The government has an impressive team, a strong record of legislation and has raised our international standing
Aided by corrosive social media, omnipresent angry groups and the need for climate tempering, the countdown to the federal election has been divisive and grouchy. While many viewed at least one of the leadership debates, I sense Canadians understand that there’s much more at stake than individual party leader street credentials in this election. Some…
Lost in the click bait of this election campaign were the substantive issues that affect ordinary and everyday Canadians
The 43rd Canadian federal election has been, by any stretch of the imagination, a very strange campaign. First there was the Justin Trudeau’s blackface scandal. Then there was Andrew Scheer’s dual citizenship/resume exaggeration controversy. Finally, there was an exchange caught on video decrying Jagmeet Singh wearing a turban. Lost in the click bait were the…
The brutish mother of all federal elections is (mercifully) nearing its conclusion. But a few twists and turns are still possible, as the leader of the third party recently showed us. The Tories are ahead of the Liberals in most opinion polls, albeit by a narrow margin of one to two per cent. The former…
Even overlooking the personal smears, record fudging, or repressing the truth, the parties are filled with contradictions of the things they stand for
If there were any idealism left regarding the virtues of Canadian politics, the current federal election campaign is almost certain to have smashed it. Good governance and the common good were not the winners in last week’s English language debate. Thursday's French language debate was a slight improvement, but a one-off exception hardly undoes the…
Why conservatives like Scheer are held to a different standard than liberals like Trudeau
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer have both had to deal with some controversial matters during this fall’s federal election. It was revealed that Trudeau appeared in either blackface or brownface on three occasions, the last one at age 29 when he was a teacher at a private school. He and…
We’re behaving as though absolutely nothing we do today will cause future generations to look back at us as backward, insensitive and brutish
There’s a certain myopic moral indignation in the criticism of prominent public figures for having painted their faces, dressed inappropriately, or said or done things in the past that we find offensive today. It’s understandable, for example, that many are offended and disappointed in the conduct of Justin Trudeau. These feelings are justified and important.…
What if voters had to choose between candidates with proven track records, like McKenna and Stanfield, rather than Trudeau and Scheer?
Let us, for a moment, imagine an alternate universe in which the leading candidates for the office of prime minister enjoy unalloyed respect across Canada. Here, on the centre-left, is Frank McKenna – a Liberal. Over there, on the centre-right, is Robert Stanfield – a Progressive Conservative. Yes, I hear you. The former, who spent…
Canadians have witnessed major scandals, offensive remarks, daily mud-slinging and policy proposals with big, shiny numbers that are wasteful enough to make adults cry
The federal election has just passed the halfway mark and many Canadians can’t wait until it’s over. This isn’t related to the usual malaise and frustration we see and hear during election season. Rather, it has everything to do with the fact this has been the most ridiculous political campaign in Canadian history. Where to…
A body language expert looks at Trudeau's latest apologies and analyzes their sincerity
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to be paying attention to experts when they share what it takes to offer a sincere apology. I suppose he ought to – after all, he spent a term being that kind of leader: one who leans on apology to help boost his public image. I’m not saying this is…
Privatization would improve Pearson’s position as a global hub and boost competitive options for travellers
Ottawa’s plan to sell Canada’s airports appears to have been shelved, at least for now. That’s too bad. Privatizing Toronto Pearson International Airport could help pay for a needed rail link to the suburbs and surrounding cities, and make the airport more competitive globally. While many of the country’s airport authorities panned the idea, Pearson,…