The Canadian Progressive: Environment Minister Peter Kent embraces his imminent demotion from Conservative cabinet

by: Obert Madondo | Twitter: @Obiemad: Environment Minister Peter Kent. (Photo: Environment Canada) It’s a preemptive strike of sorts. Environment Minister Peter Kent knows he’ll be a backbencher after PM  Stephen Harper’s much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle. That much the Conservative MP for Thornhill, Ontario, confirmed in a message published on Facebook on Friday. “If, in

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The Canadian Progressive: Pro-business Harper Conservatives coddling tax havens, tax cheats

By: Obert Madondo Twitter: @Obiemad An Alberta businessman is included in a massive online database of secret tax-haven names released to the public on Friday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. David Ghermezian, the president of the West Edmonton Mall, is linked to a British Virgin Islands-registered company called Regal Mega Malls Development Corp,

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The Canadian Progressive: Another blow for Harper as Conservative MP quits caucus

Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber (Photo: Alberta Diary) Conservative MPs on the House of Commons’s ethics committee amended Brent Rathgeber’s private member’s bill seeking salary disclosures. He’d proposed forcing disclosures for public servants earning more than about $180,000. The committee upped the threshold to $444,000. Rathgeber, the Conservative MP for Edmonton-St. Albert,

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The Canadian Progressive: Prominent Canadians want Victoria Day renamed to honour Aboriginals

From Victoria Day to ‘Victoria and First People’s Day’. How does that sound? Prolific author Margaret Atwood, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, actor Gordon Pinsent  and other prominent Canadians are demanding that “Victoria Day” be renamed “Victoria and First Peoples Day”.  To honour Aboriginal peoples’ contributions to  Canada. The group, which

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The Canadian Progressive: Dr. James Hansen: Keystone XL, tar sands expansion “can be stopped”

By: Dr. James Hansen Today (May 9, 2013) 36 Norwegian organizations sent an open letter to Prime Minister Stoltenberg expressing opposition to development of Canadian tar sands by Statoil (the Norwegian state is majority shareholder of Statoil). Signatories include not only environmental organizations, but a broad public spectrum, including, appropriately, many youth organizations.

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The Canadian Progressive: Beleaguered Harper-appointed Sen. Mike Duffy Quits Conservative Caucus

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive:  Scandal-plagued Sen. Mike Duffy quit the Conservative caucus Thursday after his fraudulent Senate expense claims threatened to engulf the Harper government. Duffy, appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2009, now sits as an independent. “It is clear the public controversy surrounding me and the repayment of my

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