house of commons

Canada's Conservative Party, a once-great national organization, is being overwhelmed by its own extremists

| February 17, 2017

The refusal by Conservative MPs to agree to an anti-Islamophobia motion and their mockery of an Edmonton Liberal MP for having once worked as a bus driver are both additional evidence their once-great national party, like its Republican counterpart in the United States, is increasingly controlled by an extremist, offensive fringe.

Not that additional proof was really needed. The blowhards and bigots crowding the Conservative Party of Canada's interminable leadership race should be evidence enough.

Screenshot of Jason Kenney's arrival at Aug. 1, 2016, news conference

Ottawa's ethics commissioner should review MP Jason Kenney's activities and ethics as PC candidate

David J. Climenhaga

| August 2, 2016

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Who is paying for Jason Kenney's risible pickup-truck tour of Alberta?

Who is paying for his campaign to lead Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party and unite it with the Wildrose Party to, he says, ensure there won't be a second NDP majority government in Alberta?

A wild idea to fix Canada's parliamentary democracy, which sucks

Rafe Mair

| June 8, 2016

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On Monday, I talked about "responsible government" -- this is the sequel to that piece.

Social media reaction to Elbowgate shows contempt for Parliament

Karl Nerenberg

| May 26, 2016

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Elbowgate is over, almost forgotten.

It is, to quote Monty Python, a dead parrot. Dead and buried.

So why keep writing about it?

Well, one reason is that it reveals much about many Canadians' attitude toward Parliament and our democratic system of government.

How so?

Let's step back a moment and consider the previous government, that of Stephen Harper.

Trudeau's actions contradict his pledge to respect Parliament

Karl Nerenberg

| May 19, 2016

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On January 4, 1642, the English King, Charles I, entered the House of Commons, accompanied by armed guards.

The King intended to arrest five MPs whom he claimed had committed high treason.

It did not go well for Charles I.

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Liberal government backs Conservative motion condemning BDS

March 8, 2016

| Two Conservative MPs brought the motion to condemn the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement Against Israel, a movement which includes the United Church and the Quakers.

Length: 11:32 minutes (10.57 MB)

Then-NDP MP Paul Dewar can't take Paul Calandra anymore.

Canada's democracy took a hit from Harper, but it's not too late to save it

Gerry Caplan

| February 3, 2016

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Tories' Senate gambit shows Harper still runs the party and the party still holds Parliament in contempt

David J. Climenhaga

| January 29, 2016

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The Conservative Opposition's threat to use its majority in the unelected Senate to thwart the Trudeau government's plan to repeal two anti-labour laws passed when Stephen Harper was still prime minister is a very telling indication of that party's true commitment to the principles of democracy.

Parliament returns with focus on Indigenous issues and Liberal promises

Karl Nerenberg

| January 26, 2016

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If you were to listen to Conservative attacks you'd think the Trudeau government was soft on Islamic State terrorism, indifferent to the economic travails of the oil and gas industry, too ready to make nice with nasty Iran, insufficiently friendly to Israel, and not as supportive of Ukraine vis-à-vis Russia as it should be.

Trudeau team will have a big job when the House returns on Monday

Karl Nerenberg

| January 22, 2016

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Parliament gets back to business on Monday and, with renewed public attention to federal politics, the new government will face some big challenges.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got a preview of what he might be in for when he telephoned Yves Richard, the husband of one of the victims of the Ouagadougou attacks.

Richard was not impressed. He hung up on the PM.

house of commons

Liberal government backs Conservative motion condemning BDS

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