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Wednesday, October 15, 2025

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Les Whittington

It’s always do or die on budget day

  • Budgets have always tended to be historical markers that stood as a defining or make-or-break moment for federal governments.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 15, 2025
As finance ministers, the likes of John Crosbie, left, Allan MacEachen, Jim Flaherty, and Chrystia Freeland all had to plant their respective governments’ flagpoles. Photographs courtesy of Library and Archives Canada and The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright and Andrew Meade

It’s always do or die on budget day

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 15, 2025
  • Budgets have always tended to be historical markers that stood as a defining or make-or-break moment for federal governments.

It’s always do or die on budget day

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 15, 2025
  • Budgets have always tended to be historical markers that stood as a defining or make-or-break moment for federal governments.
As finance ministers, the likes of John Crosbie, left, Allan MacEachen, Jim Flaherty, and Chrystia Freeland all had to plant their respective governments’ flagpoles. Photographs courtesy of Library and Archives Canada and The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright and Andrew Meade

A crisis in search of a cause: Smith brandishes unity issue in dangerous new pipeline gambit

  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made it clear she would see anything but a go-ahead from Ottawa as a powerful accelerant for the smouldering Alberta
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 8, 2025
Danielle Smith
Danielle Smith
Asking the Liberals to scrap one of their signature environmental policies is just a political stunt, but Alberta Premier Danielle Smith seems to see her move as a win-win, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A crisis in search of a cause: Smith brandishes unity issue in dangerous new pipeline gambit

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 8, 2025
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made it clear she would see anything but a go-ahead from Ottawa as a powerful accelerant for the smouldering Alberta

A crisis in search of a cause: Smith brandishes unity issue in dangerous new pipeline gambit

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 8, 2025
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made it clear she would see anything but a go-ahead from Ottawa as a powerful accelerant for the smouldering Alberta
Danielle Smith
Asking the Liberals to scrap one of their signature environmental policies is just a political stunt, but Alberta Premier Danielle Smith seems to see her move as a win-win, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

At the UN, Zelenskyy urges action to avert a world of war

  • In his Sept. 24 UN General Assembly address, the Ukrainian president gave a stark warning about the collapse of international law.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 1, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 24. Photograph courtesy of the Office of the President of Ukraine

At the UN, Zelenskyy urges action to avert a world of war

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 1, 2025
  • In his Sept. 24 UN General Assembly address, the Ukrainian president gave a stark warning about the collapse of international law.

At the UN, Zelenskyy urges action to avert a world of war

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 1, 2025
  • In his Sept. 24 UN General Assembly address, the Ukrainian president gave a stark warning about the collapse of international law.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 24. Photograph courtesy of the Office of the President of Ukraine

Waiting for the truckers to come back

  • A great deal has changed in federal politics in a few months, but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre? Not so much.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 24, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review this winter, so we shouldn't assume he'll suddenly begin prioritizing moderate, incremental, and fact-based politics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Waiting for the truckers to come back

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 24, 2025
  • A great deal has changed in federal politics in a few months, but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre? Not so much.

Waiting for the truckers to come back

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 24, 2025
  • A great deal has changed in federal politics in a few months, but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre? Not so much.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review this winter, so we shouldn't assume he'll suddenly begin prioritizing moderate, incremental, and fact-based politics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Is Canada ready for the nation-defining challenges ahead?

  • If we are going to succeed in the historic task of reinventing our economic culture, it will take hitherto unknown co-operation, compromise, and good-faith
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 17, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a housing announcement in Nepean, Ont., on Sept. 14. Carney has set out a roadmap for the biggest upheaval in this country’s economic life in many decades, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Is Canada ready for the nation-defining challenges ahead?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 17, 2025
  • If we are going to succeed in the historic task of reinventing our economic culture, it will take hitherto unknown co-operation, compromise, and good-faith

Is Canada ready for the nation-defining challenges ahead?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 17, 2025
  • If we are going to succeed in the historic task of reinventing our economic culture, it will take hitherto unknown co-operation, compromise, and good-faith
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a housing announcement in Nepean, Ont., on Sept. 14. Carney has set out a roadmap for the biggest upheaval in this country’s economic life in many decades, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The Canada that Dryden believed in remains at risk today

  • There is no reason to think a Poilievre government wouldn’t find ways to seriously weaken the country's social programs.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 10, 2025
Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
As minister of social development, Ken Dryden laid the groundwork for the Liberals’ early learning and childcare plan, which was the most important Canadian social program since medicare, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The Canada that Dryden believed in remains at risk today

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 10, 2025
  • There is no reason to think a Poilievre government wouldn’t find ways to seriously weaken the country's social programs.

