Rocky road ahead for migrants in Canada

by Daniel Perry

After closing a loophole in its Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., Canada successfully secured the infamous Roxham Road international crossing (pictured) earlier this spring. Image from 2017. Photo credit: AP/Charles Krupa   With the closure of Roxham Road and the repeal of Title 42 north and south of the border, respectively, it is […]

Return to sunny ways

by Daniel Perry

Liberal Party faithful met in Ottawa last week for their first in-person national convention in five years. Justin Trudeau kicked off the festivities Thursday with a rousing speech designed to galvanize the base ahead of 2025. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Justin Tang   Marking the first in-person convention since 2018, Liberals from across Canada came […]

Ottawa entitlements vs. everyday Canadians’

by Daniel Perry

It is hard to compete with the perks of being a federal politician. Between the pay, pension, publicity, expense account, office budget, domestic and international travel, and staff, an elected MP basically does not have to spend a cent of their own money while in office. Photo credit: Parliament of Canada   As the largest […]

NIMBYism and pipedreams – owning a house in Canada

by Daniel Perry

While homeownership remains out of reach for many, the federal and Ontario governments are at least trying to close the gap with targeted policies and incentives. At the local level, however, municipalities need to do better to start combatting, instead of giving into NIMBYism. Photo credit: E+/Troels Graugaard via Getty Images   The dream of […]

Biden brings Canada back

by Daniel Perry

 Joe Biden’s first visit to Canada as U.S. President last week brought about a renewed sense of kinship between the North American neighbours. Photo credit: Reuters/Blair Gable   Last week, the nation’s capital was abuzz as U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden made their first official visit to Canada as President […]

Hard economic times make respecting the taxpayer more critical than ever

by Daniel Perry

That means no more $100,000 inflight catering splurges for the Governor General, at the very least. Photo credit: Governor General of Canada   Times are tough right now. The economic forecast is less than ideal and record-high inflation is not making Canadian life any easier.  Companies across Canada and abroad are taking a hit too, […]

Ethics take a backseat with this government

by Daniel Perry

In order for the average Canadian to believe in their government, they need to see that ethics are being taken seriously – which, with the governing Liberals under Prime Minister Trudeau, they are most certainly not. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chris Young   When first learning about government in civics class, students are taught about […]

Nursing the federal-provincial relationship back to health

by Daniel Perry

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford talk healthcare at Queen’s Park, Aug. 30, 2022. A new healthcare deal between the federal government and its provincial counterparts was agreed to in principle on Monday. Photo credit: Reuters/Cole Burston   New year, new me? Not so when it comes to the news cycle in Ottawa.  […]

We’re all in this together

by Daniel Perry

Parliament is back in session, and although the various parties may have different priorities to start the year, Canadians overwhelmingly agree that one issue above all else needs to be addressed: the rising cost of living. Photo credit: The Globe and Mail/J.P. Moczulski   Though 2023 is a month old, this week marks the first […]

‘Three Amigos’ summit shows Canada still second-rate on world stage

by Daniel Perry

The respective leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico recently convened in Mexico City for the regular tri-lateral meeting on January 10. Photo credit: Getty Images/Hector Vivas   Nearly eight years after announcing to the international stage that “we’re back”, Canada and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are still struggling to break through to the world.  […]

About time government starts to really care about healthcare

by Daniel Perry

As the federal and provincial governments wage war over percentages, people across the country are suffering.    Canada is currently facing a healthcare crisis. Our healthcare system, once hailed as one of the best in the world, is now struggling to meet the basic needs of its citizens. One of the main issues facing Canada’s […]

Is another federal election in the cards for Canadians this spring?

by Daniel Perry

Historical precedent and internal maneuvers by the central Liberal camp may suggest there is some truth to the rumours circulating around Ottawa of late. Pictured is Justin Trudeau on the campaign trail last fall. Photo credit: Reuters/Carlos Osorio   The holiday season is back in full force with office parties, get-togethers, and trips to see […]

Time for Canada and rest of NATO to find a backbone in face of Russian aggression

by Daniel Perry

A tougher stance on President Vladimir Putin’s manoeuvres in Ukraine is not a call for World War III. It’s simply a call to do what’s right, and indeed expected of us. Photo credit: New York Times/Sergei Bobylev   Earlier this month, Russian forces officially retreated from the city of Kherson in southeast Ukraine. Russian troops […]

Not so free Freeland

by Daniel Perry

The Trudeau government released its 2022 ‘mini budget’ last week. In the process, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland managed to upset both sides of the aisle, with the left saying she’s not doing enough, and the right saying the appropriate budgetary adjustments for increased spending were not made. Photo credit: Reuters   As Canadians are sitting […]

Natural disasters cost all Canadians, not just those in storm’s path

by Daniel Perry

Hurricane Fiona is going to cost all Canadians a lot of money and not just those living out east. The government’s response to the situation, setting up a recovery fund, is the right one. But how can Canada help mitigate and be prepared for future natural disasters? Photo credit: Canadian Daily News   Mother Nature […]

Poilievre and Trudeau faceoff for first time as opposing leaders

by Daniel Perry

Newly elected Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greet each other in the House of Commons while marking the passing of Her Majesty, Sept. 15, 2022. In their first real showdown as leaders of their respective parties last week, Poilievre and Trudeau laid out divergent visions for Canada’s future and varying solutions […]

Pierre Poilievre dominated the field of contenders to take the Conservative Party leadership Saturday evening, winning nearly 70 per cent support on the first ballot. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld    The sky is still blue, and so is the Conservative Party of Canada.  After what can only be described as the most lackluster […]

