Althia Raj
@althiaraj
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"It’s Political" podcast host/producer, National columnist @TorontoStar, “At Issue” panellist on @CBCTheNational. Parfois aussi: @cpac_tv @iciradiocanada
Joined July 2009
Latest "It’s Political” podcast is out! Our Recovering Partisans dissect the 2025 election result and what comes next… 🎙️🎧.
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I feel very privileged to live in a country where the most controversial thing to have happened today is footage of the prime minister singing on Saturday night with a Quebec icon in the lobby of a hotel while in London for the Queen’s funeral. #perspective.
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Trudeau says he won't meet with the protestors because he doesn't agree with their goals, their hateful rhetoric, the violence shown towards fellow citizens and the disrespect to frontline workers.
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This attack of CBC journalists is unacceptable. It will likely create a chill in newsrooms across the country, no doubt what the Conservative leader wants. I worked at CBC early in my career and CBC president doesn't tell CBC journalists what to cover or how to cover it.
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Trudeau says he was holding out hope that the tariffs were a negotiation ploy to court investment in the U.S., but now he believes that Trump’s goal is a total collapse of the Canadian economy so that he can “annex” Canada. Trudeau adds that this will never happen.
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"The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, cannot become a suggestion," Trudeau says.
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My latest: I wish more Liberal MPs had Joël Lightbound’s courage #cdnpoli via @torontostar.
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There are words for this.
This is OPP pretty much cheering these people on as they get to ‘Ottawa’. “Wait till you get there 😏”.“I get what you guys are doing”.“I support you guys 100%”. Cops are not here to keep people safe. /2
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So some big news for me. I'm really excited to share that I'm joining the stellar team at @TorontoStar I'll be writing #cdnpoli columns and doing a few other neat stuff, you'll be sure to hear about. (Thanks already to the team for a very warm welcome!)
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Very sidebar comment. Our Governor General has purple hair and I love it.
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I'm struck today by how Pierre Poilievre will likely emerge leader tonight, after campaigning to defund the CBC, while the public broadcaster shows us (and during times like these) precisely why it is valuable.
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This is outrageous. All politicians should be denouncing this type of behaviour. It has no place on the public square.
Would you let these people babysit your kids? Seriously think about that for a second after you watch this.
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So general consensus from city residents seems to be that the “freedom convoy” has prevented Ottawa residents from being free in their city more than any lockdowns or mandates governments have imposed. 2/2.
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Right now: The House of Commons passing a unanimous motion showing support for the federal government and @JustinTrudeau 's actions re: tariffs in light of U.S. official attacks.
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'He's a liar and a hate-monger': Former prime minister Kim Campbell slams Pierre Poilievre via @torontostar.
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That’s a big crowd. I’ve covered a lot of leadership races. I have lot seen anything like this.
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@Stockwell_Day Sir, I have zero interest in a Senate seat or any other seat. The Alberta premier *in her own words* says she asked a foreign government to act in ways to benefit the political party she supports. This is absolutely the kind of comments a columnist should write about.
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I just want to take a moment to note how wonderful it is to live in a country where our political leaders come together in a time of crisis and act in the best interests of the country, and what message that sends to all Canadians.
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Clarification: He didn’t call everyone who disagrees with him racist and misogynist. He was talking about the agressive protestors who showed during the campaign when he said these protestors are people who don’t believe in science who are often misogynistic, often racist as well.
I’m old enough to remember that time the Prime Minister called an election & weaponized vaccines calling everyone who disagrees with him racist and misogynist. #cdnpoli.
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The Rideau Centre is being evacuated. Police say « it’s an emergency. ».
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This is not true. The Speaker asked Mr. Poilievre to withdraw the term for calling the prime minister a wacko, not for calling the policies wacko.
BREAKING: Today the Liberal speaker censored me for describing Trudeau's hard drug policy as wacko. 6 people dying from overdoses every day in BC is wacko. Kids playing next to used syringes is wacko. Nurses worried about breastfeeding after breathing in toxic drug fumes is.
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Trump tells us the joke is no longer the joke but the strategy. He literally wants our country. This is war through economic means. Do Americans realize what their president is up to?
