tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59568772011-12-14T21:32:17.361-05:00Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.comBlogger5081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-40077144344588835612007-10-20T23:37:00.000-04:002007-10-21T17:18:04.386-04:00

The Parti Quebecois is proposing legislation that would require all holders of public office in Quebec to pass a government mandated French language test.Under the proposed law, immigrants who can't speak proper French after an appropriate apprenticeship in provincially funded language courses would be forbidden from running for election in provincial and municipal elections as well as those for

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-85252085009463379592007-10-17T15:45:00.000-04:002007-10-17T16:25:52.269-04:00

4:25pm-Don Newman is back on Newsworld. Looks like we're in for more, continued, round-the-clock, election speculation.4:18pm-Here it is. "Canadians don't want an election, we'll make parliament work." Dion will propose amendments, if they fail, they will abstain from voting against the speech. Dion has referenced several instances in which the Conservatives have abstained from votes. So it is a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-69940353019424232752007-10-17T08:50:00.001-04:002007-10-17T08:53:04.232-04:00

This space will remain your one sanctuary in the Canadian political blogosphere from throne speech second guessing and election speculation, at least until this evening when we actually know what the Liberals will do.Enjoy the quiet.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-92225554432947478662007-10-15T09:46:00.000-04:002007-10-15T10:01:50.680-04:00

I very much doubt that in a legislature elected on a list-based proportional representation system Bill Casey would have opposed his leader, nor would his riding association come to his defence (would he even have a riding association, if say, he was a list-member under Ontario's defeated PR-scheme?).The first needed step in parliamentary reform is to take away the leader's power to appoint and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-85973352080152917212007-10-15T09:13:00.000-04:002007-10-15T09:42:31.123-04:00

This year was the first time in three years that I was not in Kingston for the Queen's Homecoming.Since the debacle of '05, Homecoming seems to have become a regional media event.The Toronto Star's online edition leads with the headline: "Queen's Homecoming Turns Violent," however the article under the headline is barely able to report any incidents of actual violence. What it does manage to do

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-3823484970801529142007-10-13T13:42:00.000-04:002007-10-13T14:02:49.324-04:00

James Bow continues to display a fantastic attitude towards democracy, even in the face of political defeat.While some Ontarians are indicating that they will join the ranks of the apathetic and ignorant and protest the loss of the MMP referendum by ceasing to vote in future elections, James displays a much more positive attitude.As disappointing as the results are, particularly for Mixed Member

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-20284142211362796632007-10-11T08:45:00.000-04:002007-10-11T08:55:02.404-04:00

Which, overall, isn't a bad thing. I think Ontarians decided that they would just carry on with decent, not particularly rigorous or visionary government. Perhaps we are still rebounding from the tumult of Rae-Harris.In another victory for the status quo, MMP voting was defeated by a sizeable margin. So much for my prediction of a close 50-50. But I'm happy the result was clear - given the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-59276150357897161462007-10-10T09:26:00.000-04:002007-10-10T09:33:48.438-04:00

Sometimes I have difficulty distinguishing when Alan is being serious or flippant, or flippant for serious reasons, or serious for flippant reasons.At any rate, he's voting for MMP but thinks all his intelligent acquaintances are voting for the status quo.From my discussions generally, supporters of MMP think they're system is going to lose, and supporters of FPTP think that they're system is

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-66775630263441080602007-10-10T08:50:00.000-04:002007-10-10T09:07:56.682-04:00

Liberals ought to be careful of this attitude.If the unelected upper house continually and regularly defeats legislation that has gained the confidence of the Commons, that is not sober second thought, it is a threat to responsible government. We would be revisiting the days of the Family Compact outright.This would be a much more stinging rebuke if Canadians cared at all about pre-confederation

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-61592653272849276842007-10-09T08:14:00.000-04:002007-10-09T08:51:47.288-04:00

As the Ontario PC campaign flails into the dying days of the election, the party has made itself appear even more desperate by sending out a last-minute plea to party supporters to oppose an MMP electoral system.The thing is I agree with them.In an email sent to "tens of thousands" of supporters, the Tories warn the proposed mixed-member proportional representation system (MMP) would further

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-87590534849322821112007-09-20T11:11:00.000-04:002007-09-20T11:57:21.125-04:00

I took this 60-question quiz on topics of American history, government, foreign policy and economics. Apparently the same test was given to students at fifty American universities and at no school did the average score crack 70%. Harvard students performed the best with an average of 69.56%. The group who administers the test claims the results are proof that American universities are failing to

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-639401599041317032007-09-06T10:21:00.000-04:002007-09-06T10:47:48.406-04:00

