Western leaders shouldn’t throw stones from glass houses
OTTAWA—The anti-Russian rhetoric and fear mongering in the West has reached fever pitch in the wake of the attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. British Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what she pronounced to be President Vladimir Putin’s “despicable act.” British Foreign Secretary Boris […]
Put out to pasture, or not proactive? Some longtime Liberals are feeling left out
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are lagging in the polls thanks in part to what insiders see as self-inflicted wounds brought on by an inexperienced team and an unwillingness to lean on veteran party members—grumblings that have some slinging accusations of ageism. But the claim that age might be a factor in the roles handed out by […]
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 […]
Catherine Tait named to ‘dream job’ as next CBC president
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly unveiled the public broadcaster’s newest leader Tuesday morning, announcing producer Catherine Tait as the incoming president and CEO of CBC. Ms. Tait, 60, has a career spanning more than 25 years in the Canadian and U.S. film and TV business. She joins the CBC fresh off of her role as president […]
Training needed to fill staff, MPs’ blindspots on lobbying rules, say insiders
Parliamentarians and their staff need basic training on lobbying rules to avoid scandals and unpleasant post-employment surprises, according to former politicos and insiders, who say many people are left woefully unprepared for the realities of the job. That responsibility could be taken on by the new lobbying commissioner to conduct training sessions on the Hill, […]
Time to stop funding Catholic school boards
OTTAWA—The passage of Easter and Passover, the most important days on the Christian and Jewish calendars, has led me to contemplate the role of religion in Canadian public life. While Canadian politics has not been infected with the sort of right-wing evangelism experienced in the United States, we remain a country where church and state […]
It will take more than a law to change ‘archaic’ Hill culture, says Senate sponsor of anti-harassment bill
Government legislation aimed at handling and preventing sexual harassment in federally regulated workplaces and Parliament Hill won’t be enough to stop the longstanding problem, says the bill’s Senate sponsor, but it’s a step in the right direction towards a much-needed change to the Hill’s “very archaic” culture. Bill C-65 is “not going to fix everything,” […]
Vimy: a reminder to the world of the senselessness of war
VIMY RIDGE, FRANCE—It all started on April 9 at 5:30 a.m., now 101 years ago. After weeks of furious preparation intended to give the assaulting force a chance against an objective that had already cost 100,000 French casualties, the first wave of 15,000 Canadians began the effort to retake France’s Vimy Ridge from the Germans. The […]
Kathleen Wynne’s budget: ‘it’s free, so vote for me’
OTTAWA—Living in Ontario these days, it is hard not to feel the desperation of the governing provincial Liberals. Having been around politics for a long time, I have seen some pretty shameless pandering done in the interest of getting re-elected by all political parties, but the Ontario Liberals might be taking it to new levels. […]
NDP discord shows lack of focus, poor caucus management from Singh, say insiders
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s clash with caucus last week reveals his team has neglected caucus management and good lines of communication that party sources say may have a lasting impact with an anxious caucus still getting to know their leader, who only recently made the jump from provincial to federal politics. Mr. Singh and NDP […]
