I’ll offer one more post arising out of the flurry of discussion about the Senate – and particularly the timing of an announcement which would seem to have been equally easily made during the campaign if it was intended solely for platform purposes. Let’s remember that the last time Stephen
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Accidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Brad Wall looks to face plenty of new political challenges now that he can’t rely on an Alberta PC dynasty to do much of his dirty work for him. For further reading…– I briefly addressed the same issue with a particular focus on privatized MRIs in this
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Kendra Coulter discusses the connection between human treatment of animals and humans: Close to home and around the world, working class and poor people are really struggling. In countries like Canada, unemployment and underemployment persist. We have been told that corporate tax cuts
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Political success, program failure
In February 2013, shortly before the provincial election campaign began, the BC Liberal Government made an announcement about a new program that was to be funded with over $100 million: GP For Me A Success Says Government Friday, February 22, 2013 10:23 AM The Province has announced new incentives and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Joseph Stiglitz offers his suggestions (PDF) for a tax system which would encourage both growth and equality: Tax reform…offers a path toward both resolving budgetary impasses and making the kinds of public investments that will strengthen the fundamentals of the economy. The most
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week. – Jim Stanford looks into the fine print of the Hudak PCs’ assumptions about corporate tax slashing and finds that even their own numbers show that most of the money gifted to corporations would be thrown away (emphasis added): On second reading there are
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Effective management… of bonuses
The marvellous managers of British Columbia’s public service demonstrate an indisputable skill. Come hell or high water, they always manage to hit pre-determined objectives and thereby manage to trigger payments of personal performance rewards and bonuses. (And you thought the ‘manage’ parts of their job descriptions were about directing agencies
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Matthew O’Brien is the latest to pick up on the connection between pre-transfer income equality, redistribution and sustainable economic growth: Redistribution overall helps, and at least doesn’t harm, growth spells. That’s because the positive effects of less inequality add to or offset the
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Vic Toews: The Zombie Becomes a Judge
It's a horrible nightmare. I'm driving down a country road in rural Manitoba on a dark and stormy night, when my car breaks down.And before I know it I'm forced to run for my life.But I make it into this small hamlet, report the zombie invasion to the bubbah sheriff.Only to
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Premier Tom and Uncle Joe #nlpoli
The provincial government announced on Thursday that it had directed the provincial energy corporation to build a new transmission line between Churchill Falls and western Labrador. You’ve got to wonder why. Not why they decided to build the line. Apparently, there’s a need for the additional power. Not even why
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne writes that Canadians care plenty about the well-being of hungry children even if the Cons don’t: After a firestorm of shocked responses from Canadians, Mr. Moore apologized for his “insensitive comment” uttered days before Christmas. What he did not apologize for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On deflection
Shorter Preston Manning: Mike Duffy openly flouted the Parliamentary Press Gallery’s rules for years by seeking to trade his celebrity for a patronage appointment. When Stephen Harper was the only Prime Minister willing to offer that deal for political gain, Duffy proceeded to flout every new set of rules which
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the combination of institutional and personal flaws that’s combined to create the Stephen Harper Senate scandal. For further reading…– CBC reproduces the documents tabled by Mike Duffy in the Senate here. – The Senate debates featuring the defences of Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau can be found
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Self-reliance versus Dependence #nlpoli
In both Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, the local media will report when a town gets a new fire truck. The difference between the two ends there. (Read more…)
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Beast #nlpoli
This week, people across Canada who are interested in the public right to access government information mark a thing called Right to Know Week. It’s a time to “raise awareness of an individual’s right to access government information, while promoting freedom of information as essential to both democracy and good
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Tim Harper writes that Stephen Harper’s “lone gunman” argument – already implausible in light of the number of Senators and staffers required to cover up the Clusterduff – is falling apart at the seams. But Gloria Galloway notes that the Senators can bail
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Dean Beeby reports on the utter uselessness of the latest set of publicly-funded Con propaganda. But more importantly, John Ibbitson notes that most of the provinces have little use for the lone new announcement – meaning that it’s for the best if Canadians
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – David Cay Johnston and Miles Corak both discuss the results of a study which compares economic outcomes in technologically advanced countries, and shows that tax giveaways to the wealthy exacerbate inequality without doing anything at all to contribute to economic development. – And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Advance warning
Colby Cosh is starting to buy into the theory that the Clusterduff scandal is being strategically revealed to divert attention away from Robocon. My greater concern is that if there’s a Con strategy at play, it lies in the possible aftermath of reports like this. The more stories we hear
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – For all the talk of fraud and cover-ups among the Cons this week, the most important story on that front looks to be the release of Judge Mosley’s decision on Robocon – featuring findings of fact based on the best evidence presented by
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