The Hon. Sergio Marchi

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, [...]

This week, the 44th Parliament finally began. On Monday, as the first order of business, Ontario MP Anthony Rota was re-elected Speaker of the House of Commons. This was not a surprise, as he was generally seen as an effective and fair ‘referee’ during his first mandate. He carried out his [...]

The new Minister of Foreign Affairs is a young, dynamic MP from Quebec, Melanie Joly. She recently served as the Libéral Party’s election co-chair, and her appointment to the prestigious new portfolio surprised many observers. This general reaction will probably ensure low expectations, [...]

Mohamad Fakih is one successful, savvy entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, a chain of Lebanese restaurants. He immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 1999, with $1200 to his name, and started his business with one location in Mississauga. Today, he has some 85 locations worldwide, [...]

Finally, after an unusually long wait, on Tuesday, white smoke emerged from the Parliamentary ‘Sistine chapel’. Behold, we have a new cabinet! Before evaluating the starting line-up, a few thoughts about the cabinet-making process. First, it’s a lonely and difficult task. The PM can [...]