2018-01-21 21:49
When Trent Wotherspoon first announced that he was considering pursuing the Saskatchewan NDP's permanent leadership, I pointed out some of my concerns about how his previous tenure as interi… Read More
Blog Directory > Politics Blogs > Government Blogs > Accidental Deliberations government Blog >
Accidental Deliberations Blog
accidentaldeliberations.blogspot.com
No struggle for what you believe in is ever futile.
2018-01-19 02:16
I'll offer one last reminder that tomorrow at 5 PM is the membership deadline for the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership race. Sure, the Saskatchewan Party will soon be deciding on a new hood orn… Read More
2018-01-07 22:51
Following up on my earlier post and column, let's start taking a look at some of the more distinctive policy proposals on offer between Saskatchewan's NDP leadership candidates. Probably the… Read More
2017-12-18 02:22
With both Ryan Meili and Trent Wotherspoon having run leadership campaigns before, both could be expected to have plenty to offer by way of policy. And that’s proven true - though not… Read More
2017-11-25 17:39
Cover-ups!Scandals! Sexual harassment!Tax evasion! Employment standards violations! Deliberate dishonesty!And all in the service of a business model built on becoming too big to ban while op… Read More
2017-11-18 21:55
The latest from the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership campaign - though it's noteworthy at the outset how little of the activity in the race is taking place in the public eye. (One key exception… Read More
2017-11-11 23:26
It would be nice to be able to share Michael Geist's view that the latest TPP by another name represents a substantial improvement over the original. But to my mind, the real story of the CP… Read More
2017-10-28 20:44
With the first candidates' debate taking place at the Saskatchewan NDP's provincial convention, I'll take the opportunity to do a bit of liveblogging. Again, you can find my reference page f… Read More
2017-10-15 16:17
Following up on my candidate profiles for the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership campaign, I'll point out one obvious change in dynamics since 2013 - starting with this observation from the previ… Read More
2017-10-14 22:36
As with Ryan Meili, I'll start my look at Trent Wotherspoon's new run for the Saskatchewan NDP leadership by pointing back to his previous candidate profile and campaign review. And despit… Read More
2017-10-14 22:35
As I've noted before, Saskatchewan's NDP leadership campaign will involve some very familiar candidates. And so my starting point in analyzing the race will be to review the previous lead… Read More
2017-10-08 22:35
A one-stop source for general links on the 2018 Saskatchewan NDP leadership campaign, to be updated as the race progresses. Please feel free to add additional suggestions in comments. (And… Read More
2017-10-02 14:28
Needless to say, there will be plenty more to discuss about the Wall government has exposed residents of Saskatchewan's oil patch to avoidable (and sometimes fatal) hazards in order to avoid… Read More
2017-09-20 17:10
In the wake of the NDP's leadership campaign, it seems the Libs have responded by finding somebody to distill their very essence even more thoroughly than Justin Trudeau. At least, if we can… Read More
2017-09-17 22:11
Despite the federal NDP's candidate showcase there hasn't been much change since last week's rankings - and so I won't update those for this week. Rather than ranking the candidates based on… Read More
2017-09-10 22:05
No, there isn't any change in this week's rankings compare to last week's positioning. But I'll post nonetheless to discuss how the candidates performed in today's debate, and how that looks… Read More
2017-09-05 02:08
Following up on this post, let's take a look at Tom Parkin's other recent post which offers plenty of food for thought. Parkin's view broadly matches Guy Caron's position on Quebec's treatme… Read More
2017-09-03 16:30
The major development since last week has of course been the release of the NDP's national membership numbers. And as would have been expected, they lead to a change at the top - though it's… Read More
2017-09-03 00:55
David Ricci's Politics Without Stories was released in the midst of an election campaign which upended many assumptions about U.S. politics. But it nonetheless offers a plausible explanation… Read More
2017-09-01 20:29
As the NDP's federal leadership race approaches its conclusion, Tom Parkin has been doing some noteworthy writing on some of the issues which voters may want to keep in mind. And I'll start… Read More
2017-08-31 21:29
Having once expressed my concern that Jagmeet Singh would use his front-runner status as a means to avoid releasing much policy, I'll again note that he's instead offered up a detailed and t… Read More
2017-08-31 21:24
If Niki Ashton stands out in having received relatively little attention for her policy development, Guy Caron looks to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.Having justifiably portrayed hi… Read More
2017-08-31 21:22
While most discussion around the NDP's leadership campaign has revolved around the ebb and flow of news cycles, it's always worth a closer look as to what the candidates see as worth highlig… Read More
2017-08-31 21:22
As I've noted previously, Niki Ashton's debate strategy doesn't often seem to involve discussing policy at length. And that's a shame, because she's done more than any other candidate to rai… Read More
