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Les Whittington

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

Oval Office blow-up confirmed where Trump really stands

  • It’s becoming undeniable to all concerned that the world we have known has suddenly evaporated.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 5, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Feb. 28 clash at the White House drove home what everyone has been struggling to process about Trump, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube/TheWhiteHouse

Oval Office blow-up confirmed where Trump really stands

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 5, 2025
  • It’s becoming undeniable to all concerned that the world we have known has suddenly evaporated.

Oval Office blow-up confirmed where Trump really stands

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | March 5, 2025
  • It’s becoming undeniable to all concerned that the world we have known has suddenly evaporated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Feb. 28 clash at the White House drove home what everyone has been struggling to process about Trump, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube/TheWhiteHouse

Ottawa looks to new partnerships in Europe as Trump’s threats against Canada materialize

  • Canada’s and Europe’s leaders are trying to rewrite the framework of power to open the way for an end to Russia’s murderous attack on
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 26, 2025
For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, the Feb. 24 call to action in Kyiv on behalf of Ukraine may be remembered as his best moment in nearly a decade in power, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

Ottawa looks to new partnerships in Europe as Trump’s threats against Canada materialize

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 26, 2025
  • Canada’s and Europe’s leaders are trying to rewrite the framework of power to open the way for an end to Russia’s murderous attack on

Ottawa looks to new partnerships in Europe as Trump’s threats against Canada materialize

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 26, 2025
  • Canada’s and Europe’s leaders are trying to rewrite the framework of power to open the way for an end to Russia’s murderous attack on
For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, the Feb. 24 call to action in Kyiv on behalf of Ukraine may be remembered as his best moment in nearly a decade in power, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

Canadians face a new reality as the U.S. abandons 75 years of rules-based, liberal world order

  • U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive fixation with this country and his constant denigration of Canadians and our right to exist as a nation are
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 19, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
After a month of nearly daily threats of economically devastating tariffs, Canadians are beginning to accept the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump actually does want to erase the Canada-U.S. border, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Canadians face a new reality as the U.S. abandons 75 years of rules-based, liberal world order

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 19, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive fixation with this country and his constant denigration of Canadians and our right to exist as a nation are

Canadians face a new reality as the U.S. abandons 75 years of rules-based, liberal world order

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 19, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive fixation with this country and his constant denigration of Canadians and our right to exist as a nation are
Donald Trump
After a month of nearly daily threats of economically devastating tariffs, Canadians are beginning to accept the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump actually does want to erase the Canada-U.S. border, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Carving a new future in the wake of Trump’s betrayal

  • President Donald Trump’s decision to turn on his northern neighbour has forced Canadians to take stock of their heritage, and thrown open the door
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 12, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
In Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump’s flailing about in his new king-of-the-world act has sparked a political upheaval unlike anything seen in decades, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks

Carving a new future in the wake of Trump’s betrayal

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 12, 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s decision to turn on his northern neighbour has forced Canadians to take stock of their heritage, and thrown open the door

Carving a new future in the wake of Trump’s betrayal

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 12, 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s decision to turn on his northern neighbour has forced Canadians to take stock of their heritage, and thrown open the door
Donald Trump
In Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump’s flailing about in his new king-of-the-world act has sparked a political upheaval unlike anything seen in decades, writes Les Whittington. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks

Trump forcing Canadians to look more closely at what our country is all about

  • Canadians need to grab this moment to redefine our internal and external relations.
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 5, 2025
Anita Anand
Anita Anand
The work by Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand to overhaul the country’s internal trade blockages is the most obvious way to bolster the economy, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trump forcing Canadians to look more closely at what our country is all about

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 5, 2025
  • Canadians need to grab this moment to redefine our internal and external relations.

Trump forcing Canadians to look more closely at what our country is all about

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | February 5, 2025
  • Canadians need to grab this moment to redefine our internal and external relations.
Anita Anand
The work by Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand to overhaul the country’s internal trade blockages is the most obvious way to bolster the economy, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

President’s threat to rules-based world order is no joke

  • As Trump continues his shakedown of Canada, it is becoming apparent that his talk about using 'economic force' to annex this country needs to
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 29, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
By re-electing Donald Trump, Americans have opened the way to the end of a world order centred on rules-based trade and democratic alliances that western countries have promoted and benefitted from throughout the postwar era, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Gage Skidmore

President’s threat to rules-based world order is no joke

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 29, 2025
  • As Trump continues his shakedown of Canada, it is becoming apparent that his talk about using 'economic force' to annex this country needs to

