Canada closer to joining Golden Dome in secret talks
Canada is moving closer to joining Trump’s Golden Dome scheme, despite widespread opposition expressed by the public in a new poll.
Why is Carney having ‘secret’ talks with Trump?
Looking over media releases from the Prime Minister’s office, you will find in recent days Mark Carney has spoken to the Premier of China Li Qiang, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, and President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto. But one world leader’s name is conspicuously absent from the list: U.S. President Donald Trump.
Musk’s magical ROAS
Elon Musk has always taken a curious pride in not spending big on advertising. Tesla’s meteoric rise was, in his telling, proof that a superior product—and a CEO with 220 million followers—renders paid media optional.
Info czar rejects call for transparency
Canada’s information commissioner, Caroline Maynard, wields legal authority to order federal departments to release information they’ve withheld from requesters who are seeking it under the Access to Information Act. Well, sort of.
Defence expert shreds Trump’s Golden Dome scheme
It takes this National Defence expert only five minutes to utterly take apart Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence scheme. This interview features an analysis by Prof. Walter Dorn, a Defence Studies professor at the Royal Military College, discussing President Donald Trump’s ambitious “Golden Dome” missile defence initiative. Watch it here:
Longer wait times, abandoned calls at RCMP emergency call centres
RCMP communications centres that receive 911 calls are so short of staff that wait times have doubled – prompting increasing numbers of frustrated callers to hang up. That’s one of the main findings from an internal evaluation that was triggered in part by the fumbles of the Mountie call centre in Truro, N.S., during the 2020 mass murder, which left...
Axworthy: Carney joining Trump's Golden Dome a ‘betrayal’
Former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of betraying Canadians in a strongly worded opinion article published by The Globe and Mail. Axworthy was responding to the announcements this week, first by Donald Trump and then by Carney a day later, that Canada wants to join and help pay for Trump’s “Golden Dome” scheme that...
How to explain to Americans why we're so upset
There are plenty of problems confronting progressives in the United States right now. So lots of our American cousins may not even be aware of the angst and hardship that Trump is inflicting upon Canada.
Why trouble for the NDP spells trouble for democracy
Parliament will look very different when newly-elected MPs return to Ottawa this month. There will be far less diversity of voices in the House of Commons with the demise of the NDP, and this is not good for our democracy.
Cyber-protection agency a victim of fraud
Canada’s premier agency for cyber-security, which helps governments and businesses defend against bad actors, itself got scammed as part of a wide-ranging IT overbilling fraud worth several million dollars.
The Conservatives’ best-performing ad was probably their most derided
Some dismissed it as the “erectile dysfunction” ad. Others laughed it off as a desperate Hail Mary to salvage a faltering campaign in Southern Ontario—specifically in the all-important 905 region. Well, they can stop laughing. Call it the blue belt now. The Conservatives not only held their ground in the 905—they flipped several Liberal ridings.
Welcome to the new post-transparency
The world is chaotic. Sovereignty, diplomacy, trade, free speech, science are all under assault. Daily life seems suddenly dangerous. Even the weather report is scary. “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,” as William Butler Yeats put it in The Second Coming (1919). We’ve entered an era of might makes right. Familiar rules are changing. Among the changes is the...
Access to information is AWOL
This will be a very short post on the access-to-information election promises of the five main political parties. That’s because there’s nothing to write about. With the release of the last platform today (Conservative), no party is committing to reforming the dysfunctional Access to Information Act, other than reciting cheap bromides. Some aren’t even offering bromides.
Is the peace movement wrong?
Is it time I admit defeat, pull up my tent and go home? For 30 years I have advocated for reductions to Canada’s military spending, and it keeps rising and rising. Now it’s reached the point where Canada is the 6th highest in actual dollars within NATO (after USA, Germany, UK, France, Poland). Responding to expensive plans to increase military...
The dossier Trudeau took to Mar-a-Lago
Last fall, before the Trump shitstorm, advisers to the prime minister saw the black clouds gathering to the south. The new president had not yet been sworn into office, but it was clear Canada was in the crosshairs.
