Jun 7 2023 — Les Whittington — Hill Times — As the next federal election draws nearer, Canadians will be hearing a continuing refrain from the Conservatives on the need for tax cuts to reduce the tax burden and help spur economic growth. Party leader Pierre Poilievre is already playing this card, as has every leader of Canada’s main right-wing party going back 40 years. […]
Jun 7 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Amid Parliament’s ongoing probe of foreign interference allegations, Canada’s intelligence service has been directed to do a better job of informing Parliamentarians of threats and to address the information breakdown in that process. But former defence department analyst Thomas Juneau argues intelligence briefings should focus more on mitigation and good digital hygiene, rather than trying […]
Jun 6 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The federal government is looking for Parliament’s approval for another $20.5-billion in spending through this year’s first set of supplementary estimates, including $4.4-billion to fulfill 15 measures announced in the 2023 budget, as noted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Roughly 61.2 per cent, or $12.6-billion, of the total spending MPs will vote on in these […]
Jun 5 2023 — Michael Harris — Hill Times — The ghastly shitshow currently dominating Canada’s national politics is a multi-level disgrace. The slimy assault on the reputation and character of David Johnston is unforgivable. If he had recommended a public inquiry into China’s alleged interference in Canadian elections, the same people who are slagging him would be carrying him around on their shoulders.
Jun 5 2023 — Abbas Rana — Hill Times — The June 19 byelection in Portage-Lisgar, Man., will be a good gauge to assess whether Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been able to bring the far-right voters who backed the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) in the last federal election back to the Tories, say some politicos. At the same time, they say, the result […]
Jun 2 2023 — Ian Campbell — Hill Times — A “quantum leap” in artificial intelligence technologies has spurred Parliamentarians to take one of their own, vowing to launch a “vehemently non-partisan” caucus of MPs and Senators dedicated to learning more about the threats and opportunities posed by AI. In a May 27 Substack post, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, Alta.) announced […]
Jun 1 2023 — Hill Times — Federal cabinet ministers said Atlantic Canada’s established offshore oil regulators are the best pick to regulate the new offshore wind industry because their presence will provide the experience and stability that major investors are looking for. But environmental groups say they have concerns about the ties between these regulators and oil interests. Natural Resources Minister […]
May 31 2023 — Andrew Caddell — Hill Times — I was in Toronto last week at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference, which ran May 25-28. The meeting attracted thousands of municipal leaders from everywhere. As a councillor from a small Quebec village, it was gratifying to meet colleagues from across the country, most from much larger cities and towns, but some from […]
May 31 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — On the eve of this summer’s Pride season, organizers are bracing for the possibility of violent protests and demonstrations spurred by the rising hate targeting Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ community, prompting anti-hate advocates to call on the federal government to take action. And while the Liberals are being asked to “walk the talk” to safeguard the progress […]
May 30 2023 — Jesse Cnockaert — Hill Times — Former federal government and political staffers may be facing unavoidable wait times before they are permitted to find new jobs in the public service because the ethics office is unable to issue waivers needed to speed up the transition until a new commissioner is appointed, according to experts in federal ethics laws. “It matters for […]
May 29 2023 — Michael Harris — Hill Times — Poor Pierre Poilievre. He wants to be prime minister so badly that he has started to tell NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh how to do his job. Poilievre finds a scandal under everyone else’s pillow (under his own, of course, is a shiny bitcoin from the tooth fairy). He wants Singh to renounce his supply-and-confidence deal […]
May 29 2023 — Abbas Rana — Hill Times — David Johnston’s first report into foreign interference in Canadian politics was supposed to stop the ongoing drubbing the Liberals have been getting for months, but the findings by the former governor general and his proposed public hearings will keep dogging the government in the coming weeks and months, say veteran political insiders. “The report doesn’t […]
May 26 2023 — Abbas Rana — Hill Times — Pierre Poilievre’s messaging strategy for the next federal election will be informed by the outcome of the May 29 Alberta provincial election, where incumbent premier Danielle Smith is running on a populist message. Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.) has already been building his brand as a populist leader, and Smith’s results will shape the federal Conservative Party […]
May 25 2023 — Hill Times — The federal government is stuck having to sweeten its billion-dollar agreements to subsidize Ontario’s electric vehicle supply chain as it faces “brinkmanship” from automakers that threaten to chase larger subsidies offered by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, say observers. Despite previous success in joint negotiations, the federal and Ontario governments have sparred in public in […]
May 24 2023 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre isn’t interested in a debate on the evidence supporting the Liberal approach to the opioid crisis, says Conservative strategist Tim Powers, relying instead on the general public’s lack of awareness regarding effective addiction management for political gain. But with nearly half of Canadians believing that safe consumption sites save lives while […]