President’s threat to rules-based world order is no joke

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | January 29, 2025
  • As Trump continues his shakedown of Canada, it is becoming apparent that his talk about using 'economic force' to annex this country needs to
Donald Trump
By re-electing Donald Trump, Americans have opened the way to the end of a world order centred on rules-based trade and democratic alliances that western countries have promoted and benefitted from throughout the postwar era, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Gage Skidmore
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Learning urban forestry the hard way in the nation’s capital

  • OTTAWA—This year is decidedly the low point in a new experience for people in the nation’s capital in the midst of the worst outbreak
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 14, 2021
One tends to look to government for solutions in this kind of situation. But governments have, of course, been understandably overloaded because of COVID-19. Still, the blasé attitude of officialdom can be annoying to anyone who has collected and killed thousands of caterpillars in hopes of saving trees, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Learning urban forestry the hard way in the nation’s capital

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 14, 2021
  • OTTAWA—This year is decidedly the low point in a new experience for people in the nation’s capital in the midst of the worst outbreak

Learning urban forestry the hard way in the nation’s capital

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 14, 2021
  • OTTAWA—This year is decidedly the low point in a new experience for people in the nation’s capital in the midst of the worst outbreak
One tends to look to government for solutions in this kind of situation. But governments have, of course, been understandably overloaded because of COVID-19. Still, the blasé attitude of officialdom can be annoying to anyone who has collected and killed thousands of caterpillars in hopes of saving trees, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Politics in the age of conspiracy

  • OTTAWA—Yielding to conspiracy theories has been a human habit worth recording going back at least to the late 1800s, and has contributed to all
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 7, 2021
Pro-Trump protestors are pictured in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, 2020. Six months after the Nov. 3 vote, polls show two-thirds of Republicans still believe Joe Biden’s victory was illegitimate, with nearly one-third of independents voicing the same opinion, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Geoff Livingston

Politics in the age of conspiracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 7, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Yielding to conspiracy theories has been a human habit worth recording going back at least to the late 1800s, and has contributed to all

Politics in the age of conspiracy

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | July 7, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Yielding to conspiracy theories has been a human habit worth recording going back at least to the late 1800s, and has contributed to all
Pro-Trump protestors are pictured in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, 2020. Six months after the Nov. 3 vote, polls show two-thirds of Republicans still believe Joe Biden’s victory was illegitimate, with nearly one-third of independents voicing the same opinion, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Geoff Livingston

Real estate nation: putting the economy at risk and disadvantaging a generation

  • OTTAWA—It’s been a decade since the commercial bank borrowing rates influenced by the Bank of Canada shifted permanently downward as the central bank adopted
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 30, 2021
Millennials are facing the outcome of decades of neo-liberal government policies that have left the country with stagnant wages way below what’s needed to comfortably buy a home today, writes Les Whittington. Unsplash photograph by Mika Baumeister

Real estate nation: putting the economy at risk and disadvantaging a generation

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 30, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It’s been a decade since the commercial bank borrowing rates influenced by the Bank of Canada shifted permanently downward as the central bank adopted

Real estate nation: putting the economy at risk and disadvantaging a generation

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 30, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It’s been a decade since the commercial bank borrowing rates influenced by the Bank of Canada shifted permanently downward as the central bank adopted
Millennials are facing the outcome of decades of neo-liberal government policies that have left the country with stagnant wages way below what’s needed to comfortably buy a home today, writes Les Whittington. Unsplash photograph by Mika Baumeister

As political variants of concern rise, Trudeau may yet pay the price for long-time vaccine production failures

  • OTTAWA—Despite an up-and-down performance combatting COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has generally been given okay marks by the public and weathered 16 months of
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 23, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be about to belatedly pay the price for his and other Canadian leaders’ failure over several decades to recognize the danger of large-scale influenza outbreaks and the need to establish domestic pandemic defences, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

As political variants of concern rise, Trudeau may yet pay the price for long-time vaccine production failures

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Despite an up-and-down performance combatting COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has generally been given okay marks by the public and weathered 16 months of

As political variants of concern rise, Trudeau may yet pay the price for long-time vaccine production failures

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 23, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Despite an up-and-down performance combatting COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has generally been given okay marks by the public and weathered 16 months of
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be about to belatedly pay the price for his and other Canadian leaders’ failure over several decades to recognize the danger of large-scale influenza outbreaks and the need to establish domestic pandemic defences, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

With Trump left behind and COVID easing, Trudeau can soon test his standing and vision with voters

  • OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau evaded the Trump menace and is now on the verge of politically surviving the worst public health crisis in a
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 16, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, was present in Britain on the weekend as G7 leaders and others—European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—turned the lights on again after wandering around for years in the confused darkness cast by Donald Trump, writes Les Whittington. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Dawson

