In June 1997, Stephen Harper was president of the National Citizens Coalition. To a mostly American audience, he gave a speech expressing his understanding of Canada and its politics. It’s the speech in which the future Prime Minister describes Canada as “a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term.” Most of [...]
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Mimi and Eunice: Lawyers and the law
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 31, 2011 Comments Off
Here are a couple of cartoons for you to enjoy about lawyers and the law: ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
Filibuster: Harper’s unchanging tune
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 31, 2011 Comments Off
J.J. McCullough writes: ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
NDP Policy: no more corporate welfare…ugh wait a minute
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 30, 2011 2 comments
In a move that has completely startled me, Jack Layton leader of the NDP has come out against corporate welfare. He has vowed to end the billions of corporate handouts and subsidies that make a mockery of the market system. If there is a NDP government, no more will the leaching rent seeking monopolists use [...]
Elizabeth May does not belong in the leader’s debate
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 30, 2011 1 comment
The Broadcast Consortium that organizes leader’s debates during elections have decided to exclude the Green Party but just as last time Elizabeth May (Green Party leader) is vigorously lobbying for a reversal. She criticizes the Consortium for having a lack of standards and making arbitrary decisions. Though I disagree that the Green Party should be [...]
NDP Policy: the fatal conceit in interest rates
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 29, 2011 13 comments
So far in this election I have been critical of both the Conservative’s and the Liberal’s first policy planks. The NDP, however, win the worst first policy award. Congratulations to the NDP! The NDP are proposing that the federal government introduces a price control on credit card loans. More specifically the NDP want a cap [...]
Liberal Policy: Destroying the value of education
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 29, 2011 18 comments
The Liberal Party has announced that it will bring down the cost of post-secondary education by offering a tax free grant of $4 000 to every student that wants to attend University, College, or CEGEP. The Liberals will also give $1 500 or $6 000 a year for four years to students from low income [...]
The Coalition government rears its head again
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 28, 2011 1 comment
From 1997, here’s that guy talking about the scary coalition that we all know, as good Canadians, is super scary and probably unconstitutional, and the most ridiculous thing ever: Oh. Oops… ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
“Kick me like you did before, I can’t even feel the pain no more”
Posted by M.J. Sheppard on March 28, 2011 6 comments
I’m having just the best time of my life debating my friend, Maikeru, in the comments of this post. It really is turning out to be one of the great joys of my life. You see, on Friday the Conservative Harper Government (which I think I’m legally required to call them) was defeated on a [...]
Conservative Policy: if you are single you will pay higher taxes
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 28, 2011 5 comments
This morning the Conservatives announced their first policy proposal of the campaign. Billed as a “Family Tax Cut” the Conservative Party wants to introduce income splitting to federal income taxes but hold off implementation until there is a balanced budget. The Globe & Mail gives an adequate description of what exactly income splitting is: Income [...]
Stephen Harper is not a libertarian
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 26, 2011 2 comments
I feel silly that I have to write the words “Stephen Harper is not a libertarian” but I feel compelled to by an opinion piece written by John Ibbitson. In his article, Mr. Ibbitson tries to convince people that there is a fundamental ideological difference between Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff. He claims that Stephen [...]
Filibuster: Onward, brave politicians
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 25, 2011 1 comment
J.J. McCullough writes: ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
The House Falls live tweets
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 25, 2011 Comments Off
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Canadian government falls
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 25, 2011 1 comment
The non-confidence motion passed 156 to 145. The Liberal Party is quick to release the following press release: History was made today in Canada with the passage of a Liberal motion that found the Harper Conservatives in contempt of Parliament and declares non-confidence in the government. “This government does not have the confidence of the [...]
Mimi and Eunice: What did we do before laws?
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 25, 2011 Comments Off
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There is a limit to American military power
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 24, 2011 1 comment
Last Saturday I published a post that mentioned Preble’s “The Power Problem: How military dominance makes us less safe, less prosperous, and less free.” I regard it as a must read for anyone interested in American foreign policy. If you don’t have the time to read a whole book then take a look at this [...]
Libertarians hate big business
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 24, 2011 5 comments
Do libertarians love business? I think a lot of people are under the impression that supporters of the free and open market are fans of corporations and big business. I’ve never really understood why. I understand the division between “the people/public” on the one side and “business” on the other. I understand how some people [...]
Filibuster: United against Libya
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 24, 2011 Comments Off
J.J. McCullough writes: ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
That’s why they fought and died
Posted by Peter Jaworski on March 24, 2011 Comments Off
For Four-Loko bans, complicated tax forms, TSA airport procedures, and so on. Yes, that’s why they fought and died: ShareFacebookStumbleUponDiggRedditEmail
Stop complaining about the cost of an election
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on March 24, 2011 Comments Off
In 2008 there was a common complaint that the election cost taxpayers $300 million and this is something I have repeatedly heard for the likely 2011 election. In 2008 I responded by pointing out that democracy costs money. The cost of having an election is minuscule when compared to the federal budget as a whole, [...]