Political Mudslinging Demeans Us All
Why political mudslinging lowers us all while damaging our democratic system.
No Comments
Archive
You are currently browsing the archives for the Saskatchewan Politics category.
Sep
10
Sep
9
Do you know how our government works?
The debate regarding how well our Canadian Parliamentary Democracy works, and how well for whom, aside, Rick Mercer reminds us why it is so damn important for Canadians to know how our government works, and why it’s so scary that the majority of us don’t.
Sep
8
Students! Get out there and vote!
Just in case you’re a student and you needed a good reason to get angry, or at least spiteful – Rick Mercer gives you a few reasons to get out there and cast your ballot!
Aug
30
More Election Talk
Looks like this fall will be a very exciting time for Regina. Our city is poised for a municipal election. The Regina Douglas Park by-election will be held. And Federal politicians appear ready to bring down Stephen Harper’s government and force another election.
I hope that election season 2009 is not marred by negative campaigning.
Aug
20
Extra! Extra! No More Bookstores in Downtown Regina
In case it’s not a place you go regularly, downtown Regina’s largest mall, the Cornwall Center, has been undergoing several changes over the past year. Some stores have been moving to other locations in the mall, while others are being renovated. However, it was during my last visit to the Cornwall Center that I noticed the gravest change of all. It appears as if only one store amidst all these changes has actually *closed*… and it’s the bookstore.
As a longtime resident of downtown Regina, let me tell you what this means – it signifies the closure of the last book store in the downtown area. That’s right, you didn’t hallucinate that last sentence, and it’s not a typo. If you want to BUY A BOOK you must leave the downtown area. Read more »
Aug
17
Regina Douglas Park is Heating Up II
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Saskatchewan Party was holding its nomination meeting for Regina Douglas Park on August 12, 2009. Well, that meeting has come and gone and the Saskatchewan Party finally has a candidate. Regina based lawyer, Kathleen Peterson was acclaimed and will be squaring off against Dwain Lingenfelter and Victor Becker Lau in the (hopefully) soon-t0-be-announced by-election.
While I am looking forward to watching this race unfold, I’m feeling a little bit let down by the preliminaries. The Saskatchewan Party’s site contains a particularly troubling quote that may signal the tone for this election. Peterson was quoted as saying, “The NDP vision is focused on the past, with leadership that represents a time in Saskatchewan’s history when both the economy and population were shrinking.” I don’t think that the Saskatchewan electoral system needs negative campaigning, especially when there are so many constructive things to say about our constituency. Read more »
Aug
16
When Accounting Principles Obfuscate the Truth
The Canadian Press ran a doozy yesterday…
Saskatchewan is projecting a $1.3 billion drop in potash revenues this fiscal year but still hopes to post an overall budget surplus.To deal with the shortfall the government says it will take a $185 million dividend from the Crown Investments Corporation and delay funding the Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and some schools.
Compare and contrast that to the LeaderPost’s coverage of the potash shortfall…
Then there’s unexpectedly higher revenue of $668 million from oil, taxes and federal transfers, which covers half the potash revenue shortfall. Gantefoer will make up the rest through accounting measures like taking a $185 million dividend from the Crown corporations and by deferring $132 million in capital projects still in the planning stages. That doesn’t mean the Saskatoon Children’s Hospital has been cancelled, as some critics suggest; the money will be there once construction begins.
Aug
11
Mark Berube & the Patriotic Few
This song is called “Yesterday’s Halo”, and it seems to sum up nicely the barriers and battles that so many of us face. The second verse is my personal favourite – it’s so poignant that chills inevitably follow!
Aug
8
Eco-Discrimination
Do you want a new stadium in your backyard? How about a landfill or a nuclear power plant? I know what you’re thinking – who on earth would want to live with the noise, smell, or danger? I wouldn’t!
There’s a new buzz word that I really dig that’s being used to describe this conundrum – eco-discrimination. The hot topics of the day, such as the unanimous (albeit grudgingly) support in the Saskatchewan Legislature of nuclear power, or the equally hot debate surrounding Regina’s new stadium, often neglect that massive amounts of discrimination go into decisions like these. Especially when it comes to location – and the consequences are grave. Read more »
Aug
6
Does Regina Need a New Stadium?
Seems like everyone has been weighing in on whether or not the time is right to rebuild Taylor Field. Some people are incredibly for building a new stadium while others are extremely against building a new stadium. The arguments are predictable – those who are for building a new stadium like to point out the obvious economic benefits of a new, multi-use, all-weather facility. Those who are against the stadium like the point out the fact that Saskatchewan has a serious social deficit and that money could go to helping ease the sting of poverty and injustice.
My personal politics veer towards social justice and equality – I am very much against child poverty, and very much in favour of affordable housing, accessible education and small scale economic development. However, I cannot see what the problem is with building a new stadium in Regina. Consider these facts: Read more »