In politics, we have learned to expect surprises. We’ve seen a one-time NDP Premier of Ontario become the leader of the federal Liberals (oops! just before they tanked...) We’ve seen a big-name female MP recruited by the Liberals (oops again!) to shift the balance of power and we’ve seen a big-business lumberman elected as a Liberal, only to sit—days after the election—as a Conservative cabinet minister. But when have we seen a sitting Prime Minister in a majority government use the power…

Politicians are often pilloried for making promises they don’t keep (or don’t even intend to keep). Occasionally they promise—or threaten—something and actually carry it out. But some trends are so predictable as to tempt citizens to incurable cynicism. 

In the 2008 Canadian federal election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty assured Canadians that they did not see a deficit coming. What Stephen Harper actually said on Oct. 14, 2008 (Voting…

As I write this, floodwaters are moving from Calgary towards Medicine Hat through the Bow and South Saskatchewan rivers. The devastation in Calgary, Canmore, High River and other Alberta communities, including loss of life, has been shocking. As Alberta reels under the impact and concerned Canadians send gifts to help residents deal with the massive infrastructure problems that follow such an event, all of us ponder how such bizarre conditions could so suddenly overwhelm a province which,…

Reprinted with permission from ChristianGovernance.com

We are two years and a few months out from the next general election. A much-talked-about summertime shuffle of Mr. Harper’s cabinet occupied some print space for a couple of days and has thrown a few simple shadows on the wall. The public broadcaster (CBC) noted some younger faces, more women…

As the royal couple enjoy / endure a chaotic tour of Canada from coast to coast, from the pomp and spires of Parliament to the burnt-out shell of Slave Lake, one can't help being a little intrigued by the near-universal acclaim and adoration they continue to receive, even in a day and an age when Canadians in particular and world citizens in general have abandoned respect for so many of the institutions of civilized society.

With every schoolgirl a blogging journalist and every schoolboy…

Casino Canada is open! As MPs take a break from the drudgery of rancorous partisan debates and otherwise serving their constituents in numerous selfless ways to the much more exciting task of trying to hold onto their seats, their leaders are busy enlarging their carbon footprints and raising the stakes in a media/entertainment docudrama about so-called "democracy".

Jet stops, photo-ops and hip-hops. Spending meaningful time in numerous small towns. Watching the polls.…

Tell me it isn't true. Tell me I'm dreaming. Tell me you'll wake me up when it's over. But don't tell me that Vancouver Coastal Health is actually going to give away crack pipes. $50,000 worth of crack pipes. $50,000 of taxpayers' money that could be used to fight crime, subsidize housing or pay for training courses for the disoriented.

I admit in some ways I'm old-fashioned. I admit that the New Math (like so many other failed social experiments…