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Tuesday, October 14, 2025

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Les Whittington

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

Conservatives left searching for a message as Carney demonstrates his political potential

  • The Tories’ advantage has blown up in their faces as Canadians have begun to take another look at their political options.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 12, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that having a prime minister like Liberal Leader Mark Carney with economic skills, global awareness, and experience working with world leaders at the highest level on make-or-break issues might not be such a bad idea, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Conservatives left searching for a message as Carney demonstrates his political potential

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 12, 2025
  • The Tories’ advantage has blown up in their faces as Canadians have begun to take another look at their political options.

Conservatives left searching for a message as Carney demonstrates his political potential

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 12, 2025
  • The Tories’ advantage has blown up in their faces as Canadians have begun to take another look at their political options.
Mark Carney
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that having a prime minister like Liberal Leader Mark Carney with economic skills, global awareness, and experience working with world leaders at the highest level on make-or-break issues might not be such a bad idea, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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Food banks’ COVID experience validated federal aid but the crisis for Canada’s poor is worsening

  • OTTAWA—When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Canadians who try to care for the less-well-off were facing increased hardship and tragedy of incalculable dimensions. Millions
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 1, 2021
Government COVID aid policies in Canada provided key support for food banks struggling to meet the early challenges of the pandemic, but there are changes needed to try to fix this long-broken system, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Food banks’ COVID experience validated federal aid but the crisis for Canada’s poor is worsening

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 1, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Canadians who try to care for the less-well-off were facing increased hardship and tragedy of incalculable dimensions. Millions

Food banks’ COVID experience validated federal aid but the crisis for Canada’s poor is worsening

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | December 1, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Canadians who try to care for the less-well-off were facing increased hardship and tragedy of incalculable dimensions. Millions
Government COVID aid policies in Canada provided key support for food banks struggling to meet the early challenges of the pandemic, but there are changes needed to try to fix this long-broken system, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A parliamentary session like no other

  • OTTAWA—Politicians droning on day after day in service of complicated legislative endeavours, amendments, and obscure procedure may not rank high on the average person’s
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 24, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a political landscape jammed with crises, long-overdue action, unexpected challenges, regional tension, and a multi-faceted, expensive, and publicly demanding policy agenda, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A parliamentary session like no other

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Politicians droning on day after day in service of complicated legislative endeavours, amendments, and obscure procedure may not rank high on the average person’s

A parliamentary session like no other

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 24, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Politicians droning on day after day in service of complicated legislative endeavours, amendments, and obscure procedure may not rank high on the average person’s
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a political landscape jammed with crises, long-overdue action, unexpected challenges, regional tension, and a multi-faceted, expensive, and publicly demanding policy agenda, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Amigos in Trump’s America: time to rethink Canada’s long-term interests

  • OTTAWA—Canadians have been paying a price for months for the U.S. government’s monumental failure to bring some order and sense of justice to the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 17, 2021
Despite saying the right things about U.S. diplomacy and climate in particular, President Joe Biden hasn’t deviated a great deal from America’s profoundly nationalist, inward-looking shift in recent years. White House photograph by Erin Scott

Amigos in Trump’s America: time to rethink Canada’s long-term interests

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians have been paying a price for months for the U.S. government’s monumental failure to bring some order and sense of justice to the

Amigos in Trump’s America: time to rethink Canada’s long-term interests

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 17, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians have been paying a price for months for the U.S. government’s monumental failure to bring some order and sense of justice to the
Despite saying the right things about U.S. diplomacy and climate in particular, President Joe Biden hasn’t deviated a great deal from America’s profoundly nationalist, inward-looking shift in recent years. White House photograph by Erin Scott

Doug Ford’s political porn cheapens Ontario democracy

  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who will face voters next June, wants to run against former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne again. Eight months before the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 10, 2021
Doug Ford
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has started early because of election spending rules and because he has to try to overcome his low personal standing with voters resulting from his inept handling of the later stages of the COVID-19 emergency, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Doug Ford’s political porn cheapens Ontario democracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who will face voters next June, wants to run against former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne again. Eight months before the

Doug Ford’s political porn cheapens Ontario democracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 10, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who will face voters next June, wants to run against former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne again. Eight months before the
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has started early because of election spending rules and because he has to try to overcome his low personal standing with voters resulting from his inept handling of the later stages of the COVID-19 emergency, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Searching for unity of purpose in a world beset by crisis

