The focus of politics has shifted over the past two to three decades from issues to personalities. Media reports refer to Conservative or Liberal governments or to Harper or Campbell governments, as if federal and provincial governments were owned by political parties or their leaders. Such references are indications that our parliamentary democracies have become […]

A new report produced by the Ministry of Children and Family Development offers insight into the challenges, goals and key priorities of B.C. families – and how they have changed over the past few decades.  Titled Family Roots, the report is the Province’s first step in establishing a baseline of government programs and services for […]

The photographs are as stunning as they are inspiring. The world is now totally focused on the democratic rebellion in Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak, the dictator who Israel relies on for its current unassailable position, sends out the army to deal with demonstrators and what happens? The soldiers, including officers, joined with them, hugging them, kissing […]

This one should make you laugh, shake your head or maybe even cry.  It shows perfectly why so many Canadians don’t trust our politicians or our media. On Wednesday, the Toronto Sun carried a story headlined “Feds shouldn’t foot bill for NHL-calibre arena:Iggy” The piece revolved around Quebec City’s dream of  building a $400 million arena and […]

I don’t think I have ever re-cycled a column before but the whole question of tax cuts and all the issues it involves never really changes. In November, 2007, I wrote a column for the Tyee and rabble focusing on Conservative finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s five year tax cut plan. This up-coming cut to corporate […]

Developing literacy skills begins at home. Whether it’s a book, board game, magazine, newspaper or website, all British Columbians are being encouraged to take part in a literacy activity with their families for 15 minutes at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27 to celebrate Family Literacy Day. Today and throughout this week, events celebrating literacy […]

Pump prices played a big role in putting annual inflation at 2.4 per cent in December, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. That’s higher than the two per cent rate recorded in the last two months. Higher gasoline prices were cited as the main reason for the growth in inflation last month — they were up 13 […]

One of the best BC blogs, in my opinion, is done by Laila Yuile: I’m Laila Yuile and This Is How I See It. She has broken real news, taken on the powers that be, and opened up some great discussions on many, many topics of interest and importance to British Columbians.   And her […]

Just back from the Vancouver Sun live chat with Kevin Falcon, in which every question I submitted was given to Falcon except the last, because time ran out. So, what can you expect from Kevin Falcon if he were to be the leader of the Liberals, or worse yet–shudder–premier? He will continue to use and promote P3 projects […]

Few developments in our era of savage capitalism are so powerfully symbolic of the new feudalism than the obscene compensation paid out to the new economic elite: the CEOs of the most powerful corporations in the country. The CCPA’s Hugh MacKenzie now reminds us yearly of this economic and social sickness by identifying exactly when […]