Biden speaks with Trudeau about Canadian wildfires as air quality issues persist in US
President Biden on Wednesday spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and offered federal support to respond to wildfires burning in Canada, which have caused widespread air quality issues across the eastern United States. Biden directed his administration to deploy “all available Federal firefighting assets that can rapidly assist in suppressing fires impacting Canadian and […]
Premiers’ Performance: Smith approval static after election win, Stefanson struggles ahead of October contest
Manitoba premier’s approval remains at one-quarter for sixth consecutive quarter. As wildfires ravage the country from coast to coast, the crises in communities are manifold. Emergency responses must be marshalled. Firefighting efforts need to be coordinated. Residents forced from their homes need shelter. Most of these responsibilities rest on the shoulders of provincial governments where […]
Wildfires as Politics
As the smoke from Canadian wildfires descends on major parts of the United States the debate intensifies about the impacts of climate change. Bruce is by with his thoughts on that plus the David Johnston affairs, and is Donald Trump about to shed whatever is left of his Teflon image?
For a few hours, it had all the makings of a classic mid-June cross-aisle cliffhanger — a high-stakes standoff over the legislative package containing many of the big-ticket measures laid out in the latest budget. Accompanied by a full contingent of his front bench critics, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre hit the House of Commons Foyer […]
Read MorePrime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a Liberal bill that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps the companies generate revenue. Trudeau said Wednesday that Meta and Google’s bullying tactics will not work with his government, which he says is ensuring those companies do […]
Read MoreMajority of Canadians want public inquiry into Chinese state interference in this country’s politics
A majority of Canadians would like the Liberal government to call a public inquiry into Chinese state meddling in this country’s democracy and respond more forcefully to alleged election interference by Beijing, according to a poll. A Nanos Research survey, commissioned by The Globe and Mail and CTV News, also found 72 per cent of […]
Read MoreWhile smoke filled the air outside, the debate in the House was focused on metaphorical fires. The first crisis of Justin Trudeau’s time as prime minister was the wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alta. in May 2016. At the time, he felt it necessary to attach caveats when answering a question about whether climate change had […]
Read MoreThe Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January. The central bank’s key interest rate has not been this high since April 2001.
Read MoreWhile David Johnston’s first report into foreign interference disputed claims made about Independent MP Han Dong, the special rapporteur said Tuesday he never spoke to the Toronto-area MP in the course of his investigation. “We did not reach out to him,” the former governor general told CBC’s Power & Politics Tuesday after appearing before a […]
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Today in Canada’s Political History: Sir Wilfrid Laurier delivers his famous eulogy of Sir John A. Macdonald; a future PM watches from the public galleries
On this date in 1891, two days after the passing of Sir John A. Macdonald, and with an entire nation in mourning, Wilfrid Laurier rose in the Commons. He then delivered what has become the most famous eulogy in Canadian political history. “Sir John Macdonald now belongs to the ages,” Laurier told the hushed chamber, […]
Building a Lasting Oceans Vision for Canada
There is no future for our oceans without flourishing human communities. And there is no future for our coastal communities without flourishing oceans. This is the fundamental nature of a sustainable “blue” (ocean or water-based) economy, where we live both healthy human and non-human ecology together. In 2019, the federal Liberal government committed to a […]
Wildfires as Politics
As the smoke from Canadian wildfires descends on major parts of the United States the debate intensifies about the impacts of climate change. Bruce is by with his thoughts on that plus the David Johnston affairs, and is Donald Trump about to shed whatever is left of his Teflon image?
Critics are hammering David Johnston, but his most serious wounds are self-inflicted
It’s tradition, some might say politeness, that when a witness appears before a parliamentary committee, MPs welcome the witness. They shake hands and thank them for coming. So perhaps it was a sign of things to come — or perhaps a sign of declining times — when all but one Conservative (Wellington—Halton Hills MP Michael […]
On foreign interference Johnston’s the sideshow, Trudeau’s the problem
For me, the three hours of testimony by David Johnston — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “independent special rapporteur” on foreign interference — before a House of Commons committee, jumped the shark an hour into the proceedings.
