By Richard Forbes. Featured image via Ben Nelms, CP. Parliament is back in session but you would hardly know summer was over from the top of the agenda: Finance Minister Bill Morneau's tax reform proposal was a hot topic among Canadians when it was first unveiled in August but the Tories - having sensed a … Continue reading In a rational world, tax avoidance would be a bipartisan issue
Macron, the Justin Trudeau we’ve been waiting for?
By Eli Ridder. With an approval rating in the mid-sixties, Justin Trudeau, then forty-three, made his first impression on the international political stage; his appearance spelling - as the papers described it - “a sea of change” for “positive politics.” Headlines for newly inaugurated French President Emmanuel Macron read, not dissimilarly, “a new hope” and “saviour of the EU.” … Continue reading Macron, the Justin Trudeau we’ve been waiting for?
For war-torn Syria, a diplomatic solution is the only solution
By Richard Forbes. It's fair to say despite political unrest in Syria, the UK and Sweden, a slow news week had crept passed us Canadians by hump day. We - exhausted with the antics of our southern neighbor's president - were resigned to enjoying the finer things in life beyond Donald Trump. Speaking of chutzpah: … Continue reading For war-torn Syria, a diplomatic solution is the only solution
Reforming the House of Commons will require more patience than Trudeau gave electoral reform
By Richard Forbes. Confusion erupted across the House of Commons as the opposition's standing ovation continued for several minutes. The stall tactic, a naked and dramatic attempt at upstaging Morneau's budget speech with concerns of their own, helped to direct public attention to the government's hopes to change how parliament works. For the past twenty … Continue reading Reforming the House of Commons will require more patience than Trudeau gave electoral reform
A source of endless confusion, the Liberals should drop their “middle class” rhetoric before it backfires
By Richard Forbes. Featured image via Sean Kilpatrick, CP. "For a decade, middle class struggles were simply swept under the rug," Finance minister Bill Morneau says to parliament, prompting jeers from the opposition. "But the good news is that Canadians—on their own accord—worked hard and persevered. We have always been resilient and innovative, able to adapt—and … Continue reading A source of endless confusion, the Liberals should drop their “middle class” rhetoric before it backfires
Could Russia exploit Canada’s “shattered mirror”?
By Richard Forbes. Featured image via Hannah Yoon, CP. If nothing else it's become clear over the past few weeks that the only thing standing between the awesome power of the Oval Office and the deranged circus act of its new ringleader is the free press - among them, the New York Times and the … Continue reading Could Russia exploit Canada’s “shattered mirror”?
From one disappointed reformer to another: why you shouldn’t give up on Trudeau
By Richard Forbes. Make no mistake, I was positively livid when Democratic Institutions minister Karina Gould announced the Liberals were backing away from their electoral reform pledge. While not a central plank of the Liberals' campaign platform, electoral reform had offered a tantalizing prospect of 'real change' - hopes which were dashed that morning by Gould's … Continue reading From one disappointed reformer to another: why you shouldn’t give up on Trudeau
Sooner or later, Canada will have to wake the sleeping elephant
By Richard Forbes. Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt. - Pierre Trudeau. Under the ominous hashtag, #muslimban, Americans and people all around the world tweeted … Continue reading Sooner or later, Canada will have to wake the sleeping elephant
A better way to reform our electoral system
By Richard Forbes. Like all great 'eureka' moments, this one came to me in the bath while thinking about water levels; to reheat a bath, you lower the water level and run the hot water simultaneously - and with that thought, the basic structure of a very different kind of electoral reform proposal was born. … Continue reading A better way to reform our electoral system
Trudeau’s cross-country tour looks to shore up red wave
Trudeau's cross-country tour looks to shore up red wave #cdnpoli
The Ribbon 