Hell Hath No Fury
When Helena Geurgis melted down almost two years ago at the Charlottetown Airport, she received little sympathy. When she was asked to take off her boots for a security screening,…
Owen Gray
Lies and Damned Lies
The Harper Conservatives refused to admit that they were spreading misinformation when they told the constituents of Mount Royal that Irwin Cotler’s retirement was imminent. But the prime minister claims…
The Man Who Hated Health Care
Anyone who has followed Stephen Harper’s political career should not be surprised by Jim Flaherty’s take it or leave it offer to the provinces. And those who fear for the…
Leadership By Bean Counter
In his academy award winning film, Roger and Me, Michael Moore documented what happened to the world’s largest corporation after a bean counter was put in charge. After Stephen Harper…
Is Keynesian Economics Dead?
Robert Samuelson asks that question — and gives his answer — in this morning’s Washington Post: Governments have ceded power to bond markets by decades of shortsighted behavior. The political…
Our Third World
Anyone who has been to a northern reserve knows that Attawapiskat is not an aberration. Bob Rae is right. Northern native communities are “our third world.” And it’s most revealing…
Punishing the Young
At Durban two weeks ago, a young woman rose and addressed the delegates: I speak for more than half the world’s population,” declared Anjali Appadurai of Maine’s College of the…
What Do You Think Of Me Now, Dad?
Jeffrey Simpson writes this morning that: Those who thought the Harper government would ease up a bit after winning a majority were wrong. Noblesse oblige is out, or, rather, was…
Fuddle Dudde Encore
Justin Trudeau had his fuddle duddle moment yesterday. When Environment Minister Peter Kent responded to Megan Leslie’s criticism of the Conservatives performance at Durban by saying she had no right…
Bait and Switch
Stephen Harper claimed that, with a majority, his government could focus — laser like — on the Canadian economy. But since their return to Parliament Hill, the Conservatives have paid…
Smearing Irwin Cotler
Andrew Cohen writes that Stephen Harper has had Irwin Cotler in his sights for some time. Two months ago, the Conservatives spread the rumour that Cotler –three and a half…
Storm Clouds Over Europe
Paul Krugman reminds his readers today that tough economic times can sow the seeds of authoritarianism. He then offers an analysis of what is happening in Europe. The economic crisis…
What’s A Border For?
Perhaps it was inevitable. Historians for a long time now have been predicting Canada’s eventual integration into the American Empire. The agreement which Stephen Harper and Barack Obama signed last…
The History We Don’t Know
Jeffrey Simpson is full of praise for Richard Gwyn’s two volume biography of Sir John A. Macdonald. And he mourns the place which history holds in modern Canada: In schools,…
Abuse of Power
Jennifer Ditchburn reports this morning that, having installed a new unilingual auditor general, the Conservatives would rather not hear from him: Five different individuals – inside and outside Auditor-General Michael…
Canada At Durban
David Olive writes in today’s Toronto Star that Canada has many “firsts” to its credit: First in North America with universal health care and prudent branch banking. First on this…
Morally Adrift
There has always been an unpleasant stench of righteousness about the Harper Conservatives. I use the word “stench,” because they so obviously do not practise what they preach. They lack…
Canadian Republicans?
At the end of his reflection on the border security agreement which Stephen Harper and Barack Obama will sign this week, Lawrence Martin writes: In many respects, we have what…
Newt’s Ressurection
Paul Krugman writes that to win the contest for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, “there are only two ways to make the cut: to be totally cynical or to be…
Behold The Party
When Peter Van Loan admitted this week in the House that the Conservative Party had been behind a campaign to spread the rumour that Irwin Cotler was resigning, he did…