Hip, hip, hooray for the political elites [Democracy and decision making can be rendered ineffective by public scrutiny]
The Northern Ireland peace talks have served to remind me of Preston Manning and many like him, and their frequent denunciations of “elites” and the preference, expressed by demagogues everywhere, for the imagined uncommon wisdom of the cheerfully ignorant and willfully uninformed. While the agreements reached in Belfast do not necessarily signal a sectarian peace […]
Scholarship fund [Accounting treatment] [Letter]
While the government basks in the glory of a balanced budget for the first time in 28 years, a troubling issue ferments beneath the surface. The issue at hand is the accounting treatment of the Millenium Scholarship Fund. The feds have booked the $2.5-billion expenditure for this scholarship program in the 1997/98 fiscal year, even […]
Vienneau to head up Global TV [Ottawa bureau]
So you want to break a story… The Toronto Star’s Ottawa bureau veteran journalist David Vienneau is leaving Canada’s largest daily to head up Global Television’s Ottawa bureau. Mr. Vienneau, who has been working in the Parliamentary bureau for the Star since 1981, and was the Ottawa editor since September 1997, is looking forward to […]
Parizeau’s sour grapes useful to the PQ
When Jacques Parizeau came back to the Unique Society from his French estate, a few days ago, he did so to rally his troops. His infrequent but well-publicized appearances on the Quebec political scene are always anticipated with a great degree of terror by Premier Lucien and his advisers. It’s no coincidence that, just hours […]
Marc Assad trashes life of an MP [on Radio-Canada’s Enjeu]
There’s no life like it…The political life of a backbencher is frustrating and not always that rewarding. Just ask 10-year veteran of the House Liberal MP Mark Assad. The Quebec backbencher was one of several politicians who appeared last week on the Radio-Canada TV news program, Enjeu, which took a look at the life of […]
Media uncritical of medical breakthrough news
It has long struck me that one of the happy truisms of some forms of journalism is the tendency of journalists to view things with a critical eye. This is a good thing, of course, since it separates reporting from public relations. Unfortunately, it’s not something which is practised in all areas of journalism. Check […]
Government to push 10 bills before break: Reform to go after Indian Affairs, Health, MPs pay, House rules and Senate
Government House Leader Don Boudria is knee-deep in horse-trading with cabinet ministers and other party House leaders as he tries to push government bills through the House when MPs return today for the final two months of this session. There are 10 bills that must be passed by the June break and Mr. Boudria (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, […]
Reform Party’s lawsuit strategy dubious, says a former Manning adviser [Tom Flanagan]
The Reform Party has threatened three lawsuits against those who label it as racist The Reform Party’s strategy to threaten a legal action against anyone who labels it as ‘racist,’ could be a troubling route to take, says a former senior party adviser. It is the third time in the last couple of years the […]
Bloc MP detained by US customs: Monique Guay wants to ensure that federal MPs can travel freely to US
A Bloc Quebecois MP, who says she was detained by U.S. customs officials while travelling with the minister for International Cooperation last month, wants the government to take steps to ensure that federal MPs carl travel freely to our country’s largest ally. Bloc Quebecois international development critic Monique Guay (Laurentides, Que.) was returning from a […]
