For an incredible 24 hours, Canadian opposition MPs held up the passage of Stephen Harper and the Conservative government’s draconian budget Bill C-38. They forced votes on more than 800 proposed amendments to the 425-page behemoth. In the end the Conservatives torpedoed every opposition amendment, to score a dubious, dictatorship-style
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CANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Harper v. Canada: Stephen Harper Addresses Right Wing U.S. Think Tank
Understanding the Canadian prime minister’s war against our democratic institutions, freedoms and legitimate dissent Editor’s Note: In June 1997, Stephen Harper addressed a Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy (CNP), a right-wing U.S. think tank. His speech unequivocally foreshadowed his ongoing war against Canadian democracy. Harper described Canada
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Vic Toews To Use Magnotta Murder Case To Revive Internet Surveillance Bill C-30
In dictatorial regimes, tyrants rule by manipulating prevailing public emotions. They use the smallest emotional opportunity to create draconian laws that take away the people’s rights and freedoms. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has certainly learned a thing or two from this modus operandi. He wants to use Luka Rocco
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Harper v. Canada: Understanding Stephen Harper’s War Against Canada
Welcome to Harper v. Canada, a new column that digs deep to understand Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s current war against our democratic institutions, freedoms and dissent. The column uses two approaches to unravel Harper’s phony commitment to making Canada “the best country in the world: a) exhaustive excavation of Harper’s
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Budget Bill C-38: A Conservative Insurgency Against Harper?
Earlier this week, the NDP and other Federal opposition parties released the findings of their Canada-wide public consultations on Stephen Harper’s Budget Implementation Act, Bill C-38. Yesterday, the parties submitted 1,300 amendments to the behemoth omnibus bill. Now a new opposition front, straight out of Harper’s Conservative world, is gathering
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Obert Madondo: Today I End My Canada Crime Bill C-10 Hunger Strike
After 85 days on a hunger strike against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new “Safe Streets and Communities Act” (crime Bill C10), it’s with great pleasure, gratitude and emotion that I announce the end of the protest. I’ll end the protest at 11.59pm today. I made the decision to end the
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Unpacking my Canada Crime Bill C10 hunger strike
Today, May 21st is the day 69 of my indefinite hunger strike protesting Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cruel new crime law, the deceptively christened “Safe Streets and Communities Act”, formerly omnibus crime Bill C10. This potentially-fatal act of peaceful civil … Continue reading →
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Obert Madondo’s Canada Crime Bill C-10 Hunger Strike – Senator Vernon White Must Resign
Below is my appeal to newly-appointed Conservative senator and former Ottawa Police chief, Vernon White, to resign. I mailed the letter to the senator on March 14, 2012. On the same day, I started an indefinite hunger strike against the … Continue reading →
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: In Ottawa, an elected Liberal MP defeats a Harper-appointed Conservative senator
It was a political showdown that revealed what we already know: the Conservatives can’t take a fair fight. Yesterday, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau convincingly defeated Tory senator Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing bout here in Ottawa. The Fight for … Continue reading →
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Harper Conservatives Target Registered Charities
So far, the Conservative government’s fear-mongering has targeted anti-capitalism movements, environmentalists, Aboriginal groups, activists, foreign special interest groups, so-called “issue-based terrorists” and other imaginary “enemies of the state”. Now add registered Canadian charities to the hit list. Charities registered in … Continue reading →
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Beginning of The End for Big Oil’s Billion Dollar Subsidies?
oil-drum-stuffed-with-money.jpg Democratic Senator Bob Menendez (N.J.) has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to kill, once and for all, the billions of dollars worth of subsidies that are flowing from the federal government to the oil industry. Under Menendez’s proposal, the $4 billion annual corporate welfare handed out to oil companies
Continue readingFusing and Musing: Why ‘Moderation’ is a big deal…
Why moderation? Why would one want to stay closer to the political center? Is there empirical or even theoretical proof that such a stance would be the ideal? It is safe to say there are as many theories and their advocates as the day is long. Before we proceed I
Continue readingFusing and Musing: A letter to my fellow Canadians
I think the following is very important for Canadians to remember and to help this memory I’m asking you to share and like this. So very, very few Canadians seem to remember that Canada has always been a country of moderates and it is that moderate stance towards social and
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Make Us Do The Right Thing
“I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932, in a statement to labour leaders who had advocated for bold policies. Leaders often explain that their failure to enact the right policies is because public support is either lacking or
Continue readingOccupy Ottawa: On International Women’s Day, A Focus on Canada’s Gender Deficit
As the world celebrates women’s achievements, Naomi Klein (pictured) stands out among the many gifts Canada has given to the world. Her work and passion around globalization, capitalism, human rights and, recently, the Keystone XL …Read More
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: The Canadian Senate Can Kill Bill C-10
Even as the Tory’s draconian omnibus crime bill approaches the critical vote in the Conservative-dominated Senate, Canadians must still hope that sanity will prevail. The Senate, though unelected and dominated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s …Read More
Continue readingFusing and Musing: Vetted by Facebook?
In an age where the “online spying” and “indefinite detention” become tools by the government to suppress the population and create fear of dissent, I have become completely convinced that I am being vetted by Facebook. I have recently returned from the beautiful Caribbean coast of Honduras. I visited Copan
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: The rebels who snubbed the Queen
The Diamond Jubilee, the extravagant international celebration throughout 2012 marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year at the helm of the declining British Empire, is finally here. British medals galore! Officer of the Order of the British …Read More
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: An Occupy Ottawa activist laments Harper Conservatives’ budget cuts
The Conservative government’s “austerity” budget cuts, they’re coming. Huge cuts to social programs and services. Cuts so deep they’ll alter the quality of life of thousands of Canadians. Especially through massive job losses in the …Read More
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Conservative Senator: “Every murderer should have a rope in his cell”
The Conservative government’s universally-condemned omnibus crime Bill C-10has a confirmed YES vote in the Senate. The name behind the vote: tough-on-crime Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu. Earlier today, Boisvenu said a prisoner “should have the right …Read More
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