Two of my regular morning blogs have already made quick posts about this. Both Andrew Potter and Alan seem to be somewhat humoured but dismissive of Mulroney's comments about Trudeau. I imagine Mulroney's comments will create a fair amount of partisan back-and-forth, to put it politely, in the Canadian political blogosphere.Setting aside the substance of Mulroney's criticism for the moment (a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-30512596831248097302007-09-05T09:18:00.000-04:002007-09-05T09:37:18.520-04:00

James Bow recently wrote a good post about impartiality and partisanship in contemporary government. The post focuses on former MP and Speaker of the House Lucien Lamoureux.One of my favourite things about James's site is how unabashedly and conscientiously he promotes independence and non-partisanship in the blogosphere and politics generally. This is why I find it remarkable that James is also

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-20487730782444569352007-08-31T09:54:00.000-04:002007-08-31T10:04:48.456-04:00

This is a victory for the Taliban in so many ways.1. They gain the legitimacy of having negotiated directly with a democratic government.2. Tactics of kidnapping aid workers are incentivised. In case there was any doubt, the Taliban proclaim that "we will do the same thing with other allies in Afghanistan."3. The South Korean government confirms that they will withdraw their Afghanistan troops by

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-6718664531910711792007-08-29T09:30:00.000-04:002007-08-29T09:59:23.645-04:00

So says Professor Margaret MacMillan in today's Globe, and yet that's precisely how how our Second World War veterans want the Canadian War Museum to be treated.The battle's not over yet. But under pressure from Bomber Command veterans' groups and sympathetic politicians, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa will adjust the wording on a panel dealing with the 1945 firebombing of Dresden.And yet...

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-15923800519761960912007-07-02T17:20:00.000-04:002007-07-02T17:29:36.613-04:00

Even the CBC recognizes that it is "ironic" for leftist protesters to target president George Bush with claims of causing the "death of liberty" while Russian dictator Valdimir Putin is an available target.While Bush and Putin were all smiles before the cameras, protesters clogged the streets around the Bush seaside home for what they called a "Death of Liberty" funeral.The demonstrators

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-57381691888448041192007-06-12T21:22:00.000-04:002007-06-12T21:34:49.233-04:00

... where the personal is political, where the private sphere intrudes on the public, and where "ordinary" is not simply a description, but a virtuous end in itself.Immediate update: It would be somewhat hypocritical to adopt an overly declinist tone on this issue, as I so often criticize others for the very same. Further, I am well aware that the conflation of private and public lives is nothing

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-29799861653973042602007-06-06T22:06:00.001-04:002007-06-06T22:15:41.310-04:00

As I write this, June 6th has already passed in Europe and Britain, and the day is fading across the West, but I will still link to Mader's regular post, if only to keep the tradition going.These things are not just to be remembered on anniversaries at multiples of five and ten.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-19235701795009281162007-06-06T15:24:00.000-04:002007-06-06T15:58:23.798-04:00

I don't have an unequivocal opinion on whether Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey was right or wrong in voting against the budget - but he gains my utmost respect for voting based on what he thought was right and not on the basis of party discipline.Some, I'm sure will argue that Casey was motivated by nothing more than a desire to get more tax money for his riding, which might be the case. However, Alan

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-75436080166270002572007-06-04T05:43:00.000-04:002007-06-04T05:52:03.615-04:00

Via Paul Wells come these outrageous remarks from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin:Q: Gerhard Schroeder called you a "pure democrat." Are you?Putin: Yes, of course! Of course I am a pure and absolute democrat! The tragedy is that I am the only pure democrat in the world. Look at the United States: Horrible torture, the homeless, Guantanamo. Look at Europe: Violent demonstrations, cruelly put down.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-82461863931003163882007-06-03T11:54:00.000-04:002007-06-03T12:07:03.291-04:00

With regard to Quebec politics, Adam Daifallah recently wrote:"For months, I've been telling anyone who would listen that the ADQ is not an ideologically consistent conservative party."Fine.But I would challenge Daifallah to point to any moderately successful political party in a Western democracy that is ideologically consistent in any way. "Moderately successful" being defined as currently

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-52788517258776733432007-05-30T15:20:00.000-04:002007-05-30T15:54:41.319-04:00

FIFA has proposed a ban on playing international soccer matches at altitudes higher than 2,500m, a proposal that is dividing South American nations along lines of high and low altitude venues.Fifa says there are fears that the high altitude can harm players' health and possibly distort competition....Bolivian President Evo Morales has called a meeting of officials from Latin American countries

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-33167497570510312692007-05-26T12:35:00.000-04:002007-05-26T12:55:15.434-04:00

For the past several weeks one of the links in the Google sponsored adds in the side bar has been to an Angus-Reid on-line opinion poll.There are several different poll questions in the cycle but one of the recurring one's is, "Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election - Yes or No." Now, I am dubious about the ability of such a poll to provide an accurate snapshot of support for the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-46514780128571695482007-05-22T16:21:00.000-04:002007-05-22T16:36:56.992-04:00

The Recipe:1. Take one part Neitzscheian aphorism2. Take one part Family Circus comic drawing3. Combine at randomPermalinks for some of the better combinations I generated:Interpretation and power.The abyss.The Nietzsche kids on marriage.Sibling rivalry.And of course...Billy declares God dead.[Link via The Flea.]

