Stuart Benson

Stuart Benson

Despite early ‘spirit of co-operation’ on some bills, Liberal agenda still failing to launch in Parliament, say politicos

The opening weeks of the winter sitting have offered tentative signs of co-operation from the Conservative Party—rather than blanket opposition—after MPs agreed to pause a log-jammed study of the Liberals’ contentious anti-hate legislation. But with the government only willing to bend so far to secure support for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) agenda in a nearly “tie-game” minority Parliament...

Stuart Benson

‘Too weak, too vague, too slow’: PM Carney accused of ‘dragging his feet’ on foreign interference in pursuit of economic reset with China

As the prime minister travels to China this week in a bid to reset the fractured diplomatic and trade relationship, critics and diaspora groups are accusing his government of slow-walking the long-awaited foreign influence registry to prioritize economic concerns over safeguarding Canada’s democratic institutions. “If this government is looking to move forward with expanding trade with China, they need to...

Stuart Benson

‘Year of sport’: SecState van Koeverden pitches Canada as ‘best host nation in the world’ ahead of 2026 World Cup

Athletics 'are a great way to open doors,' says Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden. But although the World Cup excitement is ‘undeniable,’ human rights concerns, and hockey’s ‘reckoning’ in 2025 have left Canadian fans feeling ‘deeply conflicted,’ counters NDP critic Gord Johns.

Stuart Benson

Two ‘Conservative leaders,’ one bank vault, and zero leaks: Poilievre’s gallery dinner surprise

Have you heard the one about the two Pierre Poilevres in the bank vault? While the punchline landed with a double shot of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (Battle River–Crowfoot, Alta.) at this year’s Press Gallery Dinner on Nov. 29—after the leader skipped out on the last three—the set up began months prior and was executed in less than a week...

Stuart Benson

Party supporters ‘tapped out’ as post-election donation dip deepens with Grits and Tories deadlocked at $4M range in third quarter

As the post-election fundraising slump deepened in the third quarter of 2025, with both the Liberals and Conservatives each raising just over $4-million overall—the weakest quarterly performance for either party since early 2022—strategists say the dollars are following the waning enthusiasm of “tapped-out” supporters. “Money tends to follow enthusiasm, and a lot of people are tapped out,” explained Liberal strategist...

Stuart Benson

Opposition parties can’t afford to call Liberals’ bluff on budget vote, say pollsters

'If the budget falls, it needs to be seen as the fault of the opposition,' but Carney needs to do more to prime Canadians for 'generational' challenges, says Abacus CEO David Coletto. Whether or not the Liberals are bluffing when expressing doubts that next week’s federal budget will pass, no opposition party can risk trying to bring down the government...

Stuart Benson

Lack of foreign interference registry ‘mystifying’ as Canada attempts diplomatic reset with primary culprits, says NDP MP Jenny Kwan

As Prime Minister Mark Carney attempts a diplomatic reset with China and India, his government has yet to name its candidate to oversee the promised foreign interference registry to address the threat of political meddling and transnational repression. But as public attention shifts toward economic concerns over human rights, NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) says the federal government...

Stuart Benson

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s winning Liberal leadership run cost $3.9M, and posts $1.2M surplus

According to Elections Canada, Carney’s campaign raised just more than $5-million from more than 25,000 donations over the 45-day Liberal leadership race.

Stuart Benson

Conservatives seize on Liberals’ ‘law-and-order vacuum’ as Trump anxiety wanes, but ‘MAGA North’ comparisons still a concern, say strategists

Pierre Poilievre will remain in a difficult spot since the U.S. is touchy for many Canadians while Trump is backed by some Tory supporters, says Matt Chilliack. The Conservative Party is attempting to fill the “law-and-order vacuum” as Canadians’ concerns over the economy and crime begin to overtake the worry about threats from the American president that dominated the last...

