When history delivers its final judgement on Stephen Harper and his porker Cons, its verdict will be harsh.They will be found guilty of so many foul things, from corrupting our democracy, and raping our Canadian values, to helping to torch the planet. But one of their biggest crimes could turn out to be not preparing the country for the Swine flu pandemic.Because they chose to spend FIVE times as much money selling their Porky Action Plan...than they did on ads educating the public. So even as the second wave hits us the result is mass confusion.Does the H1N1 vaccine give you the flu? Will it cause autism or Gulf War syndrome? Is it a cover for a sinister government plan to kill people? Is a plot by big pharma to sell drugs, make money and rule the world?Or madness.With people getting their information from old wives tales like this one.Rather than from doctors like this one.Why do people who would never use Google, or the opinions of friends and colleagues, to decide that they…

The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.George Bernard ShawI like signs. I take pictures of signs. I find they really help one navigate the world...and not only that they help answer questions or give directions but not all signs are created the same and in many instances there there is never a sign when you need/want one? And more frustrating are the signs that are freakin huge blocking the view...and especially signs that are really really really inappropriateSome you could just plain do without like the one that says here's to the women who like men who like beer! Not only is this for a icky brand of beer but it is discriminating! Hows about the women who like men who drink scotch or the women who like men who like a fine merlot oh how about even the women who don't like men at all no matter what they drink? And I have to ask why put up a sign? society is continually taking women for granted, not…

To expand on earlier discussions of the value of theatrics, the main problem I have with the tactic is that all too often, the signal-to-noise ratio drowns out any point that may be made, and indeed, can often backfire. And nowhere can this be illustrated better than in the latest bit of theatrics engaged by [...]

Seantors Byrd and Kennedy were taken to hospital during todays inauguration luncheon. It appears that Kennedy suffered convulsions. That sound serious. Byrd, perhaps less serious, had a problem eating.. 

Now, that’s two subjects on which the Tories reject the solid research: climate change and crime. The government’s own research shows that mandatory minimum sentences do not work. However, even Harper says that research on justice doesn’t work. In a 2008 speech, Harper flatly denounced research-based justice policies, accusing the pedlars of such policies of trying to “pacify Canadians with statistics.” But, statistics are the cold hard facts. Basically, Harper is rejecting reality and substituting it for his own. So, outright Harper is trying to fool us. “The great appeal of mandatory minimum sentences is that they give politicians the appearance of doing something, of being seen to be doing something,” Craig Jones, the executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada, said in a recent interview. “You must never underestimate the need for politicians to be seen to be doing something — even if, in some cases, it’s the wrong thing.”…

Surprisingly this didn’t get announced yesterday – on a government holiday – along with the news Hisself had returned to work. The House of Assembly will open with a Throne speech next Monday, March 22.  That’s two weeks late. If past speeches are any guide, this one will be a truly mind-numbingly hideous piece of verbal diarrhoea. No mention of what happened to the old session which was adjourned before Christmas but not ended.  Normally the House would meet and conclude the old session.  Maybe the word normally used for that – prorogue – is not in fashion among Conservatives any more. Anyway, the finance minister will deliver a new budget a week after that, Monday March 29. -srbp-

Today’s decision in Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene v. Ontario, 2010 ONCA 197 deals with mootness and is a useful source for the law: [35]         The doctrine of mootness is one aspect of a general practice of courts to decline deciding a case that raises only a hypothetical or abstract question: see Borowski v. Canada (Attorney General), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 342, at p. 353.  This general principle applies when the court’s decision will not, in effect, resolve some controversy that affects or may affect the rights of the parties: Borowski at p. 353.  Courts decline to decide cases in which their decision will have no practical effect on the rights of the parties. This essential ingredient, a lis inter partes, must exist at the commencement of the proceeding and persist when the court is assigned the task of reaching a decision: Borowski at p. 353. [36]         The courts…

