A walkout is a victory for the deniers

I interviewed Elizabeth May yesterday on my “Climate Change Reality Radio Show,” Breakin’ Ice, and she’s certainly a smart cookie. By far the most knowledgeable of the federal leaders on global warming, greening the economy, and so on, she’s also the only one who ‘gets’ the danger of climate change.


But there is one critical thing she doesn’t get, and neither do most well-meaning people: Those she is up against have a different morality. I have called it the Predator Morality, as it accurately describes the behaviour of the deniers and free market fundamentalists. Think about the Canadian Harper government; these are people who wrote a secret manual on subverting our democratic system. Do you really think they are going to negotiate in good faith or that their word can be trusted? These are people who put ideology before their own children. Calling them predators is not name-calling – it is an accurate description of their observed behaviour.
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An "Olympic" Misconception

I would like to take a few minutes to clear up an “Olympic” misconception. As a resident of British Columbia I have heard repeatedly during discussions in the media of the fact that a “vote” was held by the provincial government to give the people of the province a voice in choosing to host the 2010 games. This mantra is most loudly trumpeted by the provincial Liberals, The Vancouver Olympic Committee or zealot Olympic supporters when faced with protest or pointed questions over ballooning costs. I decided to review the facts. I present my findings here for your assessment. I think the results offer a startling view of the actual legitimacy of the games and the inclusion (or lack thereof) within the democratic process afforded to the people of British Columbia that is becoming all too familiar in politics today.
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The last few weeks have seen a flurry of promises, dates and opinions regarding the potential withdrawal of ISAF troops from Afghanistan.  While both President Obama and Gordon Brown have publicly declared a surge in troop numbers for their respective countries’ armed forces, Canada has stuck to its guns.

Wednesday’s announcement by foreign minister Lawrence Cannon that Canada’s government would not change its planned withdrawal in 2011 seemed to show solidarity with Obama’s pledge, repeated this week, that the withdrawal of American soldiers would begin in mid-2011 despite an additional 30,000 being deployed in the coming months.  The question though, is whether a strict end date can be placed upon an operation that has seen its objectives muddied and targets missed time and time again?
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Flick off, Rex. Just flick off

How can we expect Canadians to vote in an informed manner when the CBC provides a platform – on the news, no less – to a nutter who chooses to believe paid oil company shills rather than Canada’s own climate scientists? Rex Murphy proudly notes that he gets his climate science from two guys who are not climate scientists; one is a former mining stock promoter and the other is an economist. Like Murphy, the economist is tight with the Libertarian Fraser Institute, which receives funding from ExxonMobil.

At best, this calls into question Murphy’s sense, and at worse, his integrity. Is he receiving money from Big Oil? Why else would any sane person believe two uncredentialed shills rather than Canada’s own scientists? Perhaps, like Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Rex Murphy believes this whole ‘global warming thing’ is a socialist conspiracy to take over the world?
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Literacy is critical to the transmission of the ideas that shape our world.

Some people might wonder what an article about literacy is doing on a political blog, but a literate population is crucial to a fully-functioning, informed democracy. According to ABC Canada, “Greater understanding of social and political issues means a more informed opinion at the ballot box, better understanding of issues, and greater confidence in discussing them. This, in turn, encourages leadership and engagement in public debate.” Poor literacy is a huge challenge for those who wish to keep the public informed on prominent issues and what their politicians are up to. Although many of us find power and information in the written word, others may find only confusion.
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper conversed with Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao on Thursday.

Premier Wen Jiaobao of China delivered a rebuke to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday. According to Premier Wen, one of the country’s most popular and senior politicians, Harper’s visit to China has been tardy, and diplomatic meetings between the leaders of the two countries have been too infrequent. The proverbial slap on the wrist may have been an innocuous chiding. But it speaks to the tenuous nature of Canada’s diplomatic relationship with the People’s Republic.