  • OTTAWA—U.S. President Joe Biden has recommitted his country and his power to the world of multilateral co-operation. But the G20 summit in Rome was
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 3, 2021
Even with the Pope urging them on, the leaders of the 20 economic powers accounting for 80 per cent of global carbon emissions failed in Rome to agree in their communiqué on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as environmentalists had hoped, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Paul Kagame’s Flickr

Searching for unity of purpose in a world beset by crisis

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—U.S. President Joe Biden has recommitted his country and his power to the world of multilateral co-operation. But the G20 summit in Rome was

Searching for unity of purpose in a world beset by crisis

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | November 3, 2021
  • OTTAWA—U.S. President Joe Biden has recommitted his country and his power to the world of multilateral co-operation. But the G20 summit in Rome was
Even with the Pope urging them on, the leaders of the 20 economic powers accounting for 80 per cent of global carbon emissions failed in Rome to agree in their communiqué on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as environmentalists had hoped, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Paul Kagame’s Flickr

Post-COVID imponderables up the risks with Freeland’s recovery outlook

  • OTTAWA—Will the global economy prove to be a COVID long-hauler? The diagnosis remains uncertain, as with every other factor concerning the virus and its
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 27, 2021
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has now put her confidence in Canada’s reviving economy on the line by replacing broad-based COVID support programs with more targeted, less expensive measures, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Post-COVID imponderables up the risks with Freeland’s recovery outlook

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 27, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Will the global economy prove to be a COVID long-hauler? The diagnosis remains uncertain, as with every other factor concerning the virus and its

Post-COVID imponderables up the risks with Freeland’s recovery outlook

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 27, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Will the global economy prove to be a COVID long-hauler? The diagnosis remains uncertain, as with every other factor concerning the virus and its
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has now put her confidence in Canada’s reviving economy on the line by replacing broad-based COVID support programs with more targeted, less expensive measures, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s only the survival of the planet: will the world come up short again at Scottish climate change summit?

  • OTTAWA—Nearly a third of a century has passed since global leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, agreed to try to do something to
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 18, 2021
Within the meeting’s limited prospects, Canada can still play a leadership role, writes Les Whittington. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will take an upgraded pledge by Canada to Glasgow and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has been working with his German counterpart to convince wealthy nations to fulfill their promise to allocate $100-billion per year to developing countries. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade

It’s only the survival of the planet: will the world come up short again at Scottish climate change summit?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 18, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Nearly a third of a century has passed since global leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, agreed to try to do something to

It’s only the survival of the planet: will the world come up short again at Scottish climate change summit?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 18, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Nearly a third of a century has passed since global leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, agreed to try to do something to
Within the meeting’s limited prospects, Canada can still play a leadership role, writes Les Whittington. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will take an upgraded pledge by Canada to Glasgow and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has been working with his German counterpart to convince wealthy nations to fulfill their promise to allocate $100-billion per year to developing countries. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade

The Conservatives’ post- election inquiry and the future of Canada’s politics

  • OTTAWA—Had the Conservatives won the election, what would Canadians be expecting now? People who should know say Erin O’Toole is indeed a centrist, and,
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 13, 2021
How the Conservatives assess the 2021 campaign, their leader, and their raison d’être in the months ahead will have particular significance at a time when right-wing zealots of every variety are testing the boundaries of traditional democratic activity across the western world, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

The Conservatives’ post- election inquiry and the future of Canada’s politics

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Had the Conservatives won the election, what would Canadians be expecting now? People who should know say Erin O’Toole is indeed a centrist, and,

The Conservatives’ post- election inquiry and the future of Canada’s politics

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Had the Conservatives won the election, what would Canadians be expecting now? People who should know say Erin O’Toole is indeed a centrist, and,
How the Conservatives assess the 2021 campaign, their leader, and their raison d’être in the months ahead will have particular significance at a time when right-wing zealots of every variety are testing the boundaries of traditional democratic activity across the western world, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

What’s ahead for small government crusaders in the wake of COVID-19?

