The Harper government is paying consultant Deloitte Inc. almost $90,000 a day for advice on how to manage the cuts. via Harper personally approved $22,000 tab for visiting bureaucrats – The Globe and Mail. I am flabbergasted to read this entire article about money Harper personally signed off on to
Continue readingTag: conservative party of canada
The Equivocator: Micah Goldberg: How bad was this week for the Conservative Government?
It was bad. It was really bad. It was the worst week the Conservatives have had since they became a Majority Government. Bill C-30, the “Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act” allows the Government and Canadian authorities to track the digital footprint of Canadian citizens without a warrant in situations
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Dirty Deeds…
Apparently not done dirt cheap. In fact, as the Postmedia reporter indicates, whoever was responsible for attempting to suppress the vote for the benefit of the Conservative candidates in tightly contested ridings required money, organization and voters lists. Doesn’t exactly sound like a formula for some obscure “rogue” now does
Continue readingsomecanuckchick dot com: Robocall Roundup
Robocalls A pre-recorded message with a female voice, in both French and English, claimed to be calling on behalf of Elections Canada. This message directed voters in ridings across the country to the wrong polling stations. RackNine Inc. — used by many Conservative Party of Canada candidates — has confirmed its
Continue readingImpolitical: Elections Canada investigates Conservatives redux
Big report by Postmedia last night: “Fraudulent election calls traced to Racknine Inc., an Edmonton firm with Tory links.” Some of the details and then a few thoughts below: Postmedia News and the Ottawa Citizen have found that Elections Canada traced the calls to Racknine Inc., a small Edmonton call
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Canadian Foreign Policy: Nuance Matters
This video (from April, 2011 before the election) was brought to my attention today. Some thoughts: We should not forget, nor should we let Canadians forget that Stephen Harper lost a seat on the United Nations Security Council, for the first time ever. With the situation in Syria and the
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Fraser Institute: 100% political and still a registered charity! Explain, please…
A typical Canadian taxpayer ponders the tax-deductible corporate pork that goes to support the Fraser Institute and its ilk. Below: Fraser Institute critics Donald Gutstein and Graham Steele; the Canada Revenue Agency, where is it? Other than Canadian political parties themselves, the Fraser Institute must be Canada’s most intensely political
Continue readingThe Equivocator: …and Boisvenu makes three.
First, Julian Fantino writes about his love of the death penalty in his book. Then PM Harper talks about his support for the government having the ability to kill Canadians in an interview last year. On Wednesday it was reported that Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu suggested that prisoners should be
Continue readingImpolitical: More Conservative circular firing squad please
Nothing like those emails and phone calls to MPs to wake ’em up: Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s musings about possible changes to Old Age Security have resulted in a public backlash — and complaints from his own MPs. Conservative MPs have been overwhelmed with emails and phone calls from constituents
Continue readingThe Equivocator: The Conservative Attack on the CBC Continues
Today was the first session in the House of Commons of 2012. During QP 3 Conservative MPs subbmitted anti-CBC petitions. The three MPs were: Colin Carrie (Oshawa.) Brian Jean (Fort-McMurray – Athabasca.) Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew – Nipissing – Pembroke.) The CBC needs defending. As Liberals we can’t just take this
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Jonathan Scott: A Progressive & Responsible Party
During and since the Ottawa convention, there has been a lot of soul searching about what it means to be a Liberal. I realise I keep returning to this question. What is the soul of the Liberal Party? And how will the Party fulfill the goals of its soul? It’s
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Is It Just Me, or Do These Pork Barrels Reek of Bitumen?
Once in a while, something crosses my desk that makes me cross my eyes and pound my head against the desk in frustration. This is not one of those things. This is one of those things that makes me crinkle up my face and exclaim “What the hell?” If you
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Introducing the Liberal Queer Caucus
The Liberal Party has a lot of work to do this weekend as Liberals from across the country schlep to Ottawa for our biennial convention. This morning we are all reminded of what exactly is at stake as it appears that Stephen Harper is engaging dog-whistle politics over marriage-equality. A
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: My Canada Does Not Include Militarizing Canada Day
I have a great deal of respect for Canadian Forces personnel. I have generally disagreed with virtually every one of their foreign deployments in my lifetime, but that is a criticism I make of our political leaders who order our forces to go here and there. I support our troops
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Enbridge Gateway JRP Hearings Broadcast (Kitimat/Kitamaat) – January 10, 2011
Hi! My name is Tia! I’m a radical, eco-terrorist, and enemy of the state now! Whee! (This is almost as random as the people Harper appointed to the senate the other day, and makes just as much sense.) Due to my fervent opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, I can now add these spiffy
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Is political gun violence on Canada’s agenda too, thanks to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives?
Sarah Palin’s notorious “target” chart. Below: Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2008; Ms. Palin herself; mug shot of Jared Lee Loughner. Last year’s North American political news cycle began horribly and tragically on this day with the attempted assassination of Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the murder of six
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Canadian Politics Word(s) of the Year: 2011
Today is the final day for writing/releasing end-of-the-year posts. 2011 featured a federal election and provincial/territorial elections in Manitoba, Ontario, PEI, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the NWT. At the end of 2011, Canada now has 4 female premiers (up from 2 at the beginning of the year), the BQ have
Continue readingLaw is Cool: Helena Guergis Sues Harper, CPC, and Cassels
When former Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) Member of Parliament, Helena Guergis, filed a claim yesterday against Prime Minister Harper and the CPC at the Ontario Superior Court, the story made headlines. What didn’t attract as much attention is that the claim also included as defendants Arthur Hamilton and his
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Occupy #Attawapiskat, Phase Two
Clearly, the people living in Attawapiskat are existing in a crisis that represents Canada’s dysfunctional relationship with the first peoples. How can we truly “fix” Attawapiskat? By fixing the underlying broken relationship. Occupying #Attawapiskat in Twitter two weeks ago was a great start to engaging in serious improvements. Phase two
Continue readingkirbycairo: Fascism, a Liberal Party Legacy. . .
There is no question that the Harper government is a de facto fascist organization. I refer you to this excellent outline of what constitutes fascism in case you are so hopelessly naive or blindly partisan that you don’t know what is going on. However, as bad as this government is,
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