Canada’s reputation as an open and inclusive country. It simply repeats the same kind of prejudice that forced thousands of gays and lesbians into the closet years ago. […]
Rookie Liberal MP Bratina speaks out against controversial attestation in Canada Summer Jobs program, says caucus should be consulted more
Another Liberal MP is speaking out against the attestation requirement in the Canada Summer Jobs Program, and demanding a greater say for the Grit caucus in how the government communicates its policies to Canadians, as the governing Liberals are losing ground to the Conservatives in the national opinion polls. “Many of us would say, ‘We’d […]
Design changes, work claims among road bumps experienced on path to moving out of Centre Block: documents
It’s still unclear if Centre Block occupants will move into the West Block and the Government Conference Centre this summer, but it’s clear the costs are increasing. The government will pay $42-million for three new projects to accommodate extra broadcast, security, and infrastructure improvements related to the GCC, according to documents obtained through access to […]
Squabble over Senate voting down bills much ado about nothing
For all the airtime filled and ink spilled about Senators voting down government legislation—or supposedly signalling they might—most Senators actually aren’t that far apart on the issue. Many of the greenest Independent Senators and the most veteran Conservatives or Liberals believe in the same principle: the Senate should not kill key pieces of government legislation, […]
It’s time to ensure Indigenous representation in Canadian institutions
OTTAWA—There is nothing sacrosanct about governmental structures. They are no more “divine” than past rulers who sought celestial sanction. Canada’s structure of bilateral federalism, with the provinces and Ottawa having separate and overlapping sovereign powers, is a reflection of 19th century political compromises accommodating, if not uniting, diverse peoples. Its survival for more than 150 years […]
Feds shelled out $1.1M to headhunters to search for government appointees in 2017
Eight departments shelled out more than $1.1-million in 2017 on headhunting services to make some long-awaited appointments as part of the Liberals’ new approach to filling executive posts, documents show. Those fees helped fill at least 48 positions, with the priciest searches through the Privy Council Office (PCO), which spent a total of $419,189, Infrastructure […]
What would Martin Luther King think?
On this 50th anniversary of Reverend Martin Luther King’s assassination, his memory somehow feels less like a testament than a question—less “Here’s what he thought” than “What would he think?” What would he make of the presidency of Donald Trump? King was not only a man of God but also a brilliant tactician who clearly understood […]
