Poilievre has ‘captured the attention of Canadians,’ but unclear if this will translate into a win, say politicos
Political observers say it’s still unclear whether the large crowds Pierre Poilievre is drawing to his rallies and his traction on social media will translate into votes for the Ottawa-area MP considered to be the front-runner in the federal Conservative leadership race. “What’s clear is that he can generate attention, he’s got eyeballs, he has […]
Long-term funding for infrastructure projects crucial for Indigenous self-governance, says expert
This year’s budget reaffirms past billion-dollar federal commitments to fund the long-term infrastructure needs of Indigenous communities, but some advocates are calling for clarity to make sure First Nations are not left holding the bag for assets they do not have sufficient resources to properly maintain as many negotiate for greater self-government. Lynne Groulx, the […]
After the Freedom Convoy, politicians are reimagining Wellington Street
OTTAWA—Politicians representing the downtown Ottawa area hardest hit by the three week-long trucker convoy protest in January and February are finding a silver lining from the massive disruption. Wellington Street through the Parliamentary Precinct should remain shut to vehicular traffic. “Our downtown is built of highways—Lyon, Kent, Slater, Albert [streets]—we do not need Wellington as […]
Russia-Ukraine ‘war-supply shock’ could erode Canada’s positive financial situation, warns former PBO
“Today, Canada has come roaring back,” federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland declared in the House of Commons on April 7, echoing a familiar promise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used throughout the pandemic. Canada’s deficit is projected to drop to $52.8-billion this year, down slightly from the $58.4-billion estimated for 2022-23 in December’s fiscal update—and both […]
Need for austerity is ‘fundamentally disproven’ by 2022 budget: economists
With its latest budget, the government finds itself in “an enviable fiscal moment,” say economists, leading some to conclude that austere approaches to balancing the budget “have been relegated to history.” “The government’s fiscal response to the pandemic—injecting huge amounts of spending power when we needed it most—has actually allowed us to have smaller deficits […]
Finnish ambassador talks Russian invasion, need to keep communications line open
With Moscow’s bombardment of Ukraine and allegations of war crimes, Canada and the West are seen to have relinquished their long-held engagement policies on Russia, as has Finland, which is on the doorstep of dropping its historic position of neutrality and applying to join NATO. But there’s still debate over how diplomatic engagement should carry […]
‘No time to lose’: Indo-Pacific strategy highly anticipated after absence from budget
Absent from the latest federal budget were commitments to Indo-Pacific priorities as Canadians await the government’s much-anticipated strategy for engagement in the region. In the budget tabled on April 7, the Liberal government pledged an additional $8-billion in defence funding and to complete a defence review. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s (University-Rosedale, […]
Bay du Nord project puts Canada on path to stay a global ‘outlier’ in climate change fight, warn critics
Environmentalists say Ottawa’s approval of the Bay du Nord offshore oil project—a week after the release of the federal government’s emissions reduction plan and two days after the International Panel on Climate Change’s latest report—marks Canada as an “outlier” on the world stage. But they say Canadians don’t see themselves that way. The Bay du […]
‘More than crowd counts,’ Charest campaign says it’s focused on membership sales, while Poilievre’s campaign attracts big crowds
Membership sign-ups play a critical role in the outcome of any leadership election campaign, and this is the reason why Jean Charest’s campaign has been focusing chiefly on signing up new members, not on “crowd counts.” “Even more than PR and crowd counts, what matters are membership sales, right,” said Michelle Coates Mather, director of […]
‘Centrist’ Grit MPs support Liberal-NDP agreement ‘at this time,’ but ‘very concerned’ about financial aspect of deal, says nine-term Liberal MP Sgro
A seasoned government backbencher says she supports the Liberal-NDP confidence-and-supply agreement “at this time,” but indicated that support could falter if the cost involved in honouring this deal turns out to be too high, adding she’s not alone in caucus with her concerns. “At this time, because of the stability issue, I am supportive of […]
