A letter of mine found its way into the Vancouver Sun today. This one comes in response to a piece last week by Senator Mobina Jaffer about the role of Canada’s Senate in protecting minority rights. In my letter, I argue in favour of abolishing the Senate and ensuring fair
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eaves.ca: The Uncertain Future of Open Data in the Government of Canada
It is possible to state that presently, open data is at its high water mark in the Government of Canada. Data.gc.ca has been refreshed, more importantly, the government has signed the Open Data Charter committing it to making data “open” by default, and a rash of new data sets have
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Amateur Hour
I’m not sure this should surprise anyone, given the way the PMO has acted recently: The Prime Minister’s Office orchestrated a protest earlier this month at which Conservative party interns mocked Liberal leader Justin Trudeau during an open-air news conference. It is the latest revelation about the lengths to which
Continue readingIn This Corner: Trudeau’s the rubber, Harper the glue.
“I’m rubber, you’re glue. Your words bounce off me and stick to you.” That juvenile little axiom popped into my head today as I contemplated the amazing Rubber Man, Justin Trudeau, and the clumsy attempts by Stephen Harper — the Darth Vader of Canadian politics — to ruin him. Harper
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Love this line: ‘Liberals continue to pound Conservatives’
It’s poll night! This one from Leger looks at the party’s standing and leadership.. and this gives a hint as to why the Conservative Party, or the Prime Minister’s Office rather (actually, scratch that, they’re both acting as the same thing, which the PMO should not be doing, by the
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Plurality of Canadians want Senate “reformed”, not abolished.
At least, according to this Nanos poll: The survey asked Canadians what they would like to see done with the Senate. Respondents were overwhelmingly against the status quo, with 49 per cent supporting reform of the Senate and 41 per cent preferring it be abolished. Just six per cent said
Continue readingeaves.ca: Some thoughts on the relaunched data.gc.ca
Yesterday, I talked about what I thought was the real story that got missed in the fanfare surrounding the relaunch of data.gc.ca. Today I’ll talk about the new data.gc.ca itself. Before I begin, there is an important disclaimer to share (to be open!). Earlier this year Treasury Board asked me
Continue readingeaves.ca: The Real News Story about the Relaunch of data.gc.ca
As many of my open data friends know, yesterday the government launched its new open data portal to great fanfare. While there is much to talk about there – something I will dive into tomorrow – that was not the only thing that happened yesterday. Indeed, I did a lot
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Warning to Tories: It’s not just Trudeau any more … it’s open season on public speakers!
Dave Rodney, the only Conservative MLA for Calgary Lougheed ever to have climbed Mt. Everest twice, or once, for that matter. He is an inspirational speaker. Really. Below: The young Justin Trudeau. Below Mr. Trudeau: The young G. Gordon Liddy and your blogger, also young. Is that 1970s moustache action
Continue readingbastard.logic: Stay Classy, Sun Media
Oops: AM640 ‘s Lou Schizas calls Andrea Horwath a ‘whore’ | canada.com o.canada.com/2013/06/12/and… via @natnewswatch— Lorrie Goldstein (@sunlorrie) June 13, 2013 @mistervermin @natnewswatch Exactly.— Lorrie Goldstein (@sunlorrie) June 13, 2013 h/t Justin Stayshyn Filed under: Canadian politics Tagged: AM640, Andrea Horwath, Lorrie Goldstein, Lou Schizas, Ontario NDP, Ontario Politics, Sun
Continue readingbastard.logic: Stay Classy, Sun Media
Oops: AM640 ‘s Lou Schizas calls Andrea Horwath a ‘whore’ | canada.com o.canada.com/2013/06/12/and… via @natnewswatch— Lorrie Goldstein (@sunlorrie) June 13, 2013 @mistervermin @natnewswatch Exactly.— Lorrie Goldstein (@sunlorrie) June 13, 2013 Filed under: Canadian politics Tagged: AM640, Andrea Horwath, Lorrie Goldstein, Lou Schizas, Ontario NDP, Ontario Politics, Sun Media, The Happy
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Nova Scotia Extends Health Care Coverage for Reassignment Surgery
After originally saying that it would not fund genital reassignment surgery, the Nova Scotia government has now said that it would extend health care funding coverage for the procedure. Health Minister Dave Wilson is quoted as saying, “This is the right thing to do.” I’ve written previously about why GRS
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: The Ranked Ballot Initiative passes its 1st hurdle in Toronto!!!
The first significant electoral reform in Canada since.. probably 1867 has passed its first (and major) hurdle in Toronto’s City Hall voting tonight. Via Dave Meslin’s Twitter feed and others, Toronto City Council voted 26-15 tonight in favor of requesting the province of Ontario permission to use ranked ballot voting
Continue readingMusings on Canadian Politics: Haircuts and highlights: Conservative MP Eve Adams on accountability
I hate to state the obvious, but the Conservative Party of Canada has some problems right now. There are very few things the average Joe dislikes more than people who say one thing and do another. This notion applies as equally to the individual as it does to politicians and
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Disappointing environmental decision from the Ontario Government – again.
I’ve not been an Ontario Liberal Party member in over a year – one of the main reasons I let it lapse are listed here, where I expressed a lot of frustration that Dalton Mcguinty was in essence “pulling a Harper” and using an omnibus bill which contained weakened environmental
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Criminalization by any other name…
In Meghan Murphy’s Globe and Mail op-ed of June 3rd, A prostitution solution: Outlaw the customers, not the hookers, she presents what is often referred to as the Swedish or Nordic model of legislation — removing penalties for those who sell sex but prosecuting the buying of it — as
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Right-Wing Group Claims Trans Human Rights are a Plot to Normalize Pedophilia.
It has long been a practice of American far-right spokespeople and organizations that when sensationalistic rhetoric starts to fail, rather than try to polish it up and make it look more convincing, they often switch to something more sensationalistic and absurd, as a way of getting attention and scaring folks.
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stephen Harper, stay just the way you are.
Brent Rathgeber … hero? I never thought that an MP once called a “carbon blob” by a blogger (that would be me) would ever be hailed as a hero, but there are strange times in Canadian politics. Wonderful times, too. For the first time since Canada became an autocracy under
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Welcoming in a new LPC Communications Director
Via Twitter comes this tweet from Mylene Dupere: “Very enthusiastic to join @JustinTrudeau’s team as Director of Communications next Monday” Who is Mylene Dupere? Her Twitter account only mentions she is a “public relations specialist”. Her LinkedIn page says she is (was) the Manager, Media Services at PWGSC (Public Works
Continue reading350 or bust: Ottawa: Buying Ads Is Easier Than Rooting Out CPC Corruption
Power, like a desolating pestilence, Pollutes whate’er it touches. Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab What a week in “Ottawapiskat”! In Canada’s capital city the embattled government of Stephen Harper is facing one scandal after another, topped yesterday by the very public exit from the CPC caucus of MP Brent Rathgeber.
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