Black public servants’ class-action suit litigants seeking $100-million mental health fund from feds
The legal team representing hundreds of current and former Black federal employees now part of a proposed multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit against the federal government has filed a motion in federal court for the government to implement a $100-million mental health fund to address mental injuries and ongoing challenges faced by Black public service workers. The […]
Non-partisan focus needed for next UN Security Council campaign, say experts
More than a year after Canada lost its bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, experts say a non-partisan approach is needed to fix mistakes of past failed campaigns. Trumpeted as a central pillar of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.) foreign agenda since he came to power in 2015, the Canadian […]
Zoom meet-ups and chat groups: the unusual first term of Parliament’s class of 2019
Ottawa’s bracing for an election call that would end the 43rd Parliament, most of which has been spent in the shadow of COVID-19, and first-term MPs say that while the resulting shift to virtual helped level the playing field and bring welcome flexibility, it made for a “shadow” of an experience, made relationship building difficult, […]
‘Slightly odd group of people’: political passion drives party executives behind the scenes
A speculative election season may bring a ramp-up of responsibility and change in workflows, but for the executives who volunteer their time to run federal political parties, this is what they live for. Those in these party executive and national council positions are elected and serve on a voluntary basis. Their responsibilities include typical party […]
Haiti sees role for Canada in paving path to new elections
Following the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse, the Haitian ambassador in Ottawa says there is a role for Canada in helping the Caribbean nation conduct its elections. Mr. Moïse was killed on July 7 in his Port-au-Prince home. His wife, Martine Moïse, was injured in the attack. In the months leading up to the […]
Ethics Committee meeting adjourns with no vote on investigation into Liberals’ use of parliamentary funds
A House Ethics Committee meeting adjourned Monday with no vote after five hours of debate over whether to investigate Liberal MPs hiring—with parliamentary funds—two companies central to the Liberal Party’s digital campaign operations. Despite Parliament rising for the summer, the committee was called to meet at the request of three Conservative MPs and a Bloc […]
ITK’s strategy to combat food insecurity crisis ‘a step along the way to a solution,’ says Obed
The high cost and inadequate supply of food have exposed Inuit people to a complex national public health crisis that needs to be addressed, according to a food security strategy released by the national Inuit organization. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) released the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy (INFSS) on July 12, considered the first of […]
Men on a mission: how two Conservative MPs changed Canada’s laws the hard way, twice
Two Conservative MPs from Alberta were among the few who accomplished a rare feat in June: seeing their private members’ bills passed into law. For Conservative MP Len Webber (Calgary Confederation, Alta.), it started with a promise to his wife Heather in the final days of her life. She had been a regular blood donor […]
Feds’ 2035 green cars promise leaves unanswered questions, say auto associations
The Liberal government’s announcement that all vehicles sold in Canada in 2035 will be “zero-emission” has left unanswered questions about the choices Canadians will have, and how the auto industry is going to play its part. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra (Mississauga Centre, Ont.) announced on June 29 that the government was setting a “mandatory target” […]
From shutdown to ‘hybrid,’ prorogation, voting app, and the ‘undermining of democracy’: MPs, politicos weigh in on Canada’s ‘pandemic Parliament’
From the early warnings about what would become the COVID-19 pandemic, to the public health restrictions in March 2020, the WE Charity scandal, hundreds of billions of dollars of approved spending, and most recently, a contempt of Parliament motion, Canada’s historic and unprecedented 43rd “hybrid” Parliament has been unlike any other, says MPs and politicos. […]
