|
Jan 26, 2012
| Author: Counterweights Editors
| Source: Counterweights
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,” Aug 23rd, 2010) has clued us in to fresh political hi-jinks in the exotic deep southern geography of billabongs, coolabah trees, [...]
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 26, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I have a lot of skepticism of polling because the results are so often such a very weak reflection of how the public actually votes. Pollsters all act as if their results are good and that there are no systemic problems with how they poll the public. Most political polls are commissioned by the media so they have an incentive not to find fault in the poll they paid for.
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 25, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
I first had the pleasure of meeting Imran at a Edward Blake Society event in Toronto a few weeks before the convention. I was really impressed and after perusing his website, I decided to vote for him. His speech at … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 25, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Oil has been produced in Norman Wells on the Mackenzie since the 1920s and is now connected to Alberta via a pipeline. The field produces about 5-6 million barrels of oil per year.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 25, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
People have often spoken about the potential of offshore oil in BC, but what is not talked about is the oil potential of other areas of this province.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 24, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
(Chris and Joseph: excited to be at Biennial!) The 2012 Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) Biennial meeting was the fifth Biennial meeting I’ve attended as Liberal delegate from Toronto Centre. As with previous Biennial meetings, it was a great experience … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 24, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
I come from a very musical family (buy my sister’s band’s EP: The Prime Minister of Cool Chicks) and musical theatre has always been a big part of my life. One of my earliest memories is seeing a production of … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 24, 2012
| Author: rateldajer
| Source: DemReform Good Reads
|
|
|
Jan 24, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I think the time has come to open public participation in who is running for office Federally or Provincially. One possible change would be to introduce primaries for the nominations.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 23, 2012
| Author: Randall White
| Source: Counterweights
[UPDATED JANUARY 24]. Ontario Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s welcoming speech was one of the highlights at the Liberal Party of Canada’s biennial convention in Ottawa, more than a week ago now, on Friday, January 13, 2012. One of its most striking passages, I thought, came somewhat before the middle: “Choosing a new leader is no [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 22, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
Today is the 138th anniversary of the Canada’s 3rd federal election and the election of Canada’s first Liberal Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie. PM Mackenzie’s short tenure as PM have us secret ballot, the Royal Military College of Canada, the Office of the … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 21, 2012
| Author: Wilf Day
| Source: Wilf Day's Blog
The six new seats will be four in the Lower Mainland, one on Vancouver Island, and one in the Interior, using BC Stats projections for 2011 populations.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
“At a time when global competition is growing and our crime rate is falling, it is smarter to invest in education than jails. – Dalton McGuinty After two days of sessions on the economy, health care, foreign policy, the environment … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
Favourite quotes: “Polls can impede our vision of the future.“ Laurier’s Definition of Liberalism: “I am a Liberal. I am one of these who think that everywhere, in human things, there are abuses to be reformed, new horizons to be … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
The vote was close and in the recount it has Santorum winning over Romney by 34 votes. Took long enough for the final results to come in.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
Filed under: Canadian Politics, Liberal Party of Canada Tagged: #cdnpoli, #LPC12, #ott12, Kyle Harrietha, liberal biennial convention
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
I attended the recent Liberal Party of Canada Biennial Convention in Ottawa (as a delegate and a member of a campaign) and came away with a few lessons learned. You can run an honourable campaign and still win. Paul Wells … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I am getting more and more annoyed at the opposition to smart meters based on health concerns. Leaving aside the cancer issue and looking at what people are claiming electromagnetic radiation can cause here is the list of issues I have heard linked to smart meters:
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
Hot: Beards: The hottest accessory at the Tom Mulcair after-party was a beard. If you are showing solidarity with your leadership or simply waiting in the forest for the revolution to come, you need to get yourself a beard. Transit … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Let us ignore for the moment the people opposed to smart meters on health grounds - their opposition is based around a lack of understanding of science or how the scientific community works. There are others opposed to smart meters, but why are they?
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2012
| Author: Citizen X
| Source: Counterweights
It has me taken a while to get into the latest Stephen Colbert intervention in the real world of US politics (in conjunction with his colleague, Jon Stewart — who recently claimed that both “t”s in his surname are silent, to give “Sewar” when said out loud). But I have now been drawn in by [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2012
| Author: Joseph Uranowski
| Source: The Equivocator
There was a beauty to last weekends’ Liberal Party Convention. I know, no one wants to hear or even believe that anything Liberal was beautiful. It is a stretch. However, for all the haters out there this article is not … Continue reading →
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 17, 2012
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
There are three primary lessons from this Convention.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 17, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Today the last major candidate that made any sense in the US Republican primary withdrew from the race. Jon Huntsman is no longer running for president.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I am trying really hard to be interested and engaged in this race, but there is simply not much is going on. It pales in comparison to the US GOP nomination race. Trust me, I am trying to be interested.
