Tony Clement’s former mistress allegedly offered $1,000 for ‘explicit’ photos by group claiming ‘Liberal’ support
Screenshots of an online conversation between former Conservative MP Tony Clement and a young woman with whom he had an affair show that she was offered a bribe in exchange for dirt on him by “a group of women who have been harmed by him” and who claimed to have “organizational support with the liberals.” […]
PCs refute Patrick Brown’s allegations against Fedeli, NDP calls for investigation
The NDP is calling for an independent investigation into an allegation of inappropriate behavior leveled against Finance Minister Vic Fedeli that was detailed in a new book by former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown. Excerpts of the book, titled Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown, were published in the Toronto Star ahead of […]
‘Disgusting and cruel,’ Nepean’s MacLeod criticizes new Patrick Brown book
A new book by former Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown is drawing swift and cutting criticism on social media over its comments about local MPP and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod. “When I think about Lisa MacLeod, I think about a person who is always angry,” Brown writes. He also lists off people that he […]
The Ontario PC party is standing behind Vic Fedeli after a new book by Patrick Brown dropped bombshell allegations against the Ontario Finance Minister. The new book, titled Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown, Brown claims Fedeli had also been the subject of sexual misconduct allegations.
Read MoreVeterans Affairs Canada says it will expand access to Halifax’s Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital by making more than two dozen beds available for Allied and modern-day veterans. The decision comes in the wake of widespread outrage over news that a veteran was denied access because his wartime service wasn’t with the Canadian military.
Read MoreGovernor-General Julie Payette will start living at Rideau Hall next summer, after having delayed her move into the official residence by more than a year, her office says. When Ms. Payette was installed in the viceregal position in October, 2017, she could not immediately take residence at Rideau Hall because of renovations inside the main […]
Read MoreCanada should push to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers OTTAWA – China is a growing market for Canadian agrifood exports and could become even more important if it reduces tariffs and other trade barriers, says the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance. The call came as four federal cabinet ministers were in China to discuss […]
Read MoreChina said Thursday that 15 foreign ambassadors, including the envoy from Canada, exceeded their diplomatic roles by issuing a letter expressing concern about the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of members of the country’s Muslim minorities in re-education camps. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters at a daily briefing that it would be […]
Read MoreFailed Conservative leadership contender and reality TV star Kevin O’Leary is suing the federal elections commissioner and Elections Canada over fundraising rules that limit how much of his own money he can spend to clear up outstanding campaign debts — rules O’Leary says infringe upon his Charter rights. O’Leary racked up nearly $2 million in […]
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Taxpayers have spoken, winter games not worth the Olympic-sized bill
The Lords of the Rings gazing down from their Mount Olympus headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland may have cause to furrow their collective brow at the goings-on in Calgary this week. On the ballot of a civic plebiscite was permission to pursue a $5-billion government-backed bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. And for the first time […]
What is it that keeps Canadians up at night?
Canadians are worried about a lot of things these days, according to a new survey, but they’re not the things dominating the current political debate. The results of this new Public Square Research poll, made available exclusively to the Star, are a wake-up call to those plotting next year’s federal election campaign. There appears to […]
Patrick Brown’s accidental gift to Doug Ford
He didn’t mean to, but Patrick Brown just did Ontario Premier Doug Ford a big favour. If nothing else, he’s bought him a few days of relative peace and quiet. Brown is the former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, the party Ford now leads and which forms Ontario’s majority government. Brown has a book […]
Oil industry turns to rail to reduce its price disadvantage. What are the safety implications?
