What’s a CEO worth?
Some French lawmakers are pursing a goal that needs to be more widespread. They are seeking to cap pay for corporate executives at 20 times the earnings of a company’s…
Bill Longstaff
Danielle Smith’s power grab(s)
Shortly after becoming premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith expressed her intention to pardon violators of health restrictions. (She referred to the Covid unvaccinated as the most discriminated group she had…
Truth and Reconciliation in Quesnel
Much is heard these days about Canadian history and the truth, particularly regarding the fortunes, or misfortunes, of the Indigenous population. The narrative has been biased against them, we hear,…
Suppressing free enterprise in Florida
Meat. Steak and hamburgers. Who would have thought a diet staple would become such a controversial subject? Conservatives, as is their wont, have dragged the issue into the culture wars.…
Labour’s big Southern win
Employers in the American South have long had a thing about cheap labour. In fact, for the first 90 years of the country’s history they got it for free, and…
Budget ’24
Now about my tax dollars. Finance Minister Freeland tabled her 2024 budget Tuesday and, by and large, I approve. The signs are about right: the NDP non-committal and the Conservatives…
Conservatives, party of the poor?
That headline is one I thought I would never write. “Conservatives, the party of the poor”—you must be joking. But that, in fact, is what a recent survey by Angus…
The problem with democracy
Democracy, it seems, is going through a rough patch. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the world showed a “continuing democratic malaise” in 2023. The number of democratic countries…
Trump and Hitler: disturbing parallels
Many people think that Hitler was democratically elected chancellor of Germany. He wasn’t. In fact, some highly influential conservatives convinced President von Hindenburg to appoint him to the position. The…
What’s with our unhappy youth?
Why are old Canadians so happy and young Canadians so unhappy? That’s the story the World Happiness Report (WHR) tells us. Every year the report is issued by a partnership…
Happy birthday, NATO!
This month the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrates its 75th. And any individual would consider themselves fortunate it they were in as good shape. NATO first saw the light of…
Biden loses Ireland
The U.S. departed almost radically from an habitual practice on a resolution at a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday. It didn’t vote in Israel’s favour. The Council passed a…
The most important history lesson
Alberta’s pursuit of a new K-12 public school curriculum has been a long slog. An ambitious curriculum re-development project was initiated by a Progressive Conservative government in 2008. The project…
Three strikes and …?
We Albertans have received three powerful, powerful messages from Mother Nature. Plain, undeniable lessons. Well, not quite undeniable. In the face of all reason and common sense, we do in…
The Housefather fallacy
Liberal MP and prominent Israeli apologist, Anthony Housefather, has neatly expressed Canada’s approach to the illusory two-state solution proposed for Palestine. On Monday, the NDP proposed a motion in the…
Nenshi goes provincial
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has decided to follow in the political footsteps of former Calgary mayor Ralph Klein. Nenshi, like Ralph, went into his first mayoral campaign as a…
The UCP’s war on renewables
Alberta, with excellent sun and wind resources, and the only deregulated electricity market in the country, is Canada’s renewable energy powerhouse. In 2023, 92 percent of the country’s growth in…
Measles redux
It’s back. Eliminated in 1998, thanks to vaccination, measles is making a comeback.This highly-contagious disease has been spreading around the world and there are now dozens of cases in this…
Pass the Sustainable Jobs Act—now!
A critical part of transitioning to a sustainable future is ensuring workers are prepared and jobs are available in the new economy. A strong job action plan is required. This…
Coalitions get the job done
The most productive Canadian government in history is arguably that of Lester Pearson’s Liberal regime of 1963-68. Two consecutive minority governments, all that it accomplished depended on the co-operation of…