Arctic Power or Arctic Pretender?
September 19, 2010 | No Comments
A version of this article was published in The Varsity on 13 September 2010 and is available here: http://thevarsity.ca/articles/32751. In late August, the prime minister traveled to northern Canada for what has now become an annual tour. Stephen Harper delivered the main speech of the visit in Churchill, Manitoba where he declared that defending Canada’s [...]
The New Mr Ignatieff
August 8, 2010 | 4 Comments
Frankly, I think we’re all a bit surprised by his performance this summer. Pleasantly surprised. That and we’ve got a whole lot of important questions to ask of the Liberal leader. Where did this new Ignatieff come from? Where has he been all this time? How will he perform when the Parliamentary circus starts touring [...]
Leave the governor general out of it
June 24, 2010 | 2 Comments
This is the first in a new 10-part series on the powers, selection and status of Canada’s viceroy. Suggestions for aspects of this office which deserve special attention are welcome below or alternatively, at patrickfbaud@gmail.com. It’s time we start treating the governor general more like the Queen. No, I am not suggesting that we crown [...]
RCMP Proposal Falls Far Short
June 14, 2010 | No Comments
Recent scandals have tarnished the RCMP’s once proud reputation and jeopardized its place in the Canadian mythology. Many have proposed to changes to the operations and the structure of the force. Some have called for a more thorough investigation of systemic problems which they believe individual incidents reveal. Yet politicians remain too deferential towards the [...]
Who Watches the Watchmen?
June 14, 2010 | No Comments
Despite its relatively innocuous name and low public profile compared to CSIS and the RCMP, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) plays a crucial role in this country’s struggle with terrorism. Officially, CSEC is part of the Department of National Defence and is supported by a technical military staff, but its operations are controlled directly by [...]
Coalition Talk Kills?
June 10, 2010 | 1 Comment
Recent coalition talk between the Liberals and New Democrats has once again shown how stilted our political imagination can be. Even hypothetical or tentative proposals are treated like radioactive waste by the party leadership. A recent poll drove home the central and troubling consequence of this approach: Canadians like the idea of cooperation, but they [...]
Winners and Losers
June 7, 2010 | 1 Comment
While visiting his British counterpart last week, the Prime Minister commented that “Losers don’t get to form coalitions. Winners are the ones who form governments”. If after the next election, whenever it may come, the Liberals and New Democrats (each with fewer seats than the Conservatives) attempted to form a coalition, it would be illegitimate. [...]