Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter for Tuesday, May 7, 2013: Psychiatry’s New DSM Guide Falls Short, Experts Say Corporations Find a Friend in the US Supreme Court The Bureau of Diversity Compliance | National Review Online Access to Justice Starts With Legal Tuition FDA
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Ground Control to Major Tom #nlpoli
New Democratic Party leader Lorraine Michael asked natural resources minister Tom Marshall in the House of Assembly on Monday about Husky’s plans for natural gas development offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. The story appeared in upstreamonline.com on May 3 and SRBP told you about it the same day. Here’s what Marshall
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: OHA snippy about lack of health care planning
Last week’s provincial budget was accompanied by an uncharacteristic snippy release from the Ontario Hospital Association expressing disappointment. While OHA CEO Pat Campbell says there are a few positive initiatives for hospitals and the health care system, the chief complaint … Continue reading →
Continue readingFar and Wide: Liberals: Cash, Polls, Attacks
A bit of a grab bag post on all things Liberal. With the usual “moment in time” caveat understood, these are still encouraging times for the Liberals. The polling shows more a surge than a “bounce”, even more pronounced when interpreting the regionals. The Liberals lead in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Ontario,
Continue readingFar and Wide: Liberals: Cash, Polls, Attacks
A bit of a grab bag post on all things Liberal. With the usual “moment in time” caveat understood, these are still encouraging times for the Liberals.
The polling shows more a surge than a “bounce”, even more pronounced when interpreting the regionals. The Liberals lead in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and noticeably upticking in British Columbia, a regional coalition that provides a clear path to power. What is particularly noteworthy, Trudeau is VERY well known in Quebec, a fact which makes the Liberal resurgence all the more instructive.
Apparently the Conservative attacks ads are focused heavily on Ontario and Atlantic Canada. The latest from Ipsos Reid brings a curious result:
Interestingly, among those who have seen the ads on television, 41 per cent said they intended to vote for the Liberals as compared to 32 per cent for the Conservatives and 21 per cent for the NDP.
Support numbers were much closer among those who have not seen the ads, with the Liberals and Conservatives split at 31 per cent and New Democrats at 27 per cent
Wright says the numbers indicate the ads may have actually helped the Liberals by having a handful of New Democrats “switch their soft support from the NDP to soft support for Justin Trudeau.”
It is true, that with attack ads, one is wise to take the long view which accessing true damage. That said, when you actually see a divergence that suggests a complete backfire- more support for the Liberals amongst those that have viewed the ad- that needs to be incorporated as to ultimate effectiveness. I said from the outset, I questioned the wisdom of showing your opponent in an attractive light, no matter the message. Normally, attack ads show the target in darkened tones, odd postures, unflattering facial expressions, not buff and attractive, wherein some quietly say to themselves “wow, great hair”, “nice abs”. If these ads aren’t hitting their mark, colour me not surprised. If these ads are actually helping the Liberals, as Ipsos shows empirically, what a colossal failure.
Stepping off from the ad itself, the implications for the Liberals. Lost in the bizarre fascination with Trudeau’s casual attire, the fact Liberals have raised an impressive 1 million since he took office. As well, some vindication of the “supporter” category, with six thousand new donors. Critics argued that this new category would be the ruin of political participation, representing little commitment, to which I say, there is nothing more concrete than CASH. These numbers suggest the hope we could cement the relationship, after an initial “foot in the door” approach, is bearing fruit. I’m not sure why anyone believed Trudeau’s supporters would just disappear after the leadership, considering they SUPPORT him.
I note these fundraising numbers only suggest Liberals are back in the game, relative to the Conservatives. However, if that is the lament, Liberals will take it every time, as many of us remember being outpaced four or five times, for years. If Liberals can achieve anything close to a fundraising saw off under Trudeau, it will represent a fundamental change in the dynamics of federal politics. The early signs are quite encouraging…
Obviously, we are in the “honeymoon” period of Trudeau’s leadership. However, there are unique factors at play when it comes to Justin. Trudeau IS a known quantity, at least on a personal level. As well, in Quebec, his federalist views are very well incorporated, which makes the “surge” in that province all the more meaningful. Truth be told, the NDP have been completely derailed by Trudeau. My pre-leadership win contention that Mulcair never becomes Prime Minister with a Trudeau led Liberal Party looks less far fetched as we move forward. Either we see vote splitting that brings another Harper mandate- Liberals eroding NDP support- or we see the Liberals win outright, as Trudeau most easily claims the “change” mantle, should we reach that phase of a regime.
