Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Tom Mulcair: The Trump side to Poilievre

    Share

    This Conservative leadership race is turning out to be a lot more fun than those won by Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole. The “final six†candidates have now been determined and the three debates that are to be held this month will be crucial in deciding the outcome.

    One of the fascinating aspects of the current race has been its pace. It’s been unrelenting and the average voter can’t help but notice that there are actually some bold ideas on display.

    Pierre Poilievre doesn’t really, really believe that bitcoin can replace the Canadian dollar. But he does seem keen on using the governor of the Bank of Canada as a whipping boy. Tiff Macklem is a Trudeau appointee. What other proof do you need that he’s also responsible for Justin-flation?

    Poilievre is a gleeful arsonist throwing Molotov cocktails at heaps of dry ideas and can’t be bothered waiting around to see the result. While his adversaries try to reply to his last one, he’s moved on.

    Say what you will about Poilievre, he’s put together a campaign team that shows that he has the eye of a good manager. They’ve instilled discipline in his messaging that has remained short and punchy. He won’t give interviews. Why would he give them that chance? He’s the frontrunner.

    AFFORDABILITY AS A THEME

    Poilievre is riding a large white horse made of "freedom," resentment and baloney. It’s a sight to see, but watch out for the droppings.

    Polling showing that young Liberals and NDPers are supporting Poilievre must be giving those parties fits. “Affordabilityâ€, as a theme, was once the bailiwick of the NDP. Since his first election as Liberal leader, in 2015, Trudeau has been promising ad-nauseam to help the “middle-class and those working hard to join the middle-classâ€. Poilievre has stolen that theme from right under his nose.

    Millennials know that they’re the first generation of Canadians to have less than their parents or grandparents. Poilievre’s got that figured out.

    These are young people who care a great deal about climate change and social justice. They’re very progressive on issues such as diversity and gender. They know which side they’re on. But they don’t see anyone on their side economically. Poilievre has them at least listening, for now.

    The environmental movement, demoralized by the spectacular sellout by one-time superhero Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, is an unexpected boon for Poilievre. How can he be worse? Who’s going to lecture him on his promise to build even more pipelines?

    Jean Charest has had to swallow himself whole to try to keep up. The carbon tax he brought in (and bragged about) while Premier of Quebec is off the table because…his focus groups, and Polievre’s success, have told him that it’s now a bad idea.

    Poilievre stands in front of a crumbling hovel, laments its ridiculously high price and hints that gatekeepers (his favourite word for government authorities and the media) are responsible for a lack of affordable housing. It goes viral and his younger audience senses he gets it.

    We’re supposed to just forget that the federal government doesn’t have a word to say about agricultural land reserves around big cities in B.C. or Quebec. Poilievre sounds riled up and that, for now, seems to be enough.

    He masters the fine art of saying one thing and its opposite. On Quebec’s discriminatory Bill 21, he says he doesn’t like it but is careful not to provide a clip saying that he’d challenge it in court.

    He recently recruited Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus to his campaign. In Paul-Hus’s telling of it, he was upset that Charest questioned Bill 21. Odd thing, then, that he’d support Poilievre. Once again, it doesn’t really matter. The clips were for a Quebec audience and the flagrant contradiction was swept under the rug.

    A large number of Conservatives MPs oppose Bill 21. This will come to the fore during the debates because only Patrick Brown has consistently opposed that law, which openly discriminates against religious minorities in general and Muslim women in particular.

    In those debates, there won’t be a lot of time for detail. Prepared lines, as usual, will take the place of substantive argument. Keep an eye on Charest, he’s quick in debate and very disciplined about preparation. This is his three-point jump shot at the buzzer. He’s trailing badly and he knows it so he’ll arrive with lots of ammo and fire at anything that moves.

    Poilievre is no slouch when it comes to slagging other candidates. He called Brown a liar at the outset of the campaign. He won't be shy to trot out the very long list of ethical lapses of the Charest regime in Quebec City. Expect him to deride Charest’s Huawei whopper (yes, he was a lawyer for that major Chinese company but…he was working to get the two Michaels released).

    Pierre Poilievre’s “freedom,†of course, famously includes backing truckers who made life hell for Ottawa residents. They also said they wouldn’t leave until the government resigned. So much for lecturing others on the principles of democracy.

    When he was put in charge of electoral reform by Harper, his proposals would’ve made it more difficult for Canadians on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder to be able to vote. His track record in respecting rights of the less fortunate is weak. Like Trump, he couldn’t give a fig about the working class but he knows how to channel their anger.

    There is a perception that with a name like Pierre, Poilievre must have some traction in La Belle Province. The reality is that he’s on a collision course with Francois Legault on issues such as Bill 21 and oil and gas pipelines.

    Legault has said a hard “non†to the Énergie Saguenay LNG terminal and to any new pipeline on Quebec’s territory. He says he’s basing himself on “social acceptability†(read: political risk).

    'THE TRUMP SIDE TO POILIEVRE'

    Other candidates will probably take a stand against the Quebec claim that it can unilaterally amend the B.N.A. Act to reduce linguistic equality of English and French before the courts. Poilievre has no answer for this and will likely duck. It’s a livewire issue that requires a subtle, detailed understanding of language issues and the constitution.

    That’s the type of case where the average Canadian might start to notice that Pierre doesn’t do subtle. In fact, he doesn’t do detailed either. That, more than the bluster, is the Trump side to Poilievre: a facile shrug of the shoulders and no substance to fall back on.

    Charest’s business case to Conservatives is: if you hope to win an election, pick me. He’s experienced and worldly, after all. Exactly what the Harper faithful apparently don't want right now!

