Stephen Harper faces most serious scandal since taking power: analysis

OTTAWA—It was a daily meeting to pick out the bad news, flag the trouble spots and worry about the landmines that could trip up a government.

Nigel Wright, once Stephen Harper’s trusted aide, chaired a daily issues management meeting when he ran the Prime Minister’s Office.

Every day, top staffers to Harper would review stories that had cropped up in the media overnight and reports from minister’s offices or agencies flagging other issues of concern that hadn’t yet made it to the headlines.

New anti-terror bill might avert shootings like Edmonton: public safety minister

OTTAWA - The shooting death of an Edmonton police constable may have federal policy implications, the city's mayor and the Conservative public safety minister both said Tuesday.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson suggested that the loss of the federal long-gun registry may be a factor in a spate of Alberta police altercations, including a shooting Monday that killed Const. Daniel Woodall and wounded Sgt. Jason Harley.

"I do have a concern with gun violence and I will say that the loss of the gun registry may be related to this," Iveson said.

Canada’s $6 million man. Run early, retire young, enjoy life like Peter MacKay

I’m trying to think of another job besides Peter MacKay’s in which you can serve for 18 years, then retire and start collecting a pension of almost $120,000 a year, for life.

I’m not getting very far. A few lucky corporate executives may be able to cash out to a similar extent, but most would have spent many more years slugging their way to the top than MacKay did. And most work in the private sector, so their cushy golden years would be funded by shareholders rather than taxpayers.

Peter MacKay exit allows him to collect full pension at 55

By choosing not to reoffer in this year's federal election, Justice Minister Peter MacKay joins a growing list of Conservative MPs who will avoid the impact of pension changes that will triple the amount they must contribute and lock in some of the money for an extra 10 years.

Under new pension rules for MPs passed in 2013, all politicians elected for the first time in the next election must wait until age 65 before they can draw a pension.

MacKay departure underscores fact Conservatives are one-man show: former Tory adviser

OTTAWA — The unexpected decision from Conservative stalwart Peter MacKay to leave politics has left a string of questions for the party faithful, not least of which is what will happen to the Nova Scotia seat he’s vacating.

“This was a safe seat in an area that’s now being impinged upon by the Liberals,” said David McLaughlin, former chief of staff to Brian Mulroney and adviser to Conservative governments.

Peter MacKay, who killed the old PC party, will leave politics

The last leader of Canada's federal Progressive Conservative (PC) Party announced his resignation from politics on Friday.

Peter McKay is currently Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Minister of Justice.

He is the son of Brian Mulroney cabinet minister Elmer MacKay and a former crown prosecutor in Nova Scotia; and was first elected to parliament, as a Progressive Conservative, in 1997.

MacKay 'Bailing' as Conservative Fortunes Wane, Political Analyst Says

The departure of one of the most high-profile ministers of the governing Conservatives is a sure sign members are concerned about this October's election, according to a professor at the University of Toronto's political science department.

Peter MacKay, who represents the riding of Central Nova, announced his retirement from MP duties on Friday afternoon. He has served as a Member of Parliament since 1997.

MacKay has been the minister of National Defence and Foreign Affairs, and is Canada's current minister of Justice and Attorney General.

Peter MacKay slams Supreme Court for quashing mandatory minimum gun sentences

Justice Minister Peter MacKay has publicly denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down mandatory minimum gun sentences, arguing that the country’s highest court was relying on a “far-fetched hypothetical scenario” to mandate how Canada deals with armed criminals.

In a 6-3 decision last week, the Supreme Court quashed three-year minimum sentences for gun criminals on the grounds that the law could unwittingly target law-abiding duck hunters who were caught putting away their shotguns with cartridges still in the magazine.

No such duck hunter has ever been slapped with a mandatory minimum sentence, however — and the scenario was dismissed as “speculative” by the three dissenting justices.

Duffy's diaries shed light on life of a Conservative party insider

Cabinet minister Peter MacKay believed a former aide to the prime minister had leaked an embarrassing story about MacKay’s use of a search-and-rescue helicopter for personal reasons, according to Mike Duffy’s personal diary.

And senators weren’t very happy about how the incident was handled, Duffy’s personal documents also indicate.

The story is just part of the evidence tabled in the suspended senator’s fraud trial that is shedding fascinating light on Duffy’s daily life, his dealings with the Prime Minister’s Office and Conservative MPs, and – from his earliest days in the Senate – his problems with expense claims.

Peter MacKay skirts debate on definition of terrorism: 'Look it up'

Peter MacKay had a simple, gruff reply when asked by reporters what the definition of terrorism will mean in the government's latest anti-terrorism bill, C-51.

"Look it up," the justice minister said as he walked past waiting journalists on Parliament Hill Wednesday.

On the weekend, MacKay was quick to dismiss a terrorist link to the foiled alleged plot to attack a public place in Halifax on Valentine's Day because it lacked a cultural component.

