From giving their infamous Internet snoop bill the all-but-same title as a similar Republican move in the US to voter suppression.

Here’s a little juxtaposition without contrast:

GOP uses robocalls to suppress the vote.

Harper’s Conservatives use robocalls to suppress the vote.

How much more sleaze has oozed across the world’s longest undefended border into a country I used to recognize?

[H/t Stephen Wicary via Kev Kelly]

So who was this expert you might ask? A university professor with years of research on the subject? Maybe some breakthrough research by a young grad student? How about a researcher from a think tank that has been investigated the issue?

Wrong on all accounts. It was, in fact, former Justice Minister Marc Bellemare from the province of Quebec. Of course, you might … “being a Justice Minister problem should make you an expert.” If only this were the case. If Minister Vic Toews has taught us anything it is that you definitely don’t have to be an expert in something to become a Minister. Nor does being a Minister make you an . . . → Read More: eaves.ca: Media Watch: The Globe and Mail’s Shifting Headline - Syndicated from http://eaves.ca]]> http://eaves.ca/2012/02/22/media-watch-the-globe-and-mails-shifting-headline/feed/ 0 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cmkl/~3/aI7StpImRNk/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cmkl/~3/aI7StpImRNk/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:26:35 +0000 cmkl http://cmkl.ca/?p=2334 So the City of Toronto’s answer service is going to stop fielding queries by email as of March 15. Because Mayor Rob Ford wants to save $280,000. Because he doesn’t care if hold times go back up to 75 seconds from their current 8 seconds. Because he apparently doesn’t care that his people are going to answer 70,000 more questions by phone instead. That’s how many emails the 311 service handled in 2010.

The legislation (H.R. 3541), sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), was originally entitled the “Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Non-discrimination Act of 2011.” … 

Offended at the use of the names of two civil rights heroes, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) offered his own titles for the bill: “The Ronald Reagan Impose Your Beliefs on a Woman

It is not immediately clear what the mechanism is that results in this poll. It isn’t the case that there is a prominent group suggesting this falsehood (like was the case Iraq having WMDs). Politicians on both sides of the debate, top government officials, and more or less the entire media class presents the Iran story in the same framing: that action must be taken to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Ergo, it currently does not have one. . . . → Read More: Progressive Proselytizing: The staggering ignorance of the public on Iran - Syndicated from http://progressiveproselytizing.blogspot.com/]]> http://progressiveproselytizing.blogspot.com/feeds/4025794520235528302/comments/default 0 http://the5thc.blogspot.com/2012/02/vale-wins-2012-public-eye-peoples-award.html http://the5thc.blogspot.com/2012/02/vale-wins-2012-public-eye-peoples-award.html#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:18:00 +0000 rww http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/?guid=0812c925e45ae096bb271169f0c26ff4 Click Here for More Information

Instead, everyone started saying how old they are.  Anyone aged 58 or older gloated; anyone younger grimaced.  They’d all calculated where they stand vis-à-vis an expected cut-off date.  And none of them questioned the government’s storyline – everyone just seemed to take on faith that, sooner or later, senior citizens are going to bankrupt our national government.  

So here we go again.  The government promotes policies based on fantasy rather than fact, and everyone else, be they politicians, pundits or the public, gets drawn into a pseudo-debate that all too often spirals downward into a round robin of . . . → Read More: Senator Elaine McCoy Hullabaloos: DIY Democracy - Syndicated from http://www.albertasenator.ca/hullabaloos/]]> http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/2012/02/diy-democracy/feed/ 0 http://www.desmogblog.com/evaluation-shows-faked-heartland-climate-strategy-memo-authentic http://www.desmogblog.com/evaluation-shows-faked-heartland-climate-strategy-memo-authentic#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:48:02 +0000 Brendan and Richard http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/?guid=afcfa470d4ed4ae60b2565eece50ae8d

A line-by-line evaluation of the Climate Strategy memo, which the Heartland Institute has repeatedly denounced as a "fake" shows no “obvious and gross misstatements of fact,” as Heartland has alleged. On the contrary, the Climate Strategy document is corroborated by Heartland’s own material and/or by its allies and employees.

It also uses phrases, language and, in many cases, whole sentences that were taken directly from Heartland’s own material. Only someone who had previous access to all of that material could have prepared the Climate Strategy in its current form.

In all the circumstances – taking into account Gleick’s explanation of the origin of the Heartland documents, and in direct contradiction of Heartland’s stated position – DeSmogBlog has concluded that the Climate Strategy memo is authentic. 

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Bob Mackin files a report that brings to mind BC’s great train robbery. Are thieves in pin stripe suits about to uncouple more public enterprises and steal away in similar fogs of deception?

To me, involvement of Christy Clark Patrick Kinsella in privatization of liquor distribution is prima facie evidence that taxpayers urgently need protection.

in What’s Paragon’s Lobbyist got to hide?, Ian Reid lays out another example that indicates the stink of political corruption involving BC Liberals and their closest friends.

