This is Democracy?
As per Bill C-38 – last springs omnibus budget bill…. Members of the public who want to send a letter with comments to the NEB about a pipeline project must…
Rural
An exercise in futility?
I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that my efforts in these pages to shed some light upon the various attacks upon our democracy, the ever increasing centralization of power…
Kevin Page Reflects upon the Past 5 years.
A must read published in the Star. “ I took the job when it was agreed that a few amazing and fearless public servants would join — namely, Mostafa Askari…
Is Politics a Team Sport?
Recently a Conservative MP became the first MP in more than a decade to raise a point of privilege against his own governmentin questioning why he was denied an opportunity…
The Silence is Deafening
As our hero Kevin Page is replaced as the Parliamentary Budget Officer by the Parliamentary Librarian‘temporarily’ whilst a ‘process’ takes place to perhaps replace him with a less open and…
Is “Judicial Activism” a Problem?
A guest article by Jared Milne. For years, conservative writers have been complaining about what they call “judicial activism”. Writers like Ted Morton, Rainier Knopff and Robert Martin sharply criticize…
Government Web Sites to be Reduced or Eliminated
Recent leaked documents have confirmed that Tony ‘Gazebo’ Clements has been asked by King Harper to drastically cut the number of government websites available to Canadians. Initially, the number of…
PBO Position Finally Advertised
Just a few days before Kevin Page’s contract expires the Conservative government is advertising for a mid-level executive to fill the spot meanwhile the Parliamentary Librarian will take over as…
Political Stereotypes
A guest article by Jared Milne. Right-wing Conservatives are hardworking entrepreneurs who stop at Tim Horton’s for a double-double on their way to work, get up early on Saturday to…
Ohh Canada!
The following short excerpts from some news and opinion this week need very little further comment! It’s this simple. If you don’t have money to maintain our Coast Guard stations…
Will our ‘watchkeepers’ be watching in the future?
As the frustration level builds with the ongoing lack of accountability and response to concerns about various watchdog departments and officers the number of articles condemning this ‘governments’ approach to…
The Senate is not the problem
Its not the institution, its the self serving and partisan people appointed to it…. Recent events have once again brought calls for the senate to be abolished or reformed and…
Let the Games Begin …… Again!
With our Federal MP’s now back in the House and the Ontario Legislature about to resume under a new leader I am not optimistic that we will see any change…
PBO contract expires soon.
The Library of Parliament who are responsible for filling the position when Mr Page’s contract expires in just two months has only now “issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking…
Sunday Morning Reading
I have been struggling lately to organize my thoughts enough to write my regular Sunday morning commentary, not because there is no enough to write about on the democracy front…
Democracy ‘Satisfaction’ dropped 20%
Its been a while since I gave Samara the democracy measurement folks a plug but a recent visit to their web site encouraged me to have another look around and…
Getting their attention…
Much has been written about the Idle No More movement in recent weeks and I will not attempt to define it here for like the Occupy Movement before it the…
Stand on Guard
At this time of year as we look back over the previous year and forward to the coming year is also a good time to look at the broader picture…
Unwrap this for Christmas!
I wish I could present you with some uplifting and exciting presents on the democracy front at this time of year but I fear it is not to be, there…
Cooperation between Political Partys
There has been much talk of‘cooperation’ between partys since the close results in recent byelections and whilst I have in these pages urged such ‘cooperation not confrontation’ in the HoC…