iPolitics

Feb 13 2019 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — The Ford government is defending paying thousands of dollars per day to the chair of a committee tasked with cutting waste. Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy announced in a statement Tuesday that Charles-Antoine St-Jean had been appointed chair of the government’s internal corporate audit committee. The news release didn’t disclose compensation but hours later Bethlenfalvy’s […]

Feb 7 2019 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is calling for a police investigation into bombshell allegations that Justin Trudeau’s office interfered in the criminal case against SNC-Lavalin. “Messing with the administration of justice is not just bad politics. It may be a crime,” CCLA executive director Michael Bryant said in a statement Thursday. Earlier in the day, […]

Feb 6 2019 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — The Ontario NDP led the Ford government to the source of an embarrassing leak when it released a document last week that wasn’t properly redacted, sources say. On Thursday, the official opposition scooped the government on a major announcement by releasing the draft version of a bill that overhauls the health care system and amalgamates […]

Feb 4 2019 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — The Ford government is asking the OPP to investigate the massive leak of government documents to the NDP. In a memo sent to all public service staff on Monday, the government’s interim cabinet secretary Steven Davidson said the person found responsible for the leak was let go and the provincial police were called in to […]

Feb 1 2019 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — The Ontario NDP is joining a growing chorus of left-of-centre parties questioning the residency status of Jason Kenney during his time as a federal minister and MP. Last week, Ontario Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell asked the Speaker of the House to investigate whether Kenney misused the expense system by claiming Calgary as his primary residence […]

Jan 29 2019 — iPolitics — Liberal MP Terry Sheehan is firing back at New Democrat MP Charlie Angus and urging the House of Commons’ board of internal economy to review what he alleges is the improper use of his parliamentary website. But the website of the former NDP leadership candidate may be exempt from Parliament’s rules that dictate MPs’ website […]

Jan 4 2019 — Tim Naumetz — iPolitics — As the government scrambled to control PR damage from a $5.6-million hockey rink on Parliament Hill that was to open for just over three weeks in December 2017, Canadian Heritage coached an Ottawa Senators executive on how to apply for $2.5 million more in federal funding to extend skating into February, documents show.

Jan 3 2019 — Michael Coren — iPolitics — Just like any other year in the Middle East, 2019 will be characterized by its lack of predictability, which makes estimating what will happen inherently difficult. Looking back on the history of the region: the best minds in Israel failed to prepare for the 1973 Arab-Israeli War; not one intelligence service thought the shah of […]

Jan 3 2019 — Graham Thomson — iPolitics — According to the Chinese calendar, 2019 will be the Year of the Pig. In Alberta, New Democrats are hoping it will be the Year of the Underdog. That’s because 2019 will be the Year of the Election. The provincial election — to be held sometime between March 1 and May 31 — promises to be […]

Dec 27 2018 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — Ontario government ministers who took on the Trudeau Liberals are among the premier’s top performers, according to strategists. The rookie government under Doug Ford quickly went toe-to-toe with federal cabinet ministers after taking office in June, and the confrontational approach made many ministers stand out. Asked by iPolitics to list the best and worst ministers, […]

Dec 17 2018 — iPolitics — Nothing will make the government reconsider its controversial plan to buy 25 second-hand, 30-year-old fighter jets as a temporary stopgap for its fleet, says Canada’s minister of National Defence. “For us, (cancelling the purchase is) not even in the picture at all, because it would be absolutely irresponsible if we don’t try to fill this […]

Dec 17 2018 — Marco Vigliotti — iPolitics — Justin Trudeau’s newest adviser will take home more than $1,200 for each day he works in government, iPolitics has learned. Serge Dupont, a former deputy clerk of the Privy Council Office (PCO), was named senior executive adviser to the prime minister in an order-in-council published on Dec. 6. The order fixed his salary at $1,250 […]

Dec 5 2018 — Michael Coren — iPolitics — Sometimes mailing lists can be worryingly out-of-date and inaccurate. This weekend, I received an emailed letter from Charles McVety, president of Canada Christian College, addressed to “Pastor Michael.” (No, I haven’t suddenly been elevated to clerical status.) “I want to extend a personal invitation to you and your pastoral staff to come to the platform […]

Dec 4 2018 — Marieke Walsh — iPolitics — When the top job with the Ontario Provincial Police was posted in October, Ron Taverner couldn’t apply, because his rank was too low. Two days later, the job requirements were changed — paving the way for the Ford family friend to apply. He got the job. The job postings were obtained exclusively by iPolitics late […]

Nov 28 2018 — Kelsey Johnson — iPolitics — A decision by General Motors to close five North American auto plants — including one in Oshawa, Ont. — is causing new uncertainty about the future of Canada’s trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico, former interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose warned Wednesday. Speaking at the Grow Canada conference in Ottawa, Ambrose said GM’s […]