Public Forum Roundup
Over the years, I have been a regular writer of letters to newspapers. My first one, I believe, was when I was about 13, and for the next 50 years…
Canadian Politics
It’s 2025 and John Brown’s body lies a-moulderin’ in the grave, but Luigi marches on!
Happy New Year, I guess. This year may not turn out to be much better than the last one, but I do have a question for the first day of…
Despite the optimism of its spokespeople, big Trump tariffs would spell a bleak future for Alberta’s beef industry
Despite a few squawks about the potential impact of Donald Trump’s promised 25-per-cent tariff on All Things Canadian, at least in its public statements Alberta’s cattle industry has been surprisingly…
Semiconductor Policy will reshape Alberta’s future
Semiconductors are vital for modern life; and weirdly, they have become an essential part of the transition to a decarbonized world. Most of us understand that semiconductors are the bedrock…
Edmonton NDP MP urges Trudeau Government to adopt her private member’s bill to make it harder for provinces to quit the CPP
Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson wants the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to adopt her private member’s bill, which would require the consent of at least two-thirds of the…
Chief Actuary’s report on UCP plan to raid Canada Pension Plan fund: Forget about getting 53%
Let’s cut right to the chase: What the analysis made public yesterday by the Chief Actuary of Canada shows is that if Alberta were to split from the Canada Pension…
If Justin Trudeau takes a ‘walk in the snow,’ how will Alberta’s UCP ever fit up a replacement as nicely?
The Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa surely isn’t the only Canadian venue with more than a whiff of panic in the air these days. Consider the likely conversation in Premier…
the reaction to a murder: this is why we must protect and expand public health care
Discussion and debate about health care is a staple in Canadian politics and the culture at large. The adjective most often applied to the system is used so frequently, it…
Danielle Smith’s latest blatantly unconstitutional border patrol brainstorm is about owning the Libs
On its face, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s screwball scheme to create a provincial border patrol force intended to prevent Canadian citizens from crossing the U.S. border into Montana is blatantly…
At the risk of sounding like Jason Kenney, where’s John A. Macdonald when we need him?
At the risk of sounding like Jason Kenney, where’s John A. Macdonald when we need him? I speak, of course, not of the policies that gave rise to the tragic…
three canadian mps call on trudeau government to end importation of endangered macque monkeys
Photo: Ignacio YuferaI've learned that the image of a macaque monkey that I posted was not the kind of monkey that is being illegally trafficked in Canada. That image was…
Stephen Harper’s appointment today as chair of AIMCo board ends pension management company’s ‘arm’s length’ status
Make no mistake, with the appointment this morning of Stephen Harper as chair of the governing board of the Alberta Investment Management Corp. we can forget about the notion that…
About “Forced Treatment” and Homelessness
I need to comment on the political pressure to force people experiencing addiction into treatment. Superficially, it seems to address a problem in society, but the reality is that this…
About “Forced Treatment” and Homelessness
I need to comment on the political pressure to force people experiencing addiction into treatment. Superficially, it seems to address a problem in society, but the reality is that this…
Political Inertia
Whenever our next election rolls around, I'll be ready - ready not to vote for the Conservatives. Ready not to vote for the Liberals. By default, I shall, in all…
Some post-election-night hot takes on the coming MAGA Restoration south of the Medicine Line
Whoever forms the next Canadian government, no matter how sympathetic they may be right now to next January’s MAGA Restoration south of the Medicine Line, the next four years at…
Here in Alberta, if the oilpatch ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy – and profitable fossil fuel corporations hate Ottawa’s emissions cap plan
Remember, here in Alberta, if the oilpatch ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Still, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s theatrical extended temper tantrum in the Legislature Building’s media room yesterday in response…
elections: here some relief, there… only fear
I rarely -- almost never -- write about politics anymore, either Canadian or US. But of course the upcoming US election is weighing heavily on my mind, as it surely…
How Did Democracy Come To This Sorry State?
My wife and I are members of the Boomer generation. That means our parents, their families, and their friends, their neighbours and their communities were impacted by World War II.…
Is Alberta suffering from the Innovator’s Dilemma?
In listening to Mac Van Wielingen of Viewpoint Investment Partners, on a recent HUB podcast, I was reminded about the highs and lows of Research in Motion (RIM). RIM’s story…