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-22999871928768296482007-05-14T10:32:00.000-04:002007-05-14T11:23:52.025-04:00

The attitude of Manuel and Cecilia Castillio, whose son Manny was killed in a Toronto high school rugby game last week, is remarkable.The parents of the high school rugby player fatally injured in a game last week remain adamant that charges be dropped against the offending player."(The opposing player) didn't take a weapon and try to fire at my son," the father said. "He didn't take a gun or a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-7736046949921522772007-04-26T10:58:00.000-04:002007-04-26T11:27:44.048-04:00

Yesterday Stephen Taylor expressed his disappointment in the Conservative government for the proposal to ban incandescent light bulbs. He even dubbed the government "Canada's New Nanny." In the comments to Stephen's post, the CPC grassroots are piling on. Adam Daifallah is also concerned. Meanwhile Coyne and Jay Currie have already abandoned hope.But there is still hope among the party faithful.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-58320397001265405832007-04-25T10:53:00.000-04:002007-04-25T10:54:06.210-04:00

I ran into Stephen Taylor at a Queen's grad student function we were both attending this past Friday. We met up in the dessert line, which Stephen commented was Soviet-esque, to which I agreed; however, the rest of the evening was pleasently bourgeois, so it was not to be minded.When I asked Stephen how things were with "the Party" he noted that he had spoken with the Prime Minister earlier in

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-72200187358236715292007-04-13T11:51:00.000-04:002007-04-13T12:00:05.505-04:00

As if the eating of food over public books and computer equipment weren't enough; as if listening to one's ipod at a volume loud enough for one's neighbour to sing along weren't enough; as if the writing of notes in the margins (and bads one at that) of shared books weren't enough; the level of respect and decorum at the Queen's libraries continues to decline.Note to people "whispering" in the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-71036014811581934652007-03-24T18:22:00.000-04:002007-03-24T18:41:06.031-04:00

The suggestion that Charles, Prince of Wales, will be passed over in favour of his son William to ascend the throne of Great Britain upon the death of our current Queen has been circulating for sometime.I believe such an eventuality will remain idle speculation and never come to pass. Why?The British monarchy and the British constitution rest, above all else, on the continuance of tradition,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-22707761989336788172007-03-23T11:59:00.000-04:002007-03-23T12:03:26.841-04:00

According to this web tool, my humble (and I do mean humble) blog is censored by the great firewall of China.I'll take pride in that.[link via The Flea]

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-20809167669710890902007-03-19T20:42:00.000-04:002007-03-19T20:45:53.165-04:00

My impression of the budget is confirmed by Paul Wells. It is a budget for governing not electioneering and it is a budget very similar to that of many Liberal government's past.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-56372852788790171542007-03-19T09:26:00.000-04:002007-03-19T20:35:46.926-04:00

What is Elizabeth May thinking in choosing to run against Peter Mackay in the next election? To me it appears she does not actually want to be a Member of Parliament. May, sounding every bit defeatist, has said she's not looking for "quick and easy way out" and "it's uphill but I think I can do it."Really? Lets have a look at the returns for the Central Nova riding from the 39th election.Allan H.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-77108884264000718512007-02-26T12:08:00.000-05:002007-02-26T12:31:05.042-05:00

I recently read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness for the first time, having missed it in high school through the vagaries of scheduling. Heart of Darkness was absolutely fantastic (but more on that later, or not).Having finished the text I began reading some the accompanying commentaries. The one by Hemingway, written at the time of Conrad's death, is pithy, yet it venerates Conrad and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-47158827190302189372007-02-06T16:29:00.000-05:002007-02-06T16:34:02.035-05:00

Do I get tickets for the match thereby supporting the growth of the game in North America and taking advantage of watching a top-tier footballer play in what is effectively a second-tier league; or, do I avoid the game so as not to associate myself with all of the inevitable replica-jersey clad soccer poseurs and autograph searching celebrity hounds?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-11827279574841382612007-02-06T16:19:00.001-05:002007-02-06T16:19:44.428-05:00

The continuing stream of election speculation is inescapable, which I suppose is to be expected with a minority parliament.Generally, I am all in favour of elections. They are fun to watch, and much more importantly they are one of the few opportunities for widespread citizen engagement in democracy. I find little sense in the argument that elections should be avoided on the basis of their cost

