Ottawa Police Service ‘managing the unmanageable,’ says city’s deputy mayor
Some local officials are now defending Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly’s earlier statement that there may not be a police solution to the convoy that has taken over several parts of the city and stretched into a third week of protests. Sloly’s comments, made in a Feb. 2 press conference, were widely criticized at the […]
Singh scores political points panning Liberal handling of convoy, but ‘crisis’ calls for unified approach, strategists say
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s efforts to condemn and highlight “disturbing” extremism in the “Freedom Convoy” and the dangers of Liberal inaction is the “best path forward” for the party, according to a pollster and former NDP staffer, while a Conservative strategist says the party needs to stop “chirping” and focus on working with other parties […]
Amid continued instability, arts and culture reps call for more supports, help to encourage audience returns
Unable to reopen or properly plan ahead with ongoing COVID-19 turbulence, arts, culture, and sports sector experts recently stressed to MPs the need for continued government support for the industry, beyond measures already announced. “The biggest struggle is the unpredictability and not knowing how long things will run for various reasons, whether that’s another wave […]
Trudeau right to not engage with trucker protesters, but must ‘de-escalate’ situation, say politicos
As the trucker protests in downtown Ottawa approach the two-week mark, two former Liberal staffers say Justin Trudeau is right not to engage with protesters, while a Conservative strategist says the prime minister needs to begin de-escalating the situation. “Whether this is a vulnerable moment for Trudeau politically, I would say no, if he begins […]
Parliamentary Black Caucus calls for financial intelligence unit to probe online crowdfunding platforms as ‘Freedom Convoy’ raises millions
As the House Public Safety Committee begins its study of security measures tied to the millions being raised online for the “Freedom Convoy,” the 12-member Parliamentary Black Caucus says crowdfunding platforms should be added to the list of entities required to report large or suspicious transactions to Canada’s financial intelligence unit. “We’ve never seen this […]
Quebec Liberal MP Robillard also breaks ranks, questions Trudeau government’s handling of pandemic, sides with Lightbound
A three-term Quebec Liberal MP is raising questions about the Justin Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic and says he agrees with fellow Quebec Liberal MP Joel Lightbound who yesterday said the federal government’s response has become “politicized” and “divisive.” “He [Lightbound] said exactly what a lot of us think,” said Liberal MP Yves Robillard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, […]
Social media use, friendly connections under scrutiny as MPs begin overdue conflict of interest code review
The use of social media and who really counts as a friend are among the issues MPs have started to grapple with as they dive in to the overdue review of their conflict of interest rules. With MPs having hundreds of thousands or more followers on social media, there’s the concern that “they can use […]
One last chime? Dominion Carillonneur’s plans for pre-renovation send off dampened by protests
The Peace Tower’s 53-bell carillon will soon go dormant—with work on both the tower and the instrument in the cards—but the recent occupation of downtown Ottawa by COVID-restriction protesters has put a spanner in Dominion Carillonneur Andrea McCrady’s plans for hour-long recitals through to Feb. 18, when the bells have one last chance to chime […]
Tory leadership race should end before July, say Poilievre campaign supporters, unfazed by convoy backing
Supporters of Conservative Party leadership election front-runner—and the sole declared candidate so far—Pierre Poilievre say the contest should be concluded before July to give the winner an opportunity to attend the BBQ circuit across the country during the summer and get the party ready for the next election. “The sooner the better,” said Conservative MP […]
Nearly half of Canada’s air fleet not serviceable to meet readiness and training standards in 2020-21
With an aging air fleet and COVID-19 workplace restrictions in place, a Canadian military departmental results report found that only 55 per cent of Canada’s air fleet is serviceable to meet Canada’s readiness and training requirements. The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces report sets the target of its fleet that is serviceable […]
