November 2015
The New Democrats will not lead us.
If the New Democratic Party (NDP) is expecting democratic renewal to be its saviour, it might have a very long wait. The party’s first problem is that democratic renewal is…
Admission of failure: Conservative offshore negotiations #nlpoli
The news release on the government’s generic offshore royalty wasn’t exactly a model of clarity and accuracy. The headline and first sentence referred to the announcement of a “framework.” The…
What’s with that Wildrose leadership review? (Inquiring Albertans want to know!)
PHOTOS: Wildrose Opposition Leader Brian Jean with the kind of cow a guy doesn’t have to get up at 4 in the morning to milk. (Photo grabbed from Wildrose.ca.) Below:…
Stephen Harper’s weird “thank you” letter to same public servants he terrorized
Stephen Harper has penned an I’m-a-nice-guy letter to the same federal public servants he terrorized, dictatorship-style, during his nine years in power. The post Stephen Harper’s weird “thank you” letter…
Some Initial Observations on the New Cost / Benefit Analysis for the Maley Drive Extension
A new report was tabled at Greater Sudbury Council tonight – an economic cost/benefit analysis for the Maley Drive Extension, prepared by AECOM. The report looks at the costs (capital…
Pre-cabinet post: "On merit", Trudeau could appoint a very qualified 100% female cabinet
First post in a loooong time, but with much discussion about "merit" in regards to Trudeau's gender parity in cabinet commitment I decided to do digging to demonstrate that yes,…
Pre-cabinet post: "On merit", Trudeau could appoint a very qualified 100% female cabinet
First post in a loooong time, but with much discussion about “merit” in regards to Trudeau’s gender parity in cabinet commitment I decided to do digging to demonstrate that yes,…
Pre-cabinet post: "On merit", Trudeau could appoint a very qualified 100% female cabinet
First post in a loooong time, but with much discussion about "merit" in regards to Trudeau's gender parity in cabinet commitment I decided to do digging to demonstrate that yes,…
Tuesday Night Cat Blogging
Covered cats.
Sometimes, All We Can Do Is Bear Witness
What is the truth about Don Dunphy? I don’t know. But his story is surely worth sharing, given the terrible abuses of police authority that have been so much in…
Pre-cabinet post: "On merit", Trudeau could appoint a very qualified 100% female cabinet
First post in a loooong time, but with much discussion about “merit” in regards to Trudeau’s gender parity in cabinet commitment I decided to do digging to demonstrate that yes,…
Catching up
Tuxedo cat resting his ears in the sunlight. It’s been a while. Much Family. Aging. Sickness. Dying. Disease. Much to keep us busy. But this is a warm summer day…
Investing our money in companies that kill us
BC Gov't pension managers invest over $125 billion without any stated plan to invest ethically. #bcpoli #climatechange — Norm Farrell (@Norm_Farrell) November 3, 2015 BC Gov't pension investment managers placed…
Nov. 3: Very light on the irving press.
There are just two stories worth reading. On A1, the series on the decline of the salmon fishery continues. (The big headline by the way is that a man who…
Election 2015 and the Battle of Economic Ideas
I am not a member of a political party. I recognize the importance of elections, participate in election campaigns (including canvassing and raising money for good candidates), and engage heavily…
Global Media Forum Panel: Foreign Policy in 140 Characters:
I was recently on a panel on digital diplomacy at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, titled: Foreign Policy in 140 Characters: How Technology is Redefining Diplomacy. It was a…
Today’s NDP, Socialism, and the Party’s Legacy
Photo by Matt Jiggins Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) in recent years has been engaged in internal debates about the party’s legacy, path to victory, vision of society, and role…
The Presumption of Truthfulness
There is no presumption of truthfulness. R. v. Bradey, 2015 ONCA 738 says: No presumption of honesty or truthfulness accompanies the witness to the witness box. It follows that an…
Beware the Lobby Bubble, Mr. Trudeau
In Ottawa there has always been a level of disconnect between the issues that really matter to Canadians and the issues that seem important to Canadian politicians working on Parliament…