Ford’s win won’t influence Quebec
Don’t expect Ford mania to seep into Quebec’s fall election campaign. The opposite is likely to happen. Rarely have Quebecers followed an Ontario campaign with as much fascination as the one that concluded with a Tory majority victory on Thursday. But that interest was based on a mix of incredulity and relief. Incredulity that a plurality […]
Ontario now ranks first in Canada for representation of women
During elections where the losses are as big as the wins, it’s easy to miss the obvious. This may be especially true in Ontario where, in this past Thursday’s election, the distinct desire for change was an overriding preoccupation. This intense thirst for change overrode multiple and conflicting concerns, including the relative inexperience and polarizing […]
Bloc Québécois’ division helping make Quebec most ‘critical’ battleground for 2019: Greg Lyle
Upheaval within the Bloc Québécois, and the emergence of the new Québec debout party from its defectors, are helping make Quebec a “critical” battleground for 2019, says pollster Greg Lyle, and the province presents the “most interesting dynamic in the next election right now.” “In the past, people said, ‘Well, we have to watch the […]
Four years of Ford: PCs win majority after turbulent race
Ontario voters chose to take a sharp turn to the right, choosing Doug Ford, the former Toronto city councillor who rose to recognition amid his late brother’s turbulent run as the city’s mayor, to lead Ontario with a majority mandate. That brings an end to 15 years of Liberal governments, in a race filled with head-spinning […]
Kinder Morgan deal reminds us we’re still hewers of wood, drawers of water
OTTAWA—I remember well the afternoon in 2010 at what used to be called the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade when our policy team was invited to listen to one of the so-called “geniuses” in the Asia division. He detailed a plan to export unprocessed bitumen to China and Japan for refining. The rationale […]
A chance at relevance for the Bloc
To the surprise of no one except herself, Bloc Québécois leader Martine Ouellet has lost her bid to remain at the helm of the federal sovereigntist party. On the weekend, two-thirds of the remaining BQ members showed her the door. The verdict could not have been clearer. Still, it took Ms. Ouellet almost 24 hours […]
British Columbians concerned about Trans Mountain aren’t disloyal Canadians
Both the federal and Alberta governments have taken to dumping on British Columbians as a bunch of radicals who don’t care about Canada. To the contrary, they are thoughtful about this country, care deeply, and want to protect it. The spin about the Trans Mountain pipeline being in the “national interest” is questionable at best, deceptive […]
Reality check needed on pipeline rhetoric
Last week, before the Liberal government made the extraordinary announcement that it would buy the Kinder Morgan pipeline, a majority of Senators moved to push the government on the pipeline by passing Bill S-245. Throughout the process of crafting their legislative message to the Trudeau government, I witnessed pro-pipeline Senators repeatedly invoking the “rule of […]
Young Liberals may taste defeat for the first time
Reason suggests Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland does not seriously think Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are headed for a “triumph” on June 7. Justin Trudeau’s go-to minister on the Canada/U.S. file predicted a big Liberal election victory at a GTA rally on Thursday. But if Freeland really does believe that, she may have had her hands too full […]
Majority of Canadians says pipeline could lift economy, but generational divide in support exists: poll
Ottawa is ensnared in a legal battle with British Columbia over concerns of the environmental impact of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but one recent poll suggests that a significant proportion of Canadians thinks that the project could be a boon to the economy, though there’s a sharp generational gap in support that could dampen […]