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-31524976159039838412007-01-03T13:26:00.000-05:002007-01-03T13:44:23.269-05:00

In other corners I cautioned against the proposal of the Dominion Institute to provide a state funeral for the last surviving veteran of the First World War. One of the obvious reasons for concern was, what if the veterans do not want it? It seems that is the case.It would have been nice, some would even say respectful, if the Dominion Institute had asked the surviving veterans what they wanted

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-79598441948634325002006-12-05T12:36:00.000-05:002006-12-05T12:54:56.787-05:00

NASA is planning a permanent outpost on the moon.The space agency announced plans to build a base on the moon and permanently staff it by 2024, with astronauts staying for up to six months at a time.The habitat will most likely be built on the moon's south pole and will serve as a science outpost and test centre for technologies needed for future expeditions to Mars.[...]"This is not your

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-4497523730553423572006-12-05T09:52:00.000-05:002006-12-05T10:14:37.789-05:00

During the Liberal convention on Saturday there was a point when Rick Mercer was in the CBC booth with Peter Mansbridge and Mansbridge tried to get a few serious comments out of Mercer on the proceedings. Mercer mostly dodged and didn't come up with much.However, Stephen Taylor was able to get a much better interview with Mercer on the floor of the convention - seen here. The interview lasts

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-21636899993906621872006-12-04T09:39:00.000-05:002006-12-04T10:34:40.608-05:00

On Saturday I suggested the apparent Dion-Kennedy alliance harked back to the great Canadian political partnerships of Baldwin-Lafontaine, Macdonald-Cartier, Laurier-Sifton, and King-Lapointe.Hours later Andrew Potter noticed the same theme.Today, in the Toronto Star, Thomas Axworthy has picked up the meme.Like the Robert Baldwin-Louis Lafontaine alliance of reformers in the 19th century, the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-21694004689796196962006-12-02T19:51:00.000-05:002006-12-02T19:55:05.725-05:00

Whether the Liberals knew what they were doing or not, they chose the man I most wanted to see win out of the final eight candidates.Did anyone else notice that one of Dion's very first comments after the announcement of his win was that he would "work with the government"?Also, what is Paul Wells going to do now? He's been a Dion booster for so long, now that Dion is the leader, will Wells start

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-45208207099342536432006-12-02T15:12:00.000-05:002006-12-02T15:21:49.420-05:00

I'm not a Liberal, and I haven't voted for any of their candidates since 2000, and I wont necessarily do it again, but between the two men remaining I'm firmly for Dion.They're both intellectuals, but despite Ignatieff's better resume, Dion is smarter. When Canada faced its biggest unity crisis Dion left academia to take a leadership role. Dion has always fought for Canada - despite voting for

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-41307470149389136172006-12-02T14:04:00.000-05:002006-12-02T14:10:46.941-05:00

The overriding feeling I'm getting is that no-one, not the journalists, not the candidates, not the people on the floor, not the delegates, really knows what's going on. People are making up their minds on the way to ballot box. Its all chanting and clapping, and the voting is all going down relatively quickly. How much time or inclination do people have for rational consideration for who is best

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-26862397631793134612006-12-02T13:36:00.000-05:002006-12-02T13:49:39.084-05:00

I've been a fan of Dion-Kennedy combination for the past couple of months. I think it recalls a Canadian tradition of joint Anglo-Franco leadership teams, like Baldwin-Lafontaine, Macdonald-Cartier, King-Lapointe, Martin-Lapierre, (oops, scratch that last one).I think a Dion-Kennedy ministry could be really good for the country. However, the significant strike against them, I think would be their

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-77392034256829196652006-12-02T13:11:00.000-05:002006-12-02T13:32:45.463-05:00

The speeches:Generally:I didn't feel that anyone delivered a knock-out oration, nor did anyone fall on their face. I'm biased, but I'm increasingly convinced that very very few 21st century politicians can speak the way many 19th century politicians could. Of course the 19th century has the advantage of their words only being recorded in print.Individually:Dion - I missed his, but apparently he

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-16419393016551550642006-11-26T00:07:00.000-05:002006-11-26T00:06:40.220-05:00

Our prime minister has not. The members of our opposition parties have not.There was a time when our leaders spoke of Canada as one nation - united, composed of disparate groups perhaps, but forming a common people with common bonds."A Canadian nationality - not French-Canadian, nor British-Canadian, nor Irish-Canadian: patriotism rejects the prefix - is, in my opinion what we should look forward

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-47651854738168442662006-11-23T10:54:00.000-05:002006-11-23T11:13:44.700-05:00

