After becoming Conservative leader, he’s flip-flopped on policy. But when you try to be all things to all people, you end up satisfying nobody
The best way to win the Republican presidential nomination in the United States, someone once said, is to run as far as possible to the right. Then, when one wins the nomination? Start running back to the centre. Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole heeded that advice. His leadership campaign was brimming with the…
O'Toole crafted a message that resonated with his audience. MacKay didn’t
The federal Conservatives have a new leader. Erin O’Toole is the right choice. A former Veteran Affairs minister, O’Toole defeated another former Tory cabinet minister, Peter MacKay, on the third ballot by 57.02 per cent to 42.98 per cent. It was an impressive win by O’Toole. The hard-working members of his team – including campaign…
The long-running weekly publication offers depth, broad perspective on a variety of issues, and doesn’t shy away from controversy
The Spectator is a United Kingdom weekly first published in 1828. This purportedly makes it the longest-running magazine of its kind in the English-speaking world. And while the primary focus is current affairs, the Spectator’s subject matter ranges further than that. There’s lively coverage of books, music, film, TV, food and travel. From time to…
If the Conservative Party of Canada truly wanted to turn its party-of-angry-old-white-men image on its head, to herald a new era or principled conservatism, and to reach out to voters who have not considered them in the past, then members would choose Leslyn Lewis as their new leader. But they should not do that. This…
His plan is the most intelligent, detailed and realistic approach to beating the Liberals in the next federal election
The Conservative Party of Canada will choose a new leader next month. It’s been a difficult leadership campaign. A slew of potential candidates, including Rona Ambrose, Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre, declined to run. Meanwhile, COVID-19 temporarily suspended campaigning and fundraising – and led to the cancellation of the June 27 party convention. Delegates will…
Confederation was designed as an economic union from sea to sea, linked by infrastructure that crosses provincial borders
During the recent French and English language debates for the Conservative leadership, one of the two leading candidates accused the other of wanting to impose an oil pipeline on Quebec without its consent. Erin O’Toole, the Conservative MP for Durham, Ont., articulated his vision for a national energy corridor throughout Canada. He was then accused…
Police must thoroughly investigate the allegations now rocking the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race
In 1985, the late soul singer Aretha Franklin released her 13th studio album, Who’s Zoomin’ Who? The album did well on the charts (the title track went to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100), with significant crossover appeal due to collaborations with Annie Stewart (Eurythmics) and Peter Wolf (J. Giles Band). It became the…
If everyone is to be a contributing member of Team Canada, then all players should pull their weight in what is truly a do-or-die situation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging politicians of all stripes to be part of a Team Canada approach to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll buy into his patriotic pitch – to a degree. We must all help. Stay home. Wash our hands. Social distance. Canadians can recite basic COVID-19-busting advice as easily as the words…
We need leaders who are smart, recognize people’s needs and do something positive to meet them
News about the COVID-19 virus has gone viral. Media coverage, ever-changing and often contradictory, screams at us from all directions. It inundates us as we work from home, self-isolate or have isolation thrust upon us. At times like this, we would do well to remember that life continues beyond the pandemic, even if the current…
How one endorsement could change the federal Conservative leadership race, pushing MacKay into the background
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney endorsed former Veterans Affairs minister Erin O’Toole in the federal Conservative leadership election on March 5. Quite a few political observers were surprised by his decision. Some wondered why Kenney did it so early, since a new leader won’t be chosen until June 27. Others were puzzled why he backed O’Toole,…
The best way to win the Republican presidential nomination in the United States, someone once said, is to run as far as possible to the right. Then, when one wins the nomination? Start running back to the centre. Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole heeded that advice. His leadership campaign was brimming with the…