The Canada that Dryden believed in remains at risk today

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 10, 2025
  • There is no reason to think a Poilievre government wouldn’t find ways to seriously weaken the country's social programs.
Ken Dryden
As minister of social development, Ken Dryden laid the groundwork for the Liberals’ early learning and childcare plan, which was the most important Canadian social program since medicare, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Putin’s gulling of Trump a historic setback for Ukraine and the world’s democracies

  • The Aug. 15 meeting gave Russia the green light to continue its invasion without worrying too much about Washington intervening in a major way
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 3, 2025
It’s clear that U.S. President Donald Trump, right, has decided that it’s up to somebody else to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin’s obsession with wiping out Ukraine and other in eastern Europe, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Putin’s gulling of Trump a historic setback for Ukraine and the world’s democracies

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 3, 2025
  • The Aug. 15 meeting gave Russia the green light to continue its invasion without worrying too much about Washington intervening in a major way

Putin’s gulling of Trump a historic setback for Ukraine and the world’s democracies

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 3, 2025
  • The Aug. 15 meeting gave Russia the green light to continue its invasion without worrying too much about Washington intervening in a major way
It’s clear that U.S. President Donald Trump, right, has decided that it’s up to somebody else to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin’s obsession with wiping out Ukraine and other in eastern Europe, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

A world without principles

  • The commitment to democracy and individual rights has been and continues to be badly eroded, in part because of U.S. regression under its current
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 30, 2025
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The horrors being visited on the people of Gaza are one of the most grievous of the many atrocities consistent with a world increasingly steered by rights-ignoring leaders, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

A world without principles

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 30, 2025
  • The commitment to democracy and individual rights has been and continues to be badly eroded, in part because of U.S. regression under its current

A world without principles

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 30, 2025
  • The commitment to democracy and individual rights has been and continues to be badly eroded, in part because of U.S. regression under its current
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The horrors being visited on the people of Gaza are one of the most grievous of the many atrocities consistent with a world increasingly steered by rights-ignoring leaders, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Disconnect on Canada-U.S. trade as CUSMA eludes Trump menace

  • The continuation of the broad CUSMA exemption is still a significant positive development for this country in the context of the full-blown trade war
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 23, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Unsurprisingly, with Ottawa’s negotiations with the U.S. taking place behind closed doors, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his ministers aren’t saying a lot about CUSMA’s status, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Disconnect on Canada-U.S. trade as CUSMA eludes Trump menace

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 23, 2025
  • The continuation of the broad CUSMA exemption is still a significant positive development for this country in the context of the full-blown trade war

Disconnect on Canada-U.S. trade as CUSMA eludes Trump menace

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 23, 2025
  • The continuation of the broad CUSMA exemption is still a significant positive development for this country in the context of the full-blown trade war
Mark Carney
Unsurprisingly, with Ottawa’s negotiations with the U.S. taking place behind closed doors, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his ministers aren’t saying a lot about CUSMA’s status, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Has Trump realized Putin was making a fool out of him on the world stage?

  • The Russian leader’s ability to hoodwink the American former reality show host has been a constant element of Trump’s actuality for more than a
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 16, 2025
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to have finally changed his tune on the Russians because Russian President Vladimir Putin has run circles around the self-appointed great dealmaker, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Has Trump realized Putin was making a fool out of him on the world stage?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 16, 2025
  • The Russian leader’s ability to hoodwink the American former reality show host has been a constant element of Trump’s actuality for more than a

Has Trump realized Putin was making a fool out of him on the world stage?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 16, 2025
  • The Russian leader’s ability to hoodwink the American former reality show host has been a constant element of Trump’s actuality for more than a
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to have finally changed his tune on the Russians because Russian President Vladimir Putin has run circles around the self-appointed great dealmaker, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Canada today: an exporting country in a trade-compromised world

  • For all the effort towards building new overseas trade relationships, the prospects for an outward-focused nation like Canada—where exports account for 34 per cent
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 9, 2025
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu. The reordering of Canadian export options is taking place in a world of increasing anti-globalization, splintering trade frameworks, and deteriorating supply chains, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada today: an exporting country in a trade-compromised world

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 9, 2025
  • For all the effort towards building new overseas trade relationships, the prospects for an outward-focused nation like Canada—where exports account for 34 per cent

Canada today: an exporting country in a trade-compromised world

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 9, 2025
  • For all the effort towards building new overseas trade relationships, the prospects for an outward-focused nation like Canada—where exports account for 34 per cent
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu. The reordering of Canadian export options is taking place in a world of increasing anti-globalization, splintering trade frameworks, and deteriorating supply chains, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The failed $5-billion program the feds can’t shake

  • With the deployment of 200 people and the use of AI in some instances, the Phoenix backlog is gradually coming under control, but a
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 2, 2025
Alex Benay, the associate deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada in whose lap this mess has landed, estimated on June 23 that the cost of fixing and replacing Phoenix would be $5.1-billion, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The failed $5-billion program the feds can’t shake

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 2, 2025
  • With the deployment of 200 people and the use of AI in some instances, the Phoenix backlog is gradually coming under control, but a

The failed $5-billion program the feds can’t shake

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 2, 2025
  • With the deployment of 200 people and the use of AI in some instances, the Phoenix backlog is gradually coming under control, but a
Alex Benay, the associate deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada in whose lap this mess has landed, estimated on June 23 that the cost of fixing and replacing Phoenix would be $5.1-billion, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney blows the roof off inertia-bound Ottawa, but there’s no guarantee of success

  • Canada’s highly decentralized federation requires time, energy, and good fortune to reach consensus.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 25, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney
It remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Mark Carney's government can make all this work in a timeframe that complies with his refreshing, unconventional campaign to rapidly bring the country together to start building a stronger, more independent economy, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney blows the roof off inertia-bound Ottawa, but there’s no guarantee of success

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 25, 2025
  • Canada’s highly decentralized federation requires time, energy, and good fortune to reach consensus.