Adam Daifallah pre-fabricates an excuse for the Conservatives failing to achieve a majority in the Commons. The culprit: the media, of course.I'm starting to question if a majority government is even possible given the current state of the Canadian media.Never mind that Adam only provides two links to the CBC(!) as examples.It always struck me that anyone who blamed the media for the inability of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-32040310303338921252006-11-22T22:22:00.000-05:002006-11-22T22:34:49.096-05:00

From the department of utterly ridiculous standards comes this:A sausage known as the Welsh Dragon will have to be renamed after trading standards’ officers warned manufacturers that they could face prosecution because it does not contain dragon.The sausages will now have to be labelled Welsh Dragon Pork Sausages to avoid any confusion among customers.This story is prompting me to investigate the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-73913603681863970582006-11-20T16:46:00.000-05:002006-11-20T16:54:50.856-05:00

Opposition attack Tories over foreign policy - CTV.1. The Prime Minister has gone to Asia and made human rights, with China and others, a priority.(See Mader for some good analysis.)2. The Prime Minister has shown a commitment to winning the war in Afghanistan.3. The Prime Minister has supported a balanced condemnation of rights abuses in the middle east.4. The Prime Minister has shown clear

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-46568131590736661252006-11-17T09:42:00.001-05:002006-11-17T09:42:34.628-05:00

This is worse than irrelevancy.A UN General Assembly committee has voted to discourage U.N. human rights bodies from condemning any country on human rights, despite objections to the measure from the U.S. and many European countries.This is what multilateralism with dictators and criminals gets us.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-73577365535549643412006-11-17T09:16:00.000-05:002006-11-17T09:17:55.144-05:00

One minute it's Sunday evening, the next its Friday morning. All with no blogging.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1163256774871439832006-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:47:15.052-05:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1163178132304650802006-11-10T11:37:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:49.197-05:00

When the British governors of Upper Canada embarked on their policy of establishing Indian reserves, one of the major debates was whether to place reserves near non-Aboriginal communities or conversely to isolate the reserves.One hundred and seventy five years later, the debate and policy has changed little.A report recommending Ottawa relocate a remote northern Ontario reserve closer to a city

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1163172171515775542006-11-10T10:18:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:49.055-05:00

What's this, Mr. Coyne? I thought economics was an outmoded debate of the 20th century?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1163123051780519912006-11-09T20:34:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.896-05:00

Regular readers (all twelve of you) probably guessed that I intended to write a post each day this week remembering significant Canadian contributions to the wars of the 20th century in a lead-up to Remembrance Day.Unfortunately, a busy week got in the way.Hopefully I will be able to do one more tomorrow. Meanwhile, see the previous posts on The Somme and Canada's Hundred Days.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162998288421221652006-11-08T09:59:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.770-05:00

Later today: Remembering Dieppe.(Video via Mader Blog)

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162876164373184412006-11-07T00:04:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.629-05:00

"one of the finest feats in our history."- Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie (pictured), describing the Canadian Corps's breach of the Hindenburg LineCanada's Hundred DaysDates: 8 August 1918 - 11 November 1918The Cost:First day, Battle of AmiensCanadian casualties - 4,109; 1,306 deadTotal:Casualties of the Canadian Corps - 30,802Summary:Beginning with the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918 the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162840199583558572006-11-06T14:09:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.352-05:00

"The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as storm troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line they prepared for the worst."-David Lloyd George, then British Secretary of War, on the Canadian contribution at the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162832510502822092006-11-06T11:54:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.201-05:00

Liberal MP David McGuinty is advocating for his party to switch to a one-member-one-vote leadership selection process."In the 21st century, most people don't need an interlocutor or a representative to take their franchise to the floor of the convention, at a time when you can do your banking in less than 45 seconds online, people are regularly canvassed for their individual views, at a time when

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162823434786322952006-11-06T09:28:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:48.073-05:00

I am opposed to the death penalty; and yet, I don't really care that Saddam has been sentenced to hang.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162593471043359962006-11-03T17:15:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.929-05:00

A thought provoking column from Coyne suggesting that while economics shaped the major political debates of the 20th century we may have reached a broad consensus and will now shift our attention to other debates. Extended excerpts:If the left has belatedly come to accept the market economy, the right had earlier to come to terms with the state’s social responsibilities. Nobody, left or right,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162577010753774552006-11-03T12:39:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.806-05:00

Several weeks ago L. Ian MacDonald argued that Stephen Harper's government was returning to the constitutional tradition of respecting the division of powers, in the BNA Act, between the provincial and federal governments, in contrast to Liberal government intrusions into provincial jurisdictions. Now it seems the government is taking that philosophy one step further and handing over federal

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162504478529419642006-11-02T16:29:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.664-05:00

