http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080222.wscience22/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview
A day after I wrote about how the Conservatives were placing ideology ahead of science, one of the top scientific journals in the world writes on the sad decline of the role of facts in Conservative policy making. Canadians want more Hawking, less Ian Brodie.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Because "leadership" is rigging your own review
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080223.wontario23/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview
As a Liberal, I really have no strong opinion either way on if Tory stays or goes, but I do think that John Tory and the PC establishment willingness to not just bend, but openly break party rules and ignore the will of party members speaks volumes about the character of Tory. The CTV article has a quote from an anti-Tory delegate from Mississauga:
Roland Willis, a Mississauga lawyer and delegate, said it's time for Tory to step aside.
"Please go away,'' Willis said. "Please don't bother our party anymore ... He's incompetent. He's an incompetent leader.''
"Please go away,'' Willis said. "Please don't bother our party anymore ... He's incompetent. He's an incompetent leader.''
I would be shocked if any Mississauga PC supported Tory at this point, given that his election campaign resulted in hammering losses for the the PC's across a city which used to be good ground for them. But Mississauga PC's, particularly in my home riding of Mississauga South, already know all about being ignored and overruled by John Tory and the PC establishment:
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Conservatives place ideology ahead of science
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=d375d4f8-f45d-4c79-8494-6cdfa06a6205&k=85374
I've written about how American-style hard right, heavy handed, paternalistic social conservatism influences Conservative social policy, as well as INSITE. That the Conservatives would ignore inconvient truths in the face of a need to bend to the hard-right wing of the party should come as no surprise from a government which stands alone on climate change denial.
I've written about how American-style hard right, heavy handed, paternalistic social conservatism influences Conservative social policy, as well as INSITE. That the Conservatives would ignore inconvient truths in the face of a need to bend to the hard-right wing of the party should come as no surprise from a government which stands alone on climate change denial.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
PQ shows intolerance again
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080214.wlanguage14/BNStory/National/home
I love some of the irony of the quotes here:
""If the Parti Québécois entrenches these positions, it would be a catastrophe for us because history has perfectly shown us that when bilingualism is adopted in a minority society, the language of the majority sooner or later becomes everyone's language"
The day all Quebeckers become bilingual is the day Quebeckers will become English, Mr. Michaud said.
"A people that tolerates that 8 per cent of its minority, whose rights I respect, assimilates 50 per cent of immigrants on its territory - well, that people does not deserve to live"
Now lets take a look at some info about that wonderful, Reform Party endorsing group, the Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_the_Preservation_of_English_in_Canada
"the group was involved in a campaign to have Ontario municipalities declare themselves English-only"
"While the act did not apply to municipal government services, APEC represented it as a slippery slope towards such a requirement to convince municipalities to pass English-only resolutions."
As well, the book Bilingual Today, French tomorrow, written by an APEC member:
"alleged that Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's policy of official bilingualism was a plot to make Canada a unilingually francophone country by instituting reverse discrimination against anglophone Canadians."
"including reversion to having English as the sole official language with Quebec retaining its previous language rights, conversion of Canada in its entirety to English (even Quebec), and secession of Quebec from Canada with the remainder of Canada consequently adopting English as its sole official language"
Conservatives and the Quebec soverigntist movement get along quite naturally, they both have shared interests in cultural protectionist and intolerance. The Liberal Party, both provincially and federally in Quebec must show itself as the modern secular party of multicultual tolerance.
I love some of the irony of the quotes here:
""If the Parti Québécois entrenches these positions, it would be a catastrophe for us because history has perfectly shown us that when bilingualism is adopted in a minority society, the language of the majority sooner or later becomes everyone's language"
The day all Quebeckers become bilingual is the day Quebeckers will become English, Mr. Michaud said.
"A people that tolerates that 8 per cent of its minority, whose rights I respect, assimilates 50 per cent of immigrants on its territory - well, that people does not deserve to live"
Now lets take a look at some info about that wonderful, Reform Party endorsing group, the Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_the_Preservation_of_English_in_Canada
"the group was involved in a campaign to have Ontario municipalities declare themselves English-only"
"While the act did not apply to municipal government services, APEC represented it as a slippery slope towards such a requirement to convince municipalities to pass English-only resolutions."
As well, the book Bilingual Today, French tomorrow, written by an APEC member:
"alleged that Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's policy of official bilingualism was a plot to make Canada a unilingually francophone country by instituting reverse discrimination against anglophone Canadians."
