Assorted content to end your week.- Erin catches a typically-partisan response from the Cons to the prospect that a new U.S. stimulus package might contain Buy American provisions once again:What strikes me is that corporate Canada and Conservatives ar…
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Accidental Deliberations: Taking shape
With the NDP’s leadership rules now set, let’s take a look at how the race is shaping up. As best I can tell, the Mark’s list of candidates looks to reflect the group most likely to enter the race, featuring Brian Topp, Thomas Mulcair, Niki Ashton, Pet…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012: Rulebook Review
As promised, let’s take a quick look through the NDP’s official leadership rules. On the whole, the regulations don’t look to particularly favour any one candidate – but they do include a few noteworthy twists which may help to shape the outcome.The So…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading.- Andrew Potter comments on Samara’s most recent findings about federal politicians in Canada:Samara’s findings underscore the profound amateurism that permeates our national politics. When the vast majorit…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On public goods
New Brunswick’s PC government is the latest to launch an all-out attack on public pensions. And the usual reasons look to apply, with the official press release hinting at a combination of eagerness to foment resentment against the civil service in ord…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Dan Gardner makes the case (with which I wholeheartedly agree) as to the importance of making thoughtful decisions at the best of times:If there is one lesson we must learn from 9/11 and the decade that followe…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on what the Keystone XL pipeline debate started by Peter Lougheed means for Saskatchewan in managing its own natural resources.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On comparative advantages
At least a few Canadian commentators have looked to Australia’s process for selecting party leaders – with the party caucus rather than its membership making the choice – as a model which we should emulate. Which makes it noteworthy that it’s Bruce Haw…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Refreshing
No, there’s nothing particularly surprising in the NDP strategy reported by Laura Payton. But isn’t a pleasant change that the official opposition actually has such a thing?
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- For those with a few months to kill between now and next March, now may be the time to direct a browser tab toward Alice’s NDP leadership site and start hitting “refresh”.- The Conference Board of Cana…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On wedges
Greg offers up an important response to the Cons’ initial line of attack on Brian Topp. But let’s also note how the latest barrage fits into the Cons’ broader strategy in taking on the NDP.Remember what happened as part of the silly season of summer, w…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On nuclear testing
One of the obvious questions facing Saskatchewan voters in the lead up to this fall’s election is that of how much credit (if any) Brad Wall and his government should be able to claim for economic gains based mostly on favourable resource prices. So le…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning ‘Rider Blogging
Yes, there’s once again plenty to like about the ‘Riders’ performance in sweeping the home-and-home series against what had been the CFL’s top team. But let’s note that there’s still some obvious room for improvement in the offence which is winning so …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The great consumer sellout
Michael Geist raises a good point about the lack of discussion of digital issues in Ontario’s provincial election. But it’s worth wondering whether Canada’s Western provinces are even able to have the debate which Geist rightly sees as vital:Copyright …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.- Simon Enoch rightly criticizes the Cons’ fair-weather commitment to democracy in the wake of a fairly resounding vote on the part of Canadian Wheat Board members to preserve the institution and its single-des…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Out of the starting blocks
Needless to say, the endorsements of Ed Broadbent and Francoise Boivin have made Brian Topp’s leadership campaign launch a bit more of a splash than might have been expected. But for those looking to declare the race over before it begins, let’s rememb…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Burning question
The Hill Times rightly notes that the Cons’ strategy against the NDP has involved taking every opportunity to attack both unions in general, and any form of association between labour and the NDP. But leaving aside the fact that the labour movement can…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012: Group Decisions
This week figures to see the first official entries into the NDP’s leadership race. But it’s well worth noting some of the work being done behind the scenes – whether by the candidates themselves or not – to test the grassroots support for possible lea…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012: The Week In Quotes
A few quotes worth noting from both candidates and non-candidates alike – feel free to suggest more in comments.Thomas Mulcair on his considerations in deciding whether to run:There’s an old saying that before you take the plunge, you have to make sure…
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