Stuart Benson

‘Belonging is a two-way street’: New study examines immigrant retention as Canada loses one in five newcomers

As the debate over immigration intensifies and public sentiment sours, in part, due to a perceived overreliance on temporary foreign workers amid rising unemployment and housing prices, immigration and citizenship advocates argue that Canada’s policies can’t be driven by political considerations over the country’s economic ambitions.

Stuart Benson

Carney cabinet shuffle speculation grows alongside backbench ‘grumbles’ as Grits gather in Edmonton

As Liberals huddle in Edmonton on the heels of last week’s ministerial “planning forum,” the prime minister and his cabinet will have their first chance to hear from caucus after a summer focused on defence, tariffs, and international trade. Yet while confidence in the prime minister among the backbench and general public generally remains high, there is growing discontent among...

Stuart Benson

Foreign influence watchdog needs experience and compassion, not eminence: national security experts

Beyond the requisite knowledge and experience, ensuring the incoming Foreign Influence Registry Commissioner is clear of any appearance of partisanship will be critical, says Canadian Foreign Influence Transparency Registry Coalition spokesperson Gloria Fung.

Stuart Benson

Forest fire travel ban backlash demonstrates lack of investment in trust post-COVID, says public health expert

Wildfires continue to rage across Canada, but the backlash sparked by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick’s forest-hiking bans among civil liberties groups and segments of the public still enflamed over the COVID-19 lockdowns point to the notion that responding to future crises will require extinguishing the embers of public mistrust, says a University of Ottawa epidemiologist.

Stuart Benson

‘Easier to advertise cookies than spinach’: Conservatives outspent the Liberals seven-to-one in 2024 advertising

The Liberals’ $2.3-million in digital-focused ads in 2024 demonstrates the lack of confidence the party had in its previous leader and message, says EOK Consults' Harneet Singh. The federal Conservatives spent more than $16.5-million on advertising in 2024, outgunning the governing Liberals’ $2.3-million by more than seven to one as the governing Grits struggled to gain a foothold against the...

Stuart Benson

New Leaf Liberals want to root out Ontario Liberal shortcomings, not back a particular leader, says co-founder

With the Ontario Liberal Party’s general meeting about six weeks away, Leader Bonnie Crombie is making a case for progress while a growing number of party supporters are looking to turn over a new leaf if she can’t secure more than two-thirds of delegate support this September.

Stuart Benson

Piggybacking changes to privacy laws ‘has nothing to do with affordability,’ say critics of Bill C-4

As the Liberals move to expedite omnibus bills through Parliament before the summer recess, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says the urgency to provide affordability and tax relief to Canadians is no excuse to disrespect opposition parties and the Senate’s ability to study the wide-ranging and—in some cases—incongruous contents.

Stuart Benson

Enlisting Coast Guard to buoy defence spending expected to hit choppy waters, say analysts

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to float Canada’s defence spending over its current two per cent of GDP NATO target with the help of the country’s Coast Guard may hit rough waters as it navigates between a resistant public service and service members opposed to becoming what they derisively view as a militarized “junior navy,” defence analysts say...

Stuart Benson

No home on the Hill for half of MPs who may be waiting weeks for office move-in day

More than a month after the election, nearly half of MPs are still waiting for a place to call home on the Hill, and may still need to wait a few weeks before their official office space is ready. And as new MPs scramble for workspaces not already claimed by their more seasoned colleagues, they’ve also been dealing with extended...

Stuart Benson

Don’t mistake new Conservative media tone for policy shift, say Tory pundits

The Conservatives may be more accessible after the election, but don’t bank on them softening their stance on defunding the CBC, says communications strategist Dan Mader. Despite a slate of Conservative MPs returning to the mainstream media airwaves and a less combative tone during interactions with reporters, Conservative communication strategists advise against reading too much into the shift in approach...

