My fellow bloggers are being too negative about yesterday’s election results. A Harper majority is very bad. However, I have trouble imagining it cutting public programs more than Chretien’s majority did. The Conservatives and Liberals have long been rather similar on economic issues. The NDP replacing the Liberals as one of the two predominant parties […]
Continue readingTag: NDP
The Progressive Economics Forum: A progressive paradox for Québec and Canada
The mood in the progressive milieu here in Québec seems rather grim this morning. In Québec history we call the twenty year period when anti-union, right wing populist Duplessis ruled, the “Era of the Great Darkness”, and many by email or on social media have spontaneously referred to the upcoming period in an analogous way. […]
Continue readingExcited Delirium: MayDay 2011: Yer Blues, Orange Crush and RIP LPC
In 2015, the only thing that will defeat the Cons is a concerted effort. The ‘death by a thousand cuts’ approach by Canada’s progressives will only ensure that we never have a voice in this country.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: BQ Demise- Not Good
We have a lost a lot with the demise of the Bloc Quebecois as a significant presence in Parliament. Social policy in Quebec has been more progressive than elsewhere in Canada for a long time. This is particularly important for policy related to women’s rights, including labour and social policy that allow women’s full participation […]
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Electoral Math I: Vote Splitting and the NDP+Liberal merger hypothesis
This historic election has seen the complete collapse of the Bloc Québécois and the decline in the Liberal party to historic lows while propelling the Conservatives to a majority government and the NDP to the official opposition. With the governing…
Continue readingMassive dual win for Harper—a majority and a Liberal Party in ruins
Stephen Harper has long had two goals, a short-term goal of winning a majority government and a long-term goal of destroying the Liberal Party. Last night he achieved the first and got a good start on the second, both in convincing fashion.
Of course …
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Economic Impact of Harper Majority
This 6 minute debate between Michael Hlinka, CBC business correspondent, and myself examines the economic impact of a Harper majority. It took place early today on Metro Morning, the local morning CBC program in Toronto. It touches on the nature of growth, the distribution of the benefits of growth, the erosion of the foundation of […]
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Did NDP Sectarianism Screw Canada?
While NDP supporters might be celebrating last night’s election results, the reality is that it was an umitigated disaster for Canada. The Tory majority will mean more tax breaks for corporations, the gutting of social services and cultural institutions, the widening of the already cavernous income gap, the public defunding of political parties, and the […]
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Harper’s centralization of the democratic process: the litmus test for the next four years
Leaving all policy discussion aside, one of the most disheartening aspects of the last five years of minority government under Harper has been a consistent erosion of the adversarial process in our democracy. The list is long but includes: centralizi…
Continue readingPolygonic: Québec’s NDP revolution: the new normal, or a BQ holiday?
Québec doesn’t do things by halves, does it? Some of us have begged and implored the NDP to focus its energies on Québec: to play to its social democratic credentials, and to take the Bloc to task as arrogant, single-minded, comfortable and lazy, and prone to taking its voters for granted. The idea being that […]
The Global Express: A Shift in Canadian Politics
With one of the most unpredictable and unimaginable elections in recent memory, the most accurate way to summarize it all in one sentence would be to say; there is a shift in Canadian politics. We have seen a shift in the status quo, and possibly the re-alignment in the Canadian
Continue readingPolygonic: If this isn’t bittersweet…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – welcome to Dickensian Canada. The best of times, in some ways – a social democratic party’s never had a bigger share of the Parliamentary pie. And Quebec sovereigntists have never had less. The worst of times, clearly, in that years of fear-mongering […]
liberal catnip: Election – Post-Game Thoughts
So, there we have it: the Cons have a majority government. The NDP is the official opposition. Iggy led the Liberal party to a historic low in the house. The BQ is all but decimated and, at this point, Elizabeth May of the Greens might have won a seat for
Continue readingElection – Post-Game Thoughts
So, there we have it: the Cons have a majority government. The NDP is the official opposition. Iggy led the Liberal party to a historic low in the house. The BQ is all but decimated and, at this point, Elizabeth May of the Greens might have won a seat for
Continue readingliberal catnip: Election – Post-Game Thoughts
So, there we have it: the Cons have a majority government. The NDP is the official opposition. Iggy led the Liberal party to a historic low in the house. The BQ is all but decimated and, at this point, Elizabeth May of the Greens might have won a seat …
Continue readingA. Picazo: Sun News Network: Let The (Incredibly Lazy) Astroturfing Begin!
It has been fascinating to watch the Conservative campaign strategy evolve over the past two weeks; working in tandem with Sun TV in a quest to secure a Harper majority, and to destroy the opposition leaders. Aside from the standard issued talking points submitted by the Conservative war room and
Continue readingpolitics on CAPS LOCK: CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2011 LIVEBLOGGING: *** UPDATED COMPULSIVELY ***
I AM STONE SOBER LISTENING AND SOMETIMES WATCHING THE PRE-ELECTION SHOW FROM ATLANTIC CANADA OVER SKYPE AND IT’S KIND OF SUCKY NOT BODING WELL GUYS GOT TO BE HONEST 5:32 OBVIOUSLY NOT COMMITTING ANY OFFENCES UNDER THE CANADA ELECTIONS ACT TONIGHT 5:34 IAN HANNOMANSING OPINES THAT PEI IS A LIBERAL
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Masturgate: The Little Scandal That Couldn’t
It’s election time and everyone is abuzz with the ostensibly shocking allegation that Jack Layton might have, possibly, received a happy ending at a rub-and-tug 15 years ago. Let’s let that sink in for a moment: The man might have, possibly, received a handy J from someone other than his wife a decade and a […]
Continue readingDrive-by Times: NDP looking strong on eve of Canadian election
In an EKOS-iPolitics poll for May 1 the gap between the NDP and front-running Conservatives has narrowed to just 3 points. The poll has the Conservatives with 34.6% of support of decided and leaning voters – the NDP is at 31.4%. The Liberals are back a…
Continue readingFederal Election Prediction
With the 41st Canadian General Election Day arriving tomorrow, it seems that it is time for me to get my election prediction on the record. I am predicting a Conservative minority government with the New Democratic Party holding the balance of power. At this point, those two predictions are not
Continue reading