Nobody directed Liberal committee members to filibuster WE Charity proceedings, says Rodriguez
Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez denied suggestions on Monday that his party engaged in a “concerted effort” to hold filibusters at committees probing the WE Charity affair, after Parliament returned from prorogation last fall. Speaking to the House Procedure and Affairs Committee (PROC), Mr. Rodriguez (Honoré-Mercier, Que.) suggested Liberal MPs acted on their own accord. […]
COVID-19 prevented 31 billions of ocean pollution being dumped on Canada’s coast. What happens once it’s over?
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra recently announced that the cruise ship ban in Canada would be extended until February 2022 due to COVID-19, a decision that was not to be taken lightly. This pause provides us with a critical opportunity to ensure the health of coastal communities and ecosystems by updating our regulations to ensure that […]
Indigenous groups wary but hopeful as consultations start on co-developing distinctions-based health legislation
The Liberal government’s promise to co-develop distinctions-based Indigenous health legislation is being welcomed as an opportunity solidify jurisdiction by some Indigenous groups, who are also cautious of Ottawa’s approach to consultations. For many, self-determination and the provincial and territorial transfer of health service delivery to Inuit, Métis, and First Nations is the key outcome. Any legislation […]
Conservative Fund’s lack of oversight emerging as key issue in lead-up to next month’s policy convention
The powerful Conservative Fund Canada, responsible for raising and spending millions of dollars every year without any oversight, should be accountable to the Conservative Party’s national council, the highest elected governing body of the party, say some potential candidates seeking to be members of it. Gord Elliott, a veteran Calgary-based party member who’s running for […]
‘Everything in this budget will be driven by COVID’: former public servants, Liberal insiders lay out expectations for the pandemic budget
Expect a buttoned-down spring budget, say politicos and former government insiders, as the pandemic and vaccine rollout continue to challenge the Liberals and talk of a pending general election has faded. “In terms of shiny ponies, I think that the spends have become much more basic,” said Joe Jordan, a consultant lobbyist at Bluesky Strategies […]
‘I still stand by my votes, and also by my support of C-7 as is,’ says Quebec Senator Chantal Petitclerc
The Senate made five changes to the Liberals’ assisted dying legislation last week, but the government is staying tight-lipped about whether it will accept any of them when Bill C-7 returns to the House of Commons. The bill’s sponsor in the Senate, Independent Senator Chantal Petitclerc, said she supports Bill C-7 as is, without any […]
Social conservatives more organized than ever before for next month’s policy convention, say political insiders
Social conservatives are more organized for the Conservative Party’s March 18-March 20 policy convention than ever before, and aim to pass “as many good pro-life, pro- family policies” as possible, and stop the party leaders’ efforts to pivot to the centre of the political spectrum, say political insiders. “He’s [Erin O’Toole] really making a determined […]
Blair regrets months-long delay in directing RCMP to address access-to-information backlog
Canada’s Public Safety Minister Bill Blair only recently issued a directive that called on the RCMP to create a “comprehensive plan” for tackling a backlog of access-to-information requests, nearly three months since he promised action. Mr. Blair (Scarborough-Southwest, Ont.) told reporters on Nov. 17, 2020, that the RCMP would have three months to develop its […]
Canada’s immigration policies create discriminatory outcomes for African applicants, critics say
Canada must apply a racial lens to its goal of increasing francophone immigration, and address why officials are refusing visas and study permits to African countries at higher rates, say immigration critics, if it has any hope of meeting its French-speaking targets. MPs and immigration advocates said they’ve repeatedly warned Ottawa that a section on […]
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