Jul 3 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — The Constitution sets out the division of powers between Ottawa and provincial governments. But is it also helping to divide the country as politicians struggle with large-scale threats such as climate change, the state of long-term care and the COVID-19 pandemic? “I think it’s been a real problem,” said University of British Columbia political scientist […]
Jun 26 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Conservative leader Erin O’Toole heads into a possible election campaign this summer knowing the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic put him at a competitive disadvantage compared to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In an end-of-session interview airing Saturday on CBC’s The House, O’Toole acknowledged that polls have consistently put his party behind the governing Liberals […]
Jun 19 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — For many Canadians, the ban on most travel to and from the United States — in place now for 15 months — borders on the excessive. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says he gets it, even as he defends the decision to continue with the cross-border restrictions for at least another month. “Let me acknowledge […]
Jun 12 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — As a rule, when the courts overturn a law for violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, federal or provincial governments either appeal it to the very top or redraft the offending legislation to ensure those rights and freedoms are respected. Ontario’s not taking either approach. Premier Doug Ford is invoking the notwithstanding clause in […]
Jun 5 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — The federal cabinet minister leading the search for a new governor general says background checks on the short list of candidates are nearly finished. But Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc isn’t saying how many names will be sent to the prime minister, or whether the search committee has been instructed to include a nominee with […]
May 28 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Former Conservative leader Kim Campbell once said an election is no time to discuss serious issues. While she later claimed her words had been taken out of context, there’s some truth to the idea that a short election period doesn’t allow enough time to properly explore complex, divisive issues. It also helps explain why Bloc […]
May 15 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Nova Scotia’s Premier Iain Rankin says he’ll continue to use every legal means available to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the province — even if the effort ends up limiting individual rights. The province obtained a court injunction Friday to halt a protest against its lockdown measures — which include keeping the border closed […]
May 11 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer set tomorrow’s deadline for Enbridge to shut down its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline through the state. It won’t be enforced. But as one deadline passes, others loom on the horizon. The state government and Enbridge remain in a court-ordered mediation process to resolve a dispute that — judged by […]
May 1 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Ralph Goodale spent his final years in the federal cabinet as Public Safety minister, handling the most serious national security threats facing the country. Now, as he takes up his new post as Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, he tells CBC News that one of those critical, unresolved files from his cabinet days […]
Apr 24 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Canada’s environment minister insists the federal government’s vow to reduce climate-changing emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels over the next decade is just as ambitious as the higher targets announced this week by other western nations. “Canada spent an enormous amount of time looking at how it could actually do as […]
Apr 3 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — A leading Canadian virologist says people could get annual COVID-19 shots in the future as the virus continues to mutate and produce new variants. Marc-André Langlois of the University of Ottawa is leading the new Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network, a research team that brings together experts from across Canada to study the science behind […]
Mar 27 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau compares dealing with China on the international stage to standing up to a schoolyard bully. “I’ve known bullies in my life, and I know bullies can change, but bullies don’t change unless you send very clear messages to them,” Garneau said in an interview airing this morning on CBC’s political […]
Mar 13 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — The head of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) says new advice is coming in the “next few days” on whether the AstraZeneca vaccine is appropriate to give people older than 65. Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh told CBC’s The House in an interview airing Saturday that NACI met Wednesday to review two studies from the […]
Mar 6 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Bob Rae says the international community must support the democratic movement in Myanmar as protesters there continue to risk their lives to protest against last month’s military coup. Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations says it’s the only way to honour the courage shown by those standing up for democracy. “I do think that what […]
Feb 27 2021 — Chris Hall — CBC — Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says he’s not expecting pushback from Facebook as he moves ahead with proposed legislation that would force the company and other global online giants to pay Canadian news agencies for the content they use. Guilbeault told CBC’s The House that Facebook took a hit to its public image when it tried […]