Having worked in politics for as long as I have, it still surprises me how quickly our collective opinion or view of one person can change on a dime. They can go from seemingly unbeatable and invincible political genius in one minute, and all of a sudden come across as
Continue readingAuthor: Cam Holmstrom
Magpie Brûlé: The Unmasked Contempt of Randy Hillier
In these days of COVID, sometimes it feels hard to really take in and enjoy good news when it comes. Today I had a great example of this feeling come into my life with two stories that are all too typical of the rollercoaster of life in the days of
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Undercutting the Fight Against COVID from the Back Benches
The last couple of days have not been our brightest moments in the fight against COVID-19. Ontario Premier Doug Ford finally brought in a stay-at-home order, after refusing to do so just a week ago. That lack of action last week led to scene of people stuffing malls and piled
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking Virtual Party Conventions with Rob Snow
Today I joined Rob Snow on CityNews Ottawa radio’s “The Rob Snow Show” along with Kate Harrison for the “Political Fix” panel. We talked the about the upcoming Liberal and NDP virtual conventions, what will both memberships decide to accept as policies, what might it all mean for the political
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Another Example of Why Candidate Vetting Matters
As someone who was blessed to work on Parliament Hill for close to a decade, there are certain things that I have come to appreciate over time that I might not have otherwise. There are things that, back when I was a volunteer working campaigns before working on the Hill,
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Third Wave of COVID-19 with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Lindsay Maskell & Jason Lietaer for the “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the latest on the third wave of COVID-19, the lack of action taken by the provinces to get this under control, the scenes of people out at malls
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Third Wave of COVID-19 & Mark Carney on “The Arlene Bynon Show”
This morning I joined Arlene Bynon on “The Arlene Bynon Show” on Sirius XM’s Canada Talks 167, along with Lisa Kirbie. We discussed the Third Wave of COVID-19 hitting across Canada, how governments across the board have fallen short and fallen down on the job, the apparent refusal to listen
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: A Year-Round Fools Speaks Again
It’s April Fools Day and in normal times it’s one of those days that I usually look forward to. The jokes and pranks and the social media hits and complete misses. They are all things that can bring a big smile to the face if done right, or leave us
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Latest on the COVID Vaccination Rollout with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Lindsay Maskell & Jason Lietaer for the “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the latest on the rollout of COVID-19 Vaccinations, the new rules on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, what should people think of the changing rules, the confusion
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the State of COVID Vaccinations on “The Arlene Bynon Show”
This morning I joined Arlene Bynon on “The Arlene Bynon Show” on Sirius XM’s Canada Talks 167, along with Lisa Kirbie. We discussed the state of COVID-19 Vaccinations across Canada, Ontario Premier Ford attacking the Federal government over vaccine deliveries while he has plenty sitting in the freezers, if we
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: A Pox On All Their Houses
In the life of any Parliament, there are high points and low points of varying degrees. There are times when a party will take one position and then when they find themselves with the shoe on the other foot, the manage to pull a full 180 degree turn to take
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: The Upholding of “Peace, Order and Good Government”
During the life of this current Parliament there have been a few things that have hung over the political players in Ottawa, awaiting resolution that would have a big impact on the direction of not only Canadian law, but invariably our political discourse. Even as the pandemic has raged on,
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Latest on the Two Michaels & the Conservative Convention with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Lindsay Maskell & Jason Lietaer for the “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the latest on the case of the Two Michaels in China, the trial that took place yesterday for Michael Kovrig, what it means for Canada going forward, the
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Trial of the Two Michaels & Erin O’Toole’s Convention Weekend on “The Arlene Bynon Show”
This morning I joined Arlene Bynon on “The Arlene Bynon Show” on Sirius XM’s Canada Talks 167, along with Alise Mills. We discussed the trail of the Two Michaels in China, the support from allies on the ground, what this might mean for the future of Canada’s relationship with the
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking Turmoil Within the Conservative Party with Sam Laprade
Back on Wednesday I joined Sam Laprade, who was sitting in for Rob Snow on CityNews Ottawa radio’s “The Rob Snow Show” along with Lindsay Maskell and Jason Lietaer for the “Political Fix” panel. We talked the about the current state of the leadership of Conservative Erin O’Toole, the growing
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Kielburgers Before the Ethics Committee with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Lindsay Maskell & Jason Lietaer for the “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the latest in the WE Scandal, the Kielburger brothers testimony before the House of Commons Ethics Committee, how badly their attempts at damage control came off, their refusal
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking COVID Vaccinations Update & Jason Kenney’s Leadership Review on “The Arlene Bynon Show”
This morning I joined Arlene Bynon on “The Arlene Bynon Show” on Sirius XM’s Canada Talks 167, along with Alise Mills. We discussed the current state of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination roll out, the concerns with the pace of vaccinations in different provinces, the continued need for clear communications from governments,
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: What You Need to Know: A #CdnPolicast – Budget 2021?
Yesterday I was happy to record the latest episode of Bluesky Strategy Group’s “What You Need to Know: A #CdnPolicast” with my colleagues Susan Smith, Tim Barber and Neil Brodie. We talked about the talk about the next Federal budget, when (and if) it might come, what we might expect
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: COVID Dog Whistling at Queen’s Park
Today has been a very sobering day for so many of us, as we hit a grim one-year mark of the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ottawa, we saw all party leaders makes statements of condolence for the more than 22,000 Canadians that we’ve lost. Across the country, flags
Continue readingMagpie Brûlé: Talking the Timing of the Federal Budget and COVID Vaccination Passports with Kristy Cameron
Yesterday I joined Kristy Cameron on CFRA’s “Ottawa Now” along with Kate Harrison & Lindsay Maskell for the “Political Heat” panel. We talked about the Federal Government further delaying the release of the 2021 Federal Budget, why this further delay is starting to become a bridge too far, why the current excuses
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