Foreign policy turns out to be the wedge issue Liberals never saw coming

by Josie Sabatino

  While a series of eleventh-hour amendments significantly watered down the original NDP motion and saved the Liberal government from having to deal with the fallout of a wedged caucus, the cracks in the foundation were plain as day for anyone to observe. Photo Credit: Justin Trudeau/X.   Imagine for a moment that you’re the […]

Canada remains in crosshairs as U.S. presidential race remains a coin toss

by Josie Sabatino

  Nothing exposes Canada’s weaknesses quite like a conversation with our closest neighbor and ally. While the reality is that size and geography all but guarantee the U.S. remains in the driver’s seat on critical negotiation, it is incumbent on our political leaders to anticipate the challenges coming down the pipeline. Pictured: Former U.S. president […]

Accountability is nowhere to be found despite new details on ArriveCan scandal

by Josie Sabatino

The unfortunate reality is that the ArriveCan scandal will result in more studies and more recommendations that are unlikely to result in any meaningful change to prevent future instances of abuse of taxpayer dollars. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Treasury Board President Anita Anand. Photo Credit: Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld. It’s been said that democracy […]

Federal budget timing coincides with fragile economic conditions

by Josie Sabatino

This will mark the second budget delivered with Pierre Poilievre occupying the leader’s seat for the official Opposition and the third budget tabled under the Liberal-NDP confidence and supply agreement. There is also a remote possibility this may be the last budget before the next federal election. Pictured is Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Photo Credit: […]

Steven Guilbeault hasn’t forgotten his activist past, and neither should you

by Josie Sabatino

Even if Guilbeault is asked for his opinion at the cabinet table, he’s unlikely to be met with anything less than a complete dressing down based on the communications crisis he has managed to create for the staff in charge of cleaning up his mess. Photo Credit: X/Steven Guilbeault.    Never one to miss an […]

Building blocks of a future Poilievre government begin to take shape

by Josie Sabatino

To the Conservatives’ credit, they aren’t looking for validation from the armchair quarterbacks in Ottawa. It’s a numbers game at this point, a fact that Poilievre and his team understand well. One need only follow his tracks to know exactly where and how he plans to pick up seats in the next election. As for […]

Trudeau must face problems once reserved for the Conservative Party

by Josie Sabatino

While Trudeau may think the action of appealing and admitting no fault on the use of the Emergencies Act is what his voter base wants from him, the fact of the matter is he risks alienating the Canadians who increasingly think the federal government is not functioning as it should. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Sean […]

Trudeau may have no other option than to pay the ransom fee the city of Toronto is demanding if his MPs in the GTA have any chance of holding onto their seats come the next election. Pictured: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn.   It’s been […]

Once the NDP is back in the black and on safe financial footing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Singh start to put a safe distance between his party and the governing Liberals, who have demonstrated an inability in recent months to strike a cohesive message on the economic issues currently plaguing cash-strapped Canadians. Photo […]

New year? Same old vacation controversy for Justin Trudeau

by Josie Sabatino

True leadership means learning and growing in the position Canadians have entrusted you with. In this case, the Prime Minister continues to flaunt the old rule of do as I say, not as I do. Pictured is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press.    Oh, the tangled web we weave. It’s not […]

Trouble on the horizon for Ukraine as it pleads for support in fight for freedom

by Josie Sabatino

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden speak at Mariinsky Palace during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/Getty Images   What a difference a year can make. As we enter the 667th day of the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequently begin the final countdown of 2023, Western support for […]

Poilievre’s bumper year underpinned by the promise of hope and hard work

by Josie Sabatino

Photo Credit: X/Pierre Poilievre   ‘Tis the season for reflecting on the year that was. Nothing signals holidays on the horizon quite like Time Magazine’s annual Person of the Year cover story. It should come as no surprise that Taylor Swift was trending across social media platforms this week after the release of Time’s splashy […]

Poilievre sparring with another journalist is much ado about nothing

by Josie Sabatino

In the midst of political clashes, Canada grapples with significant judiciary gaps and electoral vulnerability. Photo credit: Pierre Poilievre   Much to the mainstream media’s chagrin, it turns out 2023 was not the year civility returned to political discourse. Last Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre once again found himself in a war of words with a […]

