AFN’s call for Indigenous voters to be election ‘kingmakers’ challenged by lack of voter enthusiasm, say chiefs and politicos
Despite the Assembly of First Nations’ assertion that Indigenous electors in 24 ridings could play the role of “kingmakers” in the upcoming election, regional chiefs and political experts say it is unlikely that there will be a huge boost in turnout like there was during the 2015 election. Three chiefs and two experts say that […]
Erin O’Toole, the Man of Rubber
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—“I will give Quebec the powers of a nation.” Quick: what Quebec nationalist said that? Was it premier Maurice Duplessis in the 1950s, PQ premier René Lévesque in the 1970s, or his successor premier Jacques Parizeau in the 1990s? Nope, none of the above. It was Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole, in his “contract” […]
Northern races heat up as candidates vie to succeed Qaqqaq, Bagnell
Nunavut candidates are ones to watch as outgoing NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq leaves talented shoes to fill, those running say, and the issues in the area are more pressing than ever before. The issues shared across party lines in the northern territories centred on Indigenous issues, housing, affordability, COVID-19 recovery, access to services, the environment, […]
Cabinet record could help or hinder at-risk ministers in Quebec, Ontario
After a contentious English-language debate that had the Bloc Québécois accusing others of Quebec bashing, some Liberal cabinet members from the province who narrowly won in 2019 are “in trouble,” according to one pollster. Those most at risk include Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos (Québec, Que.), who won re-election by just 325 votes in the […]
Legault’s ‘dangerous’ claims may have just cost O’Toole the election
Quebec Premier François Legault’s “dangerous” claims may have just cost Erin O’Toole the election. Angry warnings not to vote for Liberals, New Democrats, or Greens were supposed to help the Conservative leader. Early in the campaign, Legault made it very clear that his sympathies were with O’Toole. But that was before O’Toole revealed that part […]
Rock ramblings: skeptical but steady support for the Liberals
OTTAWA—Over summer’s last weekend, I got the chance to spend some time at home in St. John’s. Mostly I was with people removed from the daily grind of politics—though they were Newfoundlanders, so not fully disengaged. But these are more normal folks, not reading every tweet dispatched about #Election44 or waiting for the next public […]
Trudeau still dogged by questions about timing of the election during first leaders’ debate
In an election campaign where a defining ballot box issue has yet to emerge, the leaders of the four top parties in Quebec took to the debate stage on Thursday evening in an event that many have said marks the beginning of the campaign’s homeward stretch. Observers say there was no clear winner in the […]
Léger poll on eve of first French debate shows O’Toole gaining momentum in Quebec
As party leaders prepare for the Sept. 2 TVA debate—a crucial event for reaching many Quebec voters—a new poll from Léger Marketing suggests the Conservatives are on the rise in the province. “The reason why this poll is this really important is over the past two years, ever since the 2019 election, we’ve never had […]
A pox on all their houses: the major parties pander shamelessly on language
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—One of my mother’s cousins was married to a prominent Franco-Ontarian, Marcel Joyal, who was a lawyer in Ottawa and later became a Federal Court judge. They summered here, and I was lucky enough to enjoy his company from time to time. Joyal was a passionate Canadian, and late into the Kamouraska summer nights, […]
Paula Simons launches video series celebrating Alberta
Continuing her crusade to share the amazing variety in her home province of Alberta, Independent Senator Paula Simons has started filming a set of videos as of the week of Aug. 9 focused on exploring different aspects of the region and its people. “Calling them ‘mini-docs’ may be a bit grand,” she said in an […]