Trudeau’s Ottawa and another day of adventure in absurdity
This is all you need to know about Ottawa. This is all you need to know about what’s wrong with Ottawa. It is so bad, in the cocoon of the capital, acting students seeing the surreal spectacle would consider it a clumsy example of theatre of the absurd led by, of all people, a former […]
David Johnston’s in damage control mode — and it’s not working
Former governor general David Johnston has revealed he’s been using not one, but two reputation-management firms to do his work looking into foreign interference in Canada’s democracy. He might need a couple more. For more than three hours on Tuesday, Johnston was plunged into the politics he’s tried to stay above during his long career […]
Blind to the obvious, David Johnston testifies against himself
A recent episode of the excellent podcast The Rest is History explored the world of freemasonry, debating whether the masons are “a secret cabal of devil worshippers that run the world” or a “fraternity of like-minded individuals who enjoy eccentric rituals.” As with most conspiracy theories, the truth tends towards the banal. However, the appearance […]
At the National Gallery, an olive branch
I’m amazed by news that the new director of the National Gallery of Canada will be Jean-François Bélisle. In important ways the appointment of Bélisle, who had lately been running the art museum in Joliette, northeast of Montreal, is a repudiation of a management style that had rocked the Ottawa-based national art museum. Expect nobody […]
The only thing worse than a legal borrowing limit is no legal borrowing limit
The end of another debt-ceiling debacle, with the United States just days away from defaulting on its debt before an agreement was reached authorizing new borrowing, has elicited the usual relieved sighs of “let’s never do that again.” Alas they surely will do that again – the current deal expires in 2025 – not just […]
As the next federal election draws nearer, Canadians will be hearing a continuing refrain from the Conservatives on the need for tax cuts to reduce the tax burden and help spur economic growth. Party leader Pierre Poilievre is already playing this card, as has every leader of Canada’s main right-wing party going back 40 years. […]
Read MoreIt was a big day in New Brunswick history with the election of Bernard Lord and his Tories on June 7, 1999. Theirs’ would be the first PC government since the legendary Richard Hatfield held office in the 1970s and 1980s. Lord, 33 when he was sworn-in, making him one of the youngest First Ministers […]
Read MoreCOVID-19 was a tough stress test for Canada’s federal system of government. Our largest cities continue to suffer significant pandemic-related economic and social damage, in part due to provincial governments sweeping constitutional responsibilities they wish to avoid onto municipalities. These “creatures of the province” have become rugs provinces use to hide their problems. COVID-19 lifted […]
Read MoreWith all the issues swirling about Ottawa these days, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. What could crater the Liberals’ approval numbers? What could topple the government? What could be the ballot question? Clearly, no one has figured that out. The latest Leger poll has the Liberal Party at 32 per cent, […]
Read MoreThe ghastly shitshow currently dominating Canada’s national politics is a multi-level disgrace. The slimy assault on the reputation and character of David Johnston is unforgivable. If he had recommended a public inquiry into China’s alleged interference in Canadian elections, the same people who are slagging him would be carrying him around on their shoulders.
Read MoreConservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has recently remarked that Pride month is about freedom. However, when asked if he would attend a Pride parade to show his support for this freedom, he offered no commitment. This reluctance strikes a dissonant chord, especially given his readiness to not only voice his support for a trucker convoy […]
Read MoreWhen Pierre Poilievre was in Manitoba last week, he was keen to call Maxime Bernier a fraud. The Conservatives hope that a June 19 by-election in the riding of Portage-Lisgar will rid them of Mr. Bernier and his People’s Party of Canada. Mr. Bernier is from Quebec, but he is running in Portage-Lisgar, a sprawling […]
Read MoreChina and Russia are clearly bullies on the world stage. After learning about China’s bold interference in Canadian elections or witnessing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is there any doubt that these two superpowers won’t hesitate to use force to defend their interests? Which brings us to the Arctic. Both countries have their eyes on this […]
Read MoreIf you have interviewed many candidates in recruitment or in politics you probably came anyway with this insight: character should always outweigh credentials. Character is usually strengthened over time and has meant showing great courage against long odds. In politics character is often revealed by supple coalition-building skills and the ability to maintain a sharp […]
Read MoreJustin Trudeau’s government has been on the defensive in the House of Commons for months. By now, fewer than one in three Canadians approves its handling of the China electoral interference file, a topic that has monopolized the federal political conversation throughout the first half of the year. To listen to the furor in the […]
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