How hard can it be to make a workable no-fly list?
OTTAWA—In the 1997 movie Rocket Man (starring Canadian actor Harland Williams), a comedy about the first manned mission to Mars, there is a scene where a senior NASA manager, played by Jeffery DeMunn, is trying to justify why he did not predict and cannot handle a potentially deadly error on the Red Planet. In response to criticism […]
It’s time for Trudeau to grow up and govern
Dear Justin: You don’t mind if we call you Justin, do you? In other circumstances, we’d call you “prime minister,” but—to be perfectly candid—your Indian family vacation wasn’t terribly prime ministerial. The complications arising from that trip continue to be felt, too. On Wednesday morning of last week—on what is, generally speaking, the most important […]
Senate set to overhaul Human Resources Directorate for $1.1-million after ‘inconsistent’ performance
Canada’s Senate has set in motion a plan to “transform” its human resources branch from top to bottom because of its “inconsistent” performance, but details of why and how are being kept under wraps, for now, in an internal document drawn up by consulting firm Deloitte. “Essentially we decided that it was time to modernize […]
Don’t ban sexual relationships with staffers, say current, former MPs, but disclosure necessary
MPs and former staffers say the government is right not to ban sexual relationships between MPs and staffers, but some say those relationships should be made known to the party’s whip or the House human resources officer for full disclosure. Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport, Ont.) said she agreed with federal Labour Minister Patty Hadju’s (Thunder Bay-Superior […]
Budget contains new ‘reconciled’ expenses for first time, good step for fiscal accountability, says Page
The 2018 federal budget broke new ground in fiscal reporting by including a projection of what departments would spend in the upcoming fiscal year, a move former parliamentary spending watchdog Kevin Page calls a “positive first step” towards improving the estimates process. The nine-column chart, tucked into the back pages of the expansive spending blueprint, attempts […]
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent trip to India has been much maligned by political observers and the opposition. What did it accomplish?”
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “The prime minister’s key priorities during his trip to India were to deepen the cultural ties between our people, expand investment and trade opportunities, and advance shared goals with the Indian government. On all three fronts, we made substantial progress all Canadians can be proud of. “The prime minister began his […]
Scheer’s bold conversion plan
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer might have a dull persona, but that hasn’t stopped him from dreaming up audacious plans. One such audacious plan, for instance, is his scheme to plunder the Liberal Party for votes. Basically, Scheer is hoping he can take “fiscally-conservative” Liberals, who might be disillusioned with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s […]
Trudeau made some rookie mistakes in India because feds lack diverse staff, says former Freeland staffer
Diversity among the political staffers who populate Parliament Hill has come far from days past, but more needs to be done to increase multiculturalism at the staffing level, and recent gaffes on Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trip to India are a symptom of this problem, says former staffer Omer Aziz. “It’s not enough to […]
A budget about women and how it benefits men
OTTAWA—The federal budget released by Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled last week has been billed as a feminist budget or a budget put through a gender analysis or lens. But what does that mean? As the bumper sticker says, “feminism is the radical idea that men and women are equal.” So the issues that the […]
Senators debate Beyak’s website removal, free speech and parliamentary privilege to post racist letters
Senators butted heads Monday debating whether Senator Lynn Beyak’s website should be removed from the Upper Chamber’s server to prevent public funds from supporting the platform where she posted letters her colleagues called discriminatory, racist, and offensive. Independent Senator Kim Pate presented a motion to that effect last week and while the question before the […]