Mark Carney's $100 apology
The 10 men who have governed the Bank of Canada since its inception in 1934 have been taciturn types, studiously avoiding the mud-holes of public controversy. Central banks trade in trust, and must project immutability and stability. That’s why it was so unusual in 2012 to hear Mark Carney, then governor of the Bank, apologize to Canadians for screwing up.
How the rich captured a Canadian prime minister: Part II
Peter Larkin launched King’s fund with $25,000 of his own cash, deposited Sept. 22, 1925 at the Old Colony Trust Co.’s main branch in Boston, the same firm used by Salada Tea for its U.S. operations. Likely he reasoned that a foreign account would reduce the risk of discovery.
Day 1 - They're off!
Now that the election is called, time to riff from that part of my bio that says “campaign manager” and offer up regular assessments and analysis on what I think is going on. Check this space regularly for my campaign updates. You can judge my content for its value and biases on its own. But for the record, let me...
How the rich captured a Canadian prime minister: Part I
Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin and Donald Trump’s White House have shown how political leaders who bond with billionaires can be toxic to the public good. Canada so far has avoided devolving into a plutocracy, but some of our past leaders have nevertheless been compromised by powerful men bearing suitcases stuffed with money. Several prime ministers have accepted generous handouts from business...
Tariffs, taxes, and takeover bids: Welcome to Election 2025
Canada’s 45th general election is upon us, and it’s shaping up to be the nastiest we have ever seen. Already, the personal attack ads are flying. The Liberals are painting Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre as a MAGA Mini-me who will sell out Canada. The Conservatives claim Liberal leader Mark Carney is a clone of PM Justin Trudeau: elitist, globalist, and...
Canada Proud should be ashamed
Canada Proud, the right-wing provocateurs and third-party advertising group closely aligned with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, are not exactly renowned for their subtlety. Their social media ads frequently veer into crass territory, yet clearly resonate—evidenced by their hefty investments in Meta's Facebook and their savvy optimization of messaging and targeting.
Justin Trudeau was a big talker in the House, that is, when he showed up.
A recent analysis highlighted in La Presse reveals a startling aspect of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's oratory style. When assessed through a linguistic lens, Trudeau's vocabulary richness—or lack thereof—stands out, particularly when his word variety is measured against the total number of words he has spoken. This metric, known as a lexical richness index, positions Trudeau's vocabulary as one of...
The Liberals' “Canada Strong” has the right sentiment, but their opponents might weaken it.
If that's the overarching theme of the campaign, 'Canada Strong' could be a slogan-sized blind spot for the Liberal campaign.
Peddling the medal - Brace for flurry of Coronation medal awards this month
Media stories about a royal medal have been popping up on news and social-media platforms in Canada lately. Expect more before the end of this month. March 31 is the deadline for presentation ceremonies for the King Charles III Coronation Medal. Some 30,000 have been minted, destined for the chests of Canadians who have made a significant contribution to the country.
Why Ford’s successful campaign was a failure
It’s called an election campaign for a reason. Even though its purpose is to secure votes, instead of purchases, it is, in many ways, akin to marketing campaigns selling beer or detergent. Most of all, it starts with clearly stated quantitative objectives. Usually, it is to contribute to an increased market share. As such, Doug Ford’s campaign to secure a...
Women candidates close funding gap: Elections Canada report
The number of women candidates running to become Members of Parliament has increased substantially over the last five elections. But are they attracting as much money for their campaigns as their male counterparts? A new study by Elections Canada says not only have women candidates closed a money gap, they’ve overtaken their male counterparts in cash raised.
RCMP used-vehicle sales partially resume
The former Public Safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, gave RCMP the green light to start selling some of its used vehicles, partially ending a 2021 moratorium that left Mountie car lots jammed with decommissioned cars. LeBlanc’s approval was issued Dec. 9, almost four years after sales were suspended in the aftermath of the Nova Scotia mass murders, in which a gunman...
The Conservatives’ February blues—in a sea of red
If “Fresh. Familiar.” are the words describing its brand identity, the party might want to make sure they don’t sideline the familiar part next time they decide to wrap themselves in red.
Justin Trudeau: Could he have escaped the generational truism of Mike + the Mechanics?
