City charters—progress for Calgary and Edmonton?
The municipal level of government is the orphan of our political system. Cities are, under the Constitution, creatures of the provinces. In 1867, making municipalities wards of the provinces may…
June 2012
New Josh Fox Film “The Sky Is Pink” Reveals Fracking Contamination
Check out the latest ant-fracking film from Josh Fox (the maker of Gasland) called The Sky is Pink, which is being called “the best 18 minute movie ever made.” But…
Friday miscellany…
… absenteeism, heat and, of course, the Del Mastro edition.. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There is a lot of talk around this “leaked” document purportedly (I say purportedly, because very few have actually…
The Harper Government: Abuses Of A Nixonian Character
That is the description that Lawrence Martin applies to the Harper government in his latest column for iPolitics as he reflects on the vital and valiant role journalism played in…
Trailbreaker Lives: How Plans to Bring Tar Sands Crude to the East Coast are "Going in Reverse"
With efforts to pump tar sands crude south and west coming up against fierce resistance, Canada’s oil industry is making a quiet attempt at an end run to the east.…
This Island Isn’t Sinking. . . .
Peter Kent, the Harpercon’s chief denier, claims that he needs to counter the “misinformation” and the “ideological agenda” of the ecologists. Really!!!??? This guy has the nerve to accuse others…
Better.
The Mos Eisley Cantina band immeasurably improves “Party Rock”. Via Alan Cross.
ConCalls: 3% Reduction in Voting
I think it’s rather clever how these researchers, Tom Cornwall & Anke Kessler, realized that the individual polling stations within a riding could be used to determine the effect of…
When are injuries were "caused by an automobile, by the use thereof or by the load carried in or on an automobile"?
Westmount (City) v. Rossy, 2012 SCC 30 was just released. It holds that it is enough that an accident leading to injuries take place where someone is inside a motor…
June 22: will the grad season never end….?
I used to think the only newspaper I have ever seen that is more vapid than The Moncton Times and Transcipt is another local effort called Snap or Snapshot. It…
Shame! Shame! As They Say in Hansard: Harper’s Canada Heads in the Wrong Direction at Rio and Elsewhere
The criticism of Canada’s position on environmental issues has been growing at the international confernce on the environment Rio+20. Le Devoir’s story this morning is just one of many that…
Feds Scrap Bute Inlet Private Power Project’s Environmental Assessment
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announced earlier this week that it is terminating the environmental assessment of the massive proposed Bute Inlet private river diversion project. “Given that the proponent…
CPI Deflates Case for Rate Hike
Today’s report that the national inflation rate fell to 1.2% in May deflates calls for higher interest rates to reduce inflation. The central bank’s core rate was 1.8%, also below…
Friday morning Adventures with Elections Canada blogging
I guess I should thank McGregor and Maher for breaking some stories over the last couple of days so I’d have something to write about. The big news involving the…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – I wouldn’t want to take Dan Gardner’s conclusion as to the effects of power as an immutable truth – as he himself notes…
Neil MacDonald: Try a little self-censorship on for size…
ANALYSISNeil Macdonald: Is self-censorship fueling Alice Walker’s Hebrew halt? (CBC this morning) Mr. MacDonald, with all due respect from someone who has Jewish cultural roots, you are letting your ‘fondness’…
4768…Thomas Mulcair Is The Alienator
First he alienates the West, then Bay Street, now it is the people of India.In yesterday’s Globe and Mail there was a note from India’s High Commissioner to Canada Shashishekhar…
Deflating Housing Bubble Risks Recession
Seen in isolation, Finance Minister Flaherty probably did the right thing yesterday in seeking to safely deflate the housing bubble and lower the dangerous growth of household credit to a…
Canada Posts came through
I kinda ragged on the venerable Crown Corp a yesterday. And 99 times out of 100, said ragging doesn’t lead to a response from the target of the rag… no…