American Thanksgiving kicks off the countdown to the next presidential election

by Josie Sabatino

Impending US elections could divert attention from escalating global crises, with speculations about Trump’s comeback dominating headlines. Photo credit: Reuters/Al Drago   American Thanksgiving has come and gone. In some ways, the holiday acts as a symbolic inflection point, ushering in the onslaught of marketing emails hawking Christmas gifts and the kick-off of holiday parties […]

Fall Economic Statement unlikely to bring relief for cash-strapped Liberals

by Josie Sabatino

Photo Credit:  Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press   As the first snow descends on many cities across Ontario this week, parliamentarians head into the third quarter of the fall session of parliament. In just a couple of weeks, lights will adorn the walkways in the Ottawa precinct and Christmas parties will serve as a welcome distraction […]

Conservatives hang hat on ‘axe the tax’ election referendum

by Josie Sabatino

The next federal election is shaping up as a crucial decision point for the Carbon Tax Debate. Photo Credit: Facebook/ Pierre Poilievre   Is the next federal election the political backdrop for a referendum on the carbon tax? If Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has his way, the answer is yes. He’d like to see Canadians […]

How Trudeau appeases caucus divided on Israel-Hamas war is anyone’s guess

by Josie Sabatino

Whether he likes it or not, Trudeau can no longer rule his caucus with an iron fist. Photo credit: The Canadian Press.   Arguably, there are few politicians as well acquainted with a wedge issue as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is. After all, it’s been a key part of his re-election strategy for the past […]

Pharmacare may prove to be red line in the sand on Jagmeet Singh’s leadership

by Josie Sabatino

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. Photo credit: Twitter/Jagmeet Singh   The Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement will go down in future history books as one of the greatest political achievements of the Trudeau government. Since the agreement was socialized more than a year and a half ago, it’s all but guaranteed the Prime Minister a pass […]

Will the Liberal government finally see the light on the economic front and do its fair share to curb Canadians’ financial pain? President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand (pictured, right) has signalled she’s at least willing to try. Photo credit: Facebook/Anita Anand   Thanksgiving weekend tends to mark the gathering of friends and family […]

Does bad luck truly come in threes?

by Josie Sabatino

Liberal government holds their breath as it waits to find out. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers a question in the House of Commons on Wednesday, September 27, just days after his government honoured a veteran who fought for the Nazis. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   It’s been a rough couple of weeks […]

Domestic pressures may impact Canada’s ability to provide support to Ukraine

by Josie Sabatino

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, with Ukrainian troops in Kyiv during a June 2023 visit. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn   On the heels of a highly anticipated speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy […]

Supply and confidence agreement looks different in face of plummeting poll numbers

by Josie Sabatino

With the Conservative poll numbers resembling a ‘runaway freight train’, and the Liberals in save the furniture mode, you have to wonder what is going through the minds of Jagmeet Singh and the NDP. Photo credit: Twitter/Jagmeet Singh   The summer has come and gone, and next week will usher in the fall session of […]

Pierre Poilievre finds himself centre stage and ready to meet the moment

by Josie Sabatino

Poilievre has a rare opportunity to set the agenda, not simply respond to the circumstances around him. Photo credit: Twitter/Pierre Poilievre   When you think of Canada’s conservative heartland, rarely does the mind conjure the cobblestone streets and rolling hills of Quebec City. And yet here we are, on day two of the Conservative Party […]

All areas where the Liberals are particularly weak at the moment. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick    The face-to-face showdown between Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre is set to resume in just over a month’s time, and Canadians have spent the summer getting a preview of the issues that will top the agenda.  These […]

Prime Minister in waiting depicted in new Conservative Party ads

by Josie Sabatino

Two of the ads depict Poilievre as a family man, with his wife narrating and his kids appearing in many of the frames. Image from September 2022. Photo credit: Twitter/Pierre Poilievre   It’s all coming up roses for Pierre Poilievre. Up in the polls and flush with cash, Poilievre is quickly approaching the one-year anniversary […]

