CFN – The talk one hears around Ottawa these days about Stephen Harper calling a snap election is nonsense. If the prime minister called an election over the determination of Unifor (created last year from the merger of the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions) toContinue Reading
CFN – The latest Abacus poll was interesting as its numbers show how few people think anything would change under a Liberal or NDP government. For instance under a Liberal government, 46% don’t think there would be any difference when it comes to job creation. For the environment 51% don’tContinue Reading
CFN – Conservative and NDP fundraisers must be patting themselves on the back today and thanking Justin Trudeau for their good fortune. With Trudeau’s pronouncement that he plans on winning a 170 seats and a majority in the next election, the fundraising letters to NDP and Conservative supporters almost write themselves.Continue Reading
CFN – With Marc Emery about to return to Canada in time for the 2015 election it will be interesting to see if the Marijuana lobby will have much sway. Emery should never have been sent to the US, friendly neighbor or not, and his incarceration had an industrial impactContinue Reading
CFN – Don’t you just love the summer doldrums and some of the political speculation that abounds in the news? One such story around speculation that the Conservatives under Harper could win ten seats in Quebec in the next election was certainly attention getting. This would require quite an extensiveContinue Reading
CFN – Now that Summer is officially here; pundits are mulling and posturing about the upcoming Federal election in 2015 unless Mr. Harper decides to call a snap Fall election which is doubtful. Doubtful also is the suggestion that he will step down and decide not to face Justin Trudeau.Continue Reading
CFN – Was anyone really surprised by the results of the June 30th bye-elections? For the most part turnout was low and that has been blamed on the government because the date they picked was just before a long weekend. There will be some truth to that but if someone reallyContinue Reading
CORNWALL Ontario – Justin Trudeau is stopping in Alexandria and Cornwall Ontario on Canada Day. With a year until his first election shot at becoming Prime Minister of Canada every seat will count. For example in the recent Provincial election none of the leaders dropped by Cornwall because it wasContinue Reading
CFN – Last week the Conservatives had great fun targeting NDP leader Thomas Mulcair for the way his party used House of Commons dollars to pay staff in a regional Montreal office. Outside of the joy politicians and their staff get out of beating up on another party’s leader- whatContinue Reading
CFN – The spin keeps coming from all of the federal parties and the new buzz words are “open nominations”. Really? This is politics, just how gullible do they think the public is? I know everyone preaches it, but how realistic is it to expect there to be a trueContinue Reading
CFN – Quebec politics are akin to watching a game of 3 card Monte. You think the shell is under the middle card….but. The announcement of Quebecor Poobah Pierre Karl Peladeau as a Parti Quebecois candidate for Ste. Jerome is a boost for Madame Marois’ hopes of a MajorityContinue Reading
CFN– Justin Trudeau, who is leading by approximately 10 points in the polls, looms as a very plausible winner of next year’s election in the aftermath of the generally successful Liberal meeting in Montreal last week. Concerns about his depth and gravitas persist, but the allure of his personality isContinue Reading
CFN – Justin Trudeau probably shocked his Senate caucus colleagues more than the voting public today when he announced he was removing Liberal senators from the Liberal caucus, thereby limiting the caucus to elected members of parliament. For the most part I don’t think the public cares one way orContinue Reading
CFN – Our MPs finally stopped squabbling long enough to agree to depart from Ottawa for their home constituencies. I doubt too many Canadians will miss Question Period or for that matter the attacks and counter-attacks that have become the daily pattern when the House of Commons is sitting. OtherContinue Reading
CFN – It’s funny reading the latest on the Senate scandal, Stephen Harper’s possible political demise, and Justin Trudeau’s ascent. It’s almost like it’s a bad script. What we do know. Whatever success Mr. Harper has is because of planning and scripting. It’s boring. It’s not pretty. It’s brutal andContinue Reading
CFN – Ah, I remember visiting NDP leader Thomas Mulcair at his offices on Parliament before he became Leader of the Opposition. Those were sunnier days for him. His momentum hadn’t reached its zenith yet and he was about to be a key cog in mounting the most successfulContinue Reading
CFN – What do you do with two years left in your mandate and a new political leader emerging who continues to do well in public opinion polls? What do you do when this opponent has the potential to challenge you in some hard won ridings, possibly putting your majorityContinue Reading