The NDP has taken the lead in introducing a prorogation motion for consideration by the House of Commons. And while it wouldn't have a direct binding effect, it looks to be a useful first step in building up momentum toward the legislation the NDP has discussed before:The motion that Mr. Layton will introduce reads as follows:“That, in the opinion of the House, the Prime Minister shall not advise the Governor General to prorogue any session of any Parliament for longer than seven calendar days without a specific resolution of this House of Commons to support such a prorogation.” What's perhaps most notable about the motion as compared to the NDP's previous proposal is that it incorporates one of the ideas suggested by the Libs to restrict only extended prorogation orders. The change weakens the original NDP position somewhat by continuing to permit governments to hit the reset button with relative impunity (if only for a short period of time). But that compromise will figure…

Law Society of Upper Canada v. Neinstein, 2010 ONCA 193, released today, overturns a disciplinary decision of the Law Society of the basis of inadequacy of reasons.   Many cases have dealt with adequacy of reasons recently.  Often these arguments are, in reality, arguments about the merits of the fact finding made in those reasons.  By framing the argument in terms of the adequacy of the reasons, rather than the correctness of the fact finding, an appellant presumably hopes to avoid the stringent standard of review applicable to findings of fact.  This is a rare case where the appellant has demonstrated that the reasons given by the Hearing Panel are so inadequate as to foreclose meaningful appellate review.  The inadequacy of the reasons constitutes an error in law requiring an order directing a new hearing.   The Court holds:     [60]         Baker v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and…

On Saturday,  I am embarking on another long trip to the Middle Kingdom. So I thought I would review aircraft safety rules… as told by the late and great Mr. George Carlin. Share and Enjoy: Trashy, Ottawa, Ontario Tweet This Post Related posts:Mr. George Carlin The Middle Kingdom may never be the same Ups and downs – Trashy in China, [...] Related posts:Mr. George Carlin The Middle Kingdom may never be the same Ups and downs – Trashy in China, Part 9

Once again Iggy adds another issue to the list of things that don't make him progressive, don't differentiates him from a Conservative and just don't make sense.Great talk to the kids, IggyNo discussion on the costs involved in enforcing laws people don’t support and will continue to ignore.No discussion on the relative harm pot causes vs. legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol. Hint, a UN study says says that pot is less harmful and addictive than tobacco or alcohol, the study also shows that legalization causes less harm to both society and individuals than our current laws.No discussion on the possible tax revenue that could fund the treatment for the users of hard drugs and lower deficitsNo discussion on ensuring a safe product for our citizens who use, like no contamination from fertilizer residue, pcb, paraquat,etcNo discussion on defunding crime syndicates.Yes to giving up our sovereignty to U.S. concernsYes to more jails filled with people who have hurt no one but…

Once more, the Vatican Taliban is under scrutiny for implicitely condoning child sexual abuse.JJ at unrepentant old hippie has been writing and posting links to news items about Pope Maledict and how he may have played a role in facilitating a pedophile priest's access to children. As a German cardinal he wrote in 2001 a church directive instructing bishops to keep abuse cases "confidential". Decades of dissembling about the issue of pedophile priests has become the standard procedure, not for protecting Catholic children, but for saving the Church from public embarassment.These cases usually come to light and provoke a public outcry when the victims are boys, since this highlights hypocrisy regarding two aspects of Church doctrine: obligatory clerical celibacy and edicts against homosexuality.In Ireland, where MASSIVE numbers of girls and young women as well as boys were sexually assaulted by priests, powerful, upper-echelon clergy have refused to accept accountability for…

Have you seen the "Catholics Come Home" ads?Translation:Come on, baby. Come back to me! I promise I won't hit you again. And that whole thing with your kids? I didn't do it! And even if I did, it was their fault! And even if it wasn't, they got over it. And what, they're like 30 now right? Ew. And anyway, I've got it all under control now. So come back. You know you're worthless without me. You'll burn in Hell without me and you know it! Come back so I can make you feel good again. Oh, and bring your grandkids.

