Earlier this year, I wrote about how Councillor Bob “Lapdog” Madigan had behaved in a churlish, misogynistic manner towards female members of council during council meetings, first in March, 2021, and again in October. But if you thought Madigan could not set the bar any lower in puerile, boorish behaviour,
Continue readingTag: Undemocratic
Democracy Under Fire: A Lament For The World
First he said that he would make America great again.And the naive believed him.Then he said he would create more jobs.And the out of work cheered.Then he said stop the Mexican immigrants.And the bigoted flocked to join him.Then he said he would relinquish control of his companies..And his followers believed
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: A Lament For The World
First he said that he would make America great again.And the naive believed him.Then he said he would create more jobs.And the out of work cheered.Then he said stop the Mexican immigrants.And the bigoted flocked to join him.Then he said he would relinquish control of his companies..And his followers believed
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Harper History, Part 9 – Omnibus budget, Anti-terrorist bill, Election call.
Summer 2014 – Aug 2nd 2015 In 2014 Green Party leader and Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May describedthe dictatorship-style Harper PMO as a “$10-million-a-year partisan operation filled with ruthless, cutthroat psychopaths.” She added that the office was manned by people “employed for the purpose of harassing scientists, bullying MPs, and
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: The Debate about the Debate has started!
With the Conservatives quietly considering a proposal to hold up to five regional televised debates in the upcoming federal election to contrast Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s experience with rookie Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau the debate about the debates has started. Hoping to exploit Trudeau’s shoot-from-the-lip style, some Conservative insiders believe
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Blind Obedience, the Tool of Tyrants
A guest post by Pamela Mac Neil “Here is how you’re going to vote and here are your talking points” On capital hill the above line is the kind of conversation, probably repeated many times, initiated by junior in the PMO’s office, to Harpers backbenchers and various cabinet MP’s. He/she
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Successful Coverup, Fall Guy Convicted
The Conservative party has consistently said it ran a clean and ethical campaign and had nothing to do with what happened in Guelph and has also said that they ‘fully cooperated ‘ with the investigation by Elections Canada. This being the case then how is it that only one person
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Harpers “Democracy”
With the Harper Regime loosing a series of rulings in the Supreme Court of Canada from their plans for the senate to prostitution laws to his nomination to the court it should be no surprise that as well as Harpers direct attack upon Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin he now has
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Prerequisites for Democratic Legitimacy
Anita Vandenbeld author of an article called ‘Imposing Legitimacy: The Dilemma of International Democratic Development’for LawNow magazine and former director of parliamentary affairs for Jacques Saada, the first minister of Democratic Reform in 2004, recently wrote an article on the legitimacy of bill C23. In it, in contrast to her
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Winning at All Costs.
I think we are all sick of the win at all cost mentality of our political parties and their leaders, this mentality is not restricted to just the Harper Regime, although it is certainly most prevalent with that group of oligarchs, but can be seen with very few exceptions in
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Citizens Protest Unfair Election Act
Many of my reader will be aware that last Tuesday a number of citizens gathered in front of Conservative MP’s Offices across the country to show their opposition to the Unfair Elections Act that is being railroaded through the legislative process by the Harper Regime. One such non partisan gathering
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Undemocratic Democratic Reform
Are changes to an electoral system in a democracy valid if they are brought in by a less than democratic process, are they in fact valid if the very ‘independent’ body charged with overseeing said electoral system is excluded from the process? Are they valid if recommendations from said body
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: The Undemocratic Election Act
“The things in it that are good could have been so much better, but the things that are bad are unforgivable in a democracy.” Recently Green Party Leader Elizabeth May had an opportunity to speak to the Commons Committee considering Bill C23, The ‘Fair’ Elections Act. What follows are some
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: The (UN)Fair Elections Act
As is usual with so many of the Bills proposed by the Harper Regime the ‘Fair’ Elections Act has so many changes buried in the fine print that it is almost impossible for all but the most dedicated and knowledgeable researchers to really understand the implications of it all. Whilst
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Prorogued Again……..
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he intends to prorogue Parliament, which means the House of Commons will not resume in September as planned. Harper, who is currently on a week-long swing through northern Canada, says a speech from the throne will likely be delivered in October, kicking off a new
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Standing Up for Nature and Democracy
This week Forest Ethics Advocacy, launched a constitutional challenge to new requirements in the National Energy Board Act that have the effect of silencing citizens concerned about tar sands pipelines. As pointed out by West Coast Environmental the severe restrictions placed upon public comment by Bill C-38 whereby any citizen
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Electoral Fraud Occurred!
But no results overturned……… Just hours ago the long-awaited Federal Court ruling on election fraud was released…In a clear and bold statement, Judge Richard Mosley wrote: “I find that electoral fraud occurred during the 41st General Election.” While his ruling stopped short of annulling election results, this is a powerful
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: This is Democracy?
As per Bill C-38 – last springs omnibus budget bill…. Members of the public who want to send a letter with comments to the NEB about a pipeline project must first apply for permission to participate – by filling out a 10-page form that includes a request for a resume
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Sex and the Senate
Winston Churchill is credited with an exchange that when adapted illustrates, not only the similarities between prostitution and politics, but current inconsistencies in the popular view of our Canadian government. Churchill: “Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?” Socialite: “My goodness, Mr. Churchill… Well, I suppose… we
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Democracy, the Charter and Ontario Teachers
Here in Ontario there is currently a ‘dispute’ between the teachers and the government as to what the teachers unions want and what the taxpayers can afford, the government has passed legislation freezing wage levels for the next couple of years of t…
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