“The essential message that I bring to the House and to the people of Canada about this budget is that it is not a budget for everyone. It is not a budget that brings Canadians together. It is not a … Continue reading →
Tag: Canadian Politics
CalgaryLiberal: Something to Watch: Federal Liberals in Calgary
With the new seats coming federally in the House of Commons to the economic seat of Canada–Alberta–the province will finally get a more reasonable level of representation. No longer will each of our votes matter less than Ontario or Quebec …
Continue readingwmtc: more wmtc on brigette depape at the mark
A slightly enhanced version of my recent post about Brigette DePape is running at The Mark: Why Brigette DePape’s Actions Were Heroic.
I had assumed The Mark was inundated with DePape-themed essays, but it turned out they had only run one, and it was …
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Mark Holland on rebuilding the Liberal Party of Canada
Politics Reimagined: Mark Holland from Corey Hogan on Vimeo. This is a tremendous speech. The part I thought was most insightful was the need to make the Liberal Party “open source” and the fact that after this election we have … Continue reading →
Scott's DiaTribes: The CPC funding strategy: always look for enemies.
Now that the Liberals are decimated and the Conservatives have a majority government, that once favourite whipping boy for raising donations among its base is gone, so it will have to revert to other boogey-people.
The NDP it won’t touch for another 3 1/2 years, so it’s decided that the new threat to Conservative Party values is the media:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party is calling on supporters to dip into their wallets to help the party counter a new foe. In a letter sent out in the past few days, Conservative Party President John Walsh is urging supporters to help the party counter a “hailstorm” of […]
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: A short thought
Harper really needs to stay away from sporting events.
Continue readingeaves.ca: If the Prime Minister Wants Accountable Healthcare, let’s make it Transparent too
Over at the Beyond the Commons blog Aaron Wherry has a series of quotes from recent speeches on healthcare by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which the one constant keyword is… accountability. Who can blame him? Take everyone promising to limit growth to a still unsustainable 6% (gulp) and throw in some dubiously costly […]
Continue readingA little perspective on GDP growth or does policy matter?
These are odd times. Not one policy seems to get floated these days which does not include in the tag line that it will be good for economic growth. And it is not just tax cuts for the rich or … Continue reading →
Continue readingwmtc: why brigette depape’s actions were heroic in my eyes
The barrage of criticism being heaped on former Canadian Senate page Brigette DePape’s lone act of civil disobedience comes as no surprise, nor does the vehemence of some of the attacks. Naysayers range from the garden variety “I agree with her stateme…
Continue readingeaves.ca: How the War on Drugs Destabilized the Global Economy
This is truly, truly fantastic. If you haven’t already read this stunning story from the Guardian: How a big US bank laundered billions from Mexico’s murderous drug gangs. This is, in essence a chronicle how the dark and sordid side of banking and about how one US bank – Wachovia – essentially allowed Mexican drug […]
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Prime Ministers of Canada & Their Wu-Tang Clan Names
1. John Alexander Macdonald – Amazing Specialist 2. Alexander Mackenzie – Insane Hunter 3. John Abbott – Respected Wizard 4. John Sparrow David Thompson – Dynamic Desperado 5. Mackenzie Bowell – Vizual Samurai 6. Charles Tupper – Annoyin’ Beggar 7. … Continue reading →
UBC economist Milligan throws cake at educated, unemployed youth
I tuned into a rebroadcast of this morning’s the CBC’s the Current while cleaning the kitchen this evening which had an unusually good documentary on the problem of youth unemployment; specifically, the problem of university undergrads in f…
Continue readingThe Equivocator: The Medium Is the Message: Brigette DePape and the NDP’s Ineffective Response To The Throne Speech
Some thoughts on Brigette DePape: I don’t like Stephen Harper or his government but I also think that what Ms. DePape did was stupid. What she did during the June 2011 Throne Speech reminded me of Congressman Joe Wilson yelling “You … Continue reading →
wmtc: michael moore: canadians need to get in touch with their inner hockey stick
Did you hear Michael Moore has offered our hero Brigette DePape a job? I hope she has many such excellent opportunities coming her way. A young woman with that much courage, poise and determination should have a bright future as a rabble rouser.
Michae…
centre of the universe: You keep saying this word. I don’t think this word means what you think it means.
I’d like to kiss the Senate page who launched a protest calling for someone – everyone – to stop Prime Minister Harper. First of all, she’s got chutzpah for doing this thing, and I really admire that. Second, even though there w…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Throne Speech and the Country I Love
Well I watched most of the Throne Speech today, and all I want to say is that Disneyland would be lucky to be able to stage a show like that one. At least there were no nasty surprises.
So it could have been worse.
I’ll never trust Step…
Continue readingwmtc: arash azizi and stephen james kerr: inexperienced ndp mps will be just fine
The media has had a jolly old time ragging on the new, young, inexperienced Members of Parliament in the NDP caucus. Even the most casual observer of mainstream Canadian news will note the mocking, smirking stories about the “latest gaffes” by the Jack…
Continue readingParliamANT Hill: Speaker election first task for MPs
Inspired by this story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/06/02/pol-speaker-election.html
Continue readingwmtc: as parliament returns, let cats be cats and mice be mice
A new Parliament opens tomorrow, and with it, we step into a great unknown. Will Stephen Harper’s Conservative majority plunge us into chaos? Will the government impose a neoliberal austerity agenda that shreds what remains of Canada’s social programs?…
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Killing the Senate requires the Constitution to be opened as well
My Premier, Dalton Mcguinty, has been long on the record that he is for killing the Senate, rather then reforming it, and he reinforced that with another statement to that effect in response to Harper’s proposed Senate reforms. He is joined in that belief by the Nova Scotia Premier, and both of them are in agreement with the federal NDP, who have long advocated that position.
The problem of course with calling for the abolition of the Senate is the same potential roadblock that faces changing the Senate to an elected body (notwithstanding Harper’s attempts to sidestep it, and Quebec appears ready to take the Feds to court […]
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