![Politics with Bill Casey [wordmark]](https://billcasey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/politics_w_bill_casey_fira.png)
Archives
“God has blessed us because we have neighbours like CANADA”
Quotes from seven Presidents of the United States… If Americans are wondering why Canadians are confused over the recent disruption…
Diversification… not exactly a new concept
In 1958, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker was campaigning in an election for his second term as Prime Minister of Canada.…
Alberta, Canada… Alberta, USA… or Alberta, Alberta?
Trying to follow the separatist movement in Alberta can be confusing. There are several aspects one needs to understand about…
It is Question Period… not Answer Period
A lot of people responded to my last blog about the notion of Donald Trump participating in a Canadian parliamentary…
Prime Minister Trump and his ministers face the opposition
What would happen if the United States adopted the Canadian approach to politics and elections?As Prime Minister Donald Trump, Mr.…
Floor crossing… backroom deals… or a Canadian tradition?
Crossing the floor in parliament has always been a controversial topic in Canadian politics. It is interesting to now hear…
Alberta… it doesn’t take a crystal ball
Those Alberta residents considering separation from Canada would be wise to pay close attention to what is happening to Cuba.With…
Can Alberta separate? Enter The Clarity Act of June 29th, 2000
In response to the 1995 Quebec referendum vote which came very close to approving separation by Quebec voters, the Government…
I would buy the Gripen
F-35 vs Gripen fighter plane decision Canada is about to make a choice between two fighter jets to replace the…
Mark Carney at Davos
For decades, Canada has been viewed as a well-respected middle power country on the lower rung of the middle power…
Letters from DA Casey #2
Further on my series of letters from my father DA Casey, attached is a 1956 letter that Dad sent to…
Letters from DA Casey
My father was D.A.Casey, also known as just “DA”. Although he was a very good father to me and my…
Can it be all about oil?
Sometimes it is hard figure out what motivates President Donald Trump. Just sometimes. In a discussion recently at the Saturday…
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton flips the truth re. the drug boat
In order to justify the repeated strikes on the accused drug boat on September 2nd, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton recently…
Gaza war cemetery
On one of my trips to the Middle East, I was asked if I wanted to visit the graves of…
Vice President Dick Cheney in the West Wing
The passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney brought back some incredible memories for me. In the first week of…
Bill C-291, the return of the Millbrook Regalia 133 years later
One day in 2017, I was visiting Millbrook First Nation near Truro, spending time at the Millbrook Cultural Centre with…
Trump declaration for enduring peace and prosperity
Like millions of others, I’m relieved to see military actions and the bloodshed in the Middle East cease. I watched…
A tariffs and trading partner question
I recently received this message:Hi, Bill. Do you suppose you could share on your blog your thoughts on U.S. tariffs,…
Councillor Juanita Johnson and the Salmon River bridge
Immediately after my first election in 1988, I was approached by a very dynamic Colchester County Councilor by the name…
Jean Chrétien, the best leader I never had
Although I was never a member of Jean Chrétien’s Liberal caucus, he helped me as much as any political leader…
Second Gulf war, March, 2003
As critic for Foreign Affairs for the Progressive Conservative Party, I was continually surprised at events that unfolded before me.…
Political violence vs. regular violence
Yesterday, September 10, 2025, at 12:20 MDT time, at Utah Valley University, high profile political activist Charlie Kirk was shot…
Who is Honourable anyway? And what is The Privy Council?
I often hear people referred to as Honourable who don’t qualify for the title, and then I hear people not…
For sale: one island
In a June Blog, I mentioned the majestic Isle Haute story. I’ve had several people ask for more details, and…
I’m not giving up my seat
In 1998, the Honourable Jean Charest bowed to tremendous public pressure and resigned as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party…
Who is government?
One of my earliest debates in the House of Commons was during deliberations on Canada joining the United States and…
Texas gerrymandering
Once again it occurs to me that many things about our Canadian parliamentary system are better than the approach taken…
Middle East messages
The announcement that Canada may recognize the current Palestinian territories as the State of Palestine is a step toward the…
Longest ballot committee
When people go to vote in the by-election in Battle River Crowfoot, they will be faced with 209 names on…
Simplified AI
I am often asked about AI. Here is my own simplified explanation of AI. This is a basic explanation, and…
Demise of our local newspapers
Perhaps no other business in our area has changed more than the newspaper business. When I was a politician I…
A good question about emergency redundancy
In response to yesterday s blog about emergency communications, I had a question about the word redundancy. It was a…
Emergency communication failures: do we ever learn?
