The Canadian Leaders Debates & What the Left Needs to Take Away from Them

This week’s leaders debates in Canada made two things painfully obvious. First, Canada has a de facto two-party system. Second, the rest of this election is about whether Stéphane Dion or Jack Layton will lead the de facto opposition party following this election. Read more

Winning the Leaders "Debates"

In Canada, the leaders of Canada’s five largest federal political parties will participate in two televised leaders “debates” this week. Owing to the fact that Canada has had two official languages for the last few decades, questions and answers at the October 1st debate (8:00-10:00 PM EST) will be given in French; the English-language debate will occur on October 2 at 9:00-11:00 PM EST. What must each leader do to “win” these debates? Read more

Elizabeth May: You're Stupid, So Vote Green

History teems with philosophers – still highly regarded by many – who proposed that the universe is entirely different than how it appears to human beings; that it is a chaotic flux; that time and space really do not exist; that reality is full of irresolvable contradictions. They tried to make room for mysticism in an increasingly scientific era by telling us that our sensations and perceptions of the world do not accurately describe the universe as it really exists; that our senses, in effect, lie to us. Of course, it is not reality that is rife with contradictions, but the philosophies themselves, but their authors were careful to ensure that they presented their philosophies as wordy Gordian knots, which makes them capable of passing that test of truth most highly honoured among morons and swindlers alike: if you cannot understand it, it must be true, especially if it was read in university or in church. Read more

"Green Shift": Not Green, No Shift

September 13, 2008, Oshawa, Ontario – Paul McKeever, an employment lawyer in the auto-industry City of Oshawa, today released a video that uses a simple demonstration to help Canadians understand Stephane Dion’s Liberal “Green Shift” carbon tax plan: Read more

On Inclusion in Televised Leaders' Debates

Yesterday, the “consortium” of government-owned or government-licenced television companies that host one televised debate per election among the leaders of some political parties reversed a decision to exclude Green Party leader Elizabeth May from the debate. Explaining that the leaders of the Conservative and New Democratic parties had threatened not to attend were Ms. May to be invited to the debates, they had announced earlier this week a list of invitees that included only the leaders of parties that won seats in the Canadian Parliament back in 2006. May played the “sexism” card – because the consortium decision makers and the other parties leaders are all male. Within hours, the Conservative and NDP parties – clearly not wanting unjustly to be smeared as sexists – dropped their opposition to May’s inclusion. That deprived the consortium of its excuse du jour for excluding other parties. As a result, it announced that – due to the change of the two parties’ minds – they were happy to have her join the stage (i.e., they effectively pretended that they would have had her on the stage all-along had it not been for the bad bad mean old Conservative and NDP parties). Read more

Aboriginal Claims: Litigate Land, Squash Secession

Yesterday, the National Post published an editorial saying that that “…it would be nice to see our federal government infused with a fresh set of purpose in regard to a whole host of important issues.” Among the priorities suggested was one suggesting that “It would be nice if at least one of the political parties had a plan for decisively resolving the underlying claims.” Read more

Hors d'oeuvre: a Libertarian in the Lion's Den

Over at the Western Standard’s blog, it has been announced that the Libertarian Party of Canada’s newly-chosen leader has announced he will run against Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, in his Alberta riding of Calgary Southwest. Readers of my blog will know that I am not a libertarian and that I oppose libertarianism. However, because I do not believe a party can succeed in facilitating a freer society by bringing together people who oppose each other on matters of metaphysics, epistemology, or ethics, I do not hesitate to share my opinion on this matter publicly. In other words: I do not think this advice will help the libertarian movement, because nothing will, so I feel no need to keep quiet about the Libertarian Party leader’s decision. Read more

Winning the Election, Part 2: The Cities and Latte Liberals

The other day, the Toronto Star reported that Prime Minister Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, attended rallies in the suburban ridings of the Greater Toronto Area. It appears that he is doing what he needs to do in those ridings: make it clear that his opponent, the Liberal Opposition leader Stéphane Dion is proposing changes, and that those changes come in the form of a hike in taxes. However, so far, his pre-election spiel is lacking something that is crucial if he is to extend the Conservatives’ seat count significantly: a message for those living in the increasing number of urban ridings in Canada. Read more

A Pre-fab Prime Ministerial Apology

Dear Prime Minister,

So that the matter of outstanding apologies to the descendants of people long since offended and dead by people long since dead might be dealt with once and for all, I have prepared a kill-#-birds with one stone speech for your use: Read more

Winning the Canadian Fall Election that Won't Happen: Liberal and Conservative Dos and Don'ts

I do not believe it likely that there will be a federal election in Canada this fall. Look for it to happen in October of 2009, at the scheduled end of the Conservatives’ term (federal elections are to happen every 4 years after that, except where Parliament is dissolved prior). That said, seeing at least one proposal that the Conservatives take advantage of a recent beheading incident and make the death penalty an election plank has me shaking my head and offering up this free advice. Read more

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