In the words of Mike + the Mechanics from The Living Years, "Every generation blames the one before and all of their frustrations come beating on your door." This line perfectly captures how Canadian youth have inherited the unmet promises of the past, and, like many before him, Justin Trudeau paid the price of that truism—bearing the weight of collective...
Internal project seeks to correct Order of Canada biases
The Liberal government has launched a project to reduce the overwhelming number of older, English-speaking men who receive Order of Canada medals, Canada’s highest civilian honour.
Cuba asks Canada for debt relief
Wracked by energy, food and medicine shortages, the Cuban government is asking Ottawa for a break on its multimillion-dollar Canadian loan to help the country weather the economic crisis, says a newly released document.
News media bailouts short on transparency
Members of a journalism panel who decide which Canadian newsrooms have the government’s seal of approval have billed taxpayers at least $243,000 for their work. Internal records from the Canada Revenue Agency, obtained through the Access to Information Act, show the part-time members have together drawn an average of $47,000 annually in pay for the last five years, plus $8,00...
Poilievre's secrecy challenge
Pierre Poilievre faces a litmus test over cabinet secrecy this year, should he become prime minister of Canada, as polls since 2022 have consistently suggested. In the Conservative opposition, Poilievre has clashed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the withholding of cabinet documents from Parliament for its probes of foreign interference, the WE charity controversy, and the SNC-Lavalin affair.
Sayonara to a bleak year for freedom of info
Freedom-of-information (FOI) regimes across Canada withered in 2024, as courts and governments tightened the noose around openness and transparency. Here are five key moments in a generally dismal year for FOI. Four of these developments made the filing of requests for government information feel more like a fool’s errand. One of them offered hope
The shrinking and inking of access to info
Treasury Board of Canada released fresh government-wide statistics last week about citizens’ use of the federal Access to Information Act in 2023-24.
Is Pierre Poilievre's tie to Shopify broligarchs a conflict of interest?
Canadians watched in horror as Elon Musk bought influence in the United States, thanks in large part to the country’s billionaire-friendly political financing rules. Turns out we should be watching our own backyard, too. Because, while currying favour with politicians can be more complicated here in Canada, it looks like Musk’s Canadian counterparts are getting creative.
Fleet of aging RCMP aircraft "highly risky:" report
The RCMP’s geriatric airplanes and helicopters are long past their replacement dates, with almost half of the 30-aircraft fleet deemed in “poor or failed condition,” says an internal report. The Mounties operate the aircraft only on daytime business hours, Monday to Friday, despite a round-the-clock demand for emergencies.
Lawyer for Sandy Hook families drags Shopify over Alex Jones store
A lawyer for Sandy Hook families is dragging Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce giant. That’s because Shopify is powering Alex Jones' newest store -- and despite my previous reporting, won't even acknowledge or explain this decision. It’s “bad enough that Shopify would partner with a man who continues to spread
Is nuclear war closer than we're told?
Some alarming news has come to light this week in the Russia-Ukraine war that has far-reaching implications – potentially leading to the use of nuclear weapons.
Treasury Board no access-to-info leader
Treasury Board of Canada, a central agency of the federal government, is Ottawa’s cheerleader for access to information. The institution gathers statistics, sets policy, organizes training, produces manuals, offers guidance, oversees programming, all to support more than 260 other departments in carrying out their legal requirements under the Access to Information Act.
Israel’s secret plan to “Iraq-ify” Gaza
Israel’s far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a secret plan for Gaza as his defence forces continue to bomb, displace and now starve its more than 2 million inhabitants. Haaretz journalist Noa Landau says that despite never admitting it, Netanyahu has a “day after” scheme for Gaza that looks remarkably like the way the United States devastated Iraq following the...
Why pro-Palestinian activists are so frustrated
If you or someone you know has been active in the pro-Palestinian movement, you may have noticed this trend. There is a growing frustration among those trying to stop the terrible violence and bloodshed in Gaza from Israel’s wonton bombings, launched in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas fighters on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
An error-prone 'transparency'
The pro-active publication of internal documents by governments has long been touted as a cure-all for a dysfunctional access–to-information regime. After all, if citizens are requesting the same stuff again and again, why not just release the documents pro-actively without making people jump through the hoops of a formal access-to-information request? Pro-active publication promotes transparency, and reduces the workload of...