Carney blows the roof off inertia-bound Ottawa, but there’s no guarantee of success

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 25, 2025
  • Canada’s highly decentralized federation requires time, energy, and good fortune to reach consensus.
Prime Minister Mark Carney
It remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Mark Carney's government can make all this work in a timeframe that complies with his refreshing, unconventional campaign to rapidly bring the country together to start building a stronger, more independent economy, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

That’s what dictators do

  • This plunge into totalitarian-style histrionics is just a minor manifestation of the upheaval in public norms radiating across the U.S. from Trump’s White House.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 18, 2025
Only five months into his new term, U.S. President Donald Trump has indeed moved quite a ways down the road to his own version of one-man rule, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

That’s what dictators do

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 18, 2025
  • This plunge into totalitarian-style histrionics is just a minor manifestation of the upheaval in public norms radiating across the U.S. from Trump’s White House.

That’s what dictators do

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 18, 2025
  • This plunge into totalitarian-style histrionics is just a minor manifestation of the upheaval in public norms radiating across the U.S. from Trump’s White House.
Only five months into his new term, U.S. President Donald Trump has indeed moved quite a ways down the road to his own version of one-man rule, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Visions of a gold rush in expanded oil exports fly in the face of a decades-old reality

  • The potential for a conduit to load oil tankers in the dangerous waters of the northern B.C. coast actually ended more than three decades
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 11, 2025
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith would have been in her late teens when the Exxon Valdez forever changed the public attitude on pipelines on B.C.’s northern coast, so maybe she didn’t pay much attention, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Jim Brickett

Visions of a gold rush in expanded oil exports fly in the face of a decades-old reality

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 11, 2025
  • The potential for a conduit to load oil tankers in the dangerous waters of the northern B.C. coast actually ended more than three decades

Visions of a gold rush in expanded oil exports fly in the face of a decades-old reality

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 11, 2025
  • The potential for a conduit to load oil tankers in the dangerous waters of the northern B.C. coast actually ended more than three decades
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith would have been in her late teens when the Exxon Valdez forever changed the public attitude on pipelines on B.C.’s northern coast, so maybe she didn’t pay much attention, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Jim Brickett

Election? What election?

  • The Conservatives seem to be trying to juggle the need to be constructive during a national crisis, and the belief that they got cheated
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 4, 2025
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre
One might indeed be forgiven for thinking Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a bit focused on the rear-view mirror, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Election? What election?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 4, 2025
  • The Conservatives seem to be trying to juggle the need to be constructive during a national crisis, and the belief that they got cheated

Election? What election?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 4, 2025
  • The Conservatives seem to be trying to juggle the need to be constructive during a national crisis, and the belief that they got cheated
Pierre Poilievre
One might indeed be forgiven for thinking Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a bit focused on the rear-view mirror, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

In 50 years, the G7’s never had a summit like the one Carney is hosting next month

  • It’s hard to imagine how the stakes could be higher in the midst of the U.S. president's economic warfare against most of the other
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 28, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s last trip to Canada was for the G7 Leaders’ Summit in 2018. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

In 50 years, the G7’s never had a summit like the one Carney is hosting next month

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 28, 2025
  • It’s hard to imagine how the stakes could be higher in the midst of the U.S. president's economic warfare against most of the other

In 50 years, the G7’s never had a summit like the one Carney is hosting next month

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 28, 2025
  • It’s hard to imagine how the stakes could be higher in the midst of the U.S. president's economic warfare against most of the other
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s last trip to Canada was for the G7 Leaders’ Summit in 2018. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Unchartable as ever: Canada’s future still up in the air as Trump juggles his trade strategy

  • Canada needs some kind of breakthrough soon because the combination of existing tariffs and the uncertainty from Trump’s tariff shell game has this country
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 21, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be entering into a more difficult phase in his unorthodox economic project, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Unchartable as ever: Canada’s future still up in the air as Trump juggles his trade strategy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 21, 2025
  • Canada needs some kind of breakthrough soon because the combination of existing tariffs and the uncertainty from Trump’s tariff shell game has this country

Unchartable as ever: Canada’s future still up in the air as Trump juggles his trade strategy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 21, 2025
  • Canada needs some kind of breakthrough soon because the combination of existing tariffs and the uncertainty from Trump’s tariff shell game has this country
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be entering into a more difficult phase in his unorthodox economic project, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Mark Carney and the disappearing pipeline

  • The Alberta premier and Conservative leader’s regular excoriations of Ottawa policy never seem to contain a reference to Trans Mountain.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 14, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly stated he's willing to adopt a new approach to energy development, combining increased conventional oil production with climate mitigation tactics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Mark Carney and the disappearing pipeline

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 14, 2025
  • The Alberta premier and Conservative leader’s regular excoriations of Ottawa policy never seem to contain a reference to Trans Mountain.