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 16, 2012
| Author: bgibb
| Source: Taking on the System
Having had some time to reflect on the latest decision from the Quebec Court of Appeal that rejects our motion to have the first-past-the-post voting system declared unconstitutional and while waiting to see if the Supreme Court of Canada will hear our appeal, I recently read Daniel Kahneman's best-selling book, Thinking, Fast and Slow.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2012
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
I have not always agreed with Mr Apps on how things were run during his presidency (especially on the ruling that to me seemed to deprive any member who wanted to be an interim leader of his or her rights under the constitution to run for permanent leader).
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2012
| Author: rateldajer
| Source: DemReform Good Reads
They did support reforming the country’s electoral system, voting to adopt preferential balloting in federal elections, rather than the current first-past-the-post system. Preferential ballots would ensure that only candidates who receive more than 50 per cent of the vote in their ridings would be elected to the House of Commons.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 15, 2012
| Author: Randall White
| Source: Counterweights
In a number of respects the Liberal Party of Canada biennial convention in Ottawa this weekend has been a surprising success. It was, eg, attended by some 3,200 delegates — considerably more than expected. As Jane Taber has also reported: “The party had wanted to show it can reinvent itself by becoming more open. It [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012
| Author: L. Frank Bunting
| Source: Counterweights
Jackson Lears “teaches history at Rutgers University, is the editor of Raritan and author of Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920.” In the 5 January 2012 issue of the London Review of Books, he reviews two recent biographies of US President Barack Obama’s father and mother — The Other Barack by [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I do not think this really matters in the overarching picture of Canadian politics. I had been waiting for the first person to make this shift. I honestly had not expected Lise St-Denis to be the first one.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2012
| Author: Counterweights Editors
| Source: Counterweights
[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 … [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
It is amazing how little interest there is in the NDP leadership race nationally. The party is choosing the person that is likely to be Prime Minister someday. I would say that at this time, the odds of the NDP winning the 2019 federal election is fairly high. 2015 is already a write off because the NDP are not ready to be competitive in 250+ ridings and they still have to finish off the ...
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 9, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
We will have by-elections in Port Moody-Coquitlam and in Chilliwack-Hope in the near future, the track record of governments in BC by-elections has been abysmal. Since 1966 there have been 27 by-elections in BC, 24 23 won by the official opposition and 3 by the government, not a single and one was one by a third party.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 8, 2012
| Author: Counterweights Editors
| Source: Counterweights
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 [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 6, 2012
| Author: Randall White
| Source: Counterweights
At their biennial convention next weekend the federal Liberals will be debating a policy resolution on the Canadian future of the British monarchy, at the democratic reforming behest of the Young Liberals of Canada.. The resolution is officially known as “114. Canadian Identity in the 21st Century.” Its operative section reads: “BE IT RESOLVED that [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 6, 2012
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
I would like to recommend that attendees at our convention pass two revolutions which are aimed at empowering Liberal Party members and supporters.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 5, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Given the GOP field, this would be a good option for the US.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 5, 2012
| Author: Randall White
| Source: Counterweights
Six recent articles, mostly but not entirely from the Globe and Mail, raise some provocative prospects about Ontario’s changing role in the Canadian confederation: “Ontario Liberals brace for a tumultuous year” (Adam Radwanski) ; “Flaherty’s corporate-tax plan hits stumbling block in Ontario” (Bill Curry) ; “Saving John McCallum’s seat will be true measure of Liberal [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 5, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
If you are a political junkie and have not read "Who Heads to the Polls?: Exploring the Demographics of Voters in British Columbia" I highly recommend it. It was published in March of 2010 by Elections BC. I also suggest you read "Motivations and Barriers: Exploring Voting Behaviour in British Columbia" published January 2010. Also interesting is the "2009 Elections BC Post-Election/Non-Vo ...
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 4, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
So the Iowa caucuses happened last night and no one managed to do well.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 4, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
It is only in politics that people have decided negative ads are a good way to gain 'customers'. You are not going to find negative campaigns when people are trying to make money from advertising.
