Since the election, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has faced repeated criticism from party members frustrated by his performance. Candidates who ran under his banner are mixed, with some also calling for his resignation, and others preferring the wait-and-see approach, giving him time to prove himself before the mandatory leadership review at the April 2020 convention.
The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Should he stay or should he go? Defeated Tory candidates divided on Scheer’s future
‘He made too many mistakes, too often and if he can’t win in Quebec, he will never be prime minister. It’s that simple,’ says a defeated Quebec candidate.
Feds risk coveting support of autocratic nations in UN Security Council bid, says Conservative MP
Peter Kent says Canada's campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council is a 'possible, even, likely motivation' for a vote supporting a pro-Palestine, anti-Israel resolution last month in the UN General Assembly.Veterans’ benefits lead in supplementary spending ask of nearly $5-billion
The estimates include $44-million for Phoenix damages, $131.9-million towards reconciliation on Indigenous rights and fisheries issues, and $9.9-million for the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization. Politics This Morning
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Feds silence on funding, transition plan for child welfare law causing ‘intense nervousness and frustration’
Bill C-92 takes effect Jan. 1, bringing in new, stricter, and culturally sensitive standards to Indigenous child welfare decisions. ‘The tail doesn’t wag the dog’: PSAC wants a deal of its own amid ongoing negotiations
The government is ‘disappointed’ PSAC rejected an offer in line with recent agreements signed by 34 other bargaining units, according to a Treasury Board spokesperson. Premiers’ nuclear announcement a potential boon, but issues remain: experts
Energy experts say SMRs could be an environmentally friendly baseload option compared to intermittent sources like wind and solar.Bloc Québécois faces unwieldy task of maintaining ‘eclectic coalition,’ say pollsters
'What Blanchet has said again and again is, ‘We’ll take a position in accordance with what’s in the best interest of Quebec,’ allowing him not to have to take a left or right stance more generally': Sébastien Dallaire. Some defeated Conservatives want to back Scheer for their own ‘survival’ as future candidates
Andrew Scheer ‘needs to demonstrate very quickly that he can garner the overwhelming backing of the party to move forward, or for the good of the party, he should step down,’ a Conservative MP told The Hill Times. Sen. Sinclair, former head of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, running to lead Senate’s largest group
The former Truth and Reconciliation Commission chief is running to replace Sen. Yuen Pau Woo as the leader of the Independent Senators Group. ‘Very close to a point of no return’: urgency of climate crisis top of mind for Canadian delegation heading to UN conference
Climate change played a prominent role in the Speech from the Throne last week, as Governor General Julie Payette says the government's promise to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 is 'ambitious, but necessary.'Since the election, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has faced repeated criticism from party members frustrated by his performance. Candidates who ran under his banner are mixed, with some also calling for his resignation, and others preferring the wait-and-see approach, giving him time to prove himself before the mandatory leadership review at the April 2020 convention.
The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Should he stay or should he go? Defeated Tory candidates divided on Scheer’s future
‘He made too many mistakes, too often and if he can’t win in Quebec, he will never be prime minister. It’s that simple,’ says a defeated Quebec candidate.
Trudeau should prove better behaviour is always possible
If Justin Trudeau wants to go after Donald Trump, he should do it publicly and confidently. Say in public what he was caught musing in private. Pencils down: political lessons hard won in the 2010s
From finding the right lunch table in the high school we call Canada, to the rare gift of knowing oneself, there’s a lot to reflect on in a decade of political growth. What do Texas and Saudi Arabia know that Jason Kenney doesn’t?
The days of $100 oil will never be coming back. Turn out the lights, that party’s over.
Liberals passing the buck on weapons ban
If the Liberal government truly believes that the legal availability of assault weapons puts the public at risk, then why not enact measures that are available to them right now, while they are still in power?Trudeau’s legislative record unlikely to motivate voters in the fall, with a few exceptions: pollsters
Many achievements and blunders enshrined in legislation are ancient history in the minds of voters, who cast their ballots based on the next thing you can do for them, say politicos and pollsters.Will the Senate respect democracy and First Nations rights?
Three important pieces of legislation sit in the Senate today, subject to the whim of a small group of Senators, which is a gross undermining of the democratic process.
Canada can handle being ‘slightly delinquent’ on NATO contributions
As Justin Trudeau pointed out to Donald Trump during their discussion at the NATO summit, Canada has consistently been at the forefront of supporting the alliance.Love Factually: The ‘Don’t mess with me’ clip of 2019
Amid all the toxicity, an impromptu clapback in Washington provides a political moment of—gasp—truth and love.Faint hope in Yemen
It has now become clear that Saudi Arabia is never going to win. 
CIJA, Dairy Farmers lead last lobbyist push before election call
Lobbyists filed 772 reports last month, down from 972 in July, and from the 1,478 reports filed in June.
Despite majority support for a Canadian handgun ban, the politics of doing so may remain insurmountable
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promised in 2015 to take handguns and assault weapons ‘off our streets,’ but have made only limited progress in the face of strong opposition.Tale as old as time: Liberal ethics breach proves politics still about comforting the comfortable
The SNC-Lavalin affair is about a political system that is rife for abuse, and those responsible for the recent abuses are seeking re-election on a platform of open and transparent government. 
Maura Forrest to join Politico Pro Canada, Joanna Smith switches roles
Plus, former PM Stephen Harper was recently in Washington for an International Democrat Union forum, and a new book looks at the rise and fall of Newfoundland and Labrador's cod fishers.