Elections matter, especially when it comes to the fate of the housing market

by Josie Sabatino

The recent by-election in Ottawa’s Kanata—Carleton provides an interesting case study. Pictured is Ontario Liberal MPP-elect Karen McCrimmon. Photo credit: Twitter/Karen McCrimmon   All politics is local, as the old saying goes. While the day-to-day machination of clickbait headlines tend to drive us to focus on the biggest, most salacious stories, we can often forget […]

Justin Trudeau unveils bait-and-switch cabinet with eyes toward next election

by Josie Sabatino

While the Prime Minister made a number of changes, finance, foreign affairs, industry, environment, and international trade remained in the hands of Trudeau’s band of untouchables, indicating no serious course correction at the top. Photo credit: Twitter/Justin Trudeau   The unveiling of Wednesday’s cabinet shuffle was somewhere between an episode of Game of Thrones and […]

We need politicians to be more accessible in the everyday lives of Canadians, not less. Politicians should not have to be fearful of engaging in public events, and parents shouldn’t have to be worried about whether it is safe to bring their kids to an event in their community. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg   […]

Cabinet shuffle rumours abound as economy faces further setback

by Josie Sabatino

When thinking about who goes where, the Prime Minister would be wise to restore the role of Finance Minister to a singular, full-time position. Chrystia Freeland (pictured) has been putting in double time managing the country’s finances while also wearing the hat of Deputy Prime Minister for nearly two years. Photo credit: Facebook/Chrystia Freeland   […]

Olivia Chow’s by-election win tells us personality still rules the ballot box

by Josie Sabatino

Whether at the municipal or federal level, during good times or bad, it seems a candidate’s personality (and last name) continues to drive votes like nothing else. Photo credit: Twitter/Olivia Chow In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and impending recession, is there still a chance for a cult of personality to sweep an election […]

By-election results present Poilievre with first real test of leadership

by Josie Sabatino

The Conservatives and Liberals split Monday’s four by-elections two seats apiece. However, the Tories did considerably worse in the riding of Oxford – a Tory stronghold for many years – than decades past. Photo credit: Twitter/Pierre Poilievre   By-elections mean nothing. By-elections mean everything. Depending on your partisan leanings, you’ve probably already made up your […]

If the objective was to go quietly into the night before the long summer recess, the Liberals have once again failed spectacularly. Ottawa has been abuzz with new and renewed controversy this week. Pictured is Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino in the House of Commons, June 14, 2023. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld […]

Poilievre capitalizes on economic woes while Trudeau hopes for summer reset

by Josie Sabatino

On the heels of another interest rate increase this week, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre (pictured) took aim at the Trudeau government over both the carbon tax and its failure to balance the budget during a cost-of-living crisis. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   It’s been nearly two years since the last federal election […]

Dodging public inquiry puts Justin Trudeau’s re-election strategy at risk

by Josie Sabatino

The decision to accept David Johnston’s recommendation has not only been widely condemned, but it’s also managed to align the interests of the Conservatives, NDP and Bloc Quebecois in a rare show of solidarity. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   It’s been nearly two years since Justin Trudeau won his way to a second […]

Hiroshima plays host to G7 leaders summit and sets stage for uncertain future

by Josie Sabatino

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for G7 summit on Thursday in Hiroshima, Japan, site of the world’s first atomic attack. Russia-Ukraine war and growing threat of China high on weekend’s agenda. Photo credit: AP/Louise Delmotte   An old boss once gave me a sage piece of advice: it’s not about what you say, it’s about […]

Return of Donald Trump provides Liberals with playbook for next election

by Josie Sabatino

The Trudeau government has been down in the polls since 2021 and would like nothing more than to fight another election where they can paint their enemy as bringing ‘Trumpian’ politics to Canada. If the Liberals have it their way, a vote for Pierre Poilievre will mean a vote for Donald Trump. Photo credit: AP/Alex […]

As the Globe and Mail recently revealed, Conservative MP for Wellington—Halton Hills Michael Chong (pictured) and his family in Hong Kong were targeted by the Chinese regime in 2021 for criticism of Beijing’s human rights abuses. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   Politicians at all levels of government, be it the city councillor in […]

Striking workers threat of holding ports of entry hostage must be firmly rebuked

by Josie Sabatino

Just as the trucker convoy protestors who halted the movement of goods and people at international border crossings last year did not have the right to do what they did, PSAC workers do not have the right to disrupt economic activity by striking at ports of entry. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   The […]