[ read more]
|
|
Jan 4, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
“In the spirit of our mission to strengthen the Canadian democracy,” Samara is asking Canadians to participate in identifying the Best Moment in Canadian Democracy for 2011. This contest is designed to encourage Canadians to reflect annually on the positive moments in our public life that are often ignored. “The moment could be one that [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 3, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
I’ve mentioned this before, but now that we’re back in the business of building a campaign for mixed member proportional representation, I think it’s worth mentioning again. We’re still running Google Alerts for “MMP” and “Mixed Member Proportional,” and starting later today, we’ll get back to posting the results we get from these alerts in [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 2, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
Speaking of mixed member proportional representation, you may recall that back in October, when the research stage of our MMP campaign was busy getting off to a false start, the good people of New Zealand were preparing for a referendum on their electoral system. They had already adopted the MMP system, and the time had [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 2, 2012
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I like to watch how social media is being used for various election campaigns. I have rarely seen any really effective uses of the medium, though I have seen many interesting attempts. The latest is from NDP leadership candidate Peggy Nash.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 2, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
It’s been several weeks since the last time we devoted any genuine attention to our campaign for mixed member proportional representation, and I think the best way to get back on track is to revisit Amanda Sussman, whose book The Art of the Possible laid the foundation for this campaign back in July. One of the [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 2, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
What better way to kick off our look back at 2011, and our look ahead to 2012, than with a visit to the CBC website to check out their list of the past year’s most widely read political news stories? Jack Layton dominates the top ten list, scooping up the first, third, sixth and eighth [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Jan 1, 2012
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
I started my recent list of new year’s resolutions for democracy101.ca in 2012 with a promise to post something new every day. This post, of course, is the first step in that new direction. But it’s also a good opportunity to look ahead to some of the other changes and content you can expect to [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 31, 2011
| Author: Randall White
| Source: Counterweights
I know Citizen X posted a piece yesterday, saying the “next article on this site will be in the New Year.” But on my way back from the far north I heard an enchanting new video on the world wide web — Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel doing the Nancy Wilson classic, “What Are You [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
The list of proposed amendments to the LPC Constitution has been released. There is a disconnect between the statements in the Roadmap to Renewal and the background paper regarding the need to remedy the democratic deficit in the LPC, and advocating boldness in doing so, and the proposed amendments. Hat tip to Paper Dynamite Online for the reference!
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
If he really introduced proportional representation, then he would be a revolutionary prime minister, and go down in history as one of the great ones:
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 24, 2011
| Author: Wilf Day
| Source: Wilf Day's Blog
Where will Ontario’s 15 new seats in Parliament be? This will be determined by a Boundaries Commission to be set up in Feburary. But since there is so much interest, I have spent some time on the answer.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Various people have said that the public should have a choice on keeping their old meter or getting a smart meter. This is not physically possible.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Peggy Nash is a dark horse in the NDP leadership race, she has no realistic chance of coming anything better than a distant third. If she holds on in the race to the end she misses her chance to have a major impact on the race. Endorsing either Mulcair or Topp would be the signal of who is most likely to win the race.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
It is important in Canada for a national leader to be able to speak English and French, so I was surprised when Robert Chisholm decided to enter the race given that he does not speak French. You can not run a serious leadership race and learn to speak French at the same time.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 19, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
The NDP has been in power in five provinces and one territory, here is how long they have been government in each one:
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 19, 2011
| Author: Matt
| Source: democracy101.ca
The new year is less than two weeks away, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably been thinking about the changes you’d to make in the year ahead. When it comes to my personal list of noble goals that I’ve fallen short of meeting, democracy101.ca has definitely been near the top over the course of [...]
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
From Letters to a Young Contrarian:
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
I ended up at the website for Alabama Power and read their December 5th 2011 newletter. They quantify the benefits coming from better information about power outages.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
The Kiwis had a referendum on their electoral system as part of their recent general election. The referendum results were announced today.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2011
| Author: Bernard von Schulmann
| Source: BC Iconoclast
Here is an email sent out today by Jon Huntsman's campaign
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 13, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
This summary of the incredible ineptitude of the Cameron Downing Street team comes from the Financial Times.
Cameron lecturing the EU on the City's rights ...
It seems that the Cameron rushed in, like fools, where angels should fear to tread:
Neither Mr Cameron nor his advisers appeared to grasp, in advance of the summit, how spectacularly a last-minute attempt to exploit the eurozone’s ...
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
What a dramatic few days we have just lived through! The grandest experiment in modern history – the European Union – has weathered a major threat to its existence, with 27 governments gathering in Brussels, and 26 agreeing on a roadmap for future stability and closer fiscal union.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 9, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
Lissen up, David: Click here!
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 7, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
On June 30, 2013, we will look back over the past 18 months are realize that the month of November in the year 2011 showed the high tide of one political party, the ebbing of the tide of another, and the coming high tide of another.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 5, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
|
|
|
Dec 2, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
Chancellor Merkel's glacial crawl towards the creation of an all-powerful EuroCop with powers to veto the budgets of Eurozone nations is beginning to make Prime Minister Cameron a bit nervous. Cameron is on the outside, looking in, but is itching to give advice to the 17 European Union members of the Eurozone about how to manage their affairs.
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 2, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
Angela Merkel is very clear about what is going on with the latest crisis in the Eurozone – a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil:
[ read more]
|
|
|
Dec 1, 2011
| Author: CuriosityCat
| Source: CuriosityCat
A very interesting chart by Gallup measures the intensity of support of Republicans of their candidates for the presidency. It takes the positives and deducts the negatives.
[ read more]
|
RSS (not available --see Contributors below)
Atom (not available --see Contributors below)
Add my blog to the feed!
Request removal of blog :(