One of the dirty little secrets of Canadian politics at the end of the beginning of the 21st Century is that a lot of political professionals have come to recognize the awesome power of fear. Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper (Photo: Screenshot of UCP video). And nothing instills fear
Continue readingTag: Jagmeet Singh
Northern Reflections: Prime Minister Singh?
Most Canadians don’t think of Jagmeet Singh as a potential prime minister. And they have history on their side. Michael Harris writes: It is true that, despite a run of impressive leaders, the NDP has never won a federal election since its creation in 1961. To mention just a few,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney’s “Breaking Bad” Press Release
Last week, the feds granted BC a 3-year exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act decriminalizing the possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs for personal use. Judging by Jason Kenney’s response, you’d think Breaking Bad had set up shop next door. Leaving aside Kenney’s hypocritical
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On barriers to cooperation
It’s for the best that the NDP and Libs have been able to come to terms on a supply and confidence agreement which should at least provide for substantial material gains for people who need them, and may go further in setting up core elements of a universal health care
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A Liberal-NDP confidence and supply deal takes shape? If so, brace yourself for a spectacular national Conservative tantrum!
If the deal the federal Liberals and New Democrats seem to have cooked up to keep the Trudeau Government in power until 2025 in return for national pharmacare and dental care programs turns out to be for real, brace yourselves for a spectacular national tantrum by the Conservatives led by,
Continue readingNorthern Currents : Reconciliation is a sham to our political leaders
Our political leaders have a deficient understanding of reconciliation. What they want to reconcile are the contradictory interests between Capital and Indigenous self-determination. Ultimately, our political leaders, embodied by the Canadian state, side with Capital. There is a much more radical, transformative understanding of reconciliation available.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On priorities
While I’ve pointed out the absurdity of yet another round of anti-coalition scaremongering, it does seem clear that any discussion between the NDP and the Libs will instead involve a confidence and supply arrangement. And that may well be for the best, as it maximizes the policy outcomes the NDP
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Sarath Peiris rightly calls out Scott Moe and his government for making it a goal to punish the poor within Saskatchewan. – Marco Ranaldi and Branko Milanovic study the connection between inequality of income sources and of income totals. And Ricardo Tranjan writes
Continue readingThe Daveberta Podcast: Episode 78: Orange and Red in a Sea of Blue
Brad Lafortune joins Dave Cournoyer on the Daveberta Podcast to discuss the federal election results in Alberta, including NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais‘ spectacular win over Kerry Diotte in Edmonton-Griesbach, and the ongoing troubles in the United Conservative Party and how many more days Jason Kenney might have as leader. We
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On echoes
Plenty of commentators have pointed out the symmetry between this year’s election and that of 2008 in terms of low voter turnout and general dissatisfaction with the outcome on the part of all parties. But it’s worth noting the similarities between the two campaigns and their aftermath on the part
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
Assorted reactions to a federal election which changed so little. – The Canadian Labour Congress points out that we can’t afford to be stuck with the status quo when there’s an opportunity for parties to chart a more equitable and sustainable course for Canada. And Aaron Wherry wonders how the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 E-Day Links
News and notes as Canada’s federal election draws to a close. – David Moscrop discusses how a campaign nobody wanted is leaning toward grudging continuation of the status quo which the Libs tried to discard. And Ryan Maloney reports on the technical problems arising largely out of a snap pandemic
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
The latest from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Victoria Nicolau reports on the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s campaign scorecard, showing the NDP well ahead of other parties in addressing the issues facing Indigenous women. And Omayra Issa and Theresa Kliem talk to young Indigenous people in Saskatchewan about what
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
News and notes from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Cam Fenton discusses how “strategic” votes for the Libs in the name of climate change figure to be anything but, while David Gray-Donald bluntly describes the Libs’ offering as “denialist trash”. Maya Menezes examines what we should be looking for in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
The latest from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Christo Aivalis discusses Jagmeet Singh’s much-needed willingness to take on the power of the rich to fight for a country that works for everybody. And Shelly Hagan writes about the resulting possibility of greater social contributions being required of those who can
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
The latest from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Khalden Dhatsenpa and Gavin Armitage-Ackerman write about the need to treat housing as a human right rather than a commodity. – PressProgress reports on an internal Health Canada report showing how the NDP’s plan for dental coverage would remove crucial barriers to
Continue readingThe Daveberta Podcast: Episode 77: Back from the Best Summer Ever
We are back from the summer with the first episode of Season 4 of the Daveberta Podcast and we dive right into Alberta’s response to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, speculation about how long Jason Kenney might last in the Premier’s Office, the federal election, municipal political parties
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On narrow targets
At this stage of the federal election campaign, the seemingly wide range of outcomes is entirely an artifice of a first-part-the-post system with multiple parties contending for seats. Barring a drastic change in the last week of the campaign (which will likely need to overcome votes already locked in as
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
Assorted content from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Seth Klein examines the considerations to take into account in casting a ballot for real climate action. And Michelle Gamage compares the parties’ positions on fossil fuel subsidies. – Andre Picard asks whether voters will actually be motivated by health care –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #Elxn44 Roundup
The latest from Canada’s federal election campaign. – Sam Hammond argues that we should expect our federal parties to strengthen public education in the wake of a pandemic which has exposed the iniquities faced by disadvantaged students. And Ricardo Tranjan highlights why we can’t afford to let parties treat rental
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