Time is right for an intergovernmental affairs minister
In a cabinet shuffle centred largely around good politics, the appointment of Dominic LeBlanc as the government’s new intergovernmental affairs minister was a clear nod to good governance. Mr. LeBlanc, the former Fisheries minister, is the Trudeau government’s first full-time intergovernmental affairs minister. His title includes northern affairs and internal trade, both of which […]
There is a simple solution: carbon fee and dividend, says reader
Doug Ford, Scott Moe, Jason Kenney, and Andrew Scheer are right—a carbon tax is not the way to seriously cut emissions. Why? It’s politically and economically untenable for a carbon tax to go as high as it needs to go. How high does it need to go? The international Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (yes, Ontario […]
There’s no one-size-fits-all sex-ed policy
OTTAWA—Ontario’s hot, steamy summer just got warmer, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford fulfilled his campaign promise to cancel the sex-education curriculum that was introduced in 2015 and to revert to a dated, 20-year-old version. That reversal lasted one entire weekend because as of Monday the Ford government had flipped to a 2014 plan. The Ford […]
Ford’s sex-ed policy reverses progress
The federal government has made great strides in advancing gender-equality principles in Parliament and policy, particularly through Canada’s international assistance policy. We require our international work to be gender-focused and we require international health projects to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. Yet, here in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford […]
Donald Trump won, he beat us all
TORONTO—When we have all been reduced once again to ashes—when the issue of The Hill Times you now clutch in your hands is but dust—thinkers will think, as thinkers do: how did Donald Trump win? Because, you know, he did. Donald Trump won. He beat us all. He has dominated the politics of this era like […]
In politics, no good deed goes unpunished
CHELSEA, QUE.—The people of southern Ontario and parts of Quebec owe former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty a heartfelt thank you. Partly because of action his government took in 2013—namely, the closure of a large, coal-fired electricity plant on Lake Erie—this sweltering summer has featured no smog days so far. In fact, smog days—once a feature […]
Feds’ fight over carbon tax with Ford could help Trudeau score points, say NDP, Liberal politicos
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s fight with the feds over the carbon tax delivers the Trudeau government the kind of political opposition that could work to its favour, say some Liberal- and NDP-connected politicos, while some Tory insiders say that the growing provincial opposition will help strengthen the Conservatives’ appeal federally. “The Liberals like the fight […]
Is social licence to govern a thing?
As we approach the end of a decade, with another provincial election under our belts–and a new government–I find myself reflecting on days gone by and what the future might hold. With change on the horizon, I can’t help but feel a sense of uncertainty. Will this new government reflect my values? Enact change that benefits […]
Telling feds to pay more for asylum seekers is fair game for Premier Ford, stopping cooperation is not
New Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s move to stop cooperating with Ottawa on asylum seekers arriving in the province is, at best, a negotiating tactic for more federal support, and at worst, a cynical, political manoeuvre at the expense of good public policy. Let’s hope it’s more the former than the latter. Mr. Ford has cancelled […]
‘Tough on crime’ tactics won’t address spike in shootings, says downtown Toronto Grit MP
Toronto has been dominating headlines for the spate of shootings that have rocked the city in recent months, but Liberal MP Adam Vaughan says these incidents are not “unique” to it. “It’s clear that, quite frankly, mandatory minimums and 10 years of being tough on crime have not solved the problems we’re dealing with,” said […]
