my dyslexic dialectic

The worth of a nickel

2009-01-14T11:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Gill Bission picked up a big endorsement when the Nickel Belt provincial riding association voted to back him in the up coming leadership convention.

With about 1000 voting members that is a big get.

It looks like Northern Ontario is forming a block behind their own, as most of the Northern MPs and MPPs have lined up behind Bission. So far Charlie Angus, (MP for Timmins-James Bay), Tony Martin, (MP, Sault Ste. Marie), and Carol Hughes, (MP for Algoma). I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the N.Ont MPs announce their support too.

Also I would be very surprised if Kenora-Rainy River, another large riding association didn't also back Bission.

What does this mean for the race. If Bission can lock up the North then he'll be in a good position going in and not likely to be the first knocked off.

It also means that if Bission has taken the majority of the Northern votes that doesn't leave that much room for the three other Candidates to grow with out bumping into one another.

I am sure that we will start hearing stories of other riding associations endorsing soon. It will be interesting to see who has the most influence outside their natural constituencies

A crude synthetic reality

2009-01-07T16:19:00.003-05:00

While there are some economists that think (or are trying despriately to believe) that our current economic slide is a temporary there are some signs that we are looking at some troubling times.

Love them or hate them, the Albertan (and now Saskatchewan) Oil Sands are big generators of wealth for this country. The problem is that it costs about $40 per barrel to turn the back goo into synthetic crude and that's even with out any environmental costs included into the figure. As a Natural Resource Committee Report on the Oil Sands points out "The NEB testified before the Committee that should oil prices fall into the US$35 to US$40 per barrel range, 'it’ll result in a significant slowdown' in the industry" (page 10).

Well today oil fell to $42.63 a barrel. Oil prices tend to plunge during a recession, hovering averagely around $20 barrel during the last two recessions. Not only will this devastate the western oil patch, but it will have a huge impact on Government revenues.

The Federal Government gets a big chunk of the royalty pie from oil and gas. Energy is our biggest export. As economists are looking at GDP numbers for the past couple of years these take into account the highly inflated oil prices we have been seeing the past 8 years or so. As oil prices correct themselves to a recessionary reality our economy might not be as 'reboundable' as some are predicting.

btw the our other biggests exports are minerals and forestry products, both taking a massive economic hit since this economic crisis occured.

The wimper of whipped dogs

2008-12-03T22:56:00.005-05:00

While I have been pretty excited about the idea of the coalition, I have always known that the Liberals might not have the stomach for this fight. We are already hearing of cracks forming and some members starting get cold feet.

What the Liberals don't realize is that there is no way back now. The deal has been signed. The photos taken. There is no we can't get in bed with the sepratists. You're already there. You may as well make the best of it. If some do back out then it will be for the sake of their party. The Liberal party will rip itself in accusations and counter accusation.

However, the skittishness is more about what isn't being said. John Manley and Frank Mckenna have backed out of the "Four Wisemen" economic advisory roundtable... for what reason... I am not sure. Jean Chretien after his negoiating it's set up has been quite. So has Ignatieff and LeBlanc.

Over on Warren Kensella's blog, he delights in pointing out the pile on on Harper, but is mute on the coalition.

Why all the non-hubub?

It would seem to me that some are just chicken. Others are playing internal politics by staying out of it so if it goes south then they won't be implicated.

However, that skeptical play might also backfire. Because if this fails then Harper only comes back stronger and the Liberals will be seen as weak willed. For pitty's sake he just tried to kill their party and force them to pull the trigger.

Even if Ignatieff does win, he will be faced with a pissed off progressive force that has been mobilizing like never before. And if there is any opt-outers then if they have ever said a possitive word about a leadership candidate that person will wear it. Their opponents will make sure of it and I am pretty sure that other parties (including the Tories) will remind voters of it.

Instead they are playing their cake-and-eat-it-too game.

Here is what the Liberals don't seem to understand. This is their chance to get rid of Harper and turn the Conservative party inside-out. They get to show him that there is only so far that one party can be kicked around. If they collapse because of internal unity issues then the results might be catastrophic for them.

At the end of the day at least I can say that we conducted ourselves with civility and strength. I hope that others will be able to say same thing too.

This is what we are up against

2008-12-03T22:51:00.002-05:00

From David Akin's blog.

This is the frightening. It should be denounced by the Conservatives right away.

I hope that the Rallies are peaceful tomorrow. However, with the rhetoric that is coming out of the Tories I am worried that some hotheads will be running hot.

Why you should always source the scorce

2008-11-28T22:50:00.005-05:00

It has begun.

The Tory attack machine is creeping back into the media.

Look at this somewhat innocent report from CTV.ca. Apparently the NDP-Liberal coalition won't work and the if the GG goes through with it she is in deep "doodoo", or so says Dr. Barry Cooper of the University of Calgary

The very same university that Harper famously got his degree in Economics.

The same faculty that Tom Flanagan, long time Harper loyalist, belongs too.

The author of The Kline Achievement

Oh and he was responsible for the whole Friends of Science scam at the University of Calgary.

All that took was one google search. Good work CTV.ca!

And to top it all off he totally mischaracterized the King-Byng Affair. Some expert.

We need to be vigilant now, fight the disinformation, and show them for what they really are.

Too clever by half or how Harper outmaneuvered himself into uniting the left

2008-11-28T09:47:00.005-05:00

I have to say that I was blindsided by yesterday's Economic Statement. The overtly partisan nature of the statement as well as the sentiment behind it left me somewhat stunned.

Why would the Tories, who have been acting all nice-y nice the past two weeks all of a sudden turn around throw this down.

And really what is the point? This Economic Statement is a stop measure at best at the worst a ideologically attack to cripple the opposition at a point of global crisis.

From this side of the spectrum I have always looked at the Harper Conservatives with both dislike but some respect on their ability to bend and change against their ideological roots. While I pretty much disagreed with everything they did, there was a cold, steely math behind that I could understand. This I cannot.

Perhaps their additions were flawed or they didn't count all the beans. However, it is looking like they have done what most of us progressives have not been able to do, that is unit the opposition.

From reports in the paper and rumours hitting my desk it looks like something is in the works. I don't know what it will be, a working arrangement, a united front, or a full on coalition, but I would be surprised if the Harper Government lasted into the New Year.

It's funny, I didn't every see Harper as booster for the Unite the Left movement. It turns out he's its biggest booster.

Yeah... that one wasn't that thought out

2008-11-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

So the rumour is that the Tories are going to try to cut the buck $1.95 that parties get from each vote. Also there is a rumour that they want to cut 'perks' to MPs budgets.

I think they are also going to be selling a bridge in Brooklyn too, if you are interested.

Here's why these things I don't believe can't happen.

First off, the Finance Minister has no control over how Parliament spends its money. The MPs do. He can cut millions out of the House of Commons budget but he can't target it where those cuts will be. And seeing that the opposition has a majority in House the Tories might not like where those cuts go.

The $1.95 per vote is compensation for the restrictive measures put in place by the election financing law. Seeing that most political parties have loans based on expected revenue from the election returns it would make things very hard for the other political parties to settle up their debts.

Basically this would be an election issue. And the Conservative would loose government. Perhaps that would mean some sort of alliance in the house.... Interesting.

Of course this rumour would be the Liberal Parties wet dream. Because once the compensation goes, so does any justification for a cap. All the countries that I know that have a cap also have some sort of state funding. I can see the Liberals then argue that if they are going to cripple the system (one that they feel hurts them) then I can see them trying to repeal the entire thing.

After that the mission to starve the Liberals to death becomes a lot more difficult.

Dion's stragety to win the 2008 election

2008-11-25T21:25:00.003-05:00

I have been watching QP the past couple of days and what strikes me is how lame most of the Liberals questions are.

From CBC.ca "The Liberal leader also demanded the prime minister clarify exactly when he first knew the country would go into deficit, suggesting Harper was hiding the information from Canadians during the campaign that ended with the Conservatives returning to office with a strengthened minority government."

Really, this isn't what Canadians want to know. I know I don't care. And really, what if he got his answer, that he knew since Oct 1st that we were going into a deficit, does that change the fact that we are going into recession? No.

Are economy is going down, people are going to loose their jobs, and communities are going to suffer. What Canadians want to know is what is the government going to do about this problem NOW.

It kinda seems like Dion is trying to re-fight the last campaign and come up with the dubious, nefarious reasons that he didn't win. It's kind of sad really.

Tabuns gets them while they are young

2008-11-25T21:03:00.002-05:00

This past weekend's ONDY convention in Toronto had Tabuns score the endorsement of the parties youth wing.

It's a pretty good get. Young politicos are highly motivated and full of energy. They will pull the long hours and do the stuff the more experienced campaigners just don't want to.

It also shows that Tabuns has more hustle than Prue, while I wouldn't say that he was out organized (cause I wasn't there and don't know if that's what happened) he does have a formidable team, especially in Toronto.

I think that is one point coming out of this. Toronto is the power base for both Prue and Tabuns and Tabuns was able to win the first battle for the capital.

I think this race actually just got a bit interesting. Yay!

Nice couple of days

2008-11-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

You know there is something in the air these days. I didn't know what it was. Work seemed more exciting, things were great at home, everything was brighter, and even food tasted better.

Then I learned that Ann Coulter's jaw has been wired shut. Sadly she simply broke it (it wasn't court ordered or anything) and so it will one day be reopened (rather like the last scene of Raider of the Lost Arc I gather).

Oh, well. Moments like this are meant to last. Still I will enjoy the days I have left.

Big Deal New Deal. What's so new about it anyway.

2008-11-20T01:33:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: Looks like I am not the only to notice it. Bill Scher over at the Huffington Post also sees something interesting going on.

History is meant to be rewritten

2008-11-20T01:18:00.003-05:00

Have you noticed this particular bit of historical rewriting going on?

That FDR's New Deal in the 1930s actually prolonged the depression because it confused investors who were apparently just waiting to get back into the market.

This is being repeated in a number of places by right wing pseudo-economists trying to discredit the New Deal and FDRs approach.

Why would they do that? Well most neo-cons don't really like the new deal. Didn't like it then and don't like it now.

However, the invoking the past is pretty much all about power. If you can find the right historical reference then you have more leverage in your argument than the person who has none.

So in the context of the global economic CRISIS people are talking New Deal Redux and the Neo-Cons (who got us into this mess in the first place) are scrambling trying to keep government out of their way... as long as it is not trying to give them money... then they are for that government intervention.

A similar rewriting was attempted a couple of years back on McCarthy pointing out that he actually caught a lot of spies and that he wasn't that bad (damned liberal media). Of course that was at the time that the US was wiretapping citizen with out court documents and sending people to secret jails with out due process. I'm sure that the two didn't have anything in common.

Tune of the Day: I wanna be Sedated- The Ramones

2008-11-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

Here's one of my personal favs. I first heard the Ramones back in grade 6 (back in the late 80s) and I still turn to them when I am looking for something to listen to-unlike some of the other tunes I was listening to back then (Bananarama I am looking at you).

There isn't much to say about them except enjoy.

Three's Company

2008-11-13T12:23:00.003-05:00

I suspect that we are now seeing the entire playing field for the Liberal leadership contest.

With the Ignatieff juggernaut now having entered the race and the fees and spending cap so high I doubt that other potential candidates are still thinking of entering-even if it is to up their profile. (Remember that the $90,000 entrance fee is still higher than more candidates have to raise for an election).

With such small field I am not sure that if this race will get the same coverage of the last one (which pretty much dominated political reporting in 2006). Still I would suspect to see a at least two panels nightly on Politics and Duffy focused only the leadership race.

I suspect the interesting part of this story will be looking at the support that each of the contestants will get. I am sure that the score cards are already being drawn up.

Why should we be surprised?

2008-11-13T11:02:00.006-05:00

So the (almost) trillion dollar bailout package is in the words of the Eric M. Thorson, the US Treasury Department's inspector general is a "mess". He goes on to say that "I don't think anyone understands right now how we're going to do proper oversight of this thing."