Stuart Benson

Bipartisan ‘cooler heads’ have vested interest in lowering the temperature on Alberta separatism: Calgary Liberal Hogan

Ottawa needs a 'calm, thoughtful' approach that recognizes Alberta's contributions to Canada without giving the premier a reason to keep picking fights, says NDP MP Heather McPherson. Politicians in Ottawa can’t fight fiery rhetoric with more of the same if they want to lower the heat on separatist talk in Alberta, says newly elected Liberal Corey Hogan.

Stuart Benson

Trump, tariffs, and the economy ‘crushed’ other election issues that can’t be ignored by the government, say politicos

The environment, climate change, public transit, Indigenous reconciliation, and Big Tech took a back seat during the campaign, but governing will mandate their attention, says NDP strategist Will Shelling.

Stuart Benson

Canada Strong and Free Network looks beyond federal issues as campaign forces national Tories away from conference

Federal Conservative candidates stay away, but line-up includes swathe of provincial premiers, ex-politicians, and American speakers.

Stuart Benson

Conservatives’ tight grip on media access not living up to promise to be ‘most accessible and transparent campaign,’ say reporters

The Conservative leader took 65 questions in broadcast press conferences during the first two weeks of the campaign, compared to the 148 fielded by the Liberal leader, 163 by the Bloc leader, and 208 by the NDP leader. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s national campaign has attempted to keep a tight grip on the media’s access to its candidates—figuratively and literally—in...

Stuart Benson

Major third parties wind down ads in writ period, but organic ‘authenticity’ better than polished spots, say strategists

Political groups like Protecting Canada and Canada Proud previously spent tens of thousands of dollars on Facebook and Instagram, but have since logged off since the election campaign began.

Stuart Benson

Carney’s ‘decisive’ first week as prime minister may determine if he gets to stay post-election, say strategists

Mark Carney's first nine days as prime minister were jam-packed, but he can't keep coasting on the quick and easy decisions or cribbing from the Conservatives, says Tory pundit Andrea Sarkic.

Stuart Benson

Critics say new PM Carney ‘failed to turn the page’ with cabinet picks, but narrative link necessary, say Liberals

The new “leaner” Liberal cabinet is prioritizing continuity over change in the face of the tariff and annexation threats from United States President Donald Trump, says Liberal strategist Greg MacEachern. But Conservative pundits say the lack of new blood, and the exclusion of three provinces from around the cabinet table will make it difficult to convince voters they aren’t just...

Stuart Benson

‘If you’ve got the money, spend it’: three major parties boost digital ad buys to define Prime Minister Carney’s brand

Newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign for Liberal leadership spent just shy of $300,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads to introduce him to the party membership. Yet, while that investment is already providing dividends amongst the general public, the Conservatives and NDP have begun boosting their spending to ensure Carney is defined on their terms.

Stuart Benson

Grits’ grassroots hope Carney keeps ‘eyes and ears open’ for party renewal

Despite renewed hope among Liberal staffers and volunteers, any plans for structural party change will remain secondary priorities until after the next election, says Bluesky Strategy Group's Angelo Bakoulas.

Abbas Rana, Stuart Benson

Former central banker Carney takes Liberal leadership in landslide win on first ballot

Mark Carney dominates the results with 85.9 per cent of the vote ahead of former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland in second place with eight per cent. Rank-and-file Liberal Party members have elected Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, as their new leader. Carney, who will now succeed Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.)...

Stuart Benson

In Trump era, Grits need a bigger gambit than ‘small potato’ temporary tax cuts to woo voters, says pollster

Liberal leadership hopefuls must offer more than the “small potatoes” of temporary tax reductions when they unveil their affordability platforms, says pollster Nik Nanos. Voters are looking for truly transformational economic policies, and Canadians’ concerns are evolving beyond anxiety over groceries to the looming tariff threats from the United States, according to strategists.

Stuart Benson

NDP look to ‘meet the moment’ with Trump response, but fail to shift story from Tories: Holmstrom

NDP MP Matthew Green says a proposal to pass tariff relief through Parliament is about “meeting the moment” for Canadians under threat from the American president’s proposed tariffs, and a lack of confidence in the Liberal government’s ability to do so alone.

