Rob Duiker: Archives From a Failed Political Campaign

A Crisis of Families During the many generations in which First Nations children were forcibly removed from their homes, a lasting legacy of brokenness was established. We often lament the physical and emotional abuse suffered by countless thousands of people. We lament the loss of culture and language. While it is impossible to entirely separate one loss from another, I will contend that the single most catastrophic consequence of residential schools has been their devastating impact on families. As I listen to political pundits on radio and television discussing the present and longstanding crisis regarding the welfare of children on First Nations reserves I cringe. The answers all seem too simple. “More money is needed!” “Leave the children on reserve with relatives.” “Replace the provincial ‘corporate’ structures that account for money more than they do for the well-being of children.” Too often the commentary names a guilty party. The truth is that no-one is intent...

The Royal Wedding I knew on May 28, 2005 that we were in trouble. On that day Justin Trudeau was married to Sophie Grégoire at Montreal's Sainte-Madeleine d'Outremont Church. It had all the hallmarks of a royal wedding. There were dignitaries and a large media presence. The gold suit, sunglasses, and Pierre Trudeau's restored 1960 Mercedes Benz 300 SL roadster that had been shipped to Montreal from Victoria for the special day, all proclaimed that this was a royal wedding. The CBC and CTV held out young Justin, Simba-like to the nation, announcing to the world that this young cub was the rightful heir to the throne. And the people bought it. Canadian royal watchers love our version of William and Kate, or Harry and Meghan, or Simba and Nala. The problem is that we don’t need a prince; we need a prime minister. We do not need another royal family complete with all the fashion shows and parades. The Canadian royal family that resides in Buckingham palace is ...

The Need for a Narrative On CBCs Sunday Scrum on the morning of January 7, 2018 John Ibbitson said, “The opposition, Liberals and like minded folks, like to portray the Conservatives as racist, homophobic, and sexist and they will succeed so long as the leader is not able to produce a counter narrative." I believe he has a point, not so much about the leader specifically, but rather that the party as a whole needs a narrative to counter the Liberal portrayal with one that is more fair and accurate, and which shines positive light on the inclusiveness of the Conservative Party; inclusiveness which is notably absent from the Trudeau-led Liberal Party. In 2014 Trudeau said, “The party that we’re building, and that we’re continuing to build as we form government, will be resolutely pro-choice… I have made it clear that future candidates need to be completely understanding that they will be expected to vote pro-choice on any bills.” (https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/05/...