Here's my non economist, barely can balance a cheque book, opinion... stop the Bailout! Freeze all programs associated with it and hold on to that money for say two months.

Why? That's because that's when the people that created the mess won't be in power any longer. It was Bush and his appointees ideology that got them into this mess and we now need different people with a different view.

Money and the Liberal vote

2008-11-12T09:56:00.003-05:00

Martha Hall Findley is out. So is Denis Coderre. They join Jahn Mannley and Frank McKenna as big names not running. We are still awaiting word from Gerrard Kennedy.

That leaves Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc currently in the race with Michael Ignatieff expected to announce this week that he is planning to run. It is expected that there are two other

What does the Hall Findley and Coderre opt-out mean for the party?

It means that the old rules that bind the Liberals and keep power located at the top is choking the party. The election of Dion as leader back in December 2006 wasn't the only failing of that convention.

On the floor of that convention (which I watched the entire thing on CPAC... yeah I am geek) they was a number of resolutions trying to open up the party and add more democracy to how it works (a radical idea for a political party). Hall Findley and Kennedy were at the forefront of this debate (if I remember correctly)as was the non-aligned Belinda Stronach, the key one being the elimination of the delegate system and going to the one-member-one-vote system that the NDP and Conservatives have.

The resolution was soundly defeated.

While delegated conventions are more exciting to watch (like I said I watched the whole thing) they keep the power located in the hands of the few rather than in the membership. It uses delegates as chips or counters that get moved around the boardgame of leadership.

Not only is not democratic it is also expensive. Coderre estimates that it costs about $2000 to get a delegate to the convention a cost that the candidate is likely to cover. To get 20 delegates to the convention in Vancouver from one riding association it would cost $40, 000. That gets expensive seeing that the cap is only $1.5 million.

If there are 5 candidates it means that if all of them raise the max it would they would have to raise $7.5 million that means that 6818 people will have contribute their maximum $1100. In context in first 9 months of this year the Liberals raised $3.6 million with about 35,000 contributors. These 5 candidates are expected to raise more than double that in 2/3 of the time.

As the party has leveled a 10% levy on donations the party stand to make some money from this endeavor, however they still have to put on a convention which is expensive. Also, most of their donors are likely going to be tapped out during this process which is a loss to the main party.

At a time where they are getting less money from elections Canada and their fundraising is lack luster, the next year will be lean times for the Grits.

Unless their is a stellar candidate that galvanizes the party and creates a first rate fundraising machine (that can be integrated into the party) I doubt that they will be rushing to the polls anytime soon.

Dr. Progressive's happy fun-time new voting system... It'll cure you of all that ails ya

2008-11-12T01:03:00.002-05:00

There is a common threat that is appearing in most of articles/posts/graffiti on uniting the left and that is a call for PR. Cameron and Jackson call for it in their pieces (see below) and I think that it is mentioned in the Campbell/Topp exchange too (though I am too lazy to check).

While I am a supporter of Proportional Representation, I am not someone who sees it as a panacea of the problem of the Right Wing. To simply take the math from the last election, plug it into a PR model and pop out a result is too simple. Elections and politics are much more complicated than that.

While we might see similar patterns occurring in the first election or two, PR would radically change the election dynamic of the country. New Zealand, who has had PR for over 15 years, just elected a right wing government. Germany has PR and they have a Conservative government.

However, as it seems that the call to Unite the Left is really becoming a rally call for PR, and that is great. For too long people haven't had their vote counted. It is time that we update our current system. Democracies are meant to be remolded to fit the times. If not they become stagnant and people stop caring.

So while talking about Uniting entities that aren't going to do so is wasting a lot of energy, I think that the Movement for PR is one that has some traction.

It takes an economist to point out the obvious

2008-11-12T00:53:00.002-05:00

Over on the Progressive Economics Forum (a truly interesting blog on... well progressive economics) Andrew Jackson has a good post on why he doesn't see a unite the left movement going forward anytime soon.

Uniting the left is as easy as 1-2-3-4

2008-11-12T00:33:00.003-05:00

Duncan Cameron over on Rabble has a few ideas of the 'progressive' parties should do.

[as an aside I no longer believe that progressive and left are synomimous. They have their crossover points, but while the left tends to be progressive, not all progressive are on the left.]

Cameron makes some good points, but sadly they don't really stand up. He's number his so I'll follow the same format in my analysis:

1. All should work for proportional representation by joining and supporting Fair Vote Canada.
-That is all fine and good but the Liberals DO NOT support PR. They never have and they never will unless they keep going on the direction they are currently going (which is down). The NDP is all for it as is the Greens (and they don't have a voice in the House). In 2007 the NDP introduced a motion in the House to get the ball rolling on PR and the Liberals, Bloc and Conservatives all voted it down. If we are going to get PR in our voting system it will likely come from the radical side of the Conservatives.

2. Build expertise and pool resources for a strategic voting site following the lead taken for election 2008 by environmental groups.
-While it might work to get a few progressive MPs usually strategic voting backfires and splits the vote. On a strictly 'get out the vote' view, strategic voting isn't the best to motivate people to go to the polls. As left/progressives we should be seeking to get people to vote FOR someone not simply against.

3. The Progressive Parties should not run in certain ridings where a Conservative might be defeated.
-While it seems so easy on the surface, the reality is that you don't know where your support is going to go. I think that Central Nova showed us that. With the Liberals pulling out their support fractured into four pieces: it when the Greens (as it was suppose to) but it also went NDP and Conservative, and some people were just disheartened and didn't vote at all.

4. Convene an across party lines "thinkers" conference and get people talking about envisaging a new party system.
-Out of all the idea this one has some merit to it, however, the basic problem remains: the Liberals don't want to work with anyone.

What I like about #4 (besides being my fav number) is the idea of bringing people together to think of new possibilities. I doubt that it will turn into anything useful. The Liberals have no need these days to look to the NDP or the Greens for potential support. They still believe that they can win, and win often, with our help. As long as they have that attitude they won't be at that meeting.

The problem with all this talk right now is that the Liberals are in a leadership race and we don't know who will end up as leader. While it could be argued (and should because I would like to see it) that Dion was Left of Center the next leader of the Liberals is likely going to be someone more on the right (makes sense as it is the Tories that are gutting them more that the NDP or Greens).

And the beat goes on

2008-11-11T23:48:00.002-05:00

Perhaps because we are in the holding pattern before a new parliament starts, but the Unite the Left meme keeps going.

John Geddes devotes a good amount of time in it in his post-election feature on Latyon and the NDP. He quote Robin Sears, Boardbent's former Chief of Staff, about his view that the NDP needs to meld with the Liberals. "Sears discerns little daylight these days between Liberals and New Democrats on policy. " Geddes writes. He then goes on to counter withe a quote from Layton saying: '"The Liberal party,” [Layton] says, “runs using quite a few of the ideas we talk about, but in government goes the other way.” He has often railed in the past about Liberal governments failing to make good on promises in areas like child care and greenhouse gas reductions.'

May-be a leader?

2008-11-11T18:09:00.003-05:00

Well this is something else that the Liberals and Greens had in common. Both were completely unprepared for the past election.

To be honest I am a bit surprised. In a minority situation you should have a outline of a campaign on hand just in case the government falls. I mean it wasn't like there wasn't countless false starts (well about 4).

If I was a Green I would be a little disappointed in May's leadership. To be honest, it doesn't really seem like she has shown the best leadership skills. The deal with the Liberals was designed to undermine their support in the last days. Running in Central Nova seemed more like an ego trip than a realistic chance of getting her into office. And the growth from 4.5 to 6.8 is growth, it far less than they were polling at during the campaign (I think Nanos had them at around 8%).

So far as leader we have seen more of May than the party that she represents. That is partially due to the fact that election campaigns are partial based on personality, however, all we saw of the party was May saying nice things, but little of policy or highlighting the party.

Still I am not one that says that a leader should be be thrown overboard after the first election. They are crazy and massive learning experiences.

However, seeing that the Green's have been through elections in the past, and that May has attracted some talent with experience, the Party should have done some more preparing.

At the end of the day the Green Party was saved by the power of May's personality, but damaged by her inexperience as a leader of a political party.

The next time, the novelty of May might have worn a bit thin and then the party will need a solid plan.

When is a hateful crime not a hate crime?

2008-11-11T16:15:00.003-05:00

I am not a lawyer or anything... but I think that this is a definition of a Hate Crime.

It's a scary and sad story. Sad that their son had to watch this happen to his mothers and scary that there are people that somewhere in their bigoted little heads thinks that it is okay to do this type of thing.

If the government wants to show how hard-ass it is on crime then I suggest that they start on this man.

Unite: Yes/No

2008-11-09T11:05:00.003-05:00

Uniting the left. It sounds simple. Why don't the Left of Centre parties in Canada put aside their petty difference and join up to fight the Right. Common sense says that if the NDP, Liberals, and Greens combined their vote they would win.

That's basically the thesis from Leslie Campbell, a former chief of staff to Audrey McLaughlin and assistant to Manitoba NDP leader Gary Doer in a series of emails between him and NDP campaign manager Brian Topp that were recently published on Globeandmail.com. It's is quite interesting and shows highlights well the debate that is currently happening.

For my two cents I think that while Campbell has some good points they only work in the abstract. The reality on the ground is that the idea of a united left, at least on the party level, isn't realistic. Unless we are taking about the Communist Party and the Marxist-Leninist Parties uniting I think the idea of getting the NDP, Liberals, and the Green's meld in to the NLG is a little out of touch.

While they have some similar policy ideas the core of each party is different. The NDP is rooted in the social democratic movement of the mid-twentieth century. The Green's in a neo-liberal environmental ideology. The Liberals are, at its core, ideology-less with getting into and holding on to power as its driving force.

To see these different groups trying to unite under the Left banner would be silly (as two of the three try to stay away from the term). This isn't a matter of turf wars, its about being honest of the political realities of Canada.

Topp has the more realistic analysis of the lay-of-the-land. He is right that neither the Liberals or the Greens are taking about merger, in fact the only way the Liberals would even concider it is if the NDP and Greens came to them on their knees begging to be part of the big red party.

However, there is one point that I would disagree with and that is that the NDP has transformed itself to meet the changing nature of political map. While it is true that it has, the message hasn't gotten out. Reading the comments on the Globe site people are still holding onto old ideas of the party, mostly those from the 1970s. The efforts for the party to change that perception is only beginning to be seen and I think in the next parliamentary session it will come out a lot more.

The problem for the NDP is that political brands are hard to reshape without something drastic. Therefore the basic cultural change has gone unnoticed. Well that isn't fair. The NDP has been increasing in support in Layton's tenure as leader.

The problem is that the NDP brand is still not trusted by 4 in 5 Canadian voters. And that is something that needs to work on.

Okay, the table is set now lets start this

2008-11-08T18:01:00.000-05:00

And to no one's surprise Andrea Horwath has entered the fray to be the next leader of the Ontario NDP.

Good for her.

Sadly I was hoping for a dark horse to enter (there is still time!) but it doesn't look like it will happen. It should be an interesting debate between the old timers (Bisson and Prue) and the whippersnappers (Tabuns and Horwath).

Ow... that just gave me whiplash

2008-11-06T10:22:00.003-05:00

Less than 24 hours of Obama being elected president, the Harper government has signaled that it wants to work with him to implement an integrated climate change system.

What does this mean? From the Toronto Star: "That means moving to a shared system of hard caps or limits on industrial greenhouse gases, combined with an emissions "credit" trading system. That would allow companies that meet their emissions limits, and have room to spare, to earn pollution "credits" they can turn around and sell to poor performers. The idea is to create an economic incentive to lower the emissions that contribute to global warming."

