Chrystia Freeland’s Kyiv calling: Russian invasion of Ukraine personal file for deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland invoked one of history’s great orators during a press conference inside the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Feb. 28, four days after Russia invaded Ukraine, her ancestral homeland. “Dr. Martin Luther King believed that the arc of the moral universe is long, but that it bends towards justice. He […]
Adding Indigenous languages to ballots a step toward reconciliation: Chief Electoral Officer
Enabling the use of Indigenous languages in the federal electoral process is “at the core of reconciliation,” says Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault, but doing so would require sorting out details around which languages to incorporate, where, and how, and would likely mean amending the Canada Elections Act. “The presence of Indigenous languages at the […]
‘Deeply disturbing’ report raises questions about federal interventions supporting Canadian mining companies overseas despite human rights concerns
A new report provides a window into the Harper government’s aggressive support for a Canadian mining company in Guatemala, but MPs and human rights advocates say the current government still improperly prioritizes “economic diplomacy” over its human rights and environmental obligations. NDP MP and international development critic Heather McPherson told The Hill Times that the […]
Medical professionals’ discomfort with digital tech is stumbling block to spread of AI in health care, say experts
Medical professionals’ lack of comfort with new digital technologies is a major challenge that will need to be overcome as Health Canada develops the regulatory framework to support the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices, according to experts. “In medicine, there’s a huge divide between the IT side of the organization and the […]
As Conservatives decry end of accountability at committees, NDP MPs say nothing has changed
As NDP MPs say their work on House committees will remain uninterrupted by a supply-and-confidence agreement with the government, Conservative MPs worry committees will operate as if the Liberals control a majority Parliament. House committees have been given renewed importance since 2019 as opposition parties in a minority Parliament have the plurality of votes, which […]
How can lower-profile Conservative leadership candidates shift the race?
Lesser-known Conservative leadership candidates will have a chance to bring forward their ideas and increase their notoriety and in the process could force the frontrunners to address them—especially if the vote takes multiple ballots and they need to become their rivals’ supporters second choice. The Conservative leadership race has quickly become a crowded field of […]
Momentum builds in Senate for bill to seize and repurpose frozen assets
With the Canadian government placing sanctions on a multitude of Russian officials and oligarchs, there is renewed momentum in the Senate to pass a bill that would allow the government to seize and repurpose frozen assets. Independent Ontario Senator Ratna Omidvar’s Bill S-217—an act respecting the repurposing of certain seized, frozen, or sequestrated assets—was reintroduced […]
Unionizing the military might address some culture issues but it comes at a potential cost: experts
As the Canadian Armed Forces grapples with ways to improve its culture, some experts say unionization could be a potential benefit, particularly in solving long-standing issues with grievance processes, but others say it could create more problems. Asked if Canada’s military should be unionized, Michel Drapeau, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa […]
Mixed reviews for Liberal solution to protect Quebec seats
The Trudeau government recently tabled its solution to stop Quebec from losing a seat in this year’s riding redistribution process, but the proposal, which would set a new minimum seat count for provinces, is getting mixed reviews from opposition MPs. “This is a good step in the right direction,” said NDP MP Daniel Blaikie […]
Handguns occupy ‘tremendous amount of time’ in Public Safety Committee’s firearms study, says NDP MP MacGregor
The discussion around handguns occupied a “tremendous amount of time” from witnesses while the House Public Safety and National Security Committee studied gun control, illegal arms trafficking, and the increase in gun crimes committed by members of street gangs, says an NDP committee member as the group finalizes a report on the study. “One of […]
