I Support Mike Duffy
May 24, 2013 | No Comments
And I want him to remain a Senator for years and years and years. Don’t get me wrong; this whole affair is an insult and embarrassment to Canada, but the problem here is not Mike Duffy; it’s not Nigel Wright; and it’s not Pamela Wallin. The problem is our Senate. It’s a rotten institution. It’s [...]
Do they really want him working that two extra years?
April 5, 2012 | 1 Comment
Recently, the federal government decided to make (eminently sensible) changes to Canada’s retirement age, raising it from 65 to 67. Apparently, though, that (eminently sensible) change isn’t going to affect the Prime Minister: All Canadian prime ministers who served at least four years in office are given a $100,000/year allowance beginning at the age of [...]
The Tyranny of Farmers
December 9, 2011 | 13 Comments
A Federal Court has ruled that the federal government does not have the right change (or eliminate) the Canadian Wheat Board without first consulting with – and getting the support of – farmers currently using it, as per legislation passed in 1998. In an editorial criticizing the ruling, the Ottawa Citizen has a pretty solid [...]
5 Questions
November 29, 2011 | 2 Comments
One of our regulars sent me an email the other day (well, the other week – I’ve been a bit busy, sorry) asking me a few follow up questions about some of my recent (well, not-so-recent now) posts. Not to assume that everyone would be interested in my opinions (though you are reading this blog), [...]
The Canadian Bear Growls
November 25, 2011 | 4 Comments
If you were in downtown Ottawa yesterday, you had the pleasure of another freudian political display of military might, as the federal government decided that it was necessary and appropriate to have multiple bombers, jets and helicopters fly over the capital in commemoration of our armed insurgence into Libya - the roars of these beasts trumpeting the [...]
The Military and the Monarchy: Fighting not for Queen, but for Country
September 19, 2011 | 15 Comments
by Jared Milne Recently on Counterweights.ca, Randall White wrote about how Stephen Harper is returning the monarchy to its former place of prominence in Canada’s military and in many government buildings in Ottawa. According to Gerry Nicholls, Harper’s former colleague at the National Citizens’ Coalition think tank, the major reason Harper is bringing back the [...]
A National Day of Service
September 9, 2011 | 1 Comment
Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about this… Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement declaring September 11 a National Day of Service: “Nearly a decade ago, the world was shaken by a series of senseless and cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. … “I hope [...]
Turmel, Lebel and La Belle Province: The Bloc and Canadian Unity
August 15, 2011 | 3 Comments
by Jared Milne While summer is usually a quiet time in Canadian politics, 2011 was an exception with the revelation of interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel’s former membership in the Bloc Québécois. Conservative and many Liberal observers harshly criticized what they viewed as Turmel’s ties to the Québec separatist movement, and questioned just how loyal [...]
Monday Afternoon Links
July 4, 2011 | No Comments
For your reading pleasure, might I suggest: Dr. Dawg writing about the DSK rape case, and showing some valid anger about the treatment of women. Stephen Taylor suggests that the NDP’s battle over the postal strike may have had more to do with laying the groundwork for future showdowns than fighting the Tories’ back-to-work legislation. [...]
Big Government Needs a Big Cabinet
May 20, 2011 | No Comments
39 is such a magical number. Whether you love Roy Campanella, The Cure or the Old Testament, there’s just something about that number. Can you really blame Stephen Harper for inflating his cabinet such an other-worldly benchmark: The prime minister increased the size of the country’s board of directors by one member to 39, tying [...]