National Newswatch
Opinion

We invite our readers to use these pages to find links to the most compelling opinions and analyses regarding political affairs. With a view to stimulating informed political debate and analysis, we also invite National Newswatch readers to submit timely, insightful, relevant and original commentaries for consideration. Submissions of 750 to 1200 words should be sent to opinions@nationalnewswatch.com. Please include a brief bio and photo (headshot).

On This Day in Canada’s Political History: Sir Wilfrid Laurier Lays Cornerstone for the University of Saskatchewan

Jul 29 2021 — Arthur Milnes — — It is a milestone anniversary today for all citizens of Saskatchewan, regardless of party. On this date in 1910 the great Sir Wilfrid Laurier himself, on a Western tour, laid the cornerstone for what is now one of Canada’s most respected and admired universities, the University of Saskatchewan. I’ll let Sir Wilfrid himself tell the […]

The demise of the ‘star candidate’ in Canadian politics

Jul 28 2021 — Andrew Perez — — As Canada’s political parties gear up for a probable late-summer election, there is one key ingredient notably missing from each major party’s electoral lineup: the “star candidate.” After months of intense media speculation that a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, Mark Carney, would run for the Liberals, Carney […]

Trudeau shops for votes in Atlantic Canada

Jul 28 2021 — Nick Taylor-Vaisey — — Rideau Hall watch — Our intel suggests an election call sooner rather than later. We’re told the PM will be taking a couple of weeks of vacation, which rules out the first weekend in August. But keep an eye on the second and third Sundays of the month. What do you know? Share it here: […]

On This Day in Canada’s Political History: R.B Bennett defeats the Liberals to become Prime Minister

Jul 28 2021 — Arthur Milnes — — It was on this date in 1930 that Tory R.B. Bennett bested William Lyon Mackenzie King’s Liberals and earned a majority mandate from Canadians. He served five years as Prime Minister as the Great Depression ravaged Canada. Historians later revealed that Bennett, a wealthy man, often sent money to ordinary Canadians, suffering during that Dust […]

There’s more of a case for requiring the governor-general be bilingual than a Supreme Court justice

Jul 28 2021 — Andrew Coyne — — There was something ersatz about the controversy over the new governor-general’s lack of bilingualism – or rather, since Mary Simon is fluent in both English and Inuktitut, her lack of proficiency in French. Francophone commentators who had never previously disclosed a belief that there should even be a representative of the Queen in Canada were […]

Politicians won’t even discuss mandatory vaccinations, for all the wrong reasons

Jul 27 2021 — Chris Selley — — The debate in Canada over mandatory vaccinations for health-care and education workers, and over requiring “vaccine passports” for currently restricted activities like sporting events, concerts and cinemas, has by and large been remarkably civilized. That’s a healthy sign: Pro or anti, most of us seem to understand that forcing people to choose between their job […]

Voters say they’re over COVID. That could hurt Justin Trudeau

Jul 27 2021 — Tasha Kheiriddin — — Back to the Future! As the nation lurches ever closer to a widely expected election call, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be quickly receding in our collective rearview mirror. Traffic clogs our highways like bad cholesterol. Dogs howl with anxiety as their owners mysteriously disappear. A million sourdough starters have been left to die. Pre-pandemic […]

Jason Kenney tries to channel the power of the pickup truck

Jul 27 2021 — Max Fawcett — — Jason Kenney may have appointed a new minister of culture earlier this month, but culture wars are clearly still the purview of the premier. His latest skirmish involves a broadside against the “Toronto” Globe and Mail for a column it published criticizing Canada’s love affair with the pickup truck. “I’m happy to say that ~40% […]

Shifting to a low-carbon economy will profoundly change the everyday lives of Canadians. Do the Liberals understand that?

Jul 26 2021 — Heather Scoffield — — When the federal Liberals rolled out with fanfare last week their plan to deal with the human cost of cutting greenhouse gases, their timing was dubious. It’s been two years, after all, since the Liberals committed to legislating a “just transition” for people working in fossil fuels who lose their jobs as Canada moves toward […]

Two years too late: It’s high time for Canada to implement the right to housing

Jul 26 2021 — Michèle Biss and Sahar Raza — As the Canadian government works to recover from the pandemic, one basic human right remains alarmingly inaccessible to more and more people across the country: housing. COVID-19 has exposed the harsh inequities in housing, health, and income across Canada, with stay-at-home orders and social distancing protocols near-impossible to follow for the growing number of people […]