Chagger says time allocation to be used ‘more often’ by Liberals to pass legislative agenda
PARLIAMENT HILL—The Liberals say they will now use time allocation to get their legislative agenda moving, after earlier promising not to use the heavy-handed procedural tool to limit debate. “I have an important responsibility to ensure that there is meaningful debate, also that we are advancing that legislative agenda,” Government House Leader Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, […]
‘Don’t forgive them and don’t forget,’ PSAC leader says Phoenix could be 2019 election issue
The head of the biggest federal public service union in the country says the Phoenix pay system problems, which haven’t gone away yet, could end up being an election issue in 2019, particularly for Liberals in the National Capital Region, where many public servants reside. “It would not surprise me that this would be an […]
Notoriety, Shark-boy, isn’t same thing as popularity
TORONTO—Dear Kevin: At least Michael Ignatieff moved back here. You know what I mean, Mr. Disembark Tank. You’re Just Leaving. As expected. As planned. As such, I was going to wish you the best in packing for the return to Boston—but we both know you never really unpacked, did you? Ignatieff may have been “just visiting”—but […]
O’Leary is all about return on investment
OTTAWA—Kevin O’Leary is not the first business person to stare politics in the face, and back away. And he most certainly won’t be the last. The annals of history are littered with the remains of high rollers lured from business or academia for a short-lived political flirtation. In some cases, defeat was inflicted by the […]
New parliamentary secretary assistants hired for Agriculture, Treasury Board
PARLIAMENT HILL—Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay hired a new assistant in his parliamentary secretary, Liberal MP Jean-Claude Poissant, at the beginning of April. Michel-Antoine Renaud marked his first day as assistant to the parliamentary secretary for agriculture on April 3. Previously, he’d been working as a sales representative with Thermo Fisher Scientific, which describes itself online […]
Ontario premier’s resignation not only option
TORONTO—To say Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s leadership is in trouble is an understatement. However, to say that she will lose the next election is premature. The face of success or failure is the face of the leader, but the leader is not necessarily responsible for either. Many times, the problem is with the people behind the […]
CMHA Mental Health Week a national opportunity to engage, reflect
Through the leadership of the Canadian Mental Health Association, CMHA Mental Health Week has become a national opportunity to engage and reflect on the strides Canada is making towards a more responsive, flexible, and equitable mental health system. A significant milestone on this journey was the creation of our country’s first-ever mental health strategy, which […]
Canada must be a true LGBTQI ally
Despite certain advances in some countries, the world remains a very dangerous place for LGBTQI people. In Chechnya, gay men are being kidnapped, tortured and even murdered by uniformed military. This horrific situation has reignited an urgent global discussion about the treatment of this community by national governments. However, this latest atrocity is just one […]
Budget bill, marijuana legalization looming, as opposition parties fuming
The Liberals might be feeling like the Burt Reynolds character in the movie Smokey and the Bandit: “We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there,” went the theme song to that important piece of 1970s cinema. After being away for the last two weeks, MPs are back in Ottawa […]
Waiting for results on overseas tax evasion
PARLIAMENT HILL—After years of trying to build public and media support, significant progress has been made with the last two federal budgets in the fight against overseas tax evasion. Finally, the federal government is providing the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) the resources it needs to take on those who hide their money in overseas tax […]