The catastrophic floods in Kerr County, Texas, once again highlight the cost when emergency communications fail. It seems that we…
Amherst POW camp and the legacy of SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
During the First World War, Amherst hosted the largest prisoner of war camp in Canada. The prisoners came from several…
Defence spending 101
Recent discussions about Canada s defence spending have used the ratios of 1.3% of Gross Domestic Product. Also, we have…
Amherst Armoury closed until further notice
Just a few days ago, I wrote a blog about Bill Casey’s 3 Rules of Dealing with Government. The 3…
Second house past the white church, you can’t miss it
During my time in politics, I learned that people who are familiar with their community often can’t imagine that people…
Bill Casey’s 3 rules of dealing with the government
Over my seven terms in politics, I established three rules which always seem to apply. It doesn’t matter if you…
The Russian diplomatic celebration
Further to the IMP Hotel story in my last blog, His Excellency Georgiy Mamedov, Russian Ambassador to Canada, invited me…
Aerostar Hotel
During the negotiations to purchase the Enamel and Heating Ltd. factory in Amherst, I worked quite closely with Mr. Ken…
Robert Layton and Jack Layton
When I was first elected to parliament in 1988, the Chair of the Progressive Conservative caucus was the Honourable Robert…
From Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone: a history lesson from Mama Noah
In 1999, Speaker Gilbert Parent and five MPs participated in a parliamentary exchange mission to Africa. I was fortunate to…
Geothermal bonds: when Chilean scientists came to Nova Scotia
In August 2010, the San José mine collapsed in the South American country of Chile. It was one of the…
Parliamentary Committees 101
An important part of the legislative process in Parliament is the array of parliamentary committees. There are two essential types…
How a bill is introduced and how it passes through the system
Some readers are asking how a proposed piece of legislation goes through the Legislative Process. It isn’t simple. Here’s an…
Advice on contacting your MP
I recently received an email asking me to talk about constituent engagement. For instance, what is the best way for…
Canada’s leaders united for one strong economy
How encouraging it was to see the premiers of 10 provinces and three territories come out of the Saskatoon federal-provincial…
Rare by-election path ahead for Poilievre
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre will have another chance to become a Member of Parliament when Conservative MP Damien Kurek…
When an MP speaks
When a Member of Parliament stands up in the House of Commons to make a statement or respond in debate,…
The new Speaker of the House: the Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia
The election of Hon Francis Scarpaleggia as the new Speaker of the House of Commons was a surprise to me.…
My grandfather was Jewish; he’d be heartbroken today
The only grandfather I ever knew was a Jew. He was a very distinguished gentleman, well-liked and appreciated by everyone…
“This is hate speech at its worst”
I have no desire to get into a major argument about the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, but I will.…
A gift from The Peace Tower
When a Member of Parliament retires from Parliament, he or she is given the opportunity to make a farewell speech.…
The invisible runway
In late 1998, I was contacted by the Kelowna, BC air traffic controllers about their concerns regarding an unsafe air…
“I am a man who is gay”
After the election of 1997, the issue of gay rights and same-sex marriage was beginning to be discussed openly and…
Avoiding the noise: why I’ve never said my opponents’ names
Today a man stopped me in the parking lot and asked me why political leaders had to be so antagonistic…
The ’93 Chrétien ad controversy: a political backfire for the PCs
In the 1993 federal election with Kim Campbell as leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party and Jean Chrétien as…
Choosing the Speaker of the House
At the beginning of every new parliament, a Speaker is elected by the MPs. All MPs have a vote.If one…
Picking members of a Parliamentary Cabinet
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Mark Carney will announce his new cabinet. It is a very complex and delicate task to appoint…
Dealing with Middle East issues and our role in building bridges
Photos are Hill Times Article; Bill With Israeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Legislature Speaker Ahmed QureiDealing with Middle…
Tribunals & disputes: how Canada stands equal at the trade table
When we eventually get down to serious negotiations with the United States about tariffs and border issues, one of the…
The Atlantic Accord and the 3rd time I voted against my party
Bruce McKinnon cartoon, which Bruce has annotated: To Bill: I’d forgotten how many of these I did… —BruceIn February 1985,…
The Clarity Act, Bill C-20: the 2nd time I voted against my party
The second vote against my party’s position was in 1999 when the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien brought forth a bill…
Abortion bill C-43: the 1st time I voted against my party
I estimate that I voted about 2,000 times during my seven terms as a Member of Parliament. I really only…
Eliminating barriers to trade and barriers to healthcare
I sent the following letter to Premier Houston this morning:Hon Tim HoustonPremier of Province of Nova ScotiaHalifaxDear Premier Tim HoustonI…
Lessons from the 2025 election
Where to start?There are many lessons to be learned from Monday’s federal election.One lesson that jumps out to me is…
Tariffs 101
During my time as M.P., I believe I became one of the most knowledgeable MPs about tariffs. I received my…
If you don’t need us, why do you want us?
