As my small cadre of regular readers will know I have been writing about our Canadian democracy for nearly 10 years much of that time spent documenting the Harper Regimes disdain for the democratic process. Although I now have less inclination to write the need to continue to keep those
Continue readingTag: Harpers Legacy
Democracy Under Fire: Democracy Under Ford?
This blog was started back in 2009 to highlight what I and my then blogging partner viewed as the declining respect for democracy by the then recently elected federal leader , one Stephen Harper. I now find myself appalled to see a similar mind set being displayed by the freshly
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Mixed Scientific Message’s
After nearly a decade our federal scientists are now free to speak about their research and findings to the public without censure. Scientists working for the Canadian government have successfully negotiated a clause in their new contract that guarantees their right to speak to the public and the media about
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Mixed Scientific Message’s
After nearly a decade our federal scientists are now free to speak about their research and findings to the public without censure. Scientists working for the Canadian government have successfully negotiated a clause in their new contract that guarantees their right to speak to the public and the media about
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Fair Elections Act Updated
This week the Liberals introduced a bill to reverse many of the more egregious changes brought in with the Conservative “fair” elections act, the summary of this legislation says…… This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act to (a) remove limitations on public education and information activities conducted by the Chief Electoral
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Fair Elections Act Updated
This week the Liberals introduced a bill to reverse many of the more egregious changes brought in with the Conservative “fair” elections act, the summary of this legislation says…… This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act to (a) remove limitations on public education and information activities conducted by the Chief Electoral
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Incredible Shrinking Man
Stephen Harper has disappeared. And, Andrew Cohen writes, his legacy is disappearing as quickly as he did:Stephen Harper was a failure in power. He created nothing lasting. Of prime ministers since 1945 who served a full term or more, his is the thin…
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: A Political Party Sans Politics
A guest post by Pamela Mac Neil Conservatives are looking for a new leader and in doing that, the conservatives may have to make an important decision. Harper and his CONs have, particularly in the last 4 yrs governed for only for 1/3rd of Canadians. They’ve governed only for their
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Last Chance ………
Tomorrow will be the last chance to have your say as to who you want to represent you in parliament and, although we currently vote for individuals, this election has been all about which party is best positioned to replace the Harper Regime, With a minority government very much a
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Say it with Song
After six and a half years of writing about our failing democracy under the Harper Regime there is little more that I can say that I have not already said at some point. So many Progressive Bloggers have joined the battle in recent years (and a few notable writers proceeded
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Do Not Be Muzzled.
Do not be muzzled Oct 19th, get out and have your say on who you wish to represent you in parliament, bearing in mind that many of the promises are just that and may either be a long time coming or reduced or eliminated once in power. Particularly should the
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Special Forces for National ‘Emergency’s’
Call me paranoid, perhaps I have been following Harpers attacks upon our democracy too long, but I fail to understand why we need to expand our ‘Special Forces’ (at an annual cost of $50 million) “to respond to varied, and sometimes multiple, national and international emergencies.” We do have almost
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Special Forces for National ‘Emergency’s’
Call me paranoid, perhaps I have been following Harpers attacks upon our democracy too long, but I fail to understand why we need to expand our ‘Special Forces’ (at an annual cost of $50 million) “to respond to varied, and sometimes multiple, national and international emergencies.” We do have almost
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Ottawa’s war on data
Macleans recently published an article outlining the failure of the Harper regime to not only collect information on the true state of Canada’s citys, towns and villages and economy but failure to KEEP historical data. Whilst touting better access to information by digatalizing information and ‘centralizing’ and combining various websites
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Voices for Democracy
Voices-Voix is a non-partisan coalition of Canadians and Canadian organizationscommitted to defending our collective and individual rights to dissent, advocacy and democratic space. They have documented attacks against organizations, individuals and institutions that have raised their voices, to show the pattern of government silencing those who exercise their right to dissent. They have
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Harper History, Part 5B – G20, Census Axed, Contempt.
June 2010 – Mar 2011 In this the second half of part 5 of the ongoing Harper History series intended to remind our citizens exactly how little respect the Harper Regime has for our Democracy we touch upon the G20 fiasco, the killing of the census and the inability of
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: His Legacy — A Pigsty
http://www.forbes.com/ During the 2006 leaders debate, Stephen Harper asked Paul Martin, “Will you tell us, Mr. Martin, how many criminal investigations are going on in your government?” The answer was “two.” Harper rode one of those investigations — the Gomery Commission — all the way to power.
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: “Strong, Proud, Free”
The above is apparently the ‘branding’ that the Conservatives are now going to be inundating us with for the foreseeable future, it remains to be seen if we finally see the end of the “Economic Action Plan” Ads that have plagued us for years in attempting to persuade us that
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Balanced-Budget Law, fiscal or political?
With Canadians still waiting to see whats in the much delayed budget Finance Minister Joe Oliver has just announced plans for a balanced-budget law (as promised by the Conservatives in the 2013 throne speech). Call me a cynic but after having inherited a 13.8 Billion surplus from the Liberals and
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: A Study in Tyranny (Part 1)
“Message Control and Vetting” A guest post by Pamela Mac NeilCanadians for the first time in our history must confront the menacing truth, that our Prime Minister is a dictator and the Conservative Government for the most part are enabling him in turning Canada into a dictatorship, incremental or otherwise.There
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