News & Opinions
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Sorted by Month: August 2010
Caucus Advisory Committees – What Do They Mean for Stakeholders?
For those outside the dim hue of Parliament Hill, it may seem like another layer of bureaucracy and political wrangling has descended. On top of the current House committees, Senate committees, and Cabinet committees the Prime Minister announced the creation of 26 Conservative Caucus Advisory Committees. But given their formal role, they could have a [...] Read Post
Two Wrongs. No Rights.
The courthouse circus around the G-20 protests puts the wrong things on trial.Read Post
CEPA Toxic Doesn’t Mean Toxic
Ahhhh… the inevitiable headline that the government plans to declare BPA “toxic” in the coming months has finally appeared from Sarah Schmidt in the Montreal Gazette. This stuff is complicated, so I’ll be brief like I’m briefing a minister: * The legislation that governs how we manage substances in the environment is called CEPA. It [...] Read Post
Changes to the Lobbying Act.
On May 4, 2010 the President of the Treasury Board Stockwell Day announced the Government’s intention to extend the provisions of the Lobbying Act. This announcement came in response to the Liberal opposition day motion that called for all Parliamentary Secretaries to be included under the provisions of the Federal Accountability Act. Last week the [...] Read Post
My Top Seven “Must Read” Books for an Insider’s Perspective on Politics
My colleagues in Ottawa recently shared their thoughts on what they think are the top news sites, blogs and tweeters covering Canadian politics. I have certainly embraced the benefits of social media like all of us here at FH, but I still enjoy a more traditional approach to gaining perspective on politics. [...] Read Post
Ways to Combat Political Apathy
Voter turnout has been steadily declining since the 1980s. In the 2006 election, only 64.7 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot. This is down from 75 per cent in 1988. So, what gives? In 2003, Elections Canada released Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections: A New Survey of Non-voters. The survey found [...] Read Post
Who’s Watching Queen’s Park?
Political commentary can take many forms, and some days it seems like it’s everywhere you look. From the pundits and columnists who keep a regular tally of the comings and goings at Queen’s Park to the regulars who debate the government’s latest move in the corner coffee shop, there’s no shortage of views being expressed. [...] Read Post
The 5 Must Read Sites for Federal Political Coverage
Continuing a theme begun by my colleagues Matt Salvatore with his piece on the ‘Top 5 political blogs’ and Michael Von Herff’s piece ‘The 10 best tweeters for those following Ottawa’, I’d like to discuss those web sites and blogs that are essential reads for those tracking issues, events and gossip in federal politics. With [...] Read Post
Has the Press Gallery Finally Turned on the Government?
Well it had to happen sooner or later. Today’s news conference on the Hill that saw Stockwell Day sparring with reporters who eventually accused him of “not making any sense” on crime data and the census, is telling. Has the Ottawa press gallery finally turned on the government? The Harper government should take solace in [...] Read Post
