Gary Shaul, Catch 22 campaign

In "The Backroom: How Federal Elections work in Canada (March 2010), we looked at how first past the post elections are really 308 separate elections. In many elections, up to half of the votes are "wasted", i.e., they don't go toward electing anyone. I have never voted for a winning federal candidate in my life and I'm 50+. In a typical election, the fate of the ruling party is often…

By Gary Shaul, Catch 22 campaign

Canadians were surprised to learn that a little known Order in Council passed in December by the Privy Council, changed the country's name from "Canada" to "Harper". The change was prompted by several phone calls to the PMO insisting that "Canada" is an antiquated vestige from the 19th century and the country was long overdue for a modern name. Privy councilors loved the idea and readily agreed. The new name was chosen by PM Stephen…

The Con's latest mis-steps shed some light on their competence, tactics and targets. Yesterday, NDP MP Linda Duncan (Edmonton-Strathcona - Catch 22 riding) was accidentally handed an internal Conservative Party fundraising strategy letter under the letterhead of Minister of…

Thomas Walkom takes apart the Harperites policy on Libya and concludes that it's all about Libyan oil and has nothing to do with human rights or democracy.

Libyan oil, not democracy, fuelling the West

Why does Stephen Harper seem more engaged in Libya’s would-be revolution than he was in Egypt’s? The…

Not that it will matter one whit to the HarperCons who have downplayed their illegal practices that helped them buy the 2006 election (which they won by only 4502 votes in 11 ridings), but the Federal Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected the Cons legal arguments. Of course the Harperites will undoubtedly continue to refer to this serious breach of the law and of the public trust as just a tiny $1,000,000 booking and administrative error.

Never ones to accept the consequences that…

Professor George Lakoff is well known in progressive circles for dissecting right wing talking points and analyzing the "frames" that the right uses to win voters over to their cause. Lakoff uses the crisis in Wisconsin to demonstrate his approach to understanding the world, and in particular, how corporate forces have successful shifted the discussion to a terrain that works in their favor. …

By Gary Shaul, Catch 22 campaign

Some good news for a change. And the credit goes to everyone who raised their voices in opposition to a Parliamentary committee's suggestions to the CRTC that they allow newscasters to broadcast false and misleading news as long as no one's health and safety was affected by it. The squeaky wheel sometimes gets the oil.…

Everyone remembers that key issue that the HarperCons campaign on in 2006. It was transparency and accountability in light of the Liberals squandering of funds through the Sponsorship scandal. The Harperites were handed a minority government (by just 4,502 voters in 11 ridings aided and abetted by advertising overspending). One of their first cosmetic "changes" was to enact new whistleblower legislation that was supposed to encourage and protect people "in the know".…

Murray Dobbin takes a look at the opportunities in the next election and how democracy itself has become a central issue. Here are a couple of excerpts.

Fresh Issue for Spring Election: Democracy

The odds now seem to favour a spring election, as Stephen Harper headed out across the country with his cabinet ministers to announce over $300 million in goodies...

To be sure, the…

By Gary Shaul, Catch 22 campaign

In first past the post politics (and dictatorships), all's fair in love and war - as long as you can get away with it. The Harper Conservatives devised a number of schemes to boost their advertising spending in the 2006 election - an election in which they won their minority government by just 4,502 voters in 11 ridings. Could $1.3 million help sway that many voters?

Various cases have been "in and out" of court. As usual, the Con-men…

By John Deverell, Catch 22 campaign

The Harper cabinet has killed off its own plan to spend $70 million yearly promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law in developing countries.

The scheme for a Canadian Centre for Advancing Democracy was originated by Peter Mackay while he was Minister for External Affairs and promoted in the 2008 speech from the throne. Since then, nothing.

It seems to have occurred to the boss, in a moment of blinding clarity,…

We've spent the first year of the campaign focused on Conservative held ridings in which the 2008 margin of victory was less than 10%. In most of those ridings, there's a clearly identifiable party with the best chance of success. We identified 32 ridings cross the country. Anyone who's taken a close look at the Catch 22 list of target ridings will notice that there's one significant gap - Alberta.

Our…

Stephen Harper's biggest boosters, the oil and gas industry, are making off like bandits, using the political crisis in Libya (and anywhere else it suits their purposes) as an excuse to raise gas prices.

The moment that the price of crude rises, the price at the pump follows suit. But when crude drops in price, consumers don't see gas prices drop. Sometimes the price of gas rises even as crude drops. Ever wonder why that is? Or why the oil companies are allowed to act as monopolies,…

With election talk in the air these days, voters seem to be paying more attention to current events. The Harper Conservatives' 14 point lead over the Liberals has narrowed back to about 5% in the latest Ipsos Reid national survey.

Tory lead shrinks in face of Bev Oda furor, Harper’s flirtation with…

One has to wonder whether the results below would be the same if it was explained to poll participants that a "majority" government means a majority of ridings, and not voters? We also wonder if they asked voters about their comfort level with Harper winning and forming a minority government?

From the National Post:

New poll shows Cdn’s…

John Ibbitson from The Globe and Mail takes a closer look at key races in British Columbia. It should be noted that references to a "majority" are about ridings and not voters. Under Canada's voting system, a majority of voters is not needed elect an MP or to form a "majority" government. Most federal MPs don't get a majority of votes. There has not been a federal "majority" government since 1984 when Brian Mulroney's Conservatives got 50% of the popular vote.…

In the latest issue in The Walrus, prize-winning author Erna Paris provides an in-depth look at Canada's collective identity, values and the ideological divide which is widening and being exacerbated by the Harper government's anti-democratic approach to governing the country. She puts our current malaise into perspective and tries to point the way forward for the future.…

As we reported last week, Con MP Cheryl Gallant put her foot in her mouth in suggesting that Atlantic Canadians are too reliant on the Coast Guard to rescue them at sea when they find themselves in trouble. Even the PM…