Aug 13 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — Any moves by Canada to sanction Chinese officials for human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur population would be met with a “strong and resolute reaction,” according to China’s ambassador in Ottawa. A letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed by 64 Canadian MPs and senators called for sanctions to be levied against officials deemed […]
Aug 11 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — A story in the Taipei Times earlier this year detailed how a senior official in Taiwan’s airport security police was convicted of taking kickbacks related to a multimillion dollar contract to supply X-ray scanners to the Taiwanese government. Investigators alleged that the Chinese company supplying the scanners had sent a 30-something female sales manager to […]
Aug 10 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — The echo chamber of Canadian politics reverberated with some particularly juicy scuttlebutt last week. Mark Carney was set to announce as a Liberal candidate and become Canada’s finance minister, it was heard and said. The utterly imaginary ascended to the level of sure thing, thanks to two events. First, well-regarded York Centre Liberal MP Michael […]
Jul 30 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — Jean Chrétien used to tell his cabinet a folksy allegory that suggests how he would have handled the WE affair. A farmer is covered in cow dung but knows that if he tries to wipe the manure away while fresh, he will spread it all around and make it worse. So he waits until it […]
Jul 22 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — Bill Morneau looked like a drowning man after he revealed to a parliamentary committee that he had received $41,000 in paid travel and hospitality from WE Charity, the organization his government subsequently handed a $900 million contribution agreement. The finance minister cut a forlorn figure, at the mercy of wind and tide, as he apologized […]
Jul 21 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — The public service was not aware that WE faced financial problems when it recommended the charity receive a $900 million contribution agreement with Ottawa to promote student volunteerism, the country’s top bureaucrat told a parliamentary committee. Yet the question that remains unanswered is: Did Justin Trudeau and Bill Morneau know about WE’s predicament?
Jul 21 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — It is a good maxim when watching the government not to attribute to malice those decisions that can be explained by stupidity. It’s likely that nobody in the government of Canada really wanted to award a state-owned Chinese company the contract to supply sensitive security equipment to 170 embassies and consulates around the world, especially […]
Jul 17 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — The government of Canada has awarded an estimated $6.8 million contract to a state-owned Chinese company to supply security equipment for 170 embassies, consulates and high commissions around the globe. The contract for conveyor-style X-ray machines was awarded to Beijing-based Nuctech Company, a company owned by the Chinese government and founded by the son of […]
Jul 13 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — There is a familiar rhythm to Justin Trudeau’s leadership – he commits a cardinal error of judgment, offers a misty-eyed admission of guilt, the dogs bark and the caravan moves on. The current controversy over the awarding of a $900 million contract to the WE Charity has the usual cadence – and there is no […]
Jul 9 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — The Ethics Commissioner’s second report on conflict of interest violations by the prime minister in the SNC-Lavalin scandal was titled: “Trudeau II,” so it is fair to assume that his investigation into alleged improprieties over the awarding of a $900 million contract to the WE charity will be labelled “Trudeau III.” One has to admire […]
Jul 8 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — It was heartening to see a finance minister provide clarity, imagination and hope amid the COVID chaos. He ruled out further extensions to wage subsidies beyond October but made it cheaper for people to buy homes; reduced consumption taxes for food and accommodation; offered restaurant discounts for people who “eat out to help out,” and […]
Jul 8 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — China has exploited the fragility created by COVID to accelerate its political annexation in the South China Sea and Hong Kong. Opposition to its belligerence has been met with disdain. After Canada suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, in the wake of China’s radical new security law, the Chinese threatened retaliation. “All consequences shall […]
Jul 3 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — Hong Kong has just experienced its “Tiananmen moment,” according to China watcher Margaret McCuaig-Johnston. One of the world’s great cities is having its autonomy, dynamism and creativity leeched from it by the Communist Party of China, following the introduction of a draconian new security law.
Jul 2 2020 — John Ivison — National Post — With the rosy glow from Canada Day still fresh in the memory, Canadians can reflect with pride on the watery wonderland they call home — a pristine wilderness, bordered by three mighty oceans, that contains one-fifth of the world’s fresh water and two million lakes. The reality is a little less pleasant on the senses.
Jun 29 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — George W. Bush never did say “Mission Accomplished,” as he declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq. In fact he said: “Our mission continues.” But the giant banner that was used as a backdrop aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln trumpeted that bombastic message, and the incident became a byword for hubris. Fortunately for […]