If only someone had introduced such a plan during our election, someone with the foresight to see how things were moving around the globe and suggest that Canada move in the same direction and cut our emissions. Oh wait what's this:

"Rewarding polluters who clean up their act, and imposing penalties on those that don't, is the core of the system being implemented in the European Union," Layton said. "It has been proposed by both U.S. Presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain. And so it provides Canada with a potentially integrated, increasingly global solution. Layton called his plan "mainstream, prudent, common sense."

Oh that's right. And the media basically ignored it.

I have been saying for some time that I expected that the Conservatives would adopt the cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions. Mainly that it was the system that most of the world was going to start using, and it would be silly to be left out. Plus, it uses a market model that an economist like Harper can understand. And third, it is not the Green Shift.

I believe that we are looking at an interesting shift here. It really shows how beholden Harper was to the Bush regime, always giving him at least one ally to count on. Now, Harper is resubmitting his resume for the job. I wonder if Obama will take it.

Wonder what this could mean?

2008-11-05T17:43:00.001-05:00

Subject: Rally for Andrea Horwath - It's Time, Friday, Nov. 7

Dear: m-d/d
If you or someone you know is in the Hamilton area...

RALLY FOR ANDREA HORWATH
It's time

Join Hamilton-Centre MPP Andrea Horwath, friends and guests

for a special announcement.

When:
Friday, November 7
11:30am

Where:
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
51 Stuart Street
Hamilton, Ontario

See you there....

Obama Victory Speech (in case you missed it or miss it)

2008-11-05T10:45:00.004-05:00

Obama beats McCain

2008-11-05T10:12:00.003-05:00

what else is there to say.

Hell, I'm thinking of getting the tshirt (courtesy of CNN of course).

Obama Wins....

2008-11-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

Dixville Notch, NM.

Wasn't even close. 16 to 5.

Well that was the first results. Looking forward to the rest of the day!

Tabuns '09 gets a jump ahead

2008-11-02T17:49:00.000-05:00

I just got my first bit of Ontario NDP Leadership email.

Dear m-d/d,

Across Ontario, there’s a growing urgency for change. With every job shock, market shock, price shock and energy shock that hits families, more people in Ontario see the need for pragmatic, progressive solutions.

Ontario needs to prepare for the challenges ahead, and create the sustainable jobs of tomorrow, through energy policy that saves families and businesses money while dealing with the crisis of climate change.

That’s why I’m running for leader of the Ontario NDP. And why I’m writing to ask for your support, ideas, energy and donation.

In the last six months the costs of roller-coaster of oil prices, the financial crisis, and free-for-all world trade have become too clear.

Here in Ontario we need to get serious about the 21st Century, and the NDP needs to get serious about it, too. I hope to work with you as leader to build the modern, progressive party Ontarians increasingly want.

Every day I meet people who know governments elsewhere set high standards, work with businesses and workers effectively, protect and create family-supporting jobs, and reduce the dangerous addiction to fossil fuels.

Together, we don’t have to watch while places like Denmark, Pennsylvania, California or Germany fight climate change, create jobs and prepare for tomorrow. We can join the emerging consensus that recognizes that deregulation doesn’t work.

And we can start by reducing energy dependence, not with a $100 billion, nuclear-centred plan for Ontario’s electricity, but with conservation, green job creation, and more green cars and public transit.

Some of my ideas you’ll find on my website, www.tabuns09.ca, and some I’ve spoken about in forums and meetings right across Ontario.

Three decades of working with you on progressive projects - as a city councillor, environmental activist, chair of Toronto’s Board of Health, climate change policy advisor, and MPP have convinced me Ontario’s ready for real solutions.

Your work in your community is proof that Ontario can rise to the challenge our economy faces. We can change the NDP and bring these good ideas to Ontario.

I’m committed to building a party dedicated to solving problems, building alliances, and creating a modern organization to win more seats. But I need your help.

If you share my conviction that the stakes have never been so high, please accept my invitation to work together for renewal and victory. Your donation to my campaign, ideas and energy are welcome.

I look forward to putting your ideas into practical, progressive policy solutions for Ontario’s most pressing needs - from health care to poverty, education to property tax, and our biggest challenge…building a new energy economy ready to prosper in the century ahead.

This leadership race is the first step in changing the NDP to reflect a changing Ontario. I’m excited about that, and can’t wait to begin.

Peter Tabuns, MPP
P.S. Please visit my website at www.tabuns09.ca to share your ideas, and learn more about mine. Consider supporting my campaign through a secure on-line donation.

Don't mess with PEI Fishermen’s Association

2008-10-30T12:47:00.002-04:00

I stand corrected.

And Bradley Trost mom wants him to be Minister of Natural Reasources

2008-10-27T23:43:00.004-04:00

Well the election is over and that means that it is cabinet time. Yup there are a whole bunch of back benchers that are going to let down as this week comes to an end.

Like Larry Miller the stocky member for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. According to Bayshore Broadcasting Miller has being endorsed for Minister of Agriculture by the The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture. Well now.

Meanwhile in on the east coast the PEI Fishermen’s Association is pushing hard to get Gail Shea, newly minted Conservative MP for Egmont, the Fisheries Ministry.

I'm not sure if this is giving these MPs hope that they will actually get these portfolios or if it is slightly embarrassing. Like your mom saying telling your friends that you should play centre in a street hockey game.

While I suspect that Shea has a good shot at being in Cabinet as she is the only MP from PEI (out of 4) and she is a women, two deficiencies that Harper will likely want to fill. However, anatomically square male MPs from the hinterland of Ontario isn't a demographic the PM really needs to balance.

It took a report

2008-10-25T17:52:00.000-04:00

So an extremely partisan think tank that has received a posh contract from the government is against people that it disagrees with getting money from the government.

Back in 2007 the Frontier Centre for Public Policy received a government contract (along with Compas Polling) to conduct a series of what amounts to focus groups on Canadians' thoughts on electoral reform. It cost about a million dollars and when all was send and done the report basically sounded like what the government had been saying.

The FCPP is a right wing think tank with ties to Civitas Society and the Harper government.

So while they may be right, that the Bloc couldn't campaign at the level it did, neither could the NDP or the Liberals for that matter. I'm sure that report is coming out next.

Oh the Irony (part 2)

2008-10-24T16:16:00.003-04:00

Two headlines from today:

Globe and Mail: "Abstaining no longer a Liberal option" CP "Liberals won't bring down Harper on throne speech"

I guess that means their new strategy will be voting with the government from now on???

Oh the Irony (part 1)

2008-10-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

It seems that only weeks after saying they wouldn't run deficits the Tories aren't ruling them out. Classic.
And people wonder why people don't trust politicians.

So yeah... where were we?

2008-10-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

Been away for a while. Sorry gentle readers. There was an election and I decided that I should work as much as I could do to better my parties results.
And we did just that.
While I can say that I was a bit disappointed with final score I think that the NDP hands down ran the best campaign among all the parties. I don't think that is being biased of me saying that.

The Conservatives tried to run a low ball campaign with targeted micro promises. Problem is that they were so small they barely got any coverage. And ironically enough it was the economy that through their game plan off. While I have argued that the Conservatives had a very effective campaign in 05/06, the election of '08 wasn't a master stroke victory. In fact, with a majority within their grasps, and two of the four main parties down, the Conservatives messed it up by letting their more nasty nature show.

The Liberals were a mess. They had the Green Shift, but no way to sell it, and it killed them. The problem is that Liberals had no new ideas how to campaign so they fell back to their standard Chretien era tricks. Problem was that while most people didn't want the conservatives as their government, they didn't really like what the liberals had to offer. As much as the Liberals want to attacked the media and CTV right now, they have to remember that they had a pretty easy ride for most of the election. Both CTV and CBC were trying their darnest to set Dion up for a Turner style rebound, however, it never really materialized.

The Greens did what they could, however, with May running against who she was running against didn't help. In fact, while people saw a lot more of the Green Leader in the election, I don't think people really walked away with a better understanding of their party. While their popular vote increased I suppose it wasn't what they were hoping for.

While there were a few errors within the NDP campaign (and there is always bound to be) by enlarge their campaign looked the best, ran the best, and had the most energy out of all the parties. While journalist laughed at Layton for saying that he was running for prime minister, it portrayed Jack in a different light, I think helped pick up some seats in places were they wouldn't have won other wise (Edmonton I'm looking at you!).

And while there are a lot of folks saying that this election was a waste and we ended up with exactly what we had before I would argue that a lot has changed. The NDP might actually gain a seat on the house committees and the liberals loose one. The Cons might be looked hard at their right wing ideology and try to figure a way to move to the centre. The Liberals learned nothing, except that the left is crowed and will likely choose a more right leader next time.

Should be an interesting couple of years.

Example #32 why the Liberal brand is sooo strong

2008-09-04T23:44:00.003-04:00

from the Ottawa Citizen today "Liberals eclipse Conservatives in attracting female candidates"
but if you read down to the 5th paragraph you see that the New Democrats actually have more than both parties... but that's not the head line.

So the Liberal win the female candidate contest... unless you actually look at all the parties. The New Democrats have 40% women running for them the highest among all the parties. But that's not lead...

bah. And they wonder why people call into question the media's objectivity....

Tune of the day: The Pixies- Debaser

2008-09-04T23:42:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it too be soooo long to play The Pixies. I'm sure they will make another appearance.

Shifting the shift

2008-09-03T17:11:00.002-04:00

It looks like the Carbon Shift isn't easily sold at the doorstep. While the basics are simple enough, the details are highly detailed and you kinda need a map to really understand how it will work (of course there are no targets so they can't really tell it will work).

I think that Liberal MPs too are getting a little nervous watching the BC Liberals sinking over this same issue. While at the beginning of the year the Campbell government was doing well in the polls and the NDP was listless a bit, the "Axe the Tax" campaign has been working quite well. They are now basically tied with the once extremely popular Liberals and they have the momentum.

With a federal election days a way the Federal Libs might be a bit nervous that their provincial cousins are getting hammered. Even the Tories, once quite friendly with the Campbell regime are attacking his plan.

This should be some interesting times.

Keep on rocking the virtual world

2008-09-03T13:58:00.002-04:00

I have decided to start a song of the day feature over on the right side of this blog. The idea came to be around the whole Holy Fuck! scandal and I thought it would be cool to have some music playing here. It would be cooler to have a little radio station playing or some such thing, though I am not tech savvy for such a thing nor do I have the time to learn...

I'll try to update it every day, though I don't promise... especially if it is a rocking tune.

I'm starting it off with Joan Jett's I love rock and roll, cause it rocks! (duh).

Careful what you wish for

2008-09-01T14:52:00.006-04:00

A couple days ago the arch-Harper Conservative Tom Flanagan indicated that this up coming election will be more than simply another chance to get a majority--it is really a chance to drive another nail in the Liberal coffin. (I think it currently has about 3 out of 13)

This will be a long process and will require a bit of time, but if Flanagan is correct, Harper is looking for more than a majority, he is looking to alter the very character of Canadian elections. While this election is about winning; it is also about kicking the Liberals while they are still trying to get up. In this context the Libel suit against Dion and the Liberal Party makes sense. Tighten the financial screws in as many ways as possible.

Of course I wish them luck. As a partisan New Democrat I wouldn't mind seeing the Liberals taken down a few (just as I am sure that are trying to get rid of us. YEAH I see right through you Green Party of Canada... ).

But you have to be careful about a loud about the Liberals demise. Back in the '88 election Ed Boardbent talked about it during an interview during another spectacular Liberal collapse. It got so pathetic that people started to feel sympathy for the party (especially in the Media) and they came back in a strong way.

So the Tories should be a little more discreet with their dreams, they might come back on them as nightmares.

Just what the doctor ordered... an election!

2008-08-25T00:12:00.006-04:00

Now I love elections. I love watching them and I love working them. Its politics at the most dynamic and exciting.

