Apparently uncertain how to respond to news Greta Thunberg will soon visit Alberta, the Kenney Government seems to have opted for adolescent sarcasm as an appropriate counter to the 16-year-Old Swedish environmental activist’s message. “We trust that Ms. Thunberg will recognize Alberta’s leading human rights and environmental standards,” said Premier
Continue readingTag: Canadian Politics
Warren Kinsella: CBC vs. CPC: when bias isn’t just perceived anymore
A reasonable apprehension of bias — that’s what we learned to call it in law school. It’s the legal standard, in Canadian law, for disqualifying a judge or decision-maker in an administrative tribunal. Bias is prejudice, mostly. It’s an unreasonably hostile feeling or opinion about a person or group. In
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: On voting, roads, and prairie privilege
Andrew Scheer visits rural dairy farmers in La Baie, Quebec. Photo from Twitter. During the televised debates last week Andrew Scheer and Justin Trudeau promised tax cuts that would cost the nation billions of dollars, draining its capacity to deal with the realities of climate change and the need to
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Trudeau government’s ‘blackface’ in Haiti
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians take to the streets in February, 2019 to demonstrate in response to the economic crisis sweeping the Caribbean nation. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press. Justin Trudeau recently apologized for dressing up in blackface. He acknowledged that it was a racist act. But he has
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: The rumours about Justin Trudeau
Rumours. It’s more than a Fleetwood Mac album. Rumours about Justin Trudeau have littered Canadian newsrooms like confetti since the start of this election. Rumours about Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. As we now know, some of the rumours about the Liberal leader turned out to be true. So,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: There was actually something new in the leader’s debate Monday — alas, it’s not a good thing
The United States’ two-party political setup may not be much of a template for actual democracy, but at least it has lots of potential for interesting leaders’ debates. A televised leaders’ debate in a vibrant multi-party democracy like Canada? Not so much. For one thing, you have to invite the
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Justin Trudeau, Liberal Let-Down
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a photo at the 43rd G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily, Italy in March 2014. Photo by the European Council (Flickr.) It all started so promisingly. It’s hard to forget the bright, warm day in
Continue readingAlberta Politics: What was Rachel Notley suggesting when she said she’s not committed to voting for Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats?
Responding to former Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley’s remark last week that she hasn’t committed to voting for Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats in her own federal riding, a young Albertan named Reakash Walters tweeted from Ontario: “I have never felt so out of touch from Alberta politics than right at
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: My latest: debate? What debate?
Here’s the thing about Monday’s leader’s debate, Canada. You won’t be watching it. Well, let’s amend that. Sun readers are a scrappy, elbows-up lot, who dig politics and a good scrap. Sun readers are likelier to be watching the debate. They like debates. But most everyone else? They won’t be.
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Austerity round two in Manitoba
Premier Brian Pallister addresses media following the throne speech before the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba on Mon., Sept. 30, 2019. Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia Network. Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives, led by Premier Brian Pallister, won the provincial election on September 10, albeit with a slightly smaller majority than they had going into
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Environmental Defence study concludes Canada’s emissions would soar if CAPP’s wish list were granted
Research published this morning by Environmental Defence Canada concludes adoption of the powerful Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers lobby group’s election wish list would increase Canadian greenhouse gas emissions by 116 million tonnes of CO² by 2030. “In that scenario, Canada’s oil and gas sector would be emitting 311 million
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: My latest: why isn’t Andrew Scheer way ahead?
So, Andrew. You don’t mind if I call you Andrew, do you? It’s better than what I sometimes used to call you, which was Blandy Andy. I stopped calling you that because you figured out a way to make the bland thing work, like Brampton Bill Davis did. You embraced
Continue readingAlberta Politics: When in doubt, tell the truth: Andy Scheer’s lies lack ambition; more importantly, so do his excuses!
Mark Twain, the renowned American author and one of the great raconteurs of the 19th Century, counselled: “When in doubt, tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends.” Excellent advice, it turns out, in this political season. The author’s advice was not just about lies of
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Who won and lost the French-language debate
Who won? The separatist guy, Yves-Francois Blanchet. He was calm, he was cool and he was collected. He totally dominated. Who lost? Justin Trudeau. He needed to remind everyone that that hopey-changey guy from 2015 is still around. He didn’t, because he isn’t. (And he was clobbered on one key
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: The Discourse:-Cowichan-Malahat-Langford candidates share their take on environment and food security issues at EAT THINK VOTE.
Did you miss last week’s candidates’ meeting on food security issues? Here’s some of what we heard. THE DISCOURSE.CA-Curious in Cowichan. Cowichan-Malahat-Langford candidates talk environment and food security Cowichan-Malahat-Langford candidates share their take on Read more…
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Random, contextless links about #elxn43 and #cdnpoli and punk rock
So. First day of October. Here’s bits and pieces, this and that: Ipsos says the Tories are ahead, and have been ahead since the start of the election campaign. Warren says they’re not ahead by nearly enough. After blackface, after LavScam, after Aga Khan, after Griswolds Go To India, after
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Andrew Scheer’s big National Energy Corridor idea sure sounds a lot like NEP 2.0
Now that we are in the midst of a closely fought federal election campaign, it’s interesting to see the Conservative Party of Canada is open at least to some of the ideas of prime minister Trudeau. I speak, of course, of prime minister Pierre Trudeau and the National Energy Program
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Fifty-four Canadian Armed Forces personnel under investigation for right-wing extremism
Canadian Armed Forces Jumpmaster, Corporal Tyler Henrich assists members of the 82nd Airborne Division, as they board a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft. Photo by Sgt. Matthew McGregor/Canadian Forces Combat Camera (Flickr). The President of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies says there are 54
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Trump and Trudeau: brothers of another mother
Trump and Trudeau: They’re not that different, really. Sons of millionaires. Never had to worry about a hydro bill, never needed to fret about a mortgage payment. Never experienced the pocketbook terror that is everyday existence for lesser mortals. Bodyguards, maids, chauffeurs, private jets: These were the emblems of the
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