How are Canada’s political leaders are positioning themselves ahead of the Kinder Morgan corporation’s imposed May 31 pipeline deadline? What will federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau say when he visits Calgary this week? What is the long term impact of the pipeline dispute between the provincial and federal New Democratic Parties?
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Alberta Politics: ‘NRA Strategy’ to block connection of climate change dots won’t work when the climate disaster’s in B.C.
As fear rises in British Columbia this week along with the province’s record floodwaters, the likelihood B.C. voters will connect the dots between man-made climate change and “natural” catastrophes is rising too. Politically speaking, this is not exactly good news for the determined advocates in Alberta and Ottawa of aggressive
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Dispatches from the front lines of Alberta politics: Jason Kenney reveals his nasty streak … again
My, my, Jason Kenney’s vow to become the new Mr. Congeniality of Confederation sure didn’t last very long, did it? Twitterists are having fun comparing the Alberta Opposition leader’s response to a gentle jab by Premier Rachel Notley in the Alberta Legislature Tuesday afternoon with what he had to say
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Notley NDP pass bill to halt oil and gas to BC as Jagmeet Singh finally shows up to the pipeline party
What a day. Turn off the taps: Bill 12: Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act passed third reading Alberta’s Legislative Assembly and once the bill is given royal assent, proclaimed into law and accompanying regulations are written, New Democratic Party Premier Rachel Notley‘s government would have the power to halt the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Your Neo-liberal Government At Work
Included in the Trudeau sellout is the following: – Prepared to indemnify the project from any financial loss; -Is willing to offer this financial security to any company who wants to build the pipeline, should Kinder Morgan back out; -and, the financial backing must be fair, and beneficial to Canadians.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Lisa Raitt and the Con Losers
Nine years ago I made a short YouTube video called Lisa and the Losers. And I must say Lisa Raitt hasn't changed a bit.She's on another losing streak, and it could be her worst. First she lost the race to replace Stephen Harper. Who she had tried so hard to impress.Then she
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trudeau has to dump Morneau.
We have been waiting. We have been patient but it has not happened. Prime minister Justin Trudeau still has that millstone Bill Morneau dragging him down to the depths of neoliberalism. It is not 2018 for this government until finance minister Bill Morneau is gone. It is the story of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Grand Plan of Obfuscation: A Guest Post
In response to Saturday’s post about the increasing momentum of the neoliberal creep evident in the Trudeau government, frequent commentator BM offered his detailed take on this sorry situation: It’s all part of the Grand Plan of Obfuscation. Put in a haphazard system of Pharmacare, so that no citizen knows
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers Are Not Impressed
Star readers can spot a corrupt policy process when they see one, an acuity they make known as they opine on Bill Morneau’s pharmacare plans: Morneau’s unwise decision to backtrack pharmacare, Walkom, March 2 Every parent knows this: If you aren’t really going to take your kids to the zoo,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Neoliberal Creep – An Update
I’m not sure what I find more offensive. Is it the fact that Bill Morneau, despite all that he has said about his limited vision regarding pharmacare, is apparently lying when he now says he is open to all ideas regarding a national drug-coverage program? Or is it that he
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. -Tom Parkin laments the timidity of the Libs’ budget, while recognizing the opportunities it creates for the NDP: Over $7 billion in infrastructure investment, the cornerstone of the Liberals 2015 election appeal, was cut and pushed past the next election — despite the sorry
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Neoliberal Creep
The above title epitomizes both the entire Trudeau government and specific high-profile individuals within it, most notably Finance Minister Bill Morneau and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. The latter two are using their offices, not to promote the public good, but to do the bidding of their corporate masters. Let’s
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Stephen Mandel to lead Alberta Party; probably won’t take Tory insider’s advice to go ‘ultra-left’
PHOTOS: Stephen Mandel, always a natty dresser, was chosen as the leader of the Alberta Party last night. He was dressed more conservatively than in this old picture, though, which has the advantage of having been taken by your blogger back when Mr. Mandel was Jim Prentice’s unelected health minister.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In a land where greed beats need.
The last time Canada took a systematic look into its tax system was at the instigation of a Prairie populist, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. The royal commission headed by Bay Street accountant Kenneth Carter was famous for determining “A buck is a buck.” Here we are more than 50 years
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Donald Trump is just one of far too many politicians trying to undercut needed counterbalances in the media, political systems and civil society. For further reading…– Rem Reider’s story offers a few examples of Trump’s attacks on the press.– Althia Raj reported on Bill Morneau’s complaints about
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tom Parkin duly slams the Libs for a “middle class” tax message being used to sell a giveaway to the rich: Here’s the blunt facts: the tax cut by Finance Minister Bill Morneau gives $0 to anyone earning under about $45,000. Then
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: C’mon Bill. Just Answer The Question
The beleaguered Bill Morneau continues in his refusal to answer questions about whether he sold a whack of shares in his company, Morneau Shappell, before the government introduced changes to tax rates dropping the income tax rate for middle-class Canadians while boosting it on high-income earners. Those rates were to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Sad Day In The House
It is indeed a sad day in public life when a worm like Pierre Poilievre can stand up in the House of Commons and seem to occupy the high moral ground as he renders ethical judgement on a minister of the Crown. Yet the government of Justin Trudeau has brought
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tom Parkin writes that the Trudeau Libs and Bill Morneau have taken the side of wealthy shareholders over workers who want only the secure retirement they’ve already paid for through deferred wages: Morneau should be requiring companies to tell Canadians’ pension regulator
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Linda McQuaig discusses how Justin Trudeau, Bill Morneau and the federal Libs are focused mostly on further privileging the rich: There’s lots of lamenting about the way the rich keep getting richer while ordinary folk struggle to keep their heads above water. Along
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