I loved this week’s Hill Times Spin Doctors question. The Greens have been outspoken on how Harper has undermined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty through a nuclear trade deal with India. We need to stop nuclear proliferation if we want global security, and this should be the focus of our anti-nuclear
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: G20 brings about Canada’s ‘largest’ spying operation ever; this before the online spying bills are even passed
Canada, you’ve just lived through what the RCMP calls the “largest domestic intelligence operation in Canadian history”. Wow… How does it feel? Last week Canadians learned that the government initiated a large Canada-wide, RCMP-led surveillance mission leading up to the G20 and G8 meetings, as well as to the 2010
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Cost consequences must be made clear to client
Z & Assoc v. Aslan, 2011 ONCA 756 is an assessment case reminding us that clients must be made aware of potential cost consequences and the failure to so remind can be problematic: [1] This is a second appeal from the decision of the assessment officer. He reduced the solicitors' fees
Continue readingRecreating Eden: A Year after the Fire: Things Are the Same But Different.
As I write this, it is 1:31 p.m., a year exactlyl after the moment when the first call went in on the fire which put us out of our house for eight months. We’ve been back since August 1, but the last work onlly was completed three weeks ago. Needless
Continue readingLeDaro: Stephen Harper Wants His Queen Back
During the visit of Will and Kate, a picture of the Queen was borrowed from the Cabinet Office of Stephen Harper. Now he’s very upset that it has not been returned yet. The front-page headline on HuffPost was, “Harper wants his Queen back.” If he likes his Queen so much,
Continue readingeaves.ca: Canada’s Foreign Aid Agency signs on to IATI: Aid Data get more transparent
Last night, while speaking at the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan Korea, Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda announced that Canada would be signing on to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). So what is IATI and why does this matter? IATI has developed a common, open
Continue readingRuth Marcus, Emma Sullivan and Brigette DePape
Ruth Marcus thinks you’re deranged There’s nothing worse to a conservative – especially a conservative woman – than to have a non-con woman, especially a young one, stand up to a symbol of authority – particularly if that symbol is a conservative man. Remember Brigette DePape? Her few seconds of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Video: First Nations Stand Their Ground Against Prosperity Mine at BC Supreme Court
The Tsilhqot’in First Nations and their supporters have been at the BC Supreme Court this week, fighting for an injunction to keep Taseko Mines from commencing work on the controversial proposed Prosperity Mine – amid Tsilhqot’in traditional territory, southwest of Williams Lake. While the Harper Government recently agreed to examine
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Video: First Nations Stand Their Ground Against Prosperity Mine at BC Supreme Court
The Tsilhqot’in First Nations and their supporters have been at the BC Supreme Court this week, fighting for an injunction to keep Taseko Mines from commencing work on the controversial proposed Prosperity Mine – amid Tsilhqot’in traditional territory, southwest of Williams Lake. While the Harper Government recently agreed to examine
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Shorter Brad Trost
Money spent in my riding is not wasteful. Other spending is.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: All is well! #nlpoli
Nalcor and Emera announced on Tuesday that they’d agreed to put off the deadline on finishing a deal for the electricity line between Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to the end of January 2012. The companies issued a news release. “We are making good progress on the agreements,” said
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The November Traffic
What were people reading at SRBP in November? The Zazzy Substitution, political version Nalcor’s own studies back NG as Muskrat alternative We all can’t be wrong Suck it up, buttercup The orchestra pit theory of political news Muskrat Review Muddle and Nalcor Competence Working stiffs and lazy ones Always remember
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Another "Occupy" Movement That Should Inspire
Smedley Darlington Butler (1881-1940), was at the time of his death, the most decorated marine in the United States. However, the final years of his life were spent in publicly denouncing wars, which he decided were being fought for corporate interests; speaking at pacifist rallies and advocating for veterans. On August 21,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Science of Debiasing: The New “Debunking Handbook” Is a Treasure Trove For Defenders of Reason
dbh_large.gif For quite some time here at DeSmogBlog, I’ve been writing about the growing science of irrationality—in other words, our ever-better scientific understanding of why people reject clearly correct information. I believe we can’t possibly get to a better place, in debates over issues like global warming, until we understand
Continue readingOne In A Million?….Really?
BetterThanWiki NotThatWe’reCountingOrAnythingVille It’s a funny thing, the blogging business. Because, normally, what you write today is worth even less than fish wrap tomorrow (or sooner) given that, unlike all the old yellowed newspapers filling my bookshelves to bursting, nobody, including bloggers themselves, ever bothers to actually print out their blather.
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Meeting the LPC presidential candidates, and why I like Mike
The Edward Blake Society, a group of Toronto-area no longer young except at heart Liberal professionals, hosted four of the five candidates for the Liberal Party of Canada presidency on Monday in Toronto (Charles Ward couldn’t make it) and around 100 Liberals packed the Pauper’s Pub to hear what they
Continue readingStaffroom Confidential: LRB dismisses BCPSEA application
The latest political maneouvre of the BC government via its bargaining agent, BCPSEA, has failed. In an apparent effort to discredit teachers and split them from their union, BCPSEA made application to the Labour Relations Board to vary the Essential Services order so that teachers would be required to complete
Continue readingQueer-liberal: McGuinty Liberals to introduce bill to allow schools to expel bullies…
This is a great ‘It Gets Better’ video by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, proving yet again he’s the right person for the job as leader of this great, dynamic and diverse province. It’s nice to have a premier who stands up for all students and is willing to take action
Continue readingMiss Vicky's Offhand Remarks: SoHoHo — The Small Office/Home Office Holiday Party
Hey All, it’s the Webgeek here. I just wanted to tell you about a little shindig a few of us Work-from-home types are putting together. When: Wednesday, December 14th, 4- 7 p.m. Where: Elmdale House Tavern, 1084 Wellington Street West Who: You – if you work at home or a
Continue readingPolitics and Entertainment: Combined with Harper Regime’s Austerity Program, Continuous Deleveraging of Household Debt Could be a Serious Issue
House prices have been speculatively bid up to 29% over real value with all the low interest, easy credit banks have been only too willing to give us. They’re just sooo good to us. But a little recent fear has begun a deleveraging of household debt in Canada – which
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