Canadians Mourn The Untimely “Death of Evidence”
“The Harper government is the most environmentally hostile one we have ever had in Canada.” – Maude Barlow, Chair of the Council of Canadians About 1,500 scientists, lawyers, students and…
democracy
The National Park Shuffle
Whenever the federal government says “budget deficit’s are no excuse for not spending on X” you should probably be at least a little suspicious. Naturally, I was, but I’m always…
In Ottawa, scientists to mourn the death of Canadian evidence
Canadian scientists gather in Ottawa today to stage a funeral procession to protest the Harper government’s draconian cuts to federal scientific programs and systematic muzzling of Canadian scientists. The protest…
Bob Rae’s Exporting Democracy
When Michael Ignatief was the leader of the Liberal Party, I lamented that someone whose pre-politics life was as an expert on foreign affairs and had written several books on…
The Economist Insulted Progressive Canadians’ Intelligence
Earlier, I gloated over the influential right-leaning British magazine’s criticism of Harper’s burgeoning elected dictatorship. I’ve a second sober take on the issue. See, I failed to read between the…
Guess Who Said It
Most people do not have deep values. One person one vote, that is how Hitler was able to define his laws. Special points if you can parse it so it…
Liberal Party Petition: No More Omnibus Bills, Harper
The just-concluded Parliamentary session witnessed “serious abuses of power by the Harper Conservatives” through the use of two omnibus bills “that are radically changing Canada”: crime Bill C-10 and Budget…
Friday RoboCon
News goes to die, on Fridays. So today it is appropriate to talk about the biggest news story in the country that doesn’t get the respect or urgent coverage it…
Looking for Democracy
I am sure that like me, many despair over the state of democracy in Canada. Not only is it under continuous assault by a federal government that has repeatedly and…
Taking Back Our Democracy: Bridging the Generational Divide
These are tough days for Canada’s parliamentary democracy. Having endured years of steady erosion, it is now under frontal attack. Journalists and public leaders, across the political spectrum, have begun…
TVO’s The Agenda: The New McCarthyism
There is no worse cancer in a free society than the thuggish impulse to equate dissent as disloyalty… The greatest patriot is the person with the courage to be the…
TVO’s The Agenda: The New McCarthyism
There is no worse cancer in a free society than the thuggish impulse to equate dissent as disloyalty… The greatest patriot is the person with the courage to be the…
Accountability in Conservative Government
Do you know what I love about Stephen Harper? He wants Canadians to hold politicians accountable. Let’s get right on that please, and stand up for Canada. “Bullying” and “frequent…
Syria Isn’t About Syria
Bahrain and Syria both have repressive governments and both had uprisings in 2011, the United States and Saudi Arabia stopped one but are continuing the other, showing democracy and humanitarian…
Russia & Quebec, Don’t Protest The Similarities
Vladimir Putin recently issued new fines for unsanctioned protests, $9,000 for protesters and $30,000 for protest organizers. Meanwhile a few months ago in Canada, Quebec Premier Jean Charest issued new…
Harper v. Canada: News Headlines On June 25 2012
Make no mistake about it. Canada’s progressive and democratic forces are converging around Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his burgeoning elected dictatorship. And Harper and his merry bunch of Conservative…
ConCalls: Timeline and Timeliness
CBC offers a timeline of Del Mastro’s apparent overspending on his campaign. I think the Prime Minister may regret defending Del Mastro. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in the House of…
Government and Human Wretchedness
What is government if not a living reminder of our human wretchedness, of the fall made secular, of the post-lapsarian world and the prison house of procedure and law that…
Bob Paulson, Emperor Steve’s New Minion
Top cop concerned with Mounties airing problems in public RCMP Commissioner says bill will help end ‘outrageous’ behaviour “1984, knocking at your door…” What is it about the CRAPs that…