So it seems that PM Harper is testing the waters to see Canadians appetite for a dropped writ as early as two weeks from now! Geez. I suspect that he is pretty serious about this for a couple of reasons:

The Liberals have been indicating that they are about to end their 'partnership' with the Conservatives and are likely to try to regain some dignity by introducing at least one non-confidence vote (well to be fair they did put one forward in the fall... though that was against the opposition parties). If the Tory's topple themselves it doesn't give Dion the appearance of bring 'tough'.
From rumblings from the PMO comm staff it doesn't sound like they have high hopes for the bi-elections. Westmont-Ville Marie and Gelph are looking like two way races between the incumbent Liberals and a surging NDP. While placing 3rd will likely be a blow to the Tories, especially in Guelph where it sounds like they had high hopes. If the Liberals carry these two then it may give them some wind in their sails and will likely make it more likely for them to try to pull the plug on this Parliament.
The idea of having an election at the same time or after the US elections is not really good. If Obama does well it might get people wanting a similar change away from a right wing government; if he looses then moderate Canadians might take it out on the Right Wing here and vote for our own progressive government here.
The Liberals are still not completely ready for a campaign. They wont be completely disorganized, and they are probably much more together than in the spring, fundraising and local candidates are still an issue. Best to get them while they are unbalanced and still trying to assess how the summer lecture tour went.
Harper also doesn't seem to have much on the policy side of things that he really wants to get through. Besides the budget, the spring was pretty weak.
Plus, I doubt that Senior Conservatives would be saying this if it wasn't approved from the top. These stories have been floating around for the past couple of days. Remember, Harper is the master of the controlled leak. He uses them like other people use press releases. From the beginning of his campaign for an election he has been getting good reviews from the columnist class and so he might feel that he might not get that much blow-back from the election call.

So will it happen? Who knows. Really. This Parliament has been the most wobbly in memory. Even Martin's minority at least had battles to keep it going or to topple it. There has been very little good fights to keep this going, more like capitulations from the Bloc and the Liberals.

However, if there is one I suspect that Health Care might play a role. For the second time in a row the CMA has elected a prominent two-tier health care advocate, Dr. Robert Ouellet. Like Dr. Brian Day before him, Dr. Ouellet really wants private care to be more a factor in Canada's health care system. It is interesting that the CMA has only started electing people with these views once the Conservatives are in power. They know that no other party would listen to this talk, however, now with the Conservatives in they might find a sympathetic ear. It might also become a weird election issue as the wait times guarantee is still the one five election promise that they haven't been able to keep. Start looking for the usual suspects (Frasier Institute) to start peppering us with 'data' that says that two-tier is the way to go in the up coming weeks.

Maxing, relaxing, being all cool, but not playing some b-ball outside the school

2008-08-25T00:08:00.002-04:00

Hey, I am back! Well not really. Just a quick update since I am on vacation for another week. But there is soooo much happening.

On to it.

Pumping Irony or Holy Fuck! part 3: how the Western Standard misread a dictionary and thought they were cleaver

2008-08-13T17:09:00.003-04:00

So now the Western Standard is claiming that the PromArt and Trade Routes was a way of pushing Canadian culture down other countries throats. Cultural Imperialism they called it as well as The White Man's Burden. They even had a quoted Edward Said. It was all quite cute. Of course, they totally misunderstood the meaning of the term. But it was nice to see them try.

The problem is that a six month exhibition by the Nickle Arts Museum of Alberta in Poland or sending Newfoundland's Duo Concertante dance company to China doesn't rank up there in the annals Cultural Imperialism. Perhaps it is in Kipling's poem.., somewhere at the end. I didn't really get that far.

Oh course we can see the hypocritical ooze past the veneer of the naive irony.

These were the same people that were all crying fowl when they're friends were brought in front of the Human rights Tribunal. Using the state to silence them is of course totally wrong. But if the state does it to people we don't agree with then that's fine. I'll pass you over to Warren Kinsella for a better rant on this angle)

Their American Cousin or Holy Fuck! part 2: this time it's political

2008-08-13T16:19:00.005-04:00

While the elimination of a couple of Arts funding programs isn't in itself a major set back, it does point to a clear, and systematic agenda that the Right here in Canada is implementing.

Basically it follows the clear path set out by the American Right Wing. The purpose isn't to cut a program that they see as a waste of money (though that is a happy coincidence for them) in reality it is a way of politicising the arts to make it appear part of some Liberal elite disconnected from the 'real' work of hard working folk.

Take the examples they used to cut the PromArt program: Holy Fuck! (who I have now been listening to all day on their myspace site) Avi Lewis and 'left wing' journalist Gywn Dyer. These are names that are suppose to rile up the Conservative base, just like the Federally funded Mapplethorpe exhibit did in the States about a decade or so ago. Mapplethorpe became the poster boy for the Right in the US for everything that was wrong in state funded art (and what a poster it was... eew).

What the Conservatives are saying is "Why is your tax dollars going to fund a radically lefty like Avi Lewis or a band like Holy Fuck! This isn't your values or your culture"

Really, as the Globe's Simon Houpt points out the majority of the recipients aren't controversial at all. All it takes are a few though with names or reputations to act as a code to pit

It's nasty politics. Guttural one might say. As drives a wedge between the artists and the population (a segment of it at least) and it attempt to bring the American culture war up to Canada. It pits urban versus rural in a false claim that the two have nothing in common.

Just like the cutting of money to the court challenges program and the redrafting of the mandate for Status of Woman Canada this is another attempt to

However, this is bound to fail. Rural Canada is shrinking (perhaps an anxiety that the Conservatives wish to cash in on) and urban Canada is growing. And besides, there are a lot of artists and friends of artist that live in the country as they can't live in the cities anymore because they don't make that much.

And they are still off

2008-08-13T15:02:00.002-04:00

Just got confirmation that Andrea Horwath is seeking signatures for her nomination papers.

That makes about 4 Ontario NDP caucus members that will be going for a promotion.

So far Michael Prue and Gilles Bisson have made public their intentions and Peter Tabuns has set up quite a sizable infrastructure though still no word from him. As the perceived front runner he doesn't need to announce anything yet as he gets coverage anyway (like I am doing right now... tricky).

While I haven't heard that much negative from most people I have talked to about this leadership contest, most are underwhelmed. I think that a lot of people are waiting for some sort of outsider candidate to come in and make a splash. Of course, by waiting Tabuns is somewhat making it hard for any outsider to jump in as he builds is aura of certainty.

Of course things have a tendency of going sideways for front runners. Look at the last Liberal race! However this will be a one member one vote convention with most people voting well in advance to the final day. As we saw with Layton's leadership the front runner there has serious advantage and any come from behind victories are more difficult.

Signs, sings, everywhere a sign

2008-08-13T13:39:00.002-04:00

It seems like summer in Montreal wouldn't be complete without a bi-election. I just got back from there and it was interesting to see the the downtown area covered in political signage, with the leaders being the Liberals and the NDP.

I have said it before and I'll say it again: signs mean nothing and mean everything. Just because you see a lot of signs doesn't mean that that party is going to win. But they can tell you a lot about the organization behind the signs. Not just in the fact the speed and coverage of putting up the signs, but the style of sign and there placement.

Take the Marc Gareau's signs for example. The Liberal signs are quite big (2 feet by 1 foot by my estimation) and hung up high on a poll so that you can see them from a distance and there are quite a few of them too. By their size and freaquncy they take ownership of the area, reminding voters who they always vote for. (The signs have changed from Outremont in that they are more red and less fancy and aren't ashamed of the Liberal brand).

On the other hand you have Anne Lagacé Dowson's signs. They are smaller vertical signs (in fact I think you can have 3-4 of these signs make up one big Liberal sign). These signs hang at eye level and usually found on every corner of an intersection and therefore they target pedestrians rather than drivers. While their size suggests that they are the underdog in this riding the amount of them point out that they are a serious contender in the riding and have a chance at actually winning! This was basically the tactic in Outremont, from what what I saw there last year, though Tom Mulcair had big sign too with he and Layton on them. I wonder if those are yet to come.

While the NDP has an up hill fight in Westmont-Ville Marie (much bigger than Outremont) it isn't inconceivable that the Liberals will loose.

First, the victory in Outremont has shown that the NDP can win in Quebec and in Liberal safe seats.

Secondly, from what I have been hearing, all is not well in Liberal party in Quebec. There are still wounds that haven't healed and a lot of team Quebec aren't too happy with their national leader. Last time they all when on vacation and from what I have been hearing it is the same team as Outremont that is leading the charge.

Also Dion wasn't jumping over himself to get Garneau as a candidate. The former spaceman had to public quit to get the nod to run. Not a great way to start a campaign. From the sounds of it it sounds like the

Lastly (though I could come up with more) this bi-election, as if the one in Guelph, more about the Liberal Party than the Government. Usually, bi-elections are seen as a referendum on the current Government. It is the Dion and his party on trail here and they need not only to win but win big to prove that they have momentum.

We are in new territory in Quebec right now. With the Conservatives and NDP picking up support it is unclear how these next few elections will break. Will the Liberals and Conservatives spilt the vote allowing the NDP up the middle? I guess we'll know in about 4 weeks.

He might, he might not

2008-08-13T12:01:00.004-04:00

Personally I love seeing stories get spun around one way then another.

At the centre of this dust devil is grit/tory free agent David Emerson and his future in politics.

Yesterday's Globe pronounced "Emerson will 'probably' run again, Tories say". There is some uncertainly there, but it is on the positive side in this story.

Today's Halifax Chronicle Harald ran with a CP story that takes a different tact "Emerson may not run again". Interesting. Again with the uncertainty, but casts in a more negative light.

The thing is that these are basically the same story: that no one knows if this senior Minister will run again in the next election. If he does run in his current riding, Vancouver-Kingsway, he will likely get defeated as he narrowly avoided defeat by the NDP in the last election and I believe that the whole floor crossing thing won't be that helpful in carrying over the his Liberal voters to the Conservatives.

Personally I would be surprised if Emerson ran again and if he did it wouldn't be in Vancouver-Kingsway.

Holy Fuck!

2008-08-13T11:08:00.008-04:00

What do Avi Lewis, the electo band Holy Fuck, and Journalist Gywn Dyer have in common. They are now the reason that artists cannot apply for funding to travel. It is all their fault. Shame on you.

Here's what philistines like Peter Worthington (if that is he's real name) don't seem to get: that arts funding actually betters our society and our economy. Internationally it gives us a better profile and nationally makes our cities and town much more exciting places to live.

And yes the Canada Council and all the provincial agencies have created better writers, artists and musicians as they have been able to get a small amount of money to do what they do. We actually spend very little on these programs compared to other countries, even the US.

The US, in fact, are big boosters of their arts and entertainment industries. They know that it helps 'sell the brand' so to speak. It gives them a profile in the rest of the world as well as brings home a lot of cash. That is why they fight so hard against cultural protectionism abroad and as well as for strict copyright laws and the such. They see it as essential that their culture be seen.

This is different from Worthington's out moded view of soviet style state funded propaganda. It's like saying that because Stalin wore shirts we shouldn't ware shirts (I for one like wearing them and I don't think that makes me a communist sympathiser). Most of the arts funding government bodies are some what arms length from the government and there isn't much interference from the political level in who gets what grant. It is usually decided by juries of other artists to look at the merits and faults in their given field.

The only political interventions that I can remember hearing about is from Conservative governments who like to shift the funding away from arts and fund local festivals instead. It happened under the Harris government and even under this current regime.

But in case Mr. Worthington has forgotten the reason that the Canada Council for the Arts was created in the first place was to ensure that Canadian stories and voices were seen and heard (because they weren't). It helped foster a generation of talent that include EVERY artist, writer and musician that is now known in Canada. It help create not only the talent, but the infrastructure too by supporting schools, publishers, theatres and production companies. (I wonder how much Mr. Worthington's employer Quebecor has received in grants, tax breaks, and the like over the years, especially now that things aren't going so good for the company.)

And, in the case of Holy Fuck! the funding helped, and now they don't need the Fed to help tour across Europe. They are growing in popularity and are making it (as much as one can).

