Prime Minister Stephen Harper just one year ago. Actual Canadian prime ministers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Senator Mike Duffy and former Harper cabinet member Jim Prentice. Last Halloween, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper went trick ’n’ treating, he was monarch of all he surveyed. This year, he’s
Continue readingTag: new democratic party
Paul S. Graham: Electioneering in the guise of consultation – it’s tawdry & cynical and has to stop!
I wonder how many Manitobans have received an email from their Manitoba NDP MLA entitled “A Fairer Deal for Renters.” I wonder how many are as pissed off as I am about what it represents. Hi Paul You may have seen information in your mailbox recently about Manitoba’s Fairer Deal for
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Opposition Syndrome #nlpoli
Politics is often about compromise. Compromises are great when they work. They suck when they don’t. The provincial New Democrats spent a week in a leadership crisis that climaxed with a two-day caucus retreat complete with a hired, professional meeting facilitator. The result is the worst possible solution for the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Where there’s smoke… #nlpoli
Four members of a political caucus don’t usually demand their leader’s resignation unless they had a reason… or a bunch of reasons that built up over time. As it turns out, the number of people unhappy with Lorraine Michael’s leadership style is a lot more than a small faction. -srbp-
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The New Undemocratic Party #nlpoli
At the end of the first full day of the political crisis inside the New Democratic Party, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador learned more about the party than anyone likely imagined they’d ever know. Two members of caucus – George Murphy and Gerry Rogers - showed they are freaks
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Night of the Pen Knives #nlpoli
Sometimes political party leaders get to chose how they leave the job. Other times they don’t. The Liberals punted Leo Barry out of the leadership in 1987. The entire caucus handed him a letter demanding his resignation after her went off to the States on a trip. Now the truth
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: A party like the others #nlpoli
Among the oldest of old Canadian political jokes is that you went to the Tory conventions to drink, the Liberal conventions to get laid, and the NDP ones to pick up pamphlets. Well, as it turns out the NDP have now joined the ranks of the old parties. The Ottawa
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: lessons from B.C. for NDPers everywhere
Just to set the mood, it’s Left-Leaning B.C. Premiers Day on Alberta Diary. Here’s your blogger with some former NDP premiers from that province – Dave Barrett above, Mike Harcourt and Ujjal Dosanjh below. No one can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the New Democrats in
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Peter Kormos memorial on May 11, 2013 in Thorold, Ontario
Peter Kormos memorial on May 11, 2013 in Thorold, Ontario: Click on the above link for details, and see my last post for more information about his life, which ended far too soon. If you see grey boxes above, click on one of them to see photos of Peter.
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Last weekend, Canada lost a beloved, well-respected, honest,…
Last weekend, Canada lost a beloved, well-respected, honest, persuasive, gruff-voiced, hard-working, non-conformist, friendly, principled, down-to-earth man of the people who drank and smoked, wore cowboy boots, stood up for the little guy and was re-elected several times. No, I’m not talking about that asshole Ralph Klein, whose merits and accomplishments
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Members of Canada’s centrist New Democratic Party (NDP)…
Members of Canada’s centrist New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus sing the Stompin’ Tom Connors song “Bud the Spud”, which is about a character who — unlike the fraudulent Conservative senator Mike Duffy — lives in Prince Edward Island. The guitarists are Charlie Angus and Andrew Cash, who were professional musicians
Continue readingAlberta Diary: ‘Leading thinkers’ to set Alberta’s new economic course lickety-split – and you’re not invited
Premier Alison Redford eyeballs an uninvited visitor to the province’s economic summit. Without the password, you’re not getting in. Below, Premier Redford and Deputy Premier Tom Lukaszuk present their bona fides at the door. Actual Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below them: The premier’s communications director, Stefan
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chief Theresa Spence speaks on Day 21 of hunger strike against Harper Conservatives
For immediate release: December 31, 2012, Victoria Island, traditional territory of the Algonquian Peoples: Today is the twenty first day of Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike and the last day of 2012. Yesterday, Chief Spence met with Senators and Members of Parliament from the New Democratic Party, Liberal Party and
Continue readingcenterandleft: Endorsement for Joyce Murray
Murray Can Lead Canada Forward | Chris Wattie, Reuters (via National Post) For almost seven years, Stephen Harper has been the Prime Minister. Canadian progressives unite in their call that “we can do better” and yet, little is done to meet actions with words. In the New Democratic leadership race,
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A last thought for 2012: 2013 is bound to be an important year for Alberta’s NDP
2013 could be a big year for Alberta’s NDP – if they play their cards right. Members of the Alberta NDP caucus and their opponents may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: NDP Leader Brian Mason. Surely the strategic goal of Alberta’s New Democrats between now and the next provincial
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Toews an ill-timed Johnny-on-the-spot justifying imposition of U.S.-style gun-show anarchy
Victor Toews, Canada’s Minister of Public Insecurity and Zombification, rendered by Edmonton artist William Prettie. Below, a shifty looking Mr. Toews as he appears in the halls of Parliament. Pat Martin is a Great Canadian. ™ What a perfect way to throw a little red meat to your gun-nut money
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: The Honourable Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party (NDP) Member…
The Honourable Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay, recognizes the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion’s contribution to the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. The Mac-Paps volunteered to fight the fascist forces of Spain, Italy and Germany as part of the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Go back to sleep everyone: another Tory win in Calgary
Joan Crockatt, the first pest past the post, flanked by Calgary MPs Rob Anders and Jason Kenney, gives her victory speech in Calgary last night. Actual victorious Alberta Conservatives may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The unsuccessful Liberal, Green and NDP candidates; the real Ms. Crockatt. Oh, how very depressing. Progressive voters outnumbered Conservatives, …
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me…
The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me I’m a Liberal” (click on the Justin Bieber — I mean Trudeau — photo for a Youtube video of the original song) were inspired by recent stories about Liberal Party wrongdoings in Canad…
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Newsflash: Canadian PM’s American Idol supports Stephane Dion-esque carbon tax shift
Note: for non-Canadian readers (or, indeed for Canadian readers who don’t follow politics) Stephane Dion was the milquetoast who led the Liberal Party of Canada to its then-worst-ever federal election result in 2008. He ran on a campaign of a carbon tax shift (“The Green Shift“), for which the Conservative Party mocked and savaged him. We’ll […]