‘We feel that we’ve given them that office’

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 10:34 AM - 0 Comments

Kevin Page talks to Steve Paikin.

And the Agenda convenes a panel to discuss Parliament’s scrutiny of government spending.

Moving past the Indian Act

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 2:51 PM - 0 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel to discuss #IdleNoMore and the Indian Act.

The #IdleNoMore debate

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 9:00 AM - 0 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel.

Adam Goldenberg looks forward.

But none of it will come to pass if Idle No More loses its coherence, or if it becomes an unwieldy dog’s breakfast of protest and pageantry that alienates the very Canadians who should be its audience. The movement’s first task should be to resist the easy analogies of ordinary politics — of “stakeholder relations” — by making its case not to the Conservatives, but to the people who put them in office.

We will know when it succeeds. When no Canadian is able to shrug off as unreasonable a demand from an aboriginal leader to meet with the government officials who advise and represent the Crown — namely, the prime minister and the Governor General — and not with some lesser minister in their stead; when First Nations no longer need to hire professional lobbyists in Ottawa to make their case to the government of Canada; and when the federal government recognizes, once and for all, that aboriginal peoples are partners in Confederation, not just stakeholders in politics, then Idle No More will have made an important and lasting contribution to the way we understand and govern our country.

Bob Rae considers the concerns.

It is a universal in life that people want recognition and respect. The deeper meaning of last year’s summit, and the Prime Minister’s eloquent apology in the House of Commons, is that there is a hunger for this respect, and appreciation when it is offered and followed with effective action. The Prime Minister faces a deep challenge. Many in his party are opposed to the recognition and constitutional protection that Aboriginal people have achieved, and to its implications. At the same time, the old bromides of assimilation and “let’s concentrate on education and the economy” completely ignore the aspirations for self-government, autonomy, and a real transfer of power and resources that have the deepest roots in today’s aboriginal politics. Mr. Harper’s apology in the House of Commons, and the summit he called last year, have simply not been followed by effective action.

More from Alex Himelfarb, Heather Menzies, Michael Den Tandt and Andrew Coyne.

Can we end poverty in Canada?

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, November 16, 2012 at 4:18 PM - 0 Comments

The Agenda considers poverty and Senator Hugh Segal’s proposal of a guaranteed annual income.

Unruly voices

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 9:00 AM - 0 Comments

Steve Paikin talks to Mark Kingwell about civility.

The political experience

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:00 AM - 0 Comments

The Agenda reconvenes its panel of MPs (Peter Braid, now-independent MP Bruce Hyer and now-former MP Bonnie Crombie) and MPPs to discuss life in politics. The case of David Wilks is discussed.

See previously: These people are not actors and The life

The big red mess

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, June 22, 2012 at 9:53 AM - 0 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel to ponder the Liberal party’s future.

‘I couldn’t be more proud of my boy’

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 20, 2012 at 4:44 PM - 0 Comments

Kate Heartfield salutes the work of Conservative MP Mike Lake and his son Jaden.

Transforming immigration

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 3:00 PM - 0 Comments

Steve Paikin talks to Jason Kenney about reforming the immigration system.

Our John Geddes and Richard Warnica have a review of the system’s successes in the current print edition.

Call to order

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 2, 2012 at 12:46 PM - 0 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel of four former Speakers in the Ontario legislature to discuss civility.

The race for Toronto-Danforth

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 10:00 AM - 0 Comments

The Agenda hosts the NDP, Liberal and Green candidates in Toronto-Danforth (the Conservative candidate declined to attend). The by-election will be decided on Monday.

Topp’s pitch

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 10:31 AM - 0 Comments

A new video from the Topp campaign.

Steve Paikin seems impressed by yesterday’s speech.

Crying over managed milk

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, November 25, 2011 at 12:30 PM - 6 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel, including our Andrew Coyne, to debate supply management.

Outside and in

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 9:00 AM - 0 Comments

Steve Paikin talks to Alison Loat about Samara’s latest report.

1867 and everything after

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, November 11, 2011 at 2:27 PM - 0 Comments

Steve Paikin talks to Richard Gwyn about John A. Macdonald.

