Trying to come up with a list of the most important Alberta political news stories of 2018 is more challenging than one might imagine since the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion brouhaha sucked all the oxygen out of this place for most of the year. A court challenge was inevitable. So
Continue readingTag: Rule of Law
Alberta Politics: With friends like these … it’s sure depressing to compare Canada in 1979 to the U.S. in 2018
Canadians of a certain vintage will clearly remember “the Canadian Caper,” that dangerous moment in 1979 when our diplomats put their lives on the line to smuggle six of their American colleagues out of revolutionary Iran. Given the situation in Iran – revolutionaries storming the U.S. Embassy, diplomats held hostage,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Part One
“Give ‘em the old Razzle Dazzle…how can they see with sequins in their eyes?” —Richard Gere as a corrupt criminal lawyer in the musical Chicago Prepare to be razzle dazzled! Jason Kenney spoke at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the Energy Relaunch conference recently. This post will cover the
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Rule of Law and American Exceptionalism
Much of the talk about the rule of law, at least in international politics seems to be but a mere convenience to be followed when international law happens to be in favour of a countries policies. When it becomes inconvenient to the national policy or doctrine, then the rule of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Who said we wanted rule of law? Hysteria over court’s TMX ruling engulfs Alberta politics and media
Funny, isn’t it? Less than six months ago, tout le monde political Alberta was demanding harsh application of “the rule of law.” This was nearly universally interpreted to mean that no legal challenge or protest against the construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project could or would be tolerated.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Pipeline politics in Canada circa 2018: Destroying the rule of law in order to save it
Obviously, we have to destroy the rule of law in order to save it! With Kinder Morgan Inc.’s do-or-drop-it deadline set to arrive on Thursday, that seems to be the idea behind the argument advanced by the increasingly furious Canadian pipeline lobby that the Trans Mountain Expansion project must be
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Trans Mountain Thursday – The Rule of Law and Cooperative Federalism – For Some, Just Not For All.
The Tyee again tackles TTM (Trudeau’s Trans Mountain pipeline) with two reports. Stepford Liberals, and your ranks are legion, are not going to like this. Will Horter explores how the “rule of law” is used by the pipeline proponents but only when that serves them. When it gets in their way,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Country is Broken!
Just when Albertans thought things couldn’t get any worse, Jason Kenney declared the country was broken. What? Did Trumpism seep across the border while we were sleeping? Canada survived the FLQ Crisis and the War Measures Act, the bitter negotiations over the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution, and the Quebec
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Message to Alberta’s chattering classes: Quit misinterpreting ‘the rule of law,’ already!
PHOTOS: Protesters opposed to the Kinder Morgan Inc. Pipeline expansion megaproject in Burnaby, B.C., in May 2016 (Photo: Marlin Olynyk, Survival Media Agency, Creative Commons). They pose no threat to the rule of law. Below: Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May, United Conservative Party Agriculture Critic Rick Strankman, environmentalist
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s position on Khadr case exposes the group’s partisan inclinations
PHOTOS: Omar Khadr, left, with his Edmonton lawyer, Dennis Edney, at right. Mr. Edney’s wife, Patricia Edney, is in the middle. (Photo: CBC) Below: Mr. Khadr at age 14, not long before his capture by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in July 2002, and Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director of the Canadian
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Why Tom Mulcair is wrong… yet again #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Tom Mulcair isn’t alone.A lot of people have been making the extremely dangerous argument over the past few days that we ought to accept any claim or accusation based solely on the fact that someone made it.They have been using the Twitter hashtag #Ibe…
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Is Omar Khadr a pawn in a cynical political game by the Harper Government?
The scene a week ago in the chapel at the King’s University College in Edmonton during a forum on the fate of Omar Khadr. Below: Canadian lawyer Dennis Edney, U.S. Defense Department lawyer Samuel Morison. Is the continued imprisonment of Omar Khadr actually a question of principle for the Harper
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Human Rights Watch World Report 2013 (VIDEO)
Video available on YouTube The Canadian Progressive recommends: Human Rights Watch: Challenges for Rights After Arab Spring Canada’s Human Rights Reputation is Fast Becoming a Myth Cornel West Is Upset Obama Was Sworn In On Martin Luther King’s Bible U.S. pressuring Bradley Manning to implicate Julian Assange (VIDEO) The Young
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Human Rights Watch: Challenges for Rights After Arab Spring
The willingness of new governments to respect rights will determine whether those uprisings give birth to genuine democracy or simply spawn authoritarianism in new forms.
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: UN recognizes wildlife crime as threat to rule of law
UN recognizes wildlife crime as threat to rule of law (via World Wildlife Fund) New York – Poaching and the illicit trafficking of wildlife products were raised on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly for the first time Monday during discussions on strengthening national and international governance. World
Continue readingImpolitical: Nicholson on a Toews appointment
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was attending the Canadian Bar Association meeting yesterday in Vancouver and he was asked a hot button question given rumours about Public Safety Minister Vic Toews possibly retiring for a judicial appointment. This Globe headline captures Nicholson’s non-answer: “Politicians should not be ruled out for judicial
Continue readingImpolitical: National Farmers Union adds context to pardons
This is a worthwhile read that clarifies some of the background on the farmers pardoned this week: “Myth: the CWB put farmers in jail for selling wheat.” If you read the headlines and coverage this week, the impression given was that the farmers were charged under the Wheat Board legislation.
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Federal Court goes to the crux of the voter suppression issue
In today’s decision, the Court summarizes exactly what the issue is, its importance, and the reason why every Canadian of every political party should be concerned by the alleged vote suppression actions in the May 2 2011 election: The court said the case revolves around serious concerns about the integrity
Continue readingImpolitical: Final word: Tories lose in-and-out all around
The Conservative party and the Conservative fund were fined and pleaded guilty to exceeding the national party spending limits in late 2011. Today, there is news that the Conservatives are withdrawing their civil appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada: “Tories ditch ‘in-and-out’ case at Supreme Court.” This means that
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Farmers – How is that voting Conservative working out for you?
Harper and his mercurial band of autocrats are merrily stomping on the neck of democracy. Sadly, this isn’t news, but rather par for the course as dissent, reality based or not (I’m looking at you prison bloat omni-bus bill) will be passed hell or high water. What makes the Wheat
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