adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Politics

Power & Politics: Top five political stories of 2020 – CBC.ca

Published

 on


2020 has been a year like no other and that goes double for all things political.

While most people will be happy to close the door on the past 12 months, the team at CBC News Network’s Power & Politics took a look back at the top five political stories from this year, because, as they say, “hindsight is 2020.”

To help wrap things up, our Power Panel — Hill Times’ managing editor Charelle Evelyn, Amanda Alvaro of Pomp and Circumstance, Summa Strategies’ Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk of Earnscliffe Strategy Group — helped host Vassy Kapelos count down the key political moments from this year.

300x250x1

You can catch the full show Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET on CBC News Network.

5. Conservative leadership race

The race to replace Andrew Scheer as leader of the Conservative party takes the number five spot.

The contest started with much speculation over who would compete for the top Tory job — and included names like Rona Ambrose, Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest.

But after the pandemic forced the party to suspend the race and delay the vote, Conservatives had four candidates to chose from in August: Erin O’Toole, Peter MacKay, Leslyn Lewis and Derek Sloan.

In a fitting end to the a 2020 leadership contest, O’Toole won after a six-hour delay due to glitches with the ballots, beating out MacKay in the final round of the run-off style vote.

The team at Power & Politics breaks down the top five political stories of 2020. 7:10

In his victory speech, O’Toole pledged to widen the Conservative base.

“I believe that whether you are Black, white, brown or from any race or creed, whether you are LGBT or straight, whether you are an Indigenous Canadian or have joined the Canadian family three weeks ago or three generations ago … whether you’re doing well or barely getting by. Whether you worship on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or not at all … you are an important part of Canada and you have a home in the Conservative Party of Canada,” he said.

4. Systemic racism

Number four is a topic that many governments and public officials struggled with this year — systemic racism.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers sparked outrage and calls to end systemic racism in the United States and across the globe, including Canada.

While protests gripped several U.S. cities, rallies and demonstrations also took place here at home — including in the nation’s capital, where the Prime Minister attended.

The team at Power & Politics breaks down the top five political stories of 2020. 9:46

Public officials faced questions about what could be done to end systemic racism in Canada.

Most notably, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki struggled to with the term systemic racism, before making an about face and admitting it exists within the national police force.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was later booted from the House of Commons for refusing to apologize or withdraw comments directed at Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien. Singh had tried to get all parties to agree to a motion recognizing the existence of systemic racism in the RCMP. After Therrien was the only MP to vote against the motion, thus defeating it, Singh called Therrien a racist, resulting in his expulsion from the house.

Quebec Premier François Legault has likewise faced fierce criticism for not acknowledging the existence of systemic racism in his province.

3. U.S. election

For number three, we turn our gaze south of the border to the U.S. presidential election.

The campaign itself was different due to the pandemic, not least of all when a debate had to be cancelled after President Donald Trump contracted COVID-19.

Then 2020 struck again on Nov. 3, leaving no clear winner after election night.

What followed were days of counting absentee and mail-in ballots that had everyone — including Canada’s federal government — on the edge of their seats waiting for a final result.

The team at Power & Politics breaks down the top five political stories of 2020. 6:59

It wouldn’t be until four days after election night that the race was called, with democratic candidate Joe Biden winning the presidency after securing enough electoral college votes.

But afterward, President Trump refused to concede, making false claims about voter fraud and launching several legal challenges in an attempt to overturn the results in some states.

Multiple states, including Georgia and Wisconsin, conducted recounts. But in the end Biden still had enough votes to claim victory.

2. WE Charity scandal

In a year that has been gripped by a pandemic, it’s somewhat hard to pick out just one pandemic-related story that would make the cut for this list.

Yet coming in at number two is the WE Charity scandal.

The scandal rose out of what was supposed to be a pandemic support program for students, one that would offer money from the federal government for completing a specific number of volunteer hours during the summer break.

The WE Charity was originally tapped to administer the program, but the entire thing fell apart after it was revealed that members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family had previously been paid by the charity.

The team at Power & Politics breaks down the top five political stories of 2020. 8:53

What followed were weeks of outcry from the opposition. Trudeau and WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger were brought before committee to testify.

Trudeau said he pushed back against a public service recommendation to have WE administer the program, but ultimately didn’t recuse himself when the decision was put before cabinet.

It was later revealed that then Finance Minister Bill Morneau had cut the cheque to the organization during the scandal. The money was to repay the travel expenses incurred by WE related to two 2017 trips he and his family took with the organization.

Morneau would later resign from his position as finance minister and leave parliament entirely, though he has maintained his decision to leave had nothing to do with the scandal.

The WE Charity would also later announce that they would be winding down operations in Canada.

1. COVID-19 Pandemic

In what should come as a surprise to no one, the pandemic takes the top spot for this year’s political story.

No other event in recent memory has changed so fundamentally the world as we know it, including our politics.

As mentioned previously, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the U.S. election as well as Canada’s Conservative leadership race, but it goes far beyond that.

Even before the pandemic took hold in this country, the federal government was forced to organize a charter plane to bring Canadian citizens and permanent residents home from Wuhan, China, the original epicentre of the pandemic.

