Buckdog

Yens Pedersen is a Regina lawyer who sought the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democrats last year. He brought a breath of fresh air into the race and has certainly made his mark in the ranks of the provincial party. Yens today announced that he is seeking the NDP nomination for the constituency of Regina South currently held by Bill Hutchinson of the Saskatchewan Party.

During my interview of Dwain Lingenfelter, days after he won the leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP, I expressed my concern about the need for generational transition in the provincial wing of the party. Lingenfelter heartily agreed.

The by-election victory of Danielle Chartier from Saskatoon Riversdale as well as the election of Cam Broten and Trent Wotherspoon in 2007 proves that generational renewal is alive and well in the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party.

Further proof of this can also be found in the candidacy of Noah Evanchuk for the Federal seat of Palliser and in the candidacy for the vice-presidency of the party by Kent Peterson.

The disgraced Saskatchewan Party government of Brad Wall is desperately trying to spin that they are 'competent' Truth is that they are a tired old hodgepodge of former Reformers, camouflaged Progressive Conservatives, right wing Liberal turncoats, 'red scare' wing nuts, and the flotsam and jetsam of Saskatchewan's extreme Right.

"For all its reputation for being attuned to business, the Saskatchewan Party government of Premier Brad Wall has a terrible track record at budget forecasting."
Canadian Business Magazine

As a result of massive budgetary problems due to unprecedented fiscal incompetence, the Saskatchewan government is planning to cut the public service by 4% in each of the next 4 years for a total 16% reduction.

This attack on the public service fits nicely into the hard Right ideology of Walls disastrous government!

Regina Leader-Post

To all my family and friends, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"Three MPs -- Libby Davies of the New Democratic Party, Ujjal Dosanjh of the Liberals and Scott Reid of the Conservatives -- presented a petition asking Justice Minister Rob Nicholson not to sign extradition papers that would send Mr. Emery south to serve a five-year sentence for selling marijuana seeds online in 2005. More than 12,000 Canadians signed the petition. [...]

Canadian courts have established a person convicted of selling marijuana seeds should face a fine of $200. In the U.S., a person could be sentenced to life in prison for the same crime. Mr. Emery, 52, and two employees were arrested in 2005 by Canadian police acting as agents for the U.S. department of justice. He is not facing a charge in Canada."
The Province

In Canada's parliamentary system, Question Period consists of a fixed daily period of time in the Chamber when the Opposition can ask questions of the Government in an attempt to seek rationale for Ministerial actions and policy. Generally, the Opposition asks the questions and the Government is supposed to provide the answers.

Occasionally someone in the Government slips a question in, trying to make a point. That can sometimes go badly for the Government. Here is a brief exchange from the Saskatchewan Legislature - March 15, 2010 between Saskatchewan Finance Minister, Rod Gantefoer and Opposition Finance Critic, Trent Wotherspoon:

Hon. Mr. Gantefoer: — Mr.Speaker, I ’m not sure what part of previous budget that the member opposite is unhappy with [...]

Mr. Wotherspoon: — The minister who’s supposed to be answering questions is asking questions, so I respond. What don’t we like about the last budget? The $1 billion dollar deficit; the 110 per cent miss on potash revenue projections; the double-digit, runaway, out-of-control spending of this government; the fact that this government, in just two years, has taken this province from $2.3 billion of surplus and a booming economy to a $1 billion dollar deficit.That ’s shameful. The fact that when this game started here this year, we had a $3 billion revenue projection; now we ’re making cheques back to the potash companies to the tune of $200 million.That’s a chronology of failure. We ask that . . .

The Speaker: Order . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . I agree.
But I want to make sure the member ’s aware of the fact that
what we ’ve agreed to in regards to placing of questions.I would
ask the member to place his question directly.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — With respect to this chronology of
failure, I ask the minister, what’s your plan?

If there were ever a minister that deserves to be dumped from the Harper Cabinet, it is Helena Guergis.

The Governor of Texas is a Republican. Both Texas senators are Republicans. Of the 31 federal House Representatives, 20 are Republican and 11 are Democrat.

Well, the far Right legislators in that state have now rewritten the school curriculum for all students. What they have eliminated and what they have inserted is pretty shocking:

-Study of Thomas Jefferson is removed and lengthy study of religious right icon John Calvin has been inserted.

-The State Curriculum Board refused to require that "students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others."

-Included are new subjects on "American exceptionalism" and the 'U.S. free enterprise system', teaching that the system thrives best when free from any government intervention.

-The names or references to important Hispanic Texans throughout history also were denied, includng one Democrat amendment that would have taught that Tejanos (Texans of Mexican ancestry) died at the Alamo alongside Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

-Another amendment deleted a requirement that sociology students learn how institutional racism was practiced or is evident in American society.

-Huffington Post

I don't know much about Canadian actor, Corey Haim. I don't think I ever saw any of his movies. I do know that he was 38 when he passed away this week and that he died broke. I guess I find it unfortunate that his mother has bundled up his belongings and is selling them on Ebay in order to raise sufficient funds to bring his body back to Canada and have a funeral.

Now that's kinda tragic.

If you have a couple of minutes of your life that you are willing to toss away and waste, you could read Christie Blatchford's idiotic defense of Rahim Jaffer ...

-One of the dumbest articles in cyberspace today.

I have to say that I am happy to hear that Chief Lawrence Joseph is seeking the NDP nomination for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River. The riding is currently held by Conservative MP Rob Clarke.

CBC.ca


(Photo courtesy Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations - FSIN)