Ibbitson on ills of Canadian polity
The Globe and Mail’s political affairs columnist John Ibbitson’s just-released book The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream takes a wry look at the ills of the Canadian polity and it’s a bit of a slap in the head. Mr. Ibbitson says two great global migrations are underway: from poorer countries to richer countries and […]
Tories say Liberals have no respect for Parliament: If the Prime Minister has so much regard for MPs, then why did he and his government push all opposition days off to mid-November: Conservatives
Despite Prime Minister Paul Martin’s recent public pronouncements that he wants Parliament to work, he and his government are slapping the face of Parliament by pushing opposition days off until November, says Conservative Party Whip Rob Nicholson. “You know, the Prime Minister was making some noise about how everyone should cooperate and everybody should love […]
Recently Released Books
Restless Giant: The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore, by James T. Patterson, Oxford University Press, 448 pages, $48. Blurb from the back cover: “Jim Patterson has done it again! Restless Giant is a worthy successor to his prize-winning Grand Expectations.Patterson writes with flair, an admirable sense of balance, and complete command of […]
Dion optimistic about Kyoto, but opposition says Canada lacks credibility and Tories say ‘it’s a dead dog, stop petting it’
Environment Minister Stephane Dion who will chair the UN Climate Change Conference next month says he’s optimistic Kyoto will finally be implemented, but without the U.S. on side, he’s not sure how the fight to slow down global warming will succeed. Calling it “one of the greatest events our country has ever held,”Environment Minister Stephane […]
MPs debate NDP MP Peter Stoffer’s bill to end ‘political wheeling and dealing’
NDP MP Peter Stoffer’s six-year battle against MPs who switch parties was debated last week. “We need to introduce legislation now to prevent floor-crossing and backroom political wheeling and dealing,”Mr. Stoffer (Sackville-Eastern Shore, N.S.) said last week at a press conference.”Canadian people are screaming for accountability from their representatives. We need to take the high […]
Dingwall and his pack of gum
So, was it double mint gum? Selfdecommissioned Canadian Mint boss David Dingwall may go down in history as the first public official to have screwed himself by being such a colossal tightwad. His travel and expenses tab were huge and pretty lavish, but in his line of work and given the turnaround in the Mint’s […]
La Presse Canadienne Hill reporter pens book on politics behind same-sex marriage bill
Sylvain Larocque, a Parliament Hill reporter for La Presse Canadienne, recently wrote a book on same-sex marriage entitled Marriage gai: Les coulisses d’une revolution sociale,which is loosely translated in English to Gay Marriage: Behind the Scenes of a Social Revolution. In his book, Mr. Larocque explores the behind-the-scenes politics at play involved in a public […]
Hike in mileage allowance to be reconsidered at House Board of Internal Economy
All four political parties in the House are against hiking travel allowances paid to MPs and public servants for using their own cars for business and Deputy Government House Leader Mauril Belanger said he will put forward a motion at the next Commons Board of Internal Economy meeting to overturn the increase from 46 cents […]
Many political journalists have a warmer regard for the elite personalities they cover than the public they presume to serve
Halloween has come early this year in the form of dark mutterings of a midnight plot by the Parliamentary Press Gallery. It’s the spooky spectre of a Liberal Media Conspiracy. Never has conspiracy talk gained such currency amongst rational people. Theorists believe Liberals remain in power with the aid of journalists. Media are led by […]
The Spin Doctors: “Realistically, fall election or spring election: what’s it going to be, in your learned opinion?”
Leslie Swartman Liberal Strategist “I’ll be curious as to what my fellow Spin Doctors say! “Clearly, the desire of the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party is to have an election within 30 days of the final Gomery Report, which likely means an early April election. We think Canadians deserve to hear the full story […]
