National Post

Dec 10 2019 — Tom Blackwell — National Post — Ontario’s governing Progressive Conservatives are considering a code of conduct for all their members, part of a quiet trend in Canadian politics that has some party activists worried about unduly restricting the rank and file. The draft code, a copy of which was obtained by the National Post, contains non-controversial bans on racism, violence and […]

Dec 9 2019 — Dale Smith — National Post — After nearly three years of leaving the post vacant, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a new Canadian secretary to the Queen, amid rumours of the Crown beginning preparations for its inevitable transition and the possibility of a Canadian royal tour next year. Shortly after his government was first elected in 2015, Trudeau had removed […]

Dec 4 2019 — National Post — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other world leaders have been caught on camera apparently talking candidly about U.S. President Donald Trump, with the footage stoking fears of a backlash. The video was shot by the British host’s pool camera during a reception at Buckingham Palace held Tuesday night in London, where leaders from NATO’s 29 […]

Nov 28 2019 — Kelly McParland — National Post — Before we get into Andrew Scheer and his future with the Conservative party, let’s just remember one thing: this guy saved Conservatives from choosing Maxime Bernier as their leader. Scheer became leader in 2017 with 50.95 per cent of the vote, compared with Bernier’s 49.05 per cent. It was a close-run thing. Yet in October’s […]

Nov 28 2019 — Matt Gurney — National Post — A week ago, I honestly believed I’d said enough about Andrew Scheer and his future as leader of the Conservative party. I didn’t see anything more to say. But fascinating stuff keeps coming out, and I find I can’t resist. Consider just the recent developments: Scheer has fired some of his top advisers. Lisa Raitt, […]

Nov 28 2019 — Tom Blackwell — National Post — ‘Our party is not the same as it was before this last leadership race. You can’t undo what was said and done and heard, especially to the masses.’ A sudden burst of populism during the last Conservative leadership contest transformed the party and left a lasting mark on Canadian politics generally, former MP and leadership […]

Nov 20 2019 — John Ivison — National Post — Just over four years ago, Justin Trudeau strode in late fall sunshine toward Rideau Hall like a conquering Roman general, flanked by his gender-balanced cabinet. By contrast, there was nothing triumphant about the way Trudeau’s ministers trudged toward the Governor-General’s residence to be sworn in on a chilly winter’s afternoon on Wednesday, their leader nowhere […]

Nov 14 2019 — Kelly McParland — National Post — So far, the net outcome of Justin Trudeau’s meetings with the leaders of opposition parties has been some awkward-looking photo ops of the prime minister gripping hands with disappointed-looking opponents. It’s not clear whether the disconsolate expressions are a holdover from the election results, or the result of meetings that appear to have produced little. […]

Nov 13 2019 — John Ivison — National Post — The unsung story about the 2019 general election campaign is how vital Barack Obama’s endorsement was to Justin Trudeau’s victory. That’s a pretty broad statement, given there were so many twists and turns in the 40 day campaign. But if there was the turning point that secured the win, it was the former president’s backing […]

Nov 12 2019 — John Robson — National Post — The Alberta Provincial Police just came knocking. Apparently you’re wanted for a breach of national unity. Or they are. So where do we go from here? An APP isn’t the only idea Alberta Premier Jason Kenney unveiled at a Manning Centre event in Red Deer over the weekend. Nor, probably, the most significant or best. […]

Nov 8 2019 — Colby Cosh — National Post — The answer he ought to give (without invoking ‘sin’ or the l-word) is that he aspires to lead a secular state in a religiously plural society. History, you know, does offer Catholic politicians a deathless riposte to awkward questions about their ability to participate in public life. In 1906 a Liberal candidate was giving an […]

Nov 5 2019 — John Ivison — National Post — Tom Mulcair was the bookmaker’s favourite to become prime minister a month before the vote in 2015. Six months after polling day, he was rejected as NDP leader by the majority of delegates at the party’s annual convention. Andrew Scheer was in a similar position, well ahead in the polls a month before the October […]

Nov 5 2019 — Chuck Strahl — National Post — Way back when (in political terms, back when the crust of the Earth was just beginning to harden), the leader of Canada’s Official Opposition was a fellow named Jean Chrétien. A lot of people thought Chrétien should step down as leader, and the sooner the better. Worse yet, it wasn’t the other parties who said […]

Oct 31 2019 — Chris Selley — National Post — There are many things for the Conservative Party of Canada to ponder in the wake of their election-night performance last week, and one of them is certainly Andrew Scheer’s leadership. It should by no means be beyond reproach. Quite apart from anything else he signed off on a dispiriting grab-bag of a platform that seemed […]

Oct 29 2019 — Matt Gurney — National Post — I was walking my kids to school through fog so thick it was like a Stephen King novella when I got a text from a friend. It was just like quite a few texts or messages or calls I’ve been getting since last week. My friend had told me confidently before the weekend that Andrew […]