Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – The Toronto Star’s Public Editor Kathy English discusses the wall being built around information by the Harper Cons. But at least as interesting to me is the Cons’ determination to put up roadblocks in the way of information which can obviously be obtained
Continue readingTag: Cons
Accidental Deliberations: On continued control
I’d certainly be interested to see some evidence that Conservative MPs are doing anything more than dispensing party talking points. But while there may be some better examples available, the contents of Jason Warick’s report this morning look to me to fall far short. Let’s go point by point… –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jim Coyle wonders whether or democracy is in decline, and cites as evidence the utter disconnect between the primary functions of elected representatives and the way politics are covered in the media: (R)eal influence and authority has left the precincts — drifting
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Tim Harper slams the Cons for yet another omnibus abuse of parliamentary democracy: Stephen Harper didn’t invent prorogation and omnibus legislation, but he has made two arcane polysyllabic political terms part of our everyday lexicon, improving our vocabulary but diminishing our democracy. His
Continue readingLeft Over: Shaking Hands with the Devil You Think You Know….
While the Cons huff and puff and try to simply blow our House of Parliament down, let me play devil’s advocate here and rant about something that no one else (that I’ve been aware of) seems to be mentioning, in all the foofaraw about increasing the golden handshake contributions…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Annie Lowrey reports on the evidence showing that the perpetually-increasing inequality pitched by the right as an economic plan actually serves to damage economic development: The yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots — and the political questions that gap has
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
Assorted material to end your weekend. – Chrystia Freeland comments on the self-destructive nature of elite protectionism: (E)ven as the winner-take-all economy has enriched those at the very top, their tax burden has lightened. Tolerance for high executive compensation has increased, even as the legal powers of unions have been
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Dene Moore reports on Enbridge’s efforts to turn the Northern Gateway pipeline review process into an inquisition against critics. But I’ll point out that thanks to the Harper Cons, that strategy is even more insidious than it seems at first glance: because of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On honest appraisals
For all the concerns about the Cons paying absolutely no political price for their constant dishonesty, the NDP working to change that assumption: So how effective does the new ad look to be, particularly compared to past efforts to develop the theme that the Cons can’t be trusted? Well, the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – No, the aftershocks of an e. coli outbreak which has unfortunately given both Canadians and export markets reason for concern about the safety of some of our major food sources aren’t about to end simply because the Cons are again pretending everything’s fine.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Murray Mandryk and Bruce Johnstone both thoroughly slam Gerry Ritz and the Cons for their food-safety negligence. But Johnstone hints at the larger issue: Ritz, for all his faults, is not the cause of this latest debacle. He’s merely a symptom of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On contrasting treatment
BigCityLib comments on the Cons’ hasty backtracking over Helen MacMurchy. But I find it particularly interesting to note the contrast between their treatment of MacMurchy and their handling of John A. MacDonald. Remember that MacDonald’s fervent commitment to an “Aryan Canada” and racial purity was publicly noted just as the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Michael Harris follows up on the previous activism to save the Experimental Lakes Area by noting that efforts to work with the Harper Cons are providing both divisive and disastrous: (J)ust a few months after the Death of Evidence rally, another event is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Mitchell Anderson’s final report on Norway’s highly successful management of its oil resources puts Canada’s current philosophy to the test: Seen through this lens, how is Canada doing? Abysmally…: 1. Dependency. Even with our vast oil wealth, Canada currently relies on other
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Star recognizes the danger facing anybody who tries to convince a Con MP to listen to constituents’ concerns – as the Cons don’t care enough to respond to specific appeals, but will be happy to use whatever information they can gather
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On likely stories
Yes, last week’s attempt to call anti-immigrant bigots to testify before the Standing Committee on Immigration turned into a debacle for the Cons (thanks in no small part to a quick opposition response). But there’s reason to doubt any claim that it was merely an innocent mistake. After all, one
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Althia Raj reports on the Cons’ concerted effort to undermine organized labour in Canada (along with anybody else who might object to putting the interests of dirty oil and dirty money above the needs of citizens): Behind the rhetoric about “union bosses” and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On healthy choices
It looks like the federal NDP is starting to highlight some of its priorities as an alternative government in order to better frame Canada’s political debate. And while its first offering on health care includes some relatively low-hanging fruit (it’s truly sad that “not gratuitously boosting drug costs by billions”
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Mike McBane and Stuart Trew note that Canada can’t afford to sign on to yet another massive giveaway to big pharma: An Ipsos Reid poll commissioned by the Council and the health coalition and released last week shows that what would normally be
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Chris Hayes notes that Mitt Romney’s $50,000-a-plate dinner caught on video represents a rare glimpse inside the U.S.’ plutocracy – as well as a strong argument as to why we shouldn’t allow that group to decide policy affecting the public at large:
Continue reading