Foiled Halifax Mass Killings Plot 'Not Linked To Terrorism:' Peter MacKay

HALIFAX - Arrests by police that foiled an alleged plot to attack a public place in Halifax have averted a tragedy that would have been "devastating" for the city, Justice Minister Peter MacKay said Saturday.

MacKay wouldn't say what public place was allegedly targeted to be attacked on Saturday, but he said all who are suspected of being involved are either dead or in police custody.

Peter MacKay's friends, colleagues make up 6 of 9 judge appointees

A news site connected to the Broadbent Institute is raising questions about why six of the nine judges appointed to Nova Scotia courts since October 2013 have personal, professional or political connections to Justice Minister Peter MacKay. 

MacKay was appointed attorney general and justice minister in 2013.

MacKay weighs new laws to curb online terror ‘promotion’

Justice Minister Peter MacKay says he is studying whether to adopt legislation to prohibit terrorists or their sympathizers from using the web to promote their causes.

Speaking to reporters on the way in to the Conservative caucus meeting this morning – the first since a lone gunman breached House of Commons security and died in a gunfight with security officials and police – MacKay said the internet-based tools being used to radicalize young Canadians is one of the elements Justice officials are studying.

Four Canadians who have had their lives turned upside down because of Peter MacKay's privacy deficit

It's been a busy few months on privacy issues here at OpenMedia. Our small team has been campaigning hardon your behalf to secure effective legal protections that safeguard the privacy of every resident of Canada.

Recently we've seen a number of disturbing stories come to light that underline just how important this campaign is. It can sometimes be difficult for everyday Canadians to see privacy as an issue that impacts their everyday lives -- when in fact the human consequences of privacy breaches can be immense.

Here are just a few concrete examples of Canadians who've had their lives turned totally upside down because of this government’s privacy deficit.

Moms change diapers, Dads form leaders: Justice minister’s emails to staff

OTTAWA - Justice Minister Peter MacKay raised eyebrows in his department with two very different tributes to female and male employees for Mother's Day and Father's Day this year.

Emails obtained by The Canadian Press show that in May, MacKay saluted mothers in the department for holding down two full-time jobs — at home and at work.

"By the time many of you have arrived at the office in the morning, you’ve already changed diapers, packed lunches, run after school buses, dropped kids off at daycare, taken care of an aging loved one and maybe even thought about dinner," MacKay said of the moms in a staff-wide memo that went out to thousands of employees before Mother's Day.

Peter MacKay Pushed To Enforce Parliamentary Law In Senate Scandal

OTTAWA - Federal Liberals are trying to drag Justice Minister Peter MacKay into the Senate expenses scandal, urging him to ensure no legal stone is unturned in the quest to prosecute all those involved.

Liberal justice critic Sean Casey wrote MacKay on Friday, arguing that he has a legal duty to ensure that public affairs are conducted lawfully.

In particular, Casey said MacKay has a statutory obligation to ensure enforcement of Sec. 16 of the Parliament of Canada Act, which so far appears to have been ignored by the RCMP as it investigates allegations against Sen. Mike Duffy and Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former chief of staff.

Peter MacKay defends victim surcharge

OTTAWA - Justice Minister Peter MacKay is deflecting criticism of a new, mandatory victim surcharge, saying judges opposed to the measure will eventually "see the wisdom" of making sure victims of crime receive proper help.

MacKay was responding Monday to reports that say judges in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta have either refused to order criminals to pay the surcharge or found ways to make it impossible for authorities to collect the fee.

Some judges and justice critics have said the surcharge places an unfair burden on those who don't have the means to pay.

MacKay said the money gathered from the surcharge is used to help victims with counselling and other services.

Tories Again Accuse Justin Trudeau Of Promoting Pot To Children

Conservatives are once again accusing Justin Trudeau of promoting pot to children after the Liberal leader explained his plan to legalize marijuana to a group of students on Wednesday.

Trudeau was in Brandon, Manitoba, to give a boost to Rolf Dinsdale, his Grit candidate in this month's byelection. The two visited a school in Sioux Valley, where students apparently asked Trudeau about his pot plan.

James O'Connor, managing editor of the Brandon Sun, posted on Twitter that Trudeau received applause when he explained why he favours legalizing and controlling the drug.

Glass houses, Mr. MacKay

Recently, I was awarded the Peter G. MacKay Award for sub-standard and cowardly journalism by Canada’s justice minister.

Touched as I was, I’ll have to turn the honour down. The column for which I was given the award simply doesn’t qualify — at least not in my sub-par opinion.

Besides, I have learned over time that judgements about journalism from politicians or government agencies are tricky matters.

Why politics could get in the way of justice reform

I'm re-watching the footage we shot of federal justice minister Peter MacKay arriving this past Monday at the Delta Hotel in St. John's for one of his cross-country, round-table discussions on the Harper government's proposed bill of rights for victims.

Seven women and two men representing local interest groups and government agencies are already sitting at the horse-shoe table arrangement, chatting, reading, making notes.