As many of you know I took some time off from my blog, mainly for personal reasons, though I did keep up with current events. I blogged a bit during the 2014 Ontario provincial election, and then saved my strength for this coming federal contest. Fully prepared to continue in
Continue readingTag: thomas mulcair
Pushed to the Left and Loving It: Conservative Deflection, the NDP Truth Team and the Erosion of Trust
As many of you know I took some time off from my blog, mainly for personal reasons, though I did keep up with current events. I blogged a bit during the 2014 Ontario provincial election, and then saved my strength for this coming federal contest. Fu…
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: All this Quebec candidate would ask for? A “cellphone, a penis and lots of chips”
All Bloc Québécois candidate VirJiny Provost would want in the event that she was the sole survivor of a catastrophic nuclear attack is a “cellphone, a penis and lots of chips.” The post All this Quebec candidate would ask for? A “cellphone, a penis and lots of chips” appeared first
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Playing Football With Domestic Violence Gives No One a Victory Dance
Yesterday we heard that the NDP were accusing the Liberals of opposing their plan to end violence against women. I have to admit that I was shocked. This is so reminiscent of Conservative attacks over the years, that paint opponents as being soft on terror, soft on child pornography and
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Playing Football With Domestic Violence Gives No One a Victory Dance
Yesterday we heard that the NDP were accusing the Liberals of opposing their plan to end violence against women. I have to admit that I was shocked. This is so reminiscent of Conservative attacks over the years, that paint opponents as bein…
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Playing Football With Domestic Violence Gives No One a Victory Dance
Yesterday we heard that the NDP were accusing the Liberals of opposing their plan to end violence against women. I have to admit that I was shocked. This is so reminiscent of Conservative attacks over the years, that paint opponents as being soft on terror, soft on child pornography and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On reasonable responses
Let’s offer a quick reminder to the Libs’ spin machine, and particularly to the people who should know better who are choosing to echo it. No party is under an obligation to reflexively attack or belittle everything another party proposes in its election platform. If a platform plank or general
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Event logisticians’? Give us a break! They’re bouncers! What’s that tell you about the Tories?
PHOTOS: Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets a group of foreign event logistics consultants while travelling abroad (Government of Canada photo). Below: Pierre Trudeau does suppressed fury the right way; Mr. Harper does it with considerably less appeal. Clearly, the continuing uproar about Stephen Harper’s “event logistics team members” tells us
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On balanced options
Dave McGrane offers a historical perspective on how deficits for their own sake shouldn’t be seen as an element of left-wing or progressive policy, while Excited Delerium takes a look at the policies on offer in Canada’s federal election to see how it’s possible to pursue substantive progressive change within
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Justin Trudeau, the King of Growth, leads with honesty
Mulcair took a dangerous step with his pledge not to go into deficit: Despite the low price of oil and Monday’s tumultuous day on the markets, Mulcair said he does not foresee having to go into the red. “We’re of course going to finish the fiscal year on Mr. Harper’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On crystallized positions
I’ve largely held off on discussing federal polls since few of them seem to be out of line with my initial assessment of the election as a three-way race with the NDP in a narrow lead, but with plenty of room for movement during the election campaign. But EKOS’ latest
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On statements of values
It’s true that a party’s policy book is not the same as its election platform. But it’s also true that there is more to a party than a single campaign or platform. And considering that the difference between a policy book and a platform can be pointed out in a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On needless machinery
Those of us who have seen the Libs focus much of this year on criticizing the Cons’ partisan advertising might be rather surprised to learn they don’t think there’s any room to cut or redirect any current federal spending, and in fact consider it offensive that anybody might suggest such
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Our Addiction to Balanced Budgets May Need an Intervention
“There is always a storm. There is always rain. Some experience it. Some live through it. And others are made from it.” Author Shannon L. Alder Recently NDP candidate and former Saskatchewan finance minister, Andrew Thomson, stated on Power and Politics, that cuts were inevitable, in order to balance the
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Our Addiction to Balanced Budgets May Need an Intervention
“There is always a storm. There is always rain. Some experience it. Some live through it. And others are made from it.” Author Shannon L. Alder Recently NDP candidate and former Saskatchewan finance minister, Andrew Thomson, stated on Power and Politics, that cuts were inevitable, in order to balance the
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Our Addiction to Balanced Budgets May Need an Intervention
A closer look at the country’s finances, however, raises a simple question: why all the fuss? The budget is a thin slice of the Canadian economic pie, and interest costs on our debt are shrinking to near-giveaway size. Ottawa is just one of three government levels, and taken as a whole our government spending is very much under control.
That suggests that it’s Mr. Trudeau whose position is in sync with the majority’s mood. The Liberal Leader has refused to rule out running a deficit, arguing he’ll have to see the extent of the “mess” the Conservatives have left in the public finances.
It is the NDP, traditionally to the left of the Liberals, who have launched the most blistering attacks on Mr. Trudeau for opening the door to running a deficit. Under Mr. Mulcair, the New Democrats have sought to allay concerns about their economic policies by insisting they will balance the books, despite the slowdown in the economy.
I’m glad that Trudeau is bringing the Liberal Party back to its roots, that put Canadians first. Now the NDP have to find their way back to the days of Tommy Douglas.
Or maybe I’m just a Diefenbaker, with a dollop of Pearson and a splash of Pierre Trudeau.
Not such a bad thing to be.
Alberta Politics: Now that CAPP’s president has called for quick energy royalty review, Wildrose and PC leaders can be expected to fall into line
PHOTOS: Never mind the Opposition parties, guys like these want Alberta’s energy royalty review to get cracking right now! Below: CAPP President Tim McMillan, Wildrose Opposition Leader Brian Jean, Progressive Conservative Party Leader Ric McIver and NDP Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson. While Alberta’s New Democratic Party government has been pushing
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Green Party platform criticized for being “anti-feminist”
The Green Party of Canada’s 2015 federal election platform is being criticized for being inaccurate, hypocritical, “anti-feminist” and harmful to women. The post Green Party platform criticized for being “anti-feminist” appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: NDP strength in Calgary-Foothills riding suggests May 5 election was no fluke – and could rattle federal Tory narrative
PHOTOS: A Chinook arch moves across the sky of Calgary in 2007, bringing warmer temperatures and, for some people, headaches. The same kind of thing happens in politics. Below: NDP Calgary-Foothills candidate Bob Hawkesworth, Conservative Blair Houston and Wildroser Prasad Panda. So, what happens if the Alberta NDP wins the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Lessons learned
As I noted here, it’s well worth comparing what’s happening in any given election to any recent precedents. While past performance never guarantees future results, we can tell both what lessons a party has drawn from experience, as well as how strategies change when they don’t work out as planned.
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