Stephen Harper’s Awkward Announcement –and a Worrying Pattern
Late on a Friday evening on December 7, the prime minister announces that the Chinese state-owned oil company CNOOC will be allowed to take over Nexen for $15 billion, but…
December 2012
We Hear A Lot Of Hype About Premier Wall’s ‘Saskatchewan Advantage’ – Here’s The Reality: Case # 2
Homeless man found frozen to death behind Prince Albert store PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Social agencies say the freezing death of a man highlights the issue of homelessness in the…
Steve’s Friday Night Special – China Gets Nexen
Steve Harper, whose credibility is beyond shredded, is pledging to Canadians that he’ll never, never, ever, ever let the Chinese government corner a chunk of the Tar Sands – except…
Beyond the smoke and noise, real disputes slowly getting solved by Sean Gordon
Columnist says there will likely not be a 2012-13 hockey season but that things aren’t necessarily as dire as they seem.
Harper Government Approves Foreign Acquisition of Nexen, Progress Energy, Affirms FIPA Concerns
Today Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the approval of two major acquisitions of Canadian energy companies by foreign state-owned enterprises. The Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) will commence the…
Friday night: Slide with rhythm section
And later on even some second guitar. But first up is Roy Rogers with his version of last week’s closer: Terraplane Blues. This was taped in 1993, the same year…
A contingent claim may fall into a bankrupt’s estate
Newfoundland and Labrador v. AbitibiBowater Inc., 2012 SCC 67 deals with whether environmental claims by a provincial government fall into bankruptcy. In deciding the issue the Court held more generally…
Canada’s Oil Sands Run Red
You probably don’t need me to tell you that selling a controlling stake in this country’s largest energy resource to a foreign dictatorship is not really a good plan. We…
Those in the way may end up in jail
When the Cohen Commission was holding hearings in Vancouver, I attended. It was not a happy or satisfying experience. The most unsettling single observation was of government scientist — a…
UN Climate Delegates Agree on Something: Geo-engineering Is No Solution
The UN’s annual climate meetings wrap up in Doha today, and though the feckless agreements are a “delight to no one,” there is one silver lining. Geo-engineering, that grand, scary…
The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities
Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations
Finding a Job in #highered / #hesm / #heweb
Recently, I asked Seth Odell (@sethodell) of Higher Ed Live, during his show, what advice he had for getting a job in communications for higher education. He said that it…
AbitibiBadwater. . . . .
You can bet that this story will not get anywhere near as much coverage as it should. For the Supreme Court to agree that Abitibibowater can absolve itself of the…
Nurse duped by Kate Middleton hoax found dead
The King Edward VII Hospital nurse who took hoax call about the Duchess of Cambridge, is dead. Jacintha Saldanha fell for a serious prank by presenters from 2Day FM, an…
Little Black Lie: Canada is “Doing Its Part”
It’s difficult to know where to start when asked to write a regular column on the little black lies that plague the debate over energy and climate policy in Canada,…
F-35 Surprising comments from MPs in 2011
The following are rough notes from a TV clip between Liberal Marc Garneau and Conservative Laurie Hawn regarding the now newly cancelled F-35 project due to skyrocketing costs and American…