    Poilievre’s pitch is: a pox on all of them and on all of their houses. I’ll burn them down and build new affordable housing in its place.

    What a race.

    Tom Mulcair was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada between 2012 and 2017.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

    At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.

    Canada

    • Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    • At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.

    • A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    • A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

    • The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.

    • The federal Fisheries Department says it is concerned about a "pattern" of violence and threats toward its enforcement officers after two tense incidents off southwestern Nova Scotia last month.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • Staff at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital are calling for systemic changes just two days after its emergency room was more than three times above its capacity.

    • An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.

    • What does New Westminster's tÉ™mÉ™sewÌ“txÊ· Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    Sports

    Autos

    • A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.

    • A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Local Spotlight

    Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

    From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

    A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

    The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

    A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

    What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

    New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

    • The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.

    • A New Westminster senior is out $20,000 worth of gold jewelry after being approached by a scammer outside her home.

    • Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

    • Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    • A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by Â鶹´«Ã½ Toronto show.

    • Police say they have arrested a man in Burlington, Ont., in connection with child luring charges.

    • Three Calgary businesses have been ordered to shut down after inspectors discovered evidence of uninspected meat.

    • The Banff town sign, a popular spot for tourists, may soon have a new home.

    • Martha Hart, the widow of Calgary wrestler Owen Hart, is speaking out after the release of Netflix's 'Mr. McMahon' documentary series, which she says inaccurately portrays her husband's death as an accident.

    • The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.

    • Gas prices in Ottawa are set to rise this weekend after a slight uptick overnight.

    • Raise your glass and make a toast to a new Distillery in eastern Ontario. Artist in Residence (AIR) Distillerie has launched in Hawkesbury. This is the second location for the company, who has an existing operation in Gatineau.

    • At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.

    • The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.

    • Montreal police say they are increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war.

    • A man is dead after he became trapped in a trench on Friday morning.

    • Four people were injured after a serious two-vehicle crash north of St. Paul, Alta. on Thursday.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is threatening another legal challenge against Ottawa's environmental assessment law, a move federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is dismissing as a political stunt.

    • A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

    • The federal Fisheries Department says it is concerned about a "pattern" of violence and threats toward its enforcement officers after two tense incidents off southwestern Nova Scotia last month.

    • Friday marked the grand opening of 22 new seniors' apartments built from the ground-up on Pitt Street in Sydney Mines, N.S.

    • Manitoba RCMP arrested a man after he allegedly pulled over two women on the highway pretending to be an RCMP officer.

    • The federal government says it's making progress on a pilot program for an alert system that would inform the public when an Indigenous woman or girl is missing.

    • Family members of those who died following interactions with Winnipeg police, advocates, and community members have written an open letter to Manitoba's premier and justice minister, alleging systemic racism within the ranks of the police service, while advocating for change.

    • A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

    • NDP Leader Carla Beck says she would cut $58 million in spending during her first year as premier should her party win the Saskatchewan election set for Oct. 28.

    • Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe says if re-elected, his government would introduce a Saskatchewan Home Renovation Tax Credit aimed at making renovations more affordable.

    • Waterloo Regional Police have laid charges after a car crashed into the side of a Kitchener home at 3:30 a.m.

    • Melissa Duff-Shore, a Cambridge, Ont. woman who killed her daughter in 2020, has been ordered to a forensic hospital in St. Thomas.

    • The recent rabies-related death in Ontario has raised concerns about human exposure, but an assistant professor at the University of Guelph says we can learn a lot from the health of bat populations.

    • Saskatoon police arrested a homeless person at the scene of an encampment underneath the University Bridge on Friday morning.

    • A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

    • Indigenous leaders say two staff at a Saskatchewan courthouse were told to go home and take off the orange shirts they wore for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

    • A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    • Two police officers in Greater Sudbury required medical attention for injuries they received arresting a man for the second time in just two days.

    • Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    • Middlesex OPP have shuttered a road between Mount Brydges and Komoka today - Amiens Road is currently closed between Glendon Drive and Oriole Drive.

    • World renowned environmentalist David Suzuki will be weighing in on whether nuclear waste should be buried under farmers’ fields near Teeswater.

    • Members of the Wingham Golf and Curling Club have overwhelmingly decided enough is enough.

    • Defence lawyer Mary Cremer sought to persuade the jury during closing submissions on Friday that it would have been impossible for her client to have murdered Katherine Janeiro in 1994.

    • The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.

    • A local MP voiced concerns about repeat offenders in the House of Commons on Thursday, pointing to a recent incident in Barrie that resulted in a police officer suffering serious injuries.

    • A London, Ont. man, who pleaded guilty earlier this year in a harassment case, has been sentenced to two months in jail for criminal harassment of a Windsor, Ont. family.

    • The Windsor Police Service (WPS) are looking for a witness to a collision between a pedestrian and vehicle in September.

    • Windsor fire has named its new fire chief, effective on Jan. 1, 2025.

    • The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.

    • Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

    • NDP Leader David Eby is vowing to raise British Columbia's speculation and vacancy tax on empty homes if re-elected premier this month.

    • Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.

    • A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.

    • The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

    • To enhance inclusivity at Lethbridge Polytechnic, the institution has launched a new accessibility micro-credential.

    • WestJet has changed its operations at the Lethbridge Airport, and it means there's now only a single daily flight from Lethbridge to Calgary, down from three flights a day, as offered previously.

    • Archie's Exotic Pet Rescue has been open about six years and, like many other animal rescues, it has seen a surge in surrenders.

    • Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.

    • A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    • A suspect who accused Thunder Bay police of being responsible for his throat injury actually hurt himself when he swallowed a large amount of drugs.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½