2017-08-27 22:28
We'll have to wait until next week to learn about the final membership count for the federal NDP's leadership campaign. But today's Montreal debate and other developments result in one shift… Read More
2017-08-20 23:09
Thus far in my posts about the federal NDP leadership campaign, I haven't said much about my own preferences as between the candidates. And there's a reason why I haven't been pushing for an… Read More
2017-08-13 16:30
As I noted here, there have been a number of key developments in the NDP's leadership campaign since last week's rankings. And two in particular have changed my impression as to the relative… Read More
2017-08-12 21:03
A couple of weeks back, I examined the role of endorsements in the federal NDP's leadership race. Now, I'll take a quick look at where the current fund-raising numbers and distribution stand… Read More
2017-08-06 22:04
I've thus far held off on doing candidate rankings for the federal NDP leadership campaign - and may not end up updating them weekly as I have in past campaigns. But for now, let's put toget… Read More
2017-07-30 17:06
In previous leadership links posts, I've highlighted a few endorsements which have struck me as particularly significant. That said, I haven't tried to compile anything approaching a compreh… Read More
2017-07-22 22:14
Don MacPherson has joined the many commentators whose main take on the federal NDP's leadership race is to zero in on how Quebec voters might react to Jagmeet Singh's Sikh background and hea… Read More
2017-07-15 17:56
I've previously pointed out that there might be much less than met the eye to Brightenview's much-trumpeted "ground-breaking" at the Global Transportation Hub. But while there's now some dis… Read More
2017-07-06 22:58
Last time fund-raising numbers were released from the federal NDP's leadership campaign, I noted the possible significance of Peter Julian's relative lack of donations. And the problem looke… Read More
2017-06-19 23:36
As British Columbia's MLAs decide how to respond to the Clark Libs' latest attempt to avoid the results of an election which plainly showed that voters wanted change, let's offer this remind… Read More
2017-06-18 22:34
I haven't yet posted on Trent Wotherspoon's announcement that he's stepping down as the Saskatchewan NDP's interim leader to consider joining the permanent leadership race. But I'll take a m… Read More
2017-06-11 16:13
In the federal NDP's previous leadership campaign, Tom Mulcair managed to release numerous policy proposals without offering any hint of what he'd do as leader.Starting from the (correct) as… Read More
2017-06-10 22:57
Brad Wall's definition of shared sacrifice:Public service workers are expected to do their jobs plus more to cover for a hiring freeze, while also getting hit with a 3.5% pay cut.At the same… Read More
2017-06-03 21:47
It's certainly disappointing that Pat Stogran has chosen to drop out of the NDP's leadership race - particularly by leaving taking shots at the party which made sure he had a place on its st… Read More
2017-05-28 16:30
While there will be plenty more to discuss about how the Conservatives' choice of Andrew Scheer as their new leader, I'll offer a few preliminary thoughts now - starting with a warning about… Read More
2017-05-25 13:43
While my Leader-Post column won't be running this week, I'll take the opportunity to offer some context and an update on Geoff Leo's must-read report on Brightenview's founders who have beco… Read More
2017-05-22 20:59
I'll plan to add more to Ibrahim Bruno El-Khoury's profile later on if he adds more public-facing content to his campaign. For now, though, I'll put forward at least a placeholder profile ba… Read More
2017-05-22 19:58
As I noted here, Jagmeet Singh's entry into the federal NDP's leadership race has attracted an enviable amount of notice from the media. But the combination of a relatively late start to his… Read More
2017-04-14 21:19
Scott Sinclair offers a useful summary of the latest sop to the anti-regulation lobby in the form of the new Canadian Free Trade Agreement (PDF). And as usual, there's a fundamental problem… Read More
2017-04-08 18:08
Following up on in the Saskatchewan Party's budget plan to benefit the rich with tax cuts (with the explicit aim of making corporate taxes lower than any other province) while soaking everyb… Read More
2017-04-07 15:29
It was bad enough when the Saskatchewan Party declared its intention to put as many barriers as possible in the way of access to social services, particularly by making excuses about whether… Read More
2017-04-04 15:02
Let's add a couple more points to Brad Wall's attempt to hand out freebies to corporations in which he owns shares while the rest of Saskatchewan faces grinding austerity.First, the Saskatch… Read More
2017-04-02 17:42
Last night, I responded on Twitter to David Akin's Lib-fueled attack on citizen engagement in the Ottawa-Vanier by-election:Ummm, about that "anti-Liberal group" #lpc decided to whine about… Read More
2017-04-01 17:44
So much for the theory that Brad Wall's handouts to the oil sector would merely help his donors. Instead, the Saskatchewan Party's plan to pay off oil barons would also serve to enrich Wall… Read More
2017-03-30 04:06
So much for any talk of economic diversification, shared sacrifice or responsible budgeting - the Saskatchewan Party is on another corporate giveaway binge, and no amount of public money is… Read More
2017-03-28 15:06
