Plenty of people have taken note of the Saskatchewan Party’s “Kate” data collection scheme – and it’s given rise to much due mockery, as well as some important recognition of the underlying system. But if it’s true that the Sask Party’s plan for now is to blast messages out to
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Accidental Deliberations: On necessary steps
Following up on the status of Saskatchewan’s pending provincial election, let’s note how it fits into one Scott Moe’s refusal to reconvene the Legislature. Here’s what the Chief Electoral Officer has had to say about the province’s options: On Monday, Michael Boda sent Premier Scott Moe and the House leaders
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Irfan Dhalla argues that we have a choice between merely containing COVID-19 and outright eradicating it – and that we’ll be far better off pursuing the latter option. And Jim Pankratz writes that we should be entirely willing – and indeed happy –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On absenteeism
The U.S. has seen some of its state elections turned into anti-democratic abominations by the absence of effective absentee balloting – with the lack of effective voting serving as an explicit strategy by Republicans to exclude people from exercising their right to vote. Fortunately, Saskatchewan doesn’t have the extreme exclusions
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On antisocialism
Plenty of attention is rightly getting paid to the unabashed evil that is the Republicans’ insistence on holding previously-scheduled elections at a time when it was certain to make. But how much worse is it then for a politician to actually treat the spread of COVID-19 as an excuse to
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Federal Election 2019 Reflections
The big surprise of the election has to be the Bloc Québécois resurgence, although I am sure they probably saw it coming even if the rest of us didn’t. This certainly makes leader Yves-François Blanchet’s position secure. The other surprise was the late campaign resurgence of the New Democratic Party
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Have We Lost the Ability to Govern Ourselves?
It was October, 1980, and US elections were just a few days away. Ronald Reagan took to the airwaves and asked Americans “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Reagan was talking about how voters were doing materially. Were they able to get a job? Could they
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Is American Democracy Fucked ?
So is the American political system completely dysfunctional. I suppose the easy answer is to say they elected Trump so case closed, but of course it is much more complicated than that. What advanced developed democracy cannot manage to keep it’s government functioning. The obvious answer should be “none” but
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Linda McQuaig writes that Canada’s federal government should look at buying the soon-to-be-vacated GM plant in Oshawa to begin production of electric vehicles. But Nav Persaud notes that even when the Trudeau Libs make promises about using government power and resources for the
Continue readingKen Chapman: What Do We Do Now?
The Political Paradox that is Alberta The political paradox for Alberta is that, while we have had majority governments since 1971 we have had unstable governance since about 2004. In that election year Ralph Klein kept a majority government but was loosing popular support. He gave up 12 seats that
Continue readingScripturient: Who ya gonna call?
This song keeps running through my head: If there’s something strange in you neighborhood Who you gonna call? (your councillor) If there’s something weird And it don’t look good Who you gonna call? (your councillor) With apologies to Ray Parker, composer of the Ghostbusters theme song. More than three years
Continue reading52 Ideas: On Fildebrandt: I nominate Fildebrandt for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation 2018 Teddy Awards
For over two decades, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has described what their vision of good public policy should be. One of the best symbols, descriptors, of their view has been the Teddy Awards. The Award is named for a former federal appointee, Ted Weatherill. Mr Weatherill had the unfortunate distinction
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: A Tale of Two Elections
Two extraordinarily different elections occurred last week in Europe. The first, of course, was the 2017 UK general election, which was nothing short of historic. The second, was the French parliamentary elections in the wake of what appeared to be an equally historic presidential election earlier in May. Despite what
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Asking the right people.
The report from Ottawa is that the Liberal government wants Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) to advise politicians and Elections Canada on computer security. Just why these should be the people to ask is the important question? And since the listening agency is no longer so secret, one can now
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Nathan Cullen calls Trudeau a liar for breaking electoral reform promise [VIDEO]
Watch the NDP’s Nathan Cullen call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a liar for breaking his promise that the 2015 federal election would be the last election under Canada’s anti-democratic first-past-the-post voting system. The post Nathan Cullen calls Trudeau a liar for breaking electoral reform promise [VIDEO] appeared first on The
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: “Cold War deja vu” as President Barack Obama expels 35 Russian diplomats
Two weeks after promising to respond “at a time and place of our choosing” to Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats. The Russian embassy in London smells “Cold War deja vu”. The post “Cold War deja vu” as President Barack Obama
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: How the everyday use of militaristic jargon makes us more combative
The language of warfare and violence dominates public discourse in the United States and around the world, even when war isn’t part of the conversation. Nan Levinson, a writer, teacher, and journalist covering civil and human rights, culture, and the military, discusses how the normalization of militaristic jargon is making
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Electoral Reform Committee Launches Cross-Canada Public Consultation Tour
On Monday September 19, 2016, the Special Committee on Electoral Reform launched its cross-Canada tour to consult Canadians on the best alternative to replace the current anti-democratic first-past-the-post system.
The post Electoral Reform Committee …
The Canadian Progressive: Canadian Youth Overcame Harper’s Fair Elections Act, Owned 2015 Federal Election
Brigette DePape was right when she vowed that “despite the Harper government making it harder for us to vote, young people are going to be the game-changers nobody saw coming” during the 2015 federal election. Elections Canada’s 2015 National Youth…
Continue readingLeft Over: Wake Up and Smell the Corruption, Canada…….
90 scientists and climate experts call on Trudeau to reject Pacific NorthWest LNG GORDON HOEKSTRA More from Gordon Hoekstra Published on: May 30, 2016 | Last Updated: May 30, 2016 1:41 PM PDT Analysis of the major flaws in Pacific … Continue reading →
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