Take a lesson, premiers: women’s soccer leading the charge on gender equality
OTTAWA—If you only followed last week’s Council of the Federation meeting, you might believe that political gender equality and equity were in retreat. The annual premier’s meeting was notable not for its pronouncements, but for its pictures. Each shot featured male leaders, as, for the first time in a number of years, there are no […]
Trudeau’s self-muzzling on Trump is a bad look
If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were to react to every single revolting thing said by U.S. President Donald Trump, it would end up being his full-time job. No one wants that. Mr. Trudeau has better things to do, and it would be wholly disappointing if the head of our government were constantly playing peanut gallery […]
Liberals accuse Conservatives of promoting anti-abortion movie, reopening abortion debate
As an American film with an anti-choice message is set to premiere across Canada, Liberals say Tory MPs have been promoting the film and are trying to re-open the abortion debate. “Fact: conservative politicians screened this film on parliament hill[.] Fact: conservative politicians have been petitioning on the films behalf,” PMO chief of staff Katie […]
Ex-CSIS officer alleges wrongful dismissal, says he faced ‘blatant homophobia’ during 25-year career
A former intelligence officer alleges that he was wrongfully dismissed from the agency over his sexual orientation, saying that decades of serving in a toxic workplace has taken a debilitating toll on his mental health. Steven Hould, 52, an ex-field operations officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, claimed that the agency refused to accommodate […]
Independent MP Caesar-Chavannes says her job is to represent ‘disenfranchised,’ not to make others feel comfortable in House
There’s no such thing as cultural neutrality in politics, says an Indigenous advocate. But for many Canadians, diversity across other dimensions can be more meaningful than their race, says a former Harper-era aide. Some 150 attendees came out for a wide-ranging conversation around race and politics in Canada at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa […]
Journalists inherit ‘institutional blindspots’ that cloud coverage of race in politics, says media expert
Increasing the diversity of newsrooms isn’t a cure-all for improving political coverage of racialized people, says a media expert, who argues that journalists often end up inheriting the institutional blindspots of the outlets they work for. “Even journalists of colour sometimes will produce coverage that differentiates and treats white and racialized subjects differently,” said Erin […]
#LivingWhileBlack: High stakes on basketball court, school campus, or Parliament Hill
OTTAWA—There is a virulent strain of anti-Black racism spreading through the “I don’t see colour” racial Canadian landscape. Anti-Black racism is distinct and stubborn and it flares up every so often—only the Canadian response is a half-assed topical treatment, rather than a cure. On June 13, the Toronto Raptors ended a 26-year drought by bringing […]
Want more diversity in politics? Start by looking at political parties
The 2015 federal election saw a record number of women, Indigenous peoples, and racialized Canadians elected to the House of Commons. When he selected his ministry, Justin Trudeau lauded it as “a cabinet that looks like Canada.” These gains are notable, but they should not be taken for granted. There are still representational gaps: women, […]
There’s a gaping hole in our democracy
Canada was once the envy of the world with our legislation on multiculturalism, tolerance, and ethnic fairness. But our democracy, indeed all our democratic institutions, have failed us because, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said,” our House of Commons, the heart of our democracy, should look more like the composition of Canadian society”— including more […]
Race and Politics