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An admission police cannot control the situation. This is a complete mess and textbook mismanagement. They allowed the truckers to set up shop next to the PMO and West block and where tends of thousands of people live, and now realize the problem they help create. Unbelievable.
Ottawa police chief Sloly: "There may not be a policing solution to this demonstration.".
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Mayor of Ottawa on radio says people feel trapped in their own houses, businesses are too afraid to open, and thugs are closing down the mall. He suggests the @OttawaPolice isn’t enforcing laws/bylaws, because they are scared of this will incite more violence. 1/2.
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Wowza. This debate is getting personal @AndrewScheer says @ElizabethMay is the only person to have been arrested for protesting and wonders how she'd feel getting her bank accounts frozen.
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How to lose credibility, say things like this from @OttawaPolice Chief: “We have been enforcing the law since Day 1.”.
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Once again the NDP sets itself apart in their communications game. Hard not to LOL at this.
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Outrageous. The notwithstanding clause was not intended for this. It’s casual use by govts is alarming.
BREAKING: the Ford government will invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to impose a new contract on CUPE. This is the 3rd time the government has used this measure. #onpoli.
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I disagree with Lilley most of the time. But on this I agree. You suspend your campaign to deal with what you say is a pressing issue and you refuse to take questions about it (or anything else)?.
So Carney has emerged from his cabinet meeting. He gave a brief statement, took no questions and bolted. His decision to “suspend” his campaign is a distraction. He doesn’t handle questions well, he’s not good at campaigning, but he benefits from playing PM.
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Um.
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Oh dear. Transport Minister @OmarAlghabra reminds the House that we are still in the middle of the pandemic and that there are thousands of people still in hospitals. He gets heckled.
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So it took a bit longer than expected to get my results but the Ottawa Hospital just phoned me and I do not have COVID-19. Three more days of self isolation and I can finally go outside for a walk. Woot! (Do not worry I will still stay at least six feet away from you!).
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Trudeau asks politicians exploiting people's fear, to think long and hard about the consequences of their actions.
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So I wrote a column on how Pierre Poilievre’s pit stop wasn’t a smart idea and how it’s giving Liberals a reason for hope (which is probably a reflection shared by 90+% of MPs) and the insults on my feed are something else. No one is forcing you to read.
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Dear @tobi , I think you need to open yourself to the possibility this may not be about the border. People who seek a negotiated outcome don’t tell the person on the other side of the table, there is nothing they can do to avoid punishment. They would want action.
I’m disappointed that trump admin placed the 25% tariffs. I’m disappointed that this is our governments response. I love Canada and want it to thrive. I built Canada’s biggest tech company here because I know it’s a special place. Canada thrives when it works with America.
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Premier Ford claims he doesn’t like using section 33 (believe him, he implored) but the notwithstanding clause was "the only tool" he had. If Ford is honest and truly believes this, he needs to fire some staff. He is getting bad advice.
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Stealing food from the homeless because you don’t want to wear a 😷.
@_rkgg Hi everyone, thanks for bringing this to our attention. Earlier today, our staff and volunteers experienced harassment from convoy protestors seeking meals from our soup kitchen. The individuals were given meals to diffuse the conflict. Management was then informed of the (1/2).
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This might prove to be one of the most devastating ads of this campaign.
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Defiant Trudeau tells Americans and Canadians that the U.S. has launched a trade war with Canada and aligned itself with a murderous dictator. "Make it make sense," he says. Canadians don’t want this, the PM says. He tells Americans: Your government has chosen to do this to you.
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Imagine being so angry that a sign encouraging you to use less paper towels sets you off. Time for a nice walk outside for some fresh air….
Up yours, woke moralists. Tyranny is always petty--and petty tyranny will not save the planet.
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This is a really a shameful day. There are worthy debates to be had about how to deal with the opioid crisis (which is killing 20 Cdns a day). We should all want our leaders to disagree without being disagreeable. We, as citizens, deserve better than this.
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@LisaLaFlamme_ Oh Lisa. I can’t believe you had to hold that info in for months. You deserve so much more. I hope CBC snatches you up (if you still want to be in this business). You’re inspiring to work with. Always in good spirits, generous, professional, intelligent and so kind.❤️.
