On warped incentives
Chris nicely highlights the Cons' stunningly quick resort to back-to-work legislation after a mere day of Air Canada's CAW strike, at a point where there's been little if any impact…
Cons
Parliament In Review: June 13, 2011
As I'd suspected, there looks to be plenty of material for a review post from just a day's worth of events in the House of Commons. So here's an inaugural…
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- I'll agree with Barbara Yaffe that one of the most important tasks for the Cons as a majority government will be to avoid…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.- Rhys Kesselman rightly points out how the populist message that propelled the Cons to power has given way to elitist policy-making:Once the federal budget…
For and against
Not surprisingly, the Cons are working feverishly to pretend that the message which won them a bare majority of seats in the House of Commons is of absolutely no consequence…
Sunday Morning Links
A variety of content for your weekend reading.- The Lethbridge Herald nicely points out who figures to have a problem with Stephen Harper's decision to have the Canadian public pay…
Exciting Crowdsourcing Opportunity!
With some people rightly wondering whether there's time to conduct a full and proper review of the Cons' budgetary plans before Parliament rises for the summer, now would figure to…
You may not have noticed, but…
...the first vote on budgetary policy in Canada's new Parliament took place on Wednesday, with the parties taking their positions on the Libs' budget subamendment. And it may make for…
Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Gerald Caplan has a modest suggestion to ensure the Senate doesn't do any more avoidable harm to Canada's democracy:That we have no need for…
Worth discussing
One of the few times when the NDP has always been able to count on pundit attention in the past has been its policy conventions, when commentators often churn out…
On incomplete reporting
Yes, it's a problem if the Cons are giving different answers about climate-change policy to different audiences. But I'm not sure how the difference between federal action making next to…
On destructive suggestions
Lest there be any doubt, one of the most important ways an opposition party can have influence in a majority Parliament is by choosing issues to highlight, thereby creating a…
Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Chantal Hebert points out that the biggest difference resulting from the NDP's emergence as Canada's official opposition may have to do with gender…
Just wondering…
...but can anybody else remember a case of proportional representation being used as a boogeyman outside of an actual electoral reform referendum?I ask only because Peter MacKay's plea to keep…
On accountability
Aaron Wherry picks up on a new theme in the Cons' rhetoric on health care. But since it seems to be drastically out of step with their actions since taking…
On recruitment tactics
So that's the Cons' long-term economic action plan...A Conservative MP recently nominated by the federal government to sit on a secretive Canada-U.S. committee on continental defence told U.S. officials he…
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- With health care once again receiving plenty of attention on the U.S. political scene thanks to the Republicans' plan to dismantle publicly-funded Medicare,…
One of these things is not like the others
One of these things just doesn't belong. See if you can spot the difference in the following single-election results - and consider what it might mean for each party's future…
On flattering comparisons
Yes, it'll take time to break the habits that have formed over the past few years - and it may well be that the Harper Cons will continue to stonewall…
Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.- Brian Topp's initial observations on the new sitting of Parliament include this note on the Libs' interim leader:(A)s a footnote, Interim Liberal Leader Bob…