There’s no doubt that the trumped-up story about Nycole Turmel’s one-time Bloc membership reflects the inevitable first real pile-on against the NDP in its new role as Official Opposition. But it’s worth noting that the NDP also has an opportunity to t…
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Far and Wide: Under The Table Cloth
Rather than debate the details of the NDP Interim Leader Nycole Turmel story, I think the potential political importance is more a macro-level consideration. There is a wider narrative developing, with each successive “tension” the idea that the NDP ar…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: June 22, 2011
The second-last day of debates in this spring’s session dealt mostly with Bruce Hyer’s motion on small business. But lest anybody think there would be agreement on the details of an issue where every party supported the motion itself (resulting in a ra…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: June 21, 2011
Issue of the DayMuch of the day’s debate was taken up with the final debate on the Cons’ budget legislation, with the NDP particularly highlighting provisions to subsidize private mortgage insurance – while the Cons responded at times by insisting that…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Still hard at work
In case there was any doubt whether the NDP’s hard-earned reputation as the most productive caucus in Ottawa would change as the party moved into its new role as Official Opposition, LEGISInfo provides a handy comparison for the bills introduced in the…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On direct representation
In discussing how the new Parliament has functioned so far, Charlie Angus makes an important point which hints at how the Bloc lost touch with Quebec – as well as where the NDP has a massive opportunity:NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.) ag…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On unlikely donations
Since I haven’t seen much follow-up on La Presse’s fund-raising map and database, I’ll be taking a stroll through the data over the weekend – with a particular focus on how Canadian political donations break down geographically. But before I get into t…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Stonewalled
Not that it should come as much surprise that the release of the first report (PDF) from the Afghan detainee document panel fits the pattern of delay and distraction from the Cons. But this declaration (italics added) looks to take the stonewalling to …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: June 13, 2011
As I’d suspected, there looks to be plenty of material for a review post from just a day’s worth of events in the House of Commons. So here’s an inaugural daily review of what you may have missed in Ottawa yesterday – with a few themes I’ll be developi…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: You may not have noticed, but…
…the first vote on budgetary policy in Canada’s new Parliament took place on Wednesday, with the parties taking their positions on the Libs’ budget subamendment. And it may make for an interesting signal as to who’s willing to work together in provid…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Chantal Hebert points out that the biggest difference resulting from the NDP’s emergence as Canada’s official opposition may have to do with gender rather than age:A lot has been written and said about the yout…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- With health care once again receiving plenty of attention on the U.S. political scene thanks to the Republicans’ plan to dismantle publicly-funded Medicare, the differences between Canada and the U.S. are once a…
Continue readingExcited Delirium: MayDay 2011: Yer Blues, Orange Crush and RIP LPC
In 2015, the only thing that will defeat the Cons is a concerted effort. The ‘death by a thousand cuts’ approach by Canada’s progressives will only ensure that we never have a voice in this country.
Continue readingThe Global Express: A Shift in Canadian Politics
With one of the most unpredictable and unimaginable elections in recent memory, the most accurate way to summarize it all in one sentence would be to say; there is a shift in Canadian politics. We have seen a shift in the status quo, and possibly the re-alignment in the Canadian
Continue readingFederal Election Prediction
With the 41st Canadian General Election Day arriving tomorrow, it seems that it is time for me to get my election prediction on the record. I am predicting a Conservative minority government with the New Democratic Party holding the balance of power. At this point, those two predictions are not
Continue readingWill The Government Fall?
Well folks, here it is for you in black and white right from the order paper for March 25th 2011:
Opposition Motion
March 23, 2011 — Mr. Ignatieff (Etobicoke—Lakeshore) — That the House agree with the finding of the Standing Committee on Procedu…
The Global Express: Good Ol’ Canadian Politics
So here we go again. The 4th election in 7 years, exactly what Canadians wanted. And in the midst of an economic recovery. You have the Liberals who are the only realistic party that can take over the Conservatives. You have the NDP who are always the 3rd wheel between
Continue readingPop The Stack: Could Coalition Be Used to Get the Bloc to Stop Being Separatists?
Great point by Chrystal on Lessons on Framing – Coalition Governments As important as the question regarding whether the Liberal Party and NDP would consider being part of a coalition government is whether the Conservative Party would. Why are virtually all media, journalists, other writers and democratic reformers ignoring this? Just because Canadians won’t vote in […]
Jacked Up: Harpercrites Exposed!
The Conservatives just can’t seem to get enough of eating their own words. “The brutal fact here is that something has happened that has never happened before in Canadian history,” Mr. Day, the current Conservative Minister of Trade, said on CTV Newsnet on Tuesday. “And that is two federal leaders
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