"including reversion to having English as the sole official language with Quebec retaining its previous language rights, conversion of Canada in its entirety to English (even Quebec), and secession of Quebec from Canada with the remainder of Canada consequently adopting English as its sole official language"
Conservatives and the Quebec soverigntist movement get along quite naturally, they both have shared interests in cultural protectionist and intolerance. The Liberal Party, both provincially and federally in Quebec must show itself as the modern secular party of multicultual tolerance.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
It's official: Conservatives support the death penalty
http://www.ylc-jlc.ca/news_e.aspx?id=13562
"The Liberal Party opposes the death penalty, at home and abroad, and we won’t stand by quietly and watch this minority Conservative government reverse years of Canadian leadership on this issue"
"The Liberal Party opposes the death penalty, at home and abroad, and we won’t stand by quietly and watch this minority Conservative government reverse years of Canadian leadership on this issue"
"Why I am an abortion doctor"
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=283931&p=1
In this year, the 20th Anniversary of R. vs. Morgentaler, reading this speech reminds me of why I am firmly pro-choice, and how crucial it is progressives must always win the fight against social conservatives.
In this year, the 20th Anniversary of R. vs. Morgentaler, reading this speech reminds me of why I am firmly pro-choice, and how crucial it is progressives must always win the fight against social conservatives.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Penny Collenette's Community Conversation
This last Thursday, I went to a rather remarkable event right on Carleton's campus. It was one of Penny Collenette's community conversations, with the focus being on Canada's role in aiding foriegn development, and strategies for bettering the future of Canadian aid recieving nations, with a focus on Africa in particular.
The panelists were a good mix of youth activism and experience, and all had differing, but important things to say about developmental aid. Jenna Hoyt, the founder of the Little Voice Foundation, told her stories of being in Ethiopia, and the need to provide long-term housing and support for children on the streets, by joining forces with local communities in developing countries in order to create sustainable projects that are run by the people for the people. Nick Moyer gave an overview of the contemporary history behind current CIDA projects, the successess and failures of them, as well as other international development models which Canada can learn from. Shamin Mohamed Jr, the founder of the Children’s AIDS Health Program, is only 19, in addition to making me motivated for being the same age as myself and doing so much more for the world, gave his personal accounts of his travels to places as diverse as India and South Africa, and the need for foriegn aid projects there to work with, and respect local culture and local sensibilities in order for aid projects to have an effective long term benefit.
Glen Pearson, the Liberal MP for London North Centre, told his remarkable stories of flying into Darfur illegally to try and help the people, his efforts in freeing slaves, the burecratic struggles of getting aid to a region, and his devotion to a cause he believes in. It was extremely profound stuff. I wish I could have brought someone who was a cynical non-voter, who believes that politics is all crooks and deals, and sat him down in front of Mr. Pearson and his passion.
Penny herself commented on how despite some disagreements in the fine details of administering foriegn aid, that we are past an era where developed nations can simply throw money at a developing nation, and that more microeconomic, hands on aid is needed in order for the developing nations to build a solid base for independent growth. Penny fielded a question from yours personally on how to get the private sector more involved with development projects, and smoothly handled it, talking about the need for contact with individuals within companies, as well as the power of good and bad publicity.
Overall, it was a very interesting evening and discussion, and it gave the next MP for Ottawa Centre a good opportunity to communicate her views on developmental aid (which will play a big part of the Liberal platform) with some hands on experts in the field.
The panelists were a good mix of youth activism and experience, and all had differing, but important things to say about developmental aid. Jenna Hoyt, the founder of the Little Voice Foundation, told her stories of being in Ethiopia, and the need to provide long-term housing and support for children on the streets, by joining forces with local communities in developing countries in order to create sustainable projects that are run by the people for the people. Nick Moyer gave an overview of the contemporary history behind current CIDA projects, the successess and failures of them, as well as other international development models which Canada can learn from. Shamin Mohamed Jr, the founder of the Children’s AIDS Health Program, is only 19, in addition to making me motivated for being the same age as myself and doing so much more for the world, gave his personal accounts of his travels to places as diverse as India and South Africa, and the need for foriegn aid projects there to work with, and respect local culture and local sensibilities in order for aid projects to have an effective long term benefit.
Glen Pearson, the Liberal MP for London North Centre, told his remarkable stories of flying into Darfur illegally to try and help the people, his efforts in freeing slaves, the burecratic struggles of getting aid to a region, and his devotion to a cause he believes in. It was extremely profound stuff. I wish I could have brought someone who was a cynical non-voter, who believes that politics is all crooks and deals, and sat him down in front of Mr. Pearson and his passion.
Penny herself commented on how despite some disagreements in the fine details of administering foriegn aid, that we are past an era where developed nations can simply throw money at a developing nation, and that more microeconomic, hands on aid is needed in order for the developing nations to build a solid base for independent growth. Penny fielded a question from yours personally on how to get the private sector more involved with development projects, and smoothly handled it, talking about the need for contact with individuals within companies, as well as the power of good and bad publicity.
Overall, it was a very interesting evening and discussion, and it gave the next MP for Ottawa Centre a good opportunity to communicate her views on developmental aid (which will play a big part of the Liberal platform) with some hands on experts in the field.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)