Senators expected to lobby peers over controversial pot bill amendments, Social Affairs calling the shots
The Senate is breaking new ground with a sweeping study of the marijuana legalization Bill C-45, with five committees tackling the legislation that would fulfill a key Liberal campain promise, and Senators are expected to lobby peers on the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee who will decide which amendments to include or leave out of a […]
Three developments that stood out for women in politics last week
OTTAWA—As we bring a close to the month long events marking International Women’s Day, these three developments stood out this past week. Women on & around the Hill unite At the invitation of Earnscliffe’s Velma McColl, and in collaboration with the federal All Party Women’s caucus, Famous Five Ottawa and Equal Voice, the first annual […]
Status of Women Minister Monsef hires a new chief of staff
Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef recently promoted her director of policy Rebecca Caldwell to be her new chief of staff to lead her ministerial office. Ms. Caldwell officially took on the new title of chief of staff on March 26 and replaced Dara Lithwick. Ms. Lithwick had spent about four months in the position, having […]
Biggest political scandal in the world right now involves a bunch of Canadians
TORONTO—It’s the biggest political scandal in the world. And it involves a bunch of Canadians. For quite some time now, it’s been known that Vladimir Putin’s Russia—and assorted other outlaw states, like North Korea—have been engaged in acts of cyber-war against democracies around the globe. Long before special counsel Robert Mueller was hired to probe […]
Facebook makes it easy to run illegal and ‘Astroturf’ ads, say Canadian digital political strategists
Anonymous and illegal political ad campaigns are probably already running in Canada, thanks in part to Facebook and other online advertising platforms that make it easy to skirt laws around political advertising, say political digital marketing specialists. “If you want to influence around the rules, it’s pretty straightforward to do so,” said Stephen Carter, a […]
Canada Revenue Agency should clarify political activities by registered charities, says Yukon reader
Re: “Time to plug loopholes that make it ‘almost an invitation’ for foreign money to influence elections, Liberals, opposition agree (The Hill Times, March 21). I am in favour of the Senate Bill S-239, Eliminating Foreign Funding in Elections Act, sponsored by Conservative Sen. Linda Frum and first introduced in the Senate on May 30, […]
Latest omnibus bills put to death another Liberal campaign promise
After a few early flirtations, the Liberal government decided last week to get serious with omnibus legislation. We would be wise to keep an eye on the high-priced jewellers in Ottawa’s downtown from now on. The Liberals promised to stay away from the use of omnibus bills—lengthy pieces of legislation that wrap legal changes on […]
Liberal MP Caesar-Chavannes trends on Twitter with #HereforCelina, speaks out against racism
Rookie Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes began trending last Tuesday night on Twitter with hundreds using the hashtag #HereforCelina after she spoke out against systemic and anti-black racism. “So tired of being attacked as a racist b/c I question racism or speak up against it. The label that does not belong to me. I will not […]
MPs, Senators, staffers brace for Centre Block’s massive move-out, ‘a lot of us won’t be returning’
PARLIAMENT HILL—Spring is not the only thing in the air these days. There’s also a feeling of nostalgia as MPs, Senators, and hundreds of staffers on the Hill brace themselves for the upcoming and massive move from Centre Block which could be closed for at least 10 years for renovations. The move could happen this summer. […]
Guns, culture, and politics
OAKVILLE, ONT.—In case you haven’t noticed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political strategy seems to be undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis. What I mean is, Trudeau’s one-time strategy of getting everyone one to like him, has gradually morphed into a strategy of getting the right people to hate him. Certainly, he seems more than willing […]
