Carney needs to work on his caucus management skills
Mark Carney should channel a bit of former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney, who was skilled at the art of caucus management even in tough times. Carney’s going to have to stroke some egos, make people feel important, and boost caucus morale. But he also deserves some grace period.
Reflections for staff on a new sitting of Parliament
The coming months will test you. But if you lead with integrity, empathy, and purpose, you’ll not only survive, but also you’ll shape outcomes that make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Long live the King, maybe
Mark Carney wants to send an international message of strength. But that message could be double-edged.
New Parliament likely more cordial, but not much time for House committee work this spring, say strategists
‘This is cyclical phenomenon. After an election, there’s always a bit of a sense of a reset. The voters grab the Etch A Sketch. They shake it. Everything’s gone, and let’s start drawing again,’ says Yaroslav Baran.
Carney era begins: will the low-drama prime minister’s promise of ‘harmony and hard’ work prevail?
We will soon see how Carney manages in the fiery pit of partisan politics. Unfortunately, that pit is unavoidable. It is part of democracy, for better or for worse.
It’s back to work for Parliament
The world remains a mess. Wars rage abroad. Canada’s economy remains under threat. The U.S. president seems to change his mind on vital issues every few hours. Our domestic situation, especially on the national unity front, is complicated, to say the least. So there’s a lot going on, and a lot to be worried about. But hey, we’ve got Parliament back. And that is a start.
Middle-class tax cut and trade barriers to form top priorities in early Carney government
Prime Minister Mark Carney set a goal of removing federal barriers to internal trade by July 1, along with implementing a middle-class tax cut that he said would save two-income families up to $825 a year.
Bloc Québécois slam Carney for inviting ‘foreign’ King to open Parliament, opt out of attending Throne Speech
Bloc Québécois MPs will be reading the speech from their offices, absent ‘on principle’ in response to a move they say is ‘disrespectful to a lot of Quebecers.’
The backstory on equalization
Danielle Smith perpetuates the fiction of Albertans’ exploitation, arguing that her government should receive the same per capita equalization transfers as Ontario and Quebec. Slamming equalization is good politics for Alberta premiers because it feeds Albertans’ false sense of injustice.
A Conservative postmortem: Tory MPs should conduct a rigorous, fact-based review of what worked, what didn’t, and determine their future
Now that Justin Trudeau is gone, are the Conservatives prepared to leave fighting the culture wars to Donald Trump, because their current approach scares many Canadian voters away. Geoff Norquay digs in.