Politics and reality

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, September 23, 2011 at 4:50 PM - 4 Comments

This Agenda panel was convened to consider the Ontario election, but the discussion is relevant to the federal situation as well.

Looking back

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 1:22 PM - 8 Comments

The Agenda convenes a panel to remember Jack Layton.

The Agenda team also put together a compilation of some of Mr. Layton’s moments on TVO. Continue…

Jack Layton 1950-2011

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, August 22, 2011 at 9:03 AM - 11 Comments

A statement issued this morning by the family of NDP leader Jack Layton.

We deeply regret to inform you that The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 am today, Monday August 22. He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones. Details of Mr. Layton’s funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

9:11am. Bob Rae, Carolyn Bennett, Hedy Fry, Wayne Easter, Cathy McLeod, Keith Martin and Governor General David Johnston are among those paying their respects.

9:23am. John Geddes explored Jack Layton’s life and times for this Maclean’s cover story last June. We wrote about his new fight with cancer for this cover story earlier this month.

9:28am. Condolences from Rodger Cuzner, Lewis Cardinal, Colin Carrie, Mike Sullivan and John McCallum.

9:36am. NDP deputy leader Libby Davies talks to reporters in St. John’s.

“He was a great Canadian. He gave his life to this country. His commitment to social justice and equality and a better Canada in the world and at home and I think that’s how people saw him,” Davies told reporters. “They saw him as someone who deeply, deeply cared for people. And they saw that in the campaign and all his work. They saw the courage that he had. He faced cancer and he kept on working, doing his job, because he felt so strongly about what he believed in, so I think people think of him as a great Canadian and we think of him as a great leader, in a political sense but (also) in a personal sense.”

9:43am. More on the life of Jack Layton from the CBC, Toronto Star and Canadian Press.

He was a believer. He made that clear in the first sentences of “Speaking Out Louder:” ”Politics matters. Ideas matter. Democracy matters, because all of us need to be able to make a difference.”

9:54am. Mr. Layton’s Facebook page has become a makeshift memorial.

9:59am. Greg Fingas marks the NDP leader’s passing.

After spending a decade laying the foundation, Jack Layton has tragically died before getting to complete the house that so many said couldn’t be built. For now, there’s little to do but to offer condolences and grieve the loss of a great Canadian and friend. But hopefully Layton’s inspiration will only encourage us to finish what he started.

10:01am. A statement from the Prime Minister. Continue…

Democracy by tweet

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, May 27, 2011 at 5:21 PM - 1 Comment

Steve Paikin convenes a panel—including Treasury Board President Tony Clement, the NDP’s Charlie Angus and our own Jesse Brown—to discuss technology and politics.

I confess to being somewhat closer to Mr. Angus’ position when it comes to Twitter, at least insofar as its impact on the last election cycle is concerned. I’ve tended to think its been like introducing crack into the political sphere: rendering everything that takes place within this world even more incomprehensible to those on the outside.

It's their parties

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 9:15 AM - 11 Comments

Alison Loat talks to Steve Paikin about Samara’s latest report.

This serious business

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 15, 2011 at 12:35 PM - 12 Comments

Rick Mercer talks to Steve Paikin about politics and satire.

Setting the agenda

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 2:50 PM - 3 Comments

Before tonight’s debates, here is last night’s discussion on The Agenda. It’s a good thing they kept Ned Franks and I in separate cities, otherwise we would’ve come to blows around the two and a half minute mark here.

'Politics is Broken'

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 3:20 PM - 80 Comments

The Agenda is running a series on the state of our politics, the first instalment (below) covered the state of political parties. Tune in Monday night to watch me and some far smarter people try to fix Parliament.

What was Michael Ignatieff thinking (in regards to that hair cut) in 1994?

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, February 25, 2011 at 3:00 PM - 26 Comments

Again to the TVO archive, this time from 1994, when Michael Ignatieff and his luxurious head of hair sat down with Steve Paikin to discuss nationalism. Near the end of the interview, he confesses that one day he hopes to enter federal politics for the purpose of leading a coalition government. (Not really.) Continue…