David Moscrop laments the role of opinion polls in shaping political events – and there’s certainly reason for caution in presuming that immediate polls will have a lasting effect. But I’ll argue that at least as politics are now covered, polls in fact serve as an important check on the
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Accidental Deliberations: Working across the aisle
Among the other lessons learned from Alberta’s recent election, let’s point out one more with implications for the federal scene. While the main opposition parties recognized that they were too far apart in their general policy orientation to justify a formal coalition, both the NDP and the Wildrose Party were
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – CBC follows up on the connection between childhood poverty and increased health-care costs later in life. And Sunny Freeman points out how the living wage planned by Rachel Notley’s NDP figures to benefit Alberta’s economy in general. – Meanwhile, William Gardner laments our
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Robert Reich offers a long-form look at the relationship between inequality and policies designed to extract riches for the wealthy at everybody else’s expense: The underlying problem, then, is not that most Americans are “worth” less in the market than they had
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Choosing the wrong side
Following up on this morning’s column, let’s note that there’s another area where the Libs are stubbornly sticking to a previous position whose underpinnings have been even more thoroughly destroyed. The Libs have been at pains to at least offer the perception of changing their direction from nearly everything done
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The democratic alternative
Some time ago, I put together this list of principles worth considering when talking about structured cooperation between political parties. And consistent with Ian Gill’s own warning about his lack of connection to party structures, his proposal for a secret pre-election pact manages to fail on nearly every front. But
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On trial and error
It may be true – as argued by Lawrence Martin – that Mike Duffy’s expense fraud trial will serve as the most prominent point of discussion about the Harper Cons’ stay in power. But we should be careful not to rely on it too much as a counterweight to the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On youth outreach
David Akin claims that Canada’s political parties should ignore youth turnout in an election year and focus on older citizens who are more likely to vote. But it’s worth taking some time to examine the issue in a bit more detail. At the outset, I’d think there’s little doubt Canada’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On conventional choices
Following up on this post, other commentators are starting to raise questions about what will happen after the impending federal election. Based on the Harper Cons’ track record, the default assumption has to be that they aren’t about to consider themselves bound by mere conventions or if there’s a chance
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Margot Sanger-Katz writes about the connection between inequality and poor health. Nicolas Fitz reminds us that even people concerned about inequality may underestimate how serious it is. And BJ Siekierski asks what will happen to Canada’s economy in terms of both growth
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On transition planning
I’ve previously highlighted the need for media and citizens alike to press our opposition parties on how they’re willing to cooperate to replace the Harper Cons after the next federal election. But let’s note that there’s a similar question which still needs to be directed at Stephen Harper at every
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On prospects for change
The latest round of discussion about the possibility of a coalition to offer something better than the Harper Cons seems to have taken an noteworthy turn. At this point, everybody but the Libs seems to have settled on the position that there’s no real obstacle to a coalition government –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – CBC reports on the latest research showing that Canada would save billions every year with a national pharmacare plan. And Thomas Walkom argues that politics are standing in the way of what should be a no-brainer from a policy standpoint. – Richard Gwyn
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On full information
Michael Harris’ latest is well worth a read in offering a guide to avoiding the worst consequences of election-year spin. But it’s worth noting that his most important advice is only presented as an afterthought: Final note on street-proofing your vote? Inform yourself. Look at what the people who want
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the Cons’ attempt to spin an election narrative out of a fictional bogeyman rather than protecting or helping Canadians. For further reading…– The National Academy of Sciences offers a comparison of death rates from multiple causes in Canada and elsewhere, while Statistics Canada has more detailed data. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Garfield Mahood and Brian Iler discuss the challenge facing charities as compared to the special treatment of businesses in trying to advocate as to public policy: (T)he solutions to many of society’s problems do not need more research and the criticism-free public education
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On alternative explanations
In 2011, one of the turning points in Canada’s federal election campaign (at least in determining which party would form the Official Opposition) came when voters learned about Michael Ignatieff’s refusal to show up for work in the House of Commons. One might have expected the Libs’ next leader to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Mariana Mazzucato argues that we need to change our conversation and our policy choices on public investment in Canada’s economy: As in many other countries, the conversation about government and public investment in Canada has for decades distorted and underplayed the role
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On needless concessions
Shorter Dougald Lamont: The only way to win against Stephen Harper’s Conservatives is to let the Conservatives define both the significance of Stephen Harper, and what it means to “win”.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The more things change…
Tim Naumetz’ comparison between the NDP’s place before the 2011 federal election and its current position is worth a read. But what’s perhaps more noteworthy is how little has changed. Remember that the 2011 campaign was initially portrayed as a two-party race between the Cons and the Libs. And looking
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