Team Rubicon – Cleaning up Nature’s Chaos at Home and Abroad

 When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, it was among the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded. An estimated 160,000 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. In the wake of the catastrophe, American veterans made their way to the island nation to assist with

“The Right Path” on a winding road.

 The Right Path: How Conservatives Can United, Inspire and Take Canada Forward Author: Tasha Kheiriddin Published by: Optimum Publishing International ISNB - 13: 9780888903310 The Conservative Party of Canada’s third leadership race in six years will be decided on September 10th. The winner of what has been, at times, a very nasty

The existential crisis in the Conservative Party

 ABOVE: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Conservative leadership candidates Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, and Jean Charest. There is an adage that perfectly fits the Conservative Party of Canada today, “‘Do You Want to Be Right . . . or do you want to win.” The answer to that question

Election 2021

 As a candidate in five separate elections, all winning ones, the Hon. Sergio Marchi knows a thing or two about political campaigns. During the 2021 federal election, he contributed a series of articles that analyzed the emerging issues and events. We have assembled them together to make them easier to review. Click on the image

Election 2021: It’s now over to voters

 This is Sergio Marchi’s sixth article, in a weekly series of election analysis. He will provide one more wrap-up piece, reviewing the decision made by Canadians and how the leaders managed the 35 day campaign. Finally, the time has arrived for Canadians to speak — with their votes. But before they do,

Election 2021: Race deadlocked!

 Image Source: Global News This is Sergio Marchi’s fifth article, in a series of weekly election analysis and reflections. One week to go. That’s all the time left for political leaders to make their closing pitches for votes. At the start of week four, Nanos Research had the Liberals back

The five best MPs in the 43rd Canadian Parliament

 On election night in 2019, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals got 156 seats—14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons. Canadian voters had decided that Justin Trudeau did not deserve a majority and that the Tories did not deserve to win. The total vote numbers told

Election 2021: Tight two-way race

 This is Sergio Marchi’s fourth article, in a series of weekly election analysis and reflections. Week three of the campaign began with the Libérals’ stark realization that they had fallen behind the Tories. The substantial lead they enjoyed going into the election quickly evaporated over a 14-day period. They watched

Stab, stab, stab: time to bring out the classics

 As a once-prominent federal Liberal, my DMs this week have been a less-than-fun place. The overall message to Team Trudeau? Welcome to your first real election! Yes, the team ran a solid campaign in 2015 and came from 3rd to win a majority. Props. But they were running against a

The week that wasn’t.

 “Events, dear boy, events!” — Rt. Hon. Harold McMillan, OM, PC, Earl of Stockton Well that wasn’t what we were told to expect! One would struggle to remember a more surprising first week to an election campaign. The federal vote in 2000 is the one that comes to mind but in

Election 2021: Opening salvos

 This is the second column from Sergio Marchi, as he analyzes the current federal election. His articles will appear weekly. The first week of the election is in, and everyone is still standing. Predictably, in the opening days, a consistent public refrain emerged. Namely, ‘why an election now’? This question

Let the games begin

 The Hon. Sergio Marchi was a successful politician, municipally and federally. He was a candidate in five separate elections, all winning ones, so he knows a thing or two about campaigns. During this federal election, Marchi will contribute a series of articles, analyzing the emerging issues and events that will

Time to rotate some federal cabinet tires

 PICTUTED ABOVE: Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence. So last week I was critical of Doug Ford in terms of his competence to govern – imagine the shock from voting for someone who’s biggest policy issue was the price of beer not being ready

Canada’s approach to China is based on misguided superiority complex and bad reporting

 ABOVE: CIC President Ben Roswell practices censorship based on his own personal ‘comfort level.’    A train wreck is an apt descriptive for Canada’s bilateral relationship with China under the Trudeau government. Given the current path of the government, it does not appear that this will change soon. Even worse is

Skip the election tea leaves and grab a summer cocktail

 It is once again time to play official Ottawa’s favourite game show: wild-ass nonsensical election speculation! You’ll forgive me for not being excited. The volumes of ink (digital and otherwise) spilled on prognostications of one sort or another during a minority government could drown a horse. And with constant cuts

Hypocrisy, language, and words matter in our relationship with China

 ‘Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones’ op-ed — The House of Commons vote on Monday Feburary 22, 2021 to approve a non-binding motion, brought forward by the opposition Conservatives, to recognize China’s actions in the north-western Xinjiang province as a genocide against Muslim Uighurs was misguided and

A learning moment for Erin O’Toole and Rex Murphy on racism in Canada

 Erin O’Toole’s refusal to outright apologize for his hurtful comments about residential schools sends a stealth signal to the extremists on the fringes of the Conservative Party that he has their back. This will drive away the middle of the road voters he needs if he wants to be PM. Worse, it shows a complete

Cong Peiwu says Spavor and Kovrig are ‘in good health’ and it is up to Canada to ‘reset the relationship’

 An Ottawa Life Magazine exclusive interview with Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu. Ottawa Life Magazine has been publishing a Canada-China Series since 2013. The series focuses on bi-lateral interests, business affairs, people-to-people relations, Chinese culture and the Chinese diaspora in Canada. Since 2018 there has been tension in the Canada Chinese political

Star candidates surface in run-up to next federal election

 Depending on who you talk to, Canada has either navigated the current COVID-19 crisis relatively well or the country is heading towards an economic sinkhole for which we may never recover. The truth is probably somewhere in between. The Trudeau government COVID-19 spending spree is more than worrisome. Parliamentary Budget

The winnability factor—Charest, Poilievre, Ambrose are the early favourites in the Conservative leadership race

 The Conservative Party of Canada lost the 2019 election to a highly narcissistic Prime Minister who was found guilty of serious ethics violations twice in his first mandate, and who wore blackface on at least three occasions — as a young man and as an adult — including when he

RCMP Commissioner’s Patronage in Final Days “An Insult to Taxpayers”

 Carleton University Criminologist and Professor Darryl Davies has written to Ralph Goodale, the Minister of Public safety and Emergency Preparedness  and is calling on him to rescind a flurry of patronage appointments and cash payments Paulsen has authorized in his final days as Commissioner of the RCMP. Paulsen’s controversial tenure