A Harper-era staffer says the question remains if the Carney Liberals are willing to act ‘a lot differently than the Trudeau government’ in reducing the regulatory burdens that have spooked investors for the past decade.
At the two-day Toronto gathering, the federal government announced a major investment tax benefit, forthcoming legislation to fast-track more project approvals, and a plan to open up airports to private investment.
Indigenous staff bring perspectives shaped by communities, and experiences that have historically been underrepresented in the institutions making decisions that affect them.
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien could do no wrong last week. Despite a promising start during the same period, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre couldn’t get it right.
Outgoing Green Leader Elizabeth May says Morrice is ‘just the right person’ to lead the party out of a ‘very tough, rough patch’ of the past seven years.
The Parti Québécois leader is trying to dodge recent comparisons to the federal Conservatives by emulating the winning campaign.
Conservative MP Todd Doherty’s ‘instrumental’ Michael Bailey, and the PMO’s ‘parliamentary affairs assassin’ Kate Legault-Meek also scored top spots in several categories in The Hill Times’ rejuvenated Top Political Staffers survey.
Kindness isn’t weakness. It is possible to be firm, direct, and uncompromising on your values while treating colleagues and stakeholders with respect.
Some of the best staff work goes unnoticed because its whole purpose is to solve problems, absorb chaos, and make hard things look routine.
Political staffers are part of the connective tissue between expert administration and democratic accountability—not subject-matter experts.
The problem comes when when we start assuming that because someone belongs to another party, we already know what kind of person they are.
Federal Conservatives should take stock of the warning coming out of B.C.: internal sniping and griping drives voters away.
Historically, U.S. Republicans have been the party of free trade and the Democrats have endorsed protectionism.
What took me by surprise when I joined the PMO was the pushback that came because I wasn’t a political staffer already. I didn’t fully comprehend that ‘politics’ thinks of itself as an institution rather than an industry.
Canadians need more details on the feds’ proposed model, say observers, as it’s unclear how investors will generate a return on their investment—and if the buck will be passed to passengers.
Launched on Sept. 15, the dashboard shows trends by department or by employment tenure over time. Parliamentary Budget Officer Annette Ryan calls it ‘one piece of the puzzle,’ with other data published by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
Despite his conciliatory trip to New York, for the Conservative leader, the politics of permanent confrontation is colliding with an electorate craving reassurance.
NDP environment critic Leah Gazan says the feds are ‘trying to legislate away constitutionally protected rights,’ a move she calls ‘insulting to the Canadian public’ who are facing extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.
It is only with the enmity of the American administration that we are now seriously embracing new thinking and pursuing new priorities. We are still very much a work in progress. But there is a reasonable chance we are heading in the right direction. Short-term pain for long-term gain.
Instead of being slavishly tied to the U.S., Canada needs to be a truly global player. There may even be an unexpected dividend in walking an independent line. It might show American policymakers that punitive measures against Canada could have unintended consequences for them.
The Alberta separation referendum question on Oct. 19 will ultimately be decided by voter turnout and which side has the better ground game, says Duane Bratt.
As Prime Minister Mark Carney and this country face these challenges with the United States, he should also be talking more to Canadians and to Parliament. It would go long way to better engaging with Canadians and empowering federal lawmakers. Carney needs Parliament, too.
Michael Sabia is already a year into his tenure as clerk. Removing outliers, the average term for a modern clerk is under four years. It is not a lot of time to make good on any attempt to alter the trajectory of government. Will Sabia, the clerk with more private-sector experience than his predecessors, make a difference? Will his succinct three-word mission statement endure?
In the public sphere, at least, Julie Dabrusin is the weakest federal environment minister in recent memory; just what the prime minister ordered.
Barbara Bal is the candidate of record for Nepean, Ont. She lost the April 2025 election to Prime Minister Mark Carney, after he won nearly 66 per cent compared to Bal’s 33 per cent.
