A snowy day, and a vice-regal departure
Trudeau dodges questions on culpability for Payette appointment
Facing scrutiny over his part in selecting the disgraced former governor general Julie Payette, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday dodged questions on whether he would resurface a non-partisan committee to help select her replacement. Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) insisted there was a “rigorous” vetting process when he appointed the former astronaut, who resigned Thursday […]
Julie Payette resigns as governor general after investigation into workplace harassment at Rideau Hall, Trudeau says her replacement will be named in ‘due course’
Julie Payette resigned as governor general Thursday, after reports that an independent review appeared to corroborate allegations that she presided over a workplace culture that was characterized by harassment and abuse of employees. Her deputy, Assunta di Lorenzo, also implicated in the allegations, has also resigned, according to reports. Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner […]
Correctional Service ‘abdicating’ responsibility in Quebec woman’s murder, say critics of response to internal report
The Correctional Service of Canada has promised to strengthen its community supervision policies after an internal report found it missed a number of warning signs before a parolee killed a woman—a response critics say comes too late and shows the agency is “abdicating” responsibility over the “catastrophic failure” of oversight. The CSC’s changes, which include […]
If Canada ‘unequivocally supports’ nuclear disarmament, it must sign onto UN Nuclear Ban Treaty
It’s time to nuke the nukes. The Trudeau government needs to live up to its rhetoric and sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty. Joining would be a meaningful contribution to creating a world without the threat of nuclear annihilation. In early January, parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, Rob Oliphant, said, “We are committed […]
Conservative caucus votes to expel Sloan, former contender for party leadership
A majority of Conservatives on Wednesday voted in favour of removing embattled MP Derek Sloan from their caucus during a virtual meeting, in an apparent rebuke of his leadership campaign’s acceptance of a donation from an avowed white nationalist. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s (Durham, Ont.) bid to remove the Ontario MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington […]
‘Democracy has prevailed,’ Biden tells nation as Trump leaves office
Turning the page on the Trump presidency, U.S. President Joe Biden used his first address as commander in chief to stress the transfer of power this time represents more than the departure of one candidate, and can be regarded as the triumph of democracy. “The will of the people has been heard and the will […]
Former innovation minister Bains was most-lobbied minister in 2020
As COVID-19 changed the course of history and the government’s agenda, former innovation minister Navdeep Bains emerged as the most-lobbied minister in 2020, taking the top spot from Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, who was the most sought-after minister in 2019, according to a Hill Times analysis of all monthly communication reports filed with the lobbying […]
Garneau’s new foreign affairs post centres on his American links and steady hands, say analysts
As a new administration takes over the White House, Canada’s new foreign affairs minister, Marc Garneau, brings experience stick-handling Canada’s most important relationship, something seen as a boon, given he’s been jointly tasked with taking the ministerial lead in anchoring the relationship. While lacking the “razzle-dazzle” of some past foreign ministers, foreign policy experts say […]
Updated mandate letters allow Grits to showcase pandemic fight without being attacked for abandoning promises, say politicos
With the release of updated mandate letters, the federal government has positioned itself as confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, yet not shying away from past commitments that could lead to opposition attack. After months of waiting, the Liberals released supplementary mandate letters on Jan. 15 for cabinet ministers focused on the pandemic and economic recovery, but […]
