2024-02-05 19:56
Ryan Meili offers an important values-based critique of the Sask Party's "do more harm" policy on addictions treatment. But it's worth taking a closer look at who stands to benefit from the… Read More
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No struggle for what you believe in is ever futile.
2023-11-25 02:27
Grace - Not Over Yet Read More
2023-07-22 02:25
Gone trippin'. Back to this space on my return Read More
2022-12-26 19:20
After using Twitter as my main political social media outlet for years, I've joined the many in the process of shifting to Mastodon. You'll find a link to my account in the right sidebar - a… Read More
2022-11-09 02:06
Attentive cats Read More
2022-10-19 18:16
Today looks to be a watershed moment for the future of the B.C. NDP, as its provincial council determines whether to follow a recommendation to disqualify Anjali Appadurai from its leadershi… Read More
2022-09-30 18:13
Some material for learning and reflection on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action can be found here, And Peter Zimonjic r… Read More
2022-08-22 19:07
Shorter Jason Kenney:For all my Ottawa-bashing bluster, even I have to admit it's asinine to pretend provincial laws can nullify the existence of federal powers. Shorter Scott Moe:The f… Read More
2022-07-30 02:40
Laundered cats Read More
2022-06-18 21:06
The final official debate of the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership campaign was the first I had the opportunity to see, and I'd hoped that it would result in some meaningful and constructive con… Read More
2022-06-06 17:17
On paper, Carla Beck's track record covers nearly every group the NDP should be looking to attract into its fold. She's a well-respected veteran member of the Legislature, with prior experie… Read More
2022-06-06 17:16
The flip side of Carla Beck's position as the ultra-establishment candidate - backed by most of the NDP's existing organizational structure, and using that position to play to those with the… Read More
2022-05-16 16:42
Ontario's ongoing provincial election is presenting some interesting echoes from previous campaigns - particularly the 2015 federal election which similarly involved a seemingly vulnerable C… Read More
2022-05-06 16:08
I'll be posting more about the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership race in the days to come, including putting together candidate profiles and updating my campaign reference page.For those interes… Read More
2022-04-29 17:08
So far, the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership campaign has been awfully quiet. And with a membership deadline looming for anybody who wants to be able to vote in the leadership election, ti… Read More
2022-04-25 18:38
While there's been some attention paid to Environics' polling on provincial identity politics, little of it seems to have noted just how little public interest there is in a highly concerted… Read More
2022-04-20 20:54
There's been plenty of attention - and indeed enthusiasm - in response to the Saskatchewan Liberals' petition seeking a plebiscite on a COVID inquiry. So let's take a look at what might be a… Read More
2022-04-16 21:12
A one-stop source for general information about the 2022 Saskatchewan NDP leadership campaign.General InformationSaskatchewan NDP Constitution Saskatchewan NDP MembershipCandidate Infor… Read More
2022-04-15 20:25
While there have been some aspects of the Saskatchewan NDP's post-election review (PDF) which involved conflicting currents within the party, one of the few possibilities which seems to have… Read More
2022-04-06 20:02
I've previously noted the danger that the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership campaign - however unnecessary it should have been to begin with - might be particularly damaging to the party if it f… Read More
2022-03-26 20:31
It's for the best that the NDP and Libs have been able to come to terms on a supply and confidence agreement which should at least provide for substantial material gains for people who need… Read More
2022-03-12 21:10
I've posted previously about the loss for party and province that is Ryan Meili's resignation from the leadership of Saskatchewan's NDP. And as I'll discuss in this and posts to come, that f… Read More
2022-02-19 22:08
Not surprisingly, Ryan Meili's announcement that he'll be stepping down as leader of Saskatchewan's NDP comes as a major disappointment. To be clear, the decision is understandable both from… Read More
2022-01-12 03:44
One of the most striking recent developments in Saskatchewan's COVID response has been the disconnect between Scott Moe's government telling people not to get PCR tests due to their utter fa… Read More
2022-01-03 19:42
The past few days have seen the emergence of an effort to build up self-reporting capacity to fill in where provincial governments are choosing to be wilfully blind to COVID caseloads - as w… Read More
2022-01-01 03:54
One more tune to end 2021 - wishing all the best to readers in the new year.Counting Crows - A Long December Read More
2021-12-21 18:02
Richard Raycraft reports on the absurdity that the Libs' latest excuse for a pandemic support (the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit) is available to precisely zero Canadians even as the Omicro… Read More
