Many provinces say no details from feds on striking pharmacare deals over a month after law passes
Legislation was only ‘the tip of the iceberg’ because it was ‘really light on details,’ says former Ontario PC staffer...
Ian Campbell
While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Ian Campbell.
Painting Tories as ‘Trump-lite’ not a winning strategy for Liberals post-U.S. election, say strategists
Liberal MPs need to stop comparing Canada’s Conservatives to Donald Trump’s Republicans as that strategy is losing its persuasive power...
Liberals’ back away from MAID debate with Quebec, not wanting to ‘butt heads’
The Quebec government’s decision to move ahead with advance requests for medical assistance in dying in defiance of the Criminal...
Trump return to White House will test ‘rocky’ relationship with Trudeau
President-elect Donald Trump is someone who ‘carries a grudge,’ but Trudeau must find a way to ‘make the relationship work,’...
Impasse between PM Trudeau and dissidents frustrates Liberal grassroots, and a ‘distraction’ to governing, say insiders
The attempt to oust the PM at caucus was ‘unorganized’ and ‘haphazard’ said ex-Liberal staffer Nick McRoberts, but other forms...
B.C. Liberal MP Weiler read a letter to Trudeau and caucus on behalf of dissenting MPs, calling for the prime minister’s resignation
Two-term B.C. Liberal MP Patrick Weiler read out a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the party’s national caucus...
Liberal caucus should have adopted Reform Act for process to oust Trudeau, says MP Casey
Having the mechanism would provide ‘more structure’ and make any decision ‘a bit more final,’ says Liberal MP John McKay...
It’s hard for politicians to ‘resist the temptation’ of using intelligence for ‘partisan purposes’: ex-CSIS official
As sharp criticisms are levied at both the prime minister and opposition leader following a combative exchange on foreign interference...
Atlantic Liberals feel ‘dramatic’ drag of Trudeau’s unpopularity, says pollster
The growing assertiveness of Atlantic Liberals in expressing their concerns about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership shows they “have their...
‘Not surprising’ Trudeau regrets breaking electoral reform pledge as Conservatives soar, says Fair Vote Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent comments on electoral reform appear designed to mend fences with those he alienated when he...
Liberals at a ‘breaking point’ as polls show ‘deep truth’ of historic challenges they face, says author
The author of a book about how the federal Liberals dominated politics for most of Canadian history says the party...
Fight over MAID shifts from Parliament back to the courts amid political stalemate
With both advocates and opponents of medical assistance in dying at odds with Canada’s current MAID laws, the fight is...
‘A lot of tension’ in both Ottawa and Quebec City sparks shifting alliances between parties
As Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet amps up his pressure on the Liberal government, how his party leverages its newly...
Parties appear ‘unwilling’ to ‘manage their own house’ amid foreign interference in nominations: national security expert
Elections Canada is preparing recommendations seeking to strengthen the security of nominations and leadership races, but so far the federal...
Senators praise PBO report to release ‘crucial’ public accounts earlier, but government reluctant to commit to changes
The parliamentary budget officer’s proposal calling for Ottawa’s year-end financial reports to be released on an earlier timeline is drawing...
NDP growth and Tory ground game spell ‘doomsday’ scenario for Liberals: Nanos
In the wake of another “epic disaster” byelection, Liberals should be seriously concerned about the “doomsday scenario” of New Democrats...
Blame games on politically-targeted bot campaigns ‘irresponsible’ without verification, says researcher
The lead researcher in a report debunking Conservative ties to a bot campaign backing Pierre Poilievre says politicians and the...
Only pushback from members will drive party leadership to loosen grip on nominations, say campaign veterans
To ensure free, fair, and transparent nomination contests, rank-and-file party members must communicate an unequivocal message to their respective leadership...
‘All bets are off’: Liberal-NDP rupture leaves ‘the clock ticking’ on Parliament’s lifecycle
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s abrupt departure from his party’s deal with the Liberals will shorten the lifecycle of this Parliament...
Cabinet retreat policy announcements show Liberals ‘waking up,’ but lack ‘unique vision,’ says pollster
Policy announcements from the Liberal cabinet retreat are a “rear-guard action” aimed at “stealing their opponent’s thunder,” but fall short...
Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence deal and U.S. engagement top items on cabinet retreat agenda
Against the backdrop of a record number of Atlantic Canadians voicing dissatisfaction with the Liberal government’s performance, Prime Minister Justin...
If labour dispute goes ‘sideways’ it could derail Liberal cabinet retreat, says Nanos
With pushback from the Teamsters union giving new legs to a labour disruption the Liberal government attempted to put to...
Growing interest in health-care reform, but private payment still ‘too risky’ for parties to propose, says Coletto
Persistent strain on Canada’s health-care system has led to a growing appetite for reform, but it’s unlikely any party would...
Markets see ‘settling of nerves’ after dramatic drop, but recession talk is ‘brutally devastating’ for governments, say observers
Investors’ nerves are beginning to settle after a rocky few days for markets in Canada and around the world, but...
‘Going to be a dog fight’: Libs in Newfoundland prepare for toughest electoral fight in a decade without high-profile minister Seamus O’Regan
After three consecutive landslide wins by outgoing former federal cabinet minister Seamus O’Regan, Liberals living on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula are...
Shrink government revenues? Grow TFSA room? Economists weigh in on what a Poilievre tax-reform panel could—or should—consider
In the wake of Pierre Poilievre’s commitment to launch a tax-reform task force in the early days of a potential...
