Owen Gray – Page 146 – Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

June 27, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: The Death Of The Liberal Party?

http://blogs.theprovince.com/ Jeffrey Simpson asks a question which needs asking. Peter C. Newman tried to answer it after the last election. But, like Mark Twain’s first obituary, his answer proved to be premature. What is happening these days, however, raises the question yet again — because, at the moment, the

June 26, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Another Willy Loman

http://chicagocritic.com/ Stephen Harper believes in marketing. His career has been based on his firm conviction that he can sell anything to Canadians. But, Michael Harris writes,

June 25, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: The Courts Know Their Man

Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault has launched a Charter challenge to the Harper government’s destruction of gun registry data. Steve Sullivan writes: The Federal Court had to decide whether to believe the government’s assurances that it would not destroy the data while Legault’s case

June 24, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Another Name For Financial Madness

http://people.opposingviews.com/ Last Saturday, 250,000 Britons marched against Austerity — something the newly re-elected David Cameron believes is good for the UK. Which raises the question, Who is austerity good for? Duncan Campbell writes: Both social democratic and neoliberal market economists defend austerity, but the reasoning (do not spend more

June 23, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: It Will End In Catastrophe

http://predicthistunpredictpast.blogspot.ca/ Pope Francis’ encyclical continues to make waves. Five Republican candidates for president — who are also Catholic — have attacked Laudato Si, claiming Francis knows nothing about science. They forget that the Pope’s first degree was in chemistry. They and their followers profess

June 22, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Why Does Chong Stay?

http://www.cbc.ca/ Michael Chong used to be Stephen Harper’s Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. The story of how he came to resign his position makes interesting reading. Michael Harris writes: Chong was the Intergovernmental Affairs minister back in 2006 when the prime minister broke all the known rules with his unilateral

June 21, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: He Knows An Easy Mark

Opposition to the Prime Minister is building. But Stephen Harper has always known that more voters despise him than support him. That’s why the Fair Elections Act — with its truly Orwellian title — is now law. Linda McQuaig writes: Stephen Harper’s re-election strategy depends on a lot of you

June 20, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Not With A Bang

James Moore left yesterday. And Don Meredith was booted from the Conservative Senate caucus earlier in the week. It looks like things are falling apart in Harperland. And, as she travels the country, Chantal Hebert writes that she’s picking up on that vibe, too: In Ontario and British Columbia, the

June 19, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Look Upon My Works, Ye Mighty

http://beamingnotes.com/ Stephen Harper wants to build a monument to the victims of Communism. Critics call it a misplaced monstrosity. But while those critics bemoan the ugliness

June 18, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: He Makes The Rules

http://news.nationalpost.com/ Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault took the Harper government to court this week over the destruction of the long gun registry. Back when the government passed legislation to end the registry, she reminded Public Safety Minister Vic Toews that registry information was subject to Access to

June 17, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: He Doesn’t Practice It At Home

http://www.slideshare.net/ Eight hundred years ago this week, King John was forced to sign the Magna Charta. But today, Errol Mendes writes, King Stephen is trying to place himself above the the document which is the foundation of parliamentary democracy: And yet, in the actions of the Harper government we

June 16, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: When The Leaving Was Good

As Stephen Harper seeks his fourth mandate, Geoff Stevens writes that he knows neither love nor respect: This will be difficult, I know, but try to imagine you are Stephen Harper. You are prime minister of Canada. You are approaching your 10th anniversary in that high position. You have won

June 15, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: So Far They Have Gotten Away Scot Free

http://www.blueprintofwe.com/ The RCMP have charged Mike Duffy with thirty-one offences. But, Michael Harris writes, the PMO should be on trial, not Duffy: It is the nagging

June 13, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: The Future Of Medicare

http://theconversation.com/ Boosting the Canada Pension Plan is on the election radar. But we haven’t heard a word about medicare. And, Murray Dobbins writes, there are several vultures circling that program. B.C. doctor Brian Day has launched a constitutional challenge to medicare, which would allow medicare corporations to compete with

June 12, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: The Sad Demise Of The CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/ There has been a lot of commentary already written about Evan Soloman and the CBC. Amid the Niagara of words about what has happened, I found two columns particularly enlightening. Rick Salutin wrote that Soloman — and other CBC celebrities — are emblematic of a culture of greed

June 11, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Bennett’s Ghost

http://en.wikipedia.org/ Stephen Harper continues to repeat the same mantra — cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy creates jobs. But, Mel Hurtig writes, economist

June 10, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Our Decade Of Derpitude

http://www.gameinformer.com/ Economics these days is drenched in derpitude. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Paul Krugman provides some context: “Derp” is a term borrowed from the cartoon “South Park” that has achieved wide currency among people I talk to, because it’s useful shorthand for an all-too-obvious feature of the

June 9, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Say Nothing. Do Nothing.

http://www.macleans.ca/ It’s interesting to compare Stephen Harper to the much reviled Brian Mulroney. Michael Den Tandt writes: Back to Mulroney who, at the time he

June 8, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Don’t Make Book On It. But . . .

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/ It’s too early to make predictions about the federal election, but it appears that Justin Trudeau’s support for Bill C-51 has hurt him. Michael Harris writes: In his latest poll, Graves placed the NDP and the Conservatives in a tie with 125 seats apiece, and the Liberals at

June 7, 2015 Owen Gray

Northern Reflections: Hedges On Bill C-51

http://peakmoment.tv/ Back in March, Chris Hedges planned to address a demonstration on Bill C-51. However, his plane was delayed getting into Toronto, so the crowd never heard what he had to say. Nonetheless, his speech has been made available at rabble.ca. It’s well worth reading. The corporate