Sweden and Canada: distant neighbours, but closer than you think
Distance can be measured in many ways. There’s the obvious distance between any two points on a map or in time. But there’s also that not-so-obvious measurement of the distance between people, countries, and ideas. Sweden and Canada are a case in point. While we may be far away from each other geographically, we are […]
There’s an app for that: Conservative MP Rempel gets an app
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel may be the first Canadian politician with their own app. The high-profile former Harper cabinet minister has cultivated a large following on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, with over 126,000, 92,000, and 35,000, followers and subscribers respectively. Ms. Rempel’s office told The Hill Times that the app has yet to be finished, […]
Last chance for the war lover? U.S.’s Bolton sets stage for Iran conflict
OTTAWA—The international community has rightly reacted with alarm to the United States’ effort to force Iran into a corner in ways that greatly raise the risk of the two countries stumbling into a war. Behind this development was John Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. A veteran of Republican foreign affairs regimes going back […]
House may need to sit in summer to pass new NAFTA deal, says Trade Committee chair
With U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum now lifted, MPs say the door is open for Washington to make the first move to ratify the renegotiated North American trade pact. And while the ratification process in Canada could be complicated by Parliament’s scheduled summer break next month, the House Trade Committee chair says the […]
Time is ticking for MPs, Senators to pass human rights bills
There is an enormous amount of consequential human rights legislation approaching the parliamentary finish line. The time to get it across shrinks daily. Only four sitting weeks remain in this session of Parliament for MPs, five for Senators. Rather than return to Parliament in the fall, MPs will be out hustling for votes. That means […]
Brexit, the EU election, and nostalgia for Obama’s don’t-do-stupid-stuff motto
While it may not be the most sensational story about what exiting presidents have left the White House with, Barack Obama sauntering out with the *needlepoint Oval Office throw pillow that bore the motto “Don’t do Stupid Shit” under his arm may be the most consequential. (Note to readers: While Hill Times style generously allows me to […]
Nuclear disarmament talks like Groundhog Day, but more tragedy than comedy
NEW YORK—When I sat through the speeches at the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) meeting at the United Nations earlier this month, I felt I was watching, again, the Groundhog Day movie—you know, the one where the weather forecaster is doomed to repeatedly relive the same day. The film was so popular, the term “Groundhog Day” is […]
Amid U.S.-Iran brinksmanship, Canadian troops ought to leave Iraq
gOTTAWA—Almost unmentioned in Canadian mainstream media is the steadily escalating tension between the United States and Iran. In recent days, the Pentagon has deployed an additional aircraft carrier battle group and strategic air assets to the Persian Gulf region, citing an increased, albeit undefined, threat from Iran. The Americans have also taken the unusual step […]
Trade Committee MPs tell U.S. lawmakers clock is ticking to ratify new NAFTA
Canada has reached a deal with the U.S. to lift the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been a sticking point for ratifying the new NAFTA. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that the two countries have agreed to eliminate the tariffs “no later than two days” from this announcement. In […]
Former Swedish Speaker switches gears to become ambassador
Working as Speaker of the Swedish Parliament from 2014 to 2018 helped prepare Urban Ahlin for his new career in diplomacy, and his first posting as the country’s new ambassador to Canada. “It was interesting—it was really being a diplomat,” he said with a smile, especially juggling the interests of eight different political parties and […]
