Articles by Stuart Benson

Nov 29 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Amid a temporary pause in hostilities in Israel’s war on Hamas and the agreed-upon release of hostages, organizers behind a protest that disrupted a big-ticket Liberal Party fundraiser last week are vowing to keep up the pressure around the country until they hear “an unequivocal call for an immediate ceasefire” from the federal government.

Nov 15 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — A petition calling on the federal government to implement an NDP MP’s action plan on the rights of trans and gender-diverse Canadians has received more than 3,000 signatures in its first week as LGBTQ advocates urge the government to “put its money where its mouth is.” It’s a call for the feds to provide stable […]

Nov 3 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — The federal Conservatives extended their massive fundraising lead under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre, raking in more than $7.1-million during the third quarter of 2023, doubling the Liberals’ total, and surpassing the combined fundraising of all four of their party rivals. But, pollsters say, the windfall comes with a double-edged sword. The party’s fundraising total […]

Oct 31 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — A new report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship is raising alarm bells over the increasingly “leaky bucket” of Canada’s immigration system and the slow drip of migrants giving up on their dreams of settling down permanently in Canada.

Oct 11 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — With the first weeks of the fall sitting now in the rearview mirror, former senior civil servant David Zussman says the lack of refreshed cabinet instructions is simply the latest example of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s increasing failure to fully utilize his cabinet ministers and a long-in-the-tooth government running on “autopilot” until the next election.

Sep 20 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — As Conservatives enjoy an ever-increasing lead in the polls, some are concerned the party and its leader may be “peaking too early” with the next election possibly two years out and its slate of recently approved policy resolutions showing possible signs of friction between the various factions in the party’s increasingly diverse coalition of support.

Sep 6 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — With the federal Liberals falling roughly 10 points behind the Conservatives at the end of August, the governing party is signalling a greater focus on the cohort of younger voters it partially owes for its only majority since coming to power in 2015. But as that demographic increasingly responds positively to what it views as […]

Aug 30 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — As evacuation orders and travel bans in wildfire-affected regions of British Columbia continue to impact the tourism industry and scheduled events in the province, including at least two of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s rallies, NDP MP Richard Cannings says it is frustrating to hear Conservatives continue to spread their anti-carbon price messaging about a policy […]

Aug 23 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Without more rain, “things are going to get worse before they get better” in the Northwest Territories, where tens of thousands of evacuees are dealing with the traumatic experience of being forced from their homes with little notice, in some instances for the second or third time this summer, says Liberal MP Michael McLeod. Resident […]

Aug 16 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — With a steadily increasing lead in the polls and plenty of money from its motivated base, the Conservative Party would have been “foolish” to wait until the next federal election to address the glaring “red flags” warning of leader Pierre Poilievre’s “historically bad” polling among women voters, and the party’s lacklustre performance in recent byelections, […]

Aug 2 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Despite Ginette Petitpas Taylor’s lack of firsthand military experience, veterans associations and union representatives say they’re hopeful the new veterans affairs minister will bring a fresh and compassionate outsider perspective to address low morale and the longstanding backlog of disability benefit applications, and won’t just be another spin in a revolving door of unwanted ministers. […]

Jul 26 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Following a recent online poll showing the Conservatives having a double-digit lead over the Liberals among Indigenous voters and the shower of boos that greeted the prime minister at a recent Indigenous sporting event, strategists say the Liberals can’t afford to “rest on their laurels” from past accomplishments and will need “future-oriented goals and innovative […]

Jul 25 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — As the nearly two-week, on-again-off-again labour action by port workers in British Columbia is set to finally come to a resolution this week, former Liberal staffer Elliot Hughes says Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan may have scored the Liberals’ first win in months and secured his own promotion during the imminent cabinet shuffle. But while the […]

Jul 19 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — ‘Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, and three times a pattern,’ says former Liberal Party staffer Greg MacEachern. Conservative strategists blame “staffing failures” at a busy event for allowing multiple instances of politicians posing alongside individuals sporting T-shirts emblazoned with anti-LGBTQ slogans. But pundits and former political staffers say the lack of vigilance and […]

Jul 12 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — As the Conservative Party capped off 2022 with record-setting fundraising totals and more than $11-million in the bank after expenses, pollsters say the “anemic” Liberal fundraising and “tepid” response from progressive voters indicates the “fearmongering” over a potential prime minister Pierre Poilievre has yet to gain traction. However, despite the lack of enthusiasm among NDP […]