Wall Street protests, Obama, and changing the political conversation
In some ways it is not appropriate to give too much undue attention to the current Wall Street protests in New York that are spreading around the US and into…
democracy
Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies: Canadian “Democracy” and (not) You!
So, Ontario, Canada’s most unbearably self-righteous Province, just concluded another one of those spiffy “election” things everyone is getting so worked up over these days. As of this writing, it’s…
Congrats to Tawakul Karman and friends
I was a little surprised at the Nobel Peace Prize awards for 2011. I had felt sure the winners would include a leader from Egypt's Arab Spring revolt, the Arab…
Why I Am Going to Attend Occupy Vancouver
I am white, middle class, educated and, by all accounts, an extremely fortunate woman. I live in Canada where my parents’ (sometimes life-threatening) health issues are covered by a provincial…
Ontario Votes
Hey people in Ontario, if you can vote you should vote! Things Are Good supports anybody you want to vote for except the Tea Conservative Party. Vote for the Ontario…
Occupy Wall St. – Letters to friends and family, and an overview of what is unfolding now
What is happening is momentus. It could go wrong, it could fizzle out, or it could be co-opted, but at present, by all I can see, it is hopeful: here…
SFL Labour Issues Campaign
Click her to visit site
Translink: It’s the policy, that policy won’t change, and there’s no one you can speak to about it.
Pardon me for a rant about my commute. And about Translink. I hardly think it’s acceptable for a public organization that trumpets public consultation, taxes us, is governed by an…
Loss of party subsidy is loss for democracy
Democracy is about political equality. To be democratic, a political system must in essence belong to all the people equally, and if it is to belong to all the people…
Let us make one thing perfectly clear
Ontario is parliamentary democracy, albeit within it's own constitutional jurisdiction. As such it is the Ontario legislature that determines who will be in the government and form the Cabinet. As…
Ontario Election 2011: Why the left should hope for a Liberal Minority with NDP support
I suspect that many people, perhaps most, have a favorite party that they would prefer to win a majority. Somewhat incorrectly, I think, it has become the conventional wisdom that…
Encouraging Early Political Engagement: CitizenNext.ca
It is not an accident that I am a political junkie. Even as a toddler, I was fed a steady diet of left-of-centre ideology, pro-union sentiments and anti-monarchist dogma. My…
Concordia Decides That Less Is More
In August, I blogged about controversy surrounding Concordia University’s Board of Governors. A report co-authored by Bernard J. Shapiro (Canada’s first Ethics Commissioner) had concluded that an unofficial, inner circle…
Advice to Ontario Leaders about Minority – Stick to the Issues
There is talk now that Ontario may elect a minority government in the upcoming election. My advice: leaders should avoid making promises about what they would or would not do…
Advice to Ontario Leaders about Minority – Stick to the Issues
There is talk now that Ontario may elect a minority government in the upcoming election. My advice: leaders should avoid making promises about what they would or would not do…
Suzy Citizen, Episode 1
The people who brought you The Krellant Evening News have a new project: The Continuing Adventures of Suzy Citizen. Produced for Student Vote by Wildrun Productions, the web series follows…
Qualities of the Next NDP Leader
Here is the benchmark I’ll be using to evaluate who ought to be the next leader of the federal NDP: @PoliticsReSpun Wanted, #NDP leader: integrity, inspiring, engaging personality, intelligent, ability…
Taking Attendance
An interesting pattern began emerging during the Federal Election this past spring. At forums, debates, and all-candidates meetings across the country, Conservative Party candidates were simply not showing up. There…
Taking Attendance
An interesting pattern began emerging during the Federal Election this past spring. At forums, debates, and all-candidates meetings across the country, Conservative Party candidates were simply not showing up. There…
Taking Attendance
An interesting pattern began emerging during the Federal Election this past spring. At forums, debates, and all-candidates meetings across the country, Conservative Party candidates were simply not showing up. There…