Rural ridings offer potential growth for Liberals in 2019 and PMO’s paying attention, says rookie rural Liberal MP Harvey
Rural ridings will offer potential growth areas for the federal Liberals in 2019 and the PMO and cabinet are paying close attention, says Liberal MP T.J. Harvey, chair of the Liberal rural caucus, but the Conservatives say they’re also targeting rural ridings and expect to win seats from the Grits in the next federal election. […]
Trudeau should offer better explanation for meeting Boyle, otherwise he looks ‘foolish,’ House should launch review of PMO screening process, say political players
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should reveal all the facts surrounding his now controversial meeting with former Afghan captive Joshua Boyle last month on the Hill because without a clear explanation the prime minister looks “foolish,” say political players, who also say the House should launch an inquiry to review the PMO’s screening process. “I don’t […]
Minimum wage increase will also affect tipping
TORONTO—There’s a lot of talk these days about the increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This legislation will affect all industries, but we’re mainly focusing on the restaurant industry. I would like to talk about another aspect of the restaurant industry, the tipping, and how, or if, this new legislation will have […]
Iranian-Canadian Liberal MP expresses concern about Iranian protests but defers on re-establishing diplomatic ties
Iranian-Canadian rookie Liberal MP Ali Ehassi says the heavy-handed response to massive street protests against the government in Iran is “heart-wrenching” to watch, though remained tight-lipped on whether he continues to support efforts by the Trudeau government to reopen diplomatic ties with the country. In an interview, Mr. Ehsassi (Willowdale, Ont.) told The Hill Times […]
Trudeau holds cabinet retreat in London, Ont., as Liberals seek further gains in 2019
The federal cabinet is in London, Ont., on Thursday for the start of its traditional winter retreat, hinting that the Liberals are eyeing further gains in southwestern Ontario’s largest city come 2019. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and the Liberal front bench will spend today and tomorrow in the Forest City, where the party […]
Ex-ethics commissioner Dawson calls for removal of friends exemption in Conflict of Interest Act
Former ethics commissioner Mary Dawson is voicing support for eliminating an exemption in federal ethics rules allowing public office holders to accept gifts from close friends and relatives that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unsuccessfully used to justify his decision to vacation on the Aga Khan’s private island in 2016. Appearing before the House Ethics Committee on […]
‘Common-sense’ demands: unions want Tax Act exemption, more staff to deal with Phoenix
Imagine someone gives you $30, but you only see $20 of it because of extenuating circumstances. Then they want $30 back, leaving you with $10 less than you started with. On a much larger scale this is what public service employees are experiencing as a result of the troubled Phoenix pay system, which has left […]
PMO must open up more about Boyle affair, Trudeau’s judgment rightly questioned
OTTAWA—Who thought the Showtime hit drama Homeland was fiction? Because it seems we now have a copycat program playing out for real in Canada. Yes, the Joshua Boyle-Justin Trudeau meeting and the subsequent charges laid against Boyle have the feel of life imitating art. The oddity of Joshua Boyle and his lived experience has been […]
G7 is Canada’s chance to ‘galvanize’ action on feminist policy: World Vision
When Canada takes the stage as host of June’s G7 Summit, the Liberals should take advantage of the “international moment” to encourage action on education of girls in crisis, according to the head of World Vision Canada. But opposition critics warn any promises made would be coming from a government with a history of “not […]
The Senate’s turn to fix Bill C-58’s regressive nature
Last month, the House of Commons’ Liberal majority got its way, approving the restrictive, anti-transparency Bill C-58. But once the Senate debates the bill in February, expect pushback and amendments to the legislation updating the Access to Information Act from a reawakened Upper Chamber. And expect Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault, a major critic of Bill […]
