Stalled legislation means Liberals ‘on the hunt’ for opposition MPs to cross over to achieve majority, say politicos
Seven bills tabled since the start of the 45th Parliament began reached royal assent before the winter break, of which three, C-6, C-7 and C-17, were appropriation bills. Of the remaining bills still moving through the legislative process, several are ‘core to the government’s overall agenda,’ says Dan Arnold. Any legislation related to the border with the U.S. would be important because of the current negotiations during the current trade war.
Conservatives’ $189K Alberta byelection spend ‘left nothing to chance’ on leader’s return to Parliament, say strategists
The ‘all-in’ bet on Pierre Poilievre’s August byelection campaign paid off, but the 24-to-1 fundraising deficit to his right-flank reveals an ‘undercurrent’ that could snowball if left unchecked, says Liberal strategist Dan Arnold.
Poilievre’s future rests on what he tells delegates at leadership review convention next month, says senior party veteran Brodie
Ian Brodie says he believes Conservative Party members will likely support Pierre Poilievre’s continued leadership since it’s likely too soon to replace him. But he says Poilievre is going to have to give people an idea of how he plans to actually win the next election.
The NDP leadership race might be sleepwalking to irrelevance
The party is being battered in the polls and remains, at best, a long shot to regain official party status any time soon. It needs controversy, not controlled messaging.
Minister Fraser adds operations director to justice team, and more
Plus, Hill Climbers has an update on Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand’s office.
Bill to create modern treaty commissioner wins Bloc, NDP, and Green support
With the Conservatives opting to keep Bill C-10 in House debate, Green Leader Elizabeth May warned against making it a ‘political football’ when it represents a ‘small step for reconciliation.’
‘The funniest speech I’ve ever seen a leader give’: how Don Davies’ gallery dinner speech struck the perfect chord
‘Without a shadow of a doubt, his [speech] is the funniest speech I’ve ever seen a leader give. A tight eight minutes of stand-up comedy gold,’ says veteran political speechwriter Scott Reid.
MPs approve House admin spending trim, but overall budgets still on the rise
Despite planned cuts to administration spending, the House’s overall main estimates ask for 2026-27 is still up by 1.9 per cent. The Senate’s budget is also set to jump by 1.5 per cent.
Senators to get earlier look at documents, hear more budget requests publicly after CIBA practices questioned
The Senate’s executive committee has set out new processes for the sharing of documents, and the handling of requests for exceptions to its office management policies.
Carney is shifting the goal posts in bid to redefine voter coalition
The Liberals appear to have made the calculation that securing new voters from the Conservative base is far more advantageous than strictly appealing to the existing coalition that re-elected his party.
