Dec 10 2019 — Scott Sinclair — The Tyee — After months of talks, House Democrats and the Trump administration have agreed on revisions to the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) that will likely clear the way for U.S. congressional approval. Although Canada was sidelined in these discussions, the Democrats won some significant improvements to the “New NAFTA” that will benefit Canadians. The biggest change is the […]

Dec 10 2019 — Thomas Mulcair — Sun Media — Justin Trudeau had it easy with the Throne Speech of his now minority government. Immediately after it had been delivered, Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet walked up to the microphones and said he was supporting it. His announcement involved no drama, but it did come with a bit of political elbowing: he said he could support […]

Dec 10 2019 — John Milloy — St. Catharines Standard — In our post-letter society Christmas cards seem out of fashion these days. The one glaring exception is cards from politicians. You may not give these cards much thought. But as a former MPP, I can tell you that these seasonal missives take over the lives of many politicians and represent much work and painstaking planning. […]

Dec 10 2019 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — Do they actually have a section in the Prime Minister’s office called Annoy Alberta? You’d think so, given the timing of the new Liberal environment minister’s statements that LNG exports may not count toward emissions targets. Jonathan Wilkinson was just off to the Madrid climate summit when he said that to the Globe and Mail. […]

Dec 10 2019 — CTV Power Play — The Strategy Session panel discusses Andrew Scheer’s absence from question period and the bill to cut middle class taxes.

Dec 10 2019 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — For a glimpse into how regional conflict might dominate our politics in 2020, watch the body language—and the response from Justin Trudeau’s office—when a provincial premier comes to Ottawa these days. Three weeks after the October federal election, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was in Ottawa for his first face-to-face post-election meeting with Prime Minister Justin […]

Dec 10 2019 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — The captured scene of Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson quietly conferring on the actions of Donald Trump created its own sensation, but in many ways served as a microcosm of current global tensions.  It was an unfortunately timed incident that nevertheless exposed inevitable realities. The nature of power in a world of nation […]

Dec 9 2019 — Heather Scoffield — Toronto Star — Mon., Dec. 9, 2019timer4 min. read As Jason Kenney and a third of his cabinet attempt to smother Ottawa this week with charm and argument, it’s not just because environmentalists and Justin Trudeau have been breathing down his neck about emissions in the oilsands. That’s just nagging. The real driving force behind Kenney’s push is […]

Dec 9 2019 — Diane Francis — Financial Post — The “hot mic” video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mocking President Donald Trump behind his back at the NATO conference is a major diplomatic blunder. I’m no fan of Trump’s either, and Trudeau certainly found a ready audience for his ridicule, but this is school boy stuff, unbecoming the leaders of any of these countries. […]

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 9 2019 — Bob Rae — Globe and Mail — When Richard Nixon and Pierre Elliott Trudeau – two very different politicians – made the decision to open diplomatic relations with the Communist government in China in the 1970s, they did not do so because they were under any illusions about the nature of the Chinese government. It was not a love affair based on […]

Dec 9 2019 — Dan Leger — Chronicle Herald — Lately, I’ve found myself asking whether 2019 will some day be seen as the year disunity returned in force to Canada. Harmony is distinctly at a premium. Alberta’s government says national unity is threatened by the province’s economic swoon, which Canada didn’t do enough to prevent. Saskatchewan’s government says that province, too, is being crippled […]

Dec 8 2019 — Tiffany Gooch — Toronto Star — Thursday’s speech from the throne spoke pointedly of a renewed national agenda aimed at rectifying the issues of yesterday, prioritizing the issues facing Canadians today and addressing the challenges that lay ahead of us in the decades to come. The speech opened by highlighting the differences in regional needs required across the country and established […]

Dec 8 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — Successful political candidates require an ability to persuade, in this order, voters, media, party members and MPs. If you are the leader of a political tribe, that order is reversed. Outside the political world the power and authority of a caucus is not well understood. Even within, some party leaders, fail to acknowledge that these […]

Dec 8 2019 — Jaime Watt — Toronto Star — On Wednesday, video emerged of Justin Trudeau, accompanied by a group of world leaders at a NATO summit in London, poking fun at President Donald Trump. In the video, the prime minister made a jibe about Trump’s penchant for impromptu press conferences and his staff’s apparent dismay at yet another off-the-cuff pronouncement.