My first brush with the fish farming industry on our coast came around 2000 when I was broadcasting for CKNW. At that point, this was considered to be a “good” industry because their product would ease the pressure on the wild salmon. The big issue became the escape of Atlantic
Continue readingAuthor: Rafe Mair
The Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Tories will win in 2015 on Iraq position; what does that mean for Canada, environment?
Stephen Harper addressing UN Security Council (Sean Kilpatrick/CP) The environmental policy of Ottawa will now depend upon what the Tories desire for the next five years. Why do I say that? Because their position on Iraq is the correct one and will win them the 2015 election. Canadians simply cannot
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Clark govt in over its head with big LNG players like Petronas
Photo: Tina Lovgreen / BCIT Commons Many long years ago, when I was in first year Law, we learned a case called the Carbolic Smoke Ball case. This involved a patent medicine and great claims were made for its virtues. There was a lawsuit because a user of this patent
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Greenwash King Patrick Moore sews seeds of climate change doubt
Greenpeace co-founder-turned-greenwasher extraordinaire Patrick Moore I hesitate to give the man any more publicity. Patrick Moore, a former environmentalist and now a constant and consistent spokesman for right-wing causes, had an article on the op-ed page of the Vancouver Province, September 24th edition. In it, he denies the worldwide scientific
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Christy Clark should try being more leader, less cheerleader
BC Premier Christy Clark dons Canucks jersey during 2013 election campaign (Andy Clark / Reuters) Nowhere in the appalling record of the Liberal government in Victoria has its shortcomings been more obvious than at the very top. Premier Christy Clark has been a terrible leader whose pronouncements get more and more
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Premier’s Tsilhqot’in meeting a sign of real change for BC?
Tsilhqot’in Chief Roger William and Premier Christy Clark meeting in Vancouver today (Damien Gillis This is the story of change. Premier Christy Clark is to be congratulated for going to the Nemiah Valley and meeting with the Tsilhqot’in First Nation leaders about their position on land claims now that they
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Bennett should resign over Mount Polley
In the old days of BC politics, Minister Bennett would fall on his sword, says Rafe Mair (Youtube / Got News Network) One day, in 1863, Mr. Byrne decided to take a stroll to get a little bit of Liverpool air. As he ambled down the street he went past
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Heavy oil advertising, editorials taint Canadian mag The Walrus
Enbridge is a major Walrus sponsor (Photo: Damien Gillis) I am afraid I really am a gloomy Gus today. It has just struck me that there is an absence of good guys in the world. Whether it’s big business or government they mostly do it to us and reek of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Mount Polley Mine proves Liberal “de-regulation” doesn’t work
Blame the BC Liberals’ lax regulations for Mount Polley Mine, says Rafe Mair (BC Liberal facebook page) The Mount Polley Mine/Imperial Metals disaster is such that one scarcely knows where to start. Fortunately, the people of British Columbia have a writer like Stephen Hume, who in the Vancouver Sun tells chapter and verse
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Is ‘lying’ too strong a word for Clark Libs’ LNG fibs?
BC Premier Christy Clark addresses a conference on LNG (Damien Gillis) I really need your help. What the devil does one call premier Christy Clark, considering that she seems utterly incapable of telling the truth? Hers is an interesting case because her gross economy with the truth seems designed to get
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: With fracking, tankers “world-class safety” is a weasel word
BC Premier Christy Clark touts “world-class” safety for fossil fuel projects (Canadian Press) Many times I have referred to Premier Clark’s demand that Enbridge and others have “world-class” cleanup processes in place. To repeat myself, these are “weasel words” and mean absolutely nothing. “World-class” firefighting procedures doesn’t mean the building
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: First Nations, Constitution are Canadians’ best defence
Chiefs of the Tsimshian First Nation speak out against Enrbidge at a 2012 Prince Rupert rally Big money now rules the world. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the middle class gets squeezed. No government in the world is doing anything about this – least of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Time Canadians get used to Tsilhqot’in case, Aboriginal title
Chief Roger Williams (left) at the the Supreme Court of Canada (Photo: Pei-Ju Wang) The Tsilhqot’in First Nation’s Roger Williams case victory settles the question once and for all: there is aboriginal title, it is effective, and it can be enforced by aboriginal peoples. This is a long way from where the
Continue readingCanadian Dimension | Articles: Why I’m for massive civil disobedience
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter HERE. This piece was originally published in The Tyee and is republished here with the author’s permission. The Conservative government’s decision to approve the Northern Gateway pipeline is the greatest threat to national unity since the Quebec crisis in 1995. It is reminiscent of Pierre
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe Mair: Howe Sound under siege
Boaters raise the alarm over plans to re-industrialize Howe Sound (Future of Howe Sound Society) Howe Sound is Canada’s southernmost fjord. It is a natural beauty which should be declared a world-class heritage site. I grew up as a child on Howe Sound and well remember the men with the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC Hydro rate shock powered by lies
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett How do you know when a politician’s lying? When you see his/her lips move. Bill Bennett, the BC Hydro point man in the government, tells us that there will be a 28% increase in Hydro charges over the next few years, which NDP critic John Horgan
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Support for First Nations critical after Clark-Redford pipeline deal
Chiefs of the Tsimshian First Nation speak out against Enrbidge at a 2012 Prince Rupert rally You would have thought that they would have had the decency to wait until the Joint Review Panel had made its report before the two western-most premiers made a deal on the pipelines. Of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Gordon Wilson finds religion on LNG…for $12,500 a month
A screen capture from Gordon Wilson’s youtube endorsement of Christy Clark Some years ago I got into hot water for calling a federal cabinet minister of the female persuasion a “political whore”, a phrase that has nothing to do with sexism and everything to do with having principles for sale.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe Mair: Enbridge pipeline should face BC referendum
Thousands of citizens spoke out against Enbridge at last year’s “Defend Our Coast” rally” (TJ Watt photo) The cynicism of both our senior governments regarding tankers and pipelines is appalling. The pact between Premier Clark and Alberta Premier Redford – followed two days later by the Harper government’s Speech from the Throne
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Fix is in on Enbridge as Clark and Redford put on show
BC and Alberta Premiers Christy Clark and Alison Redford (CP photo) I assure you that his will not take long. We’ve been screwed, blued and tattooed folks. You may have read the story last week that First Nations have charged that the Enbridge pipeline has already started. At the same
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