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 […]
It’s time to bridge our country’s great digital divide
If you’re of a certain age, chances are you’ll never forget the screeching symphony of sounds your computer once had to perform just to get online. Today, dial-up internet is a relic of the 90s for most—something many reminisce and chuckle about. However, for many rural Canadians, particularly farmers, lack of broadband internet is still […]
Throne Speech a missed opportunity to signal real action on tackling systemic racism
A Throne Speech isn’t meant to be much more than a high-level outline of what the government intends to do in the coming session of Parliament. But there is room for specificity, and the government has taken advantage of that for other initiatives. For example, this time around, the Liberals zeroed in on the creation […]
Throne Speech fails to set out a credible plan for the future economy
TORONTO—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been promising an ambitious Throne Speech. For those of us hoping he would include bold plans for building back better—a stronger, more innovative economy with good jobs and the prosperity needed to fund the things we would like to do as a country—there was far too little ambition. We face […]
Liberal fall agenda takes shape: what’s new, and what has to go through the House
A concrete legislative agenda for the government is finally beginning to take shape for the first time since last fall’s election, after the Sept. 23 Throne Speech highlighted at least 20 commitments that will have to go through the House of Commons in the new session of Parliament. Most of the nearly 7,000-word Throne Speech […]
Trudeau says some promises ‘clearly’ touch provincial jurisdiction after premiers slam Throne Speech, but calls for unified approach
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged Friday that, while the Liberals’ Throne Speech waded into areas that fall squarely in provinces’ jurisdiction, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for all levels of government to work together. Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau. Que.) brushed aside suggestions that he had lost the co-operation and […]
Throne Speech’s climate promises draws mixed reviews, with NDP saying it’s a rehash of old pledges
The Liberal government’s anticipated “ambitious green agenda” in its Throne Speech is garnering mixed reviews among environmental and political experts, with some saying it was stuffed with recycled pledges. “It felt like it was copy and pasted from a year ago,” said NDP MP Laurel Collins (Victoria, B.C.), her party’s critic for the environment, in […]
Political parties reach last-minute deal to temporarily change House rules for hybrid Commons, electronic voting
With no time to lose, the federal political parties reached a last-minute deal on Wednesday and unanimous consent for a government motion to temporarily change the rules for parliamentary proceedings so that a hybrid House and remote Commons voting can happen this fall during the global pandemic. Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez (Honoré-Mercier, Que.) introduced […]
‘Whatever it takes’: Trudeau says austerity not an option in the face of staggering job losses, health crisis
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pinning the country’s recovery on the government’s ability to spend “whatever it takes” to rein in the pandemic and to prevent expansive lockdowns that could further cripple the economy. The Liberals’ Throne Speech outlined a wide-ranging agenda, from pledging that the government will act as a safety net for Canadians […]
COVID-19 containment, economic recovery expected to drive fall lobbying
A return to Parliament means renewed lobbying efforts, and this fall session will likely see those efforts focused on trying to shape the Liberal government’s plans to contain COVID-19, push plans for economic recovery and the social programs that underpin them, and get progress on the Liberal climate change agenda. Sheamus Murphy, vice-president of federal […]
