What PBO?
In 2006, the Harper government created the Parliamentary Budget Office. It was necessary, the Conservatives said, to ensure government accountability. Yesterday, the man who runs that office, Kevin Page, threatened…
Owen Gray
Daniel Berrigan
A week ago, Chris Hedges wrote that he had encountered Daniel Berrigan, now 92, in New York City’s Zucotti Park — the place where the Occupy Wall Street protesters encamped…
Smart Economists and Stupid Economists
Last week, Mitt Romney declared that President Obama had it all wrong: “He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers.” Then he declared, “It’s time for us to…
Je Me Souviens
I remember. In Quebec, the phrase has always captured a sense of grievance, which goes back to the Plains of Abraham. But, stamped on the bottom of Quebec license plates,…
A Full Frontal Assault
Bill C-38 is no ordinary piece of legislation. It is a full frontal assault on Canadian institutions and Canadian workers. That point is made this morning by two men from…
It’s Personal
It doesn’t happen very often. But, every once in awhile, someone gets under Stephen Harper’s skin. It’s then we get to see the chip on Harper’s shoulder — a chip…
Full Of Himself
Yesterday, in Montreal, the world got a chance to see the Stephen Harper Canadians have come to know so well — a man who is, above all else, full of…
The Insurgency Has Begun
Today, the House of Commons begins debate on 871 proposed amendments to the Harper government’s Omnibus Budget Bill. The bill is Stephen Harper’s parliamentary version of Shock and Awe. It…
Another Take On Wisconsin
Scott Walker’s victory in Wisconsin was not good for unions — in the United States, or here in Canada. And, as Canadian journalist Tony Burman writes: This was a campaign…
Megalomania
In her comment on one of Susan Riley’s recent columns in The Ottawa Citizen, Cathleen Kneen writes: There is a clear pattern here, from proroguing Parliament to the omnibus “budget”…
The Matador Of the North
Michael Harris wrote this week that Stephen Harper is the Matador of the Great White North, treating the opposition — all opposition — like a benighted bull: You know the…
Marching Backwards
In terms of social and environmental policy, the Harper government has been determined, from the first day it took office, to lead Canada back to the 19th century. But now…
An Ill Wind
There is a chill in the air this morning. When Scott Walker kept his job last night, it became more difficult for unionized workers — public and private — to…
The Battle Has Begun
And, if we thought we had heard the last of robocalls, we were sadly mistaken. Allison Cross reported in yesterday’s National Post that the electors of Etobicoke Centre are receiving…
God On His Side
Canadians have long held that Church and State are separate entities. Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney — both Catholics — were instrumental in legalizing abortion. Perhaps they felt, like many…
Austerity For Thee, But Not For Me
On Friday, Gerald Caplan reminded Globe and Mail readers of the deeply rooted hypocrisy at the core of the Harper government. — hypocrisy which has been on display since newly…
Abstract Thinking
This week, the Harper government legislated Canadian Pacific workers back to their jobs, claiming it was “protecting the economy.” It used the same argument to justify its back to work…
A Slegehammer To Swat A Fly
In this morning’s Globe and Mail, four former environment ministers –Tom Siddon, David Anderson, John Fraser and Herb Dahliwal — publish a letter which they have sent to Stephen Harper.…
David Wilks and Dr. Faustus
When David Wilks backed down last week — declaring that, despite his previous comments, he supported the Harper government’s Omnibus Budget Bill — Canadians got an inside look at how…
A Recipe For Economic Disaster
When historians sit down to write about how radical the Harper government was, they will surely focus on how it treated labour. Tom Walkom writes that legislating an end to…