With Trump left behind and COVID easing, Trudeau can soon test his standing and vision with voters

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau evaded the Trump menace and is now on the verge of politically surviving the worst public health crisis in a

With Trump left behind and COVID easing, Trudeau can soon test his standing and vision with voters

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau evaded the Trump menace and is now on the verge of politically surviving the worst public health crisis in a
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, was present in Britain on the weekend as G7 leaders and others—European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—turned the lights on again after wandering around for years in the confused darkness cast by Donald Trump, writes Les Whittington. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Dawson

Boris Johnson’s conjurer’s act finally hits the big time

  • OTTAWA—Most of us are all too aware of the unreal, destructive story of Donald Trump. But relatively little attention has been paid to the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 9, 2021
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the foremost modern disruptor of European co-ordination by closing the deal on Brexit, the climax of the Euroskeptic theme the prime minister had been using to successfully promote his personal ambitions for decades, writes Les Whittington. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Andrew Parsons

Boris Johnson’s conjurer’s act finally hits the big time

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 9, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Most of us are all too aware of the unreal, destructive story of Donald Trump. But relatively little attention has been paid to the

Boris Johnson’s conjurer’s act finally hits the big time

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 9, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Most of us are all too aware of the unreal, destructive story of Donald Trump. But relatively little attention has been paid to the
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the foremost modern disruptor of European co-ordination by closing the deal on Brexit, the climax of the Euroskeptic theme the prime minister had been using to successfully promote his personal ambitions for decades, writes Les Whittington. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Andrew Parsons

Milking scapegoats: Biden administration bows to demands to reopen hyped up attacks on Canadian dairy, lumber

  • OTTAWA—One of the reasons Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency in 2016 was his promise to “drain the swamp”—that is, reduce the immense power
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 2, 2021
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is former president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the lobby group whose demands for action in retaliation for Canada’s allegedly unfair dairy practices put the tariff-rate quotas issue on the government agenda in Washington, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Milking scapegoats: Biden administration bows to demands to reopen hyped up attacks on Canadian dairy, lumber

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 2, 2021
  • OTTAWA—One of the reasons Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency in 2016 was his promise to “drain the swamp”—that is, reduce the immense power

Milking scapegoats: Biden administration bows to demands to reopen hyped up attacks on Canadian dairy, lumber

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | June 2, 2021
  • OTTAWA—One of the reasons Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency in 2016 was his promise to “drain the swamp”—that is, reduce the immense power
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is former president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the lobby group whose demands for action in retaliation for Canada’s allegedly unfair dairy practices put the tariff-rate quotas issue on the government agenda in Washington, writes Les Whittington. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

The populist riddle: who can you recruit to support their own race to the bottom?

  • OTTAWA—The fact that millions of Americans vote against their own interests—long a subject of political science curiosity—is becoming increasingly beside the point. In the
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 26, 2021
As reported by the Toronto Star, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, right, intrigued by the shift of blue-collar voters to the right in Britain led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and in the U.S. under Donald Trump, left, is paying for social media tactics from British-based consultants who worked for Johnson during the 2019 U.K. election, writes Les Whittington. Official White House photograph by Shealah Craighead, Flickr photograph by Arno Mikkor, The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The populist riddle: who can you recruit to support their own race to the bottom?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The fact that millions of Americans vote against their own interests—long a subject of political science curiosity—is becoming increasingly beside the point. In the

The populist riddle: who can you recruit to support their own race to the bottom?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—The fact that millions of Americans vote against their own interests—long a subject of political science curiosity—is becoming increasingly beside the point. In the
As reported by the Toronto Star, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, right, intrigued by the shift of blue-collar voters to the right in Britain led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and in the U.S. under Donald Trump, left, is paying for social media tactics from British-based consultants who worked for Johnson during the 2019 U.K. election, writes Les Whittington. Official White House photograph by Shealah Craighead, Flickr photograph by Arno Mikkor, The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Unfinished political business piles up as pandemic drags on

  • OTTAWA—People with broken teeth are putting off visits to the dentist. In Ontario, you haven’t been able to get a replacement for a disintegrating
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 19, 2021
In an unexpected move, Quebec Premier François Legault has resurfaced the volatile sovereignty issue in a manner freighted with unknown consequences as part of the newly released Bill 96, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Unfinished political business piles up as pandemic drags on

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 19, 2021
  • OTTAWA—People with broken teeth are putting off visits to the dentist. In Ontario, you haven’t been able to get a replacement for a disintegrating

