While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from John Milloy.
If you want to sound wise these days, just blame the crazy state of the world on polarization. If you want to sound really wise, say that fighting polarization needs to be part of the political agenda and be sure to blame social media and Donald Trump (although not necessarily in that order) for the current chaos. Despite it being...
Is being a cabinet minister the only mark of success for a government MP or MPP? An observer of recent events in Ottawa and Queen’s Park might reach that conclusion. In Ottawa, Mark Carney’s slimmed down cabinet meant several ministers needed to be dropped and considerable talent was left on the backbenches. The result was a flurry of articles and...
Despite knowing very little about him, Canadians chose Mark Carney as their new prime minister. Fearful of the bellicose threats coming from the United States about Canada becoming the 51st state, voters turned to the former central banker as a steady hand to deal with President Donald Trump. With no previous political experience to point to, much was made during...
Would all those who think the new minority Parliament is going to be a beacon of collegiality and co-operation please give their head a shake. I get the argument. The Liberals are only a few seats shy of a majority. The opposition is in disarray and has no interest in triggering an election. These are also serious times and parties...
What a difference a few years and the election of Donald Trump makes. It seems like only yesterday that loud voices were calling for the cancellation of Canada Day due to our country’s shameful past. Fast forward to today and it seems that everyone is trying to outdo themselves in the patriotism department: buying Canadian; flying the flag; and chastising...
At least one journalist seems concerned about our new prime minister’s faith. During the opening campaign news conference, she noted Mark Carney was a practising Catholic who had attended mass earlier that morning. As a result, she wanted to know whether he supported abortion rights. Carney seemed a bit surprised by the question, mentioning he usually doesn’t speak about his...
The next federal election is going to be about more than the tariff threat. In a world gone mad, the issue that will drive voters to the polls can be summed up in one word — hope. People are scared, angry and confused. Everything that we believed in seems to be collapsing around us. Our trading relationships, alliances and democratic...
Doug Ford is going to call a snap election and who can blame him. The Progressive Conservatives have a commanding lead in the polls and Ford’s popularity has only increased through his standing up to the Bully-in-Chief down south. Although the PCs are riding high they do have several vulnerabilities with health care being the most noteworthy.
Love him or hate him, Doug Ford knows a thing or two about politics, including how to lay a trap for his critics. The most recent example is his scheme to give every Ontarian $200 to help them deal with cost-of-living issues. Although not yet officially announced, Ford has done all but confirm that the payout is going to be...
You may have heard that the business of the House of Commons has ground to a halt. No work has been done for several weeks and the impasse is expected to continue when MPs return after the Thanksgiving break. The House of Commons is not working? Although it’s tempting to insert a clever punchline at this point, this is actually...
Thanksgiving seems to have come early this year. By telling homeless people to get off their backsides and find a job, Doug Ford has been impersonating the crazy right-wing uncle that seems to appear at every holiday gathering. All right, Ford used a less polite term than “backside,” but you get the point — this is a “G-rated” column.
With his most recent cabinet shuffle Doug Ford has broken his own record. With 37 members, Ontario has the largest cabinet in the province’s history! The move has generated some pushback. Some commentators have pointed out that as ministers get paid more than ordinary MPPs and require larger staffs, taxpayers will be on the hook for increased spending.
The Democrats are having a fair bit of success labelling former President Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance as “weird”. Not only has the description resonated with the public but it seems to have gotten under the extremely thin skin of the Republican nominee. “Weird” is such a great term. Calling an opponent evil, destructive or a fascist has...
“Rather than engage in personal attacks, we should be debating and discussing issues and policies.” This sentiment was expressed by many in the days following the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Polarization, we were told, could be ended if we simply focused on ideas, not the people holding them.
Maybe he should go. No, I am not talking about Justin Trudeau or Joe Biden. I am talking about Doug Ford. Why would I suggest such a thing? Doug Ford appears invincible. Even after six years in office he continues to lead in the polls against opposition parties that don’t seem to have much public traction. It doesn’t get any...
Is Doug Ford going to call an early election? Rumours are swirling around Queen’s Park and the Premier has refused to rule out the possibility when pressed by the media. Many argue that the idea has merit. The provincial Tories are quite popular. The NDP have failed to gain traction and the new provincial Liberal leader is still finding her...
“I feel a profound sense of urgency. Because more will change in the next five years than in the last 30.” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently used these words to try to frame the upcoming U.K. election. His message was clear. We are living in extraordinary times: a Middle East war; an expansionist Russia; Chinese cyberespionage; a refugee crisis...
Has the Ford government gotten away with the Greenbelt scandal? The PCs continue to ride high in the polls. Doug Ford reminds us of his hard work during every hockey game and there is talk of an early election. READ MORE: Ford backs his chief of staff in personal email controversy
There's a new trendy insult in Ottawa these days.
Make the rich pay! It sounds like a winning slogan. Income inequality is growing. The rich are literally getting richer and the poor poorer. Young people can’t afford a house or even pay rent. Homeless encampments are increasingly becoming commonplace and news of huge profits by companies like Loblaw have resulted in a boycott movement.
On Thursday, NATO turned 75 and maybe we should pause to consider the nature of an alliance that has contributed much to our national security. Many Canadians may not realize that our country was not only a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization but helped draft the original treaty committing each signatory to consider an armed attack against...
This week’s return of the House of Commons will undoubtedly generate more commentary about the conduct of members of Parliament during question period — the heckling, the insults and the put downs. What would get normal people fired for workplace harassment is seen as just a regular day in Parliament.