Time may be running out for Brian Gallant’s Liberal government in New Brunswick
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant’s chances of holding onto power are looking increasingly bleak, after every opposition member declared they don’t want to be Speaker. That leaves few options for the Liberals, who won one fewer seat than the Tories in last month’s election, when the legislature resumes next week. The first order of business […]
Speaker clears Andrea Horwath in encounter with Tory MPP
“After carefully reviewing the matter, I cannot find that a prima facie case of breach of privilege has been established,” said Arnott of the dispute between the two Hamilton-area representatives, who have known each other for decades. Skelly, who ducked reporters Thursday and did not return messages seeking comment, had formally complained to the Speaker […]
Doug Ford campaign adviser appointed to Washington trade post
A campaign adviser to Premier Doug Ford has been appointed as Ontario’s trade representative to the United States. Ian Todd will take on the post in Washington, D.C. on Monday, replacing former Liberal legislator Monique Smith who was removed from the job by Ford after his Progressive Conservatives won a majority government earlier this year. […]
A spokesperson for Davie Shipbuilding strongly takes issue with comments that the Quebec company is stealing work from Halifax. “It’s being portrayed as if Quebec will steal jobs, contracts from Irving,” says Fred Boisvert, vice-president of public affairs for Davie. “Where if you look properly, closely, there’s nothing like it happening at all.”
Read MoreCanadians strongly opposed to lobbyists’ attendance at exclusive party fundraisers, Nanos poll finds
Canadians are strongly opposed to allowing lobbyists to buy their way into exclusive political fundraisers featuring party leaders, according to a new Nanos Research survey. The Globe and Mail reported last month that the Liberal Party frequently allows lobbyists to attend what it calls “Laurier Club” donor-appreciation events, which feature Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or […]
Read MorePrime Minister Justin Trudeau angered Conservatives in Wednesday’s question period by repeatedly refusing to explain why his government isn’t releasing documents requested by the legal counsel of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.
Read MoreFormer Newfoundland and Labrador premier Paul Davis, who led the Progressive Conservatives to defeat in the 2015 election, is leaving politics. Davis announced his departure in Paradise on Thursday, in front of his wife, friends and fellow politicians. The 57-year-old stepped aside as leader to make way for Ches Crosbie, and will resign his seat […]
Read MoreThe city won’t be representing Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson in the lawsuit served on him this week by three people he blocked on Twitter, but taxpayers could still be on the hook for his legal bills if the suit goes ahead.
Read MoreAs oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan continues to sell at record discounts, American refineries are enjoying lucrative profit margins at the expense of Canadian oil producers. The sharp drop in oil prices began in late September and is expected to continue for roughly another month. The culprit is limited export pipeline space and refinery maintenance […]
Read MoreFeatured Ink
Why the Liberals’ single-minded obsession on free trade with China?
Never mind whether we can strike a free trade deal with China: should we? Ever since the text of the renegotiated NAFTA was released, attention has focused on its notorious Article 32.10, and whether it precludes Canada from entering into a free trade agreement with an unnamed “non-market country.” Critics claim Canada has been pressed […]
Why is Quebec cool to the legalization of marijuana?
The sound of one hand clapping greeted the fulfilment of Justin Trudeau’s signature cannabis promise in Quebec on Wednesday. To mark the occasion, the Journal de Montréal, the province’s most-read tabloid, gave pride of place to not one but three scathing columns on the ills of the legalization of marijuana.
Marijuana legalization is here to stay, even conservative opponents admit
An Abacus Data poll released this week suggests Canadians are ready for marijuana legalization even if their governments might not be: Strong majorities of respondents in every age group and in every region said they could support or at least “accept” the framework that goes into effect Oct. 17. Even 54 per cent of Conservative […]
Nobody said democracy was easy
By the time my neighbour, Dave, goes to vote on Saturday, he’ll have spent more than five hours poring over the candidates’ lists for Vancouver mayor, council, school and park boards. He’s read their policies and the parties’ platforms as well as what’s been published in the newspapers. He’s talked to friends both on the […]
Khashoggi murder case a test for despots everywhere
The disappearance and possible murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi is an important test case for despots everywhere. Can they get away with interrogating, kidnapping and even assassinating their critics in other countries? Khashoggi, a resident of the United States and contributor to the Washington Post, walked into Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, […]
The narrative of Jamal Khashoggi’s death has been negotiated. Justice will not be served
After nearly two weeks of unending attention on the disappearance and now confirmed death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the powers have finally agreed upon a narrative that can satisfy all interested parties’ state interests. Make no mistake, the now agreed upon story of Mr. Khashoggi’s death was a negotiated one between Saudi Arabia, the […]
Let’s not reduce climate change to a federal-provincial tax spat
How have they gotten away with it? How have Doug Ford, Jason Kenney, and a cabal of other provincial politicians been able to separate the concept of a carbon tax from the threat of climate change? Remember climate change? The increase in temperature caused by human activity that is threatening our planet. According to the […]
Can BC NDP carbon tax plan stand up under pressure?
