The Hon. Sergio Marchi

As outlined in my two previous articles for this magazine and in endless media reports around the world, the heroes of this war are, by far, the Ukrainian people. Their spirit of resistance, solidarity, and valour have been remarkable to behold. Every day we watch Putin’s hideous military aggression, [...]

ABOVE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured on Twitter as he appeals to Ukrainian citizens. Watching Ukrainians fight the Russians all alone pulls at our heartstrings. And witnessing the death, destruction, and dislocation of millions of Ukrainians adds to a feeling of misery and helplessness. [...]

As we watch with increased concern the Ukrainian crisis play out, we can’t help but feel great empathy for their citizens. They have been bullied and beaten down by Putin for years. In 2014, he annexed Crimea without anyone laying a hand on him. Since then, in a bloody rebellion waged in the eastern [...]

As the nation’s capital, the city of Ottawa and its citizens are accustomed to their share of protests. As the seat of our federal government, stakeholders are continuously in town to address and bring publicity to their causes. So much so, that local residents are almost indifferent. Not that [...]

Let me say from the out-start that I have a great deal of respect for those who enter the political arena. The vast majority of politicos mean well and have the interest of our country at heart. They also have, for the most part, a thankless job. It’s not a complaint as much as a statement of fact. [...]

Last week, President Biden gave what most commentators said was a “historic speech”, on the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the US Capital. It was a powerful address aimed at reinforcing their increasingly endangered democracy; a democracy that continues to take daily body blows [...]

As we usher in a new year, many old challenges confronting our global community still haunt us. And we don’t have the luxury to ignore them — unless we want them to fester into bigger, more intractable problems. We must therefore deal with them head-on, with candour and creativity. A few [...]

When the Soviet Union imploded and the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, those were heady days for democracy. While not eliminating all forms of authoritarian regimes, we in the West, thought we had created fresh, irreversible momentum for building liberal, progressive societies. Of offering people a better [...]

The Hon. Sergio Marchi’s column, ‘The Public Square’, looks at current affairs and political issues impacting the capital and our country. Click on the photo or the headline below to the individual articles. We hope you enjoy them, and we welcome your comments along the way. [...]

On the first day of the new 44th Parliament, Ontario MP Anthony Rota was re-elected Speaker of the House of Commons. His selection, however, was no surprise. During his first mandate in the Chair, Rota was seen as a fair and likeable ‘referee’. He carried out his responsibilities with credibility, [...]