The pundits think Rick Santorum missed his chance and that Mitt Romney looked best at the Arizona Republican Primary Presidential debate. It’s the last debate before Super Tuesday and the primaries in Arizona and Michigan. Did you watch the debate? Who do you think won? Vote in the poll and, in the comment section here, tell us why you voted the way you did. Continue reading So who won that GOP debate? Take our poll
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Common sense? From bureaucrats?
You may have seen posts here about my “win”, such as it is, with the Information Commissioner when it comes to DFAIT. Here’s the resulting column that went across our chain today …
Only in the odd, upside-down, un-reality world in which government bureaucrats live could the idea flourish that they are doing a better job by not doing their job at all. Continue reading Common sense? From bureaucrats?
Foreign Affairs Minister ignores Information Commissioner's recommendations
Hot off the presses: A letter from the Information Commissioner of Canada, Suzanne Legault, informing me that she agrees with me on a complaint I made three years ago about the way the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was handling Access to Information (ATI) requests to that department. Read the letter below. Bottom line: I won but Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is ignoring Legault’s recommendations. Continue reading Foreign Affairs Minister ignores Information Commissioner's recommendations
DFAIT's "smoking gun" memo to block ATI requests
Among Parliamentary Press Gallery journalists (and many others), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is notorious for being one of the worst — if not the worst — government department when it comes to handling requests for records made under the federal Access to Information Act. DFAIT can take forever to process requests and, even then, will fight a requester tooth-and-nail to withhold information. Continue reading DFAIT's "smoking gun" memo to block ATI requests
I guess the bailouts worked: GM posts record profit
A couple of years ago, Chrysler and General Motors needed billions in taxpayer-funded bailouts from both Canada and the U.S. to survive. Looks like the investment paid off. Chrysler, GM and Ford all posted profits for 2011 — the first time that’s happened in a while — and GM, in particular, posted an all-time record profit. Its 43,000 blue-collar workers in the U.S. will each get a $7,000 profit-sharing check this spring. Continue reading I guess the bailouts worked: GM posts record profit
Hoeppner celebrates death of gun registry, defends lawful access bill
Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner was in the spotlight today. First, third and final reading of the bill that will kill the long-gun registry passed the House of Commons. Hoeppner has been at the “face” of Tory attempts to kill the bill for the last couple of years. Second, as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Vic Toews, Hoeppner has had to defend the controversial “lawful access” legislation, Bill C-30. (I’m not a fan). Continue reading Hoeppner celebrates death of gun registry, defends lawful access bill
NDP Leadership hopeful Martin Singh: "We're getting support from all quarters"
There ‘s no getting around it: Martin Singh is “the outsider” in the NDP leadership race. He’s never held office. He’s never been in party establishment’s “inner circle.” But he’s raised more than $50,000 from supporters by year-end (MP Niki Ashton had raised just $10,000) and you wouldn’t know he’s not had practice as a politician if you’ve seen him in any of the debates. Continue reading NDP Leadership hopeful Martin Singh: "We're getting support from all quarters"
Poll: Should government cut the civil service? Are you prepared to do without?
Abacus Data went into the field to sound out Canadians about some of the choices the government is facing with this spring’s federal budget. Tonight on the Daily Brief, Abacus CEO David Coletto gave us the numbers on what he found. Turns out, Canadians want the government to fight the deficit. But we’re not unanimous about how to go about that. You can bet the government itself is in the field with focus groups and polls testing out their ideas on the same issue. Continue reading Poll: Should government cut the civil service? Are you prepared to do without?
The government fights for its "lawful access"
Across our newspaper chain today, I argue that the C-30, the government’s so-called “lawful access” legislation, is bad, that, “there is no excuse for this kind of intrusion on the privacy rights of Canadians and certainly not one from a government that says it champions the idea that the federal government ought to respect individual liberties and rights.” [Read my full column on this]
Last night, perhaps seeing that there were a great number of pundits criticizing this bill [here’s the Post‘s Matt Hartley, for one], one of the aides for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews circulated three examples Continue reading The government fights for its "lawful access"
Warrant-less wiretaps: What Toews says and what C-30 says
In the House of Commons Monday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said this, in response to allegations that his about-to-tabled legislation, would allow police to obtain information about the online activities of Canadians without a warrant:
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that any outrageous claims that private communications will be intercepted without a warrant is a complete fabrication. Continue reading Warrant-less wiretaps: What Toews says and what C-30 says