Dear Premier Prentice; I graduated from high school in Alberta ten years ago, and I am gay. I like to think there are more interesting things about me, but these are the relevant points right now. At my school, there was no such thing as a gay-straight alliance, but you
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Too Much Geography: Provincial Cooperation reveals Federal Leadership Vaccum
It’s been a long time Now I’m Coming back home I’ve been away now… Well, it’s been a while, again. I realized that I have been blogging, in my long form Facebook posts. They aren’t as in depth as the things I used to post here, but in the interest
Continue readingToo Much Geography: To Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty, one of Canada’s longest serving Ministers of Finance, passed away today after a massive heart attack. He resigned just a month ago, being replaced by Joe Oliver. He had previously served in the Ontario PC government of Mike Harris. He was, by all accounts, a dedicated public servant.
Continue readingToo Much Geography: The Quebec Election, Realignment, and Polling Skepticism
Quebec goes to the polls today. The question I always have when thinking about the Quebec election is whether or not the province is going to be able to break out of the perpetual federalist-sovereigntist cleavage that it has been mired in for the past seemingly-forever. It doesn’t look like
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Politician Marriages and Silly Scandals
This is probably not going to be the most popular of positions to take, so I want to make clear that I am stating this position independently of any employment or volunteer connections I have to anyone, in any way, for any reason. I’m basically yelling this from the vacuum
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Voter Suppression in Quebec
During the first half of the 20th century, any American in the South who wished to register to vote would have to come before the Board of Registrars. They would have to submit to the rules that were established by the local county electoral board, pass a literacy or civics
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Nate Silver, the Senate, and Hypocrisy
For the last midterm elections, I had the very good fortune of being in Washington DC, for the Rally to Restore Sanity. After looking at the American thoughtscape over the intervening years, I can pretty decisively say that the Rally’s objective has not been realized, and sanity is all too
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Of poems, poppies, and Presidents…
Another Remembrance Day has come and gone, and hundreds of thousands of people gather at cenotaphs and memorials across the country to hear the well-worn words of “In Flanders Fields” echo mournfully out across the assembled crowds. That poem, more than any other single thing, defines my experience of Remembrance
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Marc Garneau: “This isn’t working”
I received a message* from Marc Garneau yesterday about his proposals to reform the party and the democratic processes thereof. It was headed “This isn’t working”, which I thought was a somewhat poor choice of words, because without context it seemed like he was referring to his leadership campaign. Now,
Continue readingToo Much Geography: When I do it, it won’t be my fault
Adrian Dix recently said that if he raises taxes on personal income in the event that he becomes Premier, it’s going to be Christy Clark and the BC Liberals’ fault. Dix says B.C. high-income earners can blame Liberals for possible tax increase I honestly don’t know what to say. It’d
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Martha Hall-Findlay for Leader
The Liberal Party of Canada, that venerable institution, is at a crossroads. It has to not only select a new leader, but also rebuild a shattered organization that leaves it with little institutional heft outside of the traditional Toronto stronghold. I believe that the purpose of a party is more
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Guns, Gun Control, and the Gays
I shot a handgun for the first time in my life earlier this month. I was visiting some friends in America for one of their birthdays, and as one of the weekend’s activities we headed over to the Washington State Shooting Range just south of Bellingham. I’m going to pause
Continue readingToo Much Geography: Don’t Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up
There has been a modicum of public outcry over the working of bill 37, the Animal Health Act, over whether people will be restricted from speaking publicly about threats to the food supply. To hear some folks, this is merely the first step on the road to a totalitarian thought police state.
Continue readingToo Much Geography: The Black Rod of British Columbia
I alluded to my excitement in a previous post, but today was the big day when the Legislative Assembly officially recieived it’s Black Rod. The new Usher of the Black Rod knocked three times on the door of the House, and the Black Rod entered the chamber for the first
Continue readingToo Much Geography: As far as I can Throne ‘em…
I read in the Times Colonist today that the editorial board is rather miffed that the Premier is going to be announcing her agenda for the session via a radio address on CKNW, rather than write a Speech from the Throne. I also had the misfortune to listen to the
Continue readingToo Much Geography: An Open Letter on SOPA/PIPA to Minister Baird
Dear Minister Baird; I am writing to express my concerns over two pieces of legislation that are currently under consideration by the United States Congress, SOPA (H.R. 3261) and PIPA (S. 968). The conservative principles of limited government and free speech are threatened by this legislation and other laws in
Continue readingToo Much Geography: My Frustration with the NPA
I am, for the first time in my life, in the position of being a swing voter. I had been a politically committed individual before coming of age, so this experience is wholly new to me. In the last municipal election I didn’t live in any municipality, and thusly was
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