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Elections are one of the basic requirements of a democracy worthy of its name. Simply put, democracy is dependent upon free and fair elections. Elections are the essential link between the people and political power: they enable citizens to choose a government and they authorize this government to exercise power. In a democracy, the exercise…
In an introductory course to political science at SFU, I devote an entire class to political ideologies. I begin with the left-right divide, then address liberalism, libertarianism, socialism and communism. The left-right divide is a long-standing schema dating to the French Revolution. Convened in Paris to elaborate a new constitution for the country, political actors…
During an election campaign promises rain down. They come in waves, always with the purpose of feeding the news cycle. No party is immune, each wanting to gain momentum towards polling day. Almost daily, the party leaders, crammed into a room with smiling, agitated supporters, offer a new commitment. Stephen Harper announces a new tax…
The electoral campaign in Ontario is now over. Don’t worry if you weren’t really aware of it – it seems that even those most concerned with the elections, Ontario’s electorate, didn’t pay much attention.
More than ever, the Harper government’s electoral strategy seems quite clear: divide and rule. Conservative followers might not agree with this point of view but the Prime Minister and his acolytes’ actions make it increasingly hard to come to any other conclusion. The most recent example is his public spat with no less than the…
I almost hit the nail on the head in my last column when I predicted a change in government in Québec.
Quebec’s latest electoral campaign has confirmed what recent elections in many provinces, including British Columbia, have recently suggested: campaigns are more crucial than ever. Recall that Liberal Christy Clark’s victory last year was a product of her campaign. This time around it…
Well, we’ve now seen it all. The President of the United States of America – a title that defines its holder as the most powerful man in the world – is having to resort to an appearance on a satirical web show in order to salvage what he can of his healthcare reform. But, short-term…
Evidently humour is not Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s forte. I don’t know him personally, so I have no idea whether he is funny in his private life or not. Maybe he is. Great, if that’s the case, humour being a key element to good health. However, when it comes to international affairs, in his attempts…
Would you say that you are financially better off today than two years ago? If your answer is maybe yes and maybe no (which would make you the same as many of your fellow Canadians, who think that improvements could be made) you are exactly what Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are looking for in a voter.…
There are two ways to look at the act of prestidigitation performed last week by Justin Trudeau when he – abracadabra! – expelled the Liberal senators from the Liberal Party of Canada’s caucus.
A heart of gold? This is apparently not a quality famed singer-songwriter Neil Young would ascribe to Prime Minister Harper.
Here we go again. A year behind us, a new one ahead. It’s an ideal time to try and read the tea leaves and see what’s in store for us in 2014. As usual, I will focus on politics. But before I look ahead, I want to glance back at an item or two from…
