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Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Will Mandryk Eat His Privatization Crow?

Jun

27

2017

Has anyone watched Mandryk eat crow about this doozy of a column defending Wall’s last campaign yet? “NDP must get off privatization merry-go-round“ “On Tuesday, Wall emphatically said “no” to selling SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel, SGI and even STC. He reminded voters he signed the old NDP Crown Corporation Protection Act and noted his only proposed ...

Susan on the Soapbox: The Emotional Mr Kenney

Jun

25

2017

“When it comes to politics, all I can offer is emotion.” — David Sedaris, author of numerous books including “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” If we didn’t know any better we’d think David Sedaris was talking about Jason Kenney. Mr Kenney is campaigning hard to become Alberta’s next premier. His stump speeches hit all the ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Granny Wynne knows best.

Jun

25

2017

The current argument between Ontario’s New Democrats and the Ontario Liberals is like a school yard spat over who did what. It is not only childish but it makes both sides of the argument look foolish. They are arguing over who thought of having a mediocre pharmacare plan first. Neither side has much of which ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Jun

21

2017

The latest from the NDP’s federal leadership campaign. – Kristy Kirkup reports on the release of Jagmeet Singh’s climate change policy statement.And Charlie Angus has offered his road map toward a transition to renewable energy, while the CP reports on his plan for a more fair relationship with Indigenous peoples. – Meanwhile, Len Gillis reports ...

Accidental Deliberations: New column day

Jun

15

2017

Here, on the current state of the federal NDP’s leadership race – and how the potential outcomes would figure to affect Canada’s broader political scene. For further reading…– L. Ian MacDonald discusses how the NDP’s campaign (unlike the Conservatives’) is actually offering meaningful debate and choices. – Eric Grenier takes a look at what we ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links

Jun

9

2017

Assorted content to end your week. – Owen Jones writes that UK Labour’s bold and progressive platform was crucial to its improved electoral results. Bhaksar Sunkara rightly sees Labour’s campaign – in both its firm defence of the common good, and its determination to reach young and marginalized voters rather than assuming they won’t turn ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Jun

7

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign… – Charlie Angus has made his pitch for a national pharmacare program as one way of reducing health care inequality. – Guy Caron’s proposal for tax reform features plenty of progressive ideas to bring in more public revenue, including through inheritance and wealth taxes. And his subsequent ...

In This Corner: The Return of Stuff Happens, week 20: RIP, USA

Jun

4

2017

Donald Trump, the Leader of the Free World crown, officially relinquished the title on Thursday when he announced that the U.S. – the second-biggest polluter in the world –would withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Accord. In stepping aside from the Leadership of the Free World position, the U.S. has now thrown its lot in ...

Accidental Deliberations: Outside by choice

Jun

3

2017

It’s certainly disappointing that Pat Stogran has chosen to drop out of the NDP’s leadership race – particularly by leaving taking shots at the party which made sure he had a place on its stage. That said, Stogran’s campaign ultimately seems to have been defined by an unwillingness to learn about the political process in ...

The Disaffected Lib: Okay, Justin, Now Tell Us What Those Facts Are

May

30

2017

Serial bullshitter, JustinTrudeau, was quick off the mark to defend the Kinder Morgan bitumen pipeline expansion in the wake of the announcement that the NDP, backed by the provincial Greens, will form the next government of British Columbia. With a straight face the prime ministerial bullshitter defended his government’s decision to toss out his election ...

Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: NDP Brings Greens Most Pinecones

May

29

2017

Title in honour of a Beaverton joke. Andrew Weaver brings up the issue of Kinder Morgan as something he couldn't overlook when negotiating. — Chandler Grieve (@CTVNewsChandler) May 29, 2017 BREAKING: Andrew Weaver announces @BCGreens party will support John Horgan and the @bcndp https://t.co/31K6KRulSm #BCpoli pic.twitter.com/M9SiwleYDh — The Vancouver Sun (@VancouverSun) May 29, 2017 I’m ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

May

29

2017

Assorted content to start your week. – Rhys Kesselman challenges the Fraser Institute’s grossly distorted conception of “tax competitiveness”: Even with lower overall tax burdens, many Americans bear much heavier non-tax burdens than their Canadian counterparts. These costs can be so large as to swamp any tax-rate differentials between the countries. Private health insurance in ...

Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Nathan Cullen’s Electoral Reform tour stop in Regina

May

26

2017

@gtlem @pau1234la @Erin_Weir @nathancullen Here's the good one he took, and got @Carla4Lakeview in the background. pic.twitter.com/o9q29JLDA4 — Saskboy (@saskboy) May 26, 2017 Room filling up at Knox-Met for @nathancullen #ERRE #KeepYourPromise tour#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/tM3a5IWgBa — Saskboy (@saskboy) May 26, 2017

Babel-on-the-Bay: Why progressive elites are losing.

May

23

2017

The disappointment progressives have felt with the New Democratic Party over the last couple decades has been something we have argued about but maybe not understood as well as we should. Maybe Robin V. Sears of the NDP put his finger on it the other day when complaining in print about the ease with which ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Candidate Profile: Jagmeet Singh

May

22

2017

As I noted here, Jagmeet Singh’s entry into the federal NDP’s leadership race has attracted an enviable amount of notice from the media. But the combination of a relatively late start to his formal campaign and a lack of much definition so far does leave Singh with significant ground to make up. And it remains ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Candidate Profile – Ibrahim Bruno El-Khoury

May

22

2017

I’ll plan to add more to Ibrahim Bruno El-Khoury’s profile later on if he adds more public-facing content to his campaign. For now, though, I’ll put forward at least a placeholder profile based on what’s missing. Strengths El-Khoury brings at least some political experience to the NDP’s leadership race, including past campaigns for an NDP ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

May

20

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign… – I’ll start by specifically pointing out NDPLeaderVote as an excellent resource for news as it develops. Because it’s largely tracking what’s happening in the media and on candidates’ announcements, I won’t be using these links posts to do the same to the same extent for the ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The poster boy and the NDP.

May

17

2017

Charlie Angus meet Jagmeet Singh. No doubt Charlie Angus MP, candidate for the New Democratic Party leadership has met Jagmeet Singh MPP, the newest candidate for the NDP leadership, before, but not likely as a competitor. The only surprise about this meeting is that both these gentlemen are in the same political party. What is ...

In This Corner: The Return of Stuff Happens, week 17: Comey is one letter away from comedy; B.C. on the brink

May

14

2017

When the presidency of Donald J. Trump comes to its inevitable premature conclusion — either through resignation, impeachment, or a massive, fatal overdose of KFC — the events of May, 2017 will be seen as the beginning of the end. On Tuesday, Trump stunned the country with his entirely unexpected firing of FBI director James ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

May

7

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Several of the candidates have been doing plenty of touring over the past week. And while not all the stops have included media coverage, you’ll find features about Charlie Angus from Timmins, Sudbury (X2), North Bay, and Red Deer, along with Weyburn This Week’s report on ...

Song of the Watermelon: What Is a Left-Leaning Green to Do?

May

3

2017

With less than a week to go before election day and polls tightening across British Columbia, I find myself in the all-too-common predicament of dreading the electoral options before me. The Liberals, naturally, are out of the question. They have governed this province horrendously through 16 years of the wrong kind of class warfare, slashing ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The piecemeal processes of Premier Wynne.

Apr

30

2017

“Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages: Let me draw your attention to the left ring of our three-ring circus. Here for your entertainment and edification is our finance minister who has just passed the miracle of a balanced budget. Charles Sousa will now amaze you further by proposing a new pharmacare program to ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Apr

29

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Sid Ryan’s endorsement of Niki Ashton both answers one of the more persistent questions as to possible additional entries into the race, and offers some helpful institutional support for Ashton’s campaign. – Mick Sweetman interviews each of the MPs in the race about their plans in ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Apr

22

2017

The latest from the NDP’s federal leadership campaign. – The Canadian Press reports on Pat Stogran’s official campaign launch. And Alex Ballingall highlights Stogran’s criticism of Justin Trudeau’s empty-suit governance, while Jeremy Nuttall focuses on his message about challenging politics as usual. – Charlie Smith interviews Peter Julian about his “just transition” energy policy and ...

Accidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links

Apr

18

2017

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Bill McKibben highlights Justin Trudeau’s disingenuousness in pretending to care about climate change while insisting on exploiting enough fossil fuels to irreparably damage our planet. – Juliet Eilperin examines how Donald Trump is letting industry lobbyists trash any protections for U.S. workers. And Dave Jamieson reminds us ...