Can the BC NDP government’s plan to hike the province’s carbon tax to $50 a tonne by 2021 hold up in the face of a growing number of premiers opposed to the very idea of such a tax? Raising the carbon tax by $5 a tonne every year until 2021 is presumably a cornerstone of […]
How a meeting six years ago led to the legalization of marijuana in Canada
Kelly Coulter, the woman who helped change Justin Trudeau’s mind about cannabis legalization, says she is expecting to be “a little bit emotional” on Wednesday. Coulter, who is in the midst of launching her own marijuana farm in Nelson, B.C., will be thousands of kilometres away from Parliament Hill when cannabis becomes legal in Canada.
Legal cannabis vs. black market: Can it compete?
The Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational cannabis in Canada brings many challenges. Retailers are now worrying about possible product shortages or web site glitches. Governments are still debating how to handle amnesties, impaired driving, and workplace safety. But legalization day also marks the start of several interesting competitions. Some resemble those in other industries; […]
Legalization of cannabis is upon us in Canada. It marks a potentially massive shift in how our society operates, touching upon so many institutions of Canadian life. From public safety to retail services to transit and labour law, legal cannabis will require significant and trusting co-ordination among all orders of government. Local governments are the […]
Read MoreAttempting to soften up public opinion for the fall economic update, the finance minister has been furiously signalling two contradictory messages. On the one hand, the government will address business concerns at the sudden deterioration of Canada’s position in the competition for international capital in the wake of sweeping U.S. tax reforms put into effect […]
Read MoreAccused in the House of Commons Monday of lobbying on behalf of the powerful Irving family, Scott Brison was defiant. The Treasury Board president responded to questions about the case of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman by saying his role is to ensure there is due diligence in the expenditure of public funds. When the Liberals came […]
Read MoreThere is a strong narrative developing around the non-market economy article 32.10 in the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Various commentaries have gone as far as saying that the clause is in effect a choice between the United States or China, or that it presents a near-insurmountable obstacle to a free-trade deal with China, or […]
Read MoreIt is not a drill. When legal cannabis hits the shelves in Canada on Wednesday, it will be there to stay. Come next year’s federal election, no party will be committing to turn back the clock on Justin Trudeau’s signature policy; not even the Conservatives who spent the last campaign painting nightmare scenarios about the […]
Read MoreWhat do debates over Canada’s refugee policy, Ontario’s basic income pilot and Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination all have in common? It can be summed up in one word — fairness. Like so many policy discussions taking place today, proponents on both sides of these issues are desperately trying position themselves as representing the only […]
Read MoreIf you haven’t been reading the business pages, you might not know that Canadian ingenuity has developed a stunning new business model: producing expensive oil and giving it away cheap. The gap between Canadian and U.S. oil is nudging US$50 a barrel. Alberta gets around US$26 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate is in the […]
Read MoreIn an age of social media and intense global competition, “brand” has become more important than ever. While it was once the exclusive domain of consumer-focused companies, now individuals, organizations and nations alike have become acutely aware of the image they project and the benefits that come with successfully building brand equity.
Read MoreDuring the last federal election, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced that, if elected, he would not proceed with the plan to charge tolls on Montreal’s new Champlain Bridge — a $4.2-billion project, now nearing completion. On May 29, 2018, the Auditor General of Canada reported that the decision to eliminate tolls on the federally owned […]
Read MoreBritish Columbia is poised for a flowering of small-scale marijuana cultivation. Call it craft cannabis. B.C. is already famous for producing some of the world’s finest cannabis. But when marijuana is finally legalized later this week, the proud home of B.C. Bud won’t exactly be charging out of the starting gates. After many months of […]
Read MoreEntertainment Plus
Very curious, slightly confused, rapper Classified tests limits of cannabis support
Nova Scotia rapper Classified has vouched for smoking marijuana for years, but he says Canada’s new legalization laws have left him confused over the ways he’s allowed to promote the cannabis lifestyle. He knows it’s within his rights to express his love for weed. And he’s allowed to talk publicly about buying shares of OrganiGram, […]
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