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This comment might make me unpopular but this is a gross invasion of privacy. It’s stalking.
For everyone on #KawhiWatch… Here are the passengers getting off the MLSE plane that landed in Toronto Wednesday afternoon.
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I love history. I wish more time was spent teaching it and civics. I like my (current) passport. But I think we need a bit of perspective. If you’re this upset over a passport redesign, maybe you just want to be upset.
Out: Terry Fox. In: Bullshit. I guess we know the ballot question for the next federal campaign.
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Han Dong has hired a lawyer and intends to sue Global.
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This is complete B.S. and Jenni knows it. They are looking for some to blame for a bad week. The govt is providing a labour tax credit to employers. It’s indirect and applies broadly. One of the organizations who has lobbied the most for this, is the National Post/PostMedia.
Any wonder why the press gallery has been in full on attack mode against Pierre since Trudeau’s Fall Update? He’s giving out another $30,000 per journalist in tax-funded media bailouts. Expect them to do whatever the PMO says.
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@SarahFischer__ Let’s have a bit of reality please. Have you ever actually spent time in an autocratic regime? Canada has problems, too many Canadians are disproportionately affected, but we also have so much to be thankful for. We do not live in a totalitarian state.
Under the autocratic rule of Justin Trudeau, Canada has devolved into a dystopian government controlled nightmare. I can’t wait for this period to end. I want Canada to be a country once again filled with optimism, ambition, hope, innovation, promise and freedom.
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The most bizarre part is Poilievre can easily handle the media’s questions. So what are they afraid of? If they are this inaccessible during the campaign, how will they govern?.
I’ve been covering federal elections since 2000. I have never seen anything like this.
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Meanwhile Pat King is telling truckers the OPS has said they will let truckers leave. He recommends taking their white shirts or underwear off to hold a white flag because the cops "cannot touch you if you are holding a white flag. That is international law."
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Starting to really wonder whether it might have been easier to send everyone monthly cheques and claw them back from those who didn't need them next year through income tax.
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This is outrageous.
Protesters at Confederation park, right across from City Hall and beside the NAC and Rideaul Canal, appear to be building some type of wooden structure. They've also collected a stockpile of propane tanks and diesel fuel. @CTVNews
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My latest: The longer Justin Trudeau stalls, the more he looks like he has something to hide via @torontostar.
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"You must leave," @theJagmeetSingh says to protesters in Ottawa. He says families in the capital city are in the "worst lockdown" now because of the protestors.
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Gerald Butts is getting ready to sue Jordan Peterson for defamation.
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He’s not wrong.
We are all on the same convoy to exit COVID-19. And we know that the best road to take is vaccination. The enemy is not vaccination. The enemy is COVID-19, and the best tool to fight this enemy is to be vaccinated.
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Likely the best human to have held this position.
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Huge cheers, from Liberal benches, and some Conservatives actually when Biden says he's proud both their cabinets have 50% women. (Poilievre one of the last on his feet). Biden says he took his lessons from "you" (nod to Trudeau).
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Ouff. Ed Broadbent was my professor at McGill. He was such a kind man who loved this country and wanted to make it a fairer and better place, where all could succeed and no one was left behind. My heart goes out to his friends and family.
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Every Canadian watching the House of Commons for the past 10 minutes would be embarrassed.
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Woah, this presser from @PierrePoilievre is something else. The Conservative's finance critic calls the people around the prime minister "self-serving snobs.".
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So this jumped out at me tonight. @CPC_HQ and @erinotoole have spent weeks trying to suggest no huge changes are coming, Mulroney says the opposite. #Elxn44 #cdnpoli
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“When we get through this, we will be stronger because we will have had each other’s backs," Sophie Grégoire Trudeau says on social media as she announces she has been given a clean bill of health by medical professionals.
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No thank you. We do not want to join your (increasing banana) republic.
Trump on what Trudeau could offer him to change his mind on tariffs: "What I'd like to see -- Canada become our 51st state."
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"In Canada, we like to root for the underdog," Trudeau says. "We believe that when a cause is just and right, it will always prevail, no matter the size of the opponent." One woman in the gallery says "here here.".
