Jan 23 2020 — Chris Selley — Postmedia — There is no “Donutgate.” It is not a thing. At a rough guess, perhaps five real people care that Justin Trudeau went to an upmarket instead of mass-market donut shop in Winnipeg to pick up treats for the Liberal cabinet retreat. Five people does not make “scandal,” “outrage” or “controversy.” Not even close. Donutgate is […]
Jan 22 2020 — Chris Selley — Postmedia — Certain pundits — well, one at least — had speculated in recent weeks that Jean Charest might be a plausible defender and leader of a Canadian conservative coalition that sometimes seems scared of its own shadow. If nothing else, it seemed reasonable to assume Charest appreciated the nature of that coalition. He lived its glory […]
Jan 17 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — When new ambassadors arrive in Ottawa they are obliged to troop along to Rideau Hall, where they are officially welcomed by the Governor General, as the Queen’s representative in Canada. The presentation of credentials ceremony is normally a formality carried out by the dignified branch of government – perfunctory and uneventful, if done right. Yet […]
Jan 16 2020 — Chris Selley — Postmedia — CBC’s and CTV’s newsrooms published rather important “clarifications” to online news stories on Tuesday afternoon, the main point of which was that Stephen Harper never uttered the phrase “regime change” at an international policy gabfest in New Delhi. The topic was Iran and its shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner with 176 souls aboard, the […]
Jan 16 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — He haunts the Conservative Party still. The news that Stephen Harper has resigned from the board of the Conservative Fund, which is responsible for the party’s finances, was trending on social media on Wednesday afternoon, overshadowing speculation about candidates running in the party’s leadership race.
Jan 8 2020 — John Ivison — Postmedia — Former Quebec premier Jean Charest is keeping his powder dry but those who have spoken to him are under no illusions – he is in as a contender for the federal Conservative leadership, with his official announcement expected later this month. His wife of 40 years, Michèle Dionne, and his three grown children are onside […]
Jan 8 2020 — Postmedia — The Conservative Party is setting a high bar for candidates to enter the race to succeed Andrew Scheer, which may leave a small pack of mostly big-name candidates vying for the job. Conservative MPs Erin O’Toole and Pierre Poilievre are expected to announce their run soon, according to Conservative organizers. Jean Charest, a former Quebec […]
Jan 7 2020 — Tom Blackwell — Postmedia — A new report from Ontario’s Office of the Independent Police Review Director serves up more startling details of the law-enforcement-aided scheme. Supporters of a Progressive Conservative candidate in the last Ontario election helped run a smear campaign against a party rival using leaked police documents, with the politician’s business partner caught on video mailing out […]
Dec 31 2019 — Brian Platt — Postmedia — One of the longest serving Conservative MPs is urging his party to return to its democratic grassroots, and has revealed a behind-the-scenes account of how he was fired from his critic role by leader Andrew Scheer for supporting the legalization of cannabis. In an essay posted to his website, Scott Reid — who’s won his […]
Dec 30 2019 — Kevin Carmichael — Postmedia — On the weekend before Christmas, Bill Morneau accused the Official Opposition of talking us into a recession. “I think it’s a little bit irresponsible of the Conservatives to be making people more anxious,” the finance minister said on Question Period, CTV’s Sunday political talk show. Morneau probably was thinking of one Conservative in particular. Pierre […]
Dec 30 2019 — Chris Selley — Postmedia — It’s not good to be cynical about politicians in general. Most are in the game for the right reasons. But over the past 10 years, a good few of them — and their advisers — have really let the side down. With an obvious bias toward Central Canada and federal politics, here are the Top […]
Dec 18 2019 — Stuart Thomson — Postmedia — Canadians believe former Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose has a strong “winnability” factor as a potential successor to Andrew Scheer at the helm of the party, a new poll from the DART & Maru/Blue polling group suggests. The survey found that among several prominent suggested candidates, Ambrose has the perceived leadership qualities and name recognition […]
Dec 17 2019 — Postmedia — The upcoming Conservative leadership race to replace Andrew Scheer is, so far, shrouded in mystery. Potential candidates are cautiously guarding their language — almost everyone is “considering” it right now — until they know what the cost of entry is and what the rules will be. Some candidates, worried about vote-splitting, are waiting for the […]
Dec 16 2019 — John Ivison — Postmedia — The research is conclusive – the average short-term memory of animals is 27 seconds. Even dogs only retain information for two minutes. But the human capacity for memory means most of us can remember back days, months, even years in some cases. Someone might want to tell Finance Minister Bill Morneau. The brighter lights out […]
Dec 13 2019 — Brian Platt — Postmedia — When Andrew Scheer entered the already-crowded Conservative leadership race in September 2016, few predicted he’d emerge triumphant. Scheer had made his career in Ottawa largely through the House of Commons Speaker’s office — a bastion for parliamentary procedure wonks, not partisan politics. He’d been a Conservative MP since the age of 25, but never a […]