NDP ready ‘any time’ for election if party goals not met, Singh says
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Thursday came out with fighting words against the Liberal minority government, saying he’s ready to head the polls “any time,” despite finishing in fourth place in the election. Though the NDP qualified for official party status, winning 24 seats, it was unseated from third place by the Bloc Québécois, which won […]
Conservatives name Seidman new Senate whip, replacing Plett who’s now Tory Senate leader
Conservative Senator Judith Seidman will serve as the new whip for the Conservative caucus in the Senate, Leader Senator Don Plett confirmed Wednesday afternoon. Sen. Seidman represents De la Durantaye, Quebec in the Senate. She was appointed to the Chamber by prime minister Stephen Harper in 2009. Sen. Seidman will fill the void left by […]
Updated: Senator Diane Bellemare joins Independent Senators Group after leaving role on government team in Red Chamber
Senator Diane Bellemare has joined the Independent Senators Group, a day after leaving her job as one of the government’s representatives in the Senate. Sen. Bellemare (Alma, Que.) has served as the legislative deputy to the government’s representative in the Senate, Sen. Peter Harder (Ottawa, Ont.), since 2016, when she began sitting as an unaffiliated […]
PIPSC to expand fight against government outsourcing, says union president
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada president Debi Daviau says her union will look to expand their fight against government outsourcing in the coming year. At the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada’s (PIPSC) 100th annual general meeting at the Hilton Lac Leamy Conference Centre in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 8-9, Ms. […]
Continuity key to speakership in minority Parliament, say politicos, contenders
With a minority Parliament expected to make for an unpredictable House of Commons, having a degree of continuity in the speakership can help in defusing heated partisan spats, while also ensuring the House has a voice in managing the Centre Block renovations, say politicos. “There’s going to be a sharp learning curve. The Speaker is […]
‘This is different’: diplomats warned of divided Canada during parliamentary crash course
How parties in the House of Commons interact over the next six months will be a key indicator of whether this minority government will last, a Liberal MP told new diplomats gathered for a crash course in Canadian politics on Nov. 8, while a Conservative MP warned the country’s unity is at stake. Conservative MP […]
Implementation of new NAFTA will be ‘important priority’ for Liberal government as U.S. negotiations progress
With MPs set to return to Ottawa on Dec. 5, progress is being made towards implementation of the new NAFTA south of the border, highlighted by the recent visit to Parliament Hill of the chairman of the important U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. The implementation is viewed as an “important priority” by Foreign Affairs […]
New Senate group eligible for $191,000 for rest of the year, but funding source up in the air
The newly formed Canadian Senators Group expects to get its fair share of committee seats, and its interim leader says the group hopes to pull from a Senate surplus to cover its startup costs, despite Conservative Senators questioning if funds could come from existing caucus budgets. Alberta Senator Scott Tannas said the 11-member CSG has […]
Politics This Morning: Trudeau to meet with Blanchet
Good Wednesday morning, Parliament will be officially back to work on Dec. 5. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet at 9:30 a.m. in his West Block office. It’s his first sit down with the BQ leader since the election and follows his meeting with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who had called on […]
Election 2019: The 25 ridings where each party did its best
On election night on Oct. 21, only the Liberals and the Conservatives watched their 25 top-performing candidates actually win their ridings. Three of the top 25 NDP candidates lost on election, as did one of the Bloc Québécois’. The 25 Conservatives MPs who recorded the strongest returns of their party’s slate all earned more than […]
