Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

I was waiting to give the Harper Conservatives a pat on the back for making the "’it gets better’ video. I would like too – I can’t.  There is nothing in it.  In fact other than their token almost out gay dude, the rest all voted to reopen the debate on same-sex marriage in this country.  One of them, David Sweet, in the past, has said some pretty homophobic things.

The video is an attempt to

This year it seems like Halloween has gone on forever. Today’s the day, and I expect not much is getting done in schools all across North America as kids parade around in their costumes and prepare for the candy gorge today. But there have been parti…

I have long felt that modern conservatives lack a sense of irony. I can think of no credible explanation for this impediment. Perhaps it is genetic. But, as Paul Krugman points out in today’s New York Times, whether they’re aware of it or not, their ir…

This is the lede in a story in The Hill Times this morning: The Conservative government has to come clean on the real reasons behind its plan to destroy more than seven million records in the federal long-gun registry or risk the public image of "scorched earth" to appease hard-line gun owners who have been a staunch source of electoral and financial support through four elections, says pollster Nik Nanos. But I thought this, in the Toronto Star on the 25th, was pretty straightforward: Asked what motivated the destruction of data, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, the lead minister, said the Conservatives want to thwart the ability of any other party, such as the NDP, to reestablish it in the future. "We won’t have these records loose and capable then of creating a new long gun registry should they ever have the opportunity to do that," Toews said at an Ottawa Valley farm. Does Nanos think there’s any ambiguity in Toews’ comment? I certainly don’t. To describe it as a "scorched earth" approach to legislating is exactly right and I’m a bit curious as to why Nanos thinks Toews, the lead minister on this legislation, ought to get a do-over….

Halfway through last week, the Saskatchewan Party pulled all of their overly aggressive ‘attack’ ads on Dwain Lingenfelter. Clearly, their polling showed that these scathing ads were not being well received by the public. To replace them, the Sask Part…

R. v. Tang, 2011 ONCJ 525 deals with a stay of proceedings as a result of excessive use of force by a state actor.  Although the trial level the decision is careful and thorough.  It is useful as a precedent.  The Court holds:   The Legal…

Columnist says one of the main reasons that the CBC is vulnerable to Quebecor’s frontal assault is its craving for popularity as a mainstream network.

OK, this is downright silly. I disagree with Rob Ford on almost every policy matter you can imagine. I was not impressed with his refusal to attend Pride Week. But gosh, “worst person in the world”? Seriously, he doesn’t qualify as worst person on…