Stayin’ Alive
I really should stop watching American news. I get teevee-yelly. I know I’m not going to change anybody’s mind with this post, but the cat’s getting really skittery with all…
Canadian Politics
On Senate Reform
Your latest poll from Forum Research on what should be done with the Senate: “More than one third want to abolish the Senate. An additional 37% called for the Senate…
On the Limits of Scandalmongering, or Why I Don’t Care About Rob Ford’s Alleged Crack Use
For all my political ideals and self-conceptualizations, I cannot for the life of me seem to get myself more than superficially interested in the scandals that plague the holders of…
The 1 question to ask Rob (or Doug) Ford I’ve not heard yet
“Mr. Ford: Is this you in the still shot of the video you claim doesn’t exist – Yes or No?” Is this you, Mayor Ford? Has any reporter asked Mayor…
Wildrose deftly defuses robo-call crisis while federal Cons suffer Scotch verdict
Members of the Wildrose Party try out their new robo-calling technology, which should avoid future problems with the CRTC. Right-wing Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose…
● “People have got to know whether or not their…
● “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.” – disgraced American president Richard Nixon ● “I don’t recall. I…
Not exactly the spotlight we want in Canada
Canada sure has been in the news a lot of late. Unfortunately, it’s about the wrong reasons. The Senate expenses scandal and the subsequent resignation of Nigel Wright made the…
Timeline of Conservatives’ Deeds Against Science
In the Confessions of a Science Librarian blog, John Dupuy writes about the Harper Conservatives’ war against science. He’s logged and linked activities from 2006 to 2013 that show how…
Duffy, the Government and the problem with “no-notes” meetings
So, for my non-canadian readers, there is a significant scandal brewing up here in Canadaland, regarding a senator, who claimed certain expenses he was not allowed to (to the tune…
Harper’s House of Cards Disintegrating Under Weight of Conservative Senators
* We are living in interesting times, as the saying goes. Here in Canada, the house of cards that is the federal Conservative government of Stephen Harper is starting to…
Make voting in federal elections mandatory, but put it on a Saturday or make it an official holiday
On this Victoria Day holiday Monday, I was reading some interesting Twitter tweets from Frank Graves, the President of Ekos Research, one of the polling companies here in Canada. He…
(Prime) ministerial responsibility and all that … surely the wrong man has quit!
The home of Canada’s Parliament, held in contempt by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Reform Party, doing business under the name of the Conservative Party of Canada. Below: former…
On phone polling vs internet panels
An interesting article from the CBC talking with the BC Liberals internal pollster, who predicted a Liberal Majority with 48 seats, and was off by only 2 (and by 2…
On polls and election predictions
If nothing else, the BC Liberals’ entirely unexpected and dominating win in BC last night will be a useful lesson in humility for pollsters and those that rely on them…
BC Libs surprise election win is a warning to pollsters – and to Justin Trudeau
Can you find anyone other then the BC Liberals who felt they were going to win a majority last night (did they even think that?). I would suspect that number…
Ranked Ballot Initiative in Toronto survives committee – on to full vote in June.
Its been awhile since I’ve posted, so I figured why not 2 on the same day (plus it gives me something else to do besides continue lamenting last night’s tragic…
Labrador speaks – and rejects Conservative tactics
Prime Minister Harper called Peter Penashue the greatest MP representative Labrador has ever had. Cabinet Ministers went into that riding (though notably not Harper) declaring that a re-elected Penashue would…
This morning I saw a few minutes of a CBC Newsworld political…
This morning I saw a few minutes of a CBC Newsworld political panel and again concluded that Canada must abolish its senate immediately. Abolish it now! There is no time…
organized labour is the only potential political force with enough critical mass & enough organizational capability to get things moving.
Here’s my take on the May Day CUPE Sponsored Workshops in Ottawa on Saturday, the 27th of April: It was an interesting affair for its lamentations and the myriad problems…