Jan 22 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Julie Payette might still want to debate the details of what exactly occurred inside Rideau Hall over the last three and a half years. But she apparently couldn’t escape an increasingly obvious conclusion — that for her to continue as governor general would risk inflicting serious damage on the office. “I am a strong believer […]
Jan 19 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Erin O’Toole’s decision to issue a 595-word statement on Sunday about his political beliefs suggests he’s at least a little worried about his public image. And he might have good reasons to worry. But the question of what kind of conservative Erin O’Toole wants to be is still difficult to answer. “If the Liberals want […]
Jan 15 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Concluding debate on a resolution to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump for “incitement of an insurrection,” Rep. Steny Hoyer invoked one of the fundamental truths about democracy that was exposed by recent events in the United States. “For millennia, people have understood that a republic is only as stable and lasting as the citizens and […]
Jan 13 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — The arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in Canada was the first truly good news since the pandemic began nearly a year ago. But it was also a false dawn. And that small glimmer of hope may have obscured the daunting challenge and the profound personal suffering that still stand between us and a new day. […]
Jan 8 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Politicians might want to be careful about suggesting that people held in disrepute should be at the back of the line when health officials decide when individual Canadians will be vaccinated. But Conservative leader Erin O’Toole was quick to object on Tuesday when it was reported that a number of inmates in federal correctional facilities […]
Jan 5 2021 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — COVID-19 is a threat that requires collective action. Unfortunately, some Canadian politicians are demonstrating how hard it can be to marshal a response to such challenges. The good news is that almost every elected provincial and federal figure in Canada appears to have avoided travelling outside the country during the holidays. The bad news is […]
Dec 19 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — It seems like a long time ago now, but back in December 2019, Justin Trudeau was a bruised prime minister who had just been given a second chance. The big question was what he would do with it. Then a global pandemic happened. COVID-19 made for a different kind of year — one that might […]
Dec 12 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is not an objective analyst of federal climate policy. But his analysis of the Liberal government’s announcement on Friday was not entirely fanciful. “This is a day on which I think Canadians should be proud,” he said in an interview with CBC News on Friday morning, shortly before he stood with […]
Dec 4 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — In the midst of the worst public health emergency in a century and the greatest economic disruption since the Great Depression, Erin O’Toole apparently also sees a culture war playing out. “It comes down to a clash of vision,” the Conservative leader told the House of Commons on Monday, “between the ‘Somewheres’ and the ‘Anywheres’ […]
Nov 27 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Pierre Poilievre recently alerted the nation to what he thinks Justin Trudeau is up to. Last week, the presumptive finance minister in Erin O’Toole’s “government-in-waiting” warned that “global financial elites” are attempting to “re-engineer economies and societies” in order to “empower the elites at the expense of the people.” Canadians, he said, “must fight back […]
Nov 26 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Mexico’s ambassador to Canada apparently watches question period — and it seems he did not like what he saw and heard on Tuesday. “Mexico has worked hard to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all,” Juan José Gómez Camacho tweeted on Tuesday night. “We believe a pandemic is a time to promote solidarity, rather than […]
Nov 20 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — On the darkest day since the frightening spring, Justin Trudeau returned to the stoop of Rideau Cottage and attempted to enlist the rhetorical powers of his office against the crashing second wave of COVID-19. For the first two minutes, the prime minister ignored the prepared text and spoke plainly and directly into the camera. “So […]
Nov 20 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — Committing to net-zero — and putting that target into law — is not the same thing as doing what it takes to cut Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions to that level. But it’s not nothing. In fact, it could end up being something quite useful. The Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act the Liberal government tabled on Thursday […]
Nov 10 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — The significance of this year’s presidential election for U.S. climate policy came down to a basic difference between the two rivals. One candidate accepted the reality of climate change and wanted to do something about it. The other denied the threat and actively reversed attempts to combat it. So Joe Biden’s victory is of no […]
Nov 7 2020 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — One very important thing — maybe the most important thing — changed in American politics this week. But several other important things seem to have stayed the same. So Justin Trudeau and millions of other Canadians can now look forward to relaxing a bit come January 20, when Joe Biden is expected to be inaugurated […]