Aaron Wherry
@aaronwherry.bsky.social
Journalist, writer, author.
Ajuinata.
Ajuinata.
Pinned
Aaron Wherry
@aaronwherry.bsky.social
· Nov 18
A few thoughts on political journalism
"You need a lot of context to seriously consider anything"
aaronwherry.substack.com
A few thoughts on political journalism.
aaronwherry.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
aaronwherry.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
The Globe's chart on references to Donald Trump in Hansard sent me down the rabbit hole of checking for pre-2016 references to the future president.
I think the earliest reference comes from Iain Angus, MP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, on May 8, 1990.
I think the earliest reference comes from Iain Angus, MP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, on May 8, 1990.
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The Globe's chart on references to Donald Trump in Hansard sent me down the rabbit hole of checking for pre-2016 references to the future president.
I think the earliest reference comes from Iain Angus, MP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, on May 8, 1990.
I think the earliest reference comes from Iain Angus, MP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, on May 8, 1990.
📈📉 One year ago this week, Trump threatened Canada with 25% tariffs. Since then, the country has changed dramatically.
Here, in text and charts, we look at 29 ways that Canada has changed in this very turbulent year.
Here, in text and charts, we look at 29 ways that Canada has changed in this very turbulent year.
Twenty-nine ways that Trump has changed Canada
A year ago, the U.S. President first unleashed his threats of tariffs and territorial expansion. Now, our country is different politically, culturally and economically
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
I feel the need to repeat this, even as suggesting that we not focus so heavily on the pipeline positioning in the imminent MOU feels like an increasingly lonely argument. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Pipeline mania is distracting from what the talks between Ottawa and Alberta could actually achieve
Negotiations should work toward setting clear, predictable policy conditions that open the door to private-sector investment
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I feel the need to repeat this, even as suggesting that we not focus so heavily on the pipeline positioning in the imminent MOU feels like an increasingly lonely argument. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
In 1894, @governmentofbc.bsky.social asked the Cdn govt to buy Point Roberts, allegedly a haven for unregulated fishing. Spoiler alert: nothing came of the request. (Welcome to Canada, @rubberduckmuseum.bsky.social!) #cdnhist #bchist #cdnpoli
(Images: @library-archives.canada.ca)
(Images: @library-archives.canada.ca)
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
In 1894, @governmentofbc.bsky.social asked the Cdn govt to buy Point Roberts, allegedly a haven for unregulated fishing. Spoiler alert: nothing came of the request. (Welcome to Canada, @rubberduckmuseum.bsky.social!) #cdnhist #bchist #cdnpoli
(Images: @library-archives.canada.ca)
(Images: @library-archives.canada.ca)
I wonder if this will end up killing, once and for all, the idea of recall legislation.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
6 more UCP legislature members facing recall petitions, including 5 from Calgary area | CBC News
While reasoning varies, many of the newly approved petitioners said they were upset the UCP government used the Charter's notwithstanding clause last month to end a provincewide teachers strike. Anoth...
www.cbc.ca
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I wonder if this will end up killing, once and for all, the idea of recall legislation.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
I don't know enough about the policy-making process here to judge, but Marc Miller's comments are interesting.
nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/24/g...
nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/24/g...
November 24, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I don't know enough about the policy-making process here to judge, but Marc Miller's comments are interesting.
nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/24/g...
nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/24/g...
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Hey Ottawa folks: I gave some kids' books to Twice Upon a Time and they said they've receved fewer donations than usual for this time of year. So if you have any kids' books in good condition, or time or money to spare, here's the info:
Donate - Twice Upon a Time
twiceuponatime.ca
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Hey Ottawa folks: I gave some kids' books to Twice Upon a Time and they said they've receved fewer donations than usual for this time of year. So if you have any kids' books in good condition, or time or money to spare, here's the info:
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Nearly one-fifth of United Conservative MLAs are now subject to recall drives. Including the speaker and six cabinet ministers.
And then there were 9.
6 new recall petitions have been approved against UCP MLAs, with the information now posted to the Elections Alberta website
Joining the mix are MLAs Myles McDougall, Ric McIver, Muhammad Yaseen, Rajan Sawhney, RJ Sigurdson +
Dale Nally.
www.elections.ab.ca/recall-initi...
6 new recall petitions have been approved against UCP MLAs, with the information now posted to the Elections Alberta website
Joining the mix are MLAs Myles McDougall, Ric McIver, Muhammad Yaseen, Rajan Sawhney, RJ Sigurdson +
Dale Nally.
www.elections.ab.ca/recall-initi...
Current Recall Petitions - Elections Alberta
Recall is a process to remove a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from office between elections by collecting sufficient signatures in the Member’s electoral division. The following recall peti...
www.elections.ab.ca
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Nearly one-fifth of United Conservative MLAs are now subject to recall drives. Including the speaker and six cabinet ministers.
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
The Liberals outspent the Conservatives on online and radio ads in the last election, but the Conservatives spent more on the TV. I break down the numbers here: www.thewrit.ca/p/weekly-wri...
Weekly Writ 11/20: How the Liberals spent their election money
A look at 2025 election expenses. Plus, is this Parliament built to last at all?
www.thewrit.ca
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The Liberals outspent the Conservatives on online and radio ads in the last election, but the Conservatives spent more on the TV. I break down the numbers here: www.thewrit.ca/p/weekly-wri...
A quote from former Alberta premier Ralph Klein I hadn't come across before (in a column @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social wrote in 2024).
albertaviews.ca/stripping-aw...
albertaviews.ca/stripping-aw...
