Jun 21 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — I’ve always been proud of being born in the U.S.A., even after five decades as a Canadian citizen. Having access to dual citizenship in a country that gave so much to the world economically, militarily and democratically was a bonus branch from our family tree. Not any more.
Jun 14 2018 — Don Martin — CTV News — The kneejerk Canadian reaction to this week’s presidential provocations is to hate America. Boycott everything made-in-the-USA. Vacation north of the border this summer. Or, if you’re the spouse of a senior Liberal cabinet minister, jokingly advocate we invade. No. Stop. Please.
Jun 8 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — It could take months, if not years, for Ontario voters to decide if they’re sorry or not sorry to have elected maverick Doug Ford as premier. He’s a man of few syllables, a short attention to detail that confines briefing notes to napkin-length summaries and he delivers a speech, even with Teleprompter help, with all […]
May 31 2018 — Don Martin — CTV News — I knew Peter Lougheed, having covered him as a much younger journalist. Justin Trudeau is no Peter Lougheed. Yet the prime minister invoked the iconic Alberta premier’s memory four times in one Question Period this week to justify his $4.5 billion Trans Mountain pipeline nationalization.
May 24 2018 — Don Martin — CTV News — It didn’t seem a fair fight at first, a boy-faced Saskatchewan career politician who is the son of a librarian up against the rainbow knight astride his silver unicorn and shielded by a prime ministerial family pedigree. But after a year of Andrew Scheer, the rookie Conservative leader has not been jousted into the realm […]
May 17 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — Seemingly without provocation this week, the Official Opposition Leader in Alberta decided to blast the prime minister as stupid. Jason Kenney seems to be very proud of his hyper derision in the Calgary Sun, refusing to recant after belittling Justin Trudeau as “empty” and having “the political depth of a finger bowl” incapable of digesting […]
May 10 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — Saying sorry is the hardest word for politicians. It’s either viewed an admission of wrongdoing or a show of weakness. But Justin Trudeau has taken aim at becoming the greatest apologist in our history. In fact, the prime minister is apologizing for most of our history as regrets roll out, some for actions predating the […]
May 3 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — Even Erin Weir admits it. He’s socially awkward and doesn’t always pick up the signs he’s overstayed his welcome when talking to others. The rookie MP from Saskatchewan looms large physically and has strong opinions, but colleagues confide he’s basically a harmless policy wonk with an economics background. In other words, he’s among the unlikeliest […]
Apr 19 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — It was never just about the beer — although, as an occasional cross-border suds shopper, there may be a conflict of personal interest here. The case of Gerard Comeau was a crucial legal fight aimed at ending protectionism for a myriad of goods and services controlled by provincial monopolies or regulations which impose higher prices […]
Apr 5 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — On the same day as a think tank of economists found most Canadians don’t understand carbon pricing, the federal environment minister proved she doesn’t understand taxpayers. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says if Ontario’s Doug Ford or Alberta’s Jason Kenney win their respective elections and refuse to collect a carbon tax – as both seem likely […]
Mar 29 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — Leadership is hard. Just ask Jagmeet Singh as he marks six months in the NDP leadership with back-to-back mea-culpas to a caucus starting to wonder if they’re being led into electoral battle by an overnight dud. With the glory of his GQ magazine cover a fading memory, Singh been confronted by an almost unprecedented caucus […]
Mar 22 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — It was a week the Liberals’ fixation with political correctness became politically incorrect. Amid a clear meltdown in Liberal government poll support, new moves on gender and tolerance issues were met by a head-shaking, eye-rolling, derision-snorting reaction from a public fed up with the excess of it all. The government’s proud plan to road-trip consultations […]
Mar 15 2018 — Don Martin — CTV Power Play — There’s a gun fight of sorts coming to the House of Commons floor next week. It’ll erupt over a bill, expected to be tabled Tuesday, taking aim at keeping firearms away from the mentally ill or out of the hands of those with violent backgrounds. So far, so good.
Mar 8 2018 — Don Martin — CTV News — The most uplifting takeaway from my 2007 Afghanistan embedding with the troops was hearing how our soldiers had never been prouder to serve than being in combat against the tyranny of the Taliban. But a decade later, that pride has gone along with the fall in our status as a middle military power. We continue […]
Mar 1 2018 — Don Martin — CTV News — The day after a federal budget is usually filled with gloating by government MPs flushed with voter goodies galore. This week’s budget was particularly bulletproof from opposition attack, being an NDP budget with a warm and fuzzy gender theme even the Conservatives had trouble trashing lest they appear anti-women. But to scan the Liberal lapdogs […]