The Final Election
Trump isn't even pretending any more
David Graham
The American Circus Act Risks Canada
Trump and Poilievre is not good for our autonomy
The Most Sincere Liberal Vice
Democratic liberals tend to self-defeat
Are you familiar with Project 2025?
If not, take the time to read up.
Trumping Democracy
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its split ruling in the jarringly ironic case, “Trump v. United States” in which the former President claimed immunity from…
When Liberals Lose Toronto
Monday night, Liberal candidate Leslie Church lost the by-election for Toronto—St Paul’s, the Toronto riding held by the Honourable Carolyn Bennett since 1997, to Conservative Don Stewart. There are many…
A Year On
It has been one year since I started this SubStack. The idea began shortly after I lost the election in 2019. I had blogged before, starting somewhere around 2001, and…
Foreign Interference in Canada
Last week, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians issued its Special Report on Foreign Interference in Canada’s Democratic Processes and Institutions. As has been widely reported, several Members…
Winning the Nomination
At my nomination meeting at the Mont-Tremblant bowling alley on September 18th, 2014, party officials had assumed that my opponent would win. My opponent had told her supporters and local…
On Deciding To Run
When I first moved to Ottawa, I did not believe I could ever be a Member of Parliament. In spite of Marva’s observation years earlier that politicians also put their…
The Lighter Side of Hill Work
When I started working for him, Scott Simms was the elected chair of the Atlantic Liberal Caucus, and, as the biggest regional caucus in the emaciated 2011 National Liberal Caucus,…
Full-Time Just On Time
When I arrived in Ottawa in mid September, 2010, I gave myself two years to find full time work on the Hill. Following the federal and Ontario campaigns in 2011,…
Survivor’s Guilt
After the 2011 election, McGuinty’s job was to go through the painful process of laying off nearly all the staff from the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, which…
The Perfect Image of Pierre Poilievre
A few days ago, Pierre Poilievre’s official social media channels shared a fairly generic campaign image of him enjoying the services of a small business in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The…
Entering the Ottawa bubble
Even before I left Guelph, I began helping Jean-Marc Lacoste, the nominated Liberal candidate for my home riding of Laurentides–Labelle, having met him on my last visit before moving in…
Going professional
2008 had been a busy year for me. I wrote dozens of essays and articles, ran data for a pair of election campaigns, started my first newspaper column, became a…
Learning to campaign, for real
In the year following Frank’s nomination, I expressed an interest in getting involved with his campaign and helping him win the eventual by-election. It took a lot of patience, taught…
The politics of politics: my first nomination campaign
After the 2006 election, with the Liberals in opposition and Martin out as leader, Guelph MP Brenda Chamberlain let it be known that she would not run again, ultimately resigning…
A Leader I Could Believe In
On April 7th, 2006, former environment minister Stéphane Dion announced his candidacy for Liberal leader, only two years after embarrassing Paul Martin into keeping him in cabinet to continue his…
Palestine Motion Amendment: Stately Compromise or Compromised State?
Monday, the House of Commons spent the day debating a lengthy NDP opposition day motion to call on the government to “officially recognize the State of Palestine”. Barely 20 minutes…