Well, after nearly a decade here at the ol' Blogware stand, I'm moving over to a WordPress site on the Canoe servers. Canoe is the umbrella brand for our Sun Media/QMI content and one of Canada's oldest media portals.

All the content here -- including your comments -- has ...   more »

A reminder: This blog is moving to http://blogs.canoe.ca/davidakin . Up now at that site is a new post that asks for your vote on a motion that MPs voted on in the House of Commons earlier this week on climate change, jobs, energy, Kyoto, Durban and so on. So head ...   more »

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says, in the materials distributed to the press earlier today that the deals “represent the most significant step forward in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the North American Free Trade Agreement.”

Maybe.

But right now the two deals are more aspirational than actual in nature. They commit each country to establish a whole host of studies, working groups and commitees each one with objectives and each – admirably – with deadlines to achieve some results.

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Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan today said that the "third party manager" appointed to manage the affairs of Attawapiskat is Jacques Marion from BDO Canada LLP. Duncan's office also issued the following "fact sheet" on the issue:

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Last night's CBC and CTV national newscasts both led with news of two Mounties getting shot (they'll both recover) but coverage of the NDP debate was the second item. The NDP was second on Global National's newscast, too. Global had led with news of the Russian election. I should note that Sunday's network TV newscasts tend to get the highest ratings of any day in the week. (Don't ask me why).

This morning, I see coverage of the NDP debate on the front pages of The Toronto Star, the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, the Kamloops Daily News and possibly others I haven't yet seen today . It was the lead item on CBC Radio's World Report.

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What are the most common occupations of all of those who have sought election to the House of Commons since Confederation? Answer: Lawyer. (you could probably guess that one.) But what's second? Or third? Wonder no longer! Here's the list of the most popular occupations, as reported by the 36,000 candidates who have stood for office in all the general and byelections we have had. (this data set does not include the 41st general election held on May 2, 2011). I note that "Journalist" makes the top 10 while "Housewife" is number 21.   more »

... a group of NDP MPs has been quietly signalling that a New Democratic federal government would almost certainly give new marching orders to the Bank of Canada by asking it to make jobs and wage growth the key objectives of monetary policy rather than the bank’s current obsession, keeping inflation pegged at around 2% a year.

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"Imprisonment should be rarely used also for other victimless crimes, for crimes that do not greatly harm victims, and for crimes where victims can be adequately compensated by fines and other monetary punishments. In these cases, punishment should consist of fines, probation, and other ways that do not require imprisonment. Eliminating imprisonment for drugs and other victimless crimes,and for many other crimes would cut greatly the US’ bloated prison population,reduce the spending on prisoners, and cut down the depreciation of the market skills of offenders who did not commit serious crimes."

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The first NDP leaders debate is tomorrow. Below is a call to action from the Paul Dewar team to fight for their guy on social media. We've seen political operatives take to Twitter, Facebook and other social media in the federal election leaders debate last May and in debates during ...   more »

This guy, Zebulon Lash, a Liberal who was one of the leaders of the "Toronto 18", that signed the manifestor denouncing the "recipprocity" or free trade agreement that was being pushed by Liberal leader and prime minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.  The opposition of Lash and others killed Laurier's chances ...   more »