Wednesday, October 26 saw a rare opportunity for the opposition parties to set the agenda. And as a result, the big issue was one which the Cons prefer to discuss as little as possible – even if it’s far more relevant to more Canadians than most of the Harper government’s
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Accidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: October 24, 2011
Monday, October 24 saw another day dedicated largely to discussion on the Canadian Wheat Board – with the Cons simultaneously declaring that there’s nothing to debate and failing to respond to the concerns pointed out repeatedly by the opposition, whil…
Continue readingeaves.ca: Weaving Foreign Ministries into the Digital Era: Three ideas
Last week I was in Ottawa giving a talk at the Department of Foreign Affairs talking about how technology, new media and open innovation will impact the department’s it work internally, across Ottawa and around the world. While there is lots to share, here are three ideas I’ve been stewing on: Keep more citizens safe […]
Continue readingNew Baird business card attracts controversy
John Baird has certainly raised some eyebrows due to his new business cards.The Conservative foreign affairs minister demanded customized business cards, contrary to government rules. Baird ordered the word “Canada” dropped from the standard design, al…
Continue readingdickhead Comes to Vancouver . . . .
dickhead cheney came to The Vancouver Club tonight to promote his book.Of course I participated to see Vancouverites welcome him in style.To the best of my knowledge, he signed no autographs for the crowd outside the facility . . . .Recommend this Post…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The broader view
It apparently took Stephen Harper and his party several years in office to figure out that what happens beyond Canada’s borders is actually important enough to be worth their time.Needless to say, it’s good news to see that the NDP isn’t taking such a …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
This and that for your weekend reading.- For those looking to paint foreign investment as a panacea for economic development, Paul Krugman offers up (via Kash Mansori) what should be a chilling correlation between capital imbalances and economic disast…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading.- As I’d suspected, the Cons are making clear that the kind of behaviour that would get any mere civil servant fired on the spot will be treated as entirely unobjectionable in a parliamentary secretary like Bob De…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Burning question
Sure, it’s been fairly obvious that the Harper Cons have spent their time in office asking the world to think less of Canada. But did anybody suspect them to have done so quite this literally?
Continue readingImpolitical: Harper’s remarks in Italy
Can be found here. Canadians supported the Libya mission and the ouster of Gaddafi is a great achievement. Further, no one quarrels with the words that Harper spoke as a thank you to the servicemen and women in Italy today. However, there were a few li…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.
– Heather Mallick highlights the dangers of the permanent unemployment which regressive politicians around the globe are so vociferously demanding in the guise of austerity:
As we fend off a double-dip recessio…
Accidental Deliberations: Death to diplomacy!
I’ll give Sun Media this much: they’re being slightly less partisan than I’d have expected in their bombast, following up their demand to fire a diplomat for the crime of following the alphabet with Brian Lilley’s equally vituperative screed against an…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On radioactive deals
Yes, there are plenty of reasons for concern about the sale of AECL to SNC-Lavalin. But let’s add another by raising the other issue that has put SNC-Lavalin in the news recently:Hon. Jack Layton (Leader of the Opposition, NDP): Mr. Speaker, people wou…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On matters of principle
Stephen Harper on how we’re supposed to perceive the Cons’ foreign policy, as described just weeks ago:The Prime Minister reflected this new reality in his triumphalist speech to the Conservative party faithful on the weekend, where he articulated Cana…
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