AllTheInfluenceThatFits HedgingAllTheBetsVille Historically, Mr. Patrick Kinsella mostly backs winners. Both at the track, as Sean Holman noted some time ago…. “…Patrick Kinsella has become a member of the esquestrian classes. According to our operatives, Mr. Kinsella (who runs a communications firm) claimed a horse – C J Come Home –
Continue readingQP: Profane Outbursts
In what is reputed to be the last QP before the House rises (though we may not know for sure until the end of the day), tempers were frayed, and there was a restless energy of MPs eager to flee to the airport for flights home. Nycole Turmel kicked off
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Don’t let dubious political tactics turn us off politics
Here’s a guest post from Ben Gillies, a political economy grad from the University of Manitoba. Canadians Must Not Let Dubious Political Tactics Turn Us Off Politics Altogether By Benjamin Gillies Last week, the Conservatives admitted their party was behind a rash of phone calls to Liberal Irwin Cotler’s federal
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Roseman: Bell & Rogers to monopolize sports broadcasting and how you’re complicit
By Ellen Roseman for Moneyville Every day, I hear from Rogers and Bell customers about overcharging, recurring bill errors and unfair contract terms. Most people tell me how hard it is to reach these companies, to get through to anyone who listens and can resolve problems quickly. So, I trembled
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Why ‘Reprehensible’ is Not Enough
IRWIN COTLERMember of Parliament, Mount Royal When constituents of mine began reporting that they were receiving telephone calls asking if they would support the Conservative candidate in the pending or imminent by-election, I rose in the House to assert that the practice breached my privileges as a member of Parliament
Continue reading350 or bust: Backing Out Of the Kyoto Accord: Part Of Canada’s Shame-Based Heritage
Once again, Rick Mercer doesn’t pull any punches:
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On logical choices
One might read Kady’s report on the Cons’ efforts to move all committee business in camera – making many of the key actions of our elected representatives completely inaccessible to the public – and ask whether it wouldn’t be easier to simply duct-tape the mouths of all MPs other than
Continue readingMorton's Musings: In general, arguments not raised at first instance ought not to be considered on review
[22] The ATA sought judicial review of the adjudicator’s decision. Without raising the point before the Commissioner or the adjudicator or even in the originating notice for judicial review, the ATA raised the timelines issue for the first time in argument. The ATA
Continue readingLaw is Cool: Legal Submissions in 140
I’ve been invited to participate in the first moot to be held entirely on Twitter. The Twitter Moot will cover environmental law and First Nations rights, and is already attracting international attention. I’ve written a little more about this on Slaw. The student competitors this year are: Team Dalhousie: Michele
Continue readingLibby Davies recaps her fall session
Continuing with the end-of-session roundup of queer MPs, I caught up with NDP MP Libby Davies last Thursday after QP. Q: What was the highlight of your fall session? A: For me it was watching our new MPs get in the game. It’s been incredible to watch them, because I
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2011-12-14 12:30:00
CANADIAN POLITICS: CONSERVATIVES ATTACK UNIONS ONCE MORE: Well, this probably counts as non-news as nobody should be suprised that a Conservative Party wants to gut the power of organized workers to fight back. The following articles (English and French) from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) warns of this
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: When is OK to compare Canadian police to the SS?
In April 2011, a handpicked member of the Harper government’s radical anti-gun control advisory committee, compared Canadian cops to Hitler’s notorious SS. In the midst of an election campaign, such comments had the potential to be explosive and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews former Director of Parliamentary Affairs lept bravely
Continue readingRabbi frets Tim Tebowism will result in "burning mosques, bashing gays and indiscriminately banishing immigrants"
It’s always Tebow Time. Have you Tebowed lately? I’m no fan of Tim Tebow and even less of fan of the ritualism that has grown around the young QB. After all, his fourth quarter heroics have more to do with a superb O line and brilliant late game play calling
Continue readingCathiefromCanada: And we’re off!
We’re travelling until next Wednesday (Dec. 21) so I’m not sure how much blogging I will be able to do. In the meantime, enjoy these:Creepy Christmas Carols for a Less Cheerful HolidayWhen 5 cents is too high a price: 26 destructive fictional therapistsThe challenge of English pronunciation and other grammatical
Continue readingBuckdog: England’s Dinosauric Royal Family About To Tour The World Costing Hundreds Of Millions Of Wasted Tax Dollars. STAY HOME FOR GAWD’S SAKE!!
Taxpayers around the British Commonwealth will soon be forking out millions and millions of dollars to host the English Queen and her brood as part of her 60th anniversary activities. Fortunately for Canada, we will only have to endure one visit – from Prince Charles and Camila. Unfortunately, it is
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Book Discussion Week: A Classic of African Independence at the Atwater Library
This is book discussion week: tonight Chinua Achebe’s This Fall Apart is on the agenda at the Atwater Library. Here’s a scene from a television series made in Nigeria to whet you interest.The book is obviously required reading in many secondary schools: YouTube is full of “movie trailers” about the
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: "Most Canadians if they don’t show up for work they don’t get a promotion."
The above ad was from the NDP’s positive hope-filled election campaign. In it, the NDP pointed to Ignatieff’s attendance record and accused him of “not showing up for work”. Funny thing though. As pointed out by Jeff Jedras in October, and the Globe this morning, NDP MPs looking for a
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Entrapment
R. v. Bayat, 2011 ONCA 778, a child luring case, deals with the law on entrapment. A helpful analysis of the law follows: [15] In Mack, Lamer J. explained the basis for entrapment in these terms at p. 956: I take this statement [from R. v. Amato, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 418] to mean that the police are
Continue readingCatholics say no to anti-bullying bill because it promotes LGBT acceptance
Constantly reading about the bigoted nature of the richest Christian church on this planet, the Roman-Catholic church, can make a secular-humanist like myself sick and perhaps even resentful of Catholics themselves. It’s as sure as it can be that when the McGuinty liberals drafted Bill 13 for the Ontario legislature
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Kyoto backlash
It’s been over a week since my last post. Too much has been going on but I did want to talk about Peter Kent announcing Canada is pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol, or rather forcing the world to pull out of Canada so we don’t get fucked with $14
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