Mark Carney and the disappearing pipeline

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 14, 2025
  • The Alberta premier and Conservative leader’s regular excoriations of Ottawa policy never seem to contain a reference to Trans Mountain.
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly stated he's willing to adopt a new approach to energy development, combining increased conventional oil production with climate mitigation tactics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The man who lost his seat will soon return

  • It will be interesting to see how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre—once back in his parliamentary role—chooses to position his party as the Liberals try
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 7, 2025
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre
It’s not clear what would motivate Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to back off the anti-Liberal crusade he has been profiting off of for years, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The man who lost his seat will soon return

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 7, 2025
  • It will be interesting to see how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre—once back in his parliamentary role—chooses to position his party as the Liberals try

The man who lost his seat will soon return

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 7, 2025
  • It will be interesting to see how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre—once back in his parliamentary role—chooses to position his party as the Liberals try
Pierre Poilievre
It’s not clear what would motivate Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to back off the anti-Liberal crusade he has been profiting off of for years, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

And now comes the hard part: negotiating with Trump

  • Canadians can’t count on a flip-flop on tariffs since the U.S. president seems obsessed with undermining Canada in keeping with his persistent lusting after
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 30, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump can’t seem to get through a day in the Oval Office without reverting to his accusations about those freeloaders in Canada, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

And now comes the hard part: negotiating with Trump

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 30, 2025
  • Canadians can’t count on a flip-flop on tariffs since the U.S. president seems obsessed with undermining Canada in keeping with his persistent lusting after

And now comes the hard part: negotiating with Trump

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 30, 2025
  • Canadians can’t count on a flip-flop on tariffs since the U.S. president seems obsessed with undermining Canada in keeping with his persistent lusting after
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump can’t seem to get through a day in the Oval Office without reverting to his accusations about those freeloaders in Canada, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Mark Carney puts it all on the line

  • Whatever happens on April 28, Mark Carney will be remembered as the man who stepped up to offer his services to fellow Canadians in
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 23, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney greets supporters at a rally outside of the Lusitania Portuguese Club of Ottawa on April 20. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Mark Carney puts it all on the line

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 23, 2025
  • Whatever happens on April 28, Mark Carney will be remembered as the man who stepped up to offer his services to fellow Canadians in

Mark Carney puts it all on the line

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 23, 2025
  • Whatever happens on April 28, Mark Carney will be remembered as the man who stepped up to offer his services to fellow Canadians in
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney greets supporters at a rally outside of the Lusitania Portuguese Club of Ottawa on April 20. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Do Canadians really want Stephen Harper back?

  • While the former prime minister remains an icon among the Conservative base, his presence may remind voters of what they didn’t like about him
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 16, 2025
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
The current Conservative leader’s campaign is taking on more and more aspects of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s politics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Do Canadians really want Stephen Harper back?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 16, 2025
  • While the former prime minister remains an icon among the Conservative base, his presence may remind voters of what they didn’t like about him

Do Canadians really want Stephen Harper back?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 16, 2025
  • While the former prime minister remains an icon among the Conservative base, his presence may remind voters of what they didn’t like about him
Stephen Harper
The current Conservative leader’s campaign is taking on more and more aspects of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s politics, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The world waits to see how long Trump’s attack on the global economy can last

  • The president has brushed off political realities that would have sunk most political actors a hundred times over.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 9, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Within days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement, most of the world was united in its criticism of his decision to wreck everyone’s economy, including his own, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

The world waits to see how long Trump’s attack on the global economy can last

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 9, 2025
  • The president has brushed off political realities that would have sunk most political actors a hundred times over.

The world waits to see how long Trump’s attack on the global economy can last

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 9, 2025
  • The president has brushed off political realities that would have sunk most political actors a hundred times over.
Donald Trump
Within days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement, most of the world was united in its criticism of his decision to wreck everyone’s economy, including his own, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump has flipped the election narrative, but it’s a long way to April 28

  • The knock-on effects of tariffs could be well on the way to erasing the Liberals’ advantage in the Trump survival showdown.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 2, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump is like having a pet rattlesnake—as the whole world has learned the hard way, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump has flipped the election narrative, but it’s a long way to April 28

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 2, 2025
  • The knock-on effects of tariffs could be well on the way to erasing the Liberals’ advantage in the Trump survival showdown.

Trump has flipped the election narrative, but it’s a long way to April 28

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 2, 2025
  • The knock-on effects of tariffs could be well on the way to erasing the Liberals’ advantage in the Trump survival showdown.
Donald Trump
Dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump is like having a pet rattlesnake—as the whole world has learned the hard way, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump’s most despised adversary has an election

  • It’s beyond troubling that Canada is always being singled out for its supposedly nasty negotiating stance, and alleged unfair trading relationship with Americans.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 26, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to soon give up on his promise to wreck the economy of the land he now deems his country's worst enemy, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump’s most despised adversary has an election

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 26, 2025
  • It’s beyond troubling that Canada is always being singled out for its supposedly nasty negotiating stance, and alleged unfair trading relationship with Americans.