So what if Gwen Dyer has a trip paid for by the Government because the Government wanted him to speak at a conference the Government was helping to put on. He didn't even ask for it.

Canada pumps out more for helping Canadian businesses than anything close to the help it gives the cultural community.

And Holy Fuck is a good band. A really good band.

Looking back on a look back

2008-08-12T23:39:00.007-04:00

I just read James Laxer's piece in this months THIS Magazine. It's interesting. You should read it. His analysis is completely backwards and wrong but it he has some interesting points.

Laxer, of course, was made famous in NDP circles for launching the Waffle movement with Mel Hurtig and others (Ed Broadbent for a brief time) but were somewhat expelled from the party, although most (if not all) were brought back into the fold in an attempt to reconcile the divisions that occurred with Laxer becoming Boardbent's head of caucus research for a time.

The problem that Laxer has with the party isn't as dynamic as it was back in the Good Old Days (the sixties apparently), that it's too wrapped up in electoral politics and not leading the movement forward. Laxer isn't alone in his this criticism, I have read and heard this from a number of lefties over the years. However, while I agree that there isn't much new coming out policy wise from the left these days, I think that is wrong to blame the NDP.

First and foremost the NDP is a political vehicle. It is around to win seats and carry a progressive view point into the House of Commons. To that end, it must elect members to the House, the more the better. While I don't think that the number of members is the only count of success (how those member influence the agenda is good too) it is never the less a good meter stick.

The electability issue is something that Laxer has had a hard time wrapping his head around. It was part of the reason the Waffle movement failed, and part of the reason he urged people to think twice about voting NDP during the last election.

If the NDP wasn't there to pick up more seats and challenge the Liberal/Conservative order of things then really what is the purpose. It's like the Lotto, a wise man once side, you have to be in it to win. Just look at the times that the NDP has been wiped low the left perspective has been virtually ignored in the House and in the Media.

Sometimes being a political party isn't pretty. You have to make choices and decision that some might not like in order to get other things done. It's about picking your battles and making sure that compromise never go against basic principles.

As to Laxer's point about new ideas coming from the party that is a much bigger problem. The NDP isn't a policy factory. It is rare for any political party to come up with original policy or plans all on their own. Usually they are a synthesis of ideas that have been tried somewhere else or floated by NGO groups. Medicare came from Great Britain where it was brought in years before Douglas push it through in Saskatchewan.

If the NDP isn't showing anything that Laxer feels is inspiring or even interesting, then it's not really the party's fault, its the fault of the Left.

All the times that Laxer points to as great exciting moments for the NDP weren't necessarily because of the party, but because the context of the times were such that there was a lot happening on the left. The '30s and '60s were great times of change and progressive initiative. Many of the figures from those times are still revered. But it wasn't the creation of the CCF or the NDP that created this dynamic time. Quite the opposite, they were a result of it.

The NDP is basically the political wing of the Left (whomever that is these days) but it isn't the left. The role of the political wing of any movement is to try to bring in any programs it think will fly with the general public. Once those come in, to get others in, and so on and so forth until one day Utopia!

However, listening to Laxer and other's it would seem that the fate of the Left is in the hands of Jack Layton.

If we are to ever achieve the level of excitement and dynamism that we saw in the Good Olde Days then we, everyone who considers themselves part of the left has to start taking on some of the heavy lifting. That means organizing, establish contacts with one another, developing new ideas and road testing them, getting active in every sense of the word.

The NDP will gravitate to issues that have some pick-up with voters. If we are going to say that the NDP is responsible the state of Left Wing politics, then we should take a long look in the mirror and see what our role is in it... and I am sure we wont like what we see.

Like hay through a horse

2008-08-11T09:29:00.000-04:00

I think this has to be the best quote on the Liberal carbon plan.(Gives a new meaning the a green shift).
Man I hope he wins.

(from the Aug 11th Hill Times)
Former CBC Radio host and author Tom King, who is the NDP candidate, takes issue with the Liberal Party's claim that the Green Shift will be revenue neutral. "I don't think anybody really understands it at this point. The most confusing part of it for me is that the Liberals call this a revenue neutral bill, which means that the amount of money that comes into the program goes back out of the program. So it's sort of like passing money from your left pocket to your right pocket, but I know enough about Ottawa and Ottawa's digestive track to know that if you pass money through it, it doesn't come out the same as it went in," Mr. King said.
"It's like a man who has a horse and feeds hay to the horse and stands under the back end of the horse hoping to get the same amount of hay out that he put in, and it just doesn't happen. So revenue neutral, in terms of Ottawa, is a myth."

"The Belly Dancers Against Bush were nowhere to be seen ... They do tend to be more active in the summer, for obvious reasons"

2008-08-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

I would have liked to have seen President Bush come to up here without this brief. "Why do these people keep saying EH all the time? Are they a little slow or something?"

Competely random bi-election news

2008-08-06T10:56:00.002-04:00

Take this for what it is but the most read news story in the Westmount Examiner is the story of Anne Lagacé Dowson jumping into the bi-election for the NDP. Interesting.

Said the tortose to the hare

2008-08-05T23:21:00.001-04:00

Andrew Cohen piece in today's Citizen I believe shows the subtle changes (read damage) that this Conservative Government to the country.

Basically the Conservatives don't know how long they can keep up this government gig. Even if they survive the next election their is a strong possibility that the Liberals will win again. It's a matter of odds really. To that effect, they are slowly, and quietly changing how this country operates to reflect their provincial, less centralized authority, mindset. I mean I very much doubt that Harper and the Albertan Firewall crowd have moved pass their decentralized lesse-faire dream of provincial autonomy.

They know they are only here for a limited time, so they want to change things so that it will be next to impossible to change back. That is what happened in the '80s under Mulroney. Free trade with the US wasn't simply a trade deal, it was also a method to make sure something like the National Energy Program never happened again. The PCs at the time even admitted it.

And so we are witnessing some small changes here and there--mostly things that people wouldn't to figs for. But added up over the years, with small powers given up here and there it will amount to a large rubber band ball of power. And so if the Liberals want to bring in a national childcare program, or the NDP is pushing for pharmaAid well it will be much harder.

Conservative are all about the devolution of power to the provinces. They really don't like national programs. And just because they are in power under a new name at their heart they are still reformers.

Right said Fred

2008-08-05T16:16:00.003-04:00

This is an interesting development and it should worry the Liberals. If the Conservatives accept the report from this panel and start implementing it then they might have neutralized a threat to the enviro flank.

While the Liberals are trying to use the environment as a wedge in the upcoming election (whenever that may be) if suddenly it is not as wedgy then they will have to find another issue or policy area that will help differentiate themselves from the Conservatives. And if the last fall to spring any indication then that might be a hard thing to do (Income Trusts all the way baby!)

Mr. Dostoevsky meet Mr. Orwell. Mr. Orwell, Mr. Dostoevsky

2008-07-30T14:53:00.004-04:00

Enter, my friends, in to the world Conservative Party of Canada, where black is white, up is down and reality is only an annoyance to be spun around.

Take for example our Justice Minister the Hon. Rob Nicholson. He is a dedicated man who is trying to combat crime by getting tough on it. You have to get tough on crime or you are then seen to be soft on it. And in the Conservative frame it best to be tough than soft.

"Crime rates are unacceptably high in Canada and we are prepared to do something about it," Said Mr. Nicholson said in today's Toronto Star. "I can tell you we're all alone in that as a political party and as a government. I get no support from the other political parties. ... It's not a priority with them," he said. "It is a priority with us. ... We're just getting started."

That is such a beautiful statement as it encapsulates the wrapped sensibilities along with the acute paranoia that has come to define the Conservatives. "You should be scared and everyone else is out to get us"

Take, for example that both the NDP and the Liberals worked to pass most if not all of the Conservative crime bills. They didn't get a speedy passage through the House but they did get passed. Yet still all the other parties are out to get them.

However, and this is the most spun, is that with crime rates actually at their lowest in 30 years. As Stats Can reports that there was a decline in most serious offenses and that " The homicide rate fell for the second year in a row, continuing a long-term decline that began in the mid-1970s."

Youth Crime is down, property crime is down, even violence in urban centres are down.

So why the harping on crime then? The Rural West. Crime is highest in the west than the east, especially in that basin of Conservative support Saskatchewan. So, even though the national rate it down the Conservative hope to twist it into a regional issue based on fear and not reality.

From my point of view it is a defensive strategy. Is they are playing so hard to their base support it likely means that they are worried that they wont be able to get the same numbers as before. If they were trying to expand their vote they would be going for more softer issues, such as a environmental platform. If they can start triangulating, or co-opting, Liberal, NDP or even Green then it would be obvious that they weren't worried about keeping their vote from 2006.

Shifting poverty under the rug

2008-07-29T12:59:00.003-04:00

I have said it many times, tax cuts cannot and do not eliminate poverty. It doesn't really help out. So why is Dion and the Liberals trying to tell us that it will. A recent analysis of the Green Shift shows that people making minimum wage in Canada will still be under the poverty line, even with the tax shift.

… [The] Green Shift would not likely anchor this goal. A single adult with
annual income of just $5,000 (e.g., a homeless person on social assistance),
would gain only $550 from the plan and thus remain $12,404 below the LICO line for his/her
‘household’ size. A single working person under 65 and with income of only
$15,000 (e.g., toiling for minimum wage), would realize a gain of $480 but
remain $2,474 below the LICO line. A couple with no children and with
combined income of $20,000 (e.g., from social assistance and low-paying work),
would realize a gain of $1,158 but remain $693 below the LICO line. Were they
to have two children, they would realize the same gain but remain $12,788 below
the LICO line.

So while the rich are likely to benefit from this plan, the poor still remain poor (even with all the nice intentions).

But at least they are less poor, right? $480 is something in their pocket. However, that works out to less than $20 per paycheque.

Moreover, this analysis doesnt take into consideration the rise in prices and expenses that will also be a result of this plan. It is pretty safe to say that the best case scenario is that when all things balance out. That the increase in cost of heating their home or apartment or buying food, wont cost any more per year than $480.

In my books that is a pretty lousy anti-poverty plan... and in reality it isn't a plan at all.

Green the new mom

2008-07-27T14:24:00.002-04:00

Is the Environment so popular it has become basically a non-issue? Has all these different green plans basically whitewashed the topic for the next campaign?

It is looking more likely that Canadians, while they care about the environment, won't necessarily be motivated to vote for who has the best plan on this issue. At best, average voters will take it into account, but as long as a party has a plan they will won't be moved by who details are better than the others.

In reality the campaign will likely hinge on more economic matters. That being said, if public opinion is against your environmental plan then you could face some troubles in the ballot box. That is why I suspect that we see some sort of lukewarm policy come from the Tories in the fall to shore up that flank.

Mighty red breeze

2008-07-27T13:34:00.005-04:00

The sign war has begun in the Westmount-Ville Marie. Sign wars can sometimes be the hidden campaign war with opposing sides going to the edge of legality (or over as is the case of the missing signs in Montreal) to hinder the other parties coverage. It can be frustrating and at time demoralizing but it can also have an opposite effect.

Elections (especially bi-elections) are won with motivation and belly-fire. By trashing the NDP's signs so early these agents of the Liberals (because I really doubt that the Bloc or the Tories would get in the way of this fight) have more than likely hardened the NDP team there. While I doubt that this is an overt plan from Garneau's campaign office, it is very much likely the work of Liberal-sympathizers. We use to call it a Red wind that would sweep down a street taking out all of our signs but miraculously leaving all the Liberals signs intact.

Again this is a sign that Anne Lagacé Dowson has Marc Garneau's people worried. Signs don't simply disappear because of vandalism. In fact, if it were vandalism the signs usually remain with markered mustache's, glasses or profanity scrawled across it. It is the act of the political-vandal that steels the sign out right. That way no one sees the sign and reduces the candidate's exposure.