2021-12-17 21:18
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the running joke in Saskatchewan politics was that whatever NDP leader Ryan Meili pushed for, Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party government could be counte… Read More
2021-11-29 21:18
From the standpoint of any reasonable observer, there's reason for outrage that Saskatchewan is one of the provinces pushing to undermine federal standards for water pollution from coal mine… Read More
2021-11-20 03:40
I appeared on CTV's News at 5 with Matt Young today, around 24:00 in this show. And of course, there were a few points I didn't make in the process, most notably this: pathetic though i… Read More
2021-11-10 14:09
Here we go again. And somehow, the latest round of hysteria includes the Cons learning nothing from the failure of their attacks on coalitions or other forms of inter-party cooperation in th… Read More
2021-09-30 16:04
A few links and reports for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.- Rose Lemay writes that reconciliation requires systemic change at the level of individual assumptions and awarenes… Read More
2021-09-29 16:59
One of the signature messages of Ryan Meili's work in activism and politics has been the concept of upstream thinking - described in extremely brief form here:To imagine a different approach… Read More
2021-09-23 18:49
Plenty of commentators have pointed out the symmetry between this year's election and that of 2008 in terms of low voter turnout and general dissatisfaction with the outcome on the part of a… Read More
2021-09-20 20:23
News and notes as Canada's federal election draws to a close.- David Moscrop discusses how a campaign nobody wanted is leaning toward grudging continuation of the status quo which the Libs t… Read More
2021-09-16 15:27
There have been a couple of indications as to how Alberta's refusal to take basic health precautions in the face of COVID's fourth wave (and in all likelihood Saskatchewan's as well) can be… Read More
2021-09-12 21:50
At this stage of the federal election campaign, the seemingly wide range of outcomes is entirely an artifice of a first-part-the-post system with multiple parties contending for seats. Barri… Read More
2021-09-12 21:04
Martin Lukacs worked for years documenting and explaining the Libs' concealed raison d'etre...Whenever discontent builds up, the Liberals have always been there to safely channel it, like a… Read More
2021-09-08 15:53
The past few Canadian election cycles have seen plenty of discussion of the realities of tax-free savings accounts. And for the most part, their critics have been proven right: a scheme pitc… Read More
2021-08-21 21:37
Links, notes and comments up to and including the first week of Canada's federal election.- Shannon Proudfoot reports on Innovative Research's polling into how voters perceive the federal pa… Read More
2021-08-19 17:34
There's been some discussion about parts of Canada's federal election campaign which are surfacing somewhat earlier than usual - ranging from party platforms (with the notable exception of t… Read More
2021-08-17 19:37
Since it doesn't seem to have received the attention it deserves, I'll take the opportunity to highlight what may be the most important suggestion of Canada's election campaign so far:Thinki… Read More
2021-08-15 21:10
The Libs' choice of themes to start off a needless federal election campaign is telling mostly in the contast it presents between their self-image, and the obvious realities facing people li… Read More
2021-08-13 20:03
Peter Julian highlights exactly how little the Liberals have done with the promise of Pharmacare in the course of two terms in government before precipitating an election:Undoubtedly the mos… Read More
2021-07-12 19:15
Summer is the time for reruns. And when your local political columnist keeps repeating the same patently false assertions about public opinion in the face of actual evidence, well...How &hell…Read More
2021-07-04 17:29
How actual people (PDF) see the need for continued public health rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19:Do you think governments should lift all restrictions related to COVID-19 right now?… Read More
2021-05-26 15:14
Shorter Murray Mandryk:It's important that we have compassion for everybody's mental health concerns regardless of politics. And by that, I of course mean allowing partisan operatives from o… Read More
2021-04-22 16:11
There's rightly been plenty of pushback against the Cons' sad excuse for a climate change plan. But it's worth highlighting that there's one way in which the principle behind it could accomp… Read More
2021-04-11 17:15
It seems that our former Lib MP is chuffed about the corporatized FCL's takeover of the assets of True North Renewable Fuels. But Regina's citizens may have some questions.After all, it was… Read More
2021-04-10 16:34
Like 2,000+ other members across the country, I've been participating in the NDP's convention over the course of the weekend. And with one day in the books, I'll take note of a few of the di… Read More
2021-03-26 17:57
The comparative cost of different power options in the real world:The world’s best solar power schemes now offer the “cheapest…electricity in history” with the techn… Read More
2021-03-20 20:02