The annual Macleans university survey is out, and the necessity of having to work without the co-operation of boy-cotting universities seems to have led to good results:In the medical doctoral category, McGill University took the number one spot, with Queen's University coming in second.While I think the points that I made here and here are still valid, Macleans should be credited for finally

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162498831856674242006-11-02T15:03:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.488-05:00

As previously mentioned, my knowledge of American politics is limited, so in this season of mid-term elections I'm doing much more reading on the subject than commenting.Any readers in a similar situation might find this WSJ analysis insightful. Michael Barone takes a look at the history of major partisan reversals in sixth-year mid-term elections (with the exception of 1994) and asseses the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162397647132573972006-11-01T10:39:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.344-05:00

There are certain things that are best left in private discussions, certain things that have no place being uttered in the public sphere.When Peter Mackay made his unfortunate reference to Belinda Stronach in the House of Commons last week, I refrained from commenting on the basis that it would do no good to publically comment on something that never should have been said in public. However, when

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162324754867943662006-10-31T14:36:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.195-05:00

Today, the CBC reported on a poll that indicated a majority of Canadians disapprove of the current direction of the nation's foreign policy.While three-quarters of those polled agreed there has been a definitive shift in foreign policy since the Conservatives won the Jan. 23 election, more than half (56 per cent) said they do not agree with the direction foreign policy has been taking.Meanwhile,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162312968197531412006-10-31T11:24:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:47.070-05:00

I spent much of yesterday reading editions of The British Whig, from the 1850s and 1870s in relation to my research project on the Frontenac County Court House. The British Whig was one of Kingston's local papers in the 19th century, and a precursor of the current Whig-Standard.The Whig-Standard, and most modern newspapers, don't write the way they used to. An excerpt from The British Whig, 29

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1162311038306748392006-10-31T10:35:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:28:46.917-05:00

A lot has been written about Iggy's Quebec national recognition proposal over the past week. If you haven't been keeping up, excerpts of mainstream political opinion are here compiled by Coyne. A very small sample of blogosphere opinion is here and here.I do not feel I have anything new to add at the moment, but I'm not going to let that stop me from expressing my opinion.Quebec is not a nation.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161960263868181422006-10-27T10:19:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:46.763-05:00

Okay, not really. But now I have a few more points on my side of the argument.For years, to the chagrin of certain family members, I have refused to get a flu shot. I have argued that given the varriable effectiveness of the flu vaccine and that I am a young, healthy, adult, with a history of a ridiculously strong immune system, the shot, for me, is not worth the time or public expense.I have

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161876412406195672006-10-26T10:46:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:42.215-05:00

The striking down of certain portions of Canada's anti-terrorism legislation has again put questions of how best to approach the war on terror at the forefront of public debate.Over at Mader Blog, Mader is promising to read the judicial decision in its entirety (and links to it) and, as usual, I think one of the most civil and well reasoned discussion of the issue is going to go on there in the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161712023696411482006-10-24T13:35:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:42.083-05:00

Isn't the justification for subsidising Bombardier that the company employs Canadians?A civil-war by any other name? The nature of the conflict in Iraq has fundamentally changed over the past year into a "complex and difficult" struggle for power among Iraqis, the top American commander in Iraq said Tuesday.[...]"Since the elections in December, we've seen the nature of the conflict evolving

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161655505668971112006-10-23T21:38:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.926-05:00

I don't know too much about American electoral politics, so I found the ballot for the 8th district of Massachussetts interesting for a variety of reasons. However, the detail that most surprised me was the contest for the 8th district House of Representatives seat. The candidates are:Michael E. Capuano - Democrat, and Laura Garza - Socialist Workers Party. That's it; no Republican.It strikes me

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161272811891425262006-10-19T11:40:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.815-05:00

There seems to be a lot going on today - much of it Garth related. I woke up this morning to find over 50 new posts highlighted on my RSS aggregator - Bloglines.However, I am in transit to the centre of the country and so will have to catch-up later.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161102974286621542006-10-17T12:15:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.661-05:00

Parochialism and decline?Canada has suffered from too much of both in its historical reforming and conservative intellectual traditions. We seem to be able to rid ourselves of either.Alan's comment:If Gzowsky were still on a panel of west central Saskatchewan beat poets - the North Battleford school - would spend the hour from 10:00 am to 11:00 am this morning dissecting what was said about

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1161013410118716952006-10-16T11:21:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.550-05:00

A compilation of punditry on yesterday's Liberal leadership debate (a debate I didn't know was occurring, more on that below), suggests many political pundits see Stephen Harper as the real winner of the debate.This opinion is, of course, un-clever punditry masquerading as the opposite.The suggestion is that the Liberal contenders beat up on each other so much last night that Stephen Harper

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160754736586073072006-10-13T11:21:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.420-05:00

