Can’t attack the message? Then attack the messenger
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Canada must be an awful place, full of horrible people. That’s certainly the takeaway you’d get, if you believed all the nasty rhetoric that’s floating around our political atmosphere these days. For instance, Alberta’s Justice Minister Kaycee Madu made headlines recently when he went on Facebook and, while defending his government’s handling of the […]
A tale of two Canadas: Atlantic premiers popular, Ford and Kenney in big trouble
Canadians are giving very different reviews of how their provincial governments have managed the COVID-19 pandemic, and pollsters say some premiers could face a “reckoning” when they go before voters again. A recent poll from Ekos Research shows voters in Quebec and Atlantic Canada are pleased with how their governments have responded to the pandemic. […]
Liberal MPs in Toronto’s hot spots ramp up outreach to support mass immunization, address hesitancy
Toronto MPs representing hot spots say the city responded well to mass vaccinations targeting neighbourhoods at highest risk of infection, and say they’ve been ramping up their outreach to aid the effort. In April, Ontario designated 114 hot-spot neighbourhoods, 53 of which are in Toronto and sit in 20 federal ridings, all Liberal save for […]
So, Ontario, how’s electing unqualified, anti-government populists working out for you?
OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of COVID-19 and the public response are reminiscent of the way things went with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s bumbling, deceitful tenure. On the life-and-death issue of paid sick days, Ford and his cabinet have taken such an outrageous, indefensible position that everyone is struggling to find ways to talk […]
Power maintains power in politicians’ reticence to overhaul policing
OTTAWA—The Derek Chauvin conviction may not be the victory it’s purported to be, given that within 24 hours of the verdict, police in America gunned down six Black people as a show of dominance. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to the verdict was exceptionally mealy-mouthed (he essentially said that systemic racism is bad, which is […]
Partisan pile-ons won’t get us through this pandemic
OTTAWA—April and the third wave of the pandemic here in Ontario have been the most brutal of this 14-month journey. Provincewide, of course, intensive-care-unit admissions and case numbers have set records. Thankfully, vaccine distribution and administration are catching up. There most certainly is hope ahead, but it is hard not to feel like we are […]
‘Moral’ obligation to guide country out of pandemic trumps cynicism over governments’ ill-advised decisions, say experts
The pandemic has left some experts advising governments “jaded” about the political decision-making process, but that’s not necessarily going to deter others from serving in similar roles in the future. Alison Thompson, a public health ethicist with the University of Toronto who sits on Ontario’s advisory bioethics table, said experts like her have likely been […]
No partisan politics in vaccine rollout, please
Like much of the rest of the world, Canada is dealing with a deadly third wave of COVID-19. The pandemic is, hopefully, a once in a lifetime crisis, and has taken centre stage around the world since early last year. Canada’s vaccine rollout is expected to curb the spread of the virus in the coming […]
Tip for belly-aching politicians: mute yourselves!
CHELSEA, QUE.—If there is anything guaranteed to bring on a COVID-related headache these days, it is politicians squabbling about who is responsible for the latest pandemic setback. Many Canadians are feeling fragile as this interminable struggle continues and the last thing they want to hear is grousing and snarling—on every newscast, at every hour. What […]
Toronto ‘getting shortchanged’ on vaccine distribution, say some Toronto Grit MPs
Toronto Liberal MPs are accusing Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative provincial government of playing politics with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, demanding more detail about the allocation process of vaccines and suggesting that areas represented by the Conservatives are getting an adequate supply while the ones represented by the Liberals are not. “The rollout certainly has some […]
