Digital locks still intact
For those of you keeping score, the copyright bill is headed back to the Commons after being amended in committee, but it only took amendments from Conservatives, not from the…
Dale Smith
Senate QP: REAL Women and the Diamond Jubilee
My story from last week about REAL Women of Canada being invited to serve as a partner in the Diamond Jubilee medal process was brought to the Senate floor today…
QP: Tinfoil hats and vivid imaginations
After receiving plaudits from Olivia Chow for her accomplishments as interim leader – most notably all of the symbolic, non-binding motions that were passed under her watch – Nycole Turmel…
Uninvestigated irregularities
There are new allegations of “voter augmentation” in the last election, this time in Scarborough-Rough River, where thousands of Tamil voters registered on-site on election day. And to top it…
QP: It’s all a massive cover-up
The excesses of Monday’s Question Period nonsense were curtailed in light of adult supervision – the presence of Harper – and we got a few slightly different talking points from…
The dumbing down of Order Paper Questions
On an Order Paper question about the new Office of Religious Freedoms, the Conservatives replied to very specific questions with…some press release bumf. Seriously? Seriously? This is not good for…
QP: Did you hear about Guelph?
Normally I have a high tolerance for the hijinks of Question Period. An unusually high one, if truth be told. I enjoy heckles – provided that they’re clever or witty.…
Admitting to lesser sins
The Liberals in Guelph admit they were behind the robo-call that called the Conservative candidate out as being anti-choice, and say that yes, they should have properly identified it as…
The final debate: lecturing one another
The final NDP leadership debate took place this afternoon from Vancouver, under the theme of “Opportunities for Young and New Canadians.” I’m not sure if it was just the lighting,…
Nearing the final debate
The final official NDP leadership debate takes place tomorrow, coming from Vancouver. As part of that, people are wondering if Martin Singh is acting as Thomas Mulcair’s attack dog as…
Clues to the Robo-call origins
It appears there may be a case in the robo-calls from Guelph, and a clue as to who “Pierre Poutine” might have been. While the trail of clues may have…
QP: Sisters are doing it for themselves
It being International Women’s Day, the NDP took the opportunity to let the women in their caucus shine, and had an all-woman Question Period. While the Liberals have done so…
Tracking the robocall dollars
As people try to track the money trail, interesting questions are turning up with regards to the calling company RMG, especially when certain candidates in Quebec are being billed for…
QP: Dusting off some old favourites
Many a Wednesday, Question Period is buzzing with energy, the MPs having just been pumped up by caucus meetings, and they’re ready to go and kick some butt. Today was…
Dropping the In & Out appeal
The Conservatives have quietly decided to drop their appeal at the Supreme Court over the In & Out affair, and they’re paying back the money they owe to Elections Canada…
QP: Show us yours first
It’s sometimes amazing what a bit of adult supervision can do for question period – but I’m not sure that today was really that day. Harper may have been back…
Checking the spending records
Today in Robocon – because it’s still rolling along – we learn that the Conservatives may not have complied with Elections Canada’s directives that lists of Election Day polls be…
QP: Jim Flaherty: Political Superweapon
To say that today’s Question Period was anything other than bizarre would perhaps be an exercise in understatement. There were moments where it was so surreal that I felt like…
Letters to the Queen
Dear fellow Canadians, While I’m stoked that you recognise that the Queen is the head of state, I can’t tell you how utterly disappointed I am in the fact that…
Voter suppression and the disengaged electorate
If you need your daily fix of RoboCon news, there isn’t a lot on offer today. Making the rounds on the political shows this weekend were Guy Giorno, Harper’s former…