So the Cons have announced they’re raising the penalty for offshore oil spills – from $161 million to $2 billion ($400 million for the actual offence, the rest for environmental damage). It’s not just they’re not kidding anyone. It’s that they made the announcement on the East Coast where the
Continue readingAuthor: BlastFurnace
Blast Furnace Canada Blog: Arkansas sees the light; who next?
Four states in the South (via the courts) have now recognized gay marriage: Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma … and now Arkansas. The latter three are actually quite conservative, which is one thing; but what makes the Arkansas ruling interesting is that the court didn’t use “strict scrutiny” to strike down the
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Federalism wins with Senate decision
When Stephen Harper tried to go about his ideas about Senate reform, his belief was that one could have Senate elections and fixed terms without the consent of the provinces. Today, the Supreme Court of Canada reaffirmed that Canada is a federation, not a unitary state like France and not
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: With the new Québec government, the provinces should push back
Monday’s landslide win by Phillipe Couillard and his Québec Liberal Party is a great sign that the idea of sovereignty may have been set aside for a long time. But I think it should lead to something more. It should lead to the federation our Founders wanted but has often
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: RIP Spousal privilege
One of the oldest principles in law is the spousal privilege. Considered even more sacred than the privilege between a lawyer and client, physician and patient, or cleric and penitent, it has at its core one basic principle: Unless there was abuse involved or a couple conspired together, any communications
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: What in the world is Eve Adams?
When I was a kid, I was known for throwing hissy fits on just about anything that didn’t go my way. Now a lot of us adults probably were like that in our younger days, too, but we smartened up. In that vein, though, I have to wonder if Eve
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Another rebuke against PMS
0 and 4 so far for Stephen Harper. First, he lost the InSite decision, which now allows safe injection sites. Then he lost the prostitution decision, which all but legalizes the sex trade. Yesterday, he lost a decision which in effect restores accelerated parole for those who have served just
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Two steps forward in America, one step back in Uganda
Another good (and bad) week for common decency. 1) Freedom of religion. That’s the excuse a lot of business owners used well into the 1970s when they refused service to Blacks, Asians and Native Americans. So it was good to hear Gov. Janice Brewer of Arizona veto the so-called “religious
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Finally, the Confederacy gets on board — well, one state does
In a decision that surprised me, a Southern federal judge overturned Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen also ruled that the state also had to start respecting the laws of 17 other states and Washington DC that permit the practice. This marks the first time
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Future posting
I haven’t gone away, I’m still very much here. Sometime in the next few days, I’ll be making a very personal diary entry. But it’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while. When I do write it and post it here, I hope you’ll understand.
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Doing right by sex trade workers
Due to multiple technical issues I haven’t been able until now to comment on the Supreme Court’s decision in Attorney General of Canada v. Bedford on December 20th but all I can say is it was absolutely the right decision. What surprised me was that it lined up 9-0,
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Is that all the post office could come up with?
Since the post office department (literally part of the government) became the Canada Post Corporation in 1982, its mandate has been to deliver the mail but to do so on a self-sustaining model; in other words, no bailout from Parliament. That’s been fine, because until a few years ago it
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Should Worker’s Compensation be a shared responsibility?
We all know the reason for workers’ compensation. We give up the right to sue a company for injuries that happen at the workplace (although it is possible to sue another company that made the equipment responsible for the injury, in a product liability lawsuit). In exchange the province’s compensation
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: "I’ve got more than enough to eat at home," Ford says
You couldn’t get the best scriptwriters in Hollywood or Broadway to come up with this line. Rob Ford, responding this morning to numerous allegations that he hired a call girl to visit his office in Toronto (among other allegations of downing mickeys in one shot and DUI), said they were
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Take a time out already, Rob!
So Rob Ford has actually admitted it. He’s bought illegal drugs during the last two years. Notwithstanding that concession, 30 of 44 councillors on Toronto City Council voted to ask him to take a leave of absence. Naturally, Ford refused. He also said he still has a “coat hanger” in
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: As always, it’s the coverup (if that’s what it is)
At this point, I really don’t give a damn if Toronto Mayor Rob Ford did drugs. If he did it certainly hasn’t impaired his performance as a politician. What I do care about are the following: Ford obviously has major issues. Be they mental or substance, or both, he needs
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: See, we told you so (Senate reform edition) — and what I’d like to see
Finally someone has told the Prime Minister he can stuff it on his brand of changes to the Senate of Canada. It comes courtesy of the Québec Court of Appeal which has unanimously ruled Bill C-7, if passed, would be unconstitutional and therefore a form of “dead letter clause”. (The
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Senate or Star Chamber?
Barring a last minute change of minds, it looks like Senators Brazeau, Duffy and Wallin will be effectively impeached from the Senate. I think there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. I will recognize that I have written all three have a lot to answer for.
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Where’s the draft text?
Today, Harper and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso initialled a trade and labour agreement between Canada and the world’s most powerful trading bloc. Like I said in my last post, I think open trade with the EU will be overall good for Canada. But don’t you find it odd that
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Harper picks CETA over H of C
I couldn’t believe it when I heard it on the radio this morning. On the first day of the debate regarding the Reply to the Speech from the Throne, Stephen Harper doesn’t face off against Tom Mulcair — by tradition it’s the Opposition Leader that starts the debate. Nope. Harper
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