Canadian Politics

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Wednesday Link-Off: Putting on the Links

miranda-kerr-trendshealth15-02It’s been a long time since I’ve put together a sports-heavy set of links but that seems to be where the good links are for the early part of this week. There are a lot of sports stories this week that go beyond the field and that’s where most of the interesting and impactful stories come from. We can’t do politics all the time, right?

Anyway, if it’s Wednesday, then we must be starting the day with the links. Let’s kick things off with Miranda Kerr.

A Bernie Sanders rally in Seattle was cancelled after it was overrun by Black Lives Matter protesters. Of all the candidates running for President, isn’t Sanders the best friend that movement has? (Gawker)

We can laugh all we want at Donald Trump but he has a good team behind him. (National Journal)

Here’s an NDP tax policy I can get behind: The NDP say they will enact a special tax credit for craft breweries. (CBC News)

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Electoral Marathon

anna-kendrick-instagram15-01bI told you that there would be an election call in Canada on Sunday and here we are. The Prime Minister has called an election that will have a campaign period of over double the standard length. We have some links that go into that problem and other issues.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the very political links. Let’s kick things off with Anna Kendrick in Hawaii from her Instagram. As if you needed another reason to go there.

So the longest federal election campaign in history kicked off on Sunday. How do we have a long campaign, you might wonder? Well, the Prime Minister has timed things to his advantage using his fixed election date law. (The Globe and Mail)

A new autobiography says that Prime Minister Harper’s legendary temper has been frequently turned towards the Supreme Court of Canada. If you are getting your wrists slapped that frequently by the Supreme Court… (National Post)

The economics of failure have failed. It’s time for someone new to save the day. (CBC News)

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Sunday Link-Off: SCOTUS FTW

charlotte-mckinney-menshealth15-01So this was just ever so slightly an interesting week in the world of politics. Between the Supreme Court making two milestone decisions to the Canadian Government under Stephen Harper showing complete disdain for Canadian citizens, there is something for everyone to talk about.

But today’s Sunday which means I should probably keep the intro to a minimum because we have to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Charlotte McKinney who is making her debut appearance on the blog.

The Supreme Court of the United States had a pretty good week. First, it upheld the federal tax subsidies that help make the insurance markets of the Affordable Care Act viable in a 6-3. (Bloomberg)

On Friday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that all states in the union are obligated to allow gay marriage. (Washington Post)

Prime Minister Harper’s spokesman dodges question about the Conservative Party’s attack ad that features ISIS-produced video and their anthem and attacks news coverage in a way that makes American politicians look positively sane. (Imgur)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Budget Blues

renee-young-wwe15-01You know that you’re gearing up to an election when everyone is talking about the federal budget. I haven’t really gotten into the nitty-gritty of the budget yet but some of what I’ve read about how it’s been put together kind of scares me. That Vice article downright terrifies me.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time for us to do the links. Since we’re talking a lot about the Canadian budget, let’s kick things off with Renee Young.

Yesterday was federal budget day in Canada. It’s 500+ pages of campaigning for the Conservative government. (MacLean’s)

By the way, the budget is balanced. That’s thanks to taking money from the Government’s reserve funds which leaves the country in vulnerable financial shape should the economy get worse. (Vice)

Speaking of upcoming elections, rather than deal with a minority government, Canadians want a coalition government. Bad news for the Conservatives? (Toronto Star)

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Sunday Link-Off: Meanwhile, in Canada

danielle-knudson-nelly15-07You know, I’m getting worse and worse at time management. I’m trying to write stuff for The Lowdown and et geekera while holding down a job and trying to have other hobbies. That’s why today’s SLO comes in three hours later than normal. I didn’t get this done until an hour before it went live. And now, it’s immediately on to the next post(s). There ain’t no rest for the wicked.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Canadian model (though not the democratically voted Hottest Canadian) Danielle Knudson.

The Jian Ghomeshi scandal might be finally coming to an end. The CBC has issued its internal report and cut ties with their now former head of radio and HR director. (Toronto Star)

The Harper Government’s so-called anti-terrorism legislation will undergo its final vote in the Commons this week. People aren’t happy. (Sun Media)

Political discourse is dead in America. The problem is that it’s not much better in Canada. Yes, I realize that right-wingers will find this link following the previous to be ironic. (National Post)

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Real News

kim-cloutier-3suisses14-02Well, I don’t know about you but this has seemed like a busy week after only three days. I’ve been lacking writing time at the start of the week but at least we should be good through the end of the week. Or at least I hope so. It’s been so busy that I have enough news stories that I don’t have to give a fashion designer’s death third billing. Good job, CBC.

