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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Gerard Kennedy, the man to beat
Well, there certainly isn't a shortage of Liberal leadership candidates. The candidate to watch is Gerard Kennedy, the ex-Ontario education minister. He's not that well known outside Ontario, but this is a good thing for him.
He's already being called a "dark horse" but I would go further and say he's the front-runner.
This is an impressive guy who is exactly what the Liberals need right now. As more Liberals meet him, the more they'll realize it. He's smart, bilingual, young and most importantly has absolutely zero baggage from the Martin/Chretien years. He's the guy who will actually spend the next 5-10 years solving the Liberal Party's problems, which is what the next leader will have to do. Watch Kennedy get a lot of support from those who believe the writing is on the wall for the next election (read: Harper majority) and are willing to do the long-term thinking-type of rebuilding that is required.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:49 PM
I'm back!
And still in one piece after exams. I missed this! Hopefully I'll have something interesting to say later. For now, bed.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:26 AM
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Hiatus
Barring a news event of major historical significance (ie. of Sept. 11-like proportions) this blog is going on a short break to focus on exams. I'll be back before the end of the month and look forward to resuming then.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 11:45 AM
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Setting the record straight on equalization
In a story about the Council of the Federation meeting that ended today in Montreal, a Canadian Press wire story reported:
Equalization is a constitutionally enshrined program aimed at ensuring poor provinces can offer similar services at taxation levels comparable to those of the wealthy provinces.
This statement is factually inaccurate, but it is a common mistake that is often repeated. (See Brian Lee Crowley's oped here.)
No, equalization is not a "constitutionally enrished program." What is constitutionally-enshrined is the principle of equalization:
36. (2) Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say how the program should be administered or run, how much poorer provinces should get or even how the amount should be calculated.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:12 AM
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
CBC spins the news, eg. #342,927
Great work here by Stephen Taylor pointing out the bias in Keith Boag's report last night on the new Accountability Act. I watched Boag's piece last and was thinking of raising it here. Boag tried to link the Harper government's penchant for "accountability" with the its decision to supposedly restrict reporters' access to government officials. (As an aside, I can't remember any government, Liberal or Conservative, federal or provincial, where I've seen so many cabinet ministers available for TV panel shows.)
The larger point here is that the media's frustration with the modus operandi of the Harper communications shop has absolutely nothing to do with the Accountability Act and should not have factored into this report. Boag went over the line by trying to link the two stories, which is nothing but spin. He used his position as CBC parliamentary bureau chief to air his personal frustrations.
UPDATE (Thurs, 10am): Wow. Stop the presses! A-Zerb agrees:
As painful as this is, I have to say that I agree. This kind of information should have been in a secondary/sidebar piece. The report should have concentrated on the proposed legislation.
She may be a leftist, but don't accuse her of not being fair.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 10:35 AM
Dumping Shapiro, the roundabout way
You don't have to fire him if you eliminate his position:
The proposed accountability act will eliminate the position held by Bernard Shapiro and combine it with that of the Senate Ethics Officer to create a new office -- and only those with a "judicial or quasi-judicial" background need apply. Mr. Shapiro has a doctorate in education and has held numerous posts in that field, including that of principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University in Montreal. But he is not a judge. When asked at a news conference yesterday whether Mr. Shapiro's days are numbered, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the current Ethics Commissioner does not have the required qualifications. Day after day, this new government is demonstrating a deft touch on sensitive issues. No more amateur hour!
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 8:12 AM
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Ticking time (and nuclear) bomb
Shocker of a news story here
Next Alberta Premier?
Monday, April 10, 2006
Is it even worth blogging?
Because it's hardly news: the French have surrendered again. This time, to its own restless youth. I see only one lesson coming out of this: riot and break the law for a few weeks and public policy will bend to accomodate your wishes. That's democracy, French-style.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:01 PM
David Cameron Watch
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Golf and curling notes
- Sad to see the Jean-Michel Ménard rink lose the world curling championship final. You had to feel for them, but they were simply outplayed. Spectacular effort by the Quebec boys nonetheless.
- Great performance by Phil Mickelson at the Masters, who I said was looking "unbeatable" here a few days ago. I was pulling for Fred Couples, who would have been the oldest winnter of the tournament ever. He put together a great ball-striking show, but couldn't putt worth a damn. I guess it goes a bit with age. He probably won't get another chance like that again, but I hope he does.
- Marilyn Bodogh, the two-time world curling champion, announced her candidacy last week for Mayor of St. Catharines, Ontario. Marilyn and I have been friends since I curled with her in a bonspiel when I was 16. She is an amazing woman and I wish her all the best in the race. She is a St. Catharines icon and I'm betting on her to win.
- I reported here recently about Colleen Jones' team breaking up for next season. Well, it now appears that the entire team -- minus Jones -- is reuniting for next year. (They are claiming to only be a "recreational" team, however.) Needless to say, Colleen is none too pleased as it now appears she was basically dumped. The six-time national ladies' champ is also teamless for next season. Ouch.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:05 PM
Trimming government waste
It will be very interesting in the next few weeks to gauge public opinion as word gets out that the Harper Conservatives are making modest spending program cuts to control the speed of government growth. The Tories are committed to streamlining waste and finding inefficiencies to keep the books balanced -- and just because it's the common sense thing to do.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 11:46 AM
Friday, April 07, 2006
Dion and Ignatieff
Two very strong launch speeches from Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion launching their leadership bids today, with Dion edging out the John Kerry look-a-like by a hair. The reason: Ignatieff was too heavy on Liberal platitudes and clichés. Still, these two will be strong. Calling himself a "progressive" who wants to "plant the Liberal party firmly on the centre LEFT of the politican spectrum," Ignatieff looked calm, cool and very professional.