The Alberta bitumen industry is panicking because of the huge price discount [by as much as $50US per barrel] for their product compared to the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate price. The main culprit according to producers is a supply glut caused by pipeline bottlenecks due largely to government-imposed delays in new pipeline construction: notably […]
Maxime Bernier is still an answer in search of a problem
As he travels west in search of support for his breakaway conservative party, Maxime Bernier has taken to introducing himself as “the Albertan from Quebec.” Albertans will have to decide from themselves whether a leader who reflects their values would, among other things, have Canada turn its back on the global fight against climate change […]
Don’t bet on carbon tax deciding the next election
Are Conservatives right to think the next federal election will be a referendum on carbon pricing? And are they likely to win if it is? There they all are on that now-notorious Maclean’s cover: the premiers of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, together with the Conservative leader and presumptive next premier of Alberta and the federal […]
When it comes to China, Trudeau needs to stop lecturing and start selling
You wonder if Liberal ministers believe the balderdash they spin or whether it’s so deeply programmed that it is instinctive, like the mammalian diving reflex or blushing. Ottawa is on a big trade diversification push in Asia, with the prime minister talking to leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Singapore, while […]
A cautionary tale from Australia’s parliament buildings
Some years ago, I wrote a book about the physical, spatial needs of democracy, comparing parliamentary and city layouts in 11 cities around the world. I praised the Canadian parliament on a number of grounds, primarily because of its openness: protests are allowed on the lawn, members regularly meet constituents inside the buildings, and Canada […]
The Tories’ vindictive streak is overpowering their good sense
Doug Ford’s governmenWhat do you do when the higher-ups have no impulse control, and no one has the will to stop them? That’s a bad situation to be in at the best of times; it’s even worse when you’re talking about a government that controls a budget of $160 billion in a province of 14 […]
TMX: To kill or not to kill? Please, don’t ask the court
If your boss is hell-bent on firing you, would you trust him to negotiate with you in good faith? Probably not. This is how some First Nations feel about the current consultations on the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Ottawa has vowed to get the pipeline built and they want it stopped. So, what’s there to talk […]
Pity Andrew Scheer. The federal Conservative leader still lags Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the polls. He is having trouble in Quebec. And now Maxime Bernier’s fledgling People’s Party of Canada threatens to be a serious contender for the right-wing vote. Bernier, 55, is not always treated seriously. Nicknamed Mad Max, the Quebec MP […]
Read MoreThe personal pronoun is best avoided, even by opinion columnists. In this instance it is necessary, to provide some context. I was in a sombre mood on Remembrance Day, having posted a tribute on Twitter to three generations of my family who wore a uniform so I didn’t have to.
Read MoreI’m going to take advantage of you — my captive audience — if you’ll indulge me for a few minutes, to talk about journalism. You are all really smart, accomplished, successful business people. You know that journalism is a business, too. And it’s a business that is seriously under threat. The business model of the […]
Read MoreFew Canadians with an interest in the recent evolution of the Senate could credibly deny that the upper chamber is becoming a better place. Thanks to a new arm’s-length and independent appointment process, the Senate is slowly rebuilding its reputation. But it’s also true that the upper chamber continues to have a credibility deficit with […]
Read MoreAs Bob Lewis recalls, he was a kid fresh out of college with clippings from the Loyola News student newspaper, when he was hired by the Montreal Star to work during the summer on the police desk for $50 a week. Nine months later, he was assigned to the Star’s bureau on Parliament Hill. He […]
Read MoreThere was something deeply disturbing developing on a street in Paris this past Sunday, as world leaders came together to respect the fallen of World War One. They decided to walk together in solidarity down the Champs-Elysee as the church bells rang out at 11 a.m. to mark the moment the war ended in 1918. […]
Read MoreMaxime Bernier wants to win the Canadian Trump vote. In a speech on Saturday at a conference hosted by the right-wing Rebel Media in Calgary, the leader of the new People’s Party of Canada questioned the science of climate change, pilloried the United Nations and insisted immigrants to Canada must embrace “Western civilization values.”
Read MoreMaxime Bernier came to Calgary last week and it was clear he has lots of fans here. Lots of fans. About 400 people — 90 per cent male, and 99 per cent white — jammed into a hotel conference room on Friday night and enthusiastically applauded almost everything Bernier said. They praised him effusively during […]
Read MoreThe year is not quite over, but 2018 may well come to be known as the year of buyers’ remorse when it comes to politicians and social media. Justin Trudeau came to power three years ago as arguably the most digitally savvy prime minister Canada has ever seen.
Read MoreThe MP was privy to Canada’s national security secrets, and his scandal has exposed a failure by all parties to take risks seriously. A couple of weeks ago, when I was out with friends at a Thai restaurant in Ottawa, two of the women at the table started sharing stories about Tony Clement’s very online […]
Read MoreEntertainment Plus
Roy Clark, ‘Hee Haw’ host, dies at 85
Roy Clark, a country music star and former host of the long-running TV series “Hee Haw,” died Thursday, his publicist told CNN. He was 85. Clark died of complications from pneumonia at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to publicist Sandy Brokaw. The guitarist and banjo player began his musical career as a young teen, […]
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