On A Mostly Harmless Birthday
Today, I turn 42. In my family, this number holds special significance. I learned in my teen years that 42 is the central number to the cult classic the Hitchhiker’s…
David Graham
The Trouble With Political Communications
If a politician or a government succeeds at everything they set out to achieve, nobody will ever know. If they then say something phenomenally stupid at a private party and…
Politics: War By Other Means
Politics, it is said, is the art of war by other means. It could also be seen as a professional sports game in which the results matter – and one…
On the function of Social media
With the recent and continued controversy over Bill C-18 and the growing spat between the federal government and the world’s social media giants, it’s important to explore what social media…
C-18 is an existential threat, not a benefit, to democracy
Welcome to Substack, where you can subscribe to an individual writer’s products for a minimum amount higher than the current price of a complete subscription to the New York Times.…
On missing a little more than a sub
Last week’s sinking of the Titan, a deep-diving tourist submarine charging $250,000 US a shot to view the wreck of the Titanic out a 20-inch window for a few minutes,…
The realpolitik of open nomination
The realpolitik definition of an open nomination is not that it is a fair fight, but that if you beat the party establishment, your victory will be accepted. As the…
What is an open nomination, really?
The realpolitik definition of an open federal nomination in Canada is not that anyone interested in running has a fair shot at becoming the candidate; it is that anyone who…
Alberta election about identity, not policy
Danielle Smith winning re-election last week is a reminder that elections are more about confirmation bias and reaffirming our own prejudices than about working together to find solutions to collective…
The trouble with electoral reform
The question of electoral reform is one I have been passionate about since the 2007 referendum in Ontario, and a file I have been active on for the entire period.…
Mr. Bains goes to Rogers
Earlier this month, Navdeep Bains, who was Justin Trudeau’s minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development from 2015 to 2021, announced he had taken on a new position as chief…
Question Period
Question Period has become a parody of itself. Sitting four years on the government side back bench, it was baffling. But question period is a symptom of, or an expression…