  • OTTAWA—Sometime last year, people started joking about the “before times” and “the after times” of COVID-19. Now, with the second anniversary of the arrival
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 6, 2021
Consistent with his small-government, libertarian convictions, Premier Jason Kenney appears destined to go down with the COVID ship in Alberta while in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford was accused of penny pinching during an emergency when it emerged that his government spent $5.6-billion less than proposed in its 2020 budget, including $3.5-billion less than planned on health care, even as COVID continued its damage, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

What’s ahead for small government crusaders in the wake of COVID-19?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Sometime last year, people started joking about the “before times” and “the after times” of COVID-19. Now, with the second anniversary of the arrival

What’s ahead for small government crusaders in the wake of COVID-19?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | October 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Sometime last year, people started joking about the “before times” and “the after times” of COVID-19. Now, with the second anniversary of the arrival
Consistent with his small-government, libertarian convictions, Premier Jason Kenney appears destined to go down with the COVID ship in Alberta while in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford was accused of penny pinching during an emergency when it emerged that his government spent $5.6-billion less than proposed in its 2020 budget, including $3.5-billion less than planned on health care, even as COVID continued its damage, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

As unmarked residential school graves have reinforced, Canada can’t falter in confronting racism and hate

  • OTTAWA—The recent discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves of children who disappeared at so-called Indian Residential Schools has awakened Canadians more forcefully to
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 29, 2021
A rally in Support of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders marches in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2020. As the upsurge of far-right intolerance has evolved in Canada, Indigenous people experienced an increase in digital attacks and threats after the Wet’suwet’en Nation hereditary chiefs’ protest in B.C., writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

As unmarked residential school graves have reinforced, Canada can’t falter in confronting racism and hate

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 29, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The recent discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves of children who disappeared at so-called Indian Residential Schools has awakened Canadians more forcefully to

As unmarked residential school graves have reinforced, Canada can’t falter in confronting racism and hate

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 29, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The recent discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves of children who disappeared at so-called Indian Residential Schools has awakened Canadians more forcefully to
A rally in Support of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders marches in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2020. As the upsurge of far-right intolerance has evolved in Canada, Indigenous people experienced an increase in digital attacks and threats after the Wet’suwet’en Nation hereditary chiefs’ protest in B.C., writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Don’t count on parliamentary progress after this scattershot election outcome

  • OTTAWA—Canadians should demand their newly-elected Members of Parliament take to heart the obvious result of Monday’s election—that voters favour a mixed power dynamic in
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 23, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet. The election results suggest a need for compromise to bring forward what, in theory at least, are policies based on consensus among all, or most, parties on what’s best for the country, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Don’t count on parliamentary progress after this scattershot election outcome

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians should demand their newly-elected Members of Parliament take to heart the obvious result of Monday’s election—that voters favour a mixed power dynamic in

Don’t count on parliamentary progress after this scattershot election outcome

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians should demand their newly-elected Members of Parliament take to heart the obvious result of Monday’s election—that voters favour a mixed power dynamic in
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet. The election results suggest a need for compromise to bring forward what, in theory at least, are policies based on consensus among all, or most, parties on what’s best for the country, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Déjà vu vote gives Trudeau a mandate of sorts in a volatile, disjointed political landscape

  • OTTAWA—Canada demonstrated its deeply etched divisions again in the Sept. 20 election, but opted in the end for a progressive, forward-looking approach to the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 22, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pictured on election night in Montreal. While the standings in the Commons should be settled for some time now in as much as forcing another election would be manifestly unpopular, Trudeau will confront a volatile political situation with big, potentially disruptive unknowns on legislative co-operation, the future of parties’ leadership, and evolving federal-provincial relations, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

Déjà vu vote gives Trudeau a mandate of sorts in a volatile, disjointed political landscape

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 22, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canada demonstrated its deeply etched divisions again in the Sept. 20 election, but opted in the end for a progressive, forward-looking approach to the

Déjà vu vote gives Trudeau a mandate of sorts in a volatile, disjointed political landscape

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 22, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canada demonstrated its deeply etched divisions again in the Sept. 20 election, but opted in the end for a progressive, forward-looking approach to the
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pictured on election night in Montreal. While the standings in the Commons should be settled for some time now in as much as forcing another election would be manifestly unpopular, Trudeau will confront a volatile political situation with big, potentially disruptive unknowns on legislative co-operation, the future of parties’ leadership, and evolving federal-provincial relations, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

After a campaign that only reinforced Canada’s divisions, it’s unclear what, if anything, will be resolved Monday