But it was when the virus arrived in Canada and started to spread that life really began to change here.

The team at Power & Politics breaks down the top five political stories of 2020. 9:21

Just last year the Liberal government was defending its deficit spending by claiming it had the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.

That was thrown out the window when suddenly people were being asked to stay home and employees were forced to shut down their shops and lay off workers.

The government began rolling out an aid package worth billions of dollars, resulting in government spending not seen since World War II.

In Ottawa, MPs — like many Canadians — were forced to work from home, resulting in a new virtual style of Parliament.

Here’s hoping that next year’s list includes an end to the pandemic.

Happy New Year.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Politics

Trump’s attorney argues Georgia election case should be dismissed. Here’s why it might not work – CNN

Published

 on


Trump’s attorney argues Georgia election case should be dismissed. Here’s why it might not work


02:33

– Source:
CNN

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

300x250x1
Continue Reading

Politics

Michael Taube: How a eulogy for a father made one political career — and perhaps another – National Post

Published

 on


The similarities between Caroline Mulroney’s eulogy for her father and Justin Trudeau’s homage to his ‘Papa’ were impossible to ignore

Article content

There were many heartfelt tributes to former prime minister Brian Mulroney during his state funeral at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica on March 23. One that caught significant attention was the eulogy by his daughter, Caroline, a cabinet minister in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government.

The legion of family, friends and political cohorts that day had a good laugh over a particular remark that Mulroney made. “Speeches were such a major part of his life,” she said, “that he told us that when it was his turn to go up to what he called that great political rally in the sky, he wanted us to bury him with his podium.”

Advertisement 2

Article content

Article content

Indeed, it’s a great line — and it rings true in every fibre of its being!

That’s not what struck me about Mulroney’s speech, however. Rather, it was the passionate words, raw emotion and cadence she employed when describing her late father. She had lived in his massive (and unavoidable) shadow. His formidable presence followed her in every step she took — but in a good way. What he specifically meant to her, the family and our country was mapped out on one of the biggest stages she’ll ever encounter in her life.

So much so, that one person sitting in the Basilica — who also gave a eulogy — may have felt, if but for a fleeting moment, that he was experiencing déjà vu: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (We’ll get to him shortly.)

“There was a destiny attached to my father, that even in his youth, no one could deny,” Mulroney said in one poignant moment. “Even prime minister (John) Diefenbaker at the peak of his powers, wrote a letter to my grandfather, extolling his son’s potential after his first encounter with my dad.”

She continued, “My dad saw the world in a bigger way than most. His humanity defined him. Which is why he transcended politics and connected with people in a way that left an indelible mark on their hearts and souls. In our grief, our family is comforted and so grateful for the universal outpouring of affection and admiration for what my father meant to them and to Canada.”

Article content

Advertisement 3

Article content

Her concluding lines tugged at the heartstrings of one’s soul. “We are heartbroken by our loss. We adored him. I miss you daddy.”

It was a wonderful eulogy that her father — who I knew, admired and respected — would have been proud of. Words mattered to him. He loved language and prose, and mastered them to perfection. The art of writing, speaking and storytelling were gifts from God.

When I watched Mulroney speak at the state funeral of her beloved father, I was instantly reminded of Trudeau’s eulogy at the state funeral of his beloved father.

The man who would become Canada’s 23rd prime minister was a relatively unknown figure when he walked to the lectern on Oct. 4, 2000. There had been various images of him in the media, but he had largely avoided the spotlight. His father’s massive shadow and formidable presence, much like Caroline Mulroney’s father, was always there — but in a good way.

When Trudeau spoke that day, it was the biggest audience of his young life. He did extremely well. His speech was emotional, powerful and deeply personal.

“Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The very words convey so many things to so many people,” he said. “Statesman, intellectual, professor, adversary, outdoorsman, lawyer, journalist, author, prime minister. But more than anything, to me, he was dad. And what a dad. He loved us with the passion and the devotion that encompassed his life. He taught us to believe in ourselves, to stand up for ourselves, to know ourselves and to accept responsibility for ourselves. We knew we were the luckiest kids in the world. And we had done nothing to actually deserve it.”

Advertisement 4

Article content

Recommended from Editorial

  1. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney with his wife Mila and Mikhail Gorbachev, at 24 Sussex Drive on May 29, 1990.

    Michael Taube: From trade to personal liberties, Brian Mulroney stood for freedom

  2. Caroline Mulroney speaks during the state funeral of her father, late former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal on March 23, 2024.

    ‘There was a destiny attached to my father’: Read Caroline Mulroney’s eulogy for Brian Mulroney

There’s also this passage which perfectly encapsulates Trudeau’s love for his father and what he believed he did for the nation. “My father’s fundamental belief never came from a textbook. It stemmed from his deep love for and faith in all Canadians and over the past few days, with every card, every rose, every tear, every wave and every pirouette, you returned his love … He left politics in ’84, but he came back for Meech, he came back for Charlottetown, he came back to remind us of who we are and what we’re all capable of.”

