Paul Wells

Since that column about O'Toole and a carbon tax is turning out to look both prescient and out of the loop, I should point out that I filed it on March 29 for our print edition. The whole point of grabbing the other side's policies is: you admit defeat, understand there is no complicated way to save face, and cheerfully commit grand policy larceny from the other team's playbook. On that basis, I don't think the plan being reported today hits the mark. I expect the Conservative leader to have a difficult day.

A modest proposal. [ducks] https://www.macleans.ca//the-best-climate-plan-for-erin-/

This one's a pretty substantial change of pace. Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to shut down the legendary graduate school that he attended. I decided to try to explain why that matters. https://www.macleans.ca//emmanuel-macron-lena-and-the-old/

From colleague Shannon Proudfoot, an article we've been referring to internally as "Consultant Town." A look at how power is exercised in a changing capital. https://www.macleans.ca//otta/whos-really-got-ottawas-ear/

So the Liberals had a convention. https://www.macleans.ca//the-liberal-convention-everythin/

New from me, in which I engage the Ottawa game of speculating on Mark Carney's future only to take it in directions it probably wasn't meant to go. https://www.macleans.ca//is-the-liberal-tent-big-enough-f/

Political geek catnip. The director of the winning campaign for the Conservative leadership in 2017 analyzes the Conservative leadership race in 2020. https://ipolitics.ca//so-you-want-to-win-a-conservative-l/

New from me, on how hard things are hard. https://www.macleans.ca//farewell-to-the-liberals-easy-gr/

New from me: on the fall parliamentary session, the perils of election speculation, the pitfalls Erin OToole faces, and the weirdness of being excited by the opportunities of a global health catastrophe. https://www.macleans.ca//ot/bold-solutions-our-big-chance/

An interesting piece built around a poll that asks one of the most interesting questions: Who would *never* vote for a given party? https://www.ctvnews.ca//nanos-survey-reveals-where-o-toole

Heres an interesting argument about the governments role in the economy that hasnt been made by the prime minister, the finance minister, the former finance minister, the parliamentary secretary to the finance minister, any of the four other ministers whose job titles suggest theyre supposed to have something to do with finance, the Bank of Canada governor or anyone else in government except this political staffer whos accountable to nobody. Enjoy the new politics! https://twitter.com/mike_mcnair/status/1301504639251222529

Here's an interesting argument about the government's role in the economy that hasn't been made by the prime minister, the finance minister, the former finance minister, the parliamentary secretary to the finance minister, any of the four other ministers whose job titles suggest they're supposed to have something to do with finance, the Bank of Canada governor or anyone else in government except this political staffer who's accountable to nobody. Enjoy the new politics! https://twitter.com/mike_mcnair/status/1301504639251222529

New from me, a long weekend read on the government-appointed panel that was blocked by government while the government -- in the person of Bill Blair -- ignored it: https://www.macleans.ca//another-farce-on-bill-blairs-wat/

Its been great to watch Heather Scoffield become one of a small number of must-read columnists in Ottawa. https://www.thestar.com//want-to-fight-climate-change-for-

Its best not to make it too obvious that you dont care -- at all -- about a file until it makes headlines. https://www.cbc.ca//blair-csc-prison-solitary-confinement-

It's been great to watch Heather Scoffield become one of a small number of must-read columnists in Ottawa. https://www.thestar.com//want-to-fight-climate-change-for-

Havent written much about the Conservatives while I struggle to understand Trudeauism. Figured today would be a good day to address that. https://www.macleans.ca//erin-otoole-and-the-search-for-a/

I really dont care how much Pierre Poilievre annoys a lot of people, everything he says here is true. A government that dislikes him shouldnt work so hard to give him fodder by blacking out documents and shutting down Parliament months before a prorogation would make that necessary. https://twitter.com/CTVNews/status/1296131856727932930

It's best not to make it too obvious that you don't care -- at all -- about a file until it makes headlines. https://www.cbc.ca//blair-csc-prison-solitary-confinement-

Haven't written much about the Conservatives while I struggle to understand Trudeauism. Figured today would be a good day to address that. https://www.macleans.ca//erin-otoole-and-the-search-for-a/

I really don't care how much Pierre Poilievre annoys a lot of people, everything he says here is true. A government that dislikes him shouldn't work so hard to give him fodder by blacking out documents and shutting down Parliament months before a prorogation would make that necessary. https://twitter.com/CTVNews/status/1296131856727932930

Fun reading while we await the news. I might seem in this piece to be a Morneau admirer. Im afraid it isnt so. But Justin Trudeau has always pretended to be a Morneau admirer, which makes this latest feud.... creepy. https://www.macleans.ca/politi//bill-morneau-melting-away/

Fun reading while we await the news. I might seem in this piece to be a Morneau admirer. I'm afraid it isn't so. But Justin Trudeau has always pretended to be a Morneau admirer, which makes this latest feud.... creepy. https://www.macleans.ca/politi//bill-morneau-melting-away/

Im sure this was in the election platform somewhere. "Let a scandal-plagued Chinese state-owned firm equip Canadas embassies, even if it costs a little more." https://nationalpost.com//john-ivison-ottawas-fig-leaf-exc

From John Ivison at the Post, who knows Carney better than any of us. Im left wondering whether theres a particular difference between an "informal advisor" and a person you telephone now and then. https://nationalpost.com//360253ae-ee5c-4103-830f-9aa5abb/

