Hill Times

May 25 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Support resources on the Hill, particularly interpretation services, have been stretched thin amid continued hybrid virtual proceedings and the addition of late-night sittings, leading to a wave of committee meeting cancellations last week. Conservative House Leader John Brassard says he sees “one simple solution” to the problem: putting an end to hybrid proceedings. “The pressure […]

May 25 2022 — Tim Powers — Hill Times — Prior to the pandemic, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was arguably the most powerful and influential conservative leader in Canada. Andrew Scheer, when he was federal opposition leader, had Kenney campaign for him in Ontario, while at the same time staying away from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. When Erin O’Toole was seeking to replace Scheer, he […]

May 24 2022 — Stuart Benson — Hill Times — With less than two weeks left for Conservative leadership campaigns to sell new party memberships, former Quebec premier Jean Charest is touting his camp’s successes not just in recruitment but also in fundraising. “We are well on track to reach $2-million within the next two weeks,” the campaign’s director of communications, Michelle Coates Mather, told […]

May 23 2022 — Michael Harris — Hill Times — The political plague of populism is sweeping across the United States at an alarming rate. Who could have imagined a traditional political party like the GOP standing for the Big Lie that Joe Biden and the Democrats stole the 2020 election, especially after that allegation has been thoroughly debunked in every official recount and court […]

May 23 2022 — Chelsea Nash — Hill Times — In the wake of the mass shooting on May 14 in Buffalo, N.Y., which targeted Black people, the current and former chair of the Liberal Black Caucus (LBC) say they want to see concrete action from their own government to address racism and hate in Canada. “I can’t speak for the government. But I could […]

May 20 2022 — Hill Times — Trans Mountain Corporation and Finance Canada both say an April 20 change to the Crown corporation’s official status was made in order to allow it to obtain third-party financing, after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on Feb. 18 that the government would not provide any further public money to the project. But NDP environment critic […]

May 19 2022 — Hill Times — Conservative Alberta MPs blamed the tough pandemic political climate for Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s splintered internal support and say his resignation was a result of a “no-win situation” and “an unforgiving political culture” that allowed United Conservative Party divisions to grow. But Conservative strategists say Kenney’s leadership style and caucus management played a huge role […]

May 18 2022 — Hill Times — Believe you me, I would really like to write about something other than the Conservative leadership race. I can pick any topic I want to discuss; there are no editorial boundaries placed upon me. The Hill Times is a gatekeeper-free environment. Boogie men and women aren’t everywhere looking to stymie thoughts or incarcerate speech. Arguably, […]

May 18 2022 — Erica Ifill — Hill Times — The Canadian White Establishment is at it again, gaslighting Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) into disbelieving our own experiences in this country, based and built on white supremacy and the fascism of right-wing, Christian dogma. Over the weekend, a young white man live-streamed himself on Twitch murdering Black people, or what I like […]

May 18 2022 — Mike Lapointe — Hill Times — Conservative strategists are in agreement that while there has always been a campaign for more freedom and smaller government at the heart of conservatism in Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the theme particularly relevant today—most notably in the ongoing Conservative Party leadership race. But some argue that it’s too early to say whether or […]

May 17 2022 — Mike Lapointe — Hill Times — In the wake of a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., that left 10 Black people dead, Conservative leadership hopefuls and MPs of all stripes are strongly condemning the “ugly racist hate” that motivated the act. But as politicians and the public continue to take stock of the tragedy that occurred just south of the Canada-U.S. […]

May 16 2022 — Abbas Rana — Hill Times — The June 2 Ontario provincial election will be a case study for how upset Canadians are with incumbent politicians about inflation and affordability issues, like soaring food prices, gas prices, and skyrocketing housing prices, say some MPs and a veteran pollster. “We’re in the heat of a provincial election in Canada’s largest province,” said Nik […]

May 16 2022 — Michael Harris — Hill Times — By any normal measure, Justin Trudeau ought to be planning for a career path change. Not many people in federal politics win the PM’s job and a majority government on their first try. Even fewer win three consecutive federal elections, albeit by lesser margins, in the age of drive-by-smear politics. Few besides Trudeau have inherited—and […]

May 16 2022 — Mike Lapointe — Hill Times — National security experts—and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service itself—are calling for major updates to the CSIS Act, first passed in 1984. The Act should be changed to reflect a rapid growth of online threats, changing attitudes and legislation around privacy, and the exploitation of both conventional and technological means for nefarious ends by authoritarian regimes, […]

May 13 2022 — Hill Times — Many members of Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ community celebrated when Health Canada announced that it would finally be ending the nation’s discriminatory ban on donations from men who have sex with men. Christopher Karas felt only sadness and exhaustion. “I felt so tired, I cried,” recalled Karas, who brought a human rights complaint against Health Canada in […]