Still hard at work
In case there was any doubt whether the NDP's hard-earned reputation as the most productive caucus in Ottawa would change as the party moved into its new role as Official…
NDP
A different story
Yessiree, the conventional wisdom goes, Canada's political parties are all the same. Especially the NDP, which having reached Official Opposition status is sure to abandon any pretense of principle when…
Parliament In Review: June 20, 2011
Yes, it's tempting to Bruce Anderson's conjecture about the NDP with a direct rebuttal. But I hardly see the need when the next day in Parliament to be reviewed offers…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Barbara Yaffe points out that the Council on Hemispheric Affairs seems to have a much better idea what Canada needs out of a…
I, for one, would like an HST job – and it might sway my vote.
If you’re registered to vote in BC, and provided that Elections BC hasn’t completely screwed up your voter registration (I have, at times, received three voter information cards for variations…
Harper’s Assault on Libya NOT Sanctioned by UN
I wondered why Harper took the extension of the so-called "mission" in Libya to Parliament. He didn't have to. As prime minister he alone can decide whether or not to…
On target groups
For all the opinion polling we're bound to see in the years to come, this may be one of the more important surveys in determining the future shape of Canadian…
Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week.- John Crocker points out that the need for secure and sufficient pensions is only made all the more obvious by the abject failure of…
Sunday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your long weekend.- Sixth Estate's evisceration of the Fraser Institute continues, this time with a response in substance to the claim that private-sector rent-seekers will somehow…
The NDP and “Big Labour”
Rob Silver, a sharp guy I first met through university debate, has written a rather disappointing piece entitled, “Would NDP be neutral were it in power during a labour dispute?”…
Saturday News Smash-Up
Sorry about my absence for the last five days, but I've been going to "school" and attempting to learn basic Spanish. Suffice to say, yo no hablo espanol, pero poco…
Predictability
A quote from Maclean's, about six weeks ago:"Jack Layton’s biggest management problem when the House of Commons reconvenes may well be the newly elected MP from St. John’s South-Mount Pearl."Ya…
Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Andrew Jackson points out and sums up a Statistics Canada study showing how much possible revenue is lost to the underground economy:Statscan have…
Fund-Raising Review By Province – NDP
Following up on my previous post, let's take a look at the NDP's partial fund-raising numbers from 2007 to 2010. (I've kept the 2010 data in the chart as an…
On direct representation
In discussing how the new Parliament has functioned so far, Charlie Angus makes an important point which hints at how the Bloc lost touch with Quebec - as well as…
Twenty six cents.
Remember a few months ago when, to great public fanfare, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced in its budget that it would be giving consumers a break on their…
Parliament In Review: June 15, 2011
Yes, the spring session of Parliament has come to an end. But with much less news popping up on the political scene, I'll take the opportunity to take a look…
Horwath gaffe watch
So, the Ontario election campaign is getting a little more interesting of late. This quote by NDP leader Andrea Horwath really deserves a second look: “I’m putting a party back…
Sunday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material to end your weekend.- Brian Topp points out the biggest difference between the Parliamentary reaction to the Harper Cons' attack on Canada Post workers and previous overreaches by…