As Bloc Québecois leader Yves-François Blanchet has reminded Quebecers this week, it was fifty years ago that the federal government of Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act (WMA) to deal with a perceived insurrection…
Recent Posts
The Premiers vs. The Throne Speech
On September 18, just days before the federal Throne Speech, and despite the health-related perils of travel, four provincial premiers went all the way to Ottawa to hold a press conference. There they demanded $28…
Reader Beware: Headlines Don’t Always Tell the Real Story
Headlines have always been important to the news media. But in an era when the print media are increasingly desperate and threatened with extinction, and online sources of news often have little oversight, the importance…
Deja Vu: Conservatives Doomed Again With New Leader O’Toole
One person who should be overjoyed with the Conservative Party’s choice of Erin O’Toole is surely Justin Trudeau. After insisting they learned from their previous mistake in choosing Andrew Scheer, the Conservatives have actually done…
Prorogation: Not a Four-Letter Word
In early December, 2008, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked Governor General Michaelle Jean to prorogue parliament, only a few months after a general election had been held that returned his Conservatives to power with…
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Putting the “WE” Contract in Context
There are many things that can be said about the Trudeau government’s handling of a proposed contract to the well-known “WE” charity. Clearly it was an ill-advised move. And clearly the apparent failure to follow…
The Two Michaels: Blame China and Trump, not Trudeau
Recent media reports have trumpeted a legal opinion by well-known criminal lawyer Brian Greenspan, who argues that Justice Minister David Lametti has the legal power to circumvent the extradition hearings of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou…
COVID-19 and Government Surveillance: What Price Privacy?
“As we move forward with restarting the economy, we must keep working together to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. This new mobile app wlll put the privacy of Canadians first, and act…
COVID-19’s Window of Opportunity: Real Change Now
When two columnists in the Globe and Mail – on the same day – call for more government intervention in the economy and additional programs for the welfare state, you know some sort of seismic…
Covid-19 in Quebec: Legault Marches to his own Drummer
On May 4, Quebec Premier Francois Legault rolled the dice. Outside of Montreal both manufacturing and construction projects were given the green light to resume operations, retail stores with street-front entrances and childcare facilities were…
