Dear Mr Harper: I understand that you’ve decided not to participate in the traditional election debates hosted by the three major TV networks, Global, CTV and CBC. Incidentally, isn’t it convenient they’re known as The Consortium? Conjures up all sorts of sinister images of The Firm and The Company and
Continue readingTag: Politics and Government
Susan on the Soapbox: 5-5-15: Small “c” Conservatives Exposed
On May 5, 2015, NDP leader Rachel Notley brought the Progressive Conservative dynasty to its knees. Many Albertans, including Ms Soapbox, are over the moon. Others who voted for one of the two conservative parties are wandering around like Li’l Abner’s Joe Btfsplk. The small “c” conservative brain trust, with
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Everything will be A-OK
“Well, I think we made a little history tonight!”— Rachel Notley’s victory speech Indeed we did! The 99% were jubilant. The 1% hit the panic button. And those who deflected political fearmongering with a healthy dose of hope and optimism found themselves facing a more insidious attack—fearmongering dressed up in
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Fearmongering or Hopemongering? It’s Your Call Alberta
“I think it has deteriorated into groundless name-calling, and it’s certainly not the strategy that I would take.”—Rachel Notley reflecting on comments made by Jim Prentice and Brian Jean To hear Jim Prentice and Brian Jean tell it, Rachel Notley’s plan to create a royalty commission and increase corporate taxes
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Leaders Debate: Math is Hard, English is Harder
“I know the math is difficult…” Jim Prentice to Rachel Notley during the Leaders Debate Apr 23, 2015 Ms Soapbox doesn’t like math. As a child she thought numbers had personalities. Eights, sixes and nines were nice numbers; fours, fives and twos were sharp and nasty. Math was “difficult” because
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Prentice Campaign: How NOT to Frame the Debate
Frank Luntz, famed political consultant to the Republican Party, said when it comes to political hot buttons “those who define the debate will determine the outcome.* Given the mess Mr Prentice has made of the “Team Prentice” campaign he may want to give Mr Luntz a call. Mr Prentice defined
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Prentice Drops the “E” Word on Day One
Extremist: /ɛkˈstriːmɪst/ noun, chiefly derogatory: A person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent or other extreme action—Oxford dictionary Hysterical rhetoric Of all the bonehead things Premier Prentice could have said in his campaign kick-off speech, warning Albertans to beware of “extreme ideas or
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jim Prentice’s Budget: The Not-So-Subtle Language of Money
“There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.” — Cicero On Mar 24, 2015 Jim Prentice sent Albertans a message of such heartless cynicism that only the most naïve amongst us would fail to understand. Money talks. Here’s what Jim Prentice’s Budget 2015* told Albertans. Corporations matter,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Interview We Wish We Had With Premier Prentice on Budget 2015
“I believe we show who we are, and how much we care, by what we do.”—Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister In his March 24 “State of the Province Address” Mr Prentice urged Albertans to receive his new budget in a spirit of openness. He said if we all act responsibly
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: How to Stay Under the Radar When Bill C-51 Becomes Law
Bill C-51 is an omnibus anti-terrorism bill that grants CSIS new information sharing powers and converts CSIS from a covert intelligence gathering organization to a covert enforcement agency. No wonder Canadians don’t know what the heck is going on! Ms Soapbox is here to offer four simple suggestions to
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Laurie Blakeman Takes a Symbolic Step…in the Wrong Direction
Crikey! On Friday Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman announced that she’ll be running as a candidate for the Liberals, the Alberta Party and the Greens in the upcoming election… …and on Sunday Ms Soapbox announced to her dad that she’d joined the NDP. He swears he’ll never speak to her again.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: A Modest Proposal for Cooperation Among Progressives in Alberta
“I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection” — Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal (1729) Relax. Ms Soapbox’s modest proposal does not involve devouring children in order to ease Alberta’s economic problems. It builds on an excellent cooperation
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Ralph Nader’s Open Letter to Stephen Harper
February 18, 2015 The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P. 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister: Many Americans love Canada and the specific benefits that have come to our country from our northern neighbor’s many achievements (see Canada Firsts by Nader, Conacher and Milleron). Unfortunately, your latest proposed
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: What Happens to the Eloi When the Morlocks Leave Town: A Lesson for Jim Prentice from H.G. Wells
“History is a race between education and catastrophe.” — H G Wells HG Wells may not have had a time machine, but he was certainly prescient. In The Time Machine the narrator, known simply as the Traveller, invents a contraption that takes him to 802,701 AD. There he finds
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Mr Prentice: Premier or CEO?
“We have to do more with less. That will apply across the board. It will have to apply to the very good work [of the child advocate], it will have to apply to my office, it will have to apply to the auditor general’s office. That’s the way it’s going
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Six Political Personalities: Which One is Jim Prentice?
The only thing worse than a political strategist spouting theories on how to beat the competition is a blogger discussing a political strategist’s theories on how to beat the competition. But Ms Soapbox is going to do it anyway because the events of the last few weeks made her cranky
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Prentice Takes a Pay Cut and You Should Too. Um, What???
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” – Anatole France “Burden-sharing” When Mr Prentice announced the 5% cut in MLA pay he sanctimoniously declared: “The term I’ve used is ‘burden-sharing’…no
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Alberta: Government By Trial Balloon
“The chickens are coming home to roost, and you live in the chicken house.”– General MacArthur to President Kennedy during the Bay of Pigs crisis. Mr Prentice, like President Kennedy, managed to get elected just in time to confront the nasty consequences of decisions made by his predecessors. Albertans are
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Anatomy of a Homicide Investigation
Just as Ms Soapbox was fretting over Prime Minister Harper’s decision to appoint former CSIS director Richard Fadden to the newly created post of National Security Advisor she received an invitation from Assentio Mentium. Assentio Mentium is a program offered by the U of C law school to engage lawyers,
Continue reading