As Ford declares second state of emergency, some federal Ontario MPs say situation at ‘critical point,’ looking for more clarity
Following Ontario’s second state of emergency declared last week since the pandemic began as a result of escalating COVID-19 numbers, a number of Ontario MPs are saying the pandemic has reached “a critical point” and are looking for more clarity from the provincial government around stay-at-home orders that will persist until well into February. The […]
Conservatives need to chart ‘uniquely Canadian’ vision of party in wake of Capitol Hill riot, say political players
Multiple Conservatives, including party leader Erin O’Toole, have publicly condemned the violent insurrection that overtook the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and left five dead. But Canadian strategists, pollsters, and experts say the party still has work to do to address some of the Trump-style, divisive politics within its ranks and that it has to […]
Pandemic election bill far from the finish line, as talk of spring vote continues
A mid-pandemic spring election would cause big problems, and it could come before proposed changes to make the electoral process safer have come into effect, says former head of Elections Canada Jean-Pierre Kingsley. Political pundits have speculated for months that either the government or opposition would trigger an election this spring. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]
Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle yet another indication Liberals ‘clearing the decks’ for a spring election, say political watchers
The Liberals deny it, but political insiders say last week’s cabinet shuffle is yet another indication Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is setting the stage for a spring election, and that the new cabinet is the governing party’s election cabinet. Last week’s shuffle was triggered after Navdeep Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) informed Mr. Trudeau (Papineau,Que.) that he […]
Prisoners owed ‘remedy’ for harsh conditions in prisons amid COVID, says watchdog
The federal government is vulnerable to legal challenges based on the “harsher,” solitary-like conditions thousands of prisoners have been kept in amid COVID-19, says Canada’s prison watchdog. Correctional Investigator of Canada Ivan Zinger said the government could consider giving prisoners extra credit for the harsh conditions they are experiencing while in prison during the pandemic. […]
Trudeau’s mini-shuffle a ‘game of dominoes,’ say politicos
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mini, but significant shakeup of his front bench left few casualties but also did not necessarily change anyone’s political fortunes, say political observers. Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) unveiled changes in his cabinet to fill a vacancy left by the looming departure of now-former innovation minister Navdeep Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) from politics. Mr. […]
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100 days in, Greens’ leader Paul says she’s close to homing in on where to run
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul had an unusual victory lap. After she won her party’s leadership race in October 2020, and made history as the first Black and Jewish leader of a major political party in Canada, she swiftly turned her attention to a byelection race in a Liberal stronghold in Toronto later that month. […]
Twitter’s crackdown on Trump ‘a Band-Aid on a wound,’ say politicos
The de-platforming of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump by various social media companies is akin to putting a Band-Aid on a wound and should prompt deep reflection about the conditions that led to the political violence in the U.S., say some politicians. Mr. Trump was impeached on Jan. 13 by the U.S. House of Representatives […]
Federal departments miss quarter of annual targets, with Transportation Safety Board, National Defence among poorest performers
About 24 per cent of government programs tracked at the departmental level missed their performance targets in 2019-20, in a near-replica of the rate of unmet goals in the previous year. Twenty-three departments or agencies missed more than a third of their targets set for March 2020, including the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (49 […]