Trump’s most despised adversary has an election

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 26, 2025
  • It’s beyond troubling that Canada is always being singled out for its supposedly nasty negotiating stance, and alleged unfair trading relationship with Americans.
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to soon give up on his promise to wreck the economy of the land he now deems his country's worst enemy, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

The real message from the Ford-initiated meeting in D.C.? Canada has no chance of dodging Trump’s trade war for now

  • As relieved as the Canadian contingent was to be engaged in an adult conversation, the March 13 discussion yielded nothing in the way of immediate
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 19, 2025
Doug Ford
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the March 13 meeting with the U.S. commerce secretary was ‘productive,’ but he could be grasping at straws, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The real message from the Ford-initiated meeting in D.C.? Canada has no chance of dodging Trump’s trade war for now

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 19, 2025
  • As relieved as the Canadian contingent was to be engaged in an adult conversation, the March 13 discussion yielded nothing in the way of immediate

The real message from the Ford-initiated meeting in D.C.? Canada has no chance of dodging Trump’s trade war for now

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 19, 2025
  • As relieved as the Canadian contingent was to be engaged in an adult conversation, the March 13 discussion yielded nothing in the way of immediate
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the March 13 meeting with the U.S. commerce secretary was ‘productive,’ but he could be grasping at straws, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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Are Canadians ready for the more just, green future Freeland will frame in next week’s budget?

  • OTTAWA—No one would have wished the COVID-19 epidemic on any country, and Canadians have paid a heavy price, in terms of illness, lives lost,
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 14, 2021
Crises open the way for change, and it’s possible Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s budget next week will mark an opportunity to reshape Canadians’ overall approach in ways that will better correspond to the urgent demands of the 21st century, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Are Canadians ready for the more just, green future Freeland will frame in next week’s budget?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 14, 2021
  • OTTAWA—No one would have wished the COVID-19 epidemic on any country, and Canadians have paid a heavy price, in terms of illness, lives lost,

Are Canadians ready for the more just, green future Freeland will frame in next week’s budget?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 14, 2021
  • OTTAWA—No one would have wished the COVID-19 epidemic on any country, and Canadians have paid a heavy price, in terms of illness, lives lost,
Crises open the way for change, and it’s possible Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s budget next week will mark an opportunity to reshape Canadians’ overall approach in ways that will better correspond to the urgent demands of the 21st century, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s continuum of hate: time to address COVID-accelerated bigotry

  • OTTAWA—How big of a problem is hate-motivated violence in Canada? The fact is, no one knows. Only a small portion of all hate crimes
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 7, 2021
The climate of anti-Asian antagonism has been fed by political figures criticizing Beijing’s early handling of the outbreak, in particular by former president Donald Trump, who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” as part of his effort to deflect blame for his own mishandling of the pandemic when it first broke out in the U.S. Unsplash photograph by Jason Leung

Canada’s continuum of hate: time to address COVID-accelerated bigotry

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 7, 2021
  • OTTAWA—How big of a problem is hate-motivated violence in Canada? The fact is, no one knows. Only a small portion of all hate crimes

Canada’s continuum of hate: time to address COVID-accelerated bigotry

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 7, 2021
  • OTTAWA—How big of a problem is hate-motivated violence in Canada? The fact is, no one knows. Only a small portion of all hate crimes
The climate of anti-Asian antagonism has been fed by political figures criticizing Beijing’s early handling of the outbreak, in particular by former president Donald Trump, who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” as part of his effort to deflect blame for his own mishandling of the pandemic when it first broke out in the U.S. Unsplash photograph by Jason Leung

April 19: next act in the politics of the pandemic

  • OTTAWA—Everything at the national political level seems obscured now by COVID-19, which belatedly registered here a little over a year ago with Prime Minister
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 31, 2021
The country is going to be in need of leadership nationally, whether by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, or someone else. Turning points are trite, but Canada is at an historic crossroads as it prepares to move beyond the pandemic, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

April 19: next act in the politics of the pandemic

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 31, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Everything at the national political level seems obscured now by COVID-19, which belatedly registered here a little over a year ago with Prime Minister

April 19: next act in the politics of the pandemic

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 31, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Everything at the national political level seems obscured now by COVID-19, which belatedly registered here a little over a year ago with Prime Minister
The country is going to be in need of leadership nationally, whether by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, or someone else. Turning points are trite, but Canada is at an historic crossroads as it prepares to move beyond the pandemic, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

O’Toole’s attempt to entice Canada’s soccer moms into the Conservative fold skewered by his own hard-liners

  • OTTAWA—Seldom is a political situation encapsulated so completely in a single moment as in the climate change gaffe at the Conservative policy convention. First,
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 24, 2021
In a March 19 keynote speech, Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole urged the Conservative faithful to have the courage to jettison some of their extremist positions in order to win over moderate voters outside the party’s Prairie and rural Ontario strongholds. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

O’Toole’s attempt to entice Canada’s soccer moms into the Conservative fold skewered by his own hard-liners

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Seldom is a political situation encapsulated so completely in a single moment as in the climate change gaffe at the Conservative policy convention. First,

O’Toole’s attempt to entice Canada’s soccer moms into the Conservative fold skewered by his own hard-liners

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Seldom is a political situation encapsulated so completely in a single moment as in the climate change gaffe at the Conservative policy convention. First,
In a March 19 keynote speech, Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole urged the Conservative faithful to have the courage to jettison some of their extremist positions in order to win over moderate voters outside the party’s Prairie and rural Ontario strongholds. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

A year after Nova Scotia shooting tragedy, it’s clear there’s plenty of guilt to go around