Aspirational NATO spending targets have finally caught up to Canada

by Josie Sabatino

According to recently leaked documents, Trudeau allegedly told NATO officials that Canada will never meet its defence spending commitments. Pictured is the Prime Minister at Adazi military base in Latvia, Mar. 8, 2022. Photo credit: AFP/Toms Norde via Getty Images    It’s never good when American news outlets have the inside scoop on Canadian politics. […]

According to a new poll from Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies, Canadians are feeling less safe now than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo credit: CBC   Spending time around the family dinner table during major holidays can sometimes feel like a lightning rod for heated conversations about the current state of […]

No surprises in budget as Trudeau government spends big to maintain hold on power

by Josie Sabatino

If there was a key takeaway from budget 2023, it’s that the Prime Minister believes his path to victory in the next election looks markedly similar to that of 2015. Photo credit: PMO/Adam Scotti   For anyone familiar with the terms of the Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement, Wednesday’s budget was, as many predicted, big […]

Stephen Harper steps out of shadows as Conservatives gain traction

by Josie Sabatino

Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   On the eve of Joe Biden’s inaugural visit to Ottawa, Canada’s Conservative movement, public affairs professionals, and corporate leaders gathered downtown in the nation’s capital for the annual Canada Strong & Free Networking Conference. Big names crowded the speaking agenda for the two-day event, including former Prime Minister […]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the InterContinental Presidente Mexico City hotel in Mexico City on Jan. 10, 2023. Next week, Biden will visit Canada for the first time since taking office. Photo credit: AP/Andrew Harnick   President Joe Biden will make his inaugural trip to Ottawa next week, holding […]

Special rapporteur can’t solve Justin Trudeau’s China problem

by Josie Sabatino

The Prime Minister appears to be throwing out what feels like a new message every day on the China interference issue, to see if anything will stick. The announcement of a special rapporteur feels like a glorified stall tactic – unfortunately for Trudeau, the issue isn’t going away. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   […]

When it comes to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, rather than taking responsibility for mismanagement, the Trudeau government is attempting to find efficiencies by chipping away at the rituals that are a core tenant of our Canadian identity. Photo credit: Immigration News Canada   The federal bureaucracy has taken a lot of heat since last […]

Foreign interference becomes issue du jour as government offers lacklustre response

by Josie Sabatino

Last week, a bombshell report came out demonstrating that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service found there was an organized Chinese-government effort to influence the results of the 2021 federal election. Conservative Party Leader at the time, Erin O’Toole (pictured) was one of the most outspoken voices on the issue of foreign interference in Canada’s internal […]

In the case of ethics violations, the fish rots from the head down

by Josie Sabatino

Justin Trudeau’s flagrant disregard for ethics set the tone early on and has allowed his caucus to flaunt the rules time and again. Pictured is Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Greg Fergus, just the latest in a long line of Liberal MPs caught in contravention of ethics laws under Trudeau. Photo credit: The Canadian […]

Trudeau once again manages to spend his way out of political problem

by Josie Sabatino

The Prime Minister and his provincial counterparts met in the nation’s capital on Tuesday to discuss a new funding deal for healthcare. While a number of the premiers complained that the deal didn’t go far enough, there was no outright rejection by any of the provinces on the terms of the proposal. Photo credit: The Canadian […]

Lessons to be learned from Ontario Liberal Party’s misguided soul searching

by Josie Sabatino

Last weekend, a group of veteran provincial Liberals led by Deb Matthews, Greg Sorbara, and Liz Sandals wrote an open letter to Mike Schreiner (pictured), in which they urge the current Ontario Green Party leader to consider crossing the floor and vying for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tijana […]

Reputation rehab still possible for Trudeau Liberals

by Josie Sabatino

Less rhetoric and more action would go a long way. Photo credit: Getty Images/David Chan   Next week, politicians will flock back to Ottawa to debate the many problems facing the country, making for what is sure to be a busy parliamentary session. Cost of living, healthcare, the winter boondoggle of a travel season, and […]

