Chuck Strahl is one of the new Trudeau mentors. It is quite an honour, and a good way to make use of the experience he gained in the almost two decades he spent in the House of Commons. Strahl was one of the original “class of ’93” Reformers and, in Stephen Harper’s minority government, held three of the most challenging cabinet portfolios. It was under his watch as Indian Affairs (now Aboriginal Affairs) minister that the historic parliamentary apology to residential school … [Read more...]

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi found himself being bashed, nationally, a few days ago, for his effort to reduce conflict among members of his city council. At the root of the bashing was a somewhat contentious decision the mayor had taken, to have a psychologist/facilitator meet with council members. Nenshi was a surprise winner in the city’s 2010 mayoralty race. He was known, among other things, as a teacher in non-profit management (not an oxymoron) at Mount Royal University. The first … [Read more...]

Lee Strobel is an apologist. No, he has nothing for which to apologize. The “apologist” moniker relates to the increasingly professional practice of providing friendly and informed venues for defending and/or explaining the Christian faith. Apologists are not evangelists or pastors, exactly, but they can, at their best, provide considerable support for both of those other faith-based professions. So what does this have to do with the faith-political interface? As part of my … [Read more...]

"The difficulty with the 'big society' concept, as it is being worked out in Great Britain, is that, as it stands, we have an emerging 'small state and small society.'" I will not name the originator of that quote. It came earlier this month from a visitor from Great Britain who was commenting on my continuing interest in the "big society." For starters, an explanation for those who are reading OttawaWatch for the first time: One of my continuing interests, in embarking on a … [Read more...]

He drew a circle that shut me out – Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in!   -- An epigram entitled “Outwitted” by Edwin Markham, 1852-1940, sometime Poet Laureate of the state of Oregon. *  *  * The above lurked just above the surface of my subconscious several times early in the New Year, as I looked back on the faith/political interface in Canada. Admittedly, Markham’s epigram might have … [Read more...]

Now that winter is properly launched in the nation’s capital, it is time to wish OttawaWatch readers a Happy New Year. And, as well, to talk about some interesting adjustments which I trust will make these weekly pieces more relevant and interactive. While it would be nice to spend the first week of 2012 on some warm ocean beach, that is not to be. Instead, Edna and I will be in warm Toronto classrooms, participating in an exercise that we trust will take us a little further forward in the … [Read more...]

It was an electrifying two minutes on CTV’s Question Period this past Sunday, December 18. After the usual attacks and counter-attacks by the talking heads, QP’s co-anchor, Kevin Newman invited – yea, required – his three MP guests to say something good about their political opponents. The three, Megan Leslie of the NDP, the Liberals’ Justin Trudeau and Dean Del Mastro of the Conservative party, all rose to the occasion. I was watching this epic performance, warmly propped up … [Read more...]

Following the May 2 election, the friends of several re-elected Liberal MPs, mostly in their 60s, began to try to find ways of helping them to "finish well". Most of the MPs, as it happened, were people of faith. I will try to describe, in a semi-educated fashion, what was happening and why. The MPs concerned represented central Canada urban ridings. Their commonality was as follows: They were in the sector of the party that tended to lean "blue" rather than "pink" so they would not be … [Read more...]

Senator Don Meredith, a Toronto pastor, business person and dampener-down of youth violence, is urging the private business sector to support efforts to resolve long-standing problems at the Attawapiskat First Nation. In the interests of full disclosure: Senator Meredith took me on as his communications advisor for a few months, after my main source of earned revenue largely disappeared, last January. So I feel comfortable offering some analysis of his November 30 press release in which he … [Read more...]