I'm sure this was in the election platform somewhere. "Let a scandal-plagued Chinese state-owned firm equip Canada's embassies, even if it costs a little more." https://nationalpost.com//john-ivison-ottawas-fig-leaf-exc

From John Ivison at the Post, who knows Carney better than any of us. I'm left wondering whether there's a particular difference between an "informal advisor" and a person you telephone now and then. https://nationalpost.com//360253ae-ee5c-4103-830f-9aa5abb/

From colleague Nick Taylor-Vaisey: https://www.macleans.ca//what-happened-to-the-old-doug-fo/

Probably self-explanatory. https://www.macleans.ca//the-trudeau-we-testimony-what-yo/

New from me, on democracy. I'm actually a bit uncomfortable appealing to fundamentals like "democracy" it's too easy to be glib but today I think it applies. https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-inquiry-maybe-ne/

New from me, on democracy. Im actually a bit uncomfortable appealing to fundamentals like "democracy" its too easy to be glib but today I think it applies. https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-inquiry-maybe-ne/

Annnnnd, scene. Federal government announces a full public inquiry into the deadliest mass murder in Canadian history. That was five days of completely unnecessary self-inflicted damage from two governments that had had hundreds of people giving them free advice for months. Sometimes its better to listen.... https://twitter.com/AlexanderQuon/status/1288200296129323011

There's been a lot going on today on the Nova Scotia shooting inquiry front. Sorry to clog your feeds. Here we have Nova Scotia's justice minister tossing his federal colleagues under the bus, an instinct I wholeheartedly endorse and wish only that he'd done this sooner. https://twitter.com/AlexanderQuon/status/1288153712972779521

Theres been a lot going on today on the Nova Scotia shooting inquiry front. Sorry to clog your feeds. Here we have Nova Scotias justice minister tossing his federal colleagues under the bus, an instinct I wholeheartedly endorse and wish only that hed done this sooner. https://twitter.com/AlexanderQuon/status/1288153712972779521

Sean Fraser becomes the third Nova Scotia Liberal chicken to come home to roost. https://twitter.com/stphnmaher/status/1288139813703618566

Helpful questions for the pursuit of evidence-based policy. https://www.charityintelligence.ca//662-ci-s-top-10-questi

Three months to start investigating the nations deadliest mass murder. Thirty-six hours to start investigating a bad Governor General. https://twitter.com/globeandmail/status/1286489918307360768

Three months to start investigating the nation's deadliest mass murder. Thirty-six hours to start investigating a bad Governor General. https://twitter.com/globeandmail/status/1286489918307360768

Continuing our coverage of two governments' disgraceful cowardice. https://www.macleans.ca//in-the-nova-scotia-shooting-case/

Families were waiting for more. https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-shooting-review-/

Continuing our coverage of two governments disgraceful cowardice. https://www.macleans.ca//in-the-nova-scotia-shooting-case/

Hundreds. https://globalnews.ca//hundreds-march-nova-scotia-shootin/

https://www.nationalnewswatch.com//over-three-dozen-sena/

From the formidable Christina Frangou, for Maclean's.

New from me, on whether governments can even do what they say any more: https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-shooting-inquiry/

From the formidable Christina Frangou, for Macleans.

New from me: the country's leading advocacy groups and social services for women have had it up to here with the federal and Nova Scotia governments' misguided and slow-moving plans for an inquiry into the worst mass murder in Canadian history. https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-murders-end-the-/

Brian Lilley showing strong reporting chops. Turns out WE has been driving the Toronto real estate boom, so be grateful, darn it. https://torontosun.com//lilley-we-charity-listed-real-esta

Me, on WE, and him, and them: https://www.macleans.ca//who-makes-the-decisions-in-justi/

This one's going to get me kicked right out of the Laurentian elite. https://www.macleans.ca/op/meet-bob-raes-new-un-colleagues/

New from me: the countrys leading advocacy groups and social services for women have had it up to here with the federal and Nova Scotia governments misguided and slow-moving plans for an inquiry into the worst mass murder in Canadian history. https://www.macleans.ca//the-nova-scotia-murders-end-the-/

https://www.macleans.ca//we-have-nothing-to-lose-but-our-/

Tom Mulcair's been writing columns for Maclean's, so I'm glad to see him commenting on the feud between the party he used to lead and the Bloc Québécois. Might as well address the touchy subjects. https://www.macleans.ca//jagmeet-singh-calls-mp-racist-bu/

Three months after the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. Crickets. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-nova-scotians-st/

This ones going to get me kicked right out of the Laurentian elite. https://www.macleans.ca/op/meet-bob-raes-new-un-colleagues/

Suddenly the summer is full of people advising the Trudeau government to get someone else to run its foreign policy. If I were the Trudeau government, Id worry. https://www.macleans.ca//o/justin-trudeau-vs-the-old-boys/

Tom Mulcairs been writing columns for Macleans, so Im glad to see him commenting on the feud between the party he used to lead and the Bloc Qubcois. Might as well address the touchy subjects. https://www.macleans.ca//jagmeet-singh-calls-mp-racist-bu/

New from me with colleagues: inside a very unusual battle between the Prime Minister and some of the Liberal partys natural allies over the fate of Canada-China relations. https://www.macleans.ca//inside-the-canadian-establishmen/

https://www.macleans.ca//time-for-real-answers-on-the-nov/

Ce qui devait arriver arriva, as we say. https://www.macleans.ca//the-un-security-council-rout-can/