Although Harper and Chinese President Hu Jintao conversed a fortnight ago at the APEC conference, President Hu has not visited Canada in nearly five years. Harper, who has declined opportunities to venture to China in the past, is making his first ever visit.
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Your cabinet will meet around this oval table

Sir John A. MacDonald once inscribed his occupation as cabinet maker in a guest book. When people would criticize his cabinet ministers, Sir John A would tell them to send him better wood. Crafting the cabinet is an essential but difficult task for any Prime Minister or Premier, and it is a job that does not permit a lot of flexibility.

The importance of the cabinet in Canadian politics is reflected by some of the problems facing governments. Stephen Harper has struggled in the past with unnecessary and embarrassing scandals due at least in part to weak or inexperienced cabinet ministers. He has also struggled to find appropriate appointments for important ministries, also for the same reasons. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has had some strong ministers in his cabinet. However, he may face future problems because the Tories are now led by the plucky and aggressive Tim Hudak, and most of his talented ministers have left or will soon leave the cabinet. The difficulties faced by the Prime Minister or by a Provincial Premier are magnified by the regional nature of the country and the provinces: the government leader must, to the best of his ability, ensure that there is adequate representation in the cabinet from all the regions within his jurisdiction.
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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has never courted China, despite its economic powerhouse status, and suggestions that he is now doing so in order to secure the Chinese-Canadian vote are ludicrous. It is perfectly evident that people do not emigrate from China to Canada on account of the weather. As such, it is naive to believe that Chinese-Canadians, en masse, wish for positive relations between their country of origin and their adopted homeland. This is not to mention the host of Asian Canadians, Tibetans, for instance, who may observe Canada’s diplomatic relations with China with suspicion.

With entirely opposing political cultures, China and Canada have no reason to maintain good relations besides for economics, and in this time of fiscal crisis, our Prime Minister has bit the bullet. In 2006, with regards to his stand on China, Harper famously noted that he would not “sell out” human rights in favour of economic gain. This is a course he has not diverged from, until now. For the first time since his election, Harper has paid an official visit to China.
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Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley

The problem with doctors driving cabs has been staring this country in the face for decades now. The Conservative government, in conjunction with the provinces, is making a move to speed up the process of certifying foreign trained professionals, and it has been a long time coming.

While I was in university I worked evenings as a security guard and every one of my fellow workers was terribly overqualified. One was an engineer from India, another had fled tyranny in Belarus, with an MBA from Britain. He still had to eke out a living in a low paying job. All across this country there are qualified professionals who are disappointed in the life they have found here in Canada.

Just a couple days ago, Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley introduced a new framework, promising to speed up the process by which foreign workers have their credentials recognized by the ministry. This new system would allow professionals such as engineers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, nurses, architects, lab technitions and occupational therapists to have their credentials evaluated within a year of applying. In some cases, it may allow newly arrived immigrants to know the value of their credentials before they arrive in Canada. In the past it could take up to two years for foreign workers to know where they stand.
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I am a firm believer that despite everyone’s claims, very few are in fact informed voters. We settle for half truths and in many cases have no concept of what our rights are as voters. It is up to us to make decisions we feel good about and our current political system does not allow for that. Most tend to vote for the best of the worst as opposed to someone they have confidence in whose platforms actually address the realities facing society. Someone who will make good on what they promise us. Someone who will stand up to corporate pressures, and do what’s right, not what the highest bidder wants them to do. Someone you can look in the eye, ask a question, and get a real legitimate answer. Most of all, what we need is someone who is not afraid to make tough, yet necessary decisions. Someone who will be accountable for those decisions. Someone who has some actual experience dealing with the problems they are charged to solve. I mean, seriously, how can someone who grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth actually have a viable solution for poverty and homelessness? They can’t. And this disconnect is what ails society the most. This part of society has no political voice as in order to get a politician’s ear, your checkbook needs to be in your hand. Yet, ironically it is these people that need a strong government and leadership the most.
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