reeves report
Michael Ignatieff
NDP leadership debate showcases the (many) party hopefuls
The first NDP leadership debate was this afternoon, and it would appear from the coverage that the only victor was expediency and those who speak in sound bites. Nine candidate took the stage (Brian Topp, Thomas Mulcair, Paul Dewar, Nathan Cullen, Toronto MP Peggy Nash, Quebec MP Roméo Saganash, Nova Scotia MP Robert Chisholm, Manitoba … Continue reading
Is Bob Rae the Liberals next Keith Davey?
Peter C. Newman’s latest book When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada was supposed to be the book that chronicled Michael Ignatieff’s rise to political power in Canada. Plucked from the wilderness – question mark – of Harvard in Boston, Mass., Ignatieff was brought north of the border by the men who fancied … Continue reading
Out on a Limb: In Defence of the (Political) Moral High Ground
This may be terribly naive of me (and I’m not ruling out that possibility, to be fair), but I am going to go out on a limb and make the following two statements: 1) the (political) moral high-ground is (often) worth defending; and 2) two wrongs do not make a right. I know, I know. … Continue reading
Re-imagining Canada in the World: Start by tackling Tall Poppy Syndrome
The Globe and Mail has been choc-a-bloc lately with guest columnists (academics, NATO ambassadors, think-tank CEO’s) talking about where the debate over Canada’s foreign policy has gone. It was conspicuously absent in the recent federal election campaign, as noted by Jeffrey Simpson back on April 6 when he wrote that “there is plenty to talk … Continue reading
Dear Michael: Don’t Blame Yourself
Dear Michael, We never thought it would come to this. I mean, we knew it would be bad for you and for the Liberal Party last night, but I don’t suppose any of us thought it would be record-breakingly disappointing for you, your supporters, and the Natural Governing Party of this country. But politics being … Continue reading
The un-endorsement endorsements
“Sometimes, when you see a group of Canadians coming out on Sunday morning to plant trees that they might not even live to see fully grown, you understand and feel the deep and passionate faith that the people of this country have in their own country. They must also have a politics and politicians worthy … Continue reading
Ignatieff is finding himself on the hustings
With the recent NDP surge in the polls over the past week, I think media outlets – myself included – have tended to write about the big story, the drastic change that many people are looking for to justify what Stephen Harper has relentlessly called a ‘needless election.’ The outside chance of Jack Layton and … Continue reading
Canada and the social media election of 2011
What began with Layton’s now infamous #hashtagfail comment in the Leader’s Debate has spread throughout the ranks. Spurred on by the legions of pundits, journalists, politicians, politicos, and everyone else with a smart phone it would seem, Canada now faces a historic moment on May 2: our very first social media election. Gosh – we … Continue reading
Conservatives attempt to nullify University of Guelph ‘Vote Mob’ student votes
Rick Mercer would be proud. His has become the rallying cry for students across the country to mobilize to vote either on or before May 2, and the University of Guelph has become the epicenter of that struggle. Late in the day on Wednesday, a slightly over-zealous member of the local Conservative candidates inner sanctum … Continue reading
‘I don’t accept the truth of those attacks’ #hashtagfail – Our National Leaders’ Debate
I have never understood why people are so obsessed with picking ‘winners’ for debates that are not being decided by professors in debating societies, but rather by the media and the Canadian people who tuned in. My news feed this morning was clogged with asinine headlines like “4 out of 10 debate viewers call Harper … Continue reading
