Case of maverick MP Brent Rathgeber shows principle, party conflict when everything managed from centre When Brent Rathgeber made his walk from the bankbenches of the Conservative side of the House to the far corner in the chamber, where the Independents sit on Wednesday night, he illustrated one of the key problems in democracy as [...]
Stephen Harper looks weak as answers in Duffy-Wright affair still not forthcoming Yesterday was a Question Period to remember. For years, those of us on the outside looking in have been telling their MPs that pompous mini-speeches masquerading as questions are less effective than simple, short ones that put the government on the record. The [...]
Parliament of Canada – time for online reporting of expenses? If the recent Senate expense scandals have taught Canadians anything, it’s that Parliament of Canada officials will take advantage of the rules to pad their pockets if they can. Senator Mike Duffy has become the poster boy for Parliament of Canada abuse of expense guidelines but [...]
Canadian politics promises to be turbulent as voters disgruntled For citizens from coast to coast to coast, this summer promises to be a time of discontent with Canadian politics. What most of us want, most of the time, is simply that our governments be competent: display a sense of where they’re going, and that as [...]
The least Ambassador Gary Doer can do is pick up the phone The working stiffs of Canadian diplomacy, members of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, were walking a picket line in Washington, D.C., yesterday – which raised some eyebrows in the Imperial Capital and must have created some minor discomfort for the Canadian ambassador, a former [...]
Good luck to Justin Trudeau, he’ll need it By Margo Goodhand I am not a member of the Liberal Party. I have voted everything from Green to NDP to Liberal, depending on the candidate in my area. But I’m watching new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau these days as he goes up against Team Harper, [...]
Alberta Environment Minister says she’s working on climate change policy Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen says the province is a long way from imposing higher carbon levies on its energy industry. Responding to a story in the Globe and Mail, McQueen acknowledges she’s working with her federal counterpart, Peter Kent, on a new climate change policy. [...]
American conservatives like Stephen Harper By Pat Murphy Coincidence can be an interesting thing. In its March 11 issue, National Review – the flagship magazine of the American Right – ran a complimentary cover story on Stephen Harper. The following day, the National Post’s Andrew Coyne took the opposite tack, publishing a blistering critique of what he sees [...]
Transgender bill would make violence against transgendered people a hate crime Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party of Canada has betrayed its base of supporters by passing the transgender bill in the House of Commons, say the Concerned Christians of Canada. Jim Blake, national chairman with the Calgary-based group, says the federal Conservative Party should never have supported [...]
Oil tanker safety plan changes nothing in pipeline debate, says environmental group Last summer, B.C. Premier Christy Clark laid out five conditions she said must be met before the provincial government would allow the construction and operation of heavy oil pipelines within its borders. One of the conditions included improved oil tanker safety. Later today, [...]