Articles by Laura Ryckewaert

Jun 17 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Leadership races are natural moments for self-reflection, and Black Conservative Party supporters say they hope the current race, and ongoing anti-Black racism protests, prompt a conversation about what more the party can do to address systemic racism and bring more Black Canadians into its fold—a conversation they say hasn’t happened yet in the race. “The […]

Jun 3 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis is an underdog in the Conservative Party’s race for a new leader, and as her team works to punch above its weight, the forced shift to virtual-only campaigning has in ways been a boon, having “levelled the playing field” when it comes to certain aspects of campaigning, says campaign manager Steve […]

May 27 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Former Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay is fighting to lead the party he once helped found, and his team, led by former MP Alex Nuttall, is touting strength in numbers, claiming a lead in membership sales to go with a lead in notable endorsements and funds raised to date.

May 20 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — After a slow start to the year, Senators are playing catch-up on proposed plans for the Centre Block building’s renovation and construction of the final Visitors’ Welcome Centre, with the Upper Chamber’s oversight subcommittee still being formed, but Alberta Senator Scott Tannas says he thinks so long as it gets underway soon, Senators will still […]

May 13 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Conservative MP Erin O’Toole is once again gunning for the party’s helm and supporting him is a familiar team of experienced hands, including national campaign manager Fred DeLorey. But this year’s race is unlike any other, being waged amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting physical distancing restrictions. “No one has ever run a campaign during […]

Apr 29 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Along with a new party leader to be announced in the fall, the Green Party of Canada will soon have a new executive director at its helm, with Prateek Awasthi set to take over on May 4, becoming the first person of colour to hold the post. “The Green Party’s in an interesting place, where […]

Apr 22 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Most Canadians are familiar with the final products of political campaigns, from party platforms to political ads, but much goes on behind the scenes to get those wheels in motion—and keep the wheels of government turning in the meantime—the details of which only a comparative few understand, and which a new book seeks to demystify. […]

Apr 8 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The World Health Organization has warned of an “infodemic” of misinformation and disinformation around COVID-19, and as authorities, companies, and individuals work to combat it, two Members of Parliament have joined an international initiative aimed at calling out and fact-checking online content around the virus. “We’ve seen misinformation in many other contexts—electoral contexts and certainly […]

Apr 1 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Physical-distancing measures aimed at dampening COVID-19’s spread are keeping Members of Parliament away from the House of Commons, and while MPs who spoke with The Hill Times say they’re fine with arrangements so far, some think the House should reconsider whether to introduce remote and electronic voting down the road.

Mar 18 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Before it adjourned amid COVID-19 precautions, the House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy struck a new subcommittee to oversee Centre Block renovations and ruled out the possibility of expanding the existing House Chamber, among other things. Only representatives from recognized parties in the House—those with at least 12 sitting MPs—were involved in those decisions. […]

Mar 11 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — After being stripped of his critic duties during the last Parliament for voting against the party line, longtime Conservative MP Scott Reid has been entirely left off of House committee membership lists this time around. Up until this Parliament, Mr. Reid had spent 15 years as a member of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee […]

Jan 29 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Four times larger than the West Block renovation project, the mission to revamp the Centre Block building—and build a new underground facility alongside it—is no small feat, and to tackle it, officials have introduced new technologies and levels of collaboration. It’s a “complex project on multiple levels,” said Jennifer Garrett, director general of the Centre […]

Jan 22 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — A final budget and timeline for the renovation of the iconic Centre Block building have yet to be determined, but work is plowing ahead, with demolition underway from the fourth floor up, which will see those floors stripped down to the building’s bones. “With these kinds of projects, we’re flying the plane while we build […]

Jan 15 2020 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — A vandalized mid-shore patrol vessel sent the total tally for government losses due to an offence or other illegal act skyrocketing to $12.1-million in 2018-19, as revealed in the 2019 public accounts. Lost and stolen items over the last fiscal year included 586 BlackBerrys, iPhones, and other cellular devices; 3,059 pieces of combat clothing; 352 […]

Oct 30 2019 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The post-election push to get the class of 2019 settled in is underway, and among the MPs-elect are five former federal staffers, who have a leg up when it comes to the, at times, daunting task of learning the ropes of life on Parliament Hill. Thirty-eight former full-time political staffers ran as non-incumbent candidates this […]