  • OTTAWA—Maybe someday we’ll find out what the Nova Scotia killer (his name should be buried along with him) was really up to all those
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 17, 2021
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 19, 2020. With a class-action lawsuit being launched by victims’ families and the federal and Nova Scotia governments deciding under public pressure to establish a full judicial inquiry, Canadians may eventually find out more about how this all happened and who bears responsibility, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A year after Nova Scotia shooting tragedy, it’s clear there’s plenty of guilt to go around

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Maybe someday we’ll find out what the Nova Scotia killer (his name should be buried along with him) was really up to all those

A year after Nova Scotia shooting tragedy, it’s clear there’s plenty of guilt to go around

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Maybe someday we’ll find out what the Nova Scotia killer (his name should be buried along with him) was really up to all those
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 19, 2020. With a class-action lawsuit being launched by victims’ families and the federal and Nova Scotia governments deciding under public pressure to establish a full judicial inquiry, Canadians may eventually find out more about how this all happened and who bears responsibility, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why accuracy and facts count

  • OTTAWA—With Republicans doing everything they could in the U.S. Congress to hold up passage of a COVID-19 aid package, Sen. Ron Johnson forced Senate
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 10, 2021
The Conservatives, led by Erin O’Toole, who is pictured on March 2, can’t be said to have steered clear of the internet craziness that has contributed to extremism and violence in the U.S. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why accuracy and facts count

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—With Republicans doing everything they could in the U.S. Congress to hold up passage of a COVID-19 aid package, Sen. Ron Johnson forced Senate

Why accuracy and facts count

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—With Republicans doing everything they could in the U.S. Congress to hold up passage of a COVID-19 aid package, Sen. Ron Johnson forced Senate
The Conservatives, led by Erin O’Toole, who is pictured on March 2, can’t be said to have steered clear of the internet craziness that has contributed to extremism and violence in the U.S. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The long road back from COVID will challenge Canadians on every front

  • OTTAWA—The ever-receding light at the end of the tunnel is, if nothing else, getting a little brighter now that Canadians are finally being vaccinated.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 3, 2021
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Nov. 23, 2020, is preparing to deliver the government’s first budget in two years. Struggling with one of the most devastating crises in a century, we’re not really focusing on the next phase beyond considerations of ‘building back better,’ writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The long road back from COVID will challenge Canadians on every front

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The ever-receding light at the end of the tunnel is, if nothing else, getting a little brighter now that Canadians are finally being vaccinated.

The long road back from COVID will challenge Canadians on every front

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The ever-receding light at the end of the tunnel is, if nothing else, getting a little brighter now that Canadians are finally being vaccinated.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Nov. 23, 2020, is preparing to deliver the government’s first budget in two years. Struggling with one of the most devastating crises in a century, we’re not really focusing on the next phase beyond considerations of ‘building back better,’ writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Another lose-lose situation on guns, the black hole of North American politics

  • OTTAWA—The scene was a Feb. 20 rally in Toronto in response to the apparently random fatal shooting last month of 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 24, 2021
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 19, 2020. As a half-measure, Bill C-21 seems unlikely to please anyone. Gun control advocates see the unexpected voluntary nature of the buyback of assault-style rifles as a betrayal of Trudeau’s promises, and the move to allow municipalities to ban handguns is widely viewed as passing the buck to largely powerless cities, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Another lose-lose situation on guns, the black hole of North American politics

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The scene was a Feb. 20 rally in Toronto in response to the apparently random fatal shooting last month of 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi.

Another lose-lose situation on guns, the black hole of North American politics

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The scene was a Feb. 20 rally in Toronto in response to the apparently random fatal shooting last month of 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 19, 2020. As a half-measure, Bill C-21 seems unlikely to please anyone. Gun control advocates see the unexpected voluntary nature of the buyback of assault-style rifles as a betrayal of Trudeau’s promises, and the move to allow municipalities to ban handguns is widely viewed as passing the buck to largely powerless cities, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Will next month’s long-awaited divorce law reforms make a difference?

  • OTTAWA—One woman every six days is murdered by their intimate partner in Canada. Men account for 95 per cent of those accused of murder-suicide,
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 17, 2021
When the revised Divorce Act goes into force on March 1, Canadians will begin to get an inkling of whether long-overdue legislative efforts at the federal level to update divorce rules and better protect victims of domestic violence will be effective in addressing this problem, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Pexels

Will next month’s long-awaited divorce law reforms make a difference?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—One woman every six days is murdered by their intimate partner in Canada. Men account for 95 per cent of those accused of murder-suicide,

Will next month’s long-awaited divorce law reforms make a difference?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—One woman every six days is murdered by their intimate partner in Canada. Men account for 95 per cent of those accused of murder-suicide,
When the revised Divorce Act goes into force on March 1, Canadians will begin to get an inkling of whether long-overdue legislative efforts at the federal level to update divorce rules and better protect victims of domestic violence will be effective in addressing this problem, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Pexels

The strange, unremarked case of Corey Hurren

  • OTTAWA—So, seven months later, we have established that it’s against the law to bust into the Rideau Hall grounds by ramming through the iron
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 10, 2021
There’s no doubt that everyone involved needs to shed their complacency about security for elected representatives in Ottawa after Corey Hurren’s July 2, 2020 storming of Rideau Hall, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CTV News

The strange, unremarked case of Corey Hurren

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—So, seven months later, we have established that it’s against the law to bust into the Rideau Hall grounds by ramming through the iron