The Canadian dollar is at a level it hasn’t hit since just before the giant meltdown of the economy in the middle of 2008. And this is supposedly a good thing. How exactly is unclear since the United States economy is still in the crapper and the Canadian economy is still full of government cash. Productivity is up, for sure, and that’s good.  But… While the recent pickup in productivity is welcome, “the question of sustainability still remains front as centre as firms continue to increase hours worked along with overall employment,” said Bank of Nova Scotia economists. That’s really the warning that has to go with any Pollyanna projections:  we can’t be absolutely sure this is real. Sales of manufactured products was down 11% in this province in January from December.  But the January 2010 numbers were about the same as the numbers in January 2009.  And that’s the opposite of what was happening nationally. Oil production is still…

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I chaired a BC Federal Council Meeting on the weekend, and our guest speaker was Mr. Roger Cuzner, Member of Parliament for Cape Breton--Canzo, and Chief Whip of the Liberal Caucus. Mr. Cuzner is an amazing speaker, and gave a very enjoyable and impactful talk. But during the talk he said one thing that really hit home for me:"The job of the opposition is not to defeat the government. The job of the opposition is to replace the government!"The Liberal Party of Canada had a bit of a hard go of it lately. Starting with a disastrous election, an unpopular coalition attempt, an unprecedented leadership transition, a poll killing support of the government in the spring, and a poll killing lack of support for the government in the fall, it has seemed that at every turn the Liberal Party has just gotten it wrong.(I actually don't believe that it is as bad as all that. During the same time, we doubled our fundraising, dramatically increased our membership, and made serious headway in…

...continues:Blogger A BCer in Toronto today posted an item regarding a claim on embattled Minister Helena Guergis’s official website that she holds an MBA from the University of Alberta. Apparently last year a community paper looked into the matter and after a little pressing a Guergis staffer testily admitted the Minister of State for Status of Women has “put on hold” her “aspirations” to attain a graduate degree.Now go read A BCer in Toronto for more, including the screenshot.Something tells me her chances of completing an MBA - or apparently even an undergrad degree - at my university or any other (that doesn't involve an offer through email spam) are now less than zero. This is serious misrepresentation and at least an academic high crime.If Harper keeps her on, then we know there's some serious dirt under the Conservative rug.(h/t BCL, and hearty well done to A BCer!)

When I see Letters to the Editor like this one by Alan Hayman I get the sense that there is a real possibility of serious citizen's movement forming around a more progressive political culture in Alberta.  This is independent proof for me that the Reboot Alberta Citizens Movement exists and is growing.  The conservative culture wars between the reactionay Stelmach government and the reductive Smith wanna-be government is waking up and unnerving the somnabulist centre of the Alberta citizenry.  We Albertans have had a pretty easy ride for quite some time. We have become dis-engaged, complacent queiscent and querulous in our relationship to our govenment and governors.  We have recently come to the realization that it is our province, our govenment and our resources and our responsibility to do something about the direction and desitination that the reactionary right is pushing our province.  We are now becoming respondant…

AllTheFunThatFitsVilleRegular readers may recall how I derided the empty highly securitized parking lots outside my window that were reserved for a couple of white SUVs and a lonely bus from Scranton PA for the entire duration of the big Corp-Fest just past.Well.....Now that the real amateur athletic event has begun (ie. the one where the competitors are not paid big money for medals) the lot outside my window is filled to bursting.With yellow buses.And school kids running everywhere.It's a fine sight to see, indeed..

Martyrs fascinate me. Right now I'm engrossed in Timothy Ware's "The Orthodox Church," and it is feeding my interest in people who stubbornly persist in the very ideas that will destroy them.Thinking of Helana Guergis and Rahim Jaffer, I'm reminded of the scene in "The Informant," where Scott Bakula asks Matt Damon "Do you see yourself wearing a white hat?" Damon's character, who lies about being an orphan, who accepts bribes, who rats out his colleagues to the FBI, and who lies to the FBI in order to create a public scandal with himself at the centre, consistently holds that he is the good guy. Even in the end, where he is imprisoned for his crimes, he appeals to the President of the United States to pardon him, because he is such a "Good guy."Perhaps it is a rare person who actually thinks they are the bad guy. As long as we're talking about movies, Al Pacino's restaurant rant in "Scarface" where he screams "take a look at the bad guy" to a startled dining room of guests.…