Assorted content for your Sunday reading. – Bruce Johnstone reminds us that much of Stephen Harper’s low-wage, anti-worker agenda has been rather poorly hidden for a long time: Everything from growing trees for farmers to processing immigration applications to inspecting meat to examining evidence in criminal investigations, all of the
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Accidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review: May 2, 2012
A combination of the one-year anniversary of Canada’s 2011 federal election and a relatively short day in Parliament left little room for a lot of debate on Wednesday, May 2. But the day did see some serious questions raised about the Cons’ rush to pass their budget without debate. The
Continue readingTrashy's World: Pollution monitoring cuts at Environment Canada
These cuts are truly irresponsible and should be of concern to all Canadians. This group provides an unbiased measurement, research and analysis function that allows for an accurate assessment of the levels of potentially harmful emissions from industrial activities. So I guess it will be up to polluters to monitors
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Michael Harris rightly tears into the Cons for turning our federal government into Versailles on the Ottawa: The Harper government has more than a touch of Queen Nancy. It has already morphed into Versailles on the Ottawa. The facts, and the rules, are being
Continue readingCanadian Trends: Splitting Economic Hairs
Well it looks like you can all relax. It would appear that I had it all wrong. Apparently Canada doesn’t have a debt problem: The agency said a 40 per cent drop in prices or rising interest rates would put pressure on Canadian households, but not have a large impact
Continue readingThings Are Good: Dwell’s Top Green Projects of 2012
Architecture magazine Dwell has released their top ten green projects in the USA for this year. It would be great to see this done in a global perspective. On April 19th, AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) announced the COTE Top Ten Green Project Awards: their selection of the most
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review: April 30, 2012
Monday, April 30 featured discussion of two opposition motions dealing with the federal government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of Canadians. And on both fronts, the Cons went out of their way to disclaim any such role for our public servants. The Big Issue Jack Harris started off the safety
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Pollution monitors kicked out the door
What would your choice be? Would you provide chauffeurs on standby 16 hours a day so that every cabinet minister could avoid the shame of riding in a taxi but still return home without risk of impaired driving charges? Or, would you divert that money to employ scientists who monitor
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Liberals legislate silence from environmentalists
Virus sparks quarantine on B.C. salmon farm, Curt Petrovich, CBC News, May 17, 2012 “B.C.’s salmon farming industry is on high alert after the discovery of a lethal fish virus [Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN)] at one farm on the west coast of Vancouver Island. “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review – April 27, 2012
Friday, April 27 saw another day of relatively non-contentious debate on the main bill up for discussion in the House of Commons. But there was plenty of reason to question why the focus would be as narrow as it was. The Big Issue That main bill was the Cons’ elder
Continue readingCanadian Trends: The inevitable result of increased complexity and profit
Chinese fake parts ‘used in U.S. military equipment’ As real profit margins sink and the full effect of peak oil kicks in, these are the sorts of stories there will be an increasing amount of. The only way to maintain the illusion of growth is constant “cost cutting”, and fake
Continue readingJimBobby Sez: Song: "You’re Walkin’ on the Fightin’ Side of JB"
Whooee! Well, friends an’ foes, I posted up another song an’ video on YouTube. It pretty much speaks for itself. Have a look-see:
Continue readingJimBobby Sez: Song: "You’re Walkin’ on the Fightin’ Side of JB"
Whooee! Well, friends an’ foes, I posted up another song an’ video on YouTube. It pretty much speaks for itself. Have a look-see:
Continue readingJimBobby Sez: Song: "You’re Walkin’ on the Fightin’ Side of JB"
Whooee! Well, friends an’ foes, I posted up another song an’ video on YouTube. It pretty much speaks for itself. Have a look-see:
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review – April 25, 2012
Wednesday, April 25 saw one of the more noteworthy economic debates we’ve seen in the current session of Parliament, as a former-PC-turned-Liberal raised the issue of income inequality to a noteworthy response from the Harper Cons. The Big Issue Scott Brison presented what should have been a relatively non-controversial motion
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review – April 24, 2012
Tuesday, April 24 saw a day of debate focused on a relatively non-contentious piece of legislation: a citizen’s arrest bill which largely reflected Olivia Chow’s work after charges were laid against David Chen of the Lucky Moose. The Big Issue When it came to the substance of the bill, there
Continue readingThings Are Good: Vermont Says Frack No
Vermont has decided to ban freaking in the state! This follows Quebec’s ban on the ridiculously dangerous way to get oil. This is a big deal,” Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday. “This bill will ensure that we do not inject chemicals into groundwater in a desperate pursuit for energy.” Shumlin
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review – April 23, 2012
Monday, April 23 was the first day back in the House of Commons following the Easter break. And it featured some of the most lively and telling discussion we’ve seen yet on the Cons’ anti-refugee legislation as the second-reading debate reached its end. The Big Issue As part of the
Continue readingwmtc: what are you doing next saturday night? join the discussion: "can we stop the harper agenda?" featuring brigette depape
On Saturday, May 26, Brigette DePape, the former parliamentary page who disrupted the 2011 Throne Speech, will speak on a panel discussing how we can make her two-word protest a reality. The panel also includes: • Tasha Peters, an Ottawa-based organizer, activist, and member of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition.
Continue readingwmtc: avaaz petition: new plan to save the planet
Avaaz has a new petition out, which they’re calling “a new plan to save the planet”. I’m more than a tad skeptical about Avaaz petitions, but it only takes a click, it can’t hurt, and it’s worthwhile if only to see the vast numbers of people who agree. And who
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