The good and bad of family dynasties in politics
OTTAWA—While elements of the American and British electorate seem repulsed by elites in politics and empowered by their rejection the Canadian environment is still different. If anything, political dynasties remain very much alive in Canada. A second Trudeau is our prime minister and another man named LeBlanc is a senior minister in his government. We […]
Trudeau needs Tory voice for climate action
MONTREAL—Consider this: The first federal-led attempt to put in place a pan-Canadian climate framework got off the ground a bit more than 12 months ago, almost two decades after Jean Chrétien agreed to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. To put that in perspective, it took Pierre Trudeau more than a decade to secure enough provincial […]
Climate plans in focus as Ottawa gears up for December first ministers’ meeting
Federal government officials and staff have been busy discussing climate action plans with provincial and territorial counterparts ahead of a first ministers’ meeting scheduled for Ottawa in December. The hope is to finalize a pan-Canada climate plan, but “additional pieces” could be announced even before then. “There will essentially be, perhaps, some additional pieces that may come even before the […]
No more treading water
Patrick Brown has heard it all before. Assertions that the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader’s most defined personality trait is that he’s not Kathleen Wynne; that he’s flip-flopped on policies as starkly as Donald Trump has on immigration; and even that he’s a dead-eyed, brainwashed robot that runs on talking points uploaded to his hard drive […]
‘Sunny ways’ will not necessarily equal easy negotiations at Council of the Federation talks
Later this week, Canada’s Premiers will gather in Whitehorse for the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation (CoF). While the agenda for this latest meeting will include discussions on day-to-day matters that provinces and territories face unilaterally, a renewed wave of federalism being led by Ottawa provides the ideal opportunity to address larger, […]
Want to defeat Donald Trump, North America?
PUNTA NIZUC, MEXICO—A wall. Donald Trump, the bilious billionaire who is edging ever closer to the Oval Office, wants to build a great big wall between this country and the United States. He says he is going to get Mexicans to pay for it. The reason? Mexicans are “rapists,” he says. “Murderers,” too. Now, like everyone […]
Gender equality strong in Canada, not so much elsewhere
OTTAWA—This International Women’s Day; Canada can afford to take a short bow. With equality in the Cabinet and historic numbers in the House of Commons, the country certainly seems to be heading in the right direction. And with a Senate nomination advisory board dominated by women, chances are the Red Chamber will follow suit. So […]
Conservative leadership race could be crowded
MONTREAL—Depending on the day of the week there are no less than eight and as many as a dozen Conservatives testing the federal leadership waters. Should they all enter the race to succeed Stephen Harper, this could make next year’s Conservative leadership vote the most unpredictable federal contest in a decade. Past history suggests that […]
MPs party under the stars, B.C. politicos come to town
Last Wednesday was another event-filled evening on the Hill and in the Hill neighbourhood as lobby groups filled the newly-renovated Sir John A. Macdonald Building reception room on Wellington Street and others flocked to the Party Under the Stars at Ottawa City Hall. The Party Under the Stars event, organized by longtime Hill staffer Cheri […]
Boudria strikes new committee to study pot bill: private member’s bill opposed by the government gets through House on a rare voice vote
Government House Leader Don Boudria says he remains committed to getting the Liberals’ bill to decriminalize marijuana possession adopted this fall, adding that he will move to strike a new committee this week to study the legislation. The Cannabis Reform Bill, C-38, has been languishing on the Order Paper for weeks amid speculation that its […]