Federal spending on contracts points to larger, systematic problem

by Josie Sabatino

Radio-Canada recently revealed that consulting firm McKinsey & Company has received $66 million-worth of federal contracts since the Trudeau government took office. Photo credit: Reuters/Charles Platiau    Is everything broken in Canada? It’s not an optimal way to approach one’s thinking given that we are just 13 days into the calendar year, with 352 more […]

New year spells same old problems for Canadian oil and gas

by Josie Sabatino

A mere few days into the new calendar, and the Trudeau government has already started prepositioning the introduction of what is called the “just transition” bill. Pictured is Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito   The start of a new year is viewed as a blank slate, masked in […]

Federal leaders should look to upend status quo in 2023

by Josie Sabatino

This past year was challenging, but harder times are likely ahead. Canadians deserve a government, and political leaders across the spectrum that will be willing to compromise and challenge the status quo for the betterment of our country. Pictured is Conservative Party leader and head of Canada’s Official Opposition Pierre Poilievre. Photo credit: The Canadian […]

Healthcare posturing threatens future of the Liberal-NDP agreement

by Josie Sabatino

  NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (pictured) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first signed their so-called ‘supply and confidence’ agreement in March. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick    Oh, how quickly the tides can turn. Last Sunday, Jagmeet Singh appeared on CTV’s Question Period singing the praises of the Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement that […]

By-election comes at critical point as parties set sights on next election

by Josie Sabatino

Next week’s seemingly benign election for the vacated Mississauga—Lakeshore seat serves as a litmus test for the popularity of Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre (pictured, right), and their respective plans for Canada’s future. Photo credit: Facebook/Pierre Poilievre   Next week, voters in the federal riding of Mississauga—Lakeshore will head to the polls to cast their ballot […]

West can no longer ignore existential threats posed by autocratic regimes

by Josie Sabatino

As U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in an address to security leaders in Halifax last month, China and Russia both “seek a world where disputes are resolved by force and where autocrats can stamp out the flame of freedom.” Pictured is Chinese president Xi Jinping. Photo credit: AP via PBS   A few weeks […]

Emergencies Act Inquiry testimony tells an imperfect story

by Josie Sabatino

Pictured are Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Deputy Director, Operations Michelle Tessier (left), Director David Vigneault (centre), and Integrated Terrorism Assessment Executive Director Marie-Helene Chayer at the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, Nov. 21, 2022. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   The chaos underway at the Emergencies Act Inquiry should concern all Canadians, […]

American election results serve as cautionary tale for Canadian political parties

by Josie Sabatino

  The results illustrate that who a party runs in local races really does matter. They also serve as potential good news for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre (pictured at a recent news conference), should the Republican Party finally cast aside Trump and his ill-fated endorsements as fringe and out of step. Photo credit: The Canadian […]

Few surprises in mini budget as broad-based tax relief left off priority list

by Josie Sabatino

Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (pictured) presented the Liberal government’s 2022 fall economic statement Thursday afternoon in Ottawa. Photo credit: Reuters/Blair Gable   It wouldn’t be “mini-budget” day without some Liberal back-patting for a job well done. While yesterday’s fall economic statement brought dire warnings of a world about to shift […]

Ballooning bureaucracy deserves scrutiny in light of service delivery failures

by Josie Sabatino

The federal government continues to expand at a rapid rate, and yet Canadians continue to endure what seems like ever-worsening service delivery. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson   Canadians spent the summer complaining about government services.  You’d be hard pressed to ask a colleague or neighbor how they were doing without being on the […]

Freeland flips the script on government spending as recession looms

by Josie Sabatino

For the first time in a long time, it at least feels like the Liberal government is getting honest with Canadians about the current state of affairs. Photo credit: Facebook/Chrystia Freeland   As we head into the winter season, one message has become increasingly clear across much of the western world. Brace for impact because […]

Canadian Armed Forces not prepared for future threat environment

by Josie Sabatino

At a recent parliamentary committee hearing, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff (pictured) said he was “very, very worried” about the military’s dwindling numbers. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick    Houston, we’ve got a problem. The Canadian Armed Forces officially sounded the alarm on the recruitment crisis happening within its ranks. According to General Wayne […]