Stand by me: a number of chiefs of staff stick with ministers
Jason Easton is staying on as chief of staff to now-International Trade and Small Business Minister Mary Ng, plus Lesley Sherban will be her director of operations.
Nine of 26 cabinet ministers’ chiefs of staff confirmed so far are former PMO aides
Plus, there have been a few recent staff departures from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Hillites celebrate new Parliament at old, favourite watering hole
They served poutine!A jaw-dropping moment: CBC’s Chris Rands’ careful ear ignites international reaction
Plus, an orientation session for new MPs to meet Supreme Court chief justice, Privy Council clerk, and others, and Scott Brison named new Dalhousie chancellor. Red Christmas: Guilbeault to kick off holiday season
Plus, Trudeau's plane in the repair shop, and Mark Carney named UN's envoy for climate finance. 
We are not really ‘The North’
The North used to be seen as a government priority, especially for its economic potential in natural resources and its critical role in territorial sovereignty, but it wasn't even an afterthought this election.
Diversity, inclusion minister should act as ‘catalyst’ with cross-ministerial power, say advocates
'It is a weird irony that integration is being isolated this way,' says Anita Singh, while others say there’s an opportunity for the diversity, inclusion, and youth file to play a larger role in government.
‘Small but mighty’: New Democrats say they’re up to the task as MPs pile on critic jobs
The 24-member team is Jagmeet Singh’s ‘first caucus,’ says MP Don Davies, and the group is ‘starting with a clean slate.’
Trudeau gets an unexpected ally in the climate change wars
Mark Carney, who is leaving the Bank of England for a new role with the United Nations, has been pushing the financial community to wake up to the implications of global warming. The electrification pathway has some unanswered questions
Moving to electricity will see a significant devaluation of the retail infrastructure for gasoline and natural gas. Will those companies be compensated for their stranded costs? How much are those stranded costs?Annual Features
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Politics This Morning: Path clears for new NAFTA’s ratification
Plus, the Conservatives call for the creation of a special committee on Canada-China relations. 
Larry Fink is no doubt pleased as he contemplates the wildly lucrative new opportunities in Canadian infrastructure. And well he should be. It is not Larry Fink—but rather Canadian taxpayers—who will be ponying up.
The actual place of incubation does not matter. What does is having a bevy of like-minded co-conspirators and access to relevant material, and that can happen anywhere.
To meet our climate targets, it’s essential for the incoming government to link permanent transit infrastructure funding to a commitment for municipalities to plan smart, compact communities.
The Ford government’s decision to reform the province’s business support programs is well-rooted in evidence and experience. Now it must focus on improving the province’s overall competitiveness. 
Mark Carney’s appointment as the UN's envoy for climate finance will draw the global financial sector’s attention to the dangers of underestimating climate-change risk in the global financial system.
The question for NATO isn’t ‘Who’s the enemy?’ It’s ‘How do we respond?’
Lessons not learned: Canadian troops should get out of Iraq, now
It would seem that we have learned nothing from our 12-year fiasco in Afghanistan. We should get the hell out of Iraq now, because Canada had no stake in this conflict in the first place.Vancouver Granville race a ‘toss-up,’ as Wilson-Raybould’s rivals urge voters not to pick someone ‘on the outside’
In Vancouver Granville, the race is heating up between Independent incumbent Jody Wilson-Raybould and her Liberal challenger, who's raising the spectre of a Conservative government to draw votes.
Politics This Morning
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New minister, same chief in environment portfolio
Plus, Adam Carroll has moved over to Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna's office as chief of staff. McNair set to exit as PMO policy head, Surkes tapped to take over
Plus, Marc Roy will be staying on as chief of staff to Transport Minister Marc Garneau. A Napoleonic honour: Serge Joyal to get Légion d’Honneur promotion
Plus, Justin Trudeau to mark 70 years of NATO, and controversial former MP and Nova Scotia premier Gerald Regan dies at 91. ‘It’s feeling a lot like 1990’: Manitoba MPs celebrate Winnipeg’s long-awaited Grey Cup win
Plus, Tony Clement launches a podcast, and Trudeau shares fatherly advice in new book. Public servants, feds inch closer to contracts with tentative agreements before election
The Public Service Alliance of Canada remains at an impasse with the federal government however, with national president Chris Aylward saying they won’t take an ‘inferior’ deal just to get it done before the election. SAP Canada pitches NextGen plan to standardize human resources processes
When processes are 'standardized, the collective input into a payroll system becomes a lot simpler,' says Robert Conlin, SAP Canada's vice-president of the public sector.U.S. Embassy brings bayou to Bytown for Fourth of July
Though U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft was in Calgary, the U.S. Embassy's Fourth of July party was still filled with food and fun. Hill media descend on 24 Sussex for annual garden party
The prime minister opened up his backyard for one last shindig before politicians and journalists gear up for what's going to be a busy summer. French envoy defends Macron’s NATO comments as ‘brave’
French ambassador Kareen Rispal says the 29-member alliance is in the midst of a political crisis and her president was recognizing that fact.Diplomatic association plans black-tie bash on tight timeline
The ODA's new executive is moving quickly to plan its 10th anniversary gala on Valentine's Day 2020, the only annual black-tie diplomatic event in the capital. Don Martin says goodbye with swinging Met bash on Dec. 11
CTV’s Don Martin is hanging up his Power Play hat on Dec. 20. A farewell shindig is happening on Wednesday, Dec.11 at Métropolitain Brasserie, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Photograph courtesy of Ulle Baum
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who spoke at the Canadian Club of Ottawa's luncheon, says he wants Ottawa to set a 'fixed,' 'firm' timeline for the completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. 
