And this surprises you because…? #nlpoli
Politics in Newfoundland and Labrador is about what the social scientists – like political scientists, for example - would call clientelism. You may have heard it called patronage. Regardless of…
Patronage
Parliament in Review: December 6, 2011
Tuesday, December 6 saw a day devoted primarily to debating the Cons’ seat redistribution bill. And the result was some interesting interplay between the three official parties in the House…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Mind you, some of the stories are a couple of days old precisely because there’s been an embarrassment of riches in the…
Parliament in Review: December 1, 2011
In the midst of a week of acrimonious debate over both the substance of the Cons’ dumb-on-crime legislation and the government’s procedural maneuvers to prevent even improvements which it recognized…
Conservatives Unveil New Jobs Plan For Quebec
You too could embark on a new lucrative career in the Canadian civil service! With little fanfare, the Conservatives announced that they are back in the race in Quebec provincial…
Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne juxtaposes massive profits and public concessions for Caterpillar and Rio Tinto against their attacks on Canadian workers: (T)he demands by ElectroMotive,…
Sunday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to end your weekend. – Chris Selley rightly points out that for all the damage the Cons can do in a term of majority government, we shouldn’t overstate…
Parliament in Review: November 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 2 saw the House of Commons debate two bills dealing with democratic reform. And the result was a remarkable gap between the values the Harper Cons presented in…
Monday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading. – Dan Leger worries about the consequences of the Cons’ faith-based government: Despite the big majority and many years left in its mandate, the…
Tuesday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- Yes, there's plenty of reason for outrage that the Cons are selling access to cabinet ministers through a high-priced club. But this isn't…
Parliament In Review: October 21, 2011
Friday, October 21 saw another day of debate focused largely on the Cons' anti-consumer copyright legislation.The Big IssueOnce again, copyright was the largest issue, with Tyrone Benskin summing up what's…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Stephen Maher nicely summarizes Tony Clement's sad committee appearance yesterday:The evidence shows that Clement chose the projects himself, in some kind of mysterious…
The value of nothing or Pater knows best, redux #nlpoli
Talk show host Randy Simms has a fine column in the most recent Saturday edition of the Telegram. Our House of Assembly needs fixing, writes Simms. It hardly sits. It…
Tory snouts back in trough #nlpoli
In a characteristically display of arrogance and entitlement, Kathy Dunderdale today reappointed two of her key political hacks – Len Simms and Ross Reid – to their patronage jobs in…
Tuesday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading.- Lawrence Martin argues that with an NDP Official Opposition at the same time as the effects of inequality and greed continue to send shockwaves…
Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week.- Dan Gardner eviscerates the Cons for their stubborn insistence on mandatory minimum sentences in even the most ridiculous of cases:Imagine a university student living…
Keith Russell: Panic! #nlpoli #nlvotes
Tory candidate Keith Russell must be in a desperate battle to win his seat. He’s trotted out the old patronage card in a bid to boost his chances. The district…
Parliament In Review: September 26, 2011
Monday's session in the House of Commons was dominated by the debate over another military extension in Libya. The Big IssueOnce again, the Cons were able to win a vote…
Saturday Afternoon Links
This and that for your weekend reading.- For those looking to paint foreign investment as a panacea for economic development, Paul Krugman offers up (via Kash Mansori) what should be…
Day 3: #pandermonium roundup #nlpoli #nlvotes
Liberal leader Kevin Aylward promised Wednesday that as Premier he’d cave in and settle a class action lawsuit that is trying to pin financial responsibility for moose accidents on the…