The freedom convoy is back in the spotlight, as Trudeau gets set to testify

by Josie Sabatino

The Prime Minister will look to defend his government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act back in February. Photo credit: AFP/David Chan   This week, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Justin Trudeau will testify before the Public Order Emergency Commission to defend the Liberal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act during last winter’s occupation of […]

Conservative star on the rise while Liberals, NDP fade into the night

by Josie Sabatino

Recent polls show a Poilievre-led Conservative Party would likely win over a majority of voters if an election were held today. Photo credit: Facebook/Pierre Poilievre   Pierre Poilievre couldn’t ask for a bigger, or better welcome as Leader of the Official Opposition than a series of polls that all seem to be pointing to one […]

Justin Trudeau has made far worse mistakes than Bohemian Rhapsody controversy

by Josie Sabatino

  Though perhaps awkward and embarrassing, the Prime Minister’s drunken rendition of the 1975 British rock classic, sang while in the U.K. for Her Majesty’s funeral, is hardly his most consequential blunder made overseas in recent years. Photo credit: Getty Images via Inside Edition   The fall session of Parliament kicked off this week, as […]

Economic turbulence tops agenda for all parties heading into fall session

by Josie Sabatino

With the business of government set to restart soon, expect the freshly elected head of the CPC Pierre Poilievre to exploit Canada’s myriad economic woes to cudgel both the governing Liberals and the party propping them up. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Justin Tang   We’re off to the races. After a sleepy summer, we finally […]

At a recent cabinet retreat in B.C., the prime minister reportedly told government colleagues he intends to stay on as leader into the next election. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck    In 2013, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper was asked by a reporter whether he had plans to run in the next federal election. […]

Losing sight of importance of public service is the true threat to democracy

by Josie Sabatino

Video of an Alberta man verbally attacking Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland last week led many across the political spectrum to claim such harassment of politicians is a threat to Canadian democracy. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld    In the wake of Canada’s finance minister being accosted by a man […]

Healthcare debate steals centre stage as political leaders grapple with reform

by Josie Sabatino

Premier Doug Ford met with his counterparts from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island earlier this week. What emerged from the maritime meeting was a consensus that, as a whole, Canada’s healthcare system needs to not only change, but that new solutions must be introduced in order to address the fundamental flaws exposed […]

Conservative leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis at a GTA engagement last month. Lewis recently suggested the party could better appeal to new Canadians by championing social conservative values. However, instead of reopening divisive debates around abortion and assisted dying, wouldn’t a more attractive approach involve a focus on compassion, prosperity and community? Photo credit: Twitter/Leslyn Lewis […]

Canada pleads ignorant in matters of life and death assistance

by Josie Sabatino

A new report from the Globe and Mail this week uncovered that Canada knew weeks in advance that there was a strong probability of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, and yet the government did nothing to protect embassy staff in Kyiv. Pictured is Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, who in the wake of the […]

If players, coaches, and management are proven to have been complicit in the serious allegations that have emerged in recent weeks, they must pay for their roles in these allegations. Photo credit: Getty Images/Kevin Light   The maple leaf is one of Canada’s most prominent national symbols, representing pride, peace and unity. Even before it […]

Jagmeet Singh holds the balance of power when it comes to the Canadian economy

by Josie Sabatino

But thus far, despite having a golden ticket to force the government’s hand, Singh has missed every opportunity to be an effective Opposition leader. Photo credit: Reuters/Blair Gable   The drama of the Conservative Party leadership race has dominated so much news coverage over the past several months that the average person could be forgiven […]

Late Tuesday evening, news broke that Patrick Brown (pictured) had been disqualified from the Conservative leadership race over allegations of wrongdoing that appeared to violate the Canada Elections Act. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh   Talk to any Ottawa ‘insider’ over the last number of weeks and you would probably have realized one foregone […]

Is 2022 the year Canadians finally start caring about government spending?

by Josie Sabatino

The Conservative Party – particularly current front-runner to lead the party Pierre Poilievre – is certainly counting on it. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld    Let’s talk about the deficit. Everyone’s favorite topic in Canadian politics, I know.  Just a few weeks into the 2021 federal election, a poll conducted by Ipsos found that […]

