Mostly competent government
Stakeholders cry foul as feds cut funding for emergency preparedness Complaints from provinces, municipalities and fire departments across the country are mounting, as are concerns for public safety, after the…
June 2012
The Star Continues Its Stellar Work
One of the Atkinson Principles guiding The Toronto Star is to champion the rights of working people; to my ongoing delight and gratification, however, this tenet does not mean the…
Extreme intoxication is not morally blameless
Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code says that self-induced intoxication which renders a person unaware of or incapable of controlling their behaviour is not a defence where the person is…
Something Rotten
It goes without saying that a lot hangs on the Supreme Court’s review of Justice Lederer’s decision to rerun the election in Etobicoke-Centre. Some claim that it’s only a matter…
Americans Move Towards Supply Management?
Plenty of upheaval lately over supply management, a pet peeve of the corporate media, lobbyists and apparently some Liberals, although the latest “big name” voice is about as liberal as…
A Life of Adventure
He was born Jars Peeblefrench, son of Bjorn and Nellie Peeblefrench, of the Stavenger Peeblefrenches — a family of well-established merchants in the toenail clipping district. Jars was tired of…
Alberta oil-spills karma
The frequency of oil-spills in Alberta in the past month and a bit is some karma; bad karma for Alberta and the federal Conservative government in Ottawa, that is: The…
If They Made A Movie Of My Life
…it would look alot like this. Minus the ascent to high-office, the vampires, and the axe, which are sharp and pointing when you drop them on your foot. Replace the…
Hey! Canada Post!
You know that info slip that you put into my mailbox last week? The one that tells us that “mail will be delivered later than your usual time”? That one?…
More to it than oil prices #nlpoli
Politicians spent a few hours this week harrumphing about the impact falling oil prices might have on the provincial budget this year. The problem for the provincial government is not…
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics on Canada’s Poverty Rate
Recently the National Post’s resident anti-government wingnut, William Watson, sallied forth with a strangely positive report on what he calls Canada’s poverty rate, which he says has fallen to an…
Rio+20
Is anyone here interested/hopeful in RIO+20? Personally after watching year after year of UNFCCC meetings agree to do something about GHG emissions… at some unspecified point in the future, I…
The trouble with A-Bombs: if the blast doesn’t get you, the fallout just might
A typical Canadian reads the news from the Ottawa Press Gallery while Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney sends another email in the background. Below: Wildrose Party House Leader Rob…
The trouble with A-Bombs: if the blast doesn’t get you, the fallout just might
A typical Canadian reads the news from the Ottawa Press Gallery while Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney sends another email in the background. Below: Wildrose Party House Leader Rob…
On the backs of the disadvantaged
Minister orders end to bonuses at Community Living BC, CTV News, October 21, 2011 “Social Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux has ordered an end to bonuses for managers at the Crown…
Quoted in "Maclean’s"
When we wrote that we had a discussion with a person from "Maclean's" about Sec. 13 and the implications of it's demise, our favourite stalkers seemed to take notice as…
The Cons and the Prison State
Remember when Vic Toews claimed that even though Bill C-10 will swell our overcrowded jails to the bursting point, the Cons wouldn't have to build any new prisons? Toews opened…
Draft Chow 2014
Photograph by/Photo par Montrealais. UPDATE (Sept. 27, 2012) Olivia appears to be willing to consider the idea of running for mayor!At least, she’s not ruling it out! “We’ll see what…
The Three Musketeers…Or Rather, the Three Must-We-Here?
After the depressing nature of the last post, considering the federal budget, I’ve decided we’ll take a look provincially and maybe see some greener pastures. While things aren’t great here…