One of the perennial frustrations in following federal politics is the tendency of media coverage to default toward a Lib-Con duopoly. That pattern typically manifests itself when polling da… Read More
2021-03-05 16:29
After nearly a year of a declared pandemic (and several months of inaction before that), far too little has changed in Saskatchewan's political discussion of our response to COVID-19. In par… Read More
2021-02-22 15:42
There's been a spate of recent stories about the change in butter quality arising out of the use of palm oil as feed for cattle - with attention being paid both to the effect on product qual… Read More
2021-02-12 15:29
Shorter Murray Mandryk:Who can really say whether we should want to have more or less spread of a deadly disease? What we should focus on is compromising on a moderately disastrous pandemic… Read More
2021-01-24 21:25
Shorter Scott Moe on threats against Dr. Saqib Shahab:I have no idea how these idiots got the idea that policy disagreement entitles you to engage in violent rhetoric and personal harassment… Read More
2021-01-17 21:49
Martin Olzynski's submission this week has called plenty of attention to the Kenney UCP's funding of climate denialism through an inquiry attacking environmentalism. But let's note that the… Read More
2021-01-11 19:34
It's bad enough that Saskatchewan is governed by a party whose foundational principle is that a wealthy person' vacation home is more important that your life. But it certainly takes a step… Read More
2020-12-17 18:13
The combination of Paul Merriman's appalling use of poll numbers as a measure of COVID success - followed by Scott Moe's feckless response - has rightly been the subject of plenty of critici… Read More
2020-12-15 02:35
Chris Selley's thread trying to justify a fully effective anti-COVID strategy does manage to make an extremely strong statement. But it's not the one he means to - and it speaks volumes abou… Read More
2020-12-02 15:33
In case there was any doubt that COVID testing serves as the ultimate microcosm of the Saskatchewan Party's mismanagement of health care, we've seen the endgame released today.Remember that… Read More
2020-11-26 15:54
Jennie Russell and Charles Rusnell's bombshell report offers an alarming - if perhaps not surprising - look at how Jason Kenney's UCP has refused to do anything more than the bare minimum to… Read More
2020-11-25 17:42
While we'll find out this afternoon what (if anything) the Moe Saskatchewan Party will do in terms of action against COVID-19, Jason Warick's report on its consultation process doesn't offer… Read More
2020-11-25 15:52
There's been plenty of attention paid to the Saskatchewan Health Authority's list of the sites of known community spread of COVID-19, including questions as to both the categories used and t… Read More
2020-11-21 17:41
Evan Radford's report on the insufficient public response to soaring COVID-19 case loads in rural Saskatchewan surely reflects the polling (PDF) showing a higher proportion of social irrespo… Read More
2020-11-15 22:45
There has been plenty of commentary and analysis about the results of Saskatchewan's provincial election - including some discussion on the theme of an overly risk-averse NDP campaign. But I… Read More
2020-11-12 15:41
Scott Gilmore rightly points out the need for a far more clear national response to COVID-19. But I'd think we can expand on the point with reference to a couple of other familiar jurisdicti… Read More
2020-11-10 15:51
Just where could Scott Moe have picked up the idea that a glaring lack of judgment, flagrant disregard for the law and reckless endangerment of the public are somehow acceptable characterist… Read More
2020-11-10 15:01
Hey look, some positive election results! Congratulations to everybody who ran in Regina's municipal elections (and in those around the province) - and particularly the progressive electees… Read More
2020-11-07 21:20
Having previously posted on voters' options, I'll offer one more roundup of the latest on Regina's municipal elections (for those who haven't joined the crowds voting early). - The lead… Read More
2020-11-06 17:23
In the wake of this week's U.S. elections - featuring a closer-than-expected contest for the presidency, and down-ballot results which look to disappointingly leave substantial power in Repu… Read More
2020-11-05 15:18
It's long appeared likely that while Scott Moe has tried to claim sympathy based on the lasting effects of having caused a deadly vehicle crash, the main lasting impact was an all-too-justif… Read More
2020-11-03 20:01
Following up on yesterday's posts (and with advance polls still open in Regina's municipal election), I'll close with a quick comment on the public school board elections.Under most circumst… Read More
2020-11-02 17:39
Following up on this post about Regina's city council elections, the range of possible outcomes in the race for mayor looks far more limited.Once again, Jim Elliott is on the ballot as the c… Read More
2020-11-02 17:09
The advance polls are now open in Regina's municipal election, while mail-in ballots have been available for some time. So I'll take the opportunity to discuss voters' options - beginning wi… Read More
2020-10-31 21:08
Other commentators have taken note of Erin O'Toole's attempt to co-opt the language of labour unions in an effort to portray himself as less hostile than his predecessors.There's certainly r… Read More