Trudeau’s leadership faces further stress tests in series of coming byelections
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing at least four more public tests of his leadership, with a “mixed bag” of...
‘So damn offensive’: NSICOP and Hogue findings on media raise serious concern about covert targeting of Canadian journalists
Covertly placing narratives in Canadian media that forward the interests of foreign states is an “ultimate goal of foreign influence...
Caucus disquiet grows after Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection upset as Liberals face ‘catastrophic loss’ with status quo
For the Trudeau government, the writing has been on the wall since November, and ‘despite their best efforts, they haven't...
‘Stark reality’: Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection loss shows no seat safe for Liberals, politicos warn
The Conservatives’ capture of the Toronto-St. Paul’s seat—a Liberal fortress for decades—shows “the polls have become a reality” for Prime...
Hogue says nominations a ‘gateway’ for foreign interference, but Marland says parties ‘wary about the state having rules limiting what they do’
Foreign interference has put a spotlight on longstanding concerns about the process for nominating political candidates, but so far the...
‘A permissive environment’: four security gaps flagged by NSICOP where Ottawa has been slow to act
The prospect of parliamentarians aiding foreign powers has captured near-total focus following an explosive foreign interference report, but the document...
Liberals ‘got what they wanted’ on capital gains vote, but success depends on which ‘narrative wins out,’ say observers
Now that the Conservatives have come out against the capital gains tax hike, the political fallout from the Liberal wedge...
Rate cut welcome news for Liberals, but won’t shift voter views on economic record, say politicos
The Bank of Canada’s rate cut is welcome news for the Liberals, but not enough to change their political fortunes...
B.C. voter data complainant calls out microtargeting, as parties mum on next steps after court loss
A private citizen behind a complaint that has led to tighter privacy rules for political parties is calling a recent...
Liberal budget comms ‘a miss’ at catching young voters, unlikely to achieve ‘narrative shift,’ say pollsters
The government’s attempts at reaching younger voters through a pre- and post-budget media blitz may not be delivering the results...
Budget’s ‘slow rollout’ pharmacare funding leaves program vulnerable to change in governments, say policy experts
The timeline and funding for pharmacare laid out in last week’s federal budget points to a slow rollout plan, and...
Conservatives ‘riding the stronger horse’ in competing narratives about budget: pollster Lyle
Two narratives about the 2024 federal budget set out by the finance minister and opposition leader both reflect positions the...
Government’s newly proposed privacy policies won’t change how federal political parties use voter data: experts
A section of the government’s new electoral reform law that deals with privacy policies for political parties appears to be...
Polls show ‘across-the-board, generalized retreat’ from Liberals, says Coletto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will ‘either walk up to the edge of the next election and run, or he'll walk...
It’s difficult to ‘follow the money’: former MPs, bureaucrats, and PBOs say budget and estimates process makes it tough for Parliament to hold government spending to account
When former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page thinks about what’s wrong with the process by which MPs scrutinize the government’s...
Attorney general calls B.C. privacy case ‘premature,’ says federal political parties can ‘self-regulate’ use of voter data: new documents
The Attorney General of Canada wants to see a B.C. court case involving federal political parties’ use of voter data...
‘People were drawn to him’: former prime minister Brian Mulroney could motivate his team and connect personally with rivals, say colleagues and friends
Colleagues and friends of former prime minister Brian Mulroney are remembering him for his ability to rally his political allies...
‘A lot of outstanding detail’ on pharmacare leaves program’s future riding on talks with provinces
Compromises made by both the Liberals and the NDP to achieve a pharmacare deal that’s light on details point to...
Some Senators open to blocking government’s MAID legislation, while others say that’s ‘overstepping’
As the government rushes to push through legislation that would further delay legalizing medical assistance in dying for those suffering...
Federal Court decision on Emergencies Act may blunt a key Liberal attack against Poilievre: pollster
With two veteran judges having come down on “different sides of the line” in their view of the Trudeau government’s...
Holland’s negotiating skills will determine his success in health portfolio this year, say observers
Mark Holland’s ability to communicate with a mix of force and finesse makes him the right person, politically, for the...
Liberal MP Turnbull says Conservatives have ‘overstated the significance’ of Rogers’ price hike for wireless customers
Industry Parliamentary Secretary and Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull says the Conservatives are blowing Rogers’ price hike for its wireless customers...
Despite growing talk of a recession in 2024, affordability remains key frame for economic issues, say observers
There’s growing talk of a possible recession in 2024, but voters will likely remain focused on concerns of affordability, and...
Lots of goodwill between Liberals and NDP on pharmacare, but ever-present chance they’ll ‘mismanage the relationship,’ warns pollster Lyle
There remains enough goodwill between the Liberals and NDP for those parties to reach a deal on pharmacare in time...
Affordability will remain a top political issue in 2024 after inflation stalls in latest CPI report, say observers
The final CPI numbers for the year indicate that affordability and interest rates will remain key political and policy issues...
PROC study should address ‘politicization of the speakership,’ says former parliamentary counsel
A former House of Commons Clerk called Greg Fergus' decision to appear in a partisan video 'mind-boggling.' The Procedure and...
Liberals risk ‘intense criticism’ from Conservatives if pharmacare grows federal deficit, says pollster Bruce Anderson
Recent reports from the Parliamentary Budget Office found that a universal pharmacare program could cost both provincial and federal governments...