I think the one to look out for here is Dion. He's an outsider who doesn't exhude "professional politician" vibes, and there may be an apetite for someone like that. Despite being despised by the Quebec journalistic and academic elite, I wouldn't be surprised to see him do well in Quebec with Liberal supporters and if he wins, in an election. The support of the elites doesn't matter that much, especially with Quebecers themselves. Trudeau won 74 of 75 seats in 1980, a decade after he ordered tanks into Montreal and was supposedly "hated". Dion's biggest handicap is probably his lacklustre English, but I'm sure he'll be working on that.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:58 PM
Thursday, April 06, 2006
The stars at night, were shining bright ...
Source: Stronach will not run
According to an unimpeachable source, Belinda Stronach will be shortly announcing that she won't run for leader of the Liberal Party.
UPDATE, 4:15 pm: I just watched Belinda's press conference (God bless CTV News online.) What an unbelievable performance. She basically blames her non-candidacy on the party's leadership selection process:
"In order to really restore trust in politicians, every day citizens need to feel that they are involved directly and have a say. That includes members of the Liberal Party," said Stronach. "And I would rather see a Liberal Party with millions of members where each and every individual has a direct vote."
(Translation: "I almost bought the Conservative leadership with such a system, but unfortunately, I can't do that this time." She obviously had little on-the-ground support.)
UPDATE II: You all must click on that CTV link to watch Bob Fifes comments. According to his sources, Stronach is telling people privately that the reasons for dropping out are her French and that she thinks the Liberals are going to be "slaughtered" in the next election. Fife says the stuff about wanting to "contribute ideas" is nonsense. "In the time she's been in parliament, I haven't seen Belinda Stronach present one new idea" said Fife. (!!!!!!!)
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 10:37 AM
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
The Masters
Tomorrow is the first round of the Masters, my favourite golf tournament. One of the best ways to keep up on things is probably through Bob Weeks' blog. Bob is a good golf writer and will keep you up-to-date on what's going on with the Canadians down there. I wouldn't be surprised to Stephen Ames up there coming down the stretch Sunday, although Phil Mickleson was looking unbeatable last week.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 8:27 AM
Monday, April 03, 2006
A new party for Alberta?
In today's National Post, Ezra Levant posits an interesting new theory:
Manning could pursue the Tory leadership. But there is another scenario that is even more intriguing: Manning starting a new party, from scratch, and running not to replace Klein alone, but the entire rotting Tory carcass, 35 years in power. Think about it: Why should Manning seek the Tory leadership? To preside over a tired, ideologically leftist caucus that would resent him as an interloper? To have to defend an arrogant party whose entitlement mentality surpasses even that of the federal Liberals? Why not do what Albertans love to do -- and what Manning himself talked about in 2004 -- start a new party? Manning's already done that twice, and Albertans supported him both times.
I know the math shows that Alberta is due for a new party to replace the PCs. Social Credit displaced the United Farmers in the 1930s, and the PCs replaced the Socreds in 1971 (every 30 years or so, a new hegemonic party comes along.) Could Manning really be thinking about it? We'll soon see.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 10:38 AM
Mike and Mao
Rapist and boxer Mike Tyson, on a visit to Shanghai to promote a nightclub:
Former world champion heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson has spoken of feeling humbled during a visit to the mausoleum of Mao Zedong in Beijing.
"I felt really insignificant next to Chairman Mao's remains," he was quoted by a Chinese daily as saying.
Oh dear.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:52 AM
Saturday, April 01, 2006
About Ralph Klein
Two weeks ago, I wrote here that Ralph Klein's announcement that he would retire in October 2007 was done "to avert a potentially disastrous leadership review vote" at this weekend's convention. Obviously, even that was not good enough. About 45% of the Alberta Tory grassroots felt the same way I did: that Klein had been in power for too long, and worse, that he had been basically running a rudderless and visionless government for years now.
I spoke this week to a friend who was going to the convention. He thought it was unlikely that Klein would get less than 70%. I told him that it may appear that way, but after attending the Parti Québécois convention last summer when Bernard Landry was dumped, I had learned that public expressions of support mean nothing. No one knows what a person is going to do when they step inside that voting booth. (If everyone who was wearing a pro-Landry button had voted against a leadership review, he would still be leader today.)
This is a truly sad and embarassing ending to a political career, which, if not for this bout of hubris, would have gone down as one of Canada's best, at least from an electoral perspective. Four straight majority governments is a record anyone would die for.
But because Klein and his people coveted the Premier's job so much, and because they grew so out-of-touch with the will of the members of their own party, they have paid the ultimate price.
The leadership race should be interesting, what with talk of Preston Manning entering the fray.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 6:04 PM
Review of Crunchy Cons
Michael Ignatieff, who's resided in Canada for all of 3 months ...
Michael Ignatieff's big policy speech from Thursday in Ottawa was actually pretty good (for a Liberal.) But this struck me as unadulterated BS:
"I respect American institutions but I don't want to live in a country where 40 million citizens don't have health care," he said to strong applause during a question-and-answer session with his audience. And he said he didn't like being part of an American society with capital punishment and where "a woman's right to choose is still a battleground" and same-sex marriage is not protected by law.
Ummm, he was happy to live in that country with those problems and those laws for 30-odd years.
UPDATE: I made an error here (see comments). Ignatieff spent some of the last 30 years living in the U.K., not just the U.S.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:03 PM
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