Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images Reconciliation is a very popular word these days. It comes out of the commission appointed to investigate what happened to Indigenous people in Canada in residential schools run by the federal government. The commission produced a lengthy list of actions needed to “advance the
Continue readingTag: political culture
The Sir Robert Bond Papers: The importance of what we talk about #nlpoli
Nalcor will have to replace about 350 fibreglass beams used in the Labrador-Island Link because of a fault in their manufacture. Nalcor discovered the fault during two incidents at Soldier’s Pond in August that caused the link to shut down on both occasions. The public found out about the two
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Mimicry and Pantomime #nlpoli
A couple of thousand people turned out in St. John’s on Saturday for a rally organized by a new group calling itself Black Lives Matter NL. They listened to speeches, raised their fists, and did all the things one would expect at a rally to draw attention to anti-black racism
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Authoritarian Impulse #nlpoli
Special Measures Enforcement Jim Dinn used to be a teacher. As head of the provincial teachers’ union, he spearheaded a drive against the public’s right to know how politicians spent public money. And now he is a member of the provincial legislature. “Let’s talk about rights,” said Jim Dinn on
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Sliding by #nlpoli
Sliding b’ys. During the recent emergency in eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, both the provincial government and the City of St. John’s denied the public access to basic information about the emergency. Instead, they both preferred either self-serving political messages – “all is well. We are doing great job” – or
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: When a change is not a change: the NDP and Muskrat Falls #nlpoli #cdnpoli
One newsroom. Two different interpretations of federal NDP leader Jagmeet Sing’s position on Muskrat Falls. In Sarah Smellie’s online story, Singh had a few concerns and is “not comfortable” with the project. But he didn’t outright condemn the project. “Right now I’m concerned … I’m concerned about those two pieces
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Behaviour Patterns #nlpoli
January 2016. Dwight Ball tells reporters in year-end interviews that “everything is on the table” to deal with the government’s financial problem. Then, Ball took everything off the table. As SRBP put it last year: No cuts to spending as that would slow the economy. Ditto for tax increases. Even
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Trump Election #nlpoli
All you will ever need in order to understand the recent American presidential election is contained in this little chart. It appeared within about 24 hours of the polls closing on Tuesday, November 8. Lots of people will look at it and imagine it shows the need for electoral reform
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Townies and Baymen #nlpoli
Last week’s post on the political narrative war currently under way was a combination of two separate, but related ideas. The incoming Liberal administration – like all political parties – is faced with the challenge of identifying itself or def…
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: More like a snapshot than a panorama #nlpoli
Last week, a group called Samara released the results of its research on Canadians and politics. Democracy 360 they called it. The media locally covered it, if for no other reason than it showed that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians trailed the country in things like donations to political parties. Didn’t fit
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Not fit for it #nlpoli
It’s not surprising that the provincial Conservatives and their supporters want to reduce the representations the people of the province have in the House of Assembly. After all, the plan to cut 10 seats from the House of Assembly and make other changes in the interest of “modernisation” fits their
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: American and Canadian Politics – A brief comparison and lay of the land
Here is a rough translation of Canadian political culture for Americans and others who may be unfamiliar with the political landscape of the second largest country on earth, the holder of the largest oil and mineral resources on earth, the pantry to the American empire, one of the richest nations on the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The New Sexism #nlpoli #cdnpoli
As the story goes, the crowd currently running this place were all set to issue a news release that the first woman premier in the province’s history was announcing the appointment of the first woman clerk of the House of Assembly. Then someone quietly pointed out that another Premier had
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Representative Independence versus Caucus Control
Behind all the Sturm und Drang engendered by Dr. Raj Sherman’s letter, comments and subsequent removal from the PC caucus there are several stories. The specifics of what happened and why are known only to those involved, and I won’t speculate. There is a good post at the Enlightened Savage
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Representative Independence versus Caucus Control
Behind all the Sturm und Drang engendered by Dr. Raj Sherman’s letter, comments and subsequent removal from the PC caucus there are several stories. The specifics of what happened and why are known only to those involved, and I won’t speculate. There i…
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Representative Independence versus Caucus Control
Behind all the Sturm und Drang engendered by Dr. Raj Sherman’s letter, comments and subsequent removal from the PC caucus there are several stories. The specifics of what happened and why are known only to those involved, and I won’t speculate. There is a good post at the Enlightened Savage
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Link to Sue Huff on Expense Accounts
This is a link to a post by Sue Huff (an Edmonton School Trustee) on expense accounts and political culture. Well said, Sue. http://www.rebootalberta.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=expense-accounts-and-the-safety-net-of-transparency.html&Itemid=1
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Link to Sue Huff on Expense Accounts
This is a link to a post by Sue Huff (an Edmonton School Trustee) on expense accounts and political culture. Well said, Sue. http://www.rebootalberta.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=expense-accounts-and-the-safety-net-of-transparency.html&Itemid=1
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Link to Sue Huff on Expense Accounts
This is a link to a post by Sue Huff (an Edmonton School Trustee) on expense accounts and political culture. Well said, Sue.
http://www.rebootalberta.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=expense-accounts-and-the-safety-net-of-transparency.html&Itemid=1
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