Somewhere in U.S.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Lovebots Invade Toronto
Lovebots are a fun art project that aims to fill Toronto with little concrete robots. The goal is to remind people that the city is a lovely place filled with nice people. No fewer than 100 2′ tall concrete statues of Lovebot will be put on display in “secret locations”
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning ‘Rider Blogging
Obviously Friday’s result against Calgary wasn’t what the Saskatchewan Roughriders hoped for – particularly since it means having only one game of separation from third place in the CFL’s West Division. But it’s worth noting that most of the problems against the Stampeders were simply a matter of the inevitable
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Ontario’s Sousa is searching for solutions.
It’s a daunting task and we can only hope that Finance Minister Charles Sousa is up to it. He is travelling Ontario searching for solutions to Ontario’s economic malaise. Needless to say, our unemployment is higher and our economy is shrinking and only the ignorant among us think the answer
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Greenwashing Concerns Mount as Evidence of Fracking’s Climate Impact Grows
Several years ago, Utah public health officials realized they had a big problem on their hands — one with national implications as other states were racing to increase oil and gas drilling. Smog levels in the state’s rural Uintah basin were rivaling those found in Los Angeles or Houston on
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: What’s a Point of Corporate Tax Worth?
Tom Mulcair’s recently reiterated unwillingness to raise personal tax rates puts the spotlight on corporate taxes. But how much revenue is at stake? Three and a half years ago, I posted a fiscal breakdown of Harper’s corporate tax cuts and how much revenue could be retained by stopping or reversing
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: So you want to be an Edmonton election candidate?
TweetThe City of Edmonton’s Elections Office is hosting an information session tomorrow for residents planning or interested in standing for office in the October 21, 2013 municipal election. According to the Edmonton Elections website, the session will help answer any questions candidates may have about nominations, election legislation and bylaws, campaigning,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Timely Message Important To Everyone
The video that follows was made by Canadian Doctors For Medicare, who are advocating for a national pharmacare program, something that a country as rich as ours could well-afford. It is a logical and necessary extension of our national healthcare. In fact, according to an article in The National Post,
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: It’s Who They Are
It’s not just the $140,000 in illegitimate expenses — which Stephen Harper is on record as saying are “comparable to any parliamentarian travelling from that particular area of the country.” It’s not just that Wallin’s tab is considerably larger than Mike Duffy’s tab. It’s that she doctored her records ahead
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Inverted Totalitarianism – Chilling then, living it now.
Reposting because it is important. Thanks to The Nation for hosting Sheldon Wolin’s article. “The war on Iraq has so monopolized public attention as to obscure the regime change taking place in the Homeland. We may have invaded Iraq to bring in democracy and bring down a totalitarian regime, but
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Engineering an obesity epidemic
How would you react if I told you it wasn’t your fault you’re fat? Not entirely, anyway. Not the way that the medical profession or society at large would have you believe. At least part of your spare tire — … Continue reading →
Continue readingImpolitical: Chickens roosting day, etc.
Harper’s chickens, that is: “Senator Wallin audit details set for public release.” One upside for Wallin, she has one of the best litigators in Toronto representing her (pictured in the CBC link). One thing of interest in this Postmedia report that could hint at more possible trouble for, I’m assuming,
Continue readingImpolitical: Chickens roosting day, etc.
Harper’s chickens, that is: “Senator Wallin audit details set for public release.” One upside for Wallin, she has one of the best litigators in Toronto representing her (pictured in the CBC link).
One thing of interest in this Postmedia report that could hint at more possible trouble for, I’m assuming, Conservatives:
In their report, the auditors write that part of Wallin’s inappropriate costs were for “partisan related activity, such as fundraising.” Her lawyers cite as an example a May 27, 2011, event for former cabinet minister Bev Oda, who resigned in July 2012 over her own spending scandal, which was made famous by a $16 glass of orange juice charged to taxpayers.
At the Oda event, Wallin talked about Oda’s ministerial role overseeing intenrational [sic] development, as well as the Afghanistan file, which Wallin knew from her work chairing the Senate’s defence committee. Her lawyer’s letter notes that fundraising events took place outside of election campaigns, involved talking about Senate-related matters, and that “this was generally accepted practice,” suggesting that others in the Senate have done the same.
Generally accepted practice, says Wallin’s lawyer.
Also of note, a possible strategy suggested by Ivison that could come out of the Senate Supreme Court reference:
The Conservatives argue that the Senate can be abolished under the constitution’s amending formula — section 38 — which states that any changes to the Senate would merely required resolutions in the House of Commons, Senate and seven provinces, representing 50% of the population (rather than unanimous approval).
If the Supreme Court agrees, it seems to me that we will see the Conservatives launch a full-on campaign for Senate abolition, in an effort to insulate Mr. Harper from accusations of being the Red Chamber’s patron. There appear few lengths to which this prime minister will not now go to distance himself from Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin — three of his 59 Red Chamber appointments.
A full-on campaign for abolition by Harper et al. as a matter of political expediency would have absolutely zero integrity or credibility, as Ivison himself hints. It’s not clear the Court will rule that abolition could happen under the 7/50 formula in any event. Peter Russell is of the view that unanimity would be required:
I would tend to agree with Mr. Russell. But, that’s all Senate reference stuff, down the road a bit. Today it’s all about Wallin’s audit and it is at the doorstep of the one who appointed her.
Continue readingImpolitical: Chickens roosting day, etc.
Harper’s chickens, that is: “Senator Wallin audit details set for public release.” One upside for Wallin, she has one of the best litigators in Toronto representing her (pictured in the CBC link). One thing of interest in this Postmedia report that could hint at more possible trouble for, I’m assuming,
Continue reading350 or bust: The Bones Left After The Best Meat Is Taken
Some things haven’t changed in centuries. Photographer Aaron Huey’s compelling TED Talk from 2010:
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Nalcor’s Complaints to the Regie #nlpoli
Last week, the Quebec Superior Court dismissed a motion to hear an appeal from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro over decisions taken by the Quebec’s energy regulator in 2010. As NTV reported on Friday, “Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro asked for transmission access from Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie in January 2006. But Nalcor says
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Stats Canada Regrets…
OTTAWA – In a highly unusual move, Statistics Canada has delayed the release of a major set of data from the 2011 National Household Survey by a month. Data on Canadian income, earnings, housing and shelter costs were to be released Wednesday morning, but instead will now be unveiled by
Continue readingAnti-Racist Canada: The ARC Collective: Responding to Hate Speech With More Hate Speech? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!
Yesterday we received a tip about someone we had never heard of. As we were busy with another project we didn’t get to it in a timely manner. Seems we should have paid more attention. Meet Wendy Sullivan. Warren Kinsella knows more about her than we do, but suffice it
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Ottawa desperately trying to kill the housing Frankenstein
Remember that literary classic, Frankenstein? Scientist Victor creates a monster, then realizing the mistake he has made tries desperately to kill the beast. Seems an apt description for Canada’s housing market and Ottawa’s so far futile efforts to cool it off. This more modern story takes us back to
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Ottawa desperately trying to kill the housing Frankenstein
Remember that literary classic, Frankenstein? Scientist Victor creates a monster, then realizing the mistake he has made tries desperately to kill the beast. Seems an apt description for Canada’s housing market and Ottawa’s so far futile efforts to cool it off. This more modern story takes us back to
Continue reading