Continuing on in the festive spirit around here today, it’s another pre-Christmas story to note: Ottawa has to pay $200,000 in legal costs incurred by Jean Chrétien in his fight to restore his name after being blamed for the sponsorship scandal by the Gomery inquiry in 2005. However, the Prime
Continue readingMorton's Musings: National Securities Regulator Unconstitutional
Reference re Securities Act 2011 SCC 66 holds the proposed national securities regulatory is unconstitutional. A summary follows: Pursuant to s. 53 of the Supreme Court Act, the Governor in Council has sought an advisory opinion from the Court as to whether the proposed Securities Act set out in Order in Council P.C. 2010‑667 falls
Continue readingWhat Is The Real Reason….
…The Damaged Ferry Door Has To Be Manufactured In Germany? Chris Montgomery and reader Alastair Haythornwaite really want to know. Why? Because it would appear that we actually do have the technology and the skilled people in place who could do it here. The following is from an exchange between
Continue reading$200K payout to Chretien bad news for Liberals
That’s all the Liberals need, as bad a shape as they are in, to have the ‘sponsorship scandal’ dredged up again. Funny, the Conservatives are living a scandal-a-day and yet you just know the big news for the next month will be Sponsorship. Adscam. Scandal. *Sigh*
Continue readingSue Helena Sue!
I love this. Not that the suit will amount to anything. But the girl’s got moxie. Kady’s reaction is priceless.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Taxing Capital Gains
The following also appears in The Globe and Mail’s Economy Lab: Earlier this week, Kevin Milligan questioned proposals “to increase the tax on capital gains.” Currently, Canadian income tax applies to only 50 per cent of capital gains. Milligan argues that light personal taxation is justified for income that has
Continue readingRecreating Eden: The Attack on the Health System Begins: The Federal Health Minister Says, Do What You Want.
It’s well known that if you want something to pass unnoticed you announce it on a Friday afternoon, and if you really want it to disappear, you do it the Friday before Christmas. Well, December 23 would appear to be too much, but last Friday the Conservatives began announcing how
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Not Your Standard Christmas List
The High-Tech Priests at CNET have published an unusual, Top 10 List that they describe as the 10 technology trends that “keep us up at night.” Most of their tech worries concern technological destruction of personal privacy and the spread of the surveillance society including geo-tracking. Another was the development
Continue readingwmtc: old warriors seeing with clear eyes: bill moyers interview with andrew bacevich
I found this in a massive pile of un-read links. It’s a conversation between progressive journalist Bill Moyers and Andrew Bacevich, author of The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War, Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War and The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism.
Continue readingNo-religion most successful "faith" in UK
“Give me the child and I will give you the man,” the Jesuits boast. Indoctrinate a child in a faith and he, or she, will carry that faith for life. Or at least, most will. According to the latest British Social Attitudes survey, not indoctrinating a child in a faith
Continue readingA Holiday po-em
T’was near the end of the year, and all through the land, conservatives were sleeping, their guns clutched in their hands….. The Senate was adjourned, for a long holiday rest, their rubber stamps lined up, on each little desk. read more
Continue readingLaw is Cool: LSUC Consultation on Articling
We have all complained at some point about the articling process. Well here’s your opportunity to do something about it if you’re in Ontario. The Articling Task Force, created by the Law Society of Upper Canada to address the articling crisis, is holding a series of consultations. Information on how
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: If You Want to Fight Climate Change (and Harper) Get Loud About It
An interesting piece from Grist.org suggests that getting action on climate change is a noisy business. The trick, it claims, is to be outspoken and brutally honest about what’s happening and what’s coming because that’s the only way to reach the magic, 10 per cent threshold. “…there’s a whole cottage
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Rafe on Cummins’ Foolhardy Support for Enbridge – Plus Refelctions on Cohen
I must say I was surprised to see that Conservative leader John Cummins supports the proposed Enbridge pipeline from the Tar Sands to Kitimat and I have since wondered if that would impact the NDP, the Liberals, both – or anyone. John has never been strong on complicated issues and I
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Rafe on Cummins’ Foolhardy Support for Enbridge – Plus Reflections on Cohen
I must say I was surprised to see that Conservative leader John Cummins supports the proposed Enbridge pipeline from the Tar Sands to Kitimat and I have since wondered if that would impact the NDP, the Liberals, both – or anyone. John has never been strong on complicated issues and I
Continue readingWhat If?
For all the right reasons, Alain Vigneault is big news in Lotusland these days. After all, his Canuckleheads are on a roll, his Swedes are playing World Cup soccer on ice, and he’s got Luongo right where he wants him while, simultaneously, Schneider’s stock has never been higher. But, appropo
Continue readingwmtc: memo to jason kenney: that’s not how multiculturalism works
Another take on Jason Kenney’s bigotry, by Andrew Potter of the Ottawa Citizen. It would be a lot easier to debate the tough cases of Canadian multiculturalism if people understood how the system actually works. That includes everyone from taxi drivers and barbers to those who spend their time trolling
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: That Was Fast. Iraq Stumbles Into Civil War.
Iraqis knew they were getting something special for Christmas this year, the departure of American combat forces. And a good many Iraqis also knew that marked the time for settling old scores and balancing the books. Power struggles are opening in Iraq, several of them. That’s largely because the central
Continue readingBetter late than never
I’m grateful that it has finally happened, but it is worth asking why it has taken journalists, university professors and the Leader of the NDP (or any other members of the House of Assembly) so long to come around to a very basic concept that some of us have been
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Jack Layton, Canadian Newsmaker of the Year
It’s a fitting tribute to a fine Canadian and global citizen. In 2011, no other Canadian dominated the news headlines like the late NDP leader, Jack Layton. Editors and news directors participating a Canadian Press …Read More
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