And finally, this concluding sentiment. “But he won’t be coming back any more. It’s all up to us — all of us — now. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. He has kept his promises and earned his sleep. Je t’aime, Papa.”

Mulroney and Trudeau, much like their fathers, are different people with different strengths, weaknesses and political ideologies. The similarities are equally impossible to ignore. Scions of two impressive public figures. Children who walk in the giant footsteps their fathers left behind. Two impressive eulogies at different points in their lives and careers that will be remembered forever.

There’s one other similarity that could be on the horizon. Trudeau used his eulogy to springboard into the public eye, politics and leadership. Mulroney is already in the public eye and politics. She unsuccessfully ran for the Ontario PC leadership in 2019, but didn’t have the presence, confidence or speaking ability that she did during her eulogy. That moment has finally arrived, and it’s up to her to use it as wisely as Trudeau did.

National Post

Article content

Comments

Join the Conversation

This Week in Flyers

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Holder bows out of politics ahead of election – Telegraph-Journal

Published

 on


Former cabinet minister is the latest Tory rebel to exit politics

Article content

Progressive Conservative stalwart Trevor Holder, the province’s longest-serving MLA in the legislature, is bowing out of politics, becoming the latest Tory rebel to make that call ahead of the provincial election.

Advertisement 2

Article content

In the legislature Thursday, Holder, who has served the Saint John riding of Portland-Simonds for the last 25 years and was a cabinet minister under three premiers, made the announcement, thanking all his colleagues “regardless of political stripe” who later rose in the House to give him a round of applause.

Article content

“All I ever wanted – along with all of you – was a chance to help make (New Brunswick) better than it already is,” said Holder, who described himself as a “north-end kid” from Saint John.

Holder didn’t make himself available to the media after his announcement. He also didn’t formally resign on Thursday, sending a note out to reporters that he “won’t be back in May” but hasn’t “set the official date yet” for his resignation.

News of his exit comes less than a year after Holder resigned as the province’s minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, citing the impact of Premier Blaine Higgs’s top-down leadership style on caucus decision-making.

Holder was the second minister to resign from cabinet last June amid Tory caucus infighting over changes to the province’s gender identity policy for public school students.

Fellow Saint John MLA and Tory stalwart Dorothy Shephard was the first to resign from cabinet last summer, giving up her post as minister of social development before announcing last week she won’t reoffer in the upcoming election this fall.

Shephard also cited Higgs’s leadership style in her decision to leave cabinet.

Article content

Advertisement 3

Article content

During his speech Thursday, Holder made a point to thank Higgs “for the conversations over the last number of days leading up to my decision here.”

Higgs later told media he didn’t know Holder’s exact plans for the future but knew the Saint John MLA had “opportunities.”

“He’s a great statesman in the legislature and certainly his care for his community is genuine,” the premier said.

When asked if he had addressed Holder’s concerns about caucus decision-making, Higgs said he thought so but acknowledged he’s “always struggled with things not getting done at a certain level of pace.”

“It’s rare if you ever come out of caucus or cabinet with unanimous decisions,” he said.

“There’s always a degree of differences, and that’s not going to change, but leadership requires real decisions and you’re not everything to everybody, so you do what you believe is right and you do with it conviction and you hope it’s just the right thing to do.”

Holder ‘a truly progressive conservative’: Coon

Both opposition leaders spoke glowingly of Holder’s commitment to provincial politics.

“He was a real asset to the legislature, he was a real pleasure to work with, so it’s a loss to see him leaving the legislative assembly,” Liberal leader Susan Holt told media Thursday.

That was echoed by Green leader David Coon.

“(Holder’s) very committed to improving our system of government and he’s made real contributions to doing so,” Coon said. “I’m sad to see him go. He’s truly a progressive conservative in the truest meaning of that term.”

Advertisement 4

Article content

In his 16-minute speech, Holder spoke of the importance of bipartisanship, describing his relationship with former Liberal cabinet minister Victor Boudreau.

They used to “tear each other” up in the House, Holder recalled, but “when I was in opposition, (Boudreau) helped me with my constituents, and when I was in government, I did my best to do the same for him – and this is how this legislature needs to work.”

First elected at the age of 25 in June 1999, Holder has won a total of six elections over the course of his 25-year provincial political career. He’s a former minister of environment and local government, tourism and parks, wellness, culture and sport, and tourism, heritage and culture. He also served as deputy speaker.

Holder thanked his wife Brenda Thursday, along with their two daughters, Margaret and Katherine, for their support over the course of his political career.

Holder’s and Shephard’s departure announcements are the latest in a string of changes within the Tory caucus ahead of the election.

In February, fellow Saint John colleague Arlene Dunn abruptly resigned from her ministerial and MLA duties. Meanwhile, colleagues Daniel Allain, Jeff Carr and Ross Wetmore – who were part of the Tory rebels who supported a Liberal motion on Policy 713 changes – have announced they won’t reoffer in the next election.

Wetmore had announced his retirement intentions before the Policy 713 kerfuffle.

Fellow rebel Andrea Anderson-Mason, MLA for Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West, has yet to announce her plans.

Article content

Comments

Join the Conversation

This Week in Flyers

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending