The Conservative Party of Canada appears to be incapable of embarrassment. Consider their argument against the robocall case, which opened yesterday. Arthur Hamilton, the party’s lawyer, accused the Council of Canadians of bringing the case forward for the purposes of “champerty and maintenance” — to push their political agenda and
Continue readingAuthor: Owen Gray
Northern Reflections: Things Fall Apart
Not all Conservative MP’s agreed with Stephen Harper on the Nexan Energy deal. James Bazan wrote to one of his constituents in Manitoba: “I would like to note that I am strongly opposed to this deal, and I have raised my concerns directly with cabinet as well as with the
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Murphy’s Conundrum
Pity poor Rex Murphy. He doesn’t understand what he calls the “unbalanced and disproportionate” antipathy Canadians feel for Stephen Harper: For, step back a little, make a little space, and you will see that in his personal and domestic conduct, Harper is almost stereotypically Canadian. He’s a mild, unobnoxious, hockey-mad
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Fraud — Pure and Simple
In case his readers have forgotten, Jeffrey Simpson reviews the increasingly tangled web of deceit which surrounds the F-35 fiasco: The contract, insisted the government, would cost $9-billion for the aircraft, and $7-billion for maintenance over 20 years. Over and over, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Defence Minister Peter MacKay and
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: In Their Sights
The Harperites are gunning for Justin Trudeau. Michael Harris writes this morning that: Not only does the Harper government have the magic wand of incumbency, it has the ruthless machinery to destroy its opponents. The political roadkill is everywhere. And the coming assault on Trudeau hangs in the air like an
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Price Of Power
The prime directive of any good journalist should be the people’s right to know. But consider the saga of Peter Kent. Lawrence Martin writes that Kent, a member of The Canadian Broadcasters Hall of Fame, has been in the forefront of those who make sure Canadian scientists don’t talk to
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Most Stupid People
Lately, Tasha Kheiridden has been aiming her barbs at the government she once supported. Her most recent target is Corrections Canada, which has decided that more double bunking is appropriate for Canada’s inmates. There are at least two reasons why the policy is not a good idea. The first is
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Old Man In Ottawa
Stephen Harper claims that Conservative values are Canadian values. But, based on recent polling data, Frank Graves concludes that Mr. Harper is trying to stop a wave that is not moving in his direction:When looking at values overall we are struck by t…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Joyce’s Modest Proposal
While the press follows Justin Trudeau everywhere, both Paul Adams and Andrew Coyne have chosen to give Joyce Murray some attention. Adams writes that what she proposes deserves serious consideration. Like her fellow British Columbian, Nathan Cul…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: First Rate Intelligence?
Ever since the United Nations vote on Thursday, the Harper government has portrayed itself as a beautiful loser. It and eight other nations — most notably the United States — voted against support for Palestine. Canada, say the Harperites, is on the …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The New Newspeak
NDP environment critic Meghan Leslie understands how indebted the Harper government is to George Orwell. Rather than reading 1984 as a warning against tyranny, the Harperites have adopted the novel as a how to manual. Their messaging is thoroughly imbu…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Truly Progresssive
Zach Paikin echoes something The Disaffected Lib wrote about yesterday: Canada needs a truly progressive political party. A simple coalition of opposition parties, Paikin writes, will not be enough to defeat Stephen Harper:Even if the parties pursued j…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Republican Denial
“Denial,” Mark Twain wrote, “ain’t just a river in Egypt.” And so, as John Boehner insists that raising taxes on the rich is off the table — and Obamacare must be on the table — Republicans continue to live, Frank Rich writes, in Fantasyland:As…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Open Warfare
With Bill C-377, the Harper government has declared open war on labour. Tom Walkom writes in today’s Toronto Star that:The real target of Conservative MP Russ Hiebert’s private member’s bill is union financing.To be precise, the target is the auto…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Rob Ford And The Peter Principle
Christie Blatchford is furious. Yesterday a judge removed the man she voted for because, as she wrote last Friday, he was “authentic.” In her mind, authenticity trumps an unjust law:So, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been given the boot from office becaus…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Taking Harper Down
Michael Harris — who I quote a lot these days — has uncovered Stephen Harper’s recipe for governing Canada:3 cups of fear; 3 cups of information burial; 3 cups of ad hominem vilification; 1 cup of voter suppression; 1 cup of contempt of Parliament;…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Stonewalling
Tasha Kheiridden used to be at the forefront of the Conservative Revolution in this country. She avidly supported Stephen Harper. She now has her doubts. Last week Kheiridden wrote that Bill C-27: An Act To Enhance the Financial Accountability an…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Phony Populist
Yesterday, Don Gilmour published a must read piece in the Toronto Star. His target was the phony populist politician. Using Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Calgary mayor — and Alberta premier — Ralph Klein and former Washington Mayor Marion Barry as sa…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Corporate Canada’s Best Friend
In yet another sign that, for Stephen Harper, profits come before people, the Globe and Mail reports that Ottawa is signaling a radical shift in foreign aid:The federal government is signalling a profound shift in its approach to foreign aid that coul…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Pearson’s Despair
Like Chris Hedges, Michael Harris speaks truth to power. Today he takes on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians — and the Harper government’s Middle East policy:Question for Stephen Harper, John Baird, Jason Kenney and Peter MacKay: if yo…
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