Roundup: Out goes an oddly pivotal figure

Posted on by

In a sense, there’s a closing of a particular chapter of Canadian politics with the announcement yesterday that Peter MacKay was done with politics, and would not be running again. He’ll stay on until the election, and Harper has opted to keep him in the justice portfolio for the dying days of the 41st parliament, but MacKay has made his mind up, and is going to slowly start packing up his office. In many ways, MacKay is a central figure to the modern era of Canadian politics. His decision to begin the process of merging with the Canadian Alliance – betraying an explicit written promise not to, made to secure the leadership of the old Progressive Conservative party – formed the juggernaut by which Stephen Harper was able to form the government that is entering its tenth year in power. While many are saying that this departure marks the end of the “progressive” side of the Conservative party, it bears reminding that MacKay was not a terribly Red Tory, and that there are far more progressive voices in the caucus and cabinet than he was. Where it may have an impact is with the continued attempt by the old Reform Party wing to amend the constitution of the party to sweep away the vestiges of the old PC wing, particularly predominant in the Maritimes and parts of Ontario, and with MacKay no longer there to use his weight among the membership, that final transformation may take place in a year or two. MacKay is also being remembered not only for his political controversies, but also for his romantic misadventures, now behind him as he leaves to spend more time with his family. John Geddes looks back at MacKay’s career, while Paul Wells writes about MacKay’s role in the political merger that changed Canadian politics, and Hugh Segal writes about MacKay’s importance to Canadian politics. Not long after John Baird’s departure, MacKay was spotted meeting with Brian Mulroney in Toronto, which fuelled resignation rumours, which he denied at the time. The Halifax Chronicle Herald’s editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon recalls some of his best work with MacKay’s caricatures, and Global has some archived footage of MacKay’s break-up with Belinda Stronach when she crossed the floor to the Liberals. And BuzzFeed Canada has a listicle about MacKay’s career.

Good reads:

  • The Truth and Reconciliation Commission winds down this weekend, with reports of some 6000 child deaths at residential schools. The National Chief of the AFN says Canadians must heed the Commission’s recommendations.
  • The country’s GDP shrank in the first quarter of 2015. Strong economic management, everyone!
  • The NDP’s new staffers union is frustrated with the party as they don’t want to hire or resolve grievances until after the election.
  • The law that allows the government to strip dual citizens convicted of terrorism of their Canadian citizenship has gone into effect. Expect a court challenge.
  • Adam Radwanski has a compelling long-form profile of Jenni Byrne, the woman running the Conservative campaign.
  • Susan Delacourt writes about voters’ expectation of a “macho” prime minister, which is part of why everyone attacks Trudeau’s hair.

Odds and ends:

Here is the Ottawa Citizen’s Gargoyle roundup of smaller stories from the week.

Eve Adams is taking shots at Joe Oliver as she continues the nomination fight to take him on.

https://twitter.com/emmmacfarlane/status/604409000780795904