I learn from Paul Wells that Michael Ignatieff will deliver "a major policy speech" at noon today. The location? University of Toronto's Innis College.It strikes me, and probably others, that while three of the four leaders in the Liberal leadership race hold Ph.D's Ingnatieff is by far the most professorial of the bunch. While Dion and Rae are clearly intelligent men, their intellectual

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160751727938001902006-10-13T10:37:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.315-05:00

When I re-launched, I forgot to mention that sport would be another occasional topic on this blog - namely soccer (football) and the Montreal Canadiens. Why the focus on an entire sport but no particular team of that sport, and a particular team with out much regard for the sport that team plays? Because I was raised playing soccer in Canada.I love all aspects of soccer; I can appreciate the game

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160687308622149112006-10-12T17:03:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:40.940-05:00

Try and get past the boring title.Below are two posts discussing L. Ian MacDonald's recent speech on Canadian constitutional tradition given at the Calgary Congress. The full text of the speech is posted by Stephen Taylor, presumably with the permission of Mr. MacDonald and the conference.The first post discusses the principal thrust of MacDonald's speech, that is that the 'centralizing

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160687528259823772006-10-12T17:02:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.069-05:00

Steven Taylor has posted a speech by L. Ian MacDonald at the recent Calgary Congress. It is a thoughtful speech to which I would like to add some additional and often opposing considerations.MacDonald’s speech advanced two principle arguments and several secondary ones in support. The principal arguments are that the Canadian constitution comprises two traditions, that of the British North

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160687649859511642006-10-12T17:01:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:41.190-05:00

L. Ian MacDonald argues in his speech to the Calgary conference that the BNA Act and the governance of John A. Macdonald established a tradition of respecting the right of provinces and established the foundation of Canadian compromise and asymmetrical federalism.I have to disagree.The BNA Act did delineate both Federal and Provincial powers but which powers did it give to which level of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160530015557828702006-10-10T21:11:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:40.820-05:00

It is fairly well recognized that 1900-01 and 2000-01 represent marks of "the turn of the century." But which century?Was 1900-01 the 'turn' of the ninetheenth century or twentieth? I had always assumed the former. I thought, based on observations from texts and my own sense of logic, that when centuries turned they finished - as in 'turned over' or 'turned out.' So, when one said "at the turn of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160495246543101562006-10-10T11:08:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:40.697-05:00

I get the sense, as does Alan, that no one really knows what to do about North Korea.I believe that this is largely due to the fact that the principles of governance in a representative democracy are ill-suited to the conduct of foreign affairs. Namely that the full range of information required to proper decision making simply cannot be made available to the public at large.So we are left with

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160433590108206252006-10-09T18:24:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:40.553-05:00

It came to my attention that readers not taking advantage of the superior Firefox web browser and/or Mac OS where having some difficulty appropriately viewing my site. Using my trial and error knowledge of HTML I belive I have corrected the problems. In doing so I had to make the banner picture at the top larger which, I belive, significantly reduced its visual appeal. So, I have a few questions

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160326734233444402006-10-08T12:38:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.994-05:00

There was a great deal of debate about this over the past week, with conservatives and liberals jumping to their respective barricades. Not surprisingly, the issue of post-same-sex-marriage legistaltion was featured in the Sunday Star's gernerally useless McQuaig-Anderson point-couter-point feature.Then remaining on the side of sensible there was Mader who, earlier in the week, wrote this:So I

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160242726800332632006-10-07T13:15:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.874-05:00

I have spent a relaxing moring (and early afternoon) with coffee, bagels, and the Saturday Star. Following are a few quick links of interest to me:Why we fight:"We are so scared. The Taliban want to come back. And we are breaking their law by coming to school. Totally, they want to kill us."From an interview with young Afghan women going to school in Khandahar.Harper, Bush and Arar:Prime Minister

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160161696828693092006-10-06T14:38:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.755-05:00

One of the many reasons that I stopped blogging and nearly abandoned the blogosphere over a year ago was that I was reading too many posts like this one:Hard on the heels of last week's news that Status of Women Canada (SWC) has lost 40 per cent of its operational budget comes word of a new diktat from the department run by one of cabinet's biggest losers, the sad and ineffectual and utterly

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160151199420656362006-10-06T11:01:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.617-05:00

Two examples in today's news exhibiting the impulse to incorporate and divide all history into national narratives. The headline of the Globe and Mail reads "Native Art Trove Heads Home."The Story:More than two dozen rare items of northwest native art will be returning to Canada for the first time since they were taken from northern British Columbia in 1863 after members of the Thomson family

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160060650006840792006-10-05T10:20:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.500-05:00

This week I started volunteering for the City of Kingston Department of Culture researching and preparing historical reports on the city's many heritage buildings. My first assignment is one of the most prominent heritage properties in the city, and is also a national historic site, the Frontenac County Court House.I will periodically post updates to this project as it progresses. For now, I have

