Feb 18 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — By resigning his position as principal secretary to Justin Trudeau as he faces allegations of political interference in the judicial file of the engineering firm SNC-Lavalin, his long time friend and alter ego Gerald Butts may hope to deflect the potentially lethal friendly fire that is headed straight for the prime minister. He was the […]
Feb 13 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — In the wake of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s resignation from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, a war of words between the prime minister and his former attorney general seems inevitable. If the developments of the past two days are any indication it could get ugly. Wilson-Raybould would hardly have resigned if her interpretation of the interaction she had with […]
Feb 11 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — In federal-provincial relations, as in life, one rarely gets a second chance to make a good first impression. Quebec Premier François Legault is apparently on a mission to validate that truism at his own expense. A little more than 100 days since his government’s swearing-in, Legault is fast earning the reputation of a bull in […]
Feb 8 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — If anyone still doubted that the relationship between Justin Trudeau and his former justice minister had soured in the aftermath of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s demotion to a lower-profile cabinet post last month, those doubts were put to rest this week. With the government hit by the biggest political storm to have come its way since its […]
Feb 4 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — Former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was not being malicious when he suggested the Green party might be becoming a refuge for orphan progressive voters in the lead-up to next fall’s federal election. “Progressives are looking for a home on environmental issues,” Mulcair said on Sunday’s edition of CTV’s Question Period, adding that “people who believe […]
Feb 1 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — The next chapter in Quebec’s decade-old search for a different balance between state secularism and religious rights is about to open. The debate will almost certainly overlap with the upcoming federal campaign. For Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and his Conservative counterpart Andrew Scheer, the road to electoral success will at least in part run through […]
Jan 30 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — There are more signs this week that it will be hard for Justin Trudeau’s government to do business with the provinces between now and the fall election. On Wednesday, New Brunswick’s Tory government said it was scrapping plans to host the 2021 Francophonie Games, blaming increased costs and inadequate federal funding.
Jan 25 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — Over his three years in office Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on more occasions in the House of Commons than any other MP — with the exception of the Speaker and his deputy. In so doing he may have set a record. Based on the parliamentary database, Trudeau spent significantly more time on his feet […]
Jan 24 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — In the midst of a major foreign policy dispute with Beijing, what is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do with Ambassador John McCallum? Late on Thursday afternoon, Canada’s envoy to China issued a statement to say he had misspoken when he met with a group of Chinese-language journalists in the GTA on Monday to discuss […]
Jan 19 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — On paper, the federal ridings of Outremont and Burnaby South — whose voters will go to the polls on Feb. 25 along with those of Ontario’s York Simcoe — are on parallel byelection courses. The NDP is the incumbent party in both and each has iconic significance for the party, along with some leadership-related history.
Jan 16 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — A few months before the 1995 referendum, Parti Québécois premier Jacques Parizeau told a private gathering of European Union ambassadors to Canada that if his side prevailed in the upcoming vote there would be no way for Quebecers to change their minds and back out of the secession project. To illustrate his point, Parizeau compared […]
Jan 14 2019 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — Monday’s federal cabinet shuffle is the work of a government that remains relatively confident it can navigate to a second term next fall without altering its current course. It was not designed to rock the Liberal pre-election boat. In that spirit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau passed on his last opportunity to play musical chairs with […]
Dec 14 2018 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — 2018 was a bad year for provincial incumbents in Canada. In Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, voters fired their premiers after single terms in office. Year-end polls suggest the same fate could await the premiers of Alberta and P.E.I. in 2019. In just the past six years, Quebec has disposed of three premiers. None of […]
Dec 12 2018 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — The end of the last full parliamentary year before a general election finds the NDP in dire straits, the Conservatives in dubious company and the Liberals in worse shape than many of them would like to believe. It will make for an eventful campaign year.
Dec 10 2018 — Chantal Hébert — Toronto Star — From the NAFTA front lines to Rideau Hall and the campaign trails of Ontario and Quebec, women were very much on the political centre stage in 2018. Here is a look at some hits but also some striking misses.