  • OTTAWA—Not surprisingly for a national election during a once-in-a-century health crisis, Canadians appear likely to wind up on Sept. 20 more divided than ever
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 16, 2021
The campaign is the most unfocused federal contest in recent memory. It has emerged as a mish-mash dominated by populist-style personal attacks, Trumpist extremism, reshuffled right-left political alignments, diminished commitments to the role of the federal government, and the weaponization of public health issues, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and Sam Garcia

After a campaign that only reinforced Canada’s divisions, it’s unclear what, if anything, will be resolved Monday

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Not surprisingly for a national election during a once-in-a-century health crisis, Canadians appear likely to wind up on Sept. 20 more divided than ever

After a campaign that only reinforced Canada’s divisions, it’s unclear what, if anything, will be resolved Monday

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Not surprisingly for a national election during a once-in-a-century health crisis, Canadians appear likely to wind up on Sept. 20 more divided than ever
The campaign is the most unfocused federal contest in recent memory. It has emerged as a mish-mash dominated by populist-style personal attacks, Trumpist extremism, reshuffled right-left political alignments, diminished commitments to the role of the federal government, and the weaponization of public health issues, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and Sam Garcia

Breaking new ground in Canadian politics, O’Toole slips a bogus conspiracy theory into the nationally televised leaders’ debate

  • OTTAWA—Late in the English-language leaders’ debate, the Conservatives’ Erin O’Toole decided to inject a bogus conspiracy theory into the chaotic proceedings. “Mr. Trudeau, Canadians
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 13, 2021
Contrary to what Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, right, told the public during the Sept. 9 English-language leaders’ debate, there’s no evidence whatsoever of doing away with the capital gains tax break for residences in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal campaign proposals. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

Breaking new ground in Canadian politics, O’Toole slips a bogus conspiracy theory into the nationally televised leaders’ debate

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Late in the English-language leaders’ debate, the Conservatives’ Erin O’Toole decided to inject a bogus conspiracy theory into the chaotic proceedings. “Mr. Trudeau, Canadians

Breaking new ground in Canadian politics, O’Toole slips a bogus conspiracy theory into the nationally televised leaders’ debate

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 13, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Late in the English-language leaders’ debate, the Conservatives’ Erin O’Toole decided to inject a bogus conspiracy theory into the chaotic proceedings. “Mr. Trudeau, Canadians
Contrary to what Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, right, told the public during the Sept. 9 English-language leaders’ debate, there’s no evidence whatsoever of doing away with the capital gains tax break for residences in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal campaign proposals. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

What to make of Singh’s claim that the Liberals are in league with the rich?

  • OTTAWA—With his usual free-floating reasoning, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh regularly disparages the Liberals’ Justin Trudeau as a supposed friend of the super-rich—not average people.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 9, 2021
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are pictured during the Sept. 8 French-language leaders’ debate in Gatineau, Que. Singh says the NDP would find the money needed to help average people by increasing taxes on the wealthy. Of course, Singh neglects to mention that the Liberal government already did this, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

What to make of Singh’s claim that the Liberals are in league with the rich?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 9, 2021
  • OTTAWA—With his usual free-floating reasoning, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh regularly disparages the Liberals’ Justin Trudeau as a supposed friend of the super-rich—not average people.

What to make of Singh’s claim that the Liberals are in league with the rich?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 9, 2021
  • OTTAWA—With his usual free-floating reasoning, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh regularly disparages the Liberals’ Justin Trudeau as a supposed friend of the super-rich—not average people.
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are pictured during the Sept. 8 French-language leaders’ debate in Gatineau, Que. Singh says the NDP would find the money needed to help average people by increasing taxes on the wealthy. Of course, Singh neglects to mention that the Liberal government already did this, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

When your election platform is just a rough draft

  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is trying to redefine the concept of integrity in an election campaign. Is it possible to reverse your party’s position
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 8, 2021
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is now ‘offering a more convoluted stance that sounds good to the general public but which can clearly be construed as a dog whistle to sports shooters and collectors of assault weapons,’ according to gun control advocate Nathalie Provost. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

When your election platform is just a rough draft

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 8, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is trying to redefine the concept of integrity in an election campaign. Is it possible to reverse your party’s position

When your election platform is just a rough draft

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 8, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is trying to redefine the concept of integrity in an election campaign. Is it possible to reverse your party’s position
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is now ‘offering a more convoluted stance that sounds good to the general public but which can clearly be construed as a dog whistle to sports shooters and collectors of assault weapons,’ according to gun control advocate Nathalie Provost. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Harper without a scowl: can O’Toole sell voters a package of Harper retreads?

