Posts Tagged ‘ Canadian politics ’

Is Dalton McGuinty doomed?

Nov 5th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

Jim Coyle at the Toronto Star is probably or even almost certainly right: Despite the “ripples through Queen’s Park” launched by  the surprise resignation of BC Premier Gordon Campbell this week, Ontario Premier Dalton “McGuinty is within a year of an election. In all likelihood, there’s too little time to change leaders. And, in any […]



US midterms, selling your birthright for a mess of potash, and a streetcar named Rob Ford …

Oct 31st, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

The big North American political news this coming week is of course the US mid-term elections on Tuesday, November 2 – which may or may not put Barack Obama and his beleaguered Democrats in some kind of dog house (and almost certainly will: the only real question is just how dirty it  will be?). Meanwhile, […]



Has Iggy been going to Mackenzie King night school : ethical mining if necessary, but not necessarily, etc, etc?

Oct 29th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

Concerns about how “Canada’s mining, oil and gas firms behave ethically abroad” have been a staple of  certain kinds of cocktail party and after-work-drinks conversation for several years now. And testimony from at least some in the field suggest some reasons for concern. Thus we have just had “Liberal John McKay’s private member’s bill to […]



Tale of two mayors .. and the case of the hospital consultants (“who spent freely on travel and entertainment”)

Oct 23rd, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

Even in Toronto the local intelligentsia are moaning: “No Torontonian can look west … without feeling a pang of jealousy. The election of Naheed Nenshi as mayor of Calgary is the most exciting political event of the year. He makes the trio of candidates for mayor of Toronto  look like stale remnants of another age.” […]



Immigration policy up north and down under – Harper borrowing Abbott and Howard

Oct 20th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

It’s no secret that Stephen Harper likes to swap notes, and speeches, with his Australian counterparts in the conservative Liberal Party.  Mr. Harper  once shamelessly plagiarized a speech about the war in Iraq from the man he fairly swooned over, former Australia Prime Minister John Howard.  It seems that Mr. Harper and/or his advisers have […]



Gilles Duceppe’s a nice guy – but really out to lunch on what real Quebec independence would mean

Oct 15th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

If you search “Gilles Duceppe” in the online editions of either the Washington Post or the New York Times at the moment, you will just get “No Results Found” or “Your search – Gilles Duceppe – did not match any documents under Past 30 Days.” Even if you try the same game on Le Devoir.com, […]



Commonwealth Games and fantasy coalitions .. what is “the Commonwealth” today anyway?

Oct 7th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

Toward the end of the first full week of October 2010 (or 10/10: and apparently marriages at the local city hall for this coming Sunday 10/10/10 are way over-booked), Canada  seems to be doing somewhat better in the Commonwealth Games. As we write (“Friday, October 08, 2010″ in New Delhi, but still just Thursday, October […]



Governor general “far superior in prestige than just a mere governor” says Captain Kirk .. and he’s right!

Oct 1st, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

As the Edmonton Journal aptly explained this past Wednesday: “Whether or not this country remains a monarchy, Canadians appreciate the need for an official, largely ceremonial national figure – the sort Americans lack – who serves as an embodiment of the nation’s best qualities and aspirations, untainted by the daily dross of partisan politics.” In […]



Does New Brunswick election show anything at all beyond the Mighty Miramichi?

Sep 29th, 2010 | By | Category: Canadian Provinces

In this past Monday’s New Brunswick election, Shawn Graham’s incumbent Liberal government won a mere 13 of 55 seats in the provincial legislature, with 34% of the popular vote. David Alward’s Progressive Conservative opposition won a very comfortable new majority government, with 42 seats and 49% of the popular vote.  (Neither the New Democrats, with […]



Whether you loved or loathed him, no one is as big as Pierre Trudeau in Canadian politics today

Sep 28th, 2010 | By | Category: In Brief

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 is the 10th anniversary of the death of Pierre Trudeau, 15th prime minister of the modern Canadian confederation (and in office for 15 years, five months, and a little more than one week:1968—1979, 1980—1984). Bruce Cheadle in the Globe and Mail and Randy Boswell in all of the Vancouver Sun, Windsor […]