The strange, unremarked case of Corey Hurren

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—So, seven months later, we have established that it’s against the law to bust into the Rideau Hall grounds by ramming through the iron
There’s no doubt that everyone involved needs to shed their complacency about security for elected representatives in Ottawa after Corey Hurren’s July 2, 2020 storming of Rideau Hall, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CTV News

Second COVID wave, vaccine issues rapidly unwinding any and all political assumptions

  • OTTAWA—Politically, everything we have surmised about the impact of COVID-19 is no longer applicable. Last year, the tragedy of the pandemic assumed a fairly
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 3, 2021
The Liberals must get the government’s handling of the pandemic back into reasonable shape as 2021 progresses. Otherwise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hopes for a third mandate could be non-existent, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Second COVID wave, vaccine issues rapidly unwinding any and all political assumptions

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Politically, everything we have surmised about the impact of COVID-19 is no longer applicable. Last year, the tragedy of the pandemic assumed a fairly

Second COVID wave, vaccine issues rapidly unwinding any and all political assumptions

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Politically, everything we have surmised about the impact of COVID-19 is no longer applicable. Last year, the tragedy of the pandemic assumed a fairly
The Liberals must get the government’s handling of the pandemic back into reasonable shape as 2021 progresses. Otherwise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hopes for a third mandate could be non-existent, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Requiem for irrelevance: does it matter that the GG didn’t work out?

  • OTTAWA—How anyone could manage to foul up the you-won-the-lottery job of Canada’s governor general will always be bewildering. The job places one in the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 27, 2021
The resignation of former governor general Julie Payette, pictured at her installation on Oct. 2, 2017, is an embarrassment for the prime minister, but optimally, the controversy might focus more attention on the future of the archaic, ill-suited constitutional monarchy Canada is still stuck with, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Requiem for irrelevance: does it matter that the GG didn’t work out?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 27, 2021
  • OTTAWA—How anyone could manage to foul up the you-won-the-lottery job of Canada’s governor general will always be bewildering. The job places one in the

Requiem for irrelevance: does it matter that the GG didn’t work out?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 27, 2021
  • OTTAWA—How anyone could manage to foul up the you-won-the-lottery job of Canada’s governor general will always be bewildering. The job places one in the
The resignation of former governor general Julie Payette, pictured at her installation on Oct. 2, 2017, is an embarrassment for the prime minister, but optimally, the controversy might focus more attention on the future of the archaic, ill-suited constitutional monarchy Canada is still stuck with, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pre-Trump America is no more; Canada will have to rethink its world view

  • OTTAWA—I covered the end of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, where a million people took to the streets, dodging police and their water cannons,
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 20, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden attend a lunch in Ottawa in December 2016. Solving Canadian trade disputes with the Biden administration may not be that much easier than it was under Trump, and it’s not clear who, if anyone, in positions of power in D.C. will be able to effectively shore up global economic co-operation now that Trump has turned many Republicans into protectionists, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times file photograph

Pre-Trump America is no more; Canada will have to rethink its world view

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—I covered the end of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, where a million people took to the streets, dodging police and their water cannons,

Pre-Trump America is no more; Canada will have to rethink its world view

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—I covered the end of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, where a million people took to the streets, dodging police and their water cannons,
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden attend a lunch in Ottawa in December 2016. Solving Canadian trade disputes with the Biden administration may not be that much easier than it was under Trump, and it’s not clear who, if anyone, in positions of power in D.C. will be able to effectively shore up global economic co-operation now that Trump has turned many Republicans into protectionists, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times file photograph

Awash in lies and the politics of hate, U.S. drives home the risks to 21st century democracy

  • OTTAWA—Among the many disturbing images of the right-wing crazies rampaging through the U.S. Capitol was that of the man nonchalantly walking along with a
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 13, 2021
The U.S. debacle should drive home the need for Canadians to be more vigilant about their public affairs and the information flows that undergird them, writes Les Whittington. Flickr photograph by Brett Davis

Awash in lies and the politics of hate, U.S. drives home the risks to 21st century democracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Among the many disturbing images of the right-wing crazies rampaging through the U.S. Capitol was that of the man nonchalantly walking along with a

Awash in lies and the politics of hate, U.S. drives home the risks to 21st century democracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Among the many disturbing images of the right-wing crazies rampaging through the U.S. Capitol was that of the man nonchalantly walking along with a
The U.S. debacle should drive home the need for Canadians to be more vigilant about their public affairs and the information flows that undergird them, writes Les Whittington. Flickr photograph by Brett Davis

Jury still out on whether 2020’s COVID tragedy will lead to a better post-pandemic world

  • OTTAWA—The year 2020: not a great year for the human race. It will be remembered in the long run as one of a series
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 23, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, centre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will need to deal with a multi-dimensional puzzle of shifting issues and interests that will be a make-or-break factor for each party in the next national vote, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Jury still out on whether 2020’s COVID tragedy will lead to a better post-pandemic world

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 23, 2020
  • OTTAWA—The year 2020: not a great year for the human race. It will be remembered in the long run as one of a series

Jury still out on whether 2020’s COVID tragedy will lead to a better post-pandemic world

