Bill to entrench new Senate leaders for good has arrived
A government bill will change Canadian law to permanently give new rights and privileges to leaders of three groups in the Senate—if it can be passed before the next election. The government finally introduced the bill to change the Parliament of Canada Act on April 30, several years after it was first promised. Bill S-4 […]
Bill C-10: how closing the YouTube ‘loophole’ created a political firestorm
The controversy around the government’s bill to update the Canadian Broadcasting Act has made a few things abundantly clear: the Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP all say they support freedom of expression, Canadian culture, and cracking down on the “web giants.” The details of how to do all of that at once, and score points with […]
‘You are walking on eggshells’: infectious disease docs say ‘trust in vaccines is fragile,’ NACI guidance unhelpful
Last week’s messaging from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) about the AstraZeneca vaccine has eroded trust in public health communications, say infectious disease experts. NACI officials said last week that getting the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines made sense for some Canadians, but that the higher risk that those two could cause […]
Thousands of expiring Conservative Party memberships this month throwing a wrench in nominations, say Conservatives
The thousands of Conservative Party memberships expiring this month are adding another layer of complexity in the nomination process as candidates are already facing an uphill battle to sign up new members in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, say Conservatives. “Everything’s more difficult in a pandemic, door-to-door knocking efforts to try to get support for the […]
Motion to establish House Science and Research Committee has cross-partisan support
Canada’s former minister of science says there should be a full-fledged House Science and Research Committee in the next Parliament and says it could have played a vital role during the global pandemic. Ms. Duncan (Etobicoke North, Ont.), who served as the federal minister of science and sport in the last Parliament and currently serves […]
Large-scale projects under Canada Infrastructure Bank’s umbrella, ‘take time,’ says CEO, following PBO report outlining ongoing delays in projects
Following a report from the Parliamentary Budget Office that outlined delays in the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s mandate to disburse $35-billion before its mandate expires, MPs and economists say the model set up by the Liberal government is not effective, and that the Liberals “are trying to push water up hill.” But the Infrastructure Bank’s CEO […]
Feds should tout vaccine costs as ‘leverage’ in future talks with premiers, says expert
Ottawa could have used its “leverage” of assuming the cost of COVID-19 vaccines to secure more “guarantees” from the premiers on national data collection standards, but that approach could have been portrayed as “unethical,” say some experts. But that doesn’t mean the federal government should shy away from asserting its clout, according to one former […]
Top PMO aide got assurances ‘no one’s safety was at risk’ as probe into Vance allegation hit impasse
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top aide says she sought assurances from the bureaucracy that “no one’s safety was at risk” when it was unable to press forward with the probe into a misconduct allegation against now-retired chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance due to limited information about the complaint. “I wanted to make sure […]
Liberal MPs in Toronto’s hot spots ramp up outreach to support mass immunization, address hesitancy
Toronto MPs representing hot spots say the city responded well to mass vaccinations targeting neighbourhoods at highest risk of infection, and say they’ve been ramping up their outreach to aid the effort. In April, Ontario designated 114 hot-spot neighbourhoods, 53 of which are in Toronto and sit in 20 federal ridings, all Liberal save for […]
Election speculation, party conventions likely boosted fundraising haul, say strategists
The possibility of a looming election likely boosted some opposition parties’ haul in the first few months of the new year, strategists say, with the Conservatives posting more than double what they fundraised the year prior. The Conservatives under leader Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) led the pack with $8.4-million in the first quarter, up significantly […]