I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state.I don’t intend this Blog…
Another letter to President Trump
I wrote another letter to Mr. Trump. He hasn't responded yet… but I'm optimistic.President Donald TrumpThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…
Prime Minister Carney down on the farm
On Monday I had the opportunity to attend the Prime Minister Mark Carney/Candidate Alana Hirtle campaign event at the Lorraine…
Québec voters & the dynamics of asymmetrical federalism in Canada
It is interesting to observe Quebec voters. In the last election, Quebec voters elected 33 Bloc Québecois Members of Parliament…
5 minutes in the U.S.A.
Last fall a friend of mine loaded up his car and shipped it by truck to Florida. He and his…
Party or no party?
I recently had an interesting debate with a friend of mine about the role of political parties in our system.…
No names, thank you
Today a man stopped me in the parking lot and asked me why a political leaders had to be so…
I wonder if he will answer?
President Donald Trump The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,Washington, D.C. 20500, USA. April 16, 2025 Dear President Trump, USA in…
The case for political parties: lessons from the House of Commons
I recently had an interesting debate with a friend of mine about the role of political parties in our system.…
How a $2 shuttle ride turned into a costly credit card scam
A couple I know very well was recently visiting the Caribbean. On the way home, they needed to change terminals…
One interview, two headlines: a political lesson in media spin
For me, politics was a huge learning curve. I was recently reminded of three lessons I learned about the media…
The missing voice: how the U.S. lacks a true political opposition
I always thought that the Canadian political system was better than the United States system for several reasons, but now…
How political will shapes government decisions
There is this concept called “political will”… arguably the most powerful force in government and politics.I’ve watched public officials and…
Entering the U.S. isn’t just a trip any more — it’s an inspection
It is amazing that the government of Canada has just issued a Travel Advisory regarding travel to the United States.Among…
Made in Canada matters more than ever
I opened the refrigerator yesterday and there staring back at me were three proud Maple Leafs on the ketchup and…
The Conservative-Liberal two step
I have often thought that we owe Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, and Paul Martin a great debt of gratitude as…
Respect and credibility: lessons from a broken trade agreement
As I watch all the journalists and experts on television try to figure out what items are subject to a…
The evolution of centralization
Governments in North America have become very centralized around the party leader’s office.Over the decades that I served as a…
Canso, Acadian, Meteor, Monarch, Frontenac, Richelieu, Lucerne
Up until the North American Auto Pact was signed in 1965, high tariffs were in place which prevented new cars…
“So untrustworthy”
Yesterday, the Ottawa Citizen reported that retired Canadian Air Force Lt.-Gen. Yvan Blondin said that the purchase of U.S.-made F-35…
Loathing, freeloading, and pathetic
In case you missed it, communications between several senior officials in the US government accidentally went to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief…
Cross-border consequences: how politics changed our plans
Every year for 35 years, Rosie and I have travelled together with two or three other couples to Maine to…
Backfire! Trump’s tariffs unintentionally boost Canadian industry
The main goal of President Trump’s chaotic tariff announcements against Canada is to take jobs from Canada and relocate them…
Tariffs… what are they?
This morning at breakfast, Rosie asked me to explain tariffs. So here is what I told her. As an example,…