The right-wing roots of carbon pricing
Today’s fight over carbon pricing isn’t the ideological battle of the century. That would be a historic misunderstanding of our future by politicians fighting the last war. Despite Premier Doug Ford’s fulminations, this week’s embrace of pollution pricing by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t proof of a left-wing plot to pick the pockets of Canadians. […]
Pondering Canada’s political future
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Lots of people are busily pontificating and speculating about the upcoming federal election of 2019. And that’s fine, but I’d like to try something a little more challenging; I’d like to try pontificating and speculating about the federal election beyond 2019, the one that might occur four years later in 2023. Sounds like fun, […]
Trudeau’s new carbon tax is a can’t-lose gambit
TORONTO—Justin Trudeau effectively kicked off the 2019 federal election campaign Tuesday with a you-can’t-lose carbon tax pledge to voters in Ontario. Whether the prime minister’s so-called federal government backstop plan will sufficiently reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions is another question. But at least we now know how the governing Liberals hope to frame next October’s […]
The next election will tell us a lot about Canada
OTTAWA—With a year to go before the next federal election, all the customary calculations indicate the Liberals appear in fairly good shape to repeat their 2015 election victory. Except the usual indicators may no longer apply. Voters are clearly in a volatile what-about-me frame of mind, driven by a desire for change and impatience with […]
Are provincial politicians leading the way?
OAKVILLE, ONT.—In case you haven’t noticed it, things are getting a lot wackier politically these days at the provincial level in this country. Just think about it. In usually staid old Ontario, you now have Premier Doug Ford running the show, a populist-style, iconoclastic, firebrand, who’s slashing city councils, invoking the notwithstanding clause and just […]
Canada made history last week, and it was a long time coming
OTTAWA—Canada made history last week, becoming only the second country in the world to sell legal cannabis. And judging by long lineups on the first day of sale, the decision was a long time coming. Marijuana distributers are predicting shortages for several months as product has been flying off the shelves in provinces with storefront […]
Diana Ross helps raise more than $780,000 at this year’s glitzy NAC Gala
The 1970s were back in a big way on Oct. 3 as the National Arts Centre held its annual gala featuring Motown Queen Diana Ross. Always known for its glitz and glamour, with a theme of sequins and satin, the gala was particularly so this year. Raising money for the National Youth and Education Trust, […]
It would have been ‘cheeky’ for Trudeau to intervene on notwithstanding clause, says reader
Re: “Trudeau should have stood up to Ford over notwithstanding clause,” (The Hill Times, letter to the editor, p. 8). Alykhan Pabani writes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no leader. Prime Minister Trudeau has sidestepped the Supreme Court by refusing to revise abortion legislation, which the Supreme Court struck down, and instead took it […]
Ford’s willingness to use a constitutional nuclear bomb won’t be forgotten
TORONTO—Defeat, in politics, is almost always preceded by some sort of an overreaction. You know: Paul Martin, desperate to avoid defeat in the 2006 federal election, declares that he will take away the federal government’s ability to use the notwithstanding clause. Didn’t work. He lost. The Grant Devine government in Saskatchewan used it in 1986, […]
Trudeau should have stood up to Ford over notwithstanding clause, says reader
On Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, I woke up and made my way to the Ontario Legislature, determined to express my utter disgust with Bill 31. A rare weekend sitting had been called to expedite the bill’s passage. It was tense. After physically turning his back to the opposition for the duration of the proceedings, Ontario […]