Anyway, it’s time for the Wednesday set of links. Here’s the return of blog favourite Kim Cloutier.

The man who ran down two Canadian soldiers in Quebec on Monday was on an RCMP terrorist watch list. (NBC News)

The market for the personal data of every consumer in the world is a market worth over $150 billion per year. However, America’s Federal Trade Commission can’t regulate the market because it’s so secretive that they can’t get any info. (New York Times)

Want to hear a tale of people figuring out an exploit in video poker machines that allowed them to run up huge jackpots until casino security caught on to them for getting too greedy? Of course you do. (Wired)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Who Do You Trust?

A little bit of science and a little bit of actual observation allows you to reach a valuable conclusion: Is there anybody in the world that we can really trust? Sure, there are a few people that we can rely on but the people we really need like government and elected officials? Sometimes I’m not so sure. Some of today’s links don’t fill me with much optimism.

And on that semi-depressing note, it’s Wednesday so let’s do the links. Here’s Jessica Chastain.

Canadian workers are facing the toughest economic circumstances and least worker-sympathetic government since the 1930s. (Counterpunch)

Not happy with that characterization of the government? How about calling them an anti-democracy government? They aren’t answering the Opposition’s questions in the House of Commons and the Conservative speaker doesn’t care. (MacLean’s)

We might disagree about the cause of global warming but the facts are that the world is getting warming. For example, this past August was the hottest on record. (American Geophysical Union)

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Sunday Link-Off: Make Us Whole

hannah-ferguson-galore14-01How important is the NFL to the cultural fabric of America? Something like thirteen channels were covering Roger Goodell’s press conference which went on at the same time as President Obama. The guy is leading the country isn’t as important as the guy leading the country’s leading sports league. Maybe that’s an illustration of the start of their problems…

Anyway, it’s Sunday morning which means that we’re doing the links. Let’s start with Hannah Ferguson in cheerleading garb which is ever so appropriate.

There was some concern that Quebec separatists would be bolstered by the strength of the Yes campaign in Scotland. However, the strength of the separation movement in Quebec might be the weakest that it’s been in 40 years. (The Globe and Mail)

With the Scottish Referendum done, the work isn’t finished for those in the British Parliament supporting the no side. They still have to come through on their promises. Failing to do so could start another independence campaign some years down the road. (MacLean’s)

“The days when old men get to decide what a woman does with her body are long gone.” Oh, Justin Trudeau… When will you stop trying to court me? I’m already in your corner. (CBC News)

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Sunday Link-Off: The Family Legacy

melanie-iglesias-newyorkpost14-02Well, if you’re a fan of Toronto or Canadian politics, you’ve picked the right week to check out the Sunday links. All Canadians are talking about is Rob Ford. Even the Oscar Pistorius news is tertiary to the municipal politics of Toronto. I guess that’s what happens when said municipal politics features an admitted crack user as the mayor and an alleged drug dealer as his brother’s replacement in the election.

But before we get into that and all the other Sunday links, here’s American model Melanie Iglesias.

It’s a rare look inside a dying mayoral campaign with now-former Toronto mayoral candidate David Soknacki. One of his campaign staff went on the record to say that Toronto voters elected Rob Ford in 2010 because they were “very superficial.” And you wonder why his campaign was going so badly that he withdrew. (Torontoist)

And given that Mayor Ford is in hospital with an abdominal tumour, his brother Doug is carrying the family name in the mayoral race while Rob will run for Ward 2 council. While Rob was in with a shot at being re-elected, pundits aren’t holding out hope for Doug. (MacLean’s)

Mayor Ford’s former chief of staff, Mark Towhey, is working on a “tell-all” book about his time with the Ford administration. Conveniently, it’s coming out six days before the election. (Canada.com)

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Sunday Link-Off: Breaking Conservative

chrissy-teigen-espys14-01The start of the week wasn’t particularly interesting from a news standpoint but it got a bit too interesting by the end of the week. While you’ve probably just been keeping up with some of the major international stories, we have some links about the political goings on in Canada among other interesting links.

Anyway, it’s time to get the post started. Let’s start with the only noteworthy thing from the ESPYs. That would be Chrissy Teigen.

Contrary to what the Conservative Party would have you believe, most Canadians think that current marijuana laws are too harsh. In fact, the government’s own polling shows that. (Metro)

Speaking of Conservative Party battles, they’re blaming of their battles with the Supreme Court on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Damned rights getting in the way of oppressing people. (Canada.com)

NBC News pulled their top Middle East reporter out of Gaza after he reported about Israeli forces killing four Palestinian boys earlier this week. Given American networks’ reputations for pre-Israel coverage, it didn’t go over well. (The Intercept)

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