In this video, the CBC News reported from Texas where even tough-on-crime Republicans told Canada not to follow America’s failed path of mandatory sentences and massive prison expansion, which cost them billions and drove crime rates up. The report warned about the consequences of this un-Canadian and vindictive criminal justice
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CANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Harper’s Crime Bill C-10: Breaking Down The Cost
The Harper government’s flagship tough on crime omnibus legislation will cost Canadian taxpayers at least $15-billion to implement. Bill C-10 is a suite of crime legislation that will radically stir the Canadian justice system away from the preventive and restorative measures which have proven to be more humane, effective and
Continue readingCalgaryLiberal: The Problem with #DenounceHarper: It’s about getting even
There are some major problems with the #DenounceHarper hashtag on twitter. It has been trending on twitter for the last day or so and, for all intents and purposes, it has been quite a silly affair. First of all, there have been complaints surrounding Mr. Harper’s Conservatives only winning 39%
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Canada’s Worst Senator Patrick Brazeau Disappears From Twitter
No comment yet from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who appointed Brazeau to the Senate in 2008. On Wednesday, I blogged about the Conservative Senator, who called Canadian Press reporter Jennifer Ditchburn a “bitch” on Twitter. Senator Brazeau was mad that the reporter had highlighted his poor performance record in Canada’s appointed
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Canada’s Worst Government Body: Board of Internal Economy
The governing body of the House of Commons continues to fail Canadians on the important questions of transparency and oversight. In his recent report, Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General of Canada, called for more transparency. But board has “further limited public transparency over its secret meetings and decisions.” It meets in camera. Parliamentary
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Old Incumbent Liberal MPs Are A Problem
Only 4% of NDP MPs and 7% of Conservative MPs have been in Parliament since 1999 compared to 40% of Liberal MPs. If the Liberal Party needs to change, it needs to start with its MPs. The Liberal Party’s main problem is it’s old. It’s few MPs are the oldest
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Worst Canadian in The World: Senator Patrick Brazeau
Meet Patrick Brazeau (pictured), the sexist Canadian senator who called Ottawa-based reporter, Jennifer Ditchburn, a bitch yesterday. Her crime: she’d done her job by highlighting his poor attendance record in Canada’s appointed upper house of Parliament. He immediately issued a “reluctant” apology. Why did Brazeau call the reporter a bitch?
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Meet The University Of Ottawa’s Ecojustice Clinic
From William Amos, director of the clinic: “A lot of ecojustice cases end up being David vs. Goliath battles; and that’s simply because the clients we serve in small communities and in cities across the country don’t have the funds to hire high-priced lawyers and lots of experts to provide
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Canadian Political Satire: Obert Report Episode 1: Harper’s NDP Hitler Comment
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Obert Report, a future online talk show program in the making. The episode is a satirical commentary on a recent outrageous comment made by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper who recently said during a debate in Parliament: “The leader of the NDP, in 1939,
Continue readingLeft Over: The Continued Character Assassination of Kevin Page…and an Antidote
This is addressed to all those CRAP MPs who hover like wasps over rancid jam ’round the PM.. Do none of you have a backbone? Is there not a single honest and moral bone in any of your bodies, that you stand around and let this madness continue? Will none
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Budget Bill C-38: Canadian MPs, Citizens, Tweet Their Frustrations
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
Continue readingPop The Stack: A Vigil for Our Budget
Tonight, today, right now, MPs are in parliament for an unprecedented marathon of voting on proposed changes and deletions to the omnibus budget bill C-38. If you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past couple weeks or just don’t find Canadian politics that riveting…then I don’t understand you, but
Continue readingPop The Stack: A Vigil for Our Budget
Tonight, today, right now, MPs are in parliament for an unprecedented marathon of voting on proposed changes and deletions to the omnibus budget bill C-38. If you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past couple weeks or just don’t find Canadian politics that riveting…then I don’t understand you, but
Continue readingPop The Stack: If you only read one article about the Budget fiasco, read this one
If you’ve been avoiding reading about what all the political nerds are getting so excited about here is a truly fantastic analysis of the situation. If you only read one article about it, read this one. That is if you care what it means to have a fair, representative government.
Continue readingPop The Stack: If you only read one article about the Budget fiasco, read this one
If you’ve been avoiding reading about what all the political nerds are getting so excited about here is a truly fantastic analysis of the situation. If you only read one article about it, read this one. That is if you care what it means to have a fair, representative government.
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Budget Bill C-38: Canadians Step Up Fight Against Stephen Harper
It’s the eve of the House of Commons vote on Harper’s draconian budget Bill C-38. Earlier today, the Conservatives moved to shut down debate on the legislation. NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen (pictured) promises to make the Conservatives “feel a little pain” for the arrogance and deliberate assault on
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Canada’s “Refugee Exclusion Act” Clears Commons
What a sad day for Canadian politics! All day today, millions of us were entranced by the epic beginning of the struggle against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s draconian Budget Bill C-38. In the meantime, the Conservatives used their majority advantage in the House of Commons to pass Immigration minister Jason
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Bill C-38: Joyce has a choice! Let her hear your voice!
June 9, 2012: Citizens opposed to Bill C-38 pause for a moment outside of Conservative MP Joyce Bateman’s Winnipeg South Centre office before continuing to distribute literature in the constituency. Photo: Paul S. Graham Stephen Harper’s Bill C-38 continues to generate controversy and opposition across Canada. In Winnipeg, a group
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: 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
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