Stuart Benson

Reconciliation can’t become second-tier issue in Grit leadership race, says Battiste

The first Indigenous candidate for prime minister says his fellow running mates in the Liberal leadership race can’t afford to become “prisoners of the moment,” running towards the day’s most pressing concern while losing sight of his party’s long-term goals and commitment to reconciliation and fighting climate change.

Stuart Benson

Rising tithes lifts all boats? Hiked leadership entry fee, party cut will buoy Grits’ coffers: politicos

This week, the Liberals are set to have their best fundraising day of the year as leadership hopefuls submit the first instalment of the contest’s entry fee, which has more than quadrupled since the last race in 2013. Strategists say the increased entry fee will keep any frivolous “tire kickers” watching in the stands, and provide the needed boost to...

Stuart Benson

Grits’ ad-buy boost briefly overtakes Tories, but strategists say ‘spray-and-pray’ tactics will need recalibrating

The Liberal Party accelerated its digital ad buys last month, catching up and overtaking its Conservative rivals. Yet, with a vastly smaller war chest to fuel its digital messaging machine, political communications strategists say it will be difficult for the Grits to maintain their current momentum or refine their targeting beyond a nationwide “spray-and-pray” strategy.

Stuart Benson

Liberals’ new tone on immigration proves ‘Bloc was right,’ says critic, as NDP calls it a ‘flimsy attempt to cover their political behinds’

The federal government’s recognition that it should have acted to “turn off the taps faster” to slow the growth of temporary immigration to Canada is better late than never, says Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe. Yet, a new report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship says that as the Liberals move to reduce the number of immigrants arriving in Canada...

Stuart Benson

NDP won’t be ‘baited’ as Tories attack Singh amid Liberal labour moves, says MP Green

With work stoppages in two parts of the country and in the House of Commons, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Pascal Chan believes binding arbitration may have been the Liberal government’s only safe port in a perfect storm of labour disruptions costing the Canadian economy over $1-billion every day. But sending the issue to binding arbitration is taking the “weasel...

Stuart Benson

Liberal strategists say Trump’s victory will cement Trudeau’s decision to stay

Vice-President Kamala Harris’ loss in the Nov. 5 American presidential election has thrown cold water on those who had hoped Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would follow President Joe Biden’s example and step aside to give the Liberals a better chance in this country’s next election.

Stuart Benson

Grits’ new campaign director has the resumé and respect needed to right sinking Liberal ship, say former staffers

Replacing Jeremy Broadhurst with Andrew Bevan swaps 'one extremely seasoned, experienced, and competent political operator with another,' says former ministerial staffer Olivier Cullen. Charting the Liberal Party’s course in the next election will require a “seasoned, experienced, and competent” political navigator willing to go down with the ship, former Liberal staffers and insiders told The Hill Times. But with the...

Stuart Benson

NDP and Bloc need to overcome ‘fear’ of Conservatives to break Commons paralysis, says Liberal House Leader Gould

Government House Leader Karina Gould says the Bloc Québécois and NDP are “scared of the Conservatives” due to their refusal to help bring an end to the privilege debate that has paralyzed the House of Commons for the past 10 sitting days.

Stuart Benson

No confidence, but no rush: Conservatives keep mum on platform amid bid for snap election

As they put forward back-to-back non-confidence votes, the Conservatives continue to keep their policy plans under wraps, and maintain a wait-and-see posture on what will become of big-ticket programs like dental care, pharmacare, or the National School Food Program if they form government. But with the NDP and Bloc Québécois indicating they won’t necessarily move to bring down the government...

Stuart Benson

Federal Liberals face ‘wipeout’ in B.C. blue wave, say pollsters

The federal Liberals are hunkering down in Nanaimo, but the party faces a near-total “wipeout” in British Columbia as the rising Conservative tide threatens to breach even the Liberals’ Vancouver bulwark, say pollsters. The Sept. 9-11 caucus retreat aimed to hash out the Liberals’ strategy ahead of Parliament’s return on Sept. 16, and the two byelections in Quebec and Manitoba...

