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By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 11, 2013, at 1:40 am What’s worse than oil companies spending millions to buy off politicians? Oil companies getting them for free.
The oil sector is vital to Canada’s economy, but so are a lot of industries and you don’t see them drafting government policy. From the CBC:
A letter obtained by Greenpeace through access to information laws and passed on to the CBC reveals the oil and gas industry was granted its request that the federal government change a series of environmental laws to advance “both economic growth and environmental performance.”
Within 10 months of the request, the industry had almost everything
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Conservatives Bad At Selling Out
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 9, 2013, at 10:52 pm A few online polls suggest Idle No More is not supported by a majority of Canadians.
Though there appears to be no major polling done as of yet, three recent online polls give some idea about the popularity of Idle No More.
The larger of the polls was on Jan.3, Winnipeg Free Press had an online poll of over 14,000 respondents, 32% supported Idle No More while 47% opposed it and 21% were unclear what the movement exactly was.
Niagra Falls Review on Jan.5 had a much smaller poll with only 332 respondents: 93 supported Idle No More
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Idle No More Might Be Popular No More: Polls
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 7, 2013, at 11:22 pm Because Stephen Harper was a self-described “radical right-wing ideologue”, he was the only one who could make the conservatives more Liberal.
Because Barack Obama was so anti-war, he was the only one who could make the Democrats more pro-war than Republicans.
In both cases it was each man’s close association to a particular cause that gave him the credibility and therefore the power to fundamentally change it.
And it is because Justin Trudeau is perhaps the most identifiable Liberal that he, and he alone can make the party more conservative, and, as they aren’t mutually exclusive, more progressive. Trudeau has
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 4, 2013, at 2:54 am In 2006 Canada was spending 2% of its Gross Domestic Product on R&D. In 2012 it will spend just 1.69%.
While a large portion of the decline is due to the business sector spending less on R&D, the current Conservative government has responded by cutting its own share of spending while also reducing incentives for businesses to increase theirs. Innovation is not just necessary for businesses to compete, it’s necessary for Canada to compete internationally. But with Canada spending 20% less than the OECD average on Research & Development the future looks bleak.
Hopefully Canada can do something about
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Canada Is R&D-ing A Decline, With Graphs
By Joseph Uranowski, on January 3, 2013, at 9:14 pm Context: I don’t like to think of this blog as existing in a vacuum. You may not be aware of it but I am also an avid user of the twitter and the facebook (my twitter feed is there on the right side of my blog btw.) On twitter (you can follow me at @Uranowski) whenever I notice someone being awesome I like to give them a “You go girl!” It is a friendly, 1990sesque way to acknowledge a job well done. Anyone, man, woman, child, or particularly heroic animal, can receive one. However, last year, I (Read more…)
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 2, 2013, at 11:21 pm Idle No More will fail, not because aboriginals don’t matter, but because they don’t vote.
Elections Canada has tracked federal voter turnout on First Nations Reserves since the 2004 general election, and over that time period aboriginal turnout was on average 28% less than that of all Canadians.
Accounting for the growth in the aboriginal population, that lower turnout could have meant the loss of 200,000 to 300,000 votes in each election, which would have dramatically affected not just the outcomes, but how subsequent politicians and parties competed for aboriginal support.
Imagine instead of going hungry for the chance that
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Idle No More Will Fail Unless Votes Follow
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on January 1, 2013, at 10:46 pm “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin
The fiscal cliff in the United States did not just endanger its own country’s economy but the world’s, including Canada’s heavily dependent one. But in the American problem lies, at least partially, a Canadian solution: an estate tax.
The inability for Democrats and Republicans to prevent the fiscal cliff and the current uncertainty relating to the world’s largest economy is threatening the fledgling global recovery.
Canada, a country whose economy is always extremely vulnerable to external crises, is now only more so.
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: If A Fiscal Cliff Kills, Canada Should Tax Death
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on December 22, 2012, at 7:10 pm Justin Trudeau will become the next Liberal Leader and the party will actually air an advertisement or two as part of a determined strategy to define him and the party before the Conservatives do. Something the Liberals failed to do with Dion and Ignatieff.
Gerard Kennedy will become the next Liberal Leader in Ontario; working with the NDP, there will be no provincial election in 2013.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will lose re-election.
Canada’s economy will only grow by 1.7%, much lower than the 2% the federal government currently projects for 2013 (The IMF and CIBC
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: 2013 Predictions
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on December 3, 2012, at 9:37 pm Conservatives are calling Justin Trudeau a flip-flopper for first voting for the long gun registry and then recently admitting it was a failed policy. That’s fine, but lest Conservatives forget, Stephen Harper did the exact same thing. This Conservativ… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Stephen Harper Flip-Flopped On Gun Registry Too
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on December 3, 2012, at 2:02 am Canada’s dangerously high household debt is being caused by people spending beyond their means, this Conservative government has done everything possible to make sure Canadians continue to do just that. In 2006 a newly elected Conservative government… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: In Their Words: Conservatives Responsible For High Household Debt
By Mark Crowley, on December 2, 2012, at 3:33 am Great proposal from Andrew Coyne. I couldn’t have said it better myself, and I’ve tried, and tried and tried.
