Grits are feeling in a good space, but have a lot of work ahead
OTTAWA—When Bob Rae took on the job of interim Liberal leader last summer, most thought it was a selfless offer and a thankless task. It has turned out to be both, but one that he has done better than most expected. He has taken this party from a position of near-extinction and extremely low […]
When Harper Tories took office in 2006, the conservative infrastructure took off
OTTAWA—Way back in 1969, back in the day when Pierre Trudeau had just been Prime Minister for a year, a landmark book on sex hit the charts, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid To Ask. It was subsequently translated into 54 languages and read by more than 150 million […]
NDP adopting a new centrist lexicon
OTTAWA—It used to be a social democratic party or worse, a democratic socialist party. Now it’s just progressive. They used to fight for the working class, then working families, now it’s the middle class. As the NDP tries to move to the centre, it is adopting a new centrist lexicon. Thomas Mulcair calls it […]
Conservative parties can run national campaigns focused on selective ridings, polls, and demographics ridings
OTTAWA—By any standards it is the Cadillac of political think tanks in Canada and certainly the most highly-organized and activist of the growing plethora of conservative institutes. The Manning Centre for Building Democracy held its fifth annual “networking conference” in Ottawa more than a week ago. It was billed as a conservative family reunion, […]
Skills development needs attention by all parties as challenge grows
OTTAWA—Crisis, what crisis? Nova Scotia’s Halifax Shipyard will be getting a big boost with a $25-billion federal contract for shipbuilding over the next 20 years. But guess what? They may not be able to build those ships very fast because they just might not have the skilled workers to build them. Ouch. The Canadian […]
Liberals get a good start on policy, more to do
OTTAWA—Some 3,200 delegates have given the Liberal caucus something to feel good about, perhaps with some justification. There were 3,200 folks at the convention who paid their own way to come to Ottawa—the days of the rich party paying for delegates are long gone. But 3,200? At first blush, it sounded like a […]
Media and Copyright
Religion, politics often times inseparable
Religion and politics may not mix but often times they are inseparable. Over the last couple of weeks there have been two religious issues which have had strong political overtones. First was the perennial Christmas issue. To do or not to do. A senior public servant in Service Canada sent out the edict that […]
CRTC commissioner to step down, lobbying for post well under way
Once again, it’s time for a new head of the CRTC. The incumbent has signalled he is not going for a renewal and the lobbying for his replacement is well underway. Its one of the finest jobs handed out by the federal Cabinet because it is one of the most interesting and influential, and […]
Trudeau introduced multiculturalism 40 years ago this week
OTTAWA—Forty years ago this week, Pierre Trudeau introduced multiculturalism to Canada and the world. It was a policy that had all-party support then and continues to enjoy wide support today, at least in Parliament. But it has not been a policy without its critics and controversy. Forty years is a long time in public […]