Stuart Benson

‘Structural solutions not inflammatory conclusions’ required to fix foreign worker program: Senator Omidvar

Despite “inflammatory” language in a new United Nations report accusing Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program of being a breeding ground for modern forms of slavery, a recent Senate report made similar findings, accusing the program of failing both workers, and the employers and industries that depend on them.

Stuart Benson

Tory fundraising on track to smash 2023 record as Liberal donations, ad spending tick up ‘slowly but surely’: politicos

The Conservative Party raised more than $20.5-million in the first half of 2024, outpacing the governing Liberals’ fundraising by more than $13.6-million so far this year, and its own total by this point last year—a record-smashing four quarters for the official opposition—by more than $4-million. Yet, with nearly $7-million in fundraising this year, and nearly $3-million more in the bank...

Stuart Benson

Feds miss self-imposed deadline for salmon farm transition plan, look like they’re ‘making it up as they go along,’ say industry stakeholders

The federal government has missed its own July 31 deadline to provide a draft transition plan to British Columbia’s salmon farmers, after it announced last month that those farms would be required to move to entirely land-based operations in the next five years.

Stuart Benson

Harsher bail reforms an expensive ‘fool’s game’ that neglects evidence-based solutions, say criminologists

As calls mount for ever-stricter bail reforms from the premiers and federal Conservatives, University of Ottawa criminology professor Justin Piché says critics “got what they paid for” by funnelling millions of dollars into policing while neglecting the courts and community support programs. And with another high-profile killing turning up the heat on the feds to take action, a former police...

Stuart Benson

Face supplant: minister recognition neither ‘net positive nor negative’ for Liberal election, leadership hopes, say politicos

The departure of Seamus O’Regan from the Liberals’ front bench will only further erode party unity and efforts to quell dissent and dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, say politicos. But whether or not there is a major shakeup in cabinet or even if Trudeau were to leave his post, recent polling by Abacus Data suggests that most Canadians...

Stuart Benson

Despite divorce talk, New Democrat brand, history still hold value for Alberta’s Naheed Nenshi, say politicos

Naheed Nenshi’s landslide victory in the Alberta NDP leadership election came with a promise to pursue divorce proceedings with its federal counterpart, but political observers and former staffers say there is still more to gain under a unified banner toward the shared goal of defeating Conservatives. On June 22, the former mayor of Calgary claimed victory as the new leader...

Stuart Benson

‘Political class needs to wake the hell up, and stop treating India with kid gloves,’ say Sikh advocates seeking answers on foreign interference

Sikh community advocates say they feel “validated and vindicated” by a recent national security and intelligence report looking into foreign interference activities since 2018, which found that second only to China, India—not Russia—is one of the most significant foreign interference threats facing not only the Sikh community, but also the halls of Parliament.

Stuart Benson

Prison-reform advocate calls on feds to permanently kill the Joyceville slaughterhouse

More than a year and a half after the Joyceville Institution abattoir in Kingston, Ont., closed down, Ontario beef farmers are ramping up the pressure on the federal government to give the 60-plus-year-old slaughterhouse a new lease on life. However, prison-farm-reform advocate Calvin Neufeld says he wants the government to finally “let it die” after spending hundreds of thousands of...

Stuart Benson

Foreign influence registry ‘more than a positive step forward,’ but not far enough, say diaspora groups

Diaspora groups say the government’s proposed foreign influence registry is a long-overdue step in the right direction to finally address their communities’ concerns and keep them safe. But national security expert Dan Stanton says the government’s “country-agnostic approach,” and unfairly high expectations from the public have the potential to create a “bureaucratic monster.”