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 23, 2020
  • OTTAWA—The year 2020: not a great year for the human race. It will be remembered in the long run as one of a series
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, centre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will need to deal with a multi-dimensional puzzle of shifting issues and interests that will be a make-or-break factor for each party in the next national vote, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Politics without policy, or how to attract voters whose interests you disdain

  • OTTAWA—In one of the more consequential political shifts in recent years, Republicans in the U.S. under Donald Trump have putatively capped a major realignment
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 16, 2020
Populists like Donald Trump have appealed to ‘blue-collar’ Americans’ sense of grievance and encouraged them to blame outsiders and the so-called elite (by which they mean urban-dwelling liberals) for their woes, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Politics without policy, or how to attract voters whose interests you disdain

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 16, 2020
  • OTTAWA—In one of the more consequential political shifts in recent years, Republicans in the U.S. under Donald Trump have putatively capped a major realignment

Politics without policy, or how to attract voters whose interests you disdain

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 16, 2020
  • OTTAWA—In one of the more consequential political shifts in recent years, Republicans in the U.S. under Donald Trump have putatively capped a major realignment
Populists like Donald Trump have appealed to ‘blue-collar’ Americans’ sense of grievance and encouraged them to blame outsiders and the so-called elite (by which they mean urban-dwelling liberals) for their woes, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Championing a coup in plain sight, Trump’s latest outrage is a lesson in the dangers of post-reality extremism

  • OTTAWA—It’s interesting to look back at the comments by U.S. analysts in the early aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, when most were saying
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 9, 2020
While many denizens of the White House have reportedly internalized the reality of Joe Biden’s victory, President Donald Trump is demonstrating there is no end to what he will do to pursue his bogus claim of a rigged election. White House photograph by Tia Dufour

Championing a coup in plain sight, Trump’s latest outrage is a lesson in the dangers of post-reality extremism

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 9, 2020
  • OTTAWA—It’s interesting to look back at the comments by U.S. analysts in the early aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, when most were saying

Championing a coup in plain sight, Trump’s latest outrage is a lesson in the dangers of post-reality extremism

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 9, 2020
  • OTTAWA—It’s interesting to look back at the comments by U.S. analysts in the early aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, when most were saying
While many denizens of the White House have reportedly internalized the reality of Joe Biden’s victory, President Donald Trump is demonstrating there is no end to what he will do to pursue his bogus claim of a rigged election. White House photograph by Tia Dufour

Liberals harness more spending power to fight COVID and lay out election-ready agenda

  • OTTAWA—Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland reopened Ottawa’s spending taps to help Canadians cope with the epidemic while setting out an expansive, equity-focused agenda for the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 30, 2020
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented on Nov. 30 a 237-page package of new supports for businesses and individuals touching nearly every facet of the country’s life. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Liberals harness more spending power to fight COVID and lay out election-ready agenda

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 30, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland reopened Ottawa’s spending taps to help Canadians cope with the epidemic while setting out an expansive, equity-focused agenda for the

Liberals harness more spending power to fight COVID and lay out election-ready agenda

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 30, 2020
  • OTTAWA—Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland reopened Ottawa’s spending taps to help Canadians cope with the epidemic while setting out an expansive, equity-focused agenda for the
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented on Nov. 30 a 237-page package of new supports for businesses and individuals touching nearly every facet of the country’s life. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Feds make long-overdue start on levelling the playing field on data protection

  • OTTAWA—A long struggle to give Canadian consumers an assist in their unequal dealings with tech giants got underway last week with the introduction of
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 25, 2020
Innovation, Science, and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains is pictured in the West Block during a press conference ahead of the introduction of Bill C-11 on Nov. 17. Among concerns germane to the bill are questions about how long it will take to get it passed, develop regulations, and begin enforcement, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Feds make long-overdue start on levelling the playing field on data protection

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 25, 2020
  • OTTAWA—A long struggle to give Canadian consumers an assist in their unequal dealings with tech giants got underway last week with the introduction of

Feds make long-overdue start on levelling the playing field on data protection

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 25, 2020
  • OTTAWA—A long struggle to give Canadian consumers an assist in their unequal dealings with tech giants got underway last week with the introduction of
Innovation, Science, and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains is pictured in the West Block during a press conference ahead of the introduction of Bill C-11 on Nov. 17. Among concerns germane to the bill are questions about how long it will take to get it passed, develop regulations, and begin enforcement, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

While Trump spews lies next door, countries join forces here for global media freedom

  • OTTAWA—It’s hard to imagine a more pressing context for a conference on media freedom than a moment when the president of the United States
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 18, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured in Ottawa on Nov. 13, told the Global Conference for Media Freedom on Nov. 16 that press freedom is a fundamental building block of democracy and stressed the need to push back against disinformation. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

While Trump spews lies next door, countries join forces here for global media freedom

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 18, 2020
  • OTTAWA—It’s hard to imagine a more pressing context for a conference on media freedom than a moment when the president of the United States

While Trump spews lies next door, countries join forces here for global media freedom

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 18, 2020
  • OTTAWA—It’s hard to imagine a more pressing context for a conference on media freedom than a moment when the president of the United States
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured in Ottawa on Nov. 13, told the Global Conference for Media Freedom on Nov. 16 that press freedom is a fundamental building block of democracy and stressed the need to push back against disinformation. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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