To listen to the experts, this election would change nothing. The same parliament, in the same proportions – give or take a few. Instead, it went from, as the media were so fond of repeating, the “election about nothing”, to the most significant realignment of the Canadian political landscape in decades. The Bloc Quebecois dropped from a commanding 47 of Quebec’s 75 federal seats to 4, leading them to lose even their status as an official party in the House of Commons…
Author: Ethan Cox
The NDP and Quebec: a Blossoming Love Affair
This Thursday Jack Layton will arrive in Montreal for a huge rally in the riding of Jeanne-Le-Ber, one of many seats that the NDP suddenly find itself competitive in as Layton fever sweeps the province. The rally, taking place at 5PM at the Corona Theatre (2490, Notre-Dame O) is a homecoming of sorts for Quebec’s newest favourite son…
Michael Ignatieff is surprised by an unflattering mandolin serenade
In our ongoing effort to make our election coverage both fun and informative, we have a truly awesome video for you today. In September 2010 Michael Ignatieff held an open mic in Montreal. This previously unreleased video shows a student journalist (or someone who pretends to be a student journalist) approach the mic to ask a question…
Who needs accountability when you can just make shit up? ACTION drags the CSU to a new low…
Concordia Student Union elections are like a really bad soap opera, or a train wreck. They’re oftentimes appalling, but once you make the mistake of looking directly at them you can’t seem to look away.
For those of you who don’t know me, I have been a CSU Councillor for the past two years and before that I led the two-year drive to accredit the Dawson Student Union against ferocious, and often illegal, opposition from the Dawson administration…
Wither the progressive choice in a dispiriting election? Take heart, there is hope!
We are currently on an inexorable march towards a Canadian federal election, which will more than likely take place on May 2 or 9th. Despite the seeming strength of the Harper Conservatives, chinks are beginning to appear in his armour. One revelation of unethical behaviour after another has left Our Glorious Leader facing…
Sweater-vests make me hurl: Young people and voting – not as boring as you might think!
Do you hate politics? Do attack ads and sweater-vests make you want to cap a bitch? Do you throw up a little in your mouth when you think about an election happening? Well you’re not alone. The trend in recent elections has been a sharp drop in participation, most noticeably among young voters. While seniors vote so often that they’ve been known to write-in the name of their favourite candidate…
Wisconsin: The battle for the soul of America
Have you heard about Wisconsin? This Saturday crowds estimated at up to 100,000 descended on the state capitol of Madison to protest the most earth-shattering attack on unions and the middle class since Reagan fired the Air-Traffic controllers in 1981. Support demonstrations numbering in the tens of thousands were held in cities across the country. But you would be forgiven if you missed the news…
BREAKING: Mubarak resigns!
Amidst a “day of rage” which dwarfed previous protests, and following Mubarak’s defiant refusal to cede power in a televised statement last night, the Egyptian strongman has finally resigned. At this point details are scarce. We know that earlier today Mubarak left Cairo headed for Sharm-Al-Sheikh (an upscale resort city on Egypt’s coast), and only moments ago Vice-President Omar Suleiman appeared on national television and delivered a terse statement…
The HuffPo and AOL: a marriage made in heaven or hell?
Here in the online peanut gallery we tend to take particular notice of moves that shake the current dynamic of media and information delivery, and today’s tremor certainly has the potential to expand into a full-fledged earthquake. AOL, that stodgy and barely remembered provider of dial-up which used to litter our doorsteps with “free” installation CDs and tried to make the internet proprietary,has announced a $315 million purchase of the Huffington Post.
The people are in control: Egypt, revolution and the days ahead
Five days of protest. At least 100 dead. Thousands injured. One sacked government. A new Prime Minister and Vice President. An army, and a country, in the balance. And the rage continues…
We woke up this morning to find that hundreds of thousands remained on the street in the face of a renewed curfew and promises of violence for those who disobeyed it. Soldiers so far have either not been ordered to use force to subdue the populist movement, or have refused to do so.