Amidst chaos, G7 Summit unleashed a quiet, yet powerful force
Families ripped apart, children detained: these tragic images are flooding our timelines and televisions. Halfway around the world, a boat of migrants travelling from Libya is turned away by Italy. One after the other, more boatloads of people in search of safety are left lingering on the open seas, in limbo and unsure if or […]
If gender equality is so important, why don’t Canadians give female premiers a second term?
If gender equality is so important to Canadians, why do we not allow female premiers a second term? Many argue that, historically, parties in decline and doomed to electoral defeat elect a female leader to clean up their mess. When the mess gets tidied enough for a possible electoral win, they replace the female with […]
More than 95 per cent of MPs finish anti-harassment training, all Senators to start in fall
The Senate is set to follow in the House of Commons’ footsteps and make it mandatory for all Senators and staff to take in-person anti-harassment training. Beginning in the fall, the new practice comes on the recommendation of a Senate Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee subgroup tasked with reviewing the Upper Chamber’s harassment policy, […]
This just in: lobbying czar Bélanger tables her first annual lobbying report
Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger tabled her first annual lobbying report on June 7, making a bid for the government to provide more money for office technology upgrades. Ms. Bélanger’s report for 2017-18 says an increase in funds is “required to ensure the [lobbyists’ registry] remains current and up to date with rapidly evolving IT standards.” The […]
Famous 5 Ottawa speech: Celebrating New Zealand’s first female prime minister
Good evening, everyone. My name is Julia, and I am thrilled to be here today. I work at Global Affairs Canada, an organization with many international mandates, including political, trade, consular, and international assistance. I focus my efforts on international assistance, where we try to do things like eradicate poverty and support the empowerment of […]
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 […]
Diplomatic purge hurts the U.S. more than Trump’s Twitter diplomacy, says Farrow
Diplomacy in the U.S. may have been eroding for decades, but under the Trump administration, the purge of career diplomats has accelerated, undercutting the country’s credibility with its allies, says journalist Ronan Farrow, author of the recently released War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, who was speaking at […]
Senate committee reviewing harassment policy hearing from staff, Senators in private
Senators and their staffers are able to air their harassment-related grievances behind closed doors over the next month, as a group tasked with overhauling the Upper Chamber’s harassment policy finally gets into gear. A subgroup of the Senate’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee has scheduled four meetings between May 29 and June 19 to […]
Ex-PMO photographer shuts Elgin Street studio, café
Jean-Marc Carisse, a former PMO photographer, says he decided to close down his photography studio, Carisse Studio Café and Photography Gallery located on Elgin Street near Somerset Street West in downtown Ottawa, due to a massive road construction project. In an email, Mr. Carisse said the brick-and-mortar space closed on May 25 but noted he […]
We need to talk about racism, ‘colour-blind society’ is not reality
Following the latest round of social media friction between Conservative MP Maxime Bernier and Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes, in which he accused her of being too focused on her skin colour instead of his stated goal “to bring better policies to all Canadians,” reporters asked Conservative MPs about systemic racism on Monday. Featured in clips […]
