This is a refreshing political tone: In a dignified ceremony in a red and gold hall in the Élysée Palace, François Hollande, 57, was invested Tuesday morning as president of France, the first Socialist to hold the office since François Mitterrand left office in 1995. “We are a single France,
Continue readingTag: John Baird
Politics and its Discontents: John Baird, A Friend Indeed
Want $1 million of taxpayers’ money for a project that fails to meet government criteria? If he is your ‘dear friend,’ call Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird for intervention that hardly qualifies as ‘divine’. Recommend this Post
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Erin points out that there’s a relatively simple cure for Dutch disease – just as long as provincial governments are willing to put citizens ahead of resource extractors: (S)ince resources are priced in American dollars, the higher exchange rate further reduces provincial resource
Continue readingLeDaro: Harper Government is obsessed with Hitler
I wonder why? Guilty conscience? If they have any? Now it was John Baird’s turn. Read the story in The Huffington Post
Continue readingImpolitical: Canada’s lack of consistency on death penalty policy getting attention
“Tories criticized for vastly divergent reactions to Canadians on death row.” As well they should be. The Canadian government’s urgent appeal to stop Iran from executing a Canadian citizen imprisoned there may be blunted by its “grudging” support for another condemned Canadian — Montana death-row inmate Ronald Smith — says
Continue readingImpolitical: Death penalty: Canada needs to be consistent
It is good to see this news of the Canadian government pleading for clemency for a Canadian in Iran facing execution: “Canada is gravely concerned by indications that the execution of Mr. Ghassemi-Shall may be carried out imminently,” Baird said in a joint statement Sunday with Diane Ablonczy, the junior
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Canada’s Interest In Burma Explained
Those of us who think within a certain political context were probably struck with the irony, if not the outright hypocrisy, of John Baird’s visit to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma last month. After all, here was the Foreign Affairs Minister for what is probably Canada’s least
Continue reading"Oh, that’s a John Baird skin tag. That one hangs on like a son of a bitch."
Another funny but too true sketch from Rick Mercer. H/T: Shelley Cooper-Stephenson
Continue readingMontreal Simon: John Baird’s Absurd Democracy Lesson
Well I see that John Baird’s Screaming Buffoon World Tour has arrived in Burma. Only to have the stench of hypocrisy follow him all the way there. Canada will be monitoring Burma’s elections next month with a keen hope to see reform amid allegations of voting “irregularities,” Foreign Affairs Minister
Continue readingAung San Suu Kyi to John Baird: When it comes to voting, today’s Myanmar a lot like Harper’s Canada
She didn’t say that in those words of course but her sly mention of voter irregularities could not have been better timed and said to a better person. “We have just discovered there are many, many irregularities on the voters’ lists, and we have applied to the election commission to
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Travel and karate: the perfect ways to put Alberta politics in perspective
Karate: You need to learn it from someone who knows how … Sensei Kiyohide Shinjo instructs a young student in his Okinawa dojo. And you start by learning how to tie your own belt, without any help from the premier’s office. A little bit of travel can really put Alberta
Continue readinggay persons of color: Rick Mercer takes on Vic Toews
Gay Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger, Rick Mercer, addresses Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’s proposed Internet-surveillance legislation, Bill C-30, in a brilliant, two-minute video rant. A must watch for a quick summary of what the fuss is all about surrounding the controversial bill.
Continue readinggay persons of color: John Baird feeling the heat over privacy concerns?
During question period in the Canadian House of Commons on Friday (February 17), Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird accused the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) of having been caught in a “dirty, sleazy Internet game,” an allegation the NDP has denied. What Baird was referring to was an anonymous
Continue readingBaird lets loose radical Harper anti-Palestinian agenda at UN
The Conservative pit bull brings the hate for Palestinians to the UN, overriding cooler heads left once again on the Harper cutting room floor. No questions asked. Of course the media calls this hate “pro-Israel” sentiment. I don’t think most of the rest of the world would agree. OTTAWA – A Canadian expression of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Parliamentary Pitbull
Doesn’t John Baird ever get tired of hearing himself harangue? Recommend this Post
Continue readingNew app: ‘Angry Bairds’
Just what we needed, John Baird catapulting from CPC slingshot into Toews shitstorm.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tories Unleash Attack Dog To Divert Attention From Poor Vic
Who could have anticipated this coming? Recommend this Post
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Guilty Before Proven Innocent… No, Wait, Just Guilty
Because you know that even if its proven the NDP are not the culprits behind the Anon twitter account @vikileaks30, John Baird will most likely not apologize and retract his remarks. The evidence provided by the Ottawa Citizen’s investigation into the Vikileaks account is ridiculous, as well. Here’s what they’re
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Not Everyone Can Graduate from the Charles Koch Institute
Ezra Levant, above, when he was running for the Canadian Alliance Party. After a heated battle, he stepped aside so that Stephen Harper could run in a safe riding, after being voted head of the Alliance Party. Close confidant of Jason Kenney and Stockwell Day (coined the term “Stockaholic”) Levant is
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: John Baird’s response to the Israel/Iran conflict
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird Right now, we have one sovereign United Nations member making explicit overtures about launching a unilateral military attack on another sovereign United Nations member. It isn’t just rhetoric, there is a nontrivial possibility that this might actually occur and they have both the motive and
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