The experts dissect Harper’s assertion that
there is a looming “crisis” with OAS – and find it to be bunk. Small surprise
that some people are betting that the government will start backtracking on
this issue by week’s end.
Economist Stephen Gordon wonders if we’re
at the right place in the business cycle to impose an austerity budget.
The government wants more trade with Libya
(or “the New Libya” as they now call it), but there are all these pesky issues
about the ongoing human rights abuses in the country, and we all know how this government
is a champion for human rights abroad, right?
Kady O’Malley reminds us of the government’s proposals to make all meetings on future committee business in camera – that means keeping
negotiations on what the committees are going to cover behind closed doors, so
that we no longer have an inkling as to the decision process, who votes for
what proposals, and what kind of arguments are brought forward for or against
these proposals. And we all know that this is the most “open and transparent government”
in the history of ever, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Aww, poor Brad Trost. He’s lamenting the “iron
clad discipline” within Canadian political parties. You know, the party
discipline that saw Diane Ablonczy get demoted for posing for photos with drag
queens after she deigned to fund Toronto Pride using stimulus funds? Yeah, I
somehow doubt that Trost was too hung up on that
discipline, as opposed to discipline on the abortion issue. Just saying.
Gilles Duceppe will return to Parliament –
to answer questions about his alleged misspending.
The private member’s bill barring people
from banning the flag goes for a second reading vote today. Consider yourselves
warned.
And here’s a story about a gay soldier who
got a threatening note while serving in Afghanistan – and how it changed the
Canadian Forces’ harassment policies as a result, and he’s serving openly now
and feeling all the better for it.
Why you can trust Xtra
