While we’re on the subject of Stephen Harper’s campaign to insult Canada, let’s note the significance of his choice of attacks on Tom Mulcair. As others have pointed out, the “career politician” complaint makes absolutely no sense as an attempt to contrast Mulcair against Harper – who has been in
Continue readingTag: canada 2015
Accidental Deliberations: On unconventional strategies
One might think that needlessly picking fights with every single person one can name is something less than an ideal campaign tactic. But Stephen Harper has other ideas. Or put another way, Stephen Harper is campaigning as Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, only with more anti-social tendencies.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On end goals
We can fully expect Canada’s election campaign to feature plenty more talk about possible coalition outcomes – which are favoured by the public, and may represent the best way to ensure the Cons’ replacement if Stephen Harper again tries to cling to power. And as I’ve noted before, there remains
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content for your Sunday reading. – Frank Pasquale and Siva Vainhyanathan write that we shouldn’t mistake schemes intended to get around employee standards and other laws for innovations worth celebrating or embracing: Uber has confronted admittedly stifling restrictions on taxi driver licenses in France by launching a service called
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Good to go
A few images which may or may not become highly relevant in just a few minutes.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: By invitation only
Yes, Paul McLeod’s report that Stephen Harper will go through a three-month election period without meeting a single person who hasn’t been previously vetted by partisan operatives is pretty much the logical extension of the Harper Cons’ attitude toward the public. But it’s worth offering a reminder how that relates
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Tavia Grant is the latest to note that the potential for driverless vehicles necessitates some consideration as to how to account for people who currently rely on driving jobs. And Vivek Wadhwa makes the case for a new form of capitalism which isn’t
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Murray Dobbin writes that Canadians should indeed see the federal election as a choice between security and risk – with the Cons’ failing economic policies representing a risk we can’t afford to keep taking: (N)ot only is Harper vulnerable on his own limited
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On common application
Between Stephen Harper’s combination of broken promises and ongoing scandals, I’m rather shocked that anybody thought the Senate would be anything but a political liability for the Cons. But let’s highlight what’s worth taking away from an announcement which came nowhere close to living up to its billing. Prime Minister
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Barry Eidlin argues that Canada’s comparatively stronger trade unions have led to a far more equal distribution of income than exists in the U.S., and discusses what we need to do to reinforce that tendency: In a recent article and forthcoming book, I
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Change for the better
It seems so long ago when it was conventional wisdom that no party in contention for government in Canada would dare talk about cooperating to get things done, no matter how many voters wanted to see it happen. But if there was any doubt that the NDP can change Ottawa’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, taking a look at the voter pools the NDP will be looking to win over in order to come out ahead in if this fall’s federal election turns into a two-party race. And I’ll note that while Alberta may serve as the most recent precedent, similar patterns can be
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jerry Dias discusses how the Cons have pushed Canada into an avoidable recession by slashing useful funding in order to send out pre-election baubles: How far has Canada’s economic star fallen? Only recently Prime Minister Stephen Harper boasted that Canada’s economy was “the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: How to create warped incentives
Shorter John Ibbitson: The NDP is being entirely responsible in preparing for the possible outcomes of the next federal election, and must be punished for it.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, expanding on this post as to the Harper Cons’ choice between short-term tactics and long-term viability. For further reading, Jamey Heath argues that the Libs are serving only split voters who have a common interest in change, and that the progressive vote should coalesce behind the NDP. But in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On acceptable surprises
When Alice Funke first identified the effect of an extended writ period under the Cons’ well-hidden revisions to the Canada Elections Act, I mused the effect was less problematic than it appeared at first glance. But now that the possibility of an extra-long campaign looks fairly real and the issue
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On succession plans
Over the past few days, I’ve finally made it around to reading Paul Wells’ The Longer I’m Prime Minister. And there are a few points raised by Wells’ account of Stephen Harper’s stay in office which call for plenty more discussion. Let’s start with the conflict between Harper’s long-term plans
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Adrian Morrow reports on Al Gore’s explanation as to how the fight against climate change can be economically as well as environmentally beneficial, while CTV points out a new Nanos poll showing that Canadians largely agree with the view that cleaner technology
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Deep thought
If, having spent spending nearly a decade and hundreds of thousands of dollars of donors’ money as a national party leader, I could think of no more important issue to be flogged at every opportunity than how much TV air time other people demanded for me, I’d see reason for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, following up on these posts about the possibility the Cons might decide to ignore their own fixed election date and delay the election expected for October 19. For further reading… – The Canada Elections Act is here. And for an interesting comparison, see Saskatchewan’s fixed election date provision from
Continue reading