March 8 marks a ‘lady’ member in the House
When Agnes Macphail took her seat in the House of Commons for the first time on March 8, 1922, a bouquet of flowers greeted her at her desk, not as a warm welcome but because somebody lost a bet that she’d win. The flowers were only the beginning of the taunts, teasing, and name calling […]
Canada boosts Ukrainian military training mission, but yet to match Kyiv’s ask for lethal weapons, sanctions
Canada came short of matching Kyiv’s appeals for help, announcing it is extending and expanding its military training mission to Ukraine, but defensive weapons and sectoral sanctions are not part of the assistance package. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) announced on Jan. 26 Operation Unifier would be extended for another three years. He also […]
Public accounts detail how feds’ deficit rose by more than 700 per cent during pandemic
The federal government’s deficit skyrocketed in 2021, hitting $327.7-billion for the fiscal year that ended March 2021, compared to a deficit of $39.4-billion in the previous fiscal year—an increase of 731 per cent. The Public Accounts of Canada 2021, which includes the federal government’s audited consolidated financial statements and the records maintained by its various departments and […]
Anand named most valuable politician, climate change voted most important issue in The Hill Times’ 23rd Annual All Politics Poll
Long story short, the 2021 Canadian political landscape was like no other in recent memory, and The Hill Times partnered once again with Forum Research Inc. for The Hill Times’ All Politics Poll survey to get a better sense for the issues of the day, the people in power. Some 82 people responded to this […]
Defending democracy and confronting aggressors
OTTAWA—Very few in Canada would argue with a recent Globe and Mail editorial that, “It’s never a bad time to fight for democracy.” Democracy, even among some of our so-called NATO allies, is hanging by a thread. It must be vigorously defended. An important question not addressed by the editorial is: “What does it mean […]
Trudeau, not Anand, should have delivered military misconduct apology
OTTAWA—Is there a rule that I don’t know about where women of colour are required to clean up messes that white men make? Is there a secret meeting of whiteness at hockey games? Is Tim Horton’s a sponsor? In another iteration of the ongoing saga that is sexual harassment and assault in the Canadian Armed […]
Trudeau proves his feminist credentials with cabinet picks
OTTAWA—If ever in doubt, Justin Trudeau proved his feminist credentials in the crafting of his new cabinet. For the first time in the history of Canada, we have women in the majority of the top spots in government. From foreign affairs, to finance, from the deputy prime minister, to defence, the face of the government […]
The foreign policy challenges of the Trudeau government
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has chosen his team, following his third election victory. Although he heads a minority government, this time he is showing a willingness to change course, particularly on foreign and defence policy issues. Once again, Trudeau has banked on the diversity of his team, but has upped the ante by shuffling women […]
Anand’s promotion to defence minister sends a strong message feds want clean up sexual misconduct crisis, says Ottawa reader
I cannot but be proud of the election and the appointment to the cabinet of two Indo-Canadians: Anita Anand and Harjit Sajjan. I must lay my focus on the appointment of Ms. Anand; a rare thing for a woman to be appointed defence minister. By any cultural or military traditions, including in India, this is indeed […]
Time to drop the negative tropes about women in cabinet
Some observers were rightly suspicious about the performative quality of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2015 pledge to have gender parity in his cabinet. While there was indeed a 50/50 split, it was noted in Mr. Trudeau’s first cabinet that men still held the “serious” posts: finance, Treasury Board, national defence, and foreign affairs. This sparked […]