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1160057774063132942006-10-05T09:54:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.366-05:00

Certain Liberals are interpreting supposedly unprecedented levels of attacks against Michael Ignatieff from Prime Minister Harper and the government as an indication that the Conservatives are deathly afraid of Ignatieff winning the Liberal leadership.They are so obviously concerned about him that they feel the need to jump quickly to try to "define him", to "frame him", or whatever the heck else

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1159992906334576902006-10-04T16:10:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.226-05:00

My blog is back.After a hiatus of more than a year, I'm giving blogging another go. There were a lot of reasons I drifted away from blogging but I wont get into a boring introspective meta-blogging post on my first day back. I have no grand plan or organizing principle as many bloggers clearly do, or pretend to, but I hope to approach the level of quality put forth by Mader, Alan, and J.Kelly,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1159312604014507402006-09-26T19:14:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:39.099-05:00

The possible re-birth of my blog. No guarantees of anything at this point, and everything on the template you see before you is tentative.That is all.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1158550406054323352006-09-17T23:25:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.980-05:00

Just in case those arriving here looking for "Queen's Homecoming" and "Aberdeen Street party" related news miss the fact that the posts below are from 2005 (year of the car) I wanted to post this:Queen's Homecoing 2006 was a great success, especially in comparison to '04 and '05. Congratulations to Kingston - the city and the police and Queen's - admin., volunteers and the thousands of partying

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127941759381595612005-09-28T17:08:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.863-05:00

It was perhaps innevitable in the fallout from Saturday's Homecoming Aberdeen debacle that many in the Queen's community would blame "a few bad apples" for ruining Homecoming for "everyone else."The student newspaper 'The Journal' and long-time Kingston resident and Queen's alumnus and grad-student Steven Taylor make that argument, amongst others, in attempting to defend Queen's and its

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127781773741545892005-09-26T20:42:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.726-05:00

Most major Canadian news outlets are now picking up this CP wire piece on Saturday night's Queen's University Homcomeing party gone bad.The news outlets include:The Toronto Star.The Globe and Mail.CTV.ca.Macleans.Sun Media.There is extensive coverage from the local Kingston Whig-Standard.The media coverage is pretty uniformily negative, though the Whig has an article on the disgust of some

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127773109250026082005-09-26T18:18:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.607-05:00

There are a lot of different issues that could be discussed surrounding the events of this past weekend's Homecoming at Queen's University.How to maintain this spirit, while minimizing these disturbances is probably the main issue. The argument between the students, the school, the police and the residents, over who is to blame for Saturday nights events will likely continue for some time.Right

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127323764503079622005-09-21T13:26:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.494-05:00

Declan of CAtO is up on the old hobby-horse advocating proportional representation as a solution to Canada's governing problems. Actually, its more of a defence of PR in response to a Jeffrey Simposon article but Declan has always been a big proponent of PR as opposed to First-Past-the-Post.I posted a lengthy comment in response, but I'm re-posing it here becacause, first, there has not been much

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127068593935890392005-09-18T14:36:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.376-05:00

The Commercial Empire of the St. Lawrence is reviving.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1127068124949031012005-09-18T14:28:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.248-05:00

Has anyone else noticed the price of stuff going up lately? I have no idea what the national numbers on inflation are, and I won't be bothered to check, but here are some things I've seen increase in price in the past two months.Laundry: In my apartment building the cost of a load of washing increased from $1.00 to $1.25 and the cost of a load of drying went up from $1.00 to $1.50. This is still

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1126023736196355082005-09-06T12:22:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:38.109-05:00

I happened upon a print edition of the National Post this morning and decided to read David Frum's column as as I seldom have the opportunity to do so.The short version is that Frum asserts that today's Candian Liberalism stands for nothing, has no ideas and no vision (admittedly, that's not the most radical assertion to make). He then reminds the reader of Prof. Michael Ignatieff's speech at the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1125444512297655712005-08-30T19:28:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:37.993-05:00

I was in Ottawa over the weekend for a wedding and took the opportunity on monday to do a little sight-seeing around Parliament Hill.These two men, Baldwin and Lafontaine, are my Canadian heroes. The reformers (and some of the Tories) of the early 19th century were the real founders of this country. They were men of intellect and men of action who laid down the constitutional, legal and political

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956877.post-1124642726438158182005-08-21T12:45:00.000-04:002006-11-15T11:28:37.862-05:00

British security officials have supposedly foiled a terrorist gas attack on the houses of Parliament.However, officials remain concerned that an upcoming exhibition at Parliament presents too many opportunities for a further breach of security.The exhibit is to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07862383134027791438noreply@blogger.com2