It seems as though most days are dominated by more bad news stories for the governing Conservatives.

Spin it anyway they want, and some of their spin is hilarious, the reality is the Conservatives have been digging themselves deeper into the mud with each passing day. As...

Fiscal responsibility has been the hallmark of the Harper government from day one. It's therefore quite interesting to see in year seven of his reign that the opposition is focused on trying to destroy the credibility the Tories have on that front. It's a good strategy on their part, enabled...

Yesterday, Stephen Harper defended the Conservative's use of bulk mail outs or "ten percenters" that attack Justin Trudeau, the new Liberal leader.

"There are House of Commons rules for communications that we do with constituents across the country," Harper said. "All parties work within those rules, and all parties...

With Justin Trudeau's official arrival on the scene as captain of the Liberal team, everyone knew the Conservatives would be quick off the mark with their attack ads. Now that they are out and saturating the airwaves, voters will have an opportunity to decide if they are a hit or...

Today we have another poll, this one from Nanos, which shows the Liberals on the upswing. When looked at with other recent polls, the trend shows an upward movement for the Liberals, with a slight downward trend for the Conservatives and NDP.

It's an interesting trend and...

It has been reported that the Prime Minister has set up an ad-hoc committee of Conservative MPs to look at their concerns that they are muzzled by PMO.

It is an interesting way of addressing this mini-rebellion in Conservative ranks. Is this a true ad-hoc committee...

As the Conservative caucus gathers on the Hill today there are rumours swirling of a mini revolt against the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). If true, so far it hasn't amounted to much, but Harper will have to pay attention to it just the same.

CTV is reporting that sources tell...

Sometimes you just have to give your head a shake in disbelief. Today we learn that Justin Trudeau has once again copied his father. No, he didn't swear again in the House of Commons, but he did use his father's infamous words from the 1970 FLQ crisis "Just...

Marc Garneau's decision today to withdraw from the Liberal leadership race was not unexpected. His hard-hitting attacks on the front-runner...

Poor Marc Garneau, he wanted a one on one debate with Justin Trudeau and Trudeau turned him down. That was a smart move on Trudeau's part, dumb one on Garneau's.

While it's true many people would like to know where Trudeau stands on a variety...

It looks like I wasn't too far off base when in a previous blog I mentioned that Harper's week dealing with Senate scandals could get worse. Indeed it has now that Senator Dennis Patterson is also under the microscope with questions raised about whether or not he meets...

Finally the NDP is making Question Period interesting to watch. And they have the Conservatives to thank for handing them the issues and the ammunition.

I am speaking about NDP attacks on the Senate and the ongoing issues faced by the Prime Minister as he deals with...

Bruce Hyer's comments on the difficulties he faced when he wished to vote against the NDP's position on the long-gun registry highlights the difficulties and pressures felt by MPs when they vote against their party's wishes. It was quite interesting to see that when a vote is in...

Bravo to Nathan Cullen, the NDP House Leader, for at least attempting to clean up the poor decorum in the House. However, I doubt his suggestions will go anywhere as the Conservatives will have to cooperate and that is unlikely. The Conservatives will give the standard answers that...

With a final media show, Chief Spence has now ended her 44 day "reduced food" diet. The question should now turn to what did she accomplish?

Are Canadians more aware today and do they have a better understanding of the abysmal living conditions in First Nations...

Today's "National Day of Action" is more than a symbolic gesture, it's an important step by the grassroots movement, Idle No More, to encourage respect and bring about long overdue improvements to First Nations communities.

Canadians and government officials (both political and departmental) have been...

The Prime Minister's announcement today that he will be meeting with First Nations leaders on January 11 sets the stage for discussions that can provide meaningful progress on First Nations issues.

It was not an unexpected move as both the government and the AFN need to limit...

As we enter the new year, it is time for Chief Spence and Prime Minister Harper to pause and reflect about their on-going standoff. Both sides need to feel that they have won and both sides need to find a way to declare victory. Only then can the two sides...

As the end of the year approaches, one tends to relax more with friends and it's always enjoyable to see how those who are not caught up in the political bubble in Ottawa perceive our politicians and political parties.

These discussions reminded me of the expression that...

Rumours are swirling around Ottawa that the F-35 aircraft purchase is dead. Is it? No one knows just yet, but it would be a shock to see the Conservative government move away from its defense of this much maligned purchase.

According to media reports, the cabinet Operations Committee...