I’ll offer a reply to Cam’s knee-jerk response to the federal NDP’s long-overdue push for the basic necessities of responsible economic and environmental policy – including real carbon emission reductions and an actual transition away from fossil fuel dependence. Simply put, there’s no reason to read every word of the
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Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Daniel Drenzer reviews Joseph Stiglitz’ People, Power and Profits, while noting the importance of pairing progressive policy ideas with a plan for implementation. And Laura Davison points out how Donald Trump’s massive tax losses which kept him from contributing to the U.S.’ public
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Requiem for the New Democratic Party.
After a lingering struggle, with the family in attendance, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) of Tommy Douglas and the New Democratic Party of the Broadbent and Lewis families has passed into oblivion. Funeral services will be a come as you are event at summer barbeques in each of the provinces.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Don’t get too excited Ms. May.
If you want an area of Canada where the Green party runs rampant, go to Vancouver Island. In fact, the entire area around the Strait of Georgia seems overrun with Greens, Druids and other pagan religions. Just standing under one of those magnificent, lordly trees on the Island fills you
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Green Wave? No, But Possibly a Green Ripple.
It was just a by-election. Even if the governing party had an outside chance (it didn’t, the Liberal brand out here rarely is competitive) voters “punish” the part in power in by-elections or so goes the claim. This is generally reliable NDP territory. Up my way the Conservatives dominated for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Derrick O’Keefe, Robert Hackett and Shane Gunster highlight how the TransMountain pipeline bailout and SNC-Lavalin scandal have cemented Justin Trudeau’s status as a Potemkin progressive just in time for voters to hold him to account. And PressProgress offers a reminder that the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On being liberal in disquieting times.
The word ‘disquieting’ took a while to choose. I have been trying to define the times leading up to the October 21 federal election and it reminds us of flying through clouds. You want to break into the bright sunlight, you know is above you, but that oppressive cotton candy
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Tom Parkin writes about the need for workers to be at the centre of a Green New Deal for Canada: Those determined to reverse austerity, inequality and environmental damage need to help Canadians be clear that there’s a huge difference between a Green
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Reflecting on the Election
Now that the election is over and the dust is settling, Ms Soapbox has been reflecting on the results. What do we make of this? The thrust of Mr Kenney’s victory speech was that Albertans value the economy and jobs above all else. (Whether this is a conservative ideal
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Where’s Jagmeet Singh?
Somebody needs to check the potholes on the Yellow Brick Road. Could NPP leader Jagmeet Singh have fallen into one of them? If it was not the daily feed of twits on his Twitter account from the NDPer’s office, we could assume he might be on holiday somewhere. Mind you,
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Voting Day In Alberta – Vote for the NDP.
Hey folks, It is election day here in Alberta, and I need all of my followers and friends to get out there and participate in the democratic process. All the election information you need can be found at the Elections Alberta Website. Remember, you need to vote to prevent some
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In Alberta, vote, wash hands, wash hands again.
With less than a week to another Alberta provincial election I cannot forecast the vote. It is one of those times you can only vote against. There seem to be few positive options. The entire campaign is a disaster and a disappointment. It is a given that I despise Jason
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Disliking Liberals vs Disliking Conservatives
Christopher Bird explains what it’s like to be a reasonable Canadian observing Canadian political struggles of the largest 2 parties in their efforts to govern: I don’t particularly like Justin Trudeau – he showed some promise but has been a massive disappointment on multiple levels – but he is, when
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: If Harper is a bully, what is Trudeau?
The last two prime ministers tell us much about this country of Canada. In June 2015, I wrote a comment on PM Stephen Harper, accusing him of being a bully. It seemed to be his way of making up for his deficiencies as a human. A reader reminded me of
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: ‘Scheer’ Foolishness.
It is to be hoped that someone in the Scheer family is keeping a scrapbook of the positive commentaries on Chuckles’ prospects in the federal election in October? It is a shame to get the poor guy’s hopes up. The scrapbook will help prove to his grandchildren that he really
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: The Alberta Advantage was Dependence
In the end, the “Alberta Advantage” was dependence. And in retrospect, undoing that dependence on the oil industry — a mixture of real and perceived — needed to be the number one priority of the Notley NDP government. When Albertans (even to their own surprise) overthrew the 40-year Progressive Conservative
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Instead of Whinging About Boomers, Explain Yourself.
Millennials and Gen-Xers are fond of blaming the Boomer generation for their woes. Cheap talk from people who vote for parties that keep the Canadian petro-state locked into fossil fuels. That means young-ish Conservative supporters, and young-ish Liberal supporters, their NDP counterparts to boot. Don’t complain about your condition, don’t
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Jason Kenney’s Quest.
There is something about being the big dog in a small kennel. It brings the walls to you and it feels all warm and snuggly. It must be what Jason Kenney thought of when he saw that the years of posing as heir apparent to former prime minister Stephen Harper
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Ford Forestalls Hillier’s Hussars.
It might not be up to the standards of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade but somebody should have warned Ontario premier Doug Ford before he got into a squabble with the caucus bad boy of the Ontario Tories. Oh well, Ford is due for a drubbing anyway.
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