After Trudeau’s Liberals promised to eliminate the first-past-the-post system, we see how the government’s election reform bill stacks up
Celie Deagle
On the campaign trail, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heartily assured supporters of his commitment to reform Canada’s electoral system and “make every vote count.” Once in office, though, Trudeau’s enthusiasm fizzled out and no legislation was pushed through Parliament. Nonetheless, the Liberal government introduced Bill C-76 this April, which aims to overhaul the current Canada […] More »
The finance minister is in hot water over an ethics scandal the Opposition isn’t backing away from
Kevin Philipupillai
When Bill Morneau stepped away from his enormous family firm, Morneau Sheppell, to run for the federal Liberals, he was seen as a star candidate whose presence on Justin Trudeau’s team would reassure skeptical business executives. Just two years later, Morneau’s boss is jumping in front of microphones to shield him from questions. The finance […] More »
As Canada's federal election approaches, which party leaders are paying attention to women's issues?
Hillary Di Menna
Election day is October 19 and women’s issues are being discussed, sort of. Like, one of the discussions is about how major party leaders aren’t actually into the idea of having these discussions. Here’s a glimpse so far: Up for Debate Wouldn’t it be handy if there were a debate specifically about women’s issues? There […] More »
Listening to Michael Ignatieff address his few remaining dispirited supporters on election night, I couldn’t help but picture the room dotted with the ghosts of Baghdad. I wonder whether Ignatieff saw them too, like so many Banquos’ ghosts in the room that night as he took responsibility for his party’s dismal showing in the 2011 […] More »
It was only a few years ago that elections in Canada were mostly predictable. For a few solid years, we could bet on Liberals, and some NDP candidates, sweeping the country’s biggest cities. We knew the Conservatives would sweep Alberta, take most of Saskatchewan and dominate much of British Columbia. In Quebec, the Bloc Québécois […] More »
This week the Green Party launched an anti-attack ad criticizing other parties for their sensational advertisements. The meta attack ad aims to benefit from Canadians’ supposed distaste for ad hominem vilification and mudslinging. It’s commonly believed that the first attack ad was the iconic 1964 “Daisy Girl” commericial, which threatens American voters with the prospect of nuclear war […] More »
Advocates have long argued that a publicly funded universal daycare system would support low-income families, single parents, and working mothers. Support for variants of universal child care was a hallmark of the Mulroney, Chrétien, and Martin election platforms—but none of them made it happen. Instead, in 2006, the then new Harper government made the Universal […] More »
UPDATE, Sept. 22, 1:55 pm: CanWest Postmedia reports that C-391 sponsor MP Candice Hoeppner “has all but conceded defeat” and “given up on last-minute lobbying” for today’s vote, and calls the eight liberals and 12 NDPers who voted in favour last time, “turncoats.” She estimates the government is one — one! — vote short, which […] More »
Peter Milliken has had it made for almost ten years. He lives just down the hall from work, gets to throw lavish parties at a country estate, and makes a whole lot of money every year. Such is the life of the Speaker of the House of Commons—according to the image propagated by most news […] More »
Britain’s five days of post-election limbo are over as David Cameron, Conservative Party leader and now Prime Minister, announced Britain’s first peacetime coalition government since the 1930s. Ushering in an era of cross-bench unity, Cameron’s Conservatives will join forces with Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democratic Party. Cameron has appointed six Liberal Democrats to the cabinet, including […] More »
“Working people did not cause this crisis … and we won’t pay for it!” These words were printed in bright red letters on a flyer recently published by the Communist Party of Canada as part of its effort to raise public awareness about the root causes of the global economic crisis. The flyer sat atop […] More »