Blog Posts by Andy Radia

  • Senator Hugh Segal wants to scrap welfare to combat poverty

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Thu, 3 Jan, 2013

    It's usually those on the left of the political spectrum who tout the policy of a 'guaranteed income.'

    Heck, it's in the communist manifesto — isn't it?

    Well, now a right-wing politico is promoting the concept.

    In the most recent issue of the Literary Issue of Canada, Tory Senator Hugh Segal argues that we should scrap welfare in exchange for a system whereby the federal government 'tops-up' the income of everyone who is beneath the poverty line to the poverty line.

    "We spend billions on programs that address dropouts, reduce substance abuse, assist young people in trouble with the law, encourage nutrition, subsidize housing, provide safe houses for the victims of family violence, run the Children’s Aid, realign incentives in the tax system for the working poor, support First Nations education and fund micro-managing welfare systems that do not bring anyone above the poverty line. And yet the [percentage of impoverished Canadians], depending on the province or region, has not changed

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  • Over the past week, some 'mainstream media' editorial boards, columnists and analysts in this country have become a lot more critical of the chief and her hunger strike.For her sake, I hope Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence isn't reading the newspapers while in her tepee on Victoria Island on the Ottawa River.

    While her hunger strike — and the corresponding Idle No More movement — has garnered international media attention and sympathy, it appears that some Canadian media-types aren't as understanding.

    Over the past week, some 'mainstream media' editorial boards, columnists and analysts in this country have become a lot more critical of the chief and her hunger strike.

    [ Related: First Nations leaders want Jan. 24 meeting with Harper ]

    In a column published on Wednesday, the Calgary Herald editorial board accused Spence of "blackmailing" Stephen Harper:

    "The threat of suicide is always ill advised or rooted in selfishness. In the regrettable case of Theresa Spence, it appears to be a case of both.

    "Apart from Spence’s inexcusable blackmailing of the prime minister, it’s evident she’s unreasonable. Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan has expressed

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  • Survey suggests Canadians have the blues over Stephen Harper

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Thu, 3 Jan, 2013

    According to the survey, confidence in the Tories is dropping.Yet another poll is out this week indicating that the public is losing confidence in the Harper government.

    On Thursday, Nanos Research and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRRP) released the results of their sixth annual Mood of Canada survey, an annual Q&A about the 'direction' of the country.

    This year's verdict is that we're feeling blue.

    [ Related: Five political stories to watch for in 2013 ]

    According to the survey results, posted on the Nanos website, 48 per cent of Canadians feel the country is on "the right track" compared to 64 per cent this time last year.

    More importantly, the survey report notes that confidence in the Tories is dropping.

    "Canadians are divided on the performance of the Harper government but negative assessments have risen over the past 12 months," Nanos