Conservatives’ rank and file ‘pissed off’ O’Leary quit, wondering, ‘what the hell are we left with?’
With Kevin O’Leary gone from the Conservative leadership race, there are concerns within the party about the level of star power left and the chances any of the remaining candidates have of winning the next federal election, say insiders. There is still resentment toward heavyweights from the former Stephen Harper cabinet, such as Peter MacKay, […]
No competition for Trudeau, in a crazy political moment
GATINEAU, QUE.—After an extraordinarily eventful week in politics, we are down to two main choices: Justin Trudeau or the crazy people. One of the crazy people, Kevin O’Leary, ended his long-distance campaign for the Conservative Party leadership last week, after skipping almost every debate (but never missing a U.S. television gig). The unilingual gadfly finally […]
“U.S. President Donald Trump has recently levelled criticisms at Canada’s dairy industry. What do you make of it?”
Kate Purchase Liberal strategist “Our government strongly supports Canada’s supply management system, dairy farmers, and the entire Canadian dairy industry. “The facts simply don’t support the idea that Canada’s dairy policies are the cause of loss for dairy farmers in the United States. In fact, dairy trade between Canada and the U.S. massively favours the […]
Senate must address concerns over transgender rights
PARLIAMENT HILL—When the Senate returns from its Easter break, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs will be examining Bill C-16 (transgender rights). There, Senators will hear from witnesses on the issue and consider if amendments should be made to the bill. At first glance, it doesn’t look like there’s much to amend. […]
Time for NDP to wave the red flag
OAKVILLE, ONT.—In the Bible’s Book of Job, there’s a cheery little line that reads, “After dark, I hope for light.” I suspect that perfectly sums up the attitude of many federal New Democrats who, after the darkness of their party’s unexpectedly poor showing in the last national election, are now hoping for better things to […]
Most Liberal MPs staying out of B.C. election, but NDP MPs getting involved
Most Liberal MPs from British Columbia are staying out of the provincial election happening next week, saying it’s not in their “best interest” to interfere, but a handful of NDP MPs are helping out their provincial cousins in this campaign. In interviews last week, B.C. Liberal MPs said they’re staying neutral because the provincial Liberal […]
O’Leary departure makes things less interesting, but likely for the best
Watching the Conservative leadership race unfold over the next month will not be nearly as interesting now that Kevin O’Leary has quit the race. But as a country, we’re probably better off that this happened. Why? He might have somehow become prime minister. Yes, we agree with Mr. O’Leary’s assessment that he would have had […]
This just in: Parliament Pub set for a comeback after more than two-year hiatus
The Parliament Pub, the patio for which provides the best view of the Parliament Buildings of any Ottawa establishment, is set to reopen during the May long weekend, weather permitting, after being closed since December 2014. It closed due to renovations the federal government—owner of the historic Birks Building at 107 Sparks St., where the […]
Electoral reform, a realistic way forward
OMPAH, ONT.—In the three months since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s about-face on electoral reform, real change in our voting system has begun to feel like a lost cause. A vigorous and high-profile public discussion got pushed back into the shadows, and now, even with NDP MP Nathan Cullen’s upcoming motion in the Commons, the prospects […]
How Trump can make American dairy farmers ‘great again’
Dairy farmers across the world are in crisis, in the United States, in Australia and New Zealand, and in Europe—almost everywhere except in Canada. But urban pundits, especially those who believe that the free market solves everything, have a hard time understanding what’s actually going on in the countryside. Town and country can be very […]
