Archive for the ‘Byline’ Category

For the past week I’ve been talking a lot about the economy.

Covering the Republican convention last week and the Democratic convention this week I’ve talked about how the economy is THE issue, the big issue.

In our coverage of the Quebec election I talked about how the economy was the issue that Quebec’s leaders avoided despite that province lagging when it should be leading.

For conservative minded people it is almost always about the economy. Some parts of the conservative movement want it only to be about the economy and when election time comes they want people like me to shut up about all the cultural issues. Read more…

Last week I told you about the discriminatory hiring practices at the federal government level. Shockingly, two years after it was exposed that the feds were stopping people from even applying for certain jobs based on their race and their sex, it’s still happening.

The feds have promised change in this and every few months when I raise the subject they get all excited, promise change and then do nothing. Now we’ve proven that they have a recommendation to change the law and stop this from one of their top bureaucrats.

Will they act? I’m not sure. On Friday I told you that it was up to you to make it happen, up to you to write and call your MP and the prime minister to tell them that you don’t think race or sex should be used to discriminate. I’ve heard from some MPs that they back this and are pushing for it. We need more of them to act but they need to know that you are on their side. Read more…

Today is freedom day. At least in Canada.

In the United States they are lamenting a government intrusion into religious freedom as the Obama healthcare mandate forces religious groups to act against their faith.

In the US they are losing freedom but today here in Canada freedom is expanding.

Western grain farmers are today getting the chance to walk away from the Wheat Board and sell the product they grow on their land to who they want.

Late Liberal Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier said that “Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.”

For a long time that wasn’t true. Everywhere there were attempts to expand government control and those attempts are still there but they are not winning at every turn as they once did and the forces calling for greater government control of your life have lost some key battles.

Whether you farm or not, ending the Wheat Board monopoly is a major gain for freedom. Read more…

Last week I escaped or tried to escape Canadian political news by flying off to sunny Las Vegas. When I was checking in I was asked which newspaper I wanted at my door each morning: The New York Times, LA Times or Wall Street Journal. I took the Wall Street Journal and that is why I was unable to escape Canadian political news.

Several times Canada ended up on the front page of the journal and for political as well as business reasons. Research in Motion landed in the prime spot but mostly all the chatter was about the attempted takeover of Nexen, an oil and gas company based in Calgary, by CNOOC, a Chinese firm.

Nexen has oil assets in Alberta, the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, so despite what Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says, this deal will not be decided just in Ottawa. The Americans or the Brits could decide to block the transfer of their natural resource assets to CNOOC and I think they should, with good reason. Just as I think Canada should and with good reason. Read more…

Did you hear about the “controversy” caused by the Calgary Stampede using an English only version of O Canada?

Oh it is causing a furore among the chattering classes.

“Giving in to the redneck fringe. Dropping French in anthem at Calgary Stampede.”

Said Montreal Gazette columnist Peggy Curran on Twitter.

Thatta girl Peggy go for the stereotype and respond to an imaginary slight by calling your fellow countrymen rednecks.

What an elitist snob.

Read more…