A couple of days back, Ed Broadbent, Hugh Segal and I published an op-ed making the case for some form of proportional representation. Yesterday the government announced its process for assessing a range of options, making 2015 the last federal election under our first past the post system. And today the editorial pages are awash … Continue reading →
Continue readingTag: Andrew Coyne
Accidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Justin Trudeau’s control over the federal electoral reform committee looks to extend a familiar pattern of top-down government into the design of our electoral system. (And I’ll add one point here which didn’t make it into the column: the …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.- Carolyn Ferns writes that a long-awaited child care program would represent the best possible Mother’s Day gift for Canadian families.- Danyaal Raza and Ritika Goel remind us how housing affects a wide range …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week.- David Crane identifies the good news in the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report on climate change – which is that we can meet our greenhouse gas emissions targets through readily feasible policy choices as long a…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week.- The BBC reports that even UK business groups are acknowledging that excessive executive pay is leading to public concern and distrust in the state of the economy. And Alex Hern notes that Steve Wozniak for one isn’t …
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Grim Story of Postmedia and the Millionaire’s Club
Oh dear. I can only imagine what the mood at Postmedia headquarters must be like after the latest bit of bad news.With writers like John Ivison and Andrew Coyne fighting over the last place in the lifeboat.Or begging their boss Paul Godfrey to give the…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Jason Kenney and the Insane Con War on the Deficit
Yesterday I told you that Jason Kenney has apparently decided to ignore his better political instincts, and his main adviser, and is preparing to launch his campaign to become the new leader of the Harper Party.And has decided to make the Liberal'…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Could This Be The End of the Postmedia Empire?
As you know the Postmedia empire is in big trouble. It's buried under a mountain of debt, it's running out of money, and its reporters have been forced to tailor their articles to please their bosses.If they attack Justin Trudeau they can keep …
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Cons and the Postmedia Conspiracy
Ever since Paul Godfrey ordered his major Postmedia papers to run an ad on their front pages attacking the Liberals, there has been no doubt whatsoever which side that media conglomerate is on.And although the move was widely denounced, it seems that …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading.- Will Wachtmeister reviews Malcolm Torry’s book of arguments for a basic income, focusing in particular on social cohesion and innovation as important reasons why individuals should enjoy economic security. But Se…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Chris Harper highlights a few of the factors necessary to help boost the long-term health of children:First, Antonovsky found that whatever stresses you encounter must be comprehensible. Children, for exampl…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- Scott Santens discusses how a basic income could help to foster social cohesion. And Jared Bernstein confirms the seemingly obvious point that properly-funded social programs work wonders in reducing poverty. – …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, expanding on these posts as to what might come next as Canada’s political parties map out their strategies on electoral reform.For further reading…- Chantal Hebert wonders whether Justin Trudeau will face internal pressure to renege on his prom…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Dani Rodrik discusses the evolution of work, and notes that future development and sharing of wealth may need to follow a different model than the one that’s applied in the past:(T)he post-industrial economy o…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Brown shoes may not make it, but Justin Trudeau’s cabinet choices seem pretty sound
PHOTOS: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of his cabinet and ordinary Canadians walk toward the swearing-in ceremony yesterday morning at Government House in Ottawa. (Vancouver Observer photo.) Below: Mr. Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, making the same walk with members of his new cabinet down the same driveway in 1968. Below
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Is the National Post Trying to Muzzle Andrew Coyne?
I rarely agree with anything Andrew Coyne says or writes. I don't share his missionary faith in an economic system that I believe has been corrupted to its core by the rich and the powerful.There couldn't be a better example of that corruption, than the way the big MSM organizations like
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Don Pittis examines the Cons’ record on jobs and the economy, and reaches the inevitable conclusion that free trade bluster and corporate giveaways have done nothing to help Canadians – which makes it no wonder the Cons are hiding the terms of the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Scott Santens writes about one possible endpoint of the current trend toward precarious employment, being the implementation of a basic income to make sure a job isn’t necessary to enable people to do meaningful work. And Common Dreams reports that a strong
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – The Equality Trust reminds us that economic inequality leads to harmful health consequences even for the lucky few at the top of the income scale. And Matt Bruenig observes that a basic income would provide workers with far more scope to avoid employer
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Thomas Walkom discusses how Canadian workers are feeling the pain of decades of policy designed to suppress wages – and notes there’s plenty more all parties should be doing to change that reality. And Doug Saunders points out what we should want our
Continue reading