Electoral Reform Cannot Be Postponed
This week, Justin Trudeau backed away from his promise to reform Canada’s electoral system by the next election. There was — rightly — an explosion of criticism. By the end…
October 2016
552 kWh? We can do better
I received a report in the mail from Collus PowerStream giving me an overview of my electricity usage for the one-month period of August. A hot, humid August that no…
Michael Sona and the Robocall Scandal
I'm sure you remember Michael Sona, the young Con operative who was the only person ever convicted in the Robocall Scandal.Well now he's out of jail, talking to Michael Harris.Still…
Gord Downie, Chanie Wenjack, and the We Matter Project
This weekend will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Chanie Wenjack, the Ojibway boy who ran away from a residential school, only to die of hunger and exposure.The…
Go figure new municipal voting.
It has been so much fun observing the current political zoo in the United States that we tend to forget what is going on in our own backyard. Sure, we…
#LPCO16: Day 1 in the books
So Day 1 is in the books of the LPCO AGM here in Niagara Falls. It mostly dealt with registration and meeting old friends and making new ones; Reunited with…
We Are Pivoting
“Politics, Re-Spun” is now WePivot.net! but why, you scream in horror! next month is the 14th anniversary of Politics, Re-Spun…it’s …
A Proposal for Electoral Reform in Canada
In an earlier post, I recommended that our MPs consider a rather simple way to achieve significant and effective electoral change. The essence of that proposal is this: The FPTP…
VICTORY: Parliament Repeals Harper’s Anti-Union Bills C-377 And C-525
The Trudeau government’s promise to repeal former prime minister Stephen Harper’s vicious anti-union laws is fulfilled as Parliament votes to adopt Bill C-4. The bill repeals Bill C-377 and Bill…
Musical interlude
Yuri Kane feat. Melissa Loretta – Daylight
Steelhead LNG Make Haste With Their LNG Liquefaction Plans For The Saanich Inlet
Barane McCartney draws attention to the OCP that clearly prohibits LNG. By Peter W. Rusland, Originally published in the South Cowichan Echo While South-Cowichanian’s fear development of a…
America’s Hair Apparent. Vanity Fair Takes the Piss Out of Donald Trump And That Thing On His Head
It’s an understatement to mention that there’s no love lost between Donald Trump and Vanity Fair editor, Graydon Carter. Carter has a lengthy history of poking fun at The Donald’s…
Hypocrisy, Your Name is Trudeau
Remarks by Natural Resources Minister, Jim Carr, and Environment Minister, Dame Cathy, have erased any lingering hope that the Trudeau government is serious about climate change and the world future…
Speaking of the Surveillance Society
Anyone remember Gigapixel, the Vancouver company that developed the 4-billion pixel photograph that could capture an entire crowd with resolution suitable for face recognition software? Look at the picture below,…
How the Liberals can have a voter referendum on serious electoral change
My earlier post on the issue of electoral reform had these recommendations, which might help solve the problem of political legitimacy for comprehensive electoral reform; here they are: 1. For…
Concern mounts over PM Trudeau’s waffling on electoral reform
And the concern – and protests – spread: Katelynn Northam of advocacy group Leadnow said there is also much grassroots concern that Trudeau may be backing off the promise. More…
BC Hydro Applies to Demolish Rare, Ancient Wetland for Site C Construction
Talk about the government fox guarding the hen house. BC Hydro has applied to the provincial government for a new license that will allow it to demolish Peace Valley protected…
Reprise: A human wreck at ‘Wreck Beach’
It was my first visit to the west coast, that summer of 1996, and – given my fragile health – I was determined to make it the trip of a…
Oct. 21: "Not with a bang, but a whimper"
The lead story in the irving press Canada and World section is that a New Brunswicker is among 4 new members of a (rigged) panel studying an oil pipeline scheme.…
Certain Days Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar 2017
The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal, Toronto, and New York, in partnership with three political prisoners…