Who wins?
The recent devastating fighting in Israel has people, friends, communities, faiths, divided; leaders, opinion-makers, nations united. As I try to get my mind around both the violence and the reaction,…
David Graham
Net Neutrality and the War On News
As the federal government and tech giant Meta (Facebook) continue their entrenched battle over access to, and payment for, Canadian news, we might consider what is really at stake. Both…
Parliamentary Privilege and Security
It is not without irony that the Conservatives are referring to the Parliamentary Security as a tool of the government after last week’s events surrounding the Speaker’s invitation to a…
One Miss Is All It Takes
Yesterday’s resignation of House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota is historically awkward, with no previous Speaker having resigned in Canada’s history, and is a textbook example of how quickly things…
A Backbenchers’ Theoretical Power: Private Members’ Business
One would assume that one of a Members of Parliament’s primary responsibilities is to bring forward, discuss, debate, and pass legislation. In reality, individual MPs have the technical power to…
The Quality of Debate
The quality of regular debate in the Chamber is so poor that in order for a speech a Member makes to be heard anywhere at all, it has to be…
Whose Debate Is It Anyway?
My maiden speech in the House of Commons was on March 22nd, 2016. A Member’s maiden speech is the first full speech given in debate, not the first time they…
House Rules: How Parliament Governs Itself
The form and function of the House of Commons and its committees has, as its foundational document, the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. It is a letter-sized green…
Why Trudeau Is Sticking Around
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still there for only one reason — and it is not because he wants to be Prime Minister for the rest of the his life.…
On Becoming A Cog In The Machine
When Arnold Chan approached me about taking on his responsibilities as the acting Deputy House Leader, the role was not well defined. As with many jobs in politics, the role…
Sophie Grégoire A Force In Her Own Right
I am a fan of Sophie Grégoire. Having met her only a handful of times during my time on the Hill, I saw the way she thought, motivated, and interacted…
PMO Staff Run Government; Ministers Represent It
Last week’s cabinet shuffle and some of the awkward stories about ministers unaware that they would no longer be ministers are a stark reminder of the absolute authority the Prime…
On A Mostly Harmless Birthday
Today, I turn 42. In my family, this number holds special significance. I learned in my teen years that 42 is the central number to the cult classic the Hitchhiker’s…
The Trouble With Political Communications
If a politician or a government succeeds at everything they set out to achieve, nobody will ever know. If they then say something phenomenally stupid at a private party and…
Politics: War By Other Means
Politics, it is said, is the art of war by other means. It could also be seen as a professional sports game in which the results matter – and one…
On the function of Social media
With the recent and continued controversy over Bill C-18 and the growing spat between the federal government and the world’s social media giants, it’s important to explore what social media…
C-18 is an existential threat, not a benefit, to democracy
Welcome to Substack, where you can subscribe to an individual writer’s products for a minimum amount higher than the current price of a complete subscription to the New York Times.…
On missing a little more than a sub
Last week’s sinking of the Titan, a deep-diving tourist submarine charging $250,000 US a shot to view the wreck of the Titanic out a 20-inch window for a few minutes,…
The realpolitik of open nomination
The realpolitik definition of an open nomination is not that it is a fair fight, but that if you beat the party establishment, your victory will be accepted. As the…
What is an open nomination, really?
The realpolitik definition of an open federal nomination in Canada is not that anyone interested in running has a fair shot at becoming the candidate; it is that anyone who…