  • OTTAWA—When Stephen Harper lost the election to Justin Trudeau and the Liberals on the night of Oct. 19, 2015, he left the stage of
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 2, 2021
Under Erin O’Toole, former prime minister Stephen Harper is back—at least when it comes to the package of ideas, many of them a decade or so old—the Conservative leader is presenting to voters, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade

Harper without a scowl: can O’Toole sell voters a package of Harper retreads?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 2, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When Stephen Harper lost the election to Justin Trudeau and the Liberals on the night of Oct. 19, 2015, he left the stage of

Harper without a scowl: can O’Toole sell voters a package of Harper retreads?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 2, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When Stephen Harper lost the election to Justin Trudeau and the Liberals on the night of Oct. 19, 2015, he left the stage of
Under Erin O’Toole, former prime minister Stephen Harper is back—at least when it comes to the package of ideas, many of them a decade or so old—the Conservative leader is presenting to voters, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade

How much of the Trump factor are we going to see in this election?

  • OTTAWA—The anti-vaxx crazies trying to disrupt Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s rallies have an all-too-familiar aura. Shouting “lock her up” at the Liberals’ Chrystia Freeland
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 1, 2021
What we don’t know is whether these anti-vaxx political vandals are just more of the nutcases who have been staging occasional rallies against lockdowns for months or whether they are the leading edge of a shift by some Canadians to the more aggressive, manic public behaviour of Trumpish extremists, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

How much of the Trump factor are we going to see in this election?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 1, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The anti-vaxx crazies trying to disrupt Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s rallies have an all-too-familiar aura. Shouting “lock her up” at the Liberals’ Chrystia Freeland

How much of the Trump factor are we going to see in this election?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | September 1, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The anti-vaxx crazies trying to disrupt Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s rallies have an all-too-familiar aura. Shouting “lock her up” at the Liberals’ Chrystia Freeland
What we don’t know is whether these anti-vaxx political vandals are just more of the nutcases who have been staging occasional rallies against lockdowns for months or whether they are the leading edge of a shift by some Canadians to the more aggressive, manic public behaviour of Trumpish extremists, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CBC News

It’s a guy thing: will male voters’ hostility sink Trudeau?

  • OTTAWA—Canadians liked what they saw of Justin Trudeau in 2015, particularly in contrast to Stephen Harper. Nearly six years later, women voters still approve
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 26, 2021
What is it about Justin Trudeau that bothers men? There’s no question that some men are put off by the Liberals’ progressive agenda and the Trudeau government’s willingness to use debt financing to pay for more generous funding programs, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

It’s a guy thing: will male voters’ hostility sink Trudeau?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians liked what they saw of Justin Trudeau in 2015, particularly in contrast to Stephen Harper. Nearly six years later, women voters still approve

It’s a guy thing: will male voters’ hostility sink Trudeau?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Canadians liked what they saw of Justin Trudeau in 2015, particularly in contrast to Stephen Harper. Nearly six years later, women voters still approve
What is it about Justin Trudeau that bothers men? There’s no question that some men are put off by the Liberals’ progressive agenda and the Trudeau government’s willingness to use debt financing to pay for more generous funding programs, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives’ big tent? In search of Erin O’Toole

  • OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole has learned that it doesn’t matter what your convictions are as long as you say things people want to hear and deny
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 23, 2021
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole played both ends against the middle successfully during his victorious Conservative leadership race. But within hours after winning the contest last year, he committed to a centrist approach with the overarching goal of broadening the party’s appeal beyond its western-dominated base, something hard-core right-wingers are still wondering about, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives’ big tent? In search of Erin O’Toole

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole has learned that it doesn’t matter what your convictions are as long as you say things people want to hear and deny

A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives’ big tent? In search of Erin O’Toole

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | August 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole has learned that it doesn’t matter what your convictions are as long as you say things people want to hear and deny
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole played both ends against the middle successfully during his victorious Conservative leadership race. But within hours after winning the contest last year, he committed to a centrist approach with the overarching goal of broadening the party’s appeal beyond its western-dominated base, something hard-core right-wingers are still wondering about, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

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