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario recently put forward a new electoral map for consideration. While the commission, broadly speaking, did a good job working through and within the legislative constraints and secondary concerns of the redistribution process, the proposed realignment does a disservice to constituents in Ontario’s far north, many of whom are […]

Though the federal government seemingly enjoys easy access to Canadians’ private information via RCMP spyware, trying to extract what legally should be public knowledge from the federal government itself is a herculean effort that can, in some cases, literally take a lifetime. Photo credit: YouTube/Ottawa Citizen   The Liberal government is once again in the […]

Canada’s housing crisis needs more effective top-down support

by Daniel Perry

If the federal government wants to get serious about housing and affordability, it needs to address the underlying issue: Canada needs more homes. Instead of fueling bidding wars through tax-free saving accounts and the like, the government needs to work with the provinces and municipalities to empower individuals and builders. Photo credit: Investment Executive   […]

The federal Liberals can’t even figure out how to issue passports in a respectable manner and timeframe, so how exactly do they expect to address something as complex as climate change? Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck   Summer is here and post-pandemic travelling is in full swing. Out of offices notifications are on, the […]

Governing Liberals quietly extend virtual parliament

by Daniel Perry

The reality of virtual parliament is that it is easy to dodge accountability. Something that this government in particular likes to do. Even before the pandemic, the government was looking for ways to reduce the time it spent facing scrutiny. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   In Ottawa, MPs are back in their respective […]

The current parliamentary session could end as early as this week. But before breaking for BBQ season, the governing Liberals are hoping to tie up some loose ends and rush through at least one key piece of legislation. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises virtually during Question Period in the House of Commons, June 14, […]

The relationship between Premier Doug Ford (left) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) has always been a bit of a sticky one, but the pandemic brought the provincial and federal leaders together to a certain extent. With a new majority mandate in hand for Ford and an aging Trudeau government, it is hard to gauge, […]

A place for the prime minister to call home

by Daniel Perry

Since 2015, 24 Sussex Drive (pictured) has been effectively abandoned, needing some $36 million in renovations to make the property livable. It’s high time for Canada to either invest in the official residence or start the bulldozer and build a new one. Photo credit: National Capital Commission   With the Canadian house marking seeming to […]

Rock ’em sock ’em hopefuls

by Daniel Perry

The first of three Conservative Party leadership debates took place last week and, as anticipated, it was something of a raucous affair. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld    Last Thursday, Conservative leadership hopefuls took to the stage for the first time to debate one another. Taking centre stage on day one of the Canada […]

This Friday marks the deadline for candidates to submit their final paperwork and entry fee. For all those still in the race come the weekend, the contest’s inaugural debate takes place less than a week later. A total of three debates will be held in May and could help shape or solidify the trajectory of […]

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland presents the 2022 budget in the House of Commons Thursday, April 7. Photo credit: Reuters    Budget Day is like Christmas Day with a divorced family. The government is eager to shower the kids, in this case, voters, with lavish gifts and little regard for how […]

And it could get derailed as quickly and easily as it came together. Photo credit: PMO/Adam Scotti   The NHL trade deadline came and went last week with some notable moves, but Justin Trudeau ended up making the biggest deal of the day. The Liberals were able to sign the NDP to a three-year deal […]

Conservative leadership race represents a fight for identity

by Daniel Perry

While the field continues to fill out, it seems the 2022 Conservative leadership contest will be primarily fought between Pierre Poilievre (pictured) and Jean Charest. Both have wildly different visions of what the Conservative Party is and can be. Photo credit: IMDB   Ali vs. Frazier, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and Poilievre vs. Charest. One of […]

Show me the money: federal budget 2022

by Daniel Perry

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland. Freeland will release the Liberals’ 2022 budget sometime next month. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   As winter chugs along, more and more politicians are coming out of their winter hibernation to be seen in public again. Last week, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney left what […]

Canada’s Conservatives: is everything really fine?

by Daniel Perry

Interim leader Candice Bergen during Question Period, Feb. 7, 2022. Bergen took over earlier this month when Erin O’Toole was removed as party leader by Conservative caucus members. Many took issue with O’Toole’s attempt to bring the party to the centre. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Justin Tang   In a rarity of events, Canada saw […]

Just as the trucker convoy made its way into the nation’s capital last Thursday, former Conservative MP James Cummings released his report reviewing the 2021 election performance of Conservative leader Erin O’Toole (pictured, right). Photo credit: Twitter/Erin O’Toole   The Leader of the Official Opposition is one of the worst jobs in the world and […]

Vaxxed or taxed: Ottawa’s approach to Quebec’s prickly proposal

by Daniel Perry

Premier of Quebec Francois Legault recently announced that the province would tax residents who choose to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes   The pandemic is now entering its twenty-third month with no finish line in sight. As a new highly contagious variant of COVID-19 is running rampant across Canada, Quebec […]

China: friend or foe?

by Daniel Perry

 In the coming months, Canada will have to make some tough decisions regarding cooperation with the CCP and its auxiliary actors, including implementation of Huawei’s 5G network and the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Photo credit: Getty Images/Lintao Zhang   With the new year upon us, a challenge the federal government is thinking about this week and […]

‘Tis the season to be…cooperative?

by Daniel Perry

Perhaps it’s the Christmas spirit, but as of late Canada’s federal politicians appear to be getting along to get things done. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   Politics is a blood sport often left to gladiators to compete in, or so that’s what some think.  The reality is politics is just people and their […]

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