In reality signs mean nothing and everything to a local campaign. While seeing one on a lawn can mean that someone is a supporters, I have met more than one home owner who has declared that they have a democratic lawn and that anyone can put a sign on it.

However, while you can't always count on them to show support they are a good indication of organization and campaign strength. And of course it gives some profile of the candidate for voters. Voters sometimes base the potential of victory of a candidate based on how many signs that are up. They are part of the psychological campaign that goes on.

If signs went missing then it means that the Liberals are worried about the NDP's strength and organization. I am also sure that it wont take long for them to pop back up.

It's about what they are not saying.

2008-07-23T12:17:00.003-04:00

So your Health Canada and you have report that relates to probably the number one issue for the population: what do you do? That's right, you bury it. And that is just what Health Canada is planning to do.

Why is that? Well, it probably has something to do with the serious implications climate change will have on the health of Canadians. If it does, then that will cause some concern over what this government is doing to stop climate change (which is next to nothing). It is also a really sore political spot for the Conservatives, especially since they are trying to frame the next election in terms of the economy rather than the environment.

"But," you say, "isn't that a bit cynical? Wouldn't Health Canada put our health over simple politics?" And you would be right. I am ashamed to have suggested that by quietly releasing a major report onto their website with out any notice is by any means a cynical political move. In fact, if I am correct, that is the way that you release a major study like this.

That's how they did it with the Natural Resources Canada report From Impacts to Adaptation and that got a lot of attention. (btw this report, the best of my knowledge has yet to printed and formally released. It is of course over 800 pages long!)

It's the end of the left as we know it and I feel fine (part 1)

2008-07-22T21:41:00.005-04:00

There has been some chatter over the past couple of weeks about how the NDP needs a name change. Michael Byers was the most out there saying that the 'New' part doesn't cut it any more. Duncan Cameron echoed this sentiment over on Rabble.

However, I will posit something even more extreme than simply a name change. Perhaps there should be a reconfiguration of the party. This isn't as extreme as it sounds. In fact, Cameron's piece this week demonstrates how this has been effective over the past 75 years for the left.

The CCF was started with the creation of the Regina Manifesto (why don't we write manifestos any more... they were so cool). That document was pretty much a blueprint for the post-war economy. The NDP principles set forth in 1961 have become whats-what in Canadian policy gems such as Medicare, unemployment insurance and the charter of rights and freedoms (that's right Trudeau didn't come up with that idea all by himself).

Both times, in 1933 and 1961, lead to a new energy and enthusiasm that help propel the issues of the CCF/NDP forward into the consciousness of the Canadian Public.

So what would be so bad to do this again. To open the doors of the party and reconstitute it for the realities of the new century we are now in. It isn't admitting defeat or that there is something wrong, but it to use the analytic tools that we have to recreate a set of new policies that will shape this new century into a progressive and caring one for this country.

Stalemate

2008-07-21T13:09:00.004-04:00

Nik Nannos is probably one of Canada's smartest political polsters/commentators and his numbers tend to be bang on as is his analysis derived from his numbers.

Anyhoo, Nik's blog/sun article today is an interesting analysis of the current political deadlock between the Liberals and the Conservatives. By all right, one of these parties should be trouncing the other. However, their 'negatives' are likely probably keeping them in a equilibrium, keeping both at relatively same level.

This equilibrium is dangerous for both parties. It means that nothing they are doing is attracting any concrete support. Harper's agenda, as moderate as it is, is alienating the centre; while Dion's Carbon Tax plan is not achieving the pick up he needs (though that may change once the fall sets in).

It is also a dangerous way of entering into an election. As it would seem that most people are parking their votes, it is hard to tell how it will react in a election campaign.

Here's what I predict the next campaign will play out: the Conservatives beating up on Dion and the Liberals, while trying to perfect their campaign from 2006. The Liberals will be defending, while trying to counter attack, at the same time as continue to scare the crap out of the NDP voters. The NDP will likely turn to their aim at the Conservatives keeping their base happy, while factually trying to cast doubt on the Liberals.

And the Greens... The Liberals have stolen their chestnut of a policy and so they are likely going to try not to be made irrelevant. However, with a pact with Dion and Liberals, it will be hard to argue why people shouldn't simply vote Liberal (especially seeing that May herself is the de facto Liberal candidate in Central Nova).

Its all in the details: good to be connected

2008-07-21T12:44:00.004-04:00

Jean-Sébastien Rioux, now-former Chief of Staff for the Minister of Industry, Jim Prentice, has landed a new job

J.S. is going to do some very exciting work in the private sector. He's
actually moving to Calgary to join one of the most well-respected companies out
there ATCO Frontec. After Labour Day, he will be the senior manager for northern
business development. He will be responsible for developing all of ATCO's
structures, camps, reclamation sites and logistical facilities in all of
Northern Canada
-From the Hill Times July 20

Prentice was, up until last summer, the Minister of Indians and Northern Affairs, and now his former Chief of Staff is going to work for a company that does a lot of work in that field. That nice for him.

I could be wrong, but didn't the Conservatives complain about people jumping out of government to then use your contacts to make money.

Of course, I am just being cynical. I am sure that working for a Minister from Calgary (who also happened to be the Minister of INAC and Industry) had nothing to do with his current position.

It's all in the details

2008-07-21T11:48:00.003-04:00

Guy Giorno must be having a one restless summer. I know how it is. You start a new chore, like cleaning out the spare room or reorganizing the governments political staff and one thing leads do another and you end up cleaning the entire house.

Mr. Giorno has now turned his sights to Ministerial staff. So who gets new Chiefs of Staff: Industry, Agriculture, and Citizenship and Immigration. And that is just this week. Who knows if there are more to come. But lets look at the present for a second.

What do these three ministries have in common? They have all under performed. C-61, the Copyright Act has been a debacle for sometime. The privatization of the Wheat Board has been somewhat awkwardly handled by Agriculture. And Citizenship and Immigration? Well C-50 has probably put a dent in any inroads the Conservatives were trying to make with immigrant groups... not to mention the continued backlog of immigration cases.

While the big flop this past session was obviously Foreign Affairs, that was solved when the Minister resigned in disgrace. However, the disappointment of these three ministries might not be as acute, they do show some weakness in getting the government's priorities moving forward.

Why not shuffle these ministers out? Well that would be a big public sign that something was going wrong. Plus, who do you replace them with. That is the nice thing with the change of their Chiefs of Staff, is that you can bring people from anywhere (they don't have to be elected) and you basically get the same result.

So come fall (or whenever the Conservatives decide to come back) I wouldn't be shocked to see a renewed emphasis in these areas.

If it aint broke don't overhaul it

2008-07-18T13:22:00.004-04:00

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is scrambling to make fear still a priority in how they sell their "Tough on Crime" stance.

"The numbers are still unacceptably high, and there is still much more work to be done," Nicholson said. "I speak and hear from victims and I hear from community leaders across the country, and nobody tells me it is time to let up and go easy on this issue. It's of grave concern to many Canadians, and I think they are onside with us that we've made this a centrepiece of our administration." He said today in the Montreal Gazette.

The thing is that crime rates are steadily going down. That means that something in our society is working well. I heard someone yesterday say that this is only people being charged, not getting convicted and that because of the liberal-hug-a-thug sentencing practices that criminals are going free. But if that were the case you would expect that all these freed criminals would simply commit more crimes and the the rate would go up.

The thing is that while there are still massive problems with the justice system, getting tougher on criminals isn't the solution to fix this.

The problems is that it is a key election issue for the Conservatives and lame answers like Nicholson above they are

Of course they could get lucky and the crime starts to soar. Perhaps a certain party is convicted in the In-and-Out scandal or perhaps the RCMP finds some evidence tying Harper to financial offers to Cadmen.

Never know, they could luck out!

A Prue Story

2008-07-18T06:24:00.001-04:00

Michael Prue is holding a news conference at 10:30 in Toronto to announce his bid for ONDP leadership.
If you are by the corner of Regent and Dundas in Toronto check it out...

UPDATE: He did it.

Truth, dirty truth, and statistics

2008-07-17T16:35:00.003-04:00

Crime at an all time low? How can it be? I just got a flier in the mail from the Conservatives saying that I should be scared.

Just last week in Calgary, Mr. Harper dressed up best he could like a frontier sheriff to tell a bbq full of supporters that he is going to deal with escalating problem of violent youth crime when Parliament resumes in the fall and quote "We must send a message — and we will — that we hold young lawbreakers responsible for their behaviour. That is what we intend to do this coming session."

Oops, but StatsCan also says that youth crime is down (youth violent crime was steady while non violent crime is down).

And this is even before any of the Conservative crime bills have actually kicked in!

This can only mean one thing: That StatsCan is bias against the Conservative Party. Just look at Elections Canada is trying to do the party... how is this any different? Sure they have numbers and facts and objective methodology... but all of those are just left wing tricks. Hell, reality itself is a liberal notion isn't it?

UPDATE
Looks like CP pick up on this angle. Can anyone say prorogue?

Defenders Assemble... in Vancouver

2008-07-15T11:27:00.003-04:00

Grab your tights and hit the roofs it's crime fighting time.

After a purse snatcher was jumped by a good Samaritan the VPD are not only praising his actions they are calling on others to do the same. Quote: Vancouver police support "vigilante action, suggesting citizens should feel free to indulge their inner Batman if they have the martial and physical skills to prevail against bad guys" (my bold)

I have to repeat that. "martial and physical skills to prevail against bad guys". That's awesome. Really.

All this post needs now is a picture of the next wave of crime fighters.

Done.

The Free Republic of PEI

2008-07-15T11:17:00.002-04:00

Apparently 15% of Canadians would separate their province from the rest of Canada given the chance.

I am sure if you probed a bit more that they would then also want to separate their own city from their province. And they would most likely want to separate their home from that city. Soon we will have the Commonwealth of the Kitchen making free trade deals with Peoples Republic of the Bathroom, while still needing a visa to visit the basement.

Gotta get me one of these electric sheep

2008-07-15T11:12:00.003-04:00

The future is soooo now.

Click here for more

And they are off!

2008-07-14T18:15:00.003-04:00

Gilles Bission, MPP for Timmins-James Bay has formally announced his candidacy for ONDP top job.

July 15 is the official day the race begins and we should start seeing Peter Tabuns coming out soon. Tabuns has been organizing for sometime for this job and will likely be the candidate to beat. He seems to an a-list of a campaign team and advisers already set up.

As for Andrea Horwath of Hamilton, I have been hearing that she has been setting up an organization, but what it is made up of and its strength I am not too sure.

I suspect that we will likely hear from Prue and perhaps Kormos also about their intentions, though I have not been hearing anything about an organization from those camps.

Lying Liberals

2008-07-14T06:27:00.000-04:00

Marc Garneau's website lies. The Liberal candidate for Westmount-Ville Marie has a poll on his website asking visitors about the Liberal Carbon Shift plan. It is simple enough Do you agree 'Yes' 'No' "maybe". The thing is when I checked on Friday it was the Yes's were down to 22% and the No's were up around 36% and the Maybe's were 38%. I checked it out today and it was the Yes's were back up to 93%!

Unless there are a ton of people flocking to his site (which isn't even on the first google page if you search for his candidate site) which is unlikely, or the web people simply reset the poll!

Now, I am not one for the sanctity of site polls. But there is something wrong about rejigging your own poll.

However, that isn't the worst part.

After I saw that the numbers were reset, I realized Garneau's poll allows you to vote multiple times! So I set about voting to make it right. That is when I discovered the horrid truth about this poll: that it fixes your vote.

No matter how much you vote 'No', and I did a lot, that 'Maybe' will always have more of a percentage (usually around 2% more than the 'No').

So not does Garneau's site not allow you to vote for the choice you want, but if it doesn't look good they will simply reset and start over.

Who did Garneau take lesson's in voting from? Karl Rove?

When the Star aligns

2008-07-13T22:17:00.004-04:00

Wow, what a weak! The Toronto Star has really turned its guns against the NDP in the past seven days. While always a bastion of Liberal support, it is really kicking up the partisan juice against the FORTH party in the house.

