Jul 22 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — If Harper returned to once again lead the Conservatives, it would cut the Liberal advantage by two-thirds, and a rout starts to look more like a race. We don’t spend enough time indulging hypotheticals. “That would never happen,” as a reason not to think about something, is given way too much room to run these […]
Jul 8 2021 — Maclean's — If you’ve any doubt being Leader of the Official Opposition is the worst job going in politics, take a look at Erin O’Toole and ask yourself if you’d like to be having his fun. With an election in the offing, his Conservatives are now mired in the mid-20s in the most recent clutch of polls, […]
Jul 8 2021 — Marie-Danielle Smith — Maclean's — In the wake of multiple exits by senior leaders after untested allegations of misconduct, fixing its badly broken justice system is now the most important mission facing the beleaguered military It had been four months since the end of an investigation into a man she alleges was sexually harassing her. No charges had been laid.
Jul 6 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — The newly named Governor General has been a pillar of many Canadian communities and now will be again of another. She’s needed and ready. Reading from notes during a brief news conference Tuesday morning at the Canadian Museum of History—which is good! Caution is good!—Mary Simon said she hadn’t discussed a possible election with the […]
Jun 25 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — A new, large-sample national survey by Innovative Research for Maclean’s suggests growing Liberal strength in a handful of key seat clusters. A new large-sample public-opinion survey that permits detailed examination of close races suggests the federal Liberals are well-positioned to make seat gains, as Justin Trudeau decides whether to call an election campaign that could […]
Jun 16 2021 — Marie-Danielle Smith — Maclean's — While the inner circle has faith in Erin O’Toole, regional and ideological schisms pose a growing threat. Picture a rolling video montage of happy, diverse Canadians, filming themselves on their phones, talking about what they love most about their country. A man puts some Alberta steaks on the grill. A recent immigrant extols the virtues […]
Jun 16 2021 — Philippe J. Fournier — Maclean's — When Mainstreet Research released its latest Alberta poll in May showing the Wildrose Independence Party in third place with 17 per cent of voting intentions province-wide, some eyebrows were understandably raised. Could it be that Jason Kenney’s right flank was splintering off his United Conservative Party, a narrative ominously similar to the one that doomed […]
Jun 15 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — On the last Friday morning of the spring session of the Supreme Court of Canada, the chamber was nearly empty. Screens set up in view of the ermine-clad Supremes showed the faces of a bunch of lawyers, waiting on Zoom to argue a copyright case. But before the day’s scintillating main event could begin, Richard […]
May 27 2021 — Gerald Butts — Maclean's — Should you be losing sleep over Bill 96? I learned long ago, while living in Montreal, that the marginal utility of an anglophone having an opinion about the French language’s vitality trends from zero to negative. I won’t join the merry band of commentators in the ROC who have decided otherwise, except to say that […]
May 25 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — The spreading of largesse; Joly’s language reform; Guilbeault’s Quixotic quest and, finally, the relaxed response to Bill 96. The PM wants to win big Quebec. Everyone’s wondering, yet again, what Justin Trudeau’s game is in Quebec. I doubt he’d have it any other way. Here’s my best attempt to discern the Prime Minister’s thinking on […]
May 20 2021 — Philippe J. Fournier — Maclean's — After a tumultuous spring marked by a deadly third wave of the pandemic in Ontario, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party has taken a substantial hit in popular support according to a new Mainstreet Research poll of Ontario voters. When Mainstreet last took the pulse of Ontario voters back in February, Doug Ford enjoyed a crushing […]
May 20 2021 — Shannon Proudfoot — Maclean's — There’s a brilliantly intricate episode of Community, the cult-favourite TV show about a group of misfits attending a crummy local college, that hinges on the idea that if you swap out one person for another, everything changes. Pizza arrives during a party, and one character suggests tossing dice to decide who goes downstairs to get […]
May 20 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Something there is about the pundit’s life that doesn’t mind a fight, so when I heard that Avi Lewis (kids: ask your parents!) will be running for the NDP in the next federal election, I called Anne McGrath. I suppose I could have called Avi Lewis, but (a) Campbell Clark over at the Globe already […]
May 14 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Right up until the day the oligarch next door cut off his ability to sell his product, Michael Yurkovich was marvelling at how easy it was to do business in the new Ukraine. Yurkovich is from Calgary. His family has been in oil for decades. But Yurkovich seeks investment opportunity in various energy markets and […]
May 14 2021 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — In May 2019, 2,622 members of the Canadian Armed Forces filled out a survey on their feelings about their work environment and career prospects. In one question, respondents were asked whether they agree with the statement: “I have confidence in the leadership of the CAF.” Among regular force personnel, the term for full-time members as […]