All entries by this author

The gathering storm down under .. how much longer can Australia’s Labor government last?

Jan 26th, 2012 | By | Category: In Brief

Internal website statistics showing a sudden burst of fresh interest in a blog we did on the last Australian federal election (“You can’t blame Bloc Québécois for no majority government in Land of Oz,”Â  Aug 23rd, 2010) has clued us in to fresh political hi-jinks in the exotic deep southern geography of  billabongs, coolabah trees, […]



Is Mulcair taking the lead in federal NDP race (and will Crawley be new Liberal Party of Canada President)?

Jan 10th, 2012 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED JANUARY 18]. The main event in Canadian progressive politics this week is the biennial convention of the federal Liberals in Ottawa – Friday, January 13 to Sunday, January 15.  Our first big hope here is that the Grits in their wisdom vote YES for resolution 114 : “Canadian Identity in the 21st Century … […]



Our new year’s resolution 2012 .. keep Zzzzzzzzzzzzz up to date .. more or less!

Jan 8th, 2012 | By | Category: In Brief

By this point we no longer remember how our Zzzzzzzzzzzzz department – on the bar at the top of the page in the Home mode: “Links to recent news for those who really cannot get to sleep” – got started in the first place. But we do know that it has been woefully out of […]



What we should celebrate in 2012 is 60th anniversary of first Canadian citizen as Governor General of Canada

Dec 14th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

So … we have just learned that “Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will be touring Canada as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking her 60 years on the British throne,” this coming May 2012. For many Canadians (and we confess we are among them), this is just yet […]



Our seven-year itch .. Aboriginals, Europe, Harper style, MLSE, Monarchy, United left, Voter turnout

Dec 11th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

Strictly speaking, counterweights turned seven years old this past summer. Our very first full-length article, “John Ibbitson’s next Canada” (by Randall White) appeared on August 19, 2004. We very quietly marked our seventh birthday, as it were, with “Just what was PM Harper thinking .. how about ‘Canadian Navy, Air Force Name Change Divides NDP […]



Veena Malik “not some girl-next-door” .. but would John Baird and Jason Kenney want to keep her out of Canada anyway?

Dec 5th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

So … this just in from the Canadian Press: “Pakistani actress Veena Malik is suing a popular Indian men’s magazine for millions of dollars, accusing it of publishing photos she says were doctored to make her appear nude, her lawyer said Monday.” We here are interested, because we used two of these photos this past […]



Will Toronto Mayor Ford be watching NDP leadership debate (or is he still too busy with new photos of Veena Malik)?

Dec 3rd, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATE DECEMBER 4 : Initial impressions of first NDP/NPD leadership debate – SEE BELOW]. Tomorrow, Sunday 4 December 2011, at 2PM ET / 11AM PT, the nine (count em) contenders for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada / Nouveau Parti démocratique du Canada will be holding their first debate in Ottawa – […]



Two cheers for Paulina Gretzky .. who deserves more respect ..

Nov 30th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED DECEMBER 1]. One of the good things about Canada is that it is more serious and high-minded than other places, right? And a good example of this is the Globe and Mail – whose semi-post-modern headquarters at the edge of the lakeshore rail line into downtown Toronto still proudly proclaims “Canada’s National Newspaper”? Right […]



Now that Alberta wants one, will Canada get a national energy policy at last?

Nov 18th, 2011 | By | Category: Ottawa Scene

It is more than 30 years since the ill-fated National Energy Program (NEP) in Canada began – and more than 25 years since it ended. So even the few in the most populous province who have bumped into the recent Vancouver Sun article headlined “Alberta premier tries to build bridges with Ontario on energy policy […]



Two cheers for Mackenzie King (and Lawrence Martin .. and the unsung Canadian political tradition etc)

Nov 8th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

We need to be experimenting more these days, throughout the global village it seems. We can’t do anything of consequence about that ourselves, no doubt. (And look what has happened lately to Yes We Can among the broader community of Yankees to the south of us, who must south of us remain.) But we can […]