OPINION
Rae Days in the rearview: polling shows few Ontarians fear an NDP government
Only the NDP can appeal to voters who want change and those afraid of Doug Ford at the same time.
After more than a year of bad actors hogging the global stage, the marriage of a good one to a prince offers joy amid chaos.
The Trudeau government’s cowardly response to Air Canada’s decision to list Taiwan as part of China could damage Canada’s reputation abroad.
Their concerns about Canada’s impending legalization are bolstered by claims that U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis have seen a public health disaster. But that’s just not true.
Processes to ensure a fair and impartial hearing for both alleged victims and perpetrators of harassment are crucial to existing Hill harassment policies, as well as the newly tabled federal legislation under Bill C-65.
OTTAWA—It’s hard to know how to hold the media accountable these days. It used to be one could cancel a subscription, or write letters to the editor that would actually be read. Nowadays, fewer people…
There is a political price to be paid for this disapproval. One third (33%) of Canadians say they are less likely to vote Liberal because of the way they have handled the issue. Just 12% say more likely.
Canada already set a global example in accepting Syrians who can’t return home. Now it should take a hands-on role that actually returns Rohingya refugees home in a safe way.Hill Times Columnists
TORONTO—How much health care, education, and other public goods we value can we afford? It’s an important question for Canada as we face the challenges of an aging society and weak productivity growth. It’s certainly…
OTTAWA—United States President Donald Trump has once again served notice that he will pressure NATO members not currently spending two per cent of their gross domestic product on defence to start ponying up the difference.…
OTTAWA—Thank you Donald Trump. A Middle East powder keg erupted last week with a split-screen shot that said it all. The juxtaposition was so glaring that the Economist cover story had this to say: “In a…
CHELSEA, QUE.—This country needs a reconstructed Conservative Party—one that embodies the prudent policy and personal rectitude of a Peter Loughheed, Bill Davis, Joe Clark, or Robert Stanfield, not the extremism, vitriol, and defiant ignorance on…
OTTAWA—We get a peek at what security intelligence services do all too rarely in this country. In contrast, the recent leaking of an FBI memo on the investigation into possible Russian meddling in the 2016…
Opinion
With caucus-conduct controversies and concerns about his chances in the next election, it’s not a great time to be the NDP leader.
He may eke out a surprising win in North Korea, but on Iran and Israel, he’s deteriorating years of careful diplomatic work.
If we are in it, it should be to win it. Otherwise it is just senseless political posturing to curry favour at the UN.
While protecting the environment is important, well-intentioned actions, like putting in place an oil and gas exploration ban and carbon pricing, represent a U-turn in our struggle for economic prosperity.
There aren’t enough emergency personnel to respond to everyone at risk. The authorities need to focus on the big picture. The feds have a role, but individuals are expected to pull their weight too.
Like so many elements of politics, corruption isn’t what it used to be. The Trump presidency is both a product and instrument of a uniquely 21st-century version.
OTTAWA—Earlier this month, the planet commemorated World Press Freedom Day, launched by the United Nations in the last century. The recognition, proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1993, coincided with the anniversary of the Declaration…
Bill C-77 will make the change the way the military system deals with victims and the accused.Editorial
Knocking the side hustle
Another day, another ethics inquiry into the conduct of a Liberal Member of the House. On May 17, ethics commissioner Mario Dion announced he was launching an investigation related to the conduct of Brampton East…
Kenney should stick to the issues, put a lid on personal attacks
Alberta United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney has always had a way with words and a gift for the gab. Sometimes he can be cut-throat nasty. This is what he said last week about Prime…
With every new misconduct allegation, more questions are raised
The last week’s revelations about NDP MP Christine Moore have rocked Parliament Hill again in what seems to be a regular occurrence in the last several months. And they’ve raised new questions about how to…
Letters to the editor
Here’s what MP Cathy McLeod ought to know about carbon pricing
Re: “Northerners deserve a government that has their back,” (The Hill Times, May 16, p. 17). Let’s have all the facts. In decrying Justin Trudeau’s “carbon tax,” Conservative MP Cathy McLeod fails to mention that…
We need more than campaign slogans to effectively deal with climate change
Re: “Northerners deserve a government that has their back,” (The Hill Times, May 16, p. 17). Conservative MP Cathy McLeod makes the assumption that putting a price on carbon emissions is an attempt “to govern…
Every sovereign country has the right to designate its own capital, including Israel
Re: "A rampant Trump makes the world more dangerous by the day" (The Hill Times, May 16, p. 10). Les Whittington laments the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy there…
Hill Times Columnists
OAKVILLE, ONT.—I recently received a summons to show up at a courtroom for possible jury duty. And naturally, like any other red-blooded, civic-minded citizen, my initial reaction to the summons was, “How do I get…
LONDON, U.K.—Mahathir Mohamad was always a curious character. He was prime minister of Malaysia for 22 years, and although he did not enrich himself, many of his cronies did very well from corrupt practices that…
TORONTO—Gordie. That’s what we called him—or I did, at least. When someone has been one of your closest friends for almost four decades, calling him anything else didn’t seem right. It’s not that he didn’t have…
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III. Bob Woodward New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. The water-cooler take on Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein has long been that Woodward was the plodding, anal one…
What a year it has been for women in politics in Canada. The developments have been dramatic in some cases, lacklustre or downright disturbing in others. While generally there’s been progress, the devil is in the details.…
Opinion
Kathleen Wynne thinks traditional campaigns still matter. They don’t.
OAKVILLE, ONT.—When recent polls indicated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had bounced back from his recent dip in popularity, it was easy to conclude the Conservative Party, which in some surveys had actually surpassed the Liberals,…
The peace train is rolling in the Korean Peninsula. Countries such as Canada that traditionally take their cue from the U.S. might want to hop aboard—even if Trump doesn’t.
A year into his new job as Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer is methodically trying to mend some of the fences broken by his predecessor. Fresh from a weekend appearance on Radio-Canada’s talk show Tout le…
On the South China Sea and North Korea, Canada has acted in line with its core values.
He demonstrated that nice guys can succeed, the importance of friendships even across party lines, and the key to job security is always keeping your community front and centre.
I have lived and worked in Honduras as a Canadian human rights defender for nine years. I am also the spouse of political prisoner, Edwin Espinal, who is being held in horrific conditions in a…
We say our military is protecting Canadian values. In that case, we need to tell Ukraine and Latvia that glorifying the perpetrators of the Holocaust is not a Canadian value.
Hill Times Columnists
A month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped in to resolve the impasse between British Columbia and Alberta over the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, his government has little to show for its efforts.…
POWERS: I hope enough Quebecers tell Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marios to kiss Prince Harry’s recently displayed arse on Sept. 4 and that Jean Charest is returned to power. Any leader like Marois who wants…
OTTAWA—Conceived as a kind of fireside chat among the leaders of the biggest industrial democracies, the first high-level international “summit” was hosted by French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing at the Chateau de Rambouillet outside Paris…
TORONTO—As we know, life goes on no matter what. Now that Jack Layton is resting in peace, the race to replace him is on, both as leader and MP for the Toronto Danforth riding. There…
POWELL RIVER, B.C.—Justin Trudeau has proven to be much more bold in his first couple of weeks than almost anyone imagined. And unlike Jean Chrétien and his 1993 election Red Book, Trudeau actually seems to…