Mar 29 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — “If it bleeds, it leads.” That used to be the unspoken rule of thumb for journalists charged with deciding which stories deserved a spotlight. But now, it’s evolved into something different: “If it clicks, it sticks.” And that hunt for eyeballs has rarely been as obvious, or as problematic, as it was during Justin Trudeau’s […]
Mar 25 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Pierre Poilievre, the putative front-runner for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, is wrong about a lot of things. He’s so consistently and noisily wrong, in fact, that being aggressively wrong has become his stock in trade. But one thing he’s right about is the sorry state of Canada’s housing market and the […]
Mar 23 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Brace yourself, Canada. If you thought the whining and wailing from truck-loving Conservatives about freedom and democracy was bad before, watch how they respond to the deal Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh just struck. It will be portrayed as equal parts fascism and socialism, and it will kick up a populist fuss the likes of which we’ve never seen in this country. And […]
Mar 22 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — In Alberta politics, you can never count out the Conservatives. Despite leading a government that bungled the management of COVID-19 more badly than almost anyone else in North America, made a failed $1-billion bet on the Keystone XL pipeline, and foolishly embraced an anti-democracy convoy marbled with violence and racism, Jason Kenney’s UCP is now […]
Mar 15 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Are we on the verge of a third world war? That’s the question suddenly on a lot of minds these days as Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has spurred questions about what the West can do to help — and whether that could even lead to nuclear war. So much for 2022 being a better […]
Mar 9 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — It’s now all but official: Jean Charest, the former premier of Quebec and one-time leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, will reportedly contest the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. There are other names being bandied about, from Leslyn Lewis to Patrick Brown, but it’s Charest who has clearly emerged as the great non-Poilievre […]
Feb 28 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — For more than four years now, Canadians have watched the slow-motion collapse of American democracy with a mixture of horror and schadenfreude. In retrospect, we probably should have spent that time preparing our own country for the arrival of the political virus that Donald Trump created and is now spreading here. After the events of […]
Feb 24 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — During the four long years of Donald Trump’s presidency, many Canadians looked to the New York Times as an important beacon of reason and decency. Now that Canada is having its own Trump-esque moment, one that’s been amplified by the Trumpist instruments of Fox News and Facebook, the Times appears to have abandoned its post. […]
Feb 22 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — For Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, the hits just keep on coming with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Last week, Trans Mountain announced the project will be an eye-watering $8.8 billion over its initial budget. And in a move that can’t help but raise eyebrows, CEO Ian Anderson will be retiring effective April 1. […]
Feb 15 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Canadians are done with COVID-19. At least, that’s been the consistent message coming from Conservative premiers and politicians, who seem to be in some sort of race to see who can trigger a fifth wave of the virus first. It has also been the go-to line for federal Conservatives looking to justify their support of […]
Feb 10 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — When the trucker convoy to Ottawa was first announced, it was ostensibly a protest against vaccine mandates and the impact they would have on cross-border shipping and supply chains. But with 90 per cent of truckers vaccinated and the companies that employ them pooh-poohing the impact of said mandates, protesters quickly retreated to the firmer […]
Feb 7 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Canada is under attack. As the occupation of our nation’s capital by a loose alliance of anti-government activists, anti-vaxxers and hatred tourists enters its second week, it’s become increasingly clear they’re not going to leave without a fight. And while the number of people participating in the occupation has steadily dwindled, they have attracted a […]
Feb 4 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Nature may abhor a vacuum, but chaos absolutely loves it. So, too, does the convoy of “truckers” — more a ragtag collection of farmers and other rural Albertans — who have occupied the border crossing in Coutts, Alta., for more than five days now, defying both the local police and half-hearted disapproval of the UCP […]
Feb 2 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — When they departed for Ottawa last week, the convoy of anti-Trudeau truckers thought they were headed to the nation’s capital to bring the government down. Instead, they managed to topple Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole — and helped launch the third leadership race since Stephen Harper stepped down in 2015. And with the […]
Feb 1 2022 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — In theory, we’re all supposed to be treated equally under the law. But as we just saw with the behaviour of the truck convoy protesters and the Ottawa police’s response to them, it’s a much different story in practice. After all, while these protesters can apparently break all manner of laws with impunity — from […]