When Americans want to know the direction their country is taking they watch their President’s State of the Union address. When Canadians want to know the direction their country is taking they should look at how many of them watched that same address. Last night when Barack Obama spoke to
Continue readingTag: parliament
The Scott Ross: Our Mandate
“Well you know the Conservatives say, and we know the mantra those of us who have to sit through this every day in the House of commons, that Canadians gave them a mandate to do whatever it is that they want to do; a mandate to carry out whatever abuses
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why Canadians Want The Worst Politics Of America
Canadians would support our own political institutions if we didn’t idealize worse ones. The last few years have offered an incredible contrast in politics between what interests Canadians and what is best for Canadians. In looking at what has attracted support recently it is undeniably clear that pervasive American values
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Liberals & Conservatives, Two Halves of One Party
Are the BC Liberals a coalition of federal Conservatives and Liberals or are the Conservatives and Liberals just a federal party not yet united? There’s an answer to that question and though it relies on perspective, it doesn’t rely on your own. The BC Liberal Party is sometimes cited as
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Conservative MP seeks to open emotive abortion debate
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear his government will not reopen the abortion debate. But Stephen Woodworth, the Conservative MP for Kitchener Centre wants to reverse course. And force Parliament to enact a …Read More
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Great Liberal Difference.
Having the luxury of being in government for so long allowed Liberals to think they were special, that there were huge differences between them and other parties, well there aren’t and they should stop thinking there are. Yes there are differences between all the parties, but they are far less
Continue readingcartoon life: Peter Pinocchio
Filed under: caricature, illustration Tagged: caricature, Conservatives, humour, Lies, parliament, Peter Mackay, politics
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Democracy is too expensive is a poor argument
There are lots of good arguments you can make that just adding more and more seats to the House of Commons to address shifting populations is a bad idea. For example, at some point unless you knock out a wall, you’ll run out of room in the Commons chamber. Cost,
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: More belated political musings
I write this from Arizona, where I’ve been attending a work conference this week in the Phoenix area. I’m staying through the weekend to see some hockey, as the Coyotes play their home opener vs. the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. The old Jets vs. the new …
Continue readingImpolitical: Seat allocation is only as hard as you want it to be
If what Ibbitson is saying today is correct, that federal seat reallocation legislation is going to be too late to add new seats by the time of the 2015 election, that will be a major failing on the part of the Harper government. It’s been clearly iden…
Continue readingPop The Stack: Democracy for Sale
Democracy week may have come and gone with very little notice in Canada but this turns out to be Election Week. In Alberta, the PC party selected a new leader and thus a new premier; a woman for the first time ever in Alberta . In Manitoba, the NDP returned for the
Continue readingPop The Stack: Democracy for Sale
Democracy week may have come and gone with very little notice in Canada but this turns out to be Election Week. In Alberta, the PC party selected a new leader and thus a new premier; a woman for the first time ever in Alberta . In Manitoba, the NDP returned for the
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Politics, polls and personal stuff
Lots of stuff to talk about at the beginning of this week:
– The official Fall session for the federal Parliament begins today. The Conservatives and Harper will now begin the process of ending or killing everything they don’t like ideologically – which they now can do with their majority. Most governments try to create a legacy when they’re in government. Harper and his bunch will have a legacy that I predict will end up being remembered for trying to destroy everything that is Liberal or liberal oriented. It will be interesting though to see how effective the Official Opposition New Democrats (without Layton) and the Liberals (without a […]
Continue readingLaw is Cool: On democratic legitimacy of the courts
My last post talked about how judges work with each other’s decisions. Today, I’d like to take a bird’s eye look at the relationship between the judiciary and Parliament. Unelected judges handle laws passed by elected legislatures such as Parliament of Canada or provincial parliaments. How they do it helps understand why it’s ok for […]
Canadian Progressive World: RIP, Honorable Jack Layton!
I’m still shocked by the untimely passing this morning of the Federal NDP leader, Jack Layton, at the age of 61. Canada has lost a great champion. Jack will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives he touched deeply. I’m one of th…
Continue readingLaw is Cool: The purpose of blawgs
More than a year ago I wrote a post entitled “How lawyers think.” Its basic idea is that a lawyer’s job is to maximize legal protection of his client’s rights. Protecting rights means either of two things: one, letting the world know what your rights and their legal basis are, and, two, getting a court […]
Canadian Progressive World: What Jack Layton Sees In Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel
The intensifying scrutiny of Nycole Turmel, NDP leader Jack Layton’s choice to replace him while he’s away for cancer treatment is healthy for Canada’s democracy. But the negativity by the right-wing media misses the point. Self-rig…
Continue readingTrashy's World: Trashy goes to Parliament!
For a political junkie like me, last night was one of those “special” times of my life.
Courtesy of an invite by an ex-NDP MP through a colleague of my spouse, I had the distinct privilege of dining in the Parliamentary restaurant and having a pretty damned cool private tour afterward.
I would love to post pics, […]
A BCer in Toronto: Banning floor crossing is a bad idea
I think Peter Stoffer is coming from a good place and I think his intentions are pure, but I feel strongly that banning floor crossing is a bad idea that, rather than improving parliamentary representation and responsibility to constituents, will only …
Continue readingThat ‘disrespectful’ Brigette sparks the wrath of Ottawa’s Villagers
Really, it’s just so awkward when the lower orders forget their rightful station in the order of things.
The harrumphing, glaring and disdainful sniffing from the self-appointed members of Ottawa’s elite is palpable. The political and media establis…
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