It started with Chantal Hebert column "NDP climate strategy comes up short" which was a nice piece for Liberals to stick on their website, but very little on actual analysis. I generally like Hebert's pieces, and generally she is fair, however on this issue I find that she has totally bought into the Liberal talking points. A tax shift for low income earners doesn't help them espicially if it is accompanied by a rise in basic costs.

The Star accompanied Hebert column with op-ed by an exNDP MP Lynn McDonald (never heard of her had to wikipedia) who was upset at the NDP for their opposition to the carbon tax (note there was a very similar line of attack spell out here... hmmm). McDonald, for a University Prof, again no analysis of the Liberal plan just a general "carbon tax good/tax cuts help the poor." And if I heard that the NDP is bad for playing politics with this issue, one more time, I am.... well I am going to write a nasty post... What do you think Dion and the Liberals are doing? What do you think, Lynn McDonald, you are doing by writing an Op-ed about it? geez.

This was followed up on Saturday by the age-old "old member doesn't like new direction" article by Susan Delacourt. Not only was this not really a news story but is it soooooo obviously a liberal seeded story. If you need proof it's in the last line "Reid sent his local Liberal MP, Dan McTeague (Ajax-Pickering) the letter serving notice of his intent to join the Liberals."

So what does these three stories (plus the puff piece Gerard Kennedy) tell us? Well the Star obviously feels the need to start propping up the Liberals more. Maybe they feel that the Liberals themselves can't do it so they will step in and help (which is nice of them, dontcha think?) Perhaps this has to do with Dion's poor communications skills or the worry that if this carbon tax thing goes south that Liberal party might be in some real trouble. Perhaps.

What ever the reason I welcome it.

I'll say it again. I think that this coverage is a really good thing.

Why? Because, if the Liberals are really that scared of the NDP that means that the party is doing it's job. Hell, if they have to turn their guns around and attack us that means they are really worried for these fall bi-elections. Their numbers must be telling them something.

Reading in the Margins

2008-07-08T17:40:00.002-04:00

So as you can probably see I have a news link running besides these posts. I thought that it would be nice for visitors to see other interesting stories.

So when I saw "An American Deserter in Canada" I thought that I would check it out. And WOW. There is a nice bit of right-wing-make-love-to-the-flag-while-eating-apple-pie type of article. It's a skewed take on the American war resistors here in Canada.

For extra laughs I would suggest reading "The Left's Fairy Tale"

I am not too sure what this FrontPage site is, but it seems to be a vanity site for former lefty David Horowitz.

A cyber-immune system

2008-07-08T17:09:00.003-04:00

Nanomachine fight cancer and win!

Now that is science at work. Imagine a world without Cancer? We could smoke and live in asbestos lined buildings. We would have nuclear power and simply bury the waste in the back yard.

All you would have to do is take a dose of nanobots and you'll be all better.

To be honest I don't know if I am being ironic or completely earnest in this post.

Robot fighting cancer. how can you be against that?

"Hey, remember that story that made us look bad"

2008-07-08T12:15:00.004-04:00

Oh ho! Turns out that Donna Cadman, the widow of former MP Chuck Cadman, has contradicted public accounts by author Tom Zytaruk that he didn't meet Mr. Harper in the Cadmans' house and was not introduced to him by her. But apparently Mr. Zytaruk was there that day and did in fact interview Harper. (There is that tape after all!)

Well case closed then. If she didn't introduce Zytaruk to the PM then Zytaruk must be a liar and Cadmen wasn't offered any money and the Conservatives are as sqeeky clean as they say they are.

Except I don't remember Zytaruk ever saying that it was Mrs. Cadmen that introduced him to the then Leader of the Opposition. (Kady O'Malley over at the Mcleans.ca spells it all out much better than I can check it out.) So this latest revelation is completely irrelevant.

WHY are the Conservatives so keen to bring up this story again and again with lame excuses and an obvious attempt to discredit Zytaruk?

Again it must point to the fact that they are really worried about how this can play out. If you read what they are saying about this case, you can see that they are being really careful what they say. Or to put it another way it is interesting what they are not saying.

The Tory spinners have never said that Zytaruk's tape is wrong in any way nor have they explained why Donna Cadmen would say that her husband would make such claims. (Note the article doesn't suggest that Donna Cadmen recants or steps away from the allegations attempted bribery).

As the Citizen article puts it: The documents are aimed at providing what is described in the documents as "circumstantial evidence that Mr. Zytaruk is presenting a misleading and false account of the interview." In short to discredit Zytaruk.

The problem is that every time they made news on this story everyone just remembers the bare bones of the story, that Harper tried to bribe a man dying of cancer with a $1 million dollar life insurance policy (whether or not it is true). Again something that they should be trying to avoid IF there isn't actually something to this story and that they are trying to nip it in the bud before it gets bigger!

That being said I would suggest that if you have the chance to go and listen to the interview again and make up your mind. If you can you should make it your ring tone for your phone! Just the part with Harper saying that there were financial offers made.

Reshuffling the PMO deck... and slipping in a few extra jokers

2008-07-07T13:44:00.003-04:00

The Hill Times has more on the restructuring going on over at the PMO. Interesting stuff.

The most interesting is the promotion of Darrel Reid, Director of Policy and Research. You might remember Reid in his earlier role as President Focus on the Family (Canada). You suppose that he might want to follow up on this article and other anti-anti-family policies?

The others mentioned in the article have no info that I can dig up (at least in my half assed google search), but I keep my eyes out.

Some have likened this to a prep for the election. I know that I have said that perhaps they are trying to put a more friendly face to this government but I am starting to revise that view. However, if they are gearing up for an election I doubt that 'friendly' has anything to do with it.

We have seen lately what the instability at the PMO has lead to a horrid counter to the Liberal's Green Shift. In fact, while the Conservative team had a good election in '06 (one that scared the bee-jezuz out of the Liberals looking towards the next one) they no longer seem like the polished, mean machines everyone took them for. Perhaps that is what this new team will try to be.

Cool cob boy get PMO DComm job

2008-07-04T16:58:00.003-04:00

Kory Teneycke has been selected to fill Sandra Buckler's shoes as the new Director of Communications (or as Kady O'Malley so cooly calls it the PMO DComm... man I wish I had a cool title like that!)

So what make Teneycke (if that is his real name*) suitable to handle all of the PMO media? Well he was a lobbyist for years for the Ethanol lobby and secured them a lot of funding.

Oh and you might remember Teneyche from the Daily Show segment on ethanol called "Kernel Knowledge" about his corn cob mascot (which gets shot in the head at the end). I know I do.

Oh, but also turns out that he and Guy Giorno, Harper's new Chief of Staff, are long time members of the right wing Civitas Society, just as former CoS Ian Brodie and Tom Flanagan are.

hmmmm.

*In an article from in the National Post the writer refers to him as Kory Teneycke Young. Why has the 'Young' been dropped? Is he hiding something? Or as a young man he was tired of people say "get that Young guy to do it". So he went with the cooler Teneycke.

McCain's soul silently weeps

2008-07-03T21:11:00.003-04:00

Well if I were trying to separate myself from one of the most unpopular presidents ever, I would not bring yet another member of Team Rove on board. Though that is just what McCain has done.

And if anyone should know how effective Rove's tactics are it would be McCain (btw how is his black daughter doing these days?)

I think, with every passing day, McCain is losing any respect that I had for him. There was a time that I said that I believe that this election didn't matter, because no matter what Bush would be gone. However, with the company that McCain is keeping, and piling around him, it is hard to see how he will be able to remove the bush-stank from the Oval Office.

Carbon politics

2008-07-03T11:39:00.004-04:00

There is a subtile tug-of-war happening on the political scene these days. Well it has been happening for a while, but it has taken a direct urgancy due to the recent politics of carbon.

Michael Byers recuitment into the NDP ranks is just the lastest sign of the struggle. The Liberals courted Prof. Byers as his profile on the Environment and Artic Soverity would make him a keen asset against Harper and the NDP. On one hand Byers would be able to sell the 'green shift' and promote a tougher stance on the artic front. Would have been a coup; however it seems that Byers doesn't really like the Carbon Tax approach and has decided that NDP is a better place to hang his hat.

So what can we take from this? Well, it is clear that Liberals are trying to firm up their flanks, both left and right. Is it working? Well is Byers is any example, and the countless star candidates the NDP is picking up in Quebec (most are heavy Environmentalist and Labour), they are not having as easy a time of it as they once did.

So there is their right flank... really they don't really need any help there and I really don't think they are going to go around touting their right wing friends... it tends to scare away the left wingers (though they actually kind of like the Carbon Tax... as it doesn't really effect those that profit from carbon... only those that use it).

We all need a hobby

2008-07-03T10:47:00.003-04:00

So I am looking through the news cites today, catching up on the events of a slow summer and then this story pops up about Mel Gibson trying to help Britney Spears get over her 'substance' problems.... and hook her up with his son.

Okay so the source of this 'news' story is the National Enquirer! But remember back in 2006 when Courtney Love claimed that "Mel Gibson Helped Me Get Sober"

"Mel kept coming to the door with this cheesy grin going, 'Hi!'" Love said.
"I just kept looking at him going, 'Blank off!' … I know him and he's a
nice guy, but it just didn't matter who it was. It could have been Jesus. I
didn't care." But the others doing drugs with her recognized Gibson and
left with him to get a cheeseburger – leaving Boyd alone with Love to coax her
into rehab."

It now seems that Mel Gibson has a new passion: trying to help troubled blond pop singers in LA. It is a noble calling and there is no end of work.

While it is admirable for someone other than Dr. Phil to take an interest in Britney Spears well being, there is something a bit odd about all this. Perhaps we can learn something. We shouldn't take the Enquirers one source story too far (this is how facts are 'made' and wars are started).

And that somewhere deep in my brain there is a Infotainment clipping service that is slowly expanding and about to take over more important functions (btw: I no longer remember my 8 times tables. Coincidence?)

Going after the big Fry's

2008-07-02T16:16:00.004-04:00

So it looks like Hedy Fry is going to have an interesting election. Michael Byers is planning on running in Vancouver-Centre. Will he have a chance. Fry has kept the riding since defeating Kim Campbell back in 1993.

Should be fun to watch.

Ben Affleck: Journalist?

2008-06-27T11:14:00.003-04:00

I just caught the sign off of this report last night and wasn't what the heck it was.

While I keep one skeptical eyebrow cocked, I actually think that it is a pretty cool thing to do (if it wasn't a glory show ie Margret and Sophie Trudeau in Ethiopia).

Asparagus from Mars!

2008-06-27T11:05:00.003-04:00

For all of you that thought that the space program was a waste of money, we just found out that the red planet would be great for growing asparagus. Awesome.

It turns out that the martian soil is prefectly okay to grow things in and there is nothing toxic in the soil that would preculde life.

Now they haven't found mircobes yet (which if they did would be a bigger headline than what I have written up there) but it seems that it pretty much the same as in someones backyard. If you backyard was a red baren landscape with no atmosphere and filled with rocks. [Insert Sudbury joke here]

McCain needs a nap

2008-06-26T22:29:00.007-04:00

This memo by Steve Schmidt isn't just a lecture to journalists, it is a grumpy rant on why people should vote for McCain.

Perhaps McCain should use the grumpy angle. While Regan had the senile thing working for him, McCain can use the grump to endear himself to the young generation.

McCain is trying to sell himself as a man of principles, but this man has been pushing them aside for years now to get a chance to become President. Lets not remember his cosing up to Super Social Conservative Jerry Falwell and his support of Bush voting the anti-waterboarding bill.

At one point Schmidt claims "On campaign finance, Barack Obama had to choose between keeping his word or enjoying a financial advantage. He chose the money." We should all remember that McCain was the first to try to opt out and that he might have actually violated the rules by trying to sneak some favouable loans through.