Liberal affordability plan applies old solutions to new problems

by Josie Sabatino

Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland. Photo credit: Bloomberg/David Kawai   Yesterday, in a prime-time speech that felt more like a State of the Union address, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland ditched the glitz and glamour of the downtown lunch circuit to speak directly to Canadians. In her opening lines, she acknowledged that the government has made […]

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau during the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, June 8, 2022. Photo credit: AP/Evan Vucci   It’s been a busy week on the foreign affairs scene, and one that feels oddly reminiscent of the pre-COVID […]

Sunny ways turns into worst days for Justin Trudeau

by Josie Sabatino

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on route to a press conference in Ottawa, June 8, 2021. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick    June is often dubbed ‘silly season’ in Ottawa. As the tulips surrounding Parliament wither in the early summer sun, federal politicians are akin to school children waiting for the last bell to ring […]

When it feels like every Canadian premier has at least acknowledged the problem, why is Justin Trudeau avoiding all talk of soaring gas prices? The answer is simple. To lend credence to the problem would mean having to admit that there is a solution. Photo credit: CBC/Ben Nelms   There’s a saying as old as […]

Conservative movement at a pivotal moment

by Josie Sabatino

As it stands, there is no room for forgiveness in the Conservative movement, just ask former CPC leader Erin O’Toole (pictured) or Jason Kenney. The precedent has been set that it is easier to turf a leader than it is to come together as a movement, fight for the things we have in common, and […]

Conservative leadership debate reveals a party inching closer to prime time

by Josie Sabatino

From left to right: Leslyn Lewis, Roman Baber, Jean Charest, Scott Aitchison, Patrick Brown, and Pierre Poilievre at the Conservative Party leadership debate in Edmonton, May 11, 2022. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh   To sum up the first official Conservative leadership debate in Edmonton on May 11, I will borrow a quote from […]

Women’s rights once again take centre stage in Canadian politics

by Josie Sabatino

Without skipping a beat, Prime Minister Trudeau jumped at the opportunity to capitalize on a convenient controversy from across the border. Photo credit: Reuters/Chris Wattie   Nearly eight years ago, the leader of the third party in the House of Commons proclaimed that any candidate who wanted to run on his team would be expected […]

Post-budget slump spells trouble on the horizon for federal Liberals

by Josie Sabatino

 The latest national poll numbers from Nanos Research had the Conservative Party at 35.6 per cent ballot support, with the Liberal Party down to 30 per cent even. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   The weeks following the release of the federal budget are typically reserved for a blitz of media availabilities, quick hits […]

Cost of living crisis no time for crass politics

by Josie Sabatino

 The once in a generation crisis serves as both an opportunity and a reminder for politicians about what is at stake here. The challenges facing Canadians are immediate, and action in this moment matters. Photo credit: Pexels/Mikhail Nilov    Anyone who has spent enough time in Ottawa knows that at its very core, politics is […]

Optics matter when it comes to Conservative leadership race

by Josie Sabatino

Love him or hate, one thing is for sure: Pierre Poilievre can draw a crowd. Several thousand spectators packed the Spruce Meadows sports facility in Calgary on Tuesday, April 12 to watch the leadership hopeful speak. Photo credit: Twitter/Pierre Poilievre   It was the summer of 2015 and the election had just been called. As […]

Liberal budget serves as self-fulfilling prophecy on tax and spend agenda

by Josie Sabatino

 It’s increasingly clear that the Trudeau government believes the economic path forward isn’t through innovation, job creation and an investment climate that leads to stable long-term growth, but through higher taxes. Photo credit: PMO   Yesterday’s budget marked the sixth installment of Justin Trudeau’s economic roadmap for Canada, but unlike in years past, the Liberal […]

While the Liberals have failed to deliver a net neutral ‘price on pollution’, let alone actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Conservatives have failed to convince the public that a carbon tax is bad policy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (pictured) announces the federal carbon tax at Humber College in Toronto on Oct. 23, 2018. Photo […]

Liberal-NDP pact the ghost of elections past

by Josie Sabatino

Former Conservative leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole both warned of an impending alliance during their tenure at the top. Photo credit: PMO/Adam Scotti   “The coalition you can’t afford.” “There aren’t five choices for Canadians – there are two. Canada’s Conservatives on one side and the Liberal-NDP-Green-Bloc coalition on the other.” It might surprise […]

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