Stuart Benson

House of Commons chaos a symptom of a past-expiry Parliament, not just Speaker’s judgment, say politicos

The Speaker of the House of Commons is once again facing calls to resign from two parties in the Chamber following a raucous Question Period last week that saw two Conservatives—including the leader of the official opposition—ejected. But political observers say that addressing the real issue at the heart of the increasing erosion of decorum may not require a new...

Stuart Benson

Foreign interference a ‘stain’ on Canada’s electoral processes, but did not undermine 2019, 2021 elections, says Hogue

Preliminary findings from the federal Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference has found that acts of foreign interference did occur in the previous two federal elections, but did not affect who formed government and that Canada’s electoral process remains “robust,” however, it has affected Canadians’ confidence in the electoral process and foreign interference is a real phenomenon and Canada “must reckon...

Stuart Benson

‘Overtaxed and overburdened’: cannabis industry suffocating under regulatory regime as feds take puff past excise relief in budget

With thousands of job losses since marijuana’s legalization in 2018, cannabis companies large and small closing their doors due to an increasingly burdensome tax regime, and growing levels of unpaid federal debt, cannabis stakeholders say without urgent action, there may soon no longer be an industry to tax. Leading up to the tabling of the 2024 federal budget on April...

Stuart Benson

The Canadian Conservative movement is tired of apologizing for their ideas

Bolstered by the Conservative Party’s record leads in the polls against the governing Liberals, attendees at the Canada Strong and Free conference last week say they’ve experienced confidence and energy unseen since the 2010s, which has given the movement a certainty in their values to unapologetically “say what they mean” and reject the “centrist orthodoxy” demanding moderation to win an...

Stuart Benson

Liberals’ pre-budget ‘full-court press’ to win back younger voters a stress test for caucus election readiness, say politicos

As the Liberals’ pre-budget charm offensive enters its third week, the new strategy to build momentum ahead of the April 16 budget has become an unintended “dress rehearsal” for caucus election readiness. But with billions of dollars in announcements already on the books aimed at winning back gen-Z and millennial voters, the louder the Liberals trumpet the good news for...

Stuart Benson

School food advocates celebrate as Liberals serve up long-awaited $1B for national program

The Liberals have announced they will be dishing out the first portion of the long-awaited funding for a national school food program in their latest pre-budget appetizer, which they say could provide up to 400,000 more students with healthy school meals as early as this fall.

Stuart Benson

Hill staffers look back on the COVID-19 pandemic from their front-row seats to history

On March 20, 2020, one week after both Chambers of Parliament adjourned, the COVID-19 pandemic had grown nearly tenfold to more than 1,000 reported cases. And as the Canada-United States border officially closed to non-essential travel, parliamentary staffers of all stripes were coming to grips with the fact it could be much longer than two weeks before they returned to the Hill.

Stuart Benson

Palestinian Canadians losing hope, taking drastic measures as Gaza visa program fails to bring loved ones to safety

Palestinian Canadians with family trapped in Gaza say they are running out of hope after six weeks of waiting to hear if their applications for the special visa program to bring them to safety have begun processing. And as Israel threatens to launch a military operation into the border city where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge from...

Stuart Benson

Exclusion of Black anti-racism activists from Supreme Court meeting ‘very concerning,’ says former GG, as Black caucus co-chair wary of ‘scary’ creep against progress

On the same day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended Canada’s recognition of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, a delegation of Black anti-racism advocates levelled accusations of anti-Black racism against the country’s highest court, and called into question the federal government’s capacity to meet the decade’s promise.

Stuart Benson

Massive Tory fundraising affords ‘nimbleness’ and more ‘boots on the ground’ in swing ridings, says Powers

After doubling its fundraising totals in 2023 and double-digit polling leads, the Conservative Party can afford to keep its foot on the gas to keep its base revved up, redouble volunteer recruitment, and blanket the airwaves with riding-specific attack ads, say politicos. And as the governing Liberals continue to slip further behind, dismal polling and uncertainty over the future with...