That was Harper's dig on Paul Martin four years ago, after turning down a meeting with Bono. Since then, Harper has been a bit more hot and cold on the…
I had some fun last fall comparing the elections of Naheed Nenshi in Calgary and Rob Ford in Toronto. Fairly or unfairly, it appears the two will be forever linked.…
The good folks in Samara are hosting a fun contest this summer, asking Canadians to vote for their favourite political books. I for one think this is a great idea,…
Last week's postal filibuster is the first real case study of the new political reality. If it's a preview of the next four years, I'd say Stephen Harper's 2015 re-elected…
Some guy named Michael Ignatieff weighs in on the life of Canadians living outside the country:I was away a long time in Britain and the States, it’s true, but I…
In response to my previous "what if" post on running elxn41 under a preferential ballot, a few blog readers wondered how the election would have turned out had there been…
The Ontario NDP release their platform, chalk full of policies that are great news if you own a big house, drive a gas guzzler, or like coal power.Partisan jabs aside,…
I won't say I feel bad for Pauline Marois - seeing the PQ implode a few weeks after the BQ was all but obliterated is Must See TV. But when…
The best way to think about the Liberal leadership race is like those velodrome cycling races you see at the Olympics. The gun sounds and two cyclists crawl around the…
Liberals have voted to pick a new leader sometime between March and June 2013. I was personally hoping for a shorter timeline but my sense from yesterday's conference call is…
A few random Friday thoughts:1. Don't expect this weekend's NDP convention in Vancouver to be nearly as exciting as Wednesday night. Still, the possibility for riots and/or make out sessions…
That was how Stephen Harper described Stephane Dion in 2008, when "unelected" and "unaccountable" Liberal senators blocked Harper's senate reform legislation.I look forward to the new attack ads:Tory senator questions…
One of the democratic reform initiatives that never seems to get much publicity is the preferential ballot. Yet it's simple, assures the majority of the riding backs the winning candidate,…
Macleans updates it's 1997 list ranking Canada's Best PMs, and produces the following top 10:1. Wilf2. Johnny Mac3. The Lyon4. Mikey B5. PET6. JC7. Uncle Louis8. Robbie B9. Lyin' Brian10.…
Stephen Duckett (AKA Cookie Monster) has raised a stir by suggesting some politically connected individuals receive preferential treatment in Alberta's Health Care system, and are able to jump the queue.The…
Oh, the challenges of fundraising when you can't blame the opposition or Liberal Senators for defeating your agenda:CPC appeals to party supporters to finance fight against media, punditsWith a stable…
As I mentioned earlier, Mark Holland gave a real barn burner at the ALP convention the weekend before last.What made it such a great speech was that he avoided the…
We've now had 4 elections under the current 308 riding electoral map, a period over which the Canadian political landscape has completely transformed itself.2004:2011:Still, that doesn't mean every local election…
For the first time in a long time, we have a budget that can be judged on its content, rather than its electoral implications.So while the opportunity now exists to…
The Parti Quebecois have basically been handed the next provincial election if they want it. But much like the BC NDP, all indications are their answer is "thanks, but no…
