Who Will Govern for the Common Good?

Michael Van Pelt and Ray Pennings

October 25, 2019

In their analysis of federal election 2019, Cardus President and CEO Michael Van Pelt and Executive Vice-President Ray Pennings raise the red warning flag that the resulting minority Parliament represents a Canada in critical need of a vision of common life to heal its deep divisions.

It will take a new kind of leadership and an expansion of our public debate to address public life conflicts that are as much cultural as they are political or matters of public policy alone Reminding voters that the Bloc will evaluate its support for the Liberal government based on its prioritizing...

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Losing Our Faith in Political History

Raymond J. de Souza

October 24, 2019

Convivium’s Father Raymond de Souza rebuts critics of Andrew Scheer for focusing on his religious beliefs while forgetting it was historically outlandish to expect he’d win Election 2019.

Between then and the election, the governing New Democrats entirely changed their climate policies, and spent 18 months decrying Kenney as the second coming – but much, much worse this time! – of Genghis Khan The election was only winnable for the Conservatives in the sense that occasionally somethi...

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Testing Canada’s Democracy

Peter Stockland

October 24, 2019

The election results demonstrate Canada’s strength in democracy, writes Convivium’s Peter Stockland, citing an Adam Gopnik analysis in the New Yorker crediting a spectrum of parties reflecting the mood and interests of the country.

Yet here, too, Gopnik turns to the institutionally rooted strength of Canadian liberal democracy as a safeguard against worst case scenarios of Quebec nationalism reverting to revival of outright sovereignty, or of any Western separatist movement gaining serious traction That tradition, Gopnik concl...

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Writing Faith Into The Public Square

Karen Stiller

October 23, 2019

Convivium contributor Karen Stiller finds inspiration in writers who have shown courage writing their faith into the public square, providing opportunities for writing about what is important to the faithful.

The public writing of faith also gives us an opportunity – if we take it – to share what the Bible says about important topics that influence our lives, our communities and the vulnerable people we encounter They do an important and brave public work, and as a nice consequence, they make room in the...

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Division and Hope

Rebecca Darwent

October 22, 2019

On the feast of Pope St. John Paul II, we need to heed his messages of hope, courage and conviviality in the aftermath of a divisive election, writes Convivium's Rebecca Darwent.

For if we, as a world, need John Paul II today, then even more do we need Christ and His words of eternal life John Paul II, a revolutionary of the 20th century, I see how direly we need the Great Pope’s spirit of hope, priority of conversation, and power to connect with others ...

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Why Vote?

Hannah Marazzi

October 18, 2019

Convivium’s Hannah Marazzi calls fellow Canadians to act on their democratic right to vote, a freedom not shared by all countries around the world. 

Will they represent you and your neighbours well? Do you think they are ethical? Do you think they will listen to you and your neighbours? Do you see a through line between the person, party and platform? Is the person you plan to vote for committed to your people and this particular place? Repeated...

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Yuk-Yuks for Election 2019

Raymond J. de Souza

October 17, 2019

Convivium’s Father Raymond de Souza applauds the Rhinoceros Party’s return in the federal campaign because, he argues, every election needs its clown car.

Back in 1984, Brian Mulroney was cracking wise on his campaign plane about John Turner’s fin-de-regime patronage appointments, noting that, in regard to Bryce Mackasey, despatched to Lisbon as the Canadian ambassador, “there’s no whore like an old whore Back in the 1980s, when national unity and the...

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Who Will Win Monday’s Vote?

Matthew Lau

October 16, 2019

Given that most election platforms amount to buying votes with other people’s money, writes Matthew Lau, it’s the rich who pay, the poor who suffer, and the middle class that scoops up the winnings.

In their quests to appeal to the middle class, the Liberal, NDP and Green platforms have to varying degrees proposed punitive taxes on the rich; all the major parties (including the Conservatives) have presented a bag of spending goodies to target middle class voters; and none have much of a plan to...

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The True Gift

Brittany Beacham

October 11, 2019

On this Thanksgiving weekend, Brittany Beacham reflects on expressions of gratitude towards not only the gifts of the last year, but towards the Giver Himself.

“You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God Do you want the gifts of God or do you want God Himself? Because God Himself, incarnate before you, is here – and still you ask for bread In the midst of my gratitude for the gifts God ...

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All Men Are Liars. Some Are Politicians.

Don Hutchinson

October 11, 2019

Convivium contributor Don Hutchinson says Andrew Scheer might have been speaking Biblically last night with his inflammatory charge that Justin Trudeau is a liar. The real question is whether that disqualifies the PM from another term in office.  

In convoluted statements reminiscent of those he made in regard to SNC-Lavalin, Trudeau has said: i) he became aware of the harm caused by wearing blackface makeup after he was elected to Parliament in 2008; ii) he lied on his application to become a candidate for the Liberal Party in 2007 because h...

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The Vanishing Point of Political Principles

Ray Pennings

October 11, 2019

Cardus Executive Vice-President Ray Pennings says it’s the swing votes of left-wing pragmatists, not the virtues of the leaders or their parties, that will likely determine whether Justin Trudeau or Andrew Scheer wins Election 2019.

But the promises of #sunnyways, electoral reform, action on climate change, and an “inclusive” way of doing government attracted 2,769,370 more voters than cast ballots in the previous election The oft-rehearsed litany of broken promises and dubious ethical and personal choices made by the Liberal p...

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Inspired By Example

Mark Chester Dumbrique

October 10, 2019

Looking towards an ordained priest friend of his, Mark Chester Dumbrique finds encouragement and inspiration to publicly live out his own faith. 

Why, then, is Father Cristino Bouvette my faith hero? As a priest, Father Bouvette is a public witness of the faith not only by virtue of his ordination, but in his burning desire to lead souls to Christ through serving His Church The faithful, especially the young, are drawn by Father Bouvette beca...

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What About Western Canadians?

Peter Menzies

October 10, 2019

The federal election debate demonstrated a deficient representation of 31 per cent of Canadians, writes Peter Menzies – almost as if their issues do not merit discussion.

So the first messages received way out here in Rupert’s Land were that the debates commission did not care about whether we could watch that debate or the French language one that follows, and nor did the government that created the commission care to have Western or other “regions” (as they like to...

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Sticking Up for Christian Schooling

Peter Stockland

October 9, 2019

Convivium’s Peter Stockland checks out the innovative independent school in rural Eastern Ontario that was denied a chance to pay top dollar for an empty public school building.

There’s an inherent injustice, he says, born of an inability to see that both the public school system and independent schools are in the business of, as Deani Van Pelt says, satisfying the hunger for the best education possible Where, that is, money spent must be raised by the school itself not, Fe...

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Community, Conflict, Communication

Josh Nadeau

October 9, 2019

Josh Nadeau explores psychologist Marshall Rosenberg’s theory of nonviolent communication, looking to a puppy problem among roommates. 

As with any time you’re doing high-risk (and resource-heavy) engagement in any kind of conflict situation, no matter at home or abroad, you have to decide for yourself whether or not it’s worth the trouble I’m something of a sucker for communities – as an introverted freelance writer, it’s a way of ...

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