The good folks in Samara are hosting a fun contest this summer, asking Canadians to vote for their favourite political books. I for one think this is a great idea, and it’s something I’d considered doing as a bracketed summer contest on this blog in the past. After soliciting nominations, they’ve named 12 finalists and […]

Last week’s postal filibuster is the first real case study of the new political reality. If it’s a preview of the next four years, I’d say Stephen Harper’s 2015 re-elected chances look quite rosy. Personally, I don’t know who was on the side of the angels on this one. I’m not up on the specifics […]

Some guy named Michael Ignatieff weighs in on the life of Canadians living outside the country: I was away a long time in Britain and the States, it’s true, but I kept coming back, writing for Canadian newspapers, broadcasting on the CBC, summers teaching at Banff, lectures everywhere, writing several books on Canadian themes. I […]

The Ontario NDP release their platform, chalk full of policies that are great news if you own a big house, drive a gas guzzler, or like coal power. Partisan jabs aside, Andrea Horwath could do some serious damage in this fall’s Ontario election – she’s a far more impressive politician than Howard Hampton, and thanks […]

I won’t say I feel bad for Pauline Marois – seeing the PQ implode a few weeks after the BQ was all but obliterated is Must See TV. But when looking at the problems besieging her, it’s important to remember that Marois has the toughest job in politics. Consider this. The PQ has knifed every […]

Liberals have voted to pick a new leader sometime between March and June 2013. I was personally hoping for a shorter timeline but my sense from yesterday’s conference call is Liberals are ready to get to work rebuilding the party in the interim. I think it’s a little naive to assume no one will think […]

A few random Friday thoughts: 1. Don’t expect this weekend’s NDP convention in Vancouver to be nearly as exciting as Wednesday night. Still, the possibility for riots and/or make out sessions does exist when delegates begin debating a motion to repeal the Clarity Act. 2. Speaking of the NDP convention, FarandWide has a good blog […]

That was how Stephen Harper described Stephane Dion in 2008, when “unelected” and “unaccountable” Liberal senators blocked Harper’s senate reform legislation. I look forward to the new attack ads: Tory senator questions colleagues’ loyalty to Harper OTTAWA — A Conservative senator is calling into question his colleagues’ loyalty to Prime Minister Stephen Harper after Tory […]

Macleans updates it’s 1997 list ranking Canada’s Best PMs, and produces the following top 10: 1. Wilf2. Johnny Mac3. The Lyon4. Mikey B5. PET6. JC7. Uncle Louis8. Robbie B9. Lyin’ Brian10. The Chief From top to bottom, it’s a well researched and thoughtful list. As someone who has read many Prime Ministerial bios and studied […]

Stephen Duckett (AKA Cookie Monster) has raised a stir by suggesting some politically connected individuals receive preferential treatment in Alberta’s Health Care system, and are able to jump the queue. The PCs have generally shrugged this one off, like most accusations against their government, but there has been one notable exception – leadership candidate Allison […]