So long Buckler

2008-06-26T21:52:00.003-04:00

So Sandra Buckler is checking out of the PMO.

Here's the thing. Do you really think that she left to pursue more time with the family or whatever story she is using.

from the Globe article "A senior government source said Thursday that Mr. Giorno has been recently meeting individually with members of the PMO and some of the meetings, says the source, “have not been pretty.”"

Kinda think this was more of a golden push rather than a graceful exist. In fact, going into election time (which we are now in) Team Harper needs to fix their image or they are going to have a rough ride.

So what should we expect? The next Communications Director will be nice and friendly giving them pretty much what they are looking for. However, it still will be controlled and managed up the wazoo, but it won't appear that way.

Also expect to see more Ministers speaking out on issues. Buckler liked to have one or two spokes people for the government, Peter Van Loan or Jason Kenney. But I think we are likely to see an attempt to sell the team. While Harper is seen by many as up to the job, the ministers around him are seen as not ready for prime time... even after two years in office.

While Mr. Giorno time with Mike Harris didn't win them a lot of friends in the media, he might bring a looser style to whole the PMO operates.

Let the race begin... don't forget to pace yourself

2008-06-24T22:38:00.003-04:00

I don't know why I am so excited about this upcoming Ontario NDP convention. The news has been painting it out to be long and boring affair, which is has the total chance of being.

But I feel that there can be some potiential here. It is a chance for this party to finally shake off the baggage of the Rea years and become strike a new chord with voters.

It also has the chance of completely imploding and becoming train wreck.

interesting times

George Carlin RIP

2008-06-23T12:15:00.004-04:00

Random thoughts about this shift

2008-06-20T11:15:00.006-04:00

The more I think about this green shift the more I don't like it.

As soon as I saw those green hats on those red heads yesterday I figured that they likely made in China and they were! For a party that wraps itself in the flag

There are no targets or estimates on how this shift will actually cut carbon out put. It doesn't say anywhere how this will help the environment. Really it was a budget that came out yesterday not an environmental plan.

While the Conservatives are trying to say that this is a tax grab, it is more of a way of drastically cutting taxes. The evil beauty of it is that it will cut billions from government coffers if it works or not. If it doesn't work are they going to shift things back? Or if it does where are we going to make up the difference. So it will actually cost more to have it... which is fine if they don't cut programs... again.

As for the Scandinavian model, the House had an interesting interview with a Norwegian Statistician (no really it is interesting!) *note you will need Real Audio to hear it.

When did carbon become the only thing that we have to worry about in the environment. Yes I understand the 'urgent' nature of climate change, however there are things like the tar sands development (which wont be effected by this green shift as far as I can tell) that is polluting and destroying the local land, air and water. Nuclear power plants are about to start springing up across the country and the reopening of uranium mines. The Liberals are in support of both of these industries. While every environmental group are wetting themselves with happiness over this shift, they need to take a step back and realize that this party isn't green at all.

The political parriah from down south

2008-06-19T17:55:00.003-04:00

Wow. Even the Harper Conservatives are now shunning the Republicans.

"The Prime Minister's Office, concerned about the optics, also advised staff working for MPs to avoid the speech. Tickets for Mr. McCain's speech sold out in an hour but, among the 380 guests, the federal Conservatives will be limited to those with official reasons to attend. David Emerson will be there as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Conservative MP Rob Merrifield will also go in his capacity as co-chair of the Canada-U. S. Interparliamentary Group."

Rhetoric of the carbon tax

2008-06-19T16:13:00.004-04:00

What is a carbon tax really? Set aside the Liberal 'shift' for a second and lets examine the idea behind the carbon tax.

Basically what a carbon tax is suppose to do is to effect consumer habits, making carbon heavy products more expensive and making carbon light products more desirable. There are a lot of assumptions there but it pretty basic.

This at its core is a clear cut example of a neo-liberal policy. It puts the responsibility upon individual--an individual that is seen in this paradigm as simply a consumer. It is then consumer choice that will lead the fight on global climate change. Using compact floresant light blubs over incandecent for example will lead to less energy consumption and less GHGs.

So, the reponsibility is on the individual. If people still keep driving their cars instead of taking the bus, then it our own fault for global warming.

Again by using the tax system instead of actual laws and hard caps you play into the paradigm that it is the consumer that should be doing more and not government and corporations.

It is essentially a passive plan to solve an environmental problem.

Again it is tax cuts as policy which we haven't really seen work.

Gonzo over gonzo

2008-06-19T12:04:00.002-04:00

New bio-doc on Hunter S. Thompson. Sweet.

Carbon blah blah blah

2008-06-19T10:49:00.003-04:00

A couple of notes while listening to the Carbon Shift announcement.

-one, maybe its just me that I think that any solution to environmental issues shouldn't rely on a tax change. While everyone hates taxes, they have been cut for over 10 years now and all we have seen is a growing number of people in poverty, a stagnate middle class and the wealthy and corporation getting richer. So I am highly skeptical of this tax shift.

-This level of Carbon tax seems a little low. Not that it wont have an impact, but will it be enough to push people away.

-Again Dion is talking all about the savings that will come from this tax, though he fails to mention the costs. While these saving sound good they are meant, at the end of the day, to make the tax part neutral.

-He has meantioned BC providing leadership thought the carbon tax still hasn't kicked in there. So it is premature to be hailing it as a victory for the environment.

-He mention the Scandinavian models of a carbon tax, those plans had a gas component, on already high gas prices and industry was exempt.

-Oh, he is okay with Cap-and-Trade. (shoring up that flank?)

-Back the Clairity act. The difference with 'fight' was that they were in government then (and that makes a huge difference) and the most of Canada really didn't care. It was an Ottawa-Quebec fight that English Canadian really didn't pay attention to. I didn't and I am a policitical junky (and working in the media at the time).

-There is a couple of glaring holes in this plan that are likely to cause some problems. First there is nothing here about how this tax-shift will effect governments. The federal, provincial and manicuple governments are going to face higher costs due to electricty and gas prices but they don't pay taxes so there are no rebates. Another thing is that how this will effect public trasit costs. As they use both electricty and desiel (which will be taxed after the first year).

-Again how is a revenue neutral plan a true carbon tax. It may be is there were alternatives out there for people to 'shift' to, but with out another, greener, way of heating your home, this tax doesn't accomplish what it sets out to do.

thats about all I can handle right now.

Carbon leak

2008-06-18T16:39:00.006-04:00

So Dion's Carbon plan has been 'leaked' to CBC.

Here are some highlights:

Across-the-board personal income tax cuts of about 10 per cent for all three tax brackets, as people pay more for heating costs, food and other items.

A moratorium on new federal taxes on aviation and diesel fuel for the first year of the program.

Extra help for low-income Canadians in the form of tax credits so they will get money back to help pay for higher cost of goods, even if they report no income on their tax returns.

Additional help for rural and northern Canadians to help soften the blow of possibly higher costs.

Assistance for non-profit groups that may face a crunch — for example, women's shelters that have to pay significantly more to heat their premises.

New tariffs on goods imported from countries that have no carbon taxes, as a way to even out higher costs for similar goods produced in Canada.

Enriched tax breaks for companies using and inventing green technologies, to encourage research and development as well as investment.

Seems pretty bland.

Political rehab

2008-06-13T13:02:00.003-04:00

It is amazing on how many former members of team Bush are coming out now to denounce their former boss or justify their role.

Douglas Feith, the number 3 person at the pentagon during the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, as a new book saying that the war was simply sold in the wrong way. They knew it was going to be tough but they focused on the other stuff instead.

Not to be out down Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan has a book out about that sales job, saying that the administration Lied (through him) to the American people about the war.

Colin Powell was in Vancouver yesterday saying that he doesn't even know if he'll vote republican in the next election "and he took shots at the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and the holding of terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."

Wow.

You know it takes guts to come out at the dying days of a presidency and crap all over them.

But what is really happening here is that these are just a few of the rats fleeing the USS Bush. In their own way they see that the Bush tenure has stained their careers and reputations around Washington and the world. Powell has called his UN appearance to sell the war a blot on his record. So they need some rehabilitation. They need cleansing. And like good conservative they blame everyone else around them. Rip them all apart to show how changed they are.

As the days and the election draw near I think we will be seeing more, rather than less, of this happening. Should be fun.

Four words that saved the day

2008-06-13T12:44:00.006-04:00

This is a cool article as the behind the scene's work is rarely seen (be the very nature of that work). I think that many people were shocked when Harper gave props to Layton for his work on the Apology (I know I was). It turns out that Jack was one of the big movers behind the scenes in getting this day to happen.

What is neat is that the NDP nor Layton said anything about it. They didn't take creadit nor did they make a big deal about it.

Again it proves that the NDP is an effective progressive force in Parliament, who don't only make noice but work hard behind the scenes, (many times without creadit) to do the right thing.

The emperor's new spine?

2008-06-13T12:28:00.002-04:00

I generally enjoy Chantal Hébert's column in the Star, however I feel as though she has been a little off these days. Her comments about how BC's carbon tax was popular when it only comes into effect on July 1st--and there has been a lot of outrage from Northern and Rural BC. Anyway a minor point.

Today's piece of how Dion is now standing up to his caucus is also a bit over stated. Actually I think that Dion's stand here shows that he probably listens more to his campaign people than his MPs on this issue. While they twist and turn the campaign machine has been pretty steady in its rejection of an election anytime soon. The problems in Quebec haven't been solved and their are still financial issues there.

What this 'mutiny' as Andrew Coyne has called it, has shown is that when it comes down to an election it is the campaign team that will call it not the MPs. When you see Sen. David Smith say its a go, then it is very likely we will be going to the polls.

Heck I guess there is still time

2008-06-12T15:57:00.004-04:00

Dennis Kucinich is finally doing what million have been waiting for since right after the 2000 election: impeaching George W. Bush.

In fact Kucinich has drafted 35 article of impeachment which read like a history of the past 7 1/2 years.

My personal favourite: Article XXIII: Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

I mean, come on, haven't all of us at sometime or another violated this one. It's like j-walking. I mean everyone goes over the heads of a congressional body to use soldiers in a law enforcement capacity. Heck it was enacted in 1877 because the South was getting upset over Northern Troops still occupying their cities. Obviously it is soooo out of date.

What do you say?

2008-06-12T09:20:00.002-04:00

Lady's and Gentlemen Mr Perrier Poilievre MP for Napean-Carlton:

"We spent $10 billion -- $10 billion -- in annual spending this year alone for budget year 2007-08," Poilievre said. "Now along with this apology comes another $4 billion in compensation for those who partook in the residential schools over those years. Some of us are starting to ask, are we really getting value for all this money? My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self-reliance. That's the solution in the long run -- more money will not solve it."

The Apology

2008-06-11T23:17:00.002-04:00

The apology to First Nations, Innuit, and Metis for the Residential School System was an important and historic event that hopefully signifies a new relationship between Aboriginal Canadians and the Government of Canada. It actually left me emotionally exhausted.

Just a couple points:

I will likely only say this once, today I am proud of our Prime Minister. Stephen Harper did what no other PM had done. I don't care about whatever the politics of the matter is the fact is that he did it. I actually saw genuine emotion in him today--even though he tried to hide it.

All the party leaders did well. I was partial to Layton's speech, of course, but I thought that Dion did well in taking responsibility for his party's part in administering this policy. Duceppe was a little more political than was required, but still he raised some important points.

That this shouldn't be the end but the beginning. While an apology is great, it is how actions change afterwards that are the true sense of the sincerity.

Both CBC and CTV, during the apology, where hosted by old white men and had old white experts there to comment. I guess all the aboriginal professors and experts were all busy watching or participating in the apology to go on these shows. I am sure that is it.

That the crime against these peoples were not the fact that many of these children were abused. The crime was that we attempted to wipe not just one people but nations. We have not only scared them and their descendants but ourselves in the process. This apology is as much for ourselves as it is for them (well more for them).