The border, the budget and chafing over ‘the centre’: federal politics this week
OTTAWA — The delight and optimism surrounding International Women’s Day persisted over several days on Parliament Hill this week, with all the political parties piling on with speeches and toasts to women in politics.
A roster of 338 young women — one from each riding, organized by advocacy group Equal Voice — took over the House of Commons on Wednesday, to the applause of real MPs from across the political spectrum.
But the merciless cut and thrust of politics was never far away. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave an impassioned speech, plus funding, in support of safe access to abortion around the world — a not-so-subtle dig at Conservatives for avoiding such support during their time in power. And Sophie Gregoire Trudeau sent out a Liberal party fundraising appeal on the heels of it all.
At the same time, the week saw concrete developments in grassroots politics, problems with the Canada-U.S. border and the pending federal budget. Here are three ways Canadian politics touched us this week: