Following up on this post and some additional discussion, let’s take a look at the question of what options would be available to Stephen Harper if he decided he wanted to escape a drubbing at the polls by cancelling the federal election. And fortunately, the answer looks to be “not
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Politics and its Discontents: Uh Oh. Mr. Harper Will Not Like This
There are many ways in which the ‘Fair’ Elections Act makes it more difficult for Canadians to exercise their voting rights; a group especially hard hit are aboriginals, not known for their support of the Conservative Party of Canada. Previous federal elections have allowed a second person to vouch for
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Robocall Scandal and the Monstrous Con Conspiracy
If you remember that the judge who sentenced Michael Sona to nine months in jail, for his role in the robocall scandal, said he didn't believe the former Con operative had acted alone.And that during the trial, the Crown's star witness Andrew Prescott suggested that Sona's former boss was involved. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Adam Lent highlights the strong majority of respondents in the UK who see the political system as serving the powerful rather than the public. And Elizabeth Warren explains why the same conclusion applies in the U.S., while making the case that there’s
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why Stephen Harper Won’t Escape the Robocall Scandal
In my last post I said that Stephen Harper may have dodged the robocall scandal, so far. But he cannot escape the moral responsibility for what happened.For having created a depraved culture where some of his fanatic young followers obviously thought it was OK to try to steal an election.But of course
Continue readingLeft Over: Desperation and Distraction, but a Little Satisfaction?
http://montrealsimon.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-increasing-desperation-of-stephen.html Two things have me momentarily distracted these days, and both are all about the lack of traction that the Cons are getting from attacking both Junior and the NDP..vis a vis the ‘scandal’ that never was re their supposed illegal Parliamentary postal charge avoidance..what happened with that? Sadly
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Neil Irwin highlights the reality that top-heavy economic growth has done nothing to reduce poverty in the U.S. over the past 40 years: In Kennedy’s era, [the “rising tide lifts all boats” theory] had the benefit of being true. From 1959 to 1973,
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Robocall Scandal: Did the Harper PMO Lie to Elections Canada?
He has been lucky so far. The robocall scandal hasn't yet penetrated the darkness of his foul PMO.But now the robocall trial of Michael Sona is about to begin. Who knows who he might call upon to testify?And this can't be good news.Read more »
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On skewed perspectives
Shorter anonymous Conservative MP: Of course we want nothing more than fairness out of Canada’s electoral oversight bodies. And by that, we of course mean they should stop damaging our party’s cause with this annoying habit of investigating Conservative wrongdoing.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Larry Bartels highlights how class plays a particularly large role in U.S. politics, as opinions about the role of government are particularly polarized based on income. And Paul Krugman notes that as a consequence, any demand to “stop class warfare” in favour of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On vested interests
Shorter Linda Frum: As one of Stephen Harper’s hand-picked counterweights to the troublesome democratic rabble, I refuse to acknowledge any difference between “encouraging voter turnout” and “abetting electoral fraud”. The less people with a voice in how this country is run, the better.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Fair Elections Act could sink Stephen Harper and Conservatives in 2015
by: Obert Madondo | April 12, 2014 This week Canada’s two main opposition parties declared war on the Conservatives’ Orwellian Fair Elections Act. One that could bring down Harper during the 2015 federal election. While falling short of declaring the Fair Elections Act an election issue for 2015, both the Official Opposition
Continue readingParliamANT Hill: ConservAntive senAntor argues Elections Cantada shouldn’t promote voting
Inspired by this headline: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/linda-frum-stirs-controversy-with-elections-canada-questions-1.2606836
Continue readingAlberta Diary: What happens now that we know there really is a cancer cluster in Fort Chip? Nothing?
Greenpeace Canada info-graphic showing connections among the far-right Conservative Party of Canada activists behind the so-called Ethical Oil Institute. Below: Dr. James Talbot; Dr. John O’Connor; Ezra Levant. Alberta’s chief medical officer has now confirmed that statistics released a couple of weeks ago indicate there really is a cancer cluster
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Anita Vandenbeld on the "Fair" Elections Act
Anita Vandenbeld, past federal candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean and green lit candidate for the 2015 nomination has written a fantastic post for iPolitics about the “Fair” Elections Act and how regressive it truly is. “The last time I worked in a country where a government used its majority in Parliament
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Anita Vandenbeld on the "Fair" Elections Act
Anita Vandenbeld, past federal candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean and green lit candidate for the 2015 nomination has written a fantastic post for iPolitics about the “Fair” Elections Act and how regressive it truly is.”The last time I worked in a country…
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Anita Vandenbeld on the "Fair" Elections Act
Anita Vandenbeld, past federal candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean and green lit candidate for the 2015 nomination has written a fantastic post for iPolitics about the “Fair” Elections Act and how regressive it truly is. “The last time I worked in a country where a government used its majority in Parliament
Continue readingThe Right-Wing Observer: The Senate is drunk on partisanship
Unelected Conservative Senators have a surprising amount of electoral expertise. It must come from all those years of not getting elected. @JDanAiken @bruceanderson Elections Canada should not have a vested interest in recording a high voter turnout. That’s a conflict. — Senator Linda Frum (@LindaFrum) April 9, 2014 Every day
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Welcome to Stephen Harper’s Banana Republic
#PMSH goes #BananaRepublic: the (un) #FairElectionsAct lets incumbents SUPERVISE their own election! pic.twitter.com/SG3IT8GMAz #cdnpoli — Politics, Re-Spun (@PoliticsReSpun) April 6, 2014 Just how stupid does Stephen Harper think we are? He thinks that we’re fine with the idea that incumbent parties should be able to pick the poll supervisors in
Continue readingThe Right-Wing Observer: Lukiwski doesn’t understand the meaning of transparency
Full disclosure: Tom Lukiwski is a four-letter word in my home. The fact this man continues to get elected in our home province embarrasses us deeply. He has a demonstrated ability, practiced really over decades, to offend people with thoughtless comments. Thankfully, we don’t live in his riding, so our
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