The Fallacy That Government Is A Business
Don Lenihan writes that Canadian politics has been corrupted by a powerful fallacy. Simply put, that fallacy is that government should be run like a business. And, because successful businesses…
Owen Gray
Bob Rae’s Record
Those attack ads, branding Bob Rae a “Failure,” are ubiquitous these days. But Tim Armstrong, a former deputy minister of Industry and Trade in Rae’s government, sets the record straight…
Socking It To The Cities
When Jane Jacobs moved from the United States to Canada, she looked around at Toronto and concluded that Canada’s largest city provided a model for wise urban development. “Here is…
Mitt Romney’s Future Is Canada’s Future
Now that the fight for the Republican nomination has been settled, Canadians should keep a close eye on Mitt Romney. His future is Canada’s future. Romney personifies the financialization of…
Taking Aim At Their Enemies
Jim Flaherty claims that the public service cuts he is making are moderate. He argues that the Harper government is simply demonstrating prudent financial management. But, Susan Riley notes, the…
Deja Vu All Over Again
Peter Mackay is peddling the line that the Auditor General advocates a new kind of accounting when it comes to the purchase of military hardware. But Andrew Coyne points out…
History Repeats Itself
The Globe and Mail reports this morning that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in particular will feel the consequences of the Harper government’s drive to reduce spending. Bill Curry reports…
The Joke’s On Us
It was a classic con. Pose as stolid, competent managers while you raid the business then burn it down. And they pulled it off — until now. Linda McQuaig writes…
It All Depends On Who Keeps The Books
Yesterday, Peter Mackay admitted that the Auditor General was right. Mackay and his cabinet colleagues had known that each F-35 would cost $25 billion. The difference between the $14.7 billion…
Stephen Harper: International Statesman?
Over the next four years, the Harper government will cut $523.5 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rights and Democracy was only one of the victims of the cuts.…
The Cult Of Efficiency
The Harper government tells us that its recent budget is all about making government more efficient. It’s an argument the world has heard before. In the 1930’s, Dan Gardiner writes:…
The Hard Sell
Stephen Maher and Glen McGregor keep digging. This morning, in the Ottawa Citizen, they report that: A training manual used by call-centre workers soliciting donations for the Conservative Party outlines…
We Were Warned
Now that the Auditor General has confirmed the figures which Kevin Page made public over a year ago, and now that Elections Canada has confirmed that it has received reports…
Swinging The Wrecking Ball
The Harper government has killed Rights and Democracy. The decision — even though it wasn’t mentioned in Tuesday’s budget — should come as no surprise. In fact, it’s pretty clear…
The List Grows Longer
The Harper government keeps adding to its enemies list. First and foremost, there are the “radical environmentalists.” And, of course, there is the CBC. And then there is the entire…
Harrper’s War On The Environment
Canadians were quite happy not go to war in Iraq — even though Stephen Harper said we had a moral duty to be there. And they were shocked this summer…
What’s That, David?
David Frum, writing in the National Post, gushes with praise for the Harper government. “Canada,” he writes, “can fairly claim to be the best governed country in the world.” The…
The Insufferable Mr. Flaherty
Jim Flaherty came to Toronto yesterday and lambasted Ontario for its poor fiscal management: “Frankly, Ontario’s spending mismanagement is a problem for the entire country,” he said. “They have no…
About Those 19,200 Jobs
“Our government,” Jim Flaherty announced yesterday, “has chosen prosperity.” He then announced that the government would be slashing expenses by $5.2 billion and laying off 19,200 civil servants. In an…
The Pitbulls And The Statesman
Since Thomas Mulcair assumed the leadership of the NDP, much has been written about Stephen Harper having met his match. Others have speculated that, between them, Harper and Mulcair are…