National Day of Dialogue – May 15th
A number of Canadians Advocating Political Participation Chapters will be hosting a national day of dialogue Saturday, May 15th. The objective of the National Day of Dialogue, taking place May 15, is simple. We hope to organize forums where citizens will be able to come together to exchange thoughts on how to address the precipitous downturn in voter participation.
Changes to Indian Status without resources a blow says NDP
OTTAWA – New Democrats welcome the legislation introduced today to allow some women to pass on their Indian Status to their grandchildren but are concerned that the government has not yet provided any new funds to meet the financial impact this change will have on band councils.
National Post Exposes Media Bias
Yesterday, The Winnipeg Free Press ran a column that quoted some material from this blog and some other progressives. The National Post’s blog features the following retort:
Reality check: Harper Conservatives tough on crime – Part XIV
There was a time when people could count on certain things in life.
Like Monday coming after Sunday. And the Harper Conservatives railing against judges who delivered legal judgments they disagreed with.
That’s all changed with the “lucky break” former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer got in Ontario Court earlier this week.
New York Fire Department (FDNY) Says Saskatchewan Party Poster Is Offensive
"The FDNY (Fire Department of New York) hopes that no one ever forgets what happened on September 11th. However, we do think that the use of images of the attacks for political or monetary gain, like the image on this poster, is in bad taste."
Frank Dwyer
FDNY spokesperson
Digital Journal
Quick Hit: EU Foreign Policy
Judah Grunstein has a great piece over at WPR outlining some recent developments in the post-Lisbon struggle to define a coherent EU foreign-policy-making apparatus.
An early contender for quote of the year
From Con MP Laurie Hawn, a line whose possible interpretation ranges from an affront to the Cons' supposed belief in openness and accountability to much, much worse:
Exploding the Myth of the Total Quality Toyota
The FT has an article which details union concerns that Toyota was sacrificing quality for price competitiveness. This is not in of itself news: it is a constant of the conditions of capitalist production that cost is weighed against quality and market share. What is interesting is that Toyotism has largely been described [...]
Even Right Wing FOX News Does NOT Like Saskatchewan Party 'Pig Roast' - 911 Poster
The Saskatchewan Party seems to have even ticked off FOX News with it's idiotic poster advertising a pig roast dinner and exploiting the September 11th tragedy.
Update:
New York Fire Department Finds Saskatchewan Party Poster Offensive!
"The FDNY (Fire Department of New York) hopes that no one ever forgets what happened on September 11th. However, we do think that the use of images of the attacks for political or monetary gain, like the image on this poster, is in bad taste."
The Great Flood started here
World-altering collapse of ancient Canadian ice dam twice as massive as thoughtVancouver Sun: Dutch scientists probing deep layers of peat near the mouth of the Rhi
Ontario NDP ignores will of people
So people will continue to ignore the ONDP.
Specifically this time, ONDP leader Andrea Horwath is refusing to debate the merits of amalgamating the Ontario Catholic School Board into the public, secular system.
For some reason it seems that these supposedly ‘controversial’ ideas are really only controversial to the politicians, of all parties, who are unwilling to implement them.
New CBC doc on WWII sets high bar
I’ll admit to being skeptical about how fresh a WWII documentary could be. Even with George Stroumboulopoulos as the narrator, HD location shoots, and and new historical footage from Russia and Japan.
Nothing here, move along
Amazing. The spouse of a cabinet minister is pulled over speeding while drunk with blow in his car, gets a $500 fine, and the reaction of one of the Globe and Mail's most prominent bloggers is to say that he doesn't owe anyone so much as an explanation for why he and not other dark-skinned males pulled over with controlled substances get such luxurious treatment.
Just a thought...
...but might this be somewhat connected to this (which I presume is equally prevalent in Saskatoon as in Regina)?
On positive discussions
Anybody who's been keeping tabs primarily on the Sask Party's actions over the past little while may be wondering if there's anything at all positive happening in Saskatchewan politics. Fortunately, the answer is "yes", as the Saskatchewan NDP's policy renewal process got underway last weekend - and for those who couldn't make it, there's plenty of information available about the proceeedings.
The costs of fake engagement
Suddenly the runaway spending in Stephen Harper's Privy Council Office makes a lot more sense. After all, if Harper's paid minions won't vote up questions along the lines of "Your government has the momentum of a runaway freight train.
Alcoholic atheist in Manitoba? Too bad
Rob Johnstone of Winnipeg Manitoba has alcoholism and is trying to get help.
Unfortunately, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba requires recovering addicts to accept a higher power before they can proceed in their programs. Rob has a “faith-neutral” stance and would rather recover on his own then submit to a different vice. In fact, he was asked to leave AFM because he refused to submit.
Surely a term of endearment
And #1 on the Top Ten Statements that Lib Supporters Hoped They'd Never Hear (But Should Have Expected):“We are pulling a ‘Dion’,” says (a Liberal) insider, referring to the fact that under Mr. Dion’s leadership the Liberals made sure the government did not fall.