The Power Play picks for the top five power players of 2022

The 2022 political year saw federal leaders grapple with unprecedented protests at home and how to respond to wartime needs abroad. It also saw some top politicians assume new positions of power, while indigenous leaders took their calls for accountability directly to the Vatican.

Here are CTV News Channel Power Play picks for the top five political power players of the year, in no particular order.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kherson, Ukraine, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP, File)

In February, Ukraine’s little-known leader stepped into the world’s spotlight when he defended his country from Russia’s invasion and delivered chilling speeches from the heart of Kyiv as his homeland endured constant shelling.

For 10 months, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has managed to rally the support of NATO countries despite the fact that Ukraine is not a member nation. His determination has reflected his nation’s resistance to Vladimir Putin’s attempted annexation of the entire country.

When the war first broke out and the United States offered to fly Zelenskyy out of the Ukraine, he replied: “I need ammunition, not a lift.”

His constant calls for nations to do more have led Canada to contribute more than $3.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine, both in military and humanitarian aid. The war in Ukriane also put a renewed focus on Canada’s NATO spending commitments, seeing an increase become a key feature of the 2022 federal budget, with the target not yet met.

His direct and moving virtual address to Parliament in March brought the realities of war to the floor of the House of Commons, while at home Zelenskyy’s late-night addresses to his people have been essential in keeping Ukrainians informed amidst a world of misinformation

In an interview on Power Play, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada Yulia Kovaliv said that such speeches have been of vital importance.

“Every night he tells the Ukrainians what is happening, what we have done to get the support of our partners, what has been done inside the country to repair the [power] racks to warm people,” Kovaliv said.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

In March, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made the final power play of the year by striking a supply and trust agreement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The deal is slated to last until 2025 if, and only if, the Liberals live up to their end of the bargain by complying with key policy boards.

In the first year of the deal, the NDP forced the government to start what is now a temporary dental benefits program for children under 12 from low-income households, but it is expected to become a more comprehensive program soon. national dental plan.

Two other victories for the NDP were the doubling of the GST tax credit and the one-time top-up of $500 from the Canada Housing Benefit.

But as the health care system continues to crumble, the agreement shows that it is not foolproof.

“There may be a time when, after we’ve exhausted the fight and pushed as hard as we can, this government is no longer willing to do for the people and the prime minister is no longer willing to listen to us or be forced to.” do the right thing, and then we will make a decision,” Singh said in an interview.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre asks a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

After a seven-month leadership campaign that saw intense attacks on his fellow candidates, Pierre Poilievre walked away with an easy first-ballot victory. When the results were announced in September, the long-time Conservative managed to secure 68 percent of the available polling places and came in as the first choice in nearly all of the country’s 338 constituencies.

The decisive victory followed a divisive campaign, and that sentiment continued when Poilievre took a seat in the House of Commons opposite Trudeau.

With the cost-of-living crisis and inflation major issues for most Canadians, Poilievre and the Conservatives have hit out at concerned Liberals, claiming that pandemic spending has created the current economic climate. In response, Trudeau has repeatedly criticized Poilievre’s controversial views on the use of cryptocurrencies and his claim that he would fire the governor of the Bank of Canada.

Internally, Poilievre has managed to rally the conservatives after two disappointing election results in 2021 and 2019, calling on his group to head into the new year standing on the side of “ordinary people.”

Emergency Law Research Commissioner Paul Rouleau

Commissioner Paul Rouleau speaks with Freedom Corp. attorney Brendan Miller before asking security to remove the attorney from the Emergency Law Enforcement Commission, in Ottawa, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Paul Rouleau, who made history as the first person to lead a National Emergency Law and Order Commission as prescribed in the Emergencies Act, had a daunting task ahead of him even before unscheduled surgery set his work back.

Ultimately, he and his team of commission attorneys were given six weeks to question more than 70 witnesses and review thousands of pages of documentation related to the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergency Law to end the protests. of the “Liberty Convoy”.

Despite the arduous task, Rouleau managed to keep the commission’s public hearings going, even when cross-examinations from the marathon hearings turned adversarial or conspiratorial.

While the fact-finding portion of the commission’s work is now complete, Rouleau faces a February 2023 deadline to summarize everything and report back to Parliament. His findings are sure to have consequences, and any recommended changes will spark interesting political debates in the future.

The push of indigenous leaders towards reconciliation

Gerald Antoine, center, TNM First Nations regional chief, is flanked by Natan Obed, president of the Tapiriit Kanatami Inuit delegation, left, and Cassidy Caron, president of the Metis community, as they meet with reporters at the Saint Peter’s Square, in the Vatican. after his meeting with Pope Francis, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

This year, a delegation of indigenous leaders and residential school survivors traveled to the Vatican. A week of meetings culminated in the pope’s apology to indigenous delegates in a public audience.

So, history was made when the Pope traveled to this country and apologized on Canadian soil. The six-day visit took the pope to Alberta, Quebec and the territory of Nunavut, and focused on publicly addressing the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s residential school system.

Last month, the House of Commons unanimously agreed to recognize that what unfolded inside the residential schools was genocide.

But, indigenous leaders in this country have been clear: apology and acknowledgment of wrongdoing is only the beginning, not the end when it comes to what are the responsibilities of the federal government and institutions like the Catholic Church.

And, as a new report from the Yellowhead Institute indicates, Canada still has a long way to go when it comes to reconciliation. The report found that of the 94 Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, only 13 have been completed to date, two of which were made this year.

“At this rate, it will take 42 years, or up to 2065, to complete all the calls to action,” he says.

National Metis Council President Cassidy Caron and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed traveled to Rome and were with the survivors when the Pope came to Canada. In an interview, the two indigenous leaders spoke about how the apology was a “culmination of decades of work,” meaning something different to each person.

Now, they said, Canadian officials must continue to push the path toward reconciliation.

“From a systems perspective and from a relationship perspective, it also unlocks the potential to do more work together,” Obed said.

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