It may be that upwards of 70% of the NDP’s leadership votes are already in before the convention this weekend. But here’s another suggestion as to why it’s worth being in the minority who wait for all the available information before casting a ballot – as well as a cautionary
Continue readingTag: Stephane Dion
The night the Liberals lost Canada, the media and me. Nothing much has changed.
I remember this like it was yesterday. On display for all of Canada to see was a party totally unprepared for leadership, let alone one ready to fight to retake any former glory. Not only was the tape delayed and the video quality abysmal but the person on the screen
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Enough with the attack ads already, we get it….
Okay, okay…Canadians from coast to coast to coast should finally understand by now. There is one, and only one person who is fit to serve as this nation’s Prime Minister. That person is Stephen Harper, message received. Stephane Dion wasn’t worth the risk, Michael Ignatieff was only in it for
Continue readingFor Stephane Dion, a Quick Math Lesson/Thoughts on Separation
I only like democracy when the numbers are in my favor. Stephane Dion penned an op-ed for the National Post. (there’s an odd combination) detailing how the NDP’s position on Quebec separation, detailed in the Sherbrooke Declaration, threatens national unity. There is one quote I want to draw specific attention to,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Best days behind them
Shorter Stephane Dion: How I long for the days when my party could win dozens of Quebec seats by default simply by picking fights with sovereigntists. Can’t we all agree to make it 2000 again?
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: “Dion syndrome” is revisionist history masking self-interest
Leadership races are always places for amusing and nonsensical spin, and the current NDP race is no exception with some participants warning against a supposedly deadly, but entirely fictional, new malady: Dion syndrome. Named for former Liberal leader Stephane Dion, it’s meant to describe the horror of a candidate that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 – Saganash Bows Out
In my most recent leadership candidate rankings, I mentioned that I still saw a possible path to victory for Romeo Saganash. To expand slightly on what I’d planned to turn into a more substantive post, that view was based on the possibility that he could effectively put into practice Tarik
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Time to loosen up and let federal NDP Quebec caucus learn in public – out here in Alberta
The Liberal Party rises from the dead? Not going to happen. Even Justin Trudeau doesn’t look like the guy with his hand in the air. If you want to skid the Harper Conservatives, it’s NDP you’re going to have to ask to do the job. Below: Lise St. Denis. The
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Thomas Mulcair: He didn’t choose France for you
Thomas Mulcair is French by choice. It’s not terribly difficult to predict the sort of response that a political attack machine could run with this untimely revelation. We’ve seen it all before. A little over five years ago, New Democrats were quick to join the base nativist attacks on Stéphane
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Hot or Not: Liberal Biennial Convention Edition (Part 2)
Hot: Peter Milliken: Canada’s longest-serving Speaker of the House can still silence a room with a stern look or wry turn-of-phrase , which is even more impressed when that room is filled with 3200 Liberal delegates instead of 308 MPS. Cannabis: With 77% of the vote it looks like the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: pre-election games: progressive conservatives and wildrose spar with new ads.
As the Spring 2012 provincial election approaches, the Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose Party have rolled out a series of television ads (on YouTube) delivering their political pitches to Albertans. The Wildrose ads, as David Climenhaga and Graham Thomson have already written, are cast with two faces of leader Danielle Smith.
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Who is behind the ‘push poll’ attacking Alison Redford?
Is this the Albertan to whom I am speaking? The mystery push-pollster busy in Alberta this week – the caller you’re speaking with, of course, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith, sleazy U.S. political tactician …
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Stéphane Dion on senate reform
I’ve long argued that the Conservative strategy on Senate reform is deeply flawed, and bad for both Western Canada and effective governance.With debate underway on the latest Conservative Senate reform bill, one that seems destined to pass given their …
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Liberal AV Club’s Amateur Hour (Part Deux)
Political wonks may recall Stéphane Dion’s cringe-inducing “address to the nation” back in 2008 during the constitutional crisis over a putative coalition government… If not, Adam Radwanski described this way: At a time when he needed to look reassuring, to … Continue reading →
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: June 14, 2011
With the debate over Libya taking up the time for debate, yesterday didn’t see quite as much of a range of issues discussed as some previous days. However, there’s still plenty of material worth noting from the day’s events.The Big IssueObviously, the …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Moved to action
It remains to be seen how far the NDP will get in pushing for all parties to engage in meaningful discussion about policy. But if you’re wondering whether there’s already evidence of progress in the first days of the new session of Parliament, look no …
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: The ever shrinking Liberal shadow
There’s only so much you can read into the critic portfolios assigned to the third party in the house – especially when numbers dictate that everyone gets something. But the Liberal shadow cabinet deserves a bit of attention, if only because it marks B…
Continue readingLeftist Jab: A Tale of Two Stephs: Stephen Harper and Stéphane Dion
Let’s turn the clock all the way back to 1991. The GST came into effect, the Paul Bernardo Murders traumatized Canada, the Gulf War got underway and MP Pierre-Luc Dusseault (NDP-Sherbrooke) was born.It’s on April 8th of that year that a pale-face and d…
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: The Clarity Act and the NDP’s Sherbrooke Declaration are not the same thing
Much buzz on twitter and in politicaldom yesterday on the confusion around the NDP’s position on recognizing a sovereignty referendum vote by Quebecers. NDP policies on this issue have been somewhat confused and contentious for years, but with their …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Success places Harper Conservatives between a rock and a hard place
A young Stephen Harper with the rock in the background. The hard place was yet to come. Below: Pierre Trudeau, Canada’s last truly liberal prime minister.This column appeared in Friday’s edition of the Saint City News.The people of Canada have spok…
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