Nov 25 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — ‘LET ME BE CLEAR’ — When she was named finance minister in August, it seemed Chrystia Freeland was going to preside over what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an “unprecedented opportunity” to rebuild the country post-pandemic, fill in all the gaps in the social safety net, transition to a clean economy, etc., etc. Remember that? […]
Nov 18 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — PROMISES, PROMISES: It’s been more than a year since the Liberals were re-elected on promises to achieve ambitious new climate targets (for real this time!), to do something vague about pharmacare and to plant an awful lot of trees. Much of their 2019 mandate has sat on the backburner, but it’s finally starting to feel […]
Nov 11 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — THE PM: They weren’t exactly fighting words, but they marked a change in tone. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said some parts of the country — he declined to name which ones — should be doing more to fight Covid-19. “I urge the premiers and the mayors to please do the right thing,” he […]
Nov 4 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — It wasn’t really that surprising that Trump declared victory Wednesday morning in an election he hasn’t won, but it was disconcerting all the same to watch it happen. “We will win this, and as far as I’m concerned, we already have won,” he told a crowd at the White House around 2:20 a.m. ET, long […]
Nov 3 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — In January 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked outrage when, speaking at a town hall, he remarked that Canada needed to “phase out” development of its oil sands. “We can’t shut down the oil sands tomorrow,” Trudeau said that day. “We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Oct 28 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — ‘WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE’ — But can Keystone XL rise again harder and stronger? Anyone who’s followed the saga of this pipeline over the last dozen (!!!) years knows that placing bets is a fool’s game, as proponents and opponents alike have used politicians and the courts to sway the project’s fate.
Oct 21 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — TRANSITION PLAN — Who has Joe Biden’s ear? With the countdown on to Election Day, that’s what Canadian officials are trying to find out. Biden may not take Trump’s bare-knuckle approach to U.S.-Canada relations, but that doesn’t mean a Biden presidency would be smooth sailing, what with his “Buy American” pledges and the Democrats’ tradition […]
Oct 14 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — In some ways, things feel like they did in the spring — Covid-19 cases are rising, lockdowns are being announced, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding regular briefings, and no one knows how bad things will get. But as the second wave hits, we’re more tired, less patient, and with different regions seeing very different […]
Oct 7 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — TRASH TALK: There was a time when a plastics ban seemed like an easy win for the Liberals. That was in the Before Times, of course, before everybody started using disposable bags again and there was a drop in public support for restrictions on single-use plastics. With Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson expected to announce a […]
Sep 30 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — ABOUT LAST NIGHT: “Most Canadians are going to feel grateful that they live in this country,” Don Abelson, an expert in Canada-U.S. relations at St. Francis Xavier University, told Corridors in the minutes after last night’s debate. “At least we have the good sense of allowing our opponents to speak.” Amid 90 minutes of theater, […]
Sep 23 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — Let’s get the obligatory election speculation out of the way. After revealing their new roadmap in today’s Speech from the Throne, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals must survive a confidence vote on its contents, though no one seems keen to go to the polls (except maybe the Bloc Québécois?). According to the prime minister, it would be […]
Apr 24 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — Ottawa is getting ready to run one flight of medical supplies out of China every day, a parliamentary committee on government operations was told on Friday. In total, more than 10 flights have now arrived in Canada from China, and the medical supplies that failed to make it onto a plane returning from China earlier […]
Apr 8 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — An order by the Trump administration would have severed the Canadian government’s North American supply chain of N95 respirator masks, as 3M is its sole U.S.-based supplier of the critical equipment. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada and the U.S. achieved a “win-win outcome” this week after 3M announced Monday evening it had reached […]
Feb 21 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — What started as a protest against a pipeline in northern British Columbia has turned into a test of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ability to govern an increasingly divided nation and his willingness to act during a crisis. Wrapped up in the protest, which has blocked rail traffic in most of eastern Canada for more than […]
Feb 3 2020 — Maura Forrest — Politico — When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power in 2015, he promised a grand bargain: his Liberal government would fight climate change with a carbon tax, but would also get Canadian oil to new markets in Asia. One would buy the social license for the other. As bargains go, it didn’t have the desired […]