Hillier is a great leader, but not the right one for the vaccine job
OTTAWA—Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the appointment of retired General Rick Hillier to head the provincial task force that will oversee the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Ford told reporters that this challenge “needed a general,” and he went on at length as to why Hillier was the right man for the job. The […]
Eight months into the pandemic, we’re no longer pulling together
As the prospect of a dim and diminished Christmas approaches, social cohesion is fracturing. Like hostages trapped in the same room for too many months, people are lashing out—at politicians of all stripes, at once-revered public health officials, at partying young folk, at anti-maskers, at the big-box stores that profit while local restaurants and shops […]
Hillier is the right choice to lead Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution
OTTAWA—Much like General Douglas MacArthur returning to the Philippines during the Second World War when the beleaguered nation needed rescue, Gen. Rick Hillier has returned to the national stage to oversee a key battle against COVID-19. Hillier has been asked by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to run the task force that will manage the distribution […]
Resist the MAGA-lite theatrics and make premiers accountable again
CALGARY—Canadian conservatism is showing itself to be a whiny bastion of imperious, incompetent, and now flailing mostly white men—and their co-conspirator women—who blame everyone else for their problems and shortcomings. It’s beginning to look like a lighter version of our MAGA-obsessed southern neighbours. What the pandemic has shown is that the so-called “Resistance”—as defined by […]
‘Inevitable’ return to testy federal-provincial relations will showcase discord with differing priorities, say politicos and experts
As the collaborative approach between federal and provincial political leaders is collapsing, politicos and experts say it is an “inevitable” return to normal as policy priorities diverge. Gone are the days of cordial co-operation between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers, as the prime minister urges the provinces to contain the spiralling second wave […]
‘This is a national crisis, not a series of provincial pandemics,’ says columnist Gilmore, urging PM to take ‘national response’
Recent high infection rates of COVID across Ontario and across parts of the country sparked calls for a “national response” last week for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “stop scolding premiers from the sidelines.” Maclean’s columnist and entrepreneur Scott Gilmore wrote in a Nov. 10 piece that Mr. Trudeau “mostly side-stepped responsibility and decided 10 […]
Feds may face tough choices if record spikes in new infections continue, says Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a stern warning to premiers on Friday, saying the government could be forced to make tough decisions about where to deploy its “limited resources” if it’s unable to rein in the “really troubling surges” in parts of the country. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said his […]
Tam says ‘extremely difficult balance’ lays ahead in second wave of COVID-19
The country’s top doctor called on leaders Tuesday to consider “fine-tuning” any reopening plans to avoid the possibility of more cases and a “yo-yoing” effect in the pandemic’s second wave. Speaking to reporters, federal chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam noted jurisdictions like Quebec and Ontario are facing an “extremely difficult” balance, as parts […]
Incumbency, ‘cooperation, and a multi-partisan approach’ electoral advantages for conservative-leaning provincial governments during pandemic, say pollsters
With a number of popular, conservative-leaning provincial leaders either heading to the polls in the near future, fresh off a recent election win, or facing pressure to call an early election while riding particularly high approval numbers, pollsters, and political insiders say incumbent provincial governments are at an advantage politically at this point in the […]
Parliament returns with the theatre of building back better
CALGARY—It’s Fall 2020 and we still have a government. That’s nice. It’s the best one can hope for in the midst of a global pandemic, economic disintegration, and a society that is held together, not by a common purpose, but the tenuous glue of predictable racial fragmentation. A lot of people are telling on themselves […]
