The Vaccine Debate Continues …
When someone comes clean about any fears they have about certain things, our instincts are to vilify and bully them. It’s important to try to find objective ways to ‘meet…
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Saving the Scenic Salish Sea.
To nobody’s surprise the other day, Canada’s moribund National Energy Board (NEB), once again, approved the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. And once again to the barricades my friends…
Overplaying Their Hand
Opposition Members of Parliament have some tools at their disposal to help drive the agenda or raise issues they feel are important. Granted that over the past few decades, that…
Magpie Brûlé Podcast – PMO/SNC Scandal and By-Election Monday
Episode Three of the Magpie Brûlé podcast is now up and ready to listen to. In this episode, I talk about the SNC Lavalin/PMO scandal, it’s effects and the week…
Stuff Happens, IV: The Reckoning, week 8: It’s Oscar Sunday … zzzzz
Well, it’s Academy Awards Sunday. Remember when that used to be a big deal? As a longtime movie fan and pop culture junkie, I’ve always watched the Oscars with varying…
We Should Stop Paying For Over-Budget Infrastructure Projects
Cost overruns on the Ottawa public transit project beg many questions related to accountability, fraud, legalities related to commitments and conflicts of interest. All municipalities should reconsider major infrastructure projects…
SNC: The Story Behind the Story
The situation with SNC-Lavalin is disgusting, but I actually want the Liberals to emerge victorious in 2019. If they don’t, we’ll have VERY dark days for Canada under Andy Scheer’s…
Decision Day in Burnaby
Over the past two weeks, all of the attention in the #cdnpoli scene has been on the SNC/PMO scandal. This story has grabbed the attention of the public and held…
“Conveying Context”
After two weeks of the SNC/PMO scandal, today brought us the first chance to hear directly from a voice in this debate that we hadn’t heard yet. The House of…
Andrew Scheer and his Neon Nazis
Andrew Scheer poses with his Neon Nazi friends to make some noise on Parliament Hill. Unfortunately, Canadians are supporting this mess.
Corporations can be citizens.
In last Sunday’s Toronto Star there was an interesting juxtaposition of two letters-to-the-editor on the SNC-Lavalin affair. It reminds me of the time I spent over the years lecturing business…
Up Off the Mat or Stuck in the Mud?
Wednesdays in Ottawa are very interesting when the House of Commons is sitting. It’s caucus day for all parties, which can bring some interesting stories, and in this Parliament, it’s…
Running in Place
Today we saw the MPs return after their Family Day break and get back to work in Ottawa. As I wrote about last night, today promised to be one of…
Glop & Pail Redefining Moral Leader
Instead of picking a moral leader like Elizabeth May to feature, the wretched folks editing Canada’s worst newspaper that isn’t Postmedia, thought to abuse our language with this: How in…
Butts Out
Well this is quite the turn of events, one that I don’t think that many people saw coming, or at least so soon. I surely didn’t. BREAKING: @gmbutts has quit…
Rough Ride Ahead
Back when the House of Commons rose for it’s usual holiday break in December, the first few months of 2019 looked to be promising ones for the governing Liberals. They…
Misinformation, disinformation, contempt for truth
In-Sights reader Hugh asked my opinion of a Tom Fletcher article. In it, the former head of the Legislative Press Gallery belittles the analyst who estimated consumer losses from BC…
Income Inequality and Redistribution in Venezuela
I had been waiting for last month’s publication of the book “Confronting Inequality” before preparing my annual update on income inequality and redistribution in Canada. I am glad I did…
Stuff Happens IV: The reckoning, week 7: Tru-d’oh!
I think it’s safe to say that the second week of February, 2019, was the worst week of Justin Trudeau’s leadership. And with the House of Commons returning to action…
In Defence of Political Staffers
Political staffers and the work they do is one of the great tropes out there in society, regardless of the country you live in. Some people say they are nothing…