Harper’s Achilles Heel
Some commentators were disappointed that both of Justin Trudeau’s convention speeches were not barn burners. But Michael den Tandt writes that Trudeau’s second speech was masterful in the way it…
Owen Gray
A Progressive Party?
Andrew Coyne is upset. The Liberals may have a new leader. But he worries that they are pretending to be a left wing party: This is not a “new” or…
Picking Up The Tab
Jim Flaherty’s budget may have been full of happy talk. But, Frank Graves writes, Canadians — particularly young Canadians — are not happy. They know they’ve been had: The simple…
It’s Not Inevitable
Stephen Harper has said that the Keystone XL pipeline is “inevitable.” He bases his conclusion on a simplistic analysis: We’ve got the bitumen. You need it.” The first part of…
His Fundamental Weakness
From now until the next election, the Harper Party will repeat the same meme — Trudeau lacks experience. Never mind that Mr. Harper himself has very narrow life experience. Michael…
Targeting General Leslie
Andrew Cohen acknowledges at the beginning of his latest column that he is a friend of retired general Andrew Leslie: (A note: I have known Leslie, his wife and children…
Ignoring The American Expereince
Some Americans have been warning Canada that following in their footsteps isn’t wise. They warned that establishing mandatory minimum sentences fills up jails but does not deter crime. Still, as…
Not Seeing The Other Half
For some time now, Robert Reich writes, the United States has been devolving into a We and Them Society — as in, Why should we pay for them? He sites…
No Comparison
When Nelson Mandela died, Stephen Harper eulogised him as a “great moral leader…He left prison with his mind closed to any settling of scores and his heart open to those…
The Road To Fascism
The Harper government has ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to carefully audit the books of organizations opposed to pipelines. Murray Dobbins correctly wonders if big oil has subverted Canadian democracy.…
Will He Go With A Bang Or A Whimper?
Yesterday, Jim Flaherty signalled that he is packing his bags. In announcing his opposition to income splitting, he placed himself in direct opposition to his boss and the men, like…
A Boot Stamping On A Human Face
Heather Mallick writes, in today’s Toronto Star, that the essence of the Harper government is personal cruelty: I object to the Harper government for many reasons (harperwatch.wordpress.com provides a good…
Mistrust Breeds Contempt
Mitchell Anderson writes that Canada has become The Great Weird North, where the government doesn’t trust its own citizens. Consider the evidence: Revelations last week that Communications Security Establishment Canada…
The Mark Of Tyrants
Tom Walkom writes that the Harper government’s new citizenship bill is a Trojan Horse: It is presented as an attempt to reduce fraud and rationalize the process of becoming a…
Struck Dumb Or Plain Dumb?
As the Harperites have abandoned veterans, cut postal service to seniors and insisted that everyone must bow in awe of the deficit, the silence of the Tory backbench has been…
Legislating Apathy
Yesterday, the Harper Party moved to limit debate on its so called Fair Elections Act. Three days, they said, is all it should take to debate the bill. The reason…
He Won’t Change
Yesterday, Rob Ford announced that he would not attend World Pride in Toronto because “I’m not going to change the way I am.” Judging from his continuing escapades, it would…
The Big Bang?
There has been much debate about Justin Trudeau’s Senate gambit. Bill Tieleman claims that it is merely sleight of hand. But Lawrence Martin thinks it may be a big bang…
The Stigma Within Themselves
Yesterday, the Harper Party defeated an NDP motion to reverse the closure of Veterans Affairs Offices across the country. Julian Fantino has been the face of the government on this…
Self Service
The numbers are in on Stephen Harper’s trip to Israel. The Canadian Press reports: The survey, conducted from Jan. 23-Jan. 27 by Harris/Decima for The Canadian Press, suggests a third…