the reeves report
Archive for June 2011
Thespian Politicians: The Press Conference as Political Theatre
It is amazing the lengths that politicians will go to in order to give a rather mundane message a twist, a hook, a pull, some pizzazz, or often, a point. Sometimes they can do it all – and sometimes the assembled media are left scratching their heads while the political hangers-on clap wildly at the … Continue reading
Army 2040: First Look moves away from humanity vs. The Environment outlook
I feel as though every decade in North America another article, report, or paper emerges in which The Environment (note the capital letters) is pitted as public enemy number one. The latest of such reports was issued just recently by the Canadian Armed Forces entitled Army 2040: First Look, which sounds like an awful Michael … Continue reading
RCMP finally investigates Muskoka’s G8 ‘Legacy Infrastructure’
Uh oh – time for Tony Clement to get all huffy and defiant again because dammit, we just wont go away with the questions about how $50M was distributed throughout Muskoka! Circle the wagons, ’cause the RCMP are coming, Tony! First off, it’s about damn time someone looked into this! Chances are when something looks … Continue reading
Weekly Round-Up: June 12 to June 18
Sunday, June 12 | National Post - First Nations ‘seeking clarity’ in a new name “Only a couple weeks into the Harper majority government, Aboriginal relations already seem off to a rocky start. On May 18, the Canadian government made the announcement that the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs will be changing its name to … Continue reading
Layton swears allegiance to Marx, vows to crush capitalism: just kidding…
I think before any journalist sits down in front of their computer to write something, they must ask themselves the following question: will what I am about to write constructively improve the dialogue on that topic? Or dig deeper: will it speak rationally to those who disagree with me, and/or passionately to those who may … Continue reading
NDP wakes up to hypocrisy of asbestos mining and export from Quebec
CBC is reporting through the Access to Information Act, that the Harper government rejected a 2006 recommendation from Health Canada to support a global ban on asbestos. Health Canada suggested that the government reverse their previous commitment to keep asbestos off the UN list of banned hazardous materials, and Harper refused. The 2006 Rotterdam Convention … Continue reading
New study indicates dramatic reduction in Rocky Mountain snowpack
A report released this past week from the U.S. Geological Survey found that over an 800 year period, the past 30 years indicate a dramatic break from the typical snowpack patterns in the Rocky Mountains. The report stated that “over the past millennium, late-20th-century snowpack reductions are almost unprecedented in magnitude across the northern Rocky Mountains,” … Continue reading
Weekly Round-Up: June 5 to June 11
Sunday, June 5 | Globe and Mail – Harper’s Throne Speech delays dealing with hard decisions “Financial crises are a real drag. They pull down economies very quickly, but recovery is prolonged, tough and uncertain. That tough recovery provides the context for Friday’s Speech from the Throne and, more important, Monday’s budget.” Monday, June 6 … Continue reading
On Senate reform, Rae should choose his battles more carefully
For the record, I am still trying to figure out how I think Canada could best tackle the problem of a 19th Century Senate in the 21st Century. I am not convinced that outright abolishing it would be wise, nor am I certain that half-measures like fixed-terms and fixed-seats is the way to go. I … Continue reading
US Dept. of Transportation orders TransCanada to halt activity on Keystone I
Effective immediately, the US Department of Transportation has ordered TransCanada to suspend all activity on the Keystone I pipeline. According to the New York Times, the order was issued by the Transportation department’s Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. “Effective immediately,” the PHMSA claims, “this order prevents TransCanada from restarting operations on their Keystone crude … Continue reading
