May 22 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — On the eve of a provincial election, the NDP were counting their losses. Many of their union members, particularly male workers, were not just flocking to the Progressive Conservatives but doing so in droves after the progressives had alienated them. Policies that had been designed to save public sector jobs ultimately did not represent their […]
May 15 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — Two weeks ago in these pages, I cautioned readers not to look away from pending (and in some cases already implemented) legislation in U.S. states that undermines the rights of LGBTQ Americans. Now, social progress in America has been dealt another, potentially far more catastrophic, blow. A leaked draft opinion from the country’s conservative-dominated Supreme […]
May 8 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — Now that the starting gun for the provincial election has been fired, there is one thing we know to be true: the campaign will be defined by the affordability issue, and victory will go to the party Ontarians believe will ease the strain on their pocketbooks. With everyone in the province feeling the squeeze of […]
May 1 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — For the past two weeks, Florida legislators have waged all-out war against opponents of legislation that limits discussion of LGBTQ topics in school. Many have wondered how one education bill could be worth all the trouble, but the answer is depressingly clear: this is not about a single piece of legislation in Florida. Rather, the […]
Apr 24 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — It’s less than two weeks from the Conservative party’s first leadership debate, and Pierre Poilievre has established himself as the clear front-runner. After recently dazzling over a thousand supporters at a packed Steam Whistle brewery event in downtown Toronto, the extent of his lead is such that his competitors have stopped contesting the popularity of […]
Apr 17 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — As Canada’s housing crisis deepens, touching more and more families as it does, politicians are becoming desperate in their search for solutions. The balancing act is a tricky one: the interests of existing homeowners compete with the economic outlook and raw anger among younger generations, who have come to feel that owning a home will […]
Apr 10 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — This week’s federal budget was a surprise. What’s more, it was a far cry from the Liberal election platform and the worst fears of critics of the NDP-Liberal agreement. In fact, the 2022 budget displayed, if not restraint, at least a refreshing acknowledgment of the reality around us. That is not to say this budget […]
Apr 3 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — There is a growing groundswell of support for Canada to play a larger role in international security by providing our allies with energy supplies. While many correctly see this as both an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the world and as a means to increase our international standing, we must be realistic about […]
Mar 27 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — This week the prime minister simultaneously took two different risks with two very different opposition parties. The Liberal “confidence-and-supply” agreement with the New Democrats was a political manoeuvre that provides stability for a minority government, while offering NDP leader Jagmeet Singh reasonable positioning as a conscientious voice in Parliament. The price? Limiting the government’s flexibility […]
Mar 20 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — When Russia first began its illegal invasion of Ukraine, the entire world seemed to stop for a moment. We watched in disbelief as a European ally — a modern democracy and major trading partner — was invaded by a foreign power. In short order, the Western world sprang to action, launching the most severe sanctions […]
Mar 13 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — You likely didn’t hear about it, as the issue hardly made a splash in the news: during our September federal election, 205,000 mail-in ballots were uncounted. This issue is especially troubling for its outsize impact on Indigenous communities, and stacks on other, similar failures. There are 274 First Nations communities in Canada that lack access […]
Mar 6 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — It was only four years ago today that Ontario Progressive Conservative organizers, staff and candidates were consumed by an all-out sprint to elect a new leader — while managing the predictable party infighting, desperate as they were to present a viable alternative to the Wynne Liberals. Back in 2018, perfectly naturally, many assumed that this […]
Feb 27 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — Any discussion of Russia-Ukraine should begin with an acknowledgment that millions will be devastated by Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion. Lives will be lost and a great price will be paid in terms of Ukraine’s political viability and long-term prospects. It is heartbreaking to watch a country that has made such profound and hard-won progress fall […]
Feb 20 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — “Wedged” has emerged as the buzzword to sum up our current political climate. The term has been deployed by politicians of all stripes to describe the current state of the nation, as disunity and division reach a new, brutally low nadir. The convoys have exploited the most consequential pressure points in Canadian politics, blurring the […]
Feb 13 2022 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — Even setting aside the impact of COVID-19, this year’s Olympic opening ceremony felt decidedly different from Beijing 2008. After all, China’s stance on the world stage has changed significantly, from semi-engaged world power to overarching behemoth. The consequences of that change were visible in the stands of the Bird’s Nest stadium last week. Unlike in […]