Veterans aren’t fooled by Liberal alchemy
OTTAWA—It was a flagship promise to veterans made personally by Justin Trudeau in 2015 and a priority in the mandate letters for four different Veterans Affairs ministers. But it took until April 1, 2019, to conjure. It is the Liberal commitment to “reinstate lifelong pensions.” Did the Liberals fulfill their promise to Canada’s perennially scorned […]
Vets frustrated by high turnover, groups tell Senate as MacAulay sworn in as Trudeau’s fifth veterans affairs minister
Longtime MP Lawrence MacAulay was sworn in as minister of veterans affairs this morning, marking the fifth minister of the file under the Trudeau government and 10th one since 2009—something veterans organizations told a Senate committee this week hurts Canada’s former soldiers. The high turnover of the ministerial position often viewed in political circles as […]
Wilson-Raybould could do a lot for Canada’s current and future veterans
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office may not have anticipated much fuss surrounding any of the appointments in last week’s cabinet shuffle. As we have observed, they were mistaken. The thrust of the criticism is that a highly accomplished minister was “demoted” from Justice to Veterans Affairs. Some professional political-watchers denounce this change as an insult […]
Chiefs of staff shuffle follows federal cabinet change-ups
At the same time as the five Liberal cabinet ministers affected by last week’s shuffle were moving into new offices, so too were a number of chiefs of staff, with three such moves confirmed. Tim Powers, vice-chairman of Summa Strategies, said chief of staff changes after a cabinet shuffle are “really not that unusual,” noting […]
Shuffle shenanigans a time-honoured Ottawa spectator sport
OTTAWA—It wasn’t just the National Football League playoffs that were generating all the excitement this past weekend. The great fantasy sport of cabinet-making was in full motion, precipitated by Scott Brison’s somewhat surprising resignation the week before that kicked off Ottawa’s favourite parlour game. When the cabinet was shuffled on Monday it was small and […]
Critics question O’Regan pick for Indigenous Services, say ‘lame-duck’ posting could harm momentum
Dealing with a new Indigenous services minister feels like starting over, say many affected groups who fear momentum will be lost by bringing in a “lame-duck minister” who may not be able to make good on the government’s promise to enact child welfare legislation. Seamus O’Regan is earning mixed reviews in his new role, panned […]
Heymans exhibit the Art of Diplomacy in new book
Bruce and Vicki Heyman have penned a new book offering their personal insights into the Canada-U.S. relationship. Mr. Heyman served as U.S. ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2017 during the second term of the Obama administration. Since leaving the ambassador’s residence, Mr. Heyman has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration and its […]
Canadian veterans’ disability pension error: pay them now, says Labelle
Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent has recently identified that more than 270,000 veterans received a lower disability payment than they were entitled to. Minister of Veterans Affairs Seamus O’Regan promised that veterans would be compensated, but full payments may not be completed until 2020. Notably, 120,000 veterans have died and by 2020 another 100,000 veterans could die. Payments […]
The Hill’s Memorial Chamber, a space of reverence
When the original Parliament Building was destroyed in the fire of 1916, Canada was in the midst of the First World War. Construction of the new Parliament Building began almost immediately, and its architect, John A. Pearson, designed it to be a call to parliamentarians to remember that in a time of war they had […]
How to remember the war
LONDON, U.K.—“If they are not remembered, was the sacrifice they made even worthwhile?” asked an American veteran of the Iraq War who named his son after a fellow soldier who was killed there. It’s quite common, actually. My brother-in-law is named after a member of his father’s bomber crew who was killed over the Balkans […]
