In this alberta@noon column on CBC Radio One with host Donna McElligott I talk about Elections Canada’s ban on reporting the results of a federal election in a time zone where the polls have not closed yet. Topics include the $25,000 fine, the difference between media and people using social media,
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Art Threat: A Conservative government: What now?
Last week I wrote an editorial exploring the role of the arts in creating healthy and prosperous countries. With the government of Canada making major shifts across the board last night, becoming a Conservative majority government (I refuse to call it the “Harper Government”) many artists and arts organizations are writhing at the thought of […]
Continue readingPolygonic: A future Liberal Party may want to consider…
There’s a lot of personal tragedy in elections, and it couldn’t get any worse for Michael Ignatieff. He’s finally succumbed to wounds meted out by the most vile, relentless attack ad machinery Canada’s ever seen. Shamefully, a huge hunk of the electorate swallowed it all hook, line and sinker – so much for our compassionate […]
Polygonic: Québec’s NDP revolution: the new normal, or a BQ holiday?
Québec doesn’t do things by halves, does it? Some of us have begged and implored the NDP to focus its energies on Québec: to play to its social democratic credentials, and to take the Bloc to task as arrogant, single-minded, comfortable and lazy, and prone to taking its voters for granted. The idea being that […]
Polygonic: If this isn’t bittersweet…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – welcome to Dickensian Canada. The best of times, in some ways – a social democratic party’s never had a bigger share of the Parliamentary pie. And Quebec sovereigntists have never had less. The worst of times, clearly, in that years of fear-mongering […]
Politics, Re-Spun: PoliticsRespun.org Election Night Liveblog, maybe
Tonight’s the night many of us have been waiting for – whether it be because we trudged to a poll today, stood in line with credit card bills, drivers licenses, and other sundry pieces of identification, were handed a ballot, and promptly marked a little “x” next to the least offensive candidate, and now the […]
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Liberal Stewart McGillivray Also Confirms Conservative James Moore’s Autism Is Not a Disability Statement
More Confirmation!
Liberal Stewart McGillivray, who also participated in the candidate’s forum in which Conservative James Moore made his “autism is not a disability” statement, has, along with NDP Mark Ireland, also confirmed that Moore did indeed mak…
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Harper Government’s Autism Awareness Regression
I have attached an email and blog comment I posted on May 9, 2007 addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which I expressed the hope that he would open his heart (I assumed he had one) and his mind (I didn’t know it was locked solid) and …
Continue readingA few words about monetary policy
Liberal policy meant severe cuts to social program spending at the provincial level and massive provincial deficits to maintain programs, or punitive cuts. Also, liberals introduced us to bracket-creep tax increases that hurt anyone when they had an in…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism in Election 2011? Vote Liberal … OR … Vote NDP
On Monday Canadians will cast their votes in Election 2011. IF autism is a major concern in your life or the life of a family member I ask you to consider voting for either the Liberal OR the NDP candidate in your riding.
I make this request be…
Continue readingPolygonic: Oops, they did it again
Is there any surprise that the Globe and Mail has endorsed the Conservatives? In small ways, yes. I had expected at least a modicum of restraint on their behalf, and was prepared to bet serious money that they’d declare for a Conservative minority, and against a majority, given, well, everything we’ve seen for five years. […]
April Reign: 1 Cat 2 Cat Red Cat Blue Cat
April Reign As support for the NDP rises there rumblings from some quarters that the NDP is somehow betraying Canada by running a great campaign. Like Harper they have fallen victim to the idea of Canada as a two party system. The concept is that by not supporting the Liberals
Continue readingCons wait six days to respond to LPC health care ad
Either their quick response machine is broken, and the CPC war room is a myth, or they really, really don’t want to talk about health care during this election. Why not? Perhaps it’s because of Stephen Harper’s record on health care:
In the Eng…
Continue readingPop The Stack: To Think Outside the Box, Sometimes You Need to Leave the Box
Some very offensive man this morning on the panel on CBC radio called Ignatieff a “carpet bagger” and chuckled. No one called him out really, they just moved on. When I hear that I hear that he is essentially attacking Ignatieff for having a successful career abroad trying to contribute something to improving the world […]
Tattered Sleeve: French Debate Kicked Ass (mostly Harper’s)
I hope people were watching, because tonight’s French-language leaders’ debate was lively, passionate and substantive. After fighting sleep at about the half-way point in yesterday’s English-language debate, tonight I found myself riveted. This is in no small part due to Gilles Duceppe’s fiery energy tonight, after being content to sit
Continue readingTattered Sleeve: French Debate Kicked Ass (mostly Harper’s)
I hope people were watching, because tonight’s French-language leaders’ debate was lively, passionate and substantive. After fighting sleep at about the half-way point in yesterday’s English-language debate, tonight I found myself riveted.
This is in no small part due to Gilles Duceppe’s fiery energy tonight, after being content to sit quietly on the side-lines for much of the previous night. But also, because Ignatieff really came across, and contrasted strongly against Harper, who himself seemed unsure of his French, and off his game generally. I found Harper did not seen strong tonight, which is the worst thing for the guy who is the current PM to convey.
Layton was taken off his game again by Duceppe’s jabbing on the Bill 101 question. Harper’s only really good moment was when he pointed at the two of them and asked the audience to imagine them working together in a coalition. That’s not saying all that much.
Duceppe went whole-hog on his separatist cred tonight, and that is perhaps a sign he may be setting down some touchstones for a potential jump to provincial politics. He may be positioning himself to take the Parti-Québecois mantle from Pauline Marois, who appears weak going into a confidence vote among the party faithful in coming weeks.
Back to Ignatieff. He looked tough, secure and in charge. His French was generally good, and when it wasn’t, his obvious passion made up for it. That is key for the Québec population, so good on him. He can ride this into a lead in coming days.
Again, that’s if he plays his cards right.
– 30 –
Continue readingPop The Stack: This month of May don’t just stand there with your arms folded tight
I just looked into these vote mobs that LeadNow is encouraging young people at campuses around the country to create. I noticed Guelph and a few others already had some videos up. The UVic video is a lip-dubbing extravaganza. This prompted me to suggest that UBC has got to do one of these. But really, students […]
Tattered Sleeve: Ignatieff: I hear a statesman
This piece by Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail harangues Michael Ignatieff for his lack of specifics, but I think he sounds pretty reasonable here: There was no mention of the hydro mega-project in the Liberal platform, released Sunday. But when asked about it Monday, Mr. Ignatieff spoke about
Continue readingPop The Stack: Deja Vu Election All Over Again
Hey there, election season in Canada is here. Can you smell the ballot papers, the baby powder, the stench of hateful attack ads? Doesn’t make you feel alive… Well, unfortunately this election has come at a bad time for me so I won’t be posting much this election. I’ve got a thesis to write (in fact, […]
MadLibMadLib: In Defence of Democracy! (or, To Block The Bloc)
At least I think I am defending democracy. Perhaps I’m just out of touch, too. I read and comment on dozens of online news sources daily but few of them do I ever circle back around to see if anyone has replied to my comments. The Kingston Whig Standard‘s comment
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