Here, on what the Trudeau Libs’ first budget tells us about the difficulty turning around a government – and how Saskatchewan voters should take the lesson to heart in deciding whether to settle for four more years of an anti-government governing party…
Continue readingTag: paul wells
Accidental Deliberations: On organization
Given some of the odd twists and turns in Paul Wells’ latest piece on Tom Mulcair’s future, I’m hesitant to give too much credence to his unnamed sources. But to the extent it’s accurate, Wells’ take on the lack of much organization on any side of a le…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On power dynamics
Paul Wells offers his thoughts on what might happen if the Cons lead in the seat count in a minority Parliament. But I’d think it’s worth noting two other considerations to counter Wells’ take that the Cons could hold on with substantially less than half the seats in the House
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, summarizing these posts as to how the opposition parties can set the stage for a minority Parliament by telling us what they’ll do on the first set of confidence votes – and how we can make better voting choices if they fail to do so. For further reading…– Having
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On changed messages
Paul Wells highlights the major change from the Cons’ messaging in 2011 compared to today, as the party which spent years doing nothing about obsessing over (and demonizing) the possibility of a coalition has suddenly gone mum except in front of the most partisan of crowds. But it’s worth noting
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On succession plans
Over the past few days, I’ve finally made it around to reading Paul Wells’ The Longer I’m Prime Minister. And there are a few points raised by Wells’ account of Stephen Harper’s stay in office which call for plenty more discussion. Let’s start with the conflict between Harper’s long-term plans
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Chris Mooney takes a look at the positive side of social influences on behaviour, as new research shows a correlation between spending time with neighbours and an interest in the environmental issues which affect us all. But Adam Stoneman documents how another form
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Robin Sears offers his theory that the upcoming federal election could represent a meaningful referendum on competing visions for Canada – and Paul Wells seems to expect much the same. But while that might make for a useful statement of the actual consequences
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A political oddity hits the big time – but what do we really know about Michael Cooper?
Michael Cooper turned up door knocking on your blogger’s doorstep in St. Albert last summer. A photo was required! Below: Independent St. Albert Member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber, former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day and journalist Paul Wells. ST. ALBERT, Alberta Every few years, Michael Cooper seems to pop onto
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On healthy proposals
Paul Wells seems quite disappointed not to have received more attention for his recent piece on Thomas Mulcair’s speech to the Canadian Medical Association. So let’s take a closer look at why the angle Wells took didn’t seem like much of a revelation – and what might be more significant
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Inside Stephen Harper’s Head: The Trudeau Obsession
I have no idea why anyone in the MSM would want to psychoanalyze Stephen Harper. It seems something better left between a psychiatrist and his patient. Or in Harper's case a trembling shrink and his maniac.But Paul Wells, who would be his Boswell and his Dr Welby, apparently could not be
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On permanent campaigners
Plenty of people have pointed out other pieces of Paul Wells’ interview with Justin Trudeau. But one exchange seems particularly telling in defining Trudeau’s perception of leadership and politics: Q: What do you have to get done when Parliament comes back? A: Continue to do what we’re doing, which is
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Maybe They Were Already Dead
Paul Wells thinks the Harper government should be given credit for slaying Quebec separatism. I’d suggest its been deceased since 1995 and Harper has merely presided over the last twitchings of the body. I would further suggest that Harper’s uncritical trumpeting of tar-sands development threatens to awake a far more
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Crimes of the Punditocracy
After the way Stephen Harper has treated the media over the years. After the way he has humbled and humiliated them.Or treated them like stooges.It's hard to believe that some still worship at his feet. Or that some like Paul Wells would think that we could learn ANYTHING from that foul leader. Read
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, expanding on this post about the Cons’ ruthless discipline in keeping the benefits of any tax policy from flowing to those who need it most – and pointing out the need for a strong challenge to that single-minded focus on withholding money from the poor. For further reading…– Again,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – David Dayen discusses how prepaid debit cards are turning into the latest means for the financial sector to extract artificial fees from consumers. And Matt Taibbi reports on the looting of public pension funds in the U.S.: Nor did anyone know that part
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Jonathan Freedland discusses how the UK’s Conservative government is forcing its poor citizens to choose between food and dignity: Cameron’s statement rests on the repeatedly implied assumption that the only people going hungry are those who have opted for idleness as a lifestyle
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Ken Georgetti discusses how the corporate tax giveaways of the past 15 years have hurt most Canadians: The Conservative government and special interest groups claim incessantly that cutting corporate income taxes is good for the economy and for individual Canadians. We have
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Bart’s Books: Stephen Harper, Episode II
“On any day, [Harper] has a choice, he can do the big conservative thing that would be the end of his career, or he can do some of the small conservative things that won’t.” I’ll save you the trouble of reading the rest of this book review – if you
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Paul Wells and Dan Lett offer roundups of today’s federal by-elections, while Chantal Hebert offers some advice to the candidates (whether or not they’re elected to Parliament today). And Murray Dobbin explains why there’s only one true progressive choice in Toronto Centre in
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