Joan Bryden
Reporter for The Canadian Press
About Joan Bryden
Speaker Rota reflects on first year presiding over unprecedented virtual Parliament
Anthony Rota is marking his first anniversary as Speaker of the House of Commons by, as he puts it, having his throat slit.
Assisted dying conversations should be initiated by patients, not doctors: Qualtrough
Disability Inclusion Minister Carla Qualtrough says health practitioners should not be allowed to discuss the issue of assisted dying until a patient asks about it — and she's open to amending the law to make that clear.
Tough talk on China could hurt efforts to free Kovrig, Spavor, Canada's foreign minister warns
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne warned on Monday, November 23, 2020, that tough talk about China could hurt efforts to gain the release of two arbitrarily detained Canadians.
Psychiatrists dispute exclusion of mental illness in assisted dying bill
The federal bill revising the rules on medically assisted death in Canada has raised the ire of the Canadian Psychiatric Association over the proposed law's explicit rejection of mental illness as grounds for ending a patient's life.
Assisted dying bill sparks fiery debate among Canadians with disabilities
The determination of two Quebecers with disabilities to decide when their suffering had become intolerable persuaded the federal government to rewrite the law on medical assistance in dying.
Top public servant offers to testify about redactions to WE Charity documents
The country's top public servant is offering to testify about controversial redactions to some 5,000 pages of documents the government released on the WE Charity affair.
Liberals hold two Toronto ridings in byelections despite stiff challenges from Greens, Tories
The federal Liberals saw their share of the vote drop in two Toronto byelections on Monday, October 26, 2020, a humbling result for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the first electoral test of his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Second confidence showdown for Liberal minority could be on the way
One day after surviving a confidence vote on a Conservative motion, Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government faces another Conservative motion that could trigger yet more high-stakes drama over the possibility of a snap election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feds to reintroduce assisted dying bill Monday
Facing a looming court-imposed deadline, the federal government will reintroduce on Monday, October 5, 2020, legislation to amend Canada's law on medical assistance in dying.
New benefits for workers hurt by pandemic stalls in Senate
After being rushed through the House of Commons in a single day, a bill authorizing new benefits for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has hit a speed bump in the Senate.