People who can do no wrong, another chapter
If you thought it was strange when West Van Chief Peter Lepine, the ‘independent’ review officer, commended RCMP after they Tasered an 11-year-old Prince George boy while arresting him last…
Norman Farrell
I’m all right Jack!
A quiz for readers. First person to identify this gentleman wins a free subscription to Northern Insights. He was a major backer of Premier Photo Op during her bid for…
HST savings elusive for consumers
In 2010, The Business Council of British Columbia, an association representing approximately 250 major business enterprises, circulated a report on consumer impacts of HST written by SFU Professor Jon Kesselman.…
Adventures in Portland and other places – REPLAY
For the earlier story on police watchdog Richard Rosenthal, I was connected to Portland sources by people I know in that fine American city. Instructor Martha Gies will soon be…
Victoria’s practitioners of distraction
“The impact of the government’s changes to the drunk-driving laws have been felt in a very real way across the province. They were highly controversial. They were argued about. They…
Ethical Smoke – Replay
If dumping megatonnes of extra carbon dioxide into earth’s atmosphere produces ethical tar sands oil, I suppose eco-friendly ethical cigarettes are plausible too. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co., a subsidiary…
Investigating BC’s new police investigator
A decade ago, Richard Rosenthal left the Los Angeles prosecutors’ office to lead Portland’s new Office of Independent Police Review. L.A. Deputy District Attorney Jim Cosper said it was a…
Things I wonder about
1. — Exactly who is the federal government representing as they try to suppress evidence that they are suppressing evidence of the ISA threat to westcoast fisheries? From Tamsyn Burgmann,…
Oh, not to be in England
British Columbia pays senior public servants among the highest salaries in the world. For comparison the British pound (£) is worth $1.60 CAN as of December 12, 2011. Britain’s Top…
Effective and sustainable? Who knows?
“Old news” – new anxieties for Liberals, posted three weeks ago, mentioned Basi/Virk judge Anne MacKenzie’s reasons for sentence and her dialogue of standard clichés, wordplay, and nonsense: “…a conditional…
A reader’s comment CBC wouldn’t publish
CBC is claiming credit for breaking a story that appeared here three days before they first touched the issue, without even a hint of acknowledgement of Northern Insights. I left…
News from the 21st century
H/T to Susan Musgrave, Laila Yuile and Judy Tyabji
A message from Amnesty International
Shell: Own Up and Pay Up to Clean Up the Niger Delta Dear Supporter, There used to be life and hope in the Niger Delta town of Bodo, a village…
Dead folks no longer doing peer reviews
With my head still spinning from research on other projects, I thought for relaxation I would take shots at an absurdly easy target: the independent, research organization called the Fraser…
You’re welcome CBC News
CBC News Item, December 6: “An executive hired by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to help cut costs received more than $188,000 for expenses claimed in 2010 — in addition…
A note of thanks to readers
I began Northern Insights in April 2009 as an exercise to develop writing skills. Early on, I heard a joke about how most bloggers would double the audience if they…
Can someone report news while making news?
It is appropriate to ask if political writers can report objectively after they become paid participants in the public forum, earning appearance fees and other remuneration from businesses with interests…
Public interest journalism in BC?
December 1, Glacier Media Inc. completed the acquisition of Postmedia Network Inc.’s community newspapers in British Columbia and the Times Colonist. . The Lower Mainland Publishing Group media assets include:…
Future of wild salmon depends on volunteers
Alexandra Morton: “…If the leaked document really says 100% of one run of Fraser sockeye tested positive for ISA virus, we have two very big problems. One, Justice Cohen instructed…
What will you tell us next?
More sleaze reports: Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes? Federal Judge Pimp-Slaps the SEC Over Citigroup Settlement Congressional perks: Lawmakers’ most surprising benefits Super-PACs and Dark Money: ProPublica’s…