Unfinished political business piles up as pandemic drags on

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 19, 2021
  • OTTAWA—People with broken teeth are putting off visits to the dentist. In Ontario, you haven’t been able to get a replacement for a disintegrating
In an unexpected move, Quebec Premier François Legault has resurfaced the volatile sovereignty issue in a manner freighted with unknown consequences as part of the newly released Bill 96, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

While no longer a daily spectacle, Trump still has U.S. democracy on the ropes

  • OTTAWA—Not having to read about or hear about Donald Trump every day has been like a six-month vacation. But those who thought the former
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 12, 2021
Despite Donald Trump being disgraced by impeachment in the House of Representatives, despite his leaving office with the lowest approval rating in 40 years, despite his effort to literally overthrow the results of the election, and despite him being the first incumbent president to be ousted by voters in nearly three decades, his grip on Republicans appears for now immutable, writes Les Whittington. Pixabay image by Gerd Altmann

While no longer a daily spectacle, Trump still has U.S. democracy on the ropes

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 12, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Not having to read about or hear about Donald Trump every day has been like a six-month vacation. But those who thought the former

While no longer a daily spectacle, Trump still has U.S. democracy on the ropes

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 12, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Not having to read about or hear about Donald Trump every day has been like a six-month vacation. But those who thought the former
Despite Donald Trump being disgraced by impeachment in the House of Representatives, despite his leaving office with the lowest approval rating in 40 years, despite his effort to literally overthrow the results of the election, and despite him being the first incumbent president to be ousted by voters in nearly three decades, his grip on Republicans appears for now immutable, writes Les Whittington. Pixabay image by Gerd Altmann

So, Ontario, how’s electing unqualified, anti-government populists working out for you?

  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of COVID-19 and the public response are reminiscent of the way things went with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 5, 2021
Doug Ford
Doug Ford
With Premier Doug Ford’s failures as Ontario’s pandemic leader peaking in recent weeks, the Progressive Conservatives have taken Trump-like to outright lying in an attempt to silt up the political waters and deflect attention from the out-of-control provincial health catastrophe, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

So, Ontario, how’s electing unqualified, anti-government populists working out for you?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 5, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of COVID-19 and the public response are reminiscent of the way things went with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s

So, Ontario, how’s electing unqualified, anti-government populists working out for you?

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | May 5, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of COVID-19 and the public response are reminiscent of the way things went with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s
Doug Ford
With Premier Doug Ford’s failures as Ontario’s pandemic leader peaking in recent weeks, the Progressive Conservatives have taken Trump-like to outright lying in an attempt to silt up the political waters and deflect attention from the out-of-control provincial health catastrophe, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Memo to Singh: the NDP enabled the demise of Canada’s only national childcare program

  • OTTAWA—Accuracy is not a prominent feature in today’s public affairs and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh probably doesn’t expect people to remember 2005 events—certainly, he
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 28, 2021
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, pictured during a press conference on Feb. 23. Singh should have a chat with Ken Dryden, who as Liberal social development minister spent 2004 and 2005 negotiating federal-provincial childcare agreements, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Memo to Singh: the NDP enabled the demise of Canada’s only national childcare program

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 28, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Accuracy is not a prominent feature in today’s public affairs and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh probably doesn’t expect people to remember 2005 events—certainly, he

Memo to Singh: the NDP enabled the demise of Canada’s only national childcare program

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 28, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Accuracy is not a prominent feature in today’s public affairs and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh probably doesn’t expect people to remember 2005 events—certainly, he
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, pictured during a press conference on Feb. 23. Singh should have a chat with Ken Dryden, who as Liberal social development minister spent 2004 and 2005 negotiating federal-provincial childcare agreements, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

COVID or not, Freeland’s budget doesn’t shy away from challenging Canadians on their vision for the future

  • OTTAWA—Despite the immediate crunch of the third wave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government shows no signs of backing away from its plan to transform
Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 19, 2021
In the most impactful budget in recent memory, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland looked beyond COVID-19 on Monday to preview the greener, fairer Canada the Liberals are hoping voters will endorse for the future, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

COVID or not, Freeland’s budget doesn’t shy away from challenging Canadians on their vision for the future

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 19, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Despite the immediate crunch of the third wave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government shows no signs of backing away from its plan to transform

COVID or not, Freeland’s budget doesn’t shy away from challenging Canadians on their vision for the future

Opinion | BY LES WHITTINGTON | April 19, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Despite the immediate crunch of the third wave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government shows no signs of backing away from its plan to transform
In the most impactful budget in recent memory, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland looked beyond COVID-19 on Monday to preview the greener, fairer Canada the Liberals are hoping voters will endorse for the future, writes Les Whittington. Screenshot courtesy of CPAC

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

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