A one-stop source for general links on the 2017 NDP leadership campaign, to be updated as the race progresses. Please feel free to add additional suggestions in comments.General Informatio… Read More
2017-03-27 01:58
The latest putative entrant in the leadership race is Pat Stogran - well-known for challenging the Harper Cons' callous treatment of veterans in his role as veterans' ombudsman. So how does… Read More
2017-03-27 00:38
For Ashton alone among the NDP's leadership candidates, we've been through this exercise before. But for a candidate who stood out for her youth in 2012, it's remarkable how little has chang… Read More
2017-03-27 00:32
So far, media coverage of Guy Caron's NDP leadership campaign has focused largely on one note (that being his basic income proposal). But there's plenty more to his candidacy - and he may we… Read More
2017-03-26 22:27
If Peter Julian's leadership campaign has been surprising in its relatively push toward controversy, Charlie Angus may be defying expectations in the opposite direction - as the punk rocker… Read More
2017-03-26 22:09
I'll start my series of NDP leadership candidate profiles with the first to enter the leadership race - and the one who's likely done the most to shape the campaign so far.I've noted before… Read More
2017-03-20 23:32
This and that from the NDP's leadership campaign.- Among the coverage of the first leadership debate which I hadn't linked before, Karl Nerenberg offers both a ranking and a review. And Yves… Read More
2017-03-19 22:36
I'll be taking a look at the individual candidates in the NDP's leadership race over the next little while. But before I start into that review, I'll pause to discuss the most bizarre develo… Read More
2017-03-13 13:52
One of the most important renewed challenges facing the federal NDP in the wake of its drop to third in Canada's party standings is that of earning positive public attention. And for the can… Read More
2017-02-26 22:32
The consensus list of prospective candidates in this year's federal NDP leadership race seems to be set, with Peter Julian and Charlie Angus having already declared their intention to run, a… Read More
2017-02-18 15:45
Tammy Robert thoroughly documents how Brad Wall's billion-dollar deficit has nothing to do with either resource revenues (being Wall's primary excuse for blowing up the budget), or public se… Read More
2017-02-01 23:19
The Libs have made it official that they're breaking their promise of electoral reform with no reason other than their own blinkered refusal to acknowledge the consensus in support of a more… Read More
2017-01-21 23:44
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Linda McQuaig discusses the hollow promise of "populist" billionaires who ultimately serve only to enrich themselves and their class. And Lana Pay… Read More
2017-01-15 18:56
Yes, there's no doubt that Kevin O'Leary's suggestion of selling off Senate appointments is nothing short of asinine.That's not so much because the idea is inherently unconstitutional, but b… Read More
2017-01-11 04:03
Yes, Justin Trudeau has set up his predictable excuse for breaking his promise of electoral reform by putting a new minister in charge of the file during a crucial period. But let's see what… Read More
2017-01-08 17:30
Gregory Beatty raises some noteworthy possibilities as to how Ryan Meili's entry into the Saskatoon-Meewasin by-election may reverberate in Saskatchewan's broader political scene. But there… Read More
2017-01-05 23:20
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Anis Chowdhury refutes the theory that top-heavy tax cuts have anything to do with economic development:Cross-country research has found no relation… Read More
2016-12-16 14:53
There's plenty of ugly news coming out about the continued problems with Brad Wall's pet carbon capture and storage project - including thoroughly unimpressive output numbers, and payouts to… Read More
2016-12-03 22:06
A bit of electoral reform material for your weekend reading.- Nathan Cullen points out how the Special Committee on Electoral Reform's report (PDF) serves as an effective road map to make ev… Read More
2016-11-25 02:03
And now, time to give credit to the Saskatchewan Party where it's due. Some people are justifiably anticipating that thanks to Donald Trump, self-dealing will be the word of the year to come… Read More
2016-11-22 23:29
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- The Star argues that Canada can't afford to leave tax loopholes wide open for the rich - as the Libs are doing in violation of their campaign promise… Read More
2016-11-17 14:37
Needless to say, it's disappointing that there now doesn't seem to be any prospect of a shift to a more proportional federal electoral system without a referendum. But the NDP's move to buil… Read More
2016-11-09 15:47
How does a new U.S. president focusing on actual protectionism (not "trade barriers" in the form of the incidental effects of governance in the public interest) affect the viability of Brad… Read More
2016-11-09 15:47
How does a new U.S. president focusing on actual protectionism (not "trade barriers" in the form of the incidental effects of governance in the public interest) affect the viability of Brad… Read More
2016-11-09 15:47
How does a new U.S. president focusing on actual protectionism (not "trade barriers" in the form of the incidental effects of governance in the public interest) affect the viability of Brad… Read More
2016-11-09 15:47
How does a new U.S. president focusing on actual protectionism (not "trade barriers" in the form of the incidental effects of governance in the public interest) affect the viability of Brad… Read More