A snapshot in time, for certain, but a relatively pretty picture, no doubt.
Continue readingFar and Wide: Liberals: Cash, Polls, Attacks
A bit of a grab bag post on all things Liberal. With the usual “moment in time” caveat understood, these are still encouraging times for the Liberals. The polling shows more a surge than a “bounce”, even more pronounced when interpreting the regionals. The Liberals lead in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Ontario,
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Magical apparatus malfunctions
Alltop’s humor collection never stinks.
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Canadian Class Warfare
Linda McQuaig writes that, until the temporary foreign workers program blew up in its face, the Harper government was able to keep one of its key initiatives — class warfare — under the radar: Apart from this clumsy fiasco, the Harperites have been adroit at keeping their anti-worker bias under
Continue reading350 or bust: Deconstructing Our Dinner: What’s Wrong With Our Food System
For today’s TED Talk Tuesday, a home-schooled 11 year old deconstructs what’s wrong with our current food system:
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Not the arse-end of the world … #nlpoli
Check out the 2012 Hydro-Quebec annual report and you will find a lovely chart showing trends in energy prices in northeastern North America. “After reaching a historic peak in 2008, natural gas and electricity prices in northeastern North America dropped sharply in 2009, then rose slightly in 2010 only to
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Is Stephen Harper Going Over the Deep End?
OMG. I don't know whether to celebrate or send out an Amber Ape Alert eh? But it appears as if Stephen Harper is missing in action.He hasn't showed his face in the House of Commons for DAYS, and I'm starting to fear the worst.Great Leader is not only hopelessly lost. Like the Ikea
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Ralph Sultan: Poverty is a “Single Mom” Issue
At an SFU Public Square event on child poverty tonight, BC Liberal candidate Ralph Sultan evoked boos from the audience when he described the matter as a “single mom” issue. He later defended himself, saying he was only quoting “facts” as an economist. Liberal Ralph Sultan says kids living in
Continue readingMelissa Fong: Anti-Gentrification Pidgin Protesting: Bad Urban Planning but Potential for Good Social Movement Building
This is a fifth instalment to the gentrification series- discussing the Protests and pickets in Vancouver’s DTES Thus far I haven’t been too clear about where my commitments lie. I understand both sides. Team Anti-gentrification/ CCAP/ Homeless Dave/ Poor people’s movement/ DTES advocate: They are locally organizing against some larger scale problems,
Continue readingQueer-liberal: ‘The Golden Pin’: Cuando las tradiciones se interponen en el amor / ‘The Golden Pin’: When traditions stand in the way of love
I recently did an interview with the Latino queer website UniversoGay about my short film, ‘The Golden Pin,’ which has turned into a hit on YouTube. I posted the 16-minute short film there on October 24, 2012, and in six short months, it’s attracted over 900,000 views! At this rate,
Continue readingThe World Famous Dan Shields: 5959…I Got It: Harper’s Nose Is Leaking
That has got to be it, right? A leaking nose is why our beloved Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, misplaced that 3,100,000,000.00 dollars, wants to blow billions more on sh*tty jets and is crying himself to sleep over Justin Trudeau. Is true. I think. He is just like Joe Nagy from
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Canadian Diplomacy Supported Deadly Blackfire Mining Project: Report
By: United Steelworkers (USW) | Press Release: OTTAWA and SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS – Documents released from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in response to a request under the access to information act reveal that Canadian authorities put public resources at the service of Calgary-based Blackfire
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Kellie Leitch Speaks Again In Her ‘Master’s Voice’
Like the good yeo(wo)man she is, Ms Leitch never deviates from the Harper regime script as she ‘answers’ Evan Solomon’s questions about the Temporary Foreign Worker’s Program. One only hopes that her collar is not pulled too tightly; given Canada’s doctor shortage, it would be sad to lose a trained
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Why Is This BC Election So Low Key This Time Around?
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Maroc called this morning to chat about the election that is rumoured to be underway. He was amazed how few signs were out and how it seems surreal in its lack of urgency or spark! What has changed? Well grass roots activism within the political parties
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Death of ‘Sustainability’
This is a guest post by Glenn Hurrowitz, author and senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. Can destroying a tropical rainforest be “sustainable”? Well, according to a decision taken yesterday by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the major industry-NGO body, this greatest of environmental crimes is
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