2020-10-28 21:26
I haven't paid a lot of attention yet to Saskatchewan's municipal elections, due primarily to the reality that anything which happens at that level can be undone by a provincial governments… Read More
2020-10-27 15:35
There are still plenty of important results to be finalized in Saskatchewan's election campaign, and I'll have more to say about specific aspects of the campaign generally. But for starters… Read More
2020-10-26 03:42
The latest from Saskatchewan's provincial election campaign as election day approaches tomorrow.- A new poll shows the race tightening significantly, including with the NDP holding a signifi… Read More
2020-10-24 17:33
A roundup of news from Saskatchewan's provincial election as the last day of advance polling begins.- Crystal Palmer writes about her observations and experiences losing someone close… Read More
2020-10-22 16:40
It remains clear that the victim of Scott Moe's careless driving isn't about to give up on finding out what happened - even if the local media continues to operate under Moe's orders not to… Read More
2020-10-22 15:30
Over 40,000 voters went to the polls in the first day of advance voting. But particularly for the many people who haven't yet cast a ballot, here's the latest from Saskatchewan's election ca… Read More
2020-10-21 15:54
The news that Jason Kenney's UCP has approved a resolution demanding privatized health care - coupled with Kenney's refusal to reject the concept - has been rightly recognized as a dangerous… Read More
2020-10-20 16:40
It shouldn't be news that far too many Saskatchewanians are facing precarious financial situations. But the latest report showing a majority of people on the brink of insolvency is worth con… Read More
2020-10-20 15:32
I've previously noted how the Saskatchewan Party's platform diverts money to the people who need it least. But it's worth taking a closer look to see exactly how little Scott Moe is willing… Read More
2020-10-19 16:10
I've previously made note of the problems with media coverage of Saskatchewan's provincial election, including its consistently echoing and amplifying false Saskatchewan Party talking points… Read More
2020-10-19 15:53
When Scott Moe first heard about the coronavirus, he smelled opportunity. And that can take many forms.No, Moe didn't call the spring election that he initially planned. But he did take the… Read More
2020-10-18 22:03
I've previously made my pitch as to why progressive people across Canada should pitch in to help support the Saskatchewan NDP's cause in this month's provincial election. But I'll highlight… Read More
2020-10-18 16:36
As noted a couple of days back, let's take a look at how Saskatchewan's provincial election is being covered by local media - and how people responsible for holding the government to account… Read More
2020-10-18 15:54
The latest from Saskatchewan's provincial election campaign.- PressProgress traces nearly half of the Saskatchewan Party's donations (which are of course the driving force behind its nonstop… Read More
2020-10-17 17:19
I haven't spent much time discussing the smaller parties in Saskatchewan's provincial election, and I don't see much basis to think any of them will be in serious competition to win any seat… Read More
2020-10-16 21:44
It's certainly been interesting to see Saskatchewan's local corporate media go out of its way to trample coverage of the leadership debate with a poll which was outdated from the moment it w… Read More
2020-10-16 15:22
The latest news and notes from Saskatchewan's 2020 election campaign.- Nicholas Frew reports that a majority of Saskatchewan's voters are willing to fund a reduction in class sizes. An… Read More
2020-10-15 15:17
For those who weren't able to watch Saskatchewan's leadership debate last night, it's well worth a look:Many viewers seem to have been surprised by Ryan Meili's effectiveness. And he c… Read More
2020-10-14 16:07
Saskatchewan's election day is rapidly approaching (and indeed voting is already underway). And with plenty of content being generated, I'll plan to offer some link posts dedicated to news o… Read More
2020-10-14 15:43
Tonight's Saskatchewan leadership debate will include plenty of back-and-forth as to whether we should vote for a better government, or settle for staying the course. And in answering that q… Read More
2020-10-13 15:44
Taking another look at the respective platforms of the Saskatchewan NDP and Saskatchewan Party, it's striking to see how little of the policy content - as compared to the surrounding wording… Read More
2020-10-12 22:08
Both the Saskatchewan NDP and Saskatchewan Party have released their election platforms. And for all of the electioneering around what might be anticipated outside of those, we can already t… Read More
2020-10-12 04:25
The science of COVID-19 (italics in original, underlining added):Are pre-symptomatic carriers more contagious before or after they get symptoms? "People tend to be the most contagious before… Read More
2020-10-11 17:36
Much of the pushback against any discussion of Scott Moe's patterns of drinking and driving, vehicle accidents and general refusal to own up to anything of the sort boils down to two themes… Read More
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