“The opposition parties would agree on a single candidate to put up against the Conservatives in each riding. Were they to win a majority, they would pledge to govern just long enough to implement electoral reform: a year, two at most. Then fresh elections would be called under the new system, with each party once again running under its own flag, with a full slate of candidates.”
Coyne begins his article talking about how the idea of ‘splitting the (Read more…)
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 29, 2012, at 1:18 am Why should the Liberal Party, the NDP, and the Green Party merge? Because they are already united in blandness. If these parties were not bland, if they were not vague, or if they even had the slightest unique trait among them, merging would not be an… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Blandness Is Easy To Merge With Liberals, NDP, & Greens
By Joseph Uranowski, on November 27, 2012, at 11:27 pm Harvey Locke ran a great campaign in Calgary-Centre taking a strong second place. and keeping the Conservatives under 40% in the so-called “Conservative heartland” is nothing to sneeze at. I am proud of the campaign the Liberals ran in all … Continue reading → . . . → Read More: The Equivocator: Lessons for the Liberals from the Calgary-Centre by-election
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 27, 2012, at 10:59 pm Turns out Conservatives can’t grow businesses liberally. Go figure. Since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister the World Bank reports that Canada has fallen from the 4th most business friendly nation to the 17th. Data shows that not only has Canada … . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Why Being Conservative With Business Is Bad Business
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 27, 2012, at 1:16 am There might not be a more persuasive argument against an elected senate than the American example. From filibustering to partisan deadlock to disproportionate representation, this broken institution south of our border is largely responsible for the lo… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: America’s Broken Senate
By Joseph Uranowski, on November 26, 2012, at 8:44 am Today (November 26th) is by-election day in the great riding of Calgary-Centre! The Liberal campaign has been as exciting as it has been improbably and for the first time since 1968, Calgary-Centre might such send a Liberal to Ottawa. Though … Continue reading → . . . → Read More: The Equivocator: Vote Harvey Locke: The Progressive Choice for Calgary-Centre
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 24, 2012, at 3:46 am People often assume that Conservatives are pro-business, and they are, if that business is restricting other businesses from starting-up and growing. Annual data from the World Bank shows that since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister, Canad… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: World Bank: Conservatives Making Canada Less Business Friendly
By jtoddring, on November 23, 2012, at 3:10 am I never reprint other people’s writings, no matter how good – but I will make an exception for this. This article is a true must-read. Please, take the time to read it. Then act. Good morning America. It’s time for a new day. Kudos and warm thanks to Jill Dalton at recoveringarmybrat. I will definitely [...]
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 22, 2012, at 12:42 am With Alberta’s rise, in population and wealth, its power is said to be growing, however seeing the reaction to Liberal MP David McGuinty’s recent comments it appears Ontario’s influence is thicker than even oil. For where Alberta is a province know… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: David McGuinty Shows How Canada Is Changing Alberta
By Mark Crowley, on November 21, 2012, at 10:44 pm So in case you hadn’t heard there is a by-election coming up on Monday, three in fact, and the polls look interesting. The most exciting is the by-election in Calgary Centre where polls indicate a three way race between the Conservatives, the Liberals and (deep breadth) the Green Party.
Now I’m on the record as being very in favour of strategic voting in elections so I won’t go over all that again. Check out this amazing site run by 1CalgaryCentre which is trying to organize voters to choose a single progressive representative for their riding. If this works it could (Read more…)
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 19, 2012, at 11:59 pm Many British Columbians fear the possible environmental damage of the Northern Gateway pipeline running through their wilderness, yet paradoxically they and all other Canadians not only take pleasure from the largest oil spill in Canadian history, but … . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Canadians Enjoy Largest Oil Spill In History
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 8, 2012, at 11:36 pm The Queen is unelected by Canadians, is ultimately responsible for Canada’s well-being, and exerts no influence over Canadian affairs. The President of the United States is unelected by Canadians, has no responsibility for Canada’s well-being, and exer… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: America, Canada’s Monarchy
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on November 7, 2012, at 1:34 am Many progressives are elated that Obama won last night, they should thank Stephen Harper. For though many Canadians were happily surprised that Obama’s re-election strategy worked, there was really little doubt, as Stephen Harper had already proved i… . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Democrats Learn From Conservatives: Obama Like Harper, Romney Like Ignatieff
By thescottross.blogspot.com, on October 12, 2012, at 2:38 am There is no stronger conservative principle than personal responsibility, however this Conservative government has shown that when people are only responsible to themselves, social well-being suffers, eventually including the well-being of Conservatives.
This apparent contradiction is obvious in that though Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, they also claim the largest government deficits in Canadian history are not their fault, but the world’s.
Ignoring that this government has been in office for years, that it has cut billions of dollars in taxes which in turn were solely responsible for deficits in some years, this government has continued to spend beyond its
. . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Conservatives Can’t Avoid Social Responsibility
By Mark Crowley, on October 10, 2012, at 10:21 am Here’s a short survey from the Liberal Party on foreign ownership rules for natural resources. There are two interesting things about this. First, foreign ownership of our natural resources, especially by state corporations of other nations, is an important issue Canadians need to talk about more. I’m not especially knowledgable about it so I won’t say any more, feel free to discuss in the comments though and educate me though.
The second, meta-issue here is openness and political party policy. The Liberals are trying to argue that they are the party which is really consulting people and casting both the (Read more…)
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