If you’ve read my blog posts over the past few years and even in the past couple of months, you’ll know I’ve not been exactly enamoured with the Ontario Liberal Party. Unlike the Federal Liberals, I’m not a member of the OLP and haven’t immediate plans to rejoin because of
Continue readingTag: Canadian Politics
The Ranting Canadian: Some Canadian content for Mayday (International Workers’…
Some Canadian content for Mayday (International Workers’ Day): This video is a documentary about the Toronto folk music group The Travellers, who started out in 1953, mixing traditional folk songs, Canadian patriotism, communism and Jewish culture (sometimes singing in Yiddish). They were inspired by, and worked with, Pete Seeger. They are
Continue readingwmtc: dark times in canada, part 2: marci mcdonald on jason kenney: "and you thought harper was right-wing?"
You won’t catch me implying that Stephen Harper and his corrupt, anti-democratic, anti-human government is moderate. But there’s always room to move even further to the right, and that space is called Jason Kenney. Marci McDonald, author of The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, has written
Continue readingwmtc: dark times in canada, part 1: the lancet: the case against canada as a world citizen
I want to share two articles from well-respected venues reflecting on what’s happening to Canada now – where it is and where it may be going. In The Lancet Global Health, one of the foremost medical journals in the world, there’s “A rising tide: the case against Canada as a
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Congrats to Nancy Leblanc, your OLP candidate for Parkdale-High Park
My long time blogging colleague will apparently be acclaimed in that riding on May 7th for the OLP, and like BigCityLib, I am very pleased to see and hear this. I’ll repeat what I said elsewhere: despite the fact we sometimes disagree on things, we are friends, and I wish
Continue readingAlberta Diary: With friends like these… How much did gun lovers’ aid hurt Rob Anders’ candidacy?
Soon-to-be-former MP Rob Anders with would-be MP Melissa Mathieson. Did this photo help, or hurt, his unsuccessful candidacy? Below: Ron Liepert, the Conservative who beat Mr. Anders in the Calgary Signal Hill riding nomination battle. How big a role did the guns ’n’ ammo crowd play in the defeat Calgary
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Worth repeating on the Supreme Court Senate ruling
As those of you who follow politics in Canada know, the Supreme Court of Canada told Stephen Harper on Friday that if he wanted to either reform (7 provinces/50% of pop) or abolish (unanimity + Senate agreement) the Senate, he needed to do something he hates doing – build a
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: The Shocking Dr. Levin
The long, twisty and sordid legal saga of Aubrey Levin has finally come to an end. Originally found guilty on three counts of sexual assault in January 2013, Levin’s five year prison sentence was upheld by the Alberta Court of Appeal, Wednesday. The case has garnered international attention, due to
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: The Shocking Dr. Levin
The long, twisty and sordid legal saga of Aubrey Levin has finally come to an end. Originally found guilty on three counts of sexual assault in January 2013, Levin’s five year prison sentence was upheld by the Alberta Court of Appeal, Wednesday. The case has garnered international attention, due to
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Why underage drinking at 24 Sussex Drive is no joke for the Harper Government
Awwwww, everybody drinks to much, just like the National Post says! Fuggedaboudit. Look at these young guys, partying it up at 24 Sussex Drive! Below: Ben Harper in 2010. VICTORIA, B.C. The National Post wants Canadians to smarten up and pay attention: Everybody drinks too much, OK? Even our reporters!
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Thanks to Tom Lukaszuk’s memo, Albertans know it wasn’t just Alison Redford with the entitlement problem
Members of the Alberta government’s Public Affairs Bureau spin a good yarn in response to freedom of information requests filed ages ago by Alberta journalists, opposition politicians and other busybodies. Actual government propaganda officials may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Labour Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Information Commissioner Jill Clayton and
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Liberal Nominee: Joseph Angolano in Scarborough North
This is another in a series of blogposts I’ve done for folks I know that are running to be the Liberal candidate in certain ridings*, be they for federal or provincial. This time, I’m highlighting Joseph Angolano, who is running to be the Liberal nominee in the new riding of
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Due to the poor attendance at Rob Ford’s campaign kickoff…
Due to the poor attendance at Rob Ford’s campaign kickoff party, his new theme song could be “Half Empty Halls” by The Evaporators. By most accounts, the April 17, 2014 event was a flop, with low turnout, no “history in the making” moments (another Ford promise broken), none of the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: In one day, the ground shifts in Alberta politics in ways unexpected, sometimes uplifting, sometimes troubling
On March 23, Lewis Cardinal became the first nominated federal NDP candidate in Canada for the expected 2015 election. (Photo by Dave Cournoyer, used with permission.) Yesterday he stepped aside in the face of undisclosed health problems. Below: Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson. What a strange day it was yesterday,
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: The Senate’s proposed amendments to election bill are a facade.
The committee in the Senate designed to look at the (un)Fair Elections Act – Bill C-23 – tried to come across as dramatically wanting to amend this bill….it came up with 9 proposed amendments that were unanimously agreed to. That got initial press coverage as saying the Conservative-dominated Senate was
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Lewis Cardinal steps down as NDP candidate in Edmonton-Centre
TweetLewis Cardinal announced today that, due to personal and health reasons, he is stepping down as the New Democratic Party candidate in Edmonton-Centre for the upcoming federal election. Although he had been campaigning for longer than a year, on March 27, 2014, Mr. Cardinal was officially nominated as his party’s first
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: "I can’t even get my friends to like me." Mark this date:…
“I can’t even get my friends to like me.” Mark this date: April 16, 2014. Disgraced Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper tells the truth for the first time in his political career, as he campaigns at the state funeral of former finance minister Jim Flaherty. The rest of Harper’s speech
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Conservatives spar for safe Alberta ridings
TweetWhile the epic battle between Rob Anders and Ron Liepert in Calgary-Signal Hill was entertaining to watch, preparation for the next federal election has sparked nomination contests in ridings across the province. And with two by-elections expected to be called within weeks, federal political parties are lining up their candidates for the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Advice to progressives: Don’t airbrush Jim Flaherty’s record out of sympathy for his family
The late Jim Flaherty tries on the traditional new shoes just before delivering his 2012 federal budget. Below, some of Mr. Flaherty’s friends and colleagues: former Ontario premier Mike Harris, in whose government he also served; Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Decent people naturally feel sympathy with
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