FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesView from the Hill
By:
On:

Ottawa ON – Here we go again; political parties will be receiving their latest handout from Elections Canada, courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer. Our political establishment will receive roughly $6.9 million of your tax dollars divided up as follows: Conservatives $2,609,418, Liberals $1,819,999, New Democrats $1,260,002, Bloc $691,289, Greens $469,686.Continue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Ottawa ON – Not much happened in Ottawa today. The most important news for residents of this city focused on the traffic jams. Oh yes, there was a cabinet shuffle as well, but you would be excused if you missed it. Essentially Harper did a bit of tinkering around theContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Congratulations to Larry Smith, Mr Harper’s newly appointed senator from Quebec. A household name in that province, Smith brings much needed business experience to the national Conservative caucus. Rumours persist that Harper will try a replay of the Fortier fiasco and appoint Smith to cabinet and thenContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – The Liberals are upset that the government will use Conservative senators to delay or block a private members bill that would require all future Supreme Court judges to be bilingual. Outside of the fact that it is simply a bad bill, the Liberals also have a veryContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – The Liberals have decided to vote against the Conservative bill that attacks human smuggling. They are joining with the Bloc and the NDP, with all three parties vowing to kill the bill. One can almost hear Conservative coalition rhetoric on this decision. Have the Liberals put their fingerContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON  – “Canadians are waiting for a clear, detailed position from the government. Citizens have the right to know what the government intends to do clearly with respect to our engagement in 2011.” For once, Ignatieff has it right; we do deserve to know before, not after the decisionContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – “Canadians are waiting for a clear, detailed position from the government. Citizens have the right to know what the government intends to do clearly with respect to our engagement in 2011.” For once, Ignatieff has it right; we do deserve to know before, not after the decisionContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Ignoring ministers when decisions are being made is becoming more blatant as demonstrated by the decision to extend the Afghanistan mission. Whether the decision is the right or wrong one is not the issue, whether or not a minister is part of the decision does matter. ThereContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Media speculation continues over the impact of the resignation of Jim Prentice and his decision to leave federal politics. The focus has been on whether or not his decision will improve his chances of becoming a future leader of the party. But there is also an impactContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – The potash dispute should serve as a lesson to the federal Tories; passion wins out over logic and economic theory or principles. The Premier of Saskatchewan struck first in the communications war and the federal government was never able to catch up. From the Premiers opening salvo,Continue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Nigel Wright paid a visit to Parliament Hill yesterday. The big question is was anything accomplished? On a positive note his appearance before the ethics committee did give Ottawa reporters something to get worked up about. Some reporters had a chance to breathlessly blog every question andContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Media reports indicate that the Prime Minister’s new Chief of Staff has asked to appear before the parliamentary ethics committee on November 2nd. Nigel Wright will be there to answer questions from MPs of all parties, not just opposition MPs, over opposition concerns that his position willContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – Municipal elections don’t always reflect what is happening in the federal arena, but they can help federal politicians to get a sense of the voter mindset and future trends. To say that voters are angry is an understatement. Ontario’s municipal elections saw many incumbents tossed out andContinue Reading

FEDERAL PoliticsHeadlinesNewsOpinionPoliticsView from the Hill
By:
On:

Cornwall ON – In the days ahead the government’s new refugee legislation will be sure to open up a heated parliamentary debate. Personally I doubt it will ever be passed by this parliament, but it will make for an interesting election issue. Mass arrivals by boat infuriate Canadians and areContinue Reading