Harper and Mulcair’s Achilles heel

Both despise the Charter, for different reasons. Harper loathes equality; Mulcair hates the idea that provinces are equal, and the Charter’s genesis.

Liberals need to be all over this. If there is one document Canadians cherish, it’s this one. Heed the instincts of the old guy, always.

Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien is expressing surprise that next week’s 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 1982 patriation of the Canadian Constitution seems to have largely escaped the official attention of an otherwise history-conscious Conservative government.

Chretien, who was Pierre Trudeau’s justice minister at the time and a pivotal player in the political drama that led to Queen Elizabeth’s historic Parliament Hill signing of the documents on April 17, 1982, told Postmedia News on Tuesday that — as in 2007, when the 25th anniversary of the charter was widely celebrated outside the federal government — he has not been approached to participate in any official anniversary-related activities.

“I don’t know why they don’t,” Chretien said during an exclusive interview in his Ottawa law office ahead of next Tuesday’s anniversary. “You know, it’s a very important moment in Canadian history — whether you agree or disagree,” added the 78-year-old Chretien, who is scheduled later this week to unveil a new historical display in his hometown of Shawinigan, Que., showcasing hundreds of gifts he received from foreign countries during his decade as prime minister from 1993 to 2003.”


Prog blogs

This ain’t a blog, it’s a web site. But if I had to define it, I’d say it was indeed “progressive.” Just not a Prog Blog.

Anyway, the progressive web site folks have added me to their helpful aggregator, found here. I’ve therefore added them to my blog roll, a few inches to the left, and appropriately so.

Check them out! I plan to.


Your morning Robocon: the GOP lends a hand

In at least two Conservative-won ridings with reported election irregularities, Front Porch Strategies had US staff on the ground – possibly against Elections Canada rules barring foreign campaigning. In the wake of the “robocall” voter suppression scandal, the Republican-tied U.S. firm hired by 14 Conservative campaigns admitted on Friday to having had U.S. staff working “in the trenches” during the 2011 elections, in an apparent violation of the Canada Election Act which bars foreign political involvement.

Americans PJ Wenzel and Matthew Parker — director and CEO of Front Porch Strategies, respectively – participated directly in at least two Canadian Conservative campaigns, according to social media updates and a photograph from the successful election campaigns of associate defence minister Julian Fantino and MP Rick Dykstra, immigration minister Jason Kenney’s parliamentary secretary.


Wildrose supporter Richard Evans

Evans is a Calgary resident who has made failed runs for municipal office in Calgary.  More recently, he has been a participant at Wildrose conventions, and is very active in their campaign, principally online.  Here is what I know (so far) about his history:

I am hoping to write about the extent of Evans’ involvement with Wildrose.  Anyone with additional cited information is welcome to post in comments, below.