November 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
A quote from former Alberta premier Ralph Klein I hadn't come across before (in a column @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social wrote in 2024).
albertaviews.ca/stripping-aw...
albertaviews.ca/stripping-aw...
It's funny to me that this piece mentions the ratio for Canada and the US, but then doesn't mention it for the UK, France and Australia.
thehub.ca/2025/11/20/o...
thehub.ca/2025/11/20/o...
November 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
It's funny to me that this piece mentions the ratio for Canada and the US, but then doesn't mention it for the UK, France and Australia.
thehub.ca/2025/11/20/o...
thehub.ca/2025/11/20/o...
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
New from me. On this week's oddly dramatic vote and the reality of minority parliaments.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
ANALYSIS | Nobody wants an election. MPs almost voted to have one anyway | CBC News
Taken together, this week's events might simply underline that MPs — and Canada's political culture writ large — are still figuring out this whole minority Parliament thing.
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 2:36 AM
New from me. On this week's oddly dramatic vote and the reality of minority parliaments.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
New from me. On this week's oddly dramatic vote and the reality of minority parliaments.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
ANALYSIS | Nobody wants an election. MPs almost voted to have one anyway | CBC News
Taken together, this week's events might simply underline that MPs — and Canada's political culture writ large — are still figuring out this whole minority Parliament thing.
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 2:36 AM
New from me. On this week's oddly dramatic vote and the reality of minority parliaments.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
BC is not just ceding its leadership on EVs, but arguing against provincial leadership. Passing the buck on incentives (up to the feds) and wrt regulations "there should be one clear, harmonized sales target for the country to provide clarity..."
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
BC redrawing EV sales mandate, scraps adoption goal and leaves rebates to Feds
Adrian Dix told reporters on Tuesday that the 100-per-cent mandate in 2035 and a 90-per-cent goal for 2030 were no longer "realistic," and the NDP government would introduce legislation next year to r...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
BC is not just ceding its leadership on EVs, but arguing against provincial leadership. Passing the buck on incentives (up to the feds) and wrt regulations "there should be one clear, harmonized sales target for the country to provide clarity..."
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Following the approval of the Budget itself, the Government introduced yesterday Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1. You can read it in all of its glory at www.parl.ca/Content/Bill...
Caution: it's 601 pages of legislation (634 total pages including cover pages and summary).
1/
Caution: it's 601 pages of legislation (634 total pages including cover pages and summary).
1/
www.parl.ca
November 19, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Following the approval of the Budget itself, the Government introduced yesterday Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1. You can read it in all of its glory at www.parl.ca/Content/Bill...
Caution: it's 601 pages of legislation (634 total pages including cover pages and summary).
1/
Caution: it's 601 pages of legislation (634 total pages including cover pages and summary).
1/
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Check out and subscribe to the Pollara Substack, where myself and a few colleagues will be regularly analyzing polling and public opinion trends.
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
The Pollara Substack is live! Our team will be regularly posting analysis and exclusive polling.
Check out our current articles on the NDP leadership race (with exclusive polling), Quebec politics, and municipal satisfaction.
And subscribe for more.
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
Check out our current articles on the NDP leadership race (with exclusive polling), Quebec politics, and municipal satisfaction.
And subscribe for more.
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Check out and subscribe to the Pollara Substack, where myself and a few colleagues will be regularly analyzing polling and public opinion trends.
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com
Belatedly getting to some recent notwithstanding-clause commentary.
Here is Dave King, a former minister in the Alberta government that pushed for the clause's inclusion in the Charter.
calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
Here is Dave King, a former minister in the Alberta government that pushed for the clause's inclusion in the Charter.
calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
Opinion: Notwithstanding clause never meant to be used to benefit the government
Dave King was was there when clause was born in Alberta cabinet. It was never meant to be used for the benefit of the government itself.
calgaryherald.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Belatedly getting to some recent notwithstanding-clause commentary.
Here is Dave King, a former minister in the Alberta government that pushed for the clause's inclusion in the Charter.
calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
Here is Dave King, a former minister in the Alberta government that pushed for the clause's inclusion in the Charter.
calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
That’s 4 invocations of Notwithstanding Clause for Danielle Smith within a month, with this these of transgender policy bills set to stand regardless of the Charter rights they violate.
The premier mused about Alberta behaving more like Quebec in Confederation. This is one way to do it.
The premier mused about Alberta behaving more like Quebec in Confederation. This is one way to do it.
November 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
That’s 4 invocations of Notwithstanding Clause for Danielle Smith within a month, with this these of transgender policy bills set to stand regardless of the Charter rights they violate.
The premier mused about Alberta behaving more like Quebec in Confederation. This is one way to do it.
The premier mused about Alberta behaving more like Quebec in Confederation. This is one way to do it.
Reposted by Aaron Wherry
Our boy made it alright to wear chunky ass glasses in Canada. His spirit lives on.
On this day in 1927, Knowlton Nash was born in Toronto.
He began his career as a teenager reporting on high school sports for The Globe and Mail. He is most famous as the senior anchor of CBC's The National from 1978 to 1988. He also wrote nine books. He died in 2014.
He began his career as a teenager reporting on high school sports for The Globe and Mail. He is most famous as the senior anchor of CBC's The National from 1978 to 1988. He also wrote nine books. He died in 2014.
November 18, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Our boy made it alright to wear chunky ass glasses in Canada. His spirit lives on.
I really don't know why this vote needed all that suspense.
November 18, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I really don't know why this vote needed all that suspense.