Canadians have a reputation for kindness and diplomacy…and then an election happens. If someone were to judge Canadians by their political advertisements, we’d have a reputation for being passive-aggressive (“he’s just not ready“) and corrupt (“enough“). This election isn’t the…
The Senate, Party Cooperation, and Importing American Politics
Two things have me scratching my head this week: the general excitement around killing the Senate, and some communications I’ve received from organizations that want all of the “progressive” parties to work together. I’ll start there. Progressive Cooperation First of…
Ted Talks: Fiscal Responsibility
In the past two weeks, Provencher MP Ted Falk has used his weekly newspaper column to talk about economic stability. In both columns, he points to the economic crisis in Greece as an example of unfettered spending leading to economic…
On the Cusp of Greatness
Yesterday was Canada Day, and a very busy day across the country. I attended community events, talked with strangers, collected some signatures, and most of all, reflected on what I was seeing. I deeply and dearly love Canada, but on…
Ted Talks: Supporting Families
Ted Falk recently stood up in the House of Commons to speak about the ways that the Conservative Government are supporting families. It’s a noble goal, and one that every party strives for. But one of the reasons that I’m…
Agreeing or Being Agreeable? Partisanship vs. Opposition
It’s been a while since I’ve responded to Ted Falk; there hasn’t been much to say about his recent posts, except that they’re more or less exactly what an MP should be writing about. He’s telling us what the government…
Let’s Run
This morning I participated in the Let’s Run 5k race in Steinbach. What a humbling experience! I’ve always had relatively poor cardiovascular health. As a child I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, which made running difficult. Like many people, I’ve…
Ted Talks: Fishing for Hunters and Anglers
In a recent blog post, Provencher MP Ted Falk talks about all of the things that the Conservative Hunting and Angling Caucus have done to stand up for hunters and anglers. I find it more than a little puzzling. From…
Credible Threats, Appropriate Responses, and C-51
Today as I was jogging, I listened to a fascinating documentary on CBC’s show Ideas called Conflicted Cities. I highly recommend it. It was originally posted last October, but I found that it spoke directly to Bill C-51, which passed…
Ted Talks: A Budget for Buying Votes
Most of the political talk these days is about the late, 518-page federal budget, so it’s no surprise that Provencher MP Ted Falk used his column this week to extol its virtues. Those virtues are real, but they cover a…