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Robo-votes: What do you think about e-voting?

voting

I’m a geek and have, for 25 years, been an early adopter of just about any Internet-based service. (Hell, I had a GEnie account!)  But I’m still very reluctant to cast my ballot using anything other than a pencil and a piece of paper. But I am interested in debates on this issue, if only because new technologies may improve voter participation which I think is a good thing. So here’s a couple of opinions, pro and con, from the American debate on Internet voting. (Both culled from computer scientist Dave Farber‘s discussion list). Here’s the argument in favour:

Dave:

Internet voting is possible and can be done. Continue reading Robo-votes: What do you think about e-voting?

Leadership candidate Burton "extremely disappointed" about McGuinty

Wonder what Alex Burton might say about his rival for the Liberal leadership, Justin Trudeau?

In any event, here’s an “open letter” to Ottawa South MP David McGuinty about his anti-Alberta comments:

Honourable David McGuinty, M.P.
House of Commons
111 Justice Building
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Dear David,

As I sat in an RV park in Grande Prairie, AB, early this morning, I took some time to reflect upon your recent comments. Continue reading Leadership candidate Burton "extremely disappointed" about McGuinty

China in the oil patch? Trudeau has thumbs up. Mulcair thumbs down. Harper? Who knows?

CS_Trudeau042
CALGARY – Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership candidate, Justin Trudeau, holds up a message after speaking to students at Mount Royal University on Tuesday Nov 20, 2012. (Darren Makowichuk/Calgary Sun/QMI AGENCY)

The Chinese state-owned firm CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation) has a $15-billion bid on the table to buy under-performing Calgary based oil-and gas producer Nexen.

Quebec Liberal MP and leadership candidate candidate Justin Trudeau had this to say about the deal in an op-ed distributed today to the Postmedia papers. (He approves): Continue reading China in the oil patch? Trudeau has thumbs up. Mulcair thumbs down. Harper? Who knows?

Pete, Roger: Tho I love your work, I won't be at your concert next week

The Who on tour 2012
DULUTH, Ga. – Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend, perform as The Who on Nov. 5, 2012. (AFP/Rick Diamond)

In a few days, The Who will play a concert at ScotiaBank Place, the hockey arena where the Ottawa Senators play and which is a five-minute drive from my home.

Now, my all-time favourite band on most days of the week is The Clash. But on those days of the week when it is not The Clash, my favourite band is The Who.  And as The Clash is no longer touring, this tour by The Who is about my only chance to see my other favourite band of all time in live performance.

But I’m not going.

And here’s why. Continue reading Pete, Roger: Tho I love your work, I won't be at your concert next week

Snowmobiles and The Harper Government: The track record

Stephen Harper rides a snowmobile in Iqaluit
IQALUIT – Prime Minister Stephen Harper rides a snowmobile in Iqaluit on Feb. 23, 2012. (Reuters/Chris Wattie)

So far in the last couple of weeks, The Harper Government™  has announced about $940,000 worth of grants to snowmobile clubs all of which are in Quebec and almost all of which were to help those clubs by snowmobile trail grooming machines — expensive bits of equipment that can cost in excess of $100,000 per machine.

No snowmobile club in any other province has received any other snowmobile grants so far. And, based on the history of snowmobile-related grants made during the last Parliament, it’s unlikely any province other than Quebec is going to get some. That’s because, in the last Parliament, Quebec received $6.4 million in snowmo-grants; NB got $300,000; NL got $155,000 and the rest of the country got precisely nothing in the way of snowmo-grants.

Here, for the record, are the snowmobile-related handouts I tracked from my OttawaSpends database from the 40th Parliament: Continue reading Snowmobiles and The Harper Government: The track record

The PM's Samosa Party in place of the Press Gallery gala

In Ottawa tonight, journalists and politicians are getting together for the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner.

Meanwhile, a smaller group of Parliamentary Press Gallery journalists, including yours truly, was 41,000 feet in the air on board RCAF 01 enjoying a smaller party with a smaller group of politicians, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Continue reading The PM's Samosa Party in place of the Press Gallery gala

This year's Silver Cross Mother: Mrs. Roxanne Marie Priede

The Silver Cross is presented to the mothers of all members of the Canadian military killed in the service of their country and, each year, the Royal Canadian Legion asks one of those mothers to be the “Silver Cross Mother” for the National Remembrance Day service held in Ottawa. This year, the Legion has announced that Mrs. Roxanne Marie Priede of Hamilton, Ontario will represent all the mothers who have lost sons or daughters in action. Mrs. Priede is the mother of Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede, who died in a Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2007.

Here is the background on the Priedes provided by the Legion: Continue reading This year's Silver Cross Mother: Mrs. Roxanne Marie Priede