Parliament In Review: September 22, 2011
Thursday was another fairly short day of debate in the House of Commons due to the visit by UK Prime Minister David Cameron. But that doesn't mean there was any…
NDP
My deflating optimism about the NDP leadership race
For a while, I was feeling very energized about the NDP leadership race. We on the left were going to get six months or so to have a real and…
How long before Quebeckers start feeling unloved by the NDP?
We seem to be witnessing the parade of the emperor without any clothes, as the leadership campaign to replace Jack Layton gets underway. If you are inside the NDP, it…
By way of comparison
Tim Naumetz points out what strikes me as a surprising trend of potential NDP leadership candidates expressing concern about the cost of participating in the race:“Money is a big deal,”…
Rex Murphy: NDP leadership election rules are "suicide"
The latest voice to chime in on the questionable leadership rules for the NDP is that gravelly-voiced prophet of doom, Rex Murphy.Known for his incisive and opinionated views on Canadian…
Parliament In Review: September 21, 2011
Despite a typically short sitting day on Wednesday, we nonetheless saw an important preview of how one of the most contentious issues on the Canadian political scene will be dealt…
A propos of nothing
While much of the NDP's federal election result has been painted as the result of Jack Layton's popularity, it's worth noting exactly how the party results compared to some of…
Jerky populism watch
From Horwath's announcement yesterday, this claim on hospital CEO salaries: Horwath noted that by capping executive salaries at twice the salary of the Ontario Premier, about $80 million could be…
Ontario Jobs Anyone? a brief analysis
I think one of the biggest issues in the upcoming provincial election is JOBS! I've seen it all over the media and it's also of personal interest to me as…
Ontario Jobs Anyone? a brief analysis
I think one of the biggest issues in the upcoming provincial election is JOBS! I’ve seen it all over the media and it’s also of personal interest to me as…
Ontario Jobs Anyone? a brief analysis
I think one of the biggest issues in the upcoming provincial election is JOBS! I’ve seen it all over the media and it’s also of personal interest to me as…
Ontario Jobs Anyone? a brief analysis
I think one of the biggest issues in the upcoming provincial election is JOBS! I've seen it all over the media and it's also of personal interest to me as…
Parliament In Review: September 20, 2011
Once again, most of yesterday's session in the House of Commons was spent on what's becoming dubbed the refugee punishment bill. And while there was no sign of any willingness…
NDP’s brilliant use as a wedge issue of the Quebecois are a nation resolution
Right now Liberals and Tories are getting warm around their collars because the major candidates for leadership of the NDP are supporting a special deal for the province of Quebec…
Horwath downplays coalition talk; asks Toronto Council to halt TTC cuts
Anyone hoping that a recent plea from provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath to Toronto City Council to hold off on transit cuts will make a difference is kidding themselves. Or…
The cutoff point
Having asked the question on the weekend, I'll provide my back-of-the-envelope answer as to how many votes I'd expect a candidate to need based on what we know now about…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- Munir Sheikh writes (PDF) about good data and intelligent government. I'll add the subtitle, "and other perceived threats to the Harper Conservatives".- Aside from…
Parliament In Review: September 19, 2011
With the start of the fall session of Parliament I'll plan to resume taking a daily look at what happens in the House of Commons - with a particular focus…
The Ontario NDP Platform
Pollsters tell us that Ontario’s New Democrats may double their seat total in next month’s provincial election. It’s also entirely conceivable that they could be part of a coalition government…
Ontario Green vote projected to drop – but it doesn’t have to
Just about the only thing that all parties and observers can agree upon about the upcoming Ontario election is that the high vote percentage gained by the Green Party of…