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Watching pressers from @realDonaldTrump and those of @fordnation @PattyHajdu @cafreeland @JustinTrudeau @francoislegault @jkenney and others in Canada, have to say how thankful I am I don't live the United States. Thank goodness for the governors. .
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Would you name someone who is pro-life as health minister? @erinotoole is asked on #RDI He doesn’t answer. Asked if he’d name someone who wasn’t vaccinated as health minister, and why he isn’t demanding his candidates be 💉, “I will respect the personal decisions of Canadians.”.
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Still no tweet to retweet from @PierrePoilievre or @Roman_Baber , two self-described pro-choice MPs (many of their supporters though appear to hold pro-life views) on yesterday’s monumental Roe v. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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I miss civility in Parliament and on social media. Our elected representatives shouldn’t be talking to (or through) each other like this in an effort to pander to their own echo chambers. #civilnationalconversationplease.
You’re a ridiculous coward. You know damn well I’m talking about Christopher Garnier, a cop killer who isn’t a veteran, but who you continue to give Veterans benefits even though he’s never served a day in his life. Do your damn job and revoke his benefits. You are a disgrace.
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In a statement, @AndrewScheer says: ". we will not give the government unlimited power to raise taxes without a parliamentary vote. We will authorize whatever spending measures are justified to respond to the situation, but we will not sign a blank cheque.”.
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This is a personal tweet. If you are a client of my father, can you please ask to have your appointment on the phone? He is not listening to any of us and insists on going to the office. Thank you.
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Remember when the city fined a kid of setting up a lemonade stand?!.
@althiaraj @1MikeMorris Wow! I’m going to Ottawa and build my own outdoor restaurant, too! I’ll call it Sloly’s. The service will be terrible.
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This isn’t right. Choosing Jesus would mean loving your neighbour. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”.
CLC's Josie (Director of Education/Advocacy) and Matt (VP) attending the #1MillionMarch4Children in Mississauga today. Choose Jesus folks #prolife #profamily
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From reader: "Eleven hours she waited to be seen, have blood taken and X-rays. But wow, beer in corner stores! We are so happy that our provincial government is spending in excess of $225 million to make THAT happen."
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Scheer says Trudeau is not living up to his own standard. Scheer twice sidesteps questions about whether he is sorry he compared same-sex marriage to a dog's tail. Actually, that is three times.
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Opinion: Deporting Humboldt truck driver would be vengeance, not justice
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You may wonder why the PM is starting off in French. There has been a LOT of coverage in French-language media on how the Commission has been overwhelmingly held in English.
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Trudeau did a short scrum took 9 questions. Wouldn’t say the word majority, made appeal to progressive voters, etc. Most notable he slams Kenney and Moe in French, ties O’Toole to them, and said in English. “We’ve seen what wrong choices in Alberta and Saskatchewan led to.”.
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Seems rather tone deaf for the prime minister to say that he will work every singe day for all Canadians even those who didn't vote for him, while Scheer is still giving his concession speech.
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You're not supposed to bring props in the House of Commons, but on Zoom, your background can be on point. This is Canada's environment minister answering questions from MPs:
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This isn’t right @liberal_party Andrew doesn’t pose a security threat. What basis do you have to use the cops to prevent him from attending @JustinTrudeau public rally? #Democracy.
I was just pulled out of the line at Justin Trudeau’s Lakehead rally by two Thunder Bay cops and ejected from the building. Moments earlier an organizer took my photo and showed them. I RSVPd to this public event and was given a wristband. My name was on the list!.
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Canada has run up the largest pandemic deficit of any G20 country
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"…an Ottawa Police Service constable said they had sifted through the donor list and found two “Briannes,” neither of whom lived in British Columbia. “The information posted is false,” the e-mail said."
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Turning to the @redcrosscanada to fix Canadian health care is not a good thing. It's an admission of failure.
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Just got a press release from @MichelleRempel attacking the Liberals for allowing thousands of asylum seekers to cross the border while she says those seeking to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada have to wait in line. Thread. A few things:.
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Agree or disagree? The Liberal Party of Canada and the federal NDP share have more in common than what divides them. Please discuss.
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My latest. Unvaccinated convoy protesters are selfish, plain and simple. Please, just get the jab via @torontostar.
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