2016-11-09 15:47
How does a new U.S. president focusing on actual protectionism (not "trade barriers" in the form of the incidental effects of governance in the public interest) affect the viability of Brad… Read More
2016-10-31 22:33
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.- Branko Milanovic highlights the futility of pretending that market mechanisms will produce anything other than profit-oriented outcomes - and… Read More
2016-10-30 18:18
The Saskatchewan Party's introduction of new legislation (Bill 40, PDF) to define massive Crown sell-offs as not being "privatization" has received plenty of due attention. But it's worth ta… Read More
2016-10-26 15:20
While I haven't written much about Regina's municipal election (except for the column linked here), I'll point out a few of the resources worth considering before casting ballots today.Again… Read More
2016-10-19 13:41
It wasn't long ago when a series of Canadian federal elections saw Stephen Harper and his Conservatives take more and more power - culminating in over four years of a false majority governme… Read More
2016-10-16 20:27
Shorter Bill Morneau:I take great pride in the fact that other elites are starting to come around to my party's "make a show of dropping at least a few crumbs for the plebes" philosophy Read More
2016-09-28 23:30
Apparently provincial finances have joined monthly job reports as areas where if there's nothing to be spun in the Saskatchewan Party's favour, Brad Wall is making a concerted effort to hide… Read More
2016-09-24 22:45
Memo to those commentators perpetually seeking any available excuse to compare Brad Wall to historical leaders: now would be an ideal time to point out his government's turn toward the Reaga… Read More
2016-09-17 15:21
...he's now serving as Brad Wall's latest excuse for climate obstructionism. We'll see if anyone asks the implied follow-up question: whether Wall is actually hoping for a Trump win on the b… Read More
2016-09-10 16:12
Shorter Murray Mandryk:A poll which shows the NDP picking up support from dissatisfied Saskatchewan Party voters proves my point that the NDP can't possibly pick up support from dissatisfied… Read More
2016-09-09 15:26
Making any move to push out a still-respected interim leader just as he returns to the Parliamentary setting where he does his best work would be foolish. Abandoning a long-term base of vote… Read More
2016-09-03 23:00
Needless to say, #MakeAmericaBrannigan has been one needed source of comic relief within an alarming U.S. election campaign. But I'm not sure that should be the sole opportunity to mine Futu… Read More
2016-09-02 15:12
Following up on yesterday's column, let's take a moment to examine just how foolish the Wall government's insistence on trying to sell off SaskTel is even as a matter of pure dollars and cen… Read More
2016-08-25 02:24
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- David Dayen wonders whether the Obama administration's decision to end the use of private prisons might represent the needed start of a mov… Read More
2016-08-20 15:25
Murray Mandryk is once again far too eager to laud Brad Wall to the skies for doing the bare minimum he could to avoid responsibility for the racist sentiment his party has stoked for politi… Read More
2016-08-10 02:08
Shorter Catherine McKenna on the Libs' response to the National Energy Board misleading the public about its insider dealings with lobbyists on Energy East:Clap sunnier! Clap sunnier! Read More
2016-07-25 01:19
Shorter Brad Wall on what's truly important as an oil spill pollutes drinking water along the North Saskatchewan River:I only hope this monster running amok doesn't make it harder to sell ne… Read More
2016-07-12 23:23
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- David Dayen highlights the treatment of workers as the most fundamental difference between Scandinavian countries which have achieved both prosperity… Read More
2016-06-21 14:58
Yes, "grasping at straws" is the right analysis of the Sask Party's attempt to make excuses to gift SaskTel to the corporate sector. But it's also worth noting something those straws have in… Read More
2016-05-21 14:37
Taking a break for the long weekend and a couple of days beyond. Expect little to no blogging until next week Read More
2016-04-17 23:53
While there's been plenty of ill-informed commentary since the NDP's convention last weekend, I'll take a moment to highlight a few of the followup points which deserve a read.- Joshua Keep… Read More
2016-04-15 17:06
Following up on yesterday's column, I'll expand somewhat on some of the decisions the NDP may want to consider as (or before) it elects new leaders. And since the recent federal convention h… Read More
2016-04-14 20:14
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Corey Hogan makes the case for Rachel Notley's NDP to develop a progressive fix to Alberta's fiscal mess:No matter what you decide to do, you're goi… Read More
2016-04-13 22:01
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- The Ontario Association of Food Banks discusses the long-term damage done by childhood poverty and deprivation:When facing a very tight bud… Read More
2016-04-09 13:49
Choose your drug policy: harm reduction...#CdnPoli #HarmReduction "@VanAlias: #NDP2016 passed this. pic.twitter.com/D6nkKaTAi9"— Susan Gapka (@SusanGapka) April 9, 2016 ...or harm rete… Read More
Subscribe to Accidental Deliberations
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!