Building a political consensus in these four policy areas may prove the salvation of the Conservative Party
So. The federal Tories recently announced they won’t select a new, permanent leader until May . . . of 2017, that is. For the few innocent souls who genuinely like long, drawn-out political campaigns, this was nirvana. For the vast majority of us, however, it’ll only serve to prolong the agony of the circus-like environment…
Its best response to the crisis would be to ensure responsible public finances and a competitive tax environment
The Trudeau government has a full agenda on its plate for 2016 given the global political and economic environment, as well as its own list of election promises. Yet, the fundamental issue that Ottawa must deal with is simple: how Canada will continue to make its economic way in the world given the end of…
Mess with democracy at your own risk, Mr. Trudeau
I was on a CTV panel when the Speech from the Throne was read out. This part wasn’t a surprise, but I was surprised the Liberals were doubling down on it: “The Government will . . . take action to ensure that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” There are 10 reasons…
With only 39.47 per cent in popular support, the Trudeau government's plan for electoral reform is blatantly undemocratic
The federal Liberal proposal for electoral reform in Canada has its merits. The government’s plan to force improvements to our democracy, however, is blatantly undemocratic. Let’s examine why. One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s key strategies was that the 2015 federal election would be the last “held under the first-past-the-post voting system.” While it wasn’t…
The nationwide shortage of butter proves that our system of quotas and tariffs on imports is obsolete
Butter politics are making a case for dairy supply management reforms, to the ultimate benefit of Canadian consumers. Canada is apparently experiencing a nationwide shortage of butter. Most consumers have not been directly affected yet — mainly bakeries, restaurants and other institutional purchasers have experienced supply shortages so far. But sporadic reports have filtered out about retail stores running…
Calgary came in from the cold when newly elected Liberal MP Kent Hehr was appointed minister of Veteran Affairs
Fifty years ago this week, a popular Calgarian went down to federal electoral defeat as the incumbent MP for Calgary South. It would be the last time this western city would have a Liberal cabinet minister for half a century. That long and lonely drought came to an end Wednesday when Kent Hehr, newly elected…
Fear and loathing of Harper trumped fear of leaving the country hostage to profound inexperience
Last week, several colleagues at the University undertook a post mortem of the federal election. Two of our recent PhD graduates, David Coletto (2010), now CEO of Abacus Data, and Paul Fairie (2013), a principal with Centrality Data Science, provided a fine-grained analysis of what had been a two-part campaign. Part one, Canadians decided that…
Harper is playing the fear card
Let the games begin. Stephen Harper’s visit with Governor General David Johnston on Sunday dissolved the present Parliament, officially launching Canada’s 42nd federal election. This will be no electoral sprint; at 11 weeks, this is a marathon with time for several momentum changes – so campaign pacing will be critically important. The Conservative Party message…
Would you rather watch the playoffs or MPs out-insulting each other with carefully scripted answers?
Pity the political pundits this week, because for the next few weeks their lives and passions are pretty much meaningless; their probing insights squandered. Five Canadian teams are in the NHL playoffs. Meanwhile, earnest spooks in the shadows of the Centre Block are trying to interest us in a manufactured bloodsport. They obsess on whether…
Restoring faith in our electoral system will require a new style of politics that eschews much of the current orthodoxy
Of all the victims to take a hit in the Mike Duffy Senate expenses scandal, there’s one that isn’t talked about much. Democracy itself. It’s hard to read the daily stories of ambiguous Senate expense rules, allegations of blackmail/payoffs and rampant disregard for the poor taxpayers who are underwriting this mess without asking yourself about…