Lessons from the notwithstanding clause debate
When I was an assistant to the opposition leader in Newfoundland and Labrador in the early 1980s, I would often get into lengthy discussions with my friend and co-worker, the late David Kennedy, who was a poet, journalist, and political animal. One day we were discussing poetry and I asked if he knew the work […]
Trudeau Liberals to target NDP-held riding in northern Saskatchewan in 2019, hoping to win ‘several’ more in province: Goodale
SASKATOON—The federal Liberals have been winning only one seat in Saskatchewan in every federal election since 2004, but now are bullish about their prospects of winning “several” in 2019. In an interview with The Hill Times at the Liberal caucus retreat in Saskatoon, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) said that his party has a […]
Ford’s resort to nuclear option ought to have us all nervous
Ontario Premier Doug Ford may have good reasons for wanting to slash Toronto city council from a proposed 47 to 25 councillors. But he’s gone about it the wrong way by trying to hastily jam through legislation, Bill 5, to enact the cut in the middle of a municipal election campaign. He’s continued down that wrong […]
Rejecting the courts, Ford dismisses any limits to his power—and that’s scary
OTTAWA—Ontarians got a taste on Sept. 10 of what they are in for under Premier Doug Ford’s version of populist government. In a performance fully worthy of U.S. President Donald Trump, Ford indulged himself in a bombastic outpouring of misinformation, personal attacks, fear-mongering, and conceptions of unchecked power. He specifically rejected the role of the […]
Every time Ford busts out the bazooka to get his way, he’s playing with fire
OTTAWA—Premier Doug Ford’s new Ontario government sure knows how to pick a fight. Question is: does it always have to be a racket? Hours after an Ontario court overturned the Ford government’s legislation to shrink the size of Toronto city council, the premier hauled out the bazooka—announcing he would invoke the notwithstanding clause to reset […]
It’s not the economy, stupid: Quebec’s counterintuitive election
The Saint-Tite Western Festival is to the Calgary Stampede what Atlantic City is to Vegas: smaller in scale, shorter on high rollers, and a little rougher around the edges. But like its western counterpart, Quebec’s eastern rodeo is a required stop on the province’s summer political calendar, especially during election years. Which is why incumbent premier Philippe […]
Can small-town Canada survive?
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—One small challenge of summer life in small towns is finding a trusted person to do skilled work one cannot do. I can sand, paint, cut the grass, and do some small DIY projects. But for the complex carpentry, electrical, or plumbing projects, I rely on people with real skills. This year, my relatives […]
Trans Mountain court decision a ‘political no-win’ that could hurt Liberals in Quebec, B.C., Alberta, says pollster
The Liberals stand to take a hit on multiple political fronts from the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision to but the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on ice, and the governing Grits have now alienated “basically everyone” with an opinion on the pipeline, says pollster Nik Nanos. “It’s a political no-win,” said Mr. Nanos, chairperson at […]
Pipeline politics won’t help Scheer in Quebec
OTTAWA—It is not a Maxime Bernier-led breakaway party that stands to most damage Conservative prospects in Quebec in next year’s federal election, but rather some of leader Andrew Scheer’s own promises. In a keynote speech to his party’s national convention on Friday, Scheer laid out part of his 2019 battle plan. As expected, it borrows heavily […]
Convention supply-management tumult ‘opened the floodgates’ for Bernier supporters, says organizer
A Conservative Party member and proponent of ending Canada’s supply management system said he’s received plenty of interest from current and former MPs and businesspeople in support of maverick MP Maxime Bernier’s future party. This follows a tense scene at the party convention that saw a policy resolution on phasing out the system dropped before reaching a vote. […]
