During this global pandemic we’ve seen some pretty stark changes and experienced things that we thought we might never experience. We’ve seen some things that were talked about in great theory all of a sudden be thrust into action on a moments notice, giving us experiences that make it very
Continue readingAuthor: Cam Holmstrom
Magpie Brûlé: De-registering Dissent at Queen’s Park
For good reason much of our attention has been drawn to the political drama playing out in Ottawa, drama that still continues despite the resignation of Bill Morneau. The stories are still continuing and doesn’t seem to be ready to stop anytime soon. But during COVID-19 most of the usual
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Cabinet Shuffle, Prorogation & the latest on the WE Scandal with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Katlyn Harrison & Gabriela Gonzalez on a rare Wednesday “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the fall out from Tuesdays sudden cabinet shuffle, the latest in the WE Scandal, the equally sudden prorogation of Parliament and all that’s swirling
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Of Snake Oil & Presidential Approval
These past five months have just been so strange in so many ways and the further we go into this pandemic, the harder it is to remember how strange it really is. Today I got a good reminder as I went to the barber shop for the first time since
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Meanwhile Elsewhere in Democracy
For the last couple of days most Canadian political observers have had their eyes firmly fixed on the goings on in Ottawa, and rightfully so. It’s been a crazy 48 hours for sure and a lot has happened; from the sudden resignation of Bill Morneau, to the naming of Chrystia
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Prorogation Overreach
Everyone, there are days when it feels like I can’t keep up. That feeling seems to happen to me more and more these days. Maybe it’s a function of getting older, or maybe it’s more of a sign of these crazy times, but it’s a feeling that I can’t help
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: The Day After: Morneau Resigns
The events from last night were sure to set off aftershocks of important events that would go a long way to determine what our politics look like. Aside from having to choose a new Finance Minister, there was likely to be more to it than just a simple replacing of
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Morneau Out, Uncertainty In
Tonight is the first night of the virtual Democratic nomination convention, a night when the eyes of the world were going to be turned towards US cable news channels and online to see a spectacle the likes of which we had never seen before. On nights like these, it takes
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Punting Responsibility
As Canada has faced COVID-19 and worked to deal with this pandemic, we’ve seen many institutions in our country face hard times responding to this unprecedented crisis. We’ve seen community festivals not run for the year, we’ve seen historic businesses that have been a bit part of the fabric of
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: An Unnecessary Election in New Brunswick?
We’re coming to the end of the Summer and in normal times there would be a usual ramping up of things to come. The return to school, the return of Parliament and in some places depending on the year, upcoming general elections. But as COVID-19 has shown us, we are
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: “When Someone Shows You Who They Are…”
We are living in dangerous times and honestly that danger only grows when we turn a blind eye to it. One saying that’s always rang true to me comes from Maya Angelou, when she once said, “When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them.” Those are words that are
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Empty Threats on a Wednesday Morning
Life in a minority Parliament is something that is precarious at the best of times. Depending on the distribution of seats and who holds the balance of power, working in a minority Parliament can be challenging and require a lot of diplomatic work between parties. There’s an expectation on the
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Future of Bill Morneau & Andrew Scheer’s Last Day with Rob Snow
Today I joined Rob Snow on 1310 News “The Rob Snow Show” along with Katlyn Harrison. We talked about questions about the future of Finance Minister Bill Morneau, what the future might bring for former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, Andrew Scheer’s last day in the House of Commons
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Our Border Dilemma: Into the Fall Ahead
COVID-19 has created some striking situations and circumstances that many of use thought we’d never see. We’ve had to face things we never thought we would, and we’ve had to take actions that we never thought we’d consider. And now that we’re five months into things, it’s even harder to
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: How to Starve Conspiracy Theories of Their Power
I consider myself to be a lucky person. I’ve had the chance to get to do some amazing things in my life and live out some of my dreams. Getting to spend about a decade working on Parliament Hill, working in our politics, was one of those dreams I got
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Why the Democratic World Needs to Care About Belarus
2020 has been a very difficult year for many good reasons beyond the COVID pandemic. As I pointed to last week, we here in Canada are particularly interested in watching the election coming to our south in the United States and what it means for us. Being a western democratic
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: With Allies Like These: The Dangers of this Election Year
2020 has been a rough year for the relationship between Canada and the United States. The COVID pandemic has put strains on the close ties between us, mostly thanks to the erratic and selfish behaviours of American President Donald Trump. Probably the lowest point came back in the spring when
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Solidarity for Breakfast in Fort Frances
We’re in the home stretch of the Conservative Leadership race and before the month is done, Canadians will know who will be the one chosen to lead the Conservative party going forward. Leadership campaigns are grueling events in the best of times, with lots of travel and attempts to get
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: WE/Oui Oversight
It was just a week ago that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified before the House of Commons Finance Committee and in something that seems normal for 2020, it’s felt like it’s been longer. Since then we’ve seen polling come out showing the damage the WE Scandal has done to the
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Ford’s Failing Grade on School Re-Opening
Throughout the response to the COVID-19 global pandemic we’ve seen governments of all stripes step up and respond in some pretty impressive ways. The responses have not been perfect but when you look at where we are in Canada compared to other countries, we have done pretty well. In my
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