In this case, the political . . . → Read More: Northern Insights / Perceptivity: The days grow short - Syndicated from http://northerninsights.blogspot.com/]]> http://northerninsights.blogspot.com/feeds/1415250522634163658/comments/default 0 http://saskboy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/child-predator-tax/ http://saskboy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/child-predator-tax/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:04:53 +0000 Saskboy http://saskboy.wordpress.com/?p=3181 Look for the latest charge to appear soon on your Bell, Rogers, Telus, (or MTS, or SaskTel) bill by next year when Vic Toews Bill C-30 comes into effect. It may not be labeled as such, but you can think of the price increase as the “Child Predator Tax”. The misnamed “Lawful Access” cum “Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act” Bill C-30 is going to require new hardware to be installed at all Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and you’re paying twice for its (inevitable) implementation.

For those too young, or naive, to remember the grossly inaccurate government estimate for the of another electronic tracking system (No, not GIGAText), the Long Gun Registry (LGR), here’s some quick history to catch you up (with added highlighting):

Taxpayers were originally expected to pay only $2 million of the budget while registration fees would cover the rest. In 1995, the Department of Justice reported . . . → Read More: Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Child Predator Tax - Syndicated from http://saskboy.wordpress.com]]> http://saskboy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/child-predator-tax/feed/ 0 http://scathinglywrongrightwingnutz.blogspot.com/2012/02/rick-tells-vic-how-it-is.html http://scathinglywrongrightwingnutz.blogspot.com/2012/02/rick-tells-vic-how-it-is.html#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:51:00 +0000 deBeauxOs http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/?guid=1455ad8fdd52bd1384c4fca96075c673

Meanwhile, over at unrepentantoldhippie JJ tells Vic how it is. - Syndicated from http://scathinglywrongrightwingnutz.blogspot.com/]]> http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/2012/02/rick-tells-vic-how-it-is/feed/ 0 http://www.sabinabecker.com/2012/02/zut-alors-plus-de-mademoisell.html http://www.sabinabecker.com/2012/02/zut-alors-plus-de-mademoisell.html#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:49:15 +0000 Sabina Becker http://www.sabinabecker.com/?p=9331

Ah, oui. C’est fini, l’ennui:

The term “mademoiselle” is about to disappear from French paperwork.

Under pressure from campaigners, the government has decided that women will not have to choose how to describe themselves on official documents.

Unlike men, women have been forced to choose between a married “madame” or unmarried “mademoiselle”.

Feminist groups welcomed the move from Prime Minister Francois Fillon, but noted that in an election year they want to ensure it is applied.

“Everywhere we are asked to declare our marital status. This is not imposed on men, it’s not important whether they are married,” said Julie of the group, Osez le Feminisme.

Her group also wants candidates for the presidential elections in April to support other pledges reducing the pay gap between men and women, supporting the right to abortion and birth control, and limiting sexist advertising.

And a straitjacket on Dominique Strauss-Kahn too, s’il . . . → Read More: News of the Restless: Zut alors! Plus de “mademoiselle”! - Syndicated from http://www.sabinabecker.com]]> http://www.sabinabecker.com/2012/02/zut-alors-plus-de-mademoisell.html/feed 0 http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/2012/02/f-35-news-this-weeks-fiasco.html http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/2012/02/f-35-news-this-weeks-fiasco.html#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:47:00 +0000 The Mound of Sound http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/?guid=9f7e9ab2e92edb179fee0913bbe9bdfd Barely two months ago, F-35 boosters were thumping their chests as Japan announced plans to buy about 50 of the aircraft.  That “done deal”, they argued, virtually ensured other prospective buyers would set aside their reservations and also take the leap.

Now it seems the Japanese are getting F-35-itis.   Japanese officials are warning the Americans that they’re not interested in delays and cost overruns which may be the only two things the F-35 can deliver and in spades.

The comments from Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura come after Japan’s Sankei newspaper cited unidentified U.S. government officials as that Japan had threatened that it may even cancel its orders if prices climbed. Japan picked the F-35 as its next mainstay fighter in December, choosing it over combat-proven but less stealthy rivals.

 “When we were selecting the fighter, we asked those making the proposals to strictly observe their proposed prices and supply . . . → Read More: The Disaffected Lib: F-35 News, This Week’s Fiasco - Syndicated from http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/]]> http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/feeds/7734736726168953993/comments/default 0 http://saskboy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/why-actions-today-matter/ http://saskboy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/why-actions-today-matter/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:18:52 +0000 Saskboy http://saskboy.wordpress.com/?p=3180 “We’re destroying future generations for now, and forever.” – Jitesh, an Indian oilman.

You won’t regret watching this video, the guy’s a very good storyteller.

It’s going to cost at least $80 million to implement the government’s lawful access bill to force internet and telecommunications service providers to collect customer information in case police need it for an investigation, CBC News has learned.

. . . → Read More: The Liberal Scarf: Harper wants $80 million of your tax dollars to creep your emails - Syndicated from http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/]]> http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/feeds/6234132422308422592/comments/default 0 http://openmedia.ca/blog/canadian-press-wind-mobile-public-mobile-threaten-boycott http://openmedia.ca/blog/canadian-press-wind-mobile-public-mobile-threaten-boycott#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:44:09 +0000 OpenMedia.ca http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/?guid=6cbc8480a15b518e94e55935b038eea4

If the spectrum auction rules don’t change, the anticompetitive Canadian telecom market won’t either. To improve the price and quality of telecommunications in Canada, Ottawa is going to have to step in and give providers, other than the Big Three, a fair chance to compete. Let Ottawa know about your concerns and Stop The Squeeze today.

Article by Luann Lasalle for The Canadian Press

Wind Mobile and Public Mobile — two of Canada’s smallest cellphone companies — are threatening to sit out the next federal auction of radio waves needed to expand their wireless networks if space isn’t set aside new players like themselves.

“We’re not suicidal,” Wind Mobile’s Anthony Lacavera said Monday.

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I suppose one could quibble about specifics of the dubious allegations made if there was a point to such an endevour, but perhaps a more intriguing question for Ron Paul supporters is why his campaign NEVER attacks Mitt Romney… Rather curious, that.

Maybe, as some have speculated, Ron Paul’s entire campaign is nothing but angling to become the last Chairman of the Reserve under a Romney administration… Seems like a highly improbable outcome of his inevitably doomed bid to become GOP nominee, but hey… it’s no less detached from reality than the rest of his domestic policy proposals, so who knows?

Whether there is any veracity Minister Toews’ claims is up to the pony soldiers to decide, but the thing reeks of spin control. You know, because Toews has just be hauled out and paddled soundly on the bottom for daring to propose that government grant the security forces unwarranted access to your digital communications. Other measures from the minister include distancing himself from the content of the bill, claiming he didn’t know how far the legislation went. Better to look massively incompetent openly tyrannical, I suppose.

But back to the claims of threats.  The Conservative Regime of which Vic Toews, for have failed to sufficiently explain why they want to sniff your digital knickers.

Drunk with themselves, they’ve also staggered in and threatened to pipe poison to China through other people’s . . . → Read More: The Galloping Beaver: Growing resistance: biting back - Syndicated from http://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/]]> http://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/feeds/3624556772497848079/comments/default 0 http://unrepentantoldhippie.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/anonymous-not-letting-up-on-toews/ http://unrepentantoldhippie.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/anonymous-not-letting-up-on-toews/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:56:34 +0000 JJ http://unrepentantoldhippie.wordpress.com/?p=16067 Vic Toews, you were warned!: (Text pasted here.) Oh wow.  I didn’t know the mistress was snorting and scarfing at the Public Trough right alongside her Viagra-starched paramour, but am I surprised? Are you? The Toewster’s squeals and bleats about McCarthyesque investigations notwithstanding, my sense is that Anonymous might be difficult to investigate since it’s [...]

Representative Raúl M. Grijalva today called for a full Natural Resources Committee hearing to probe whether Indur Goklany, a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Interior Department, improperly received payments from the Heartland Institute while collecting a paycheck from U.S. taxpayers.

Rep. Grijalva, the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, urged his fellow Congressmen to hold a hearing as early as next week to determine whether Goklany “received money he was promised by the Heartland Institute for writing a chapter in a book focused on climate policy in violation of federal rules, among other issues.”

This is just the first of what should and will likely be many hearings into the facts revealed in the 'Denialgate' leaked Heartland Institute documents.

Heartland’s leaked 2012 Proposed Budget document indicates that it plans to pay Goklany $1,000 per month this year to write . . . → Read More: DeSmogBlog: Congressman Calls For Hearing Into Heartland Institute Payments to Federal Employee Indur Goklany - Syndicated from http://www.desmogblog.com/]]> http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/2012/02/congressman-calls-for-hearing-into-heartland-institute-payments-to-federal-employee-indur-goklany/feed/ 0 http://redtory.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/online-privacy/ http://redtory.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/online-privacy/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:27:26 +0000 redtory http://redtory.wordpress.com/?p=19466 Rick Mercer lays a smack-down on Vic Toews and Bill C-30, his warrantless online spying legislation.

Remember folks… you’re either with the philandering old pervert accused of shtupping his babysitter or you’re with the pedophiles and child pornographers. Sorry, but those are the only available choices on offer in Harperland.

Mounty Monty was driving his kids home from a Halloween party at which he’d quaffed five beers.  He’s testified he can’t remember the events just before and following the moment his Jeep struck the motorcycle being ridden by 21-year old Orion Hutchinson.

Robinson’s evidence is that he got out of his Jeep, walked over close enough to see bystanders apparently tending to Hutchinson, handed his driver’s licence to onlooker, gathered up his kids and simply walked them the two-blocks distance to their home.   Then he hit the vodka.

He said it never crossed his mind to guzzle hard liquor to screw up any chance of investigating whether he was drunk when he hit the motorcycle.   He did admit that . . . → Read More: The Disaffected Lib: Yeah, Right Mounty Monty - Syndicated from http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/]]> http://the-mound-of-sound.blogspot.com/feeds/8752251064372443551/comments/default 0