Explosive book on White House provides fodder for Ottawa bubble, but little concern for Canada, say observers
The explosive release of excerpts from a new tell-all book about the inner workings of the White House has tongues wagging in Ottawa, but the fallout likely won’t impact how Canada’s pursues its interests south of the border, say a pair of Ottawa politicos following the drama. “The problem with Washington is that there is so […]
Liberal MP Mendes wants a Hill ‘harassment watch,’ after CP survey finds 58 per cent of female MPs subject to sexual misconduct while in office
Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes says MPs should set up an informal, cross-party support system on the Hill to address sexual harassment and sexual misconduct as the #MeToo global movement against misogynistic behaviour hits Parliament Hill. “It’s a bit of perhaps a utopian kind of solution, but [to] kind of start, not a neighbourhood watch, but […]
Patrick Brazeau is on the long road to redemption
Patrick Brazeau wants to redeem himself, and he has 32 years left in the Senate to do it. After facing a charge of sexual assault, angering First Nations leaders, getting permanently kicked out of the Conservative caucus, facing charges of breach of trust and fraud, getting suspended from the Senate for nearly three years over […]
House developing in-person training for MPs on sexual harassment, but not all agree they need it; ‘everyone understands unacceptable behaviour’
The House of Commons is planning to offer an in-person training course on sexual harassment in the coming months, as part of the House chief human resources officer Pierre Parent’s efforts to educate MPs on the issue, according to a spokeswoman for the House. “We expect to offer the sessions between February and June,” wrote […]
The List: The 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in Federal Government & Politics in 2018
The Top 25 1. Justin Trudeau, prime minister 2.Gerald Butts, principal secretary to the prime minister 3. Katie Telford, chief of staff to the prime minister 4. Michael Wernick, clerk of the privy council 5. Chrystia Freeland, foreign affairs minister 6. Bill Morneau, finance minister 7. Navdeep Bains, innovation, science and economic development minister 8. Ralph Goodale minister […]
Time waits for no political party
OAKVILLE, ONT.—According to my calculations, Canada’s next federal election will take place in approximately 650 days. Wow, 650 days—that’s a long time, right? Well, not really. The fact is, time is an often misunderstood resource in politics, especially when it comes to its relationship to another political resource—money. And that relationship can be summed up […]
Most bland explanation for l’affaire Boyle the most likely: he asked for a meeting, no one objected, so Trudeau agreed
TORONTO—Not so long ago, I was in Vancouver at the same time as Jean Chrétien. He was there for his law firm, I was there for mine. We decided to get together, in a spot down in Gastown. It was sunny and a truly beautiful day. Looking outside, Chrétien suggested we go for a walk. […]
Who is Justin Trudeau anyway?
GATINEAU, QUE.—Justin Trudeau might consider being more like Donald Trump if he wants to maintain his political standing in 2018 and beyond. More transparent, that is—without the craziness. But it probably isn’t going to happen. Trump is as easy to see through as natural gas leak. And he is never more readable, or naked to […]
Top 100 Most Influential Powerful & Influential People in Government & Politics in 2018
The rise and fall of political fortunes in Ottawa can almost always be traced back to decisions made by the players in federal politics, including those in the spotlight and in the backrooms. Questionable judgment on the part of top figures in the government drove media headlines and the political cut-and-thrust for much of the […]
Want my advice? Keep Trudeau out of the limelight for a while
OTTAWA—The new year comes with new resolve. The most important resolve for political parties is to win the next election. More than halfway through the current Liberal mandate, now is the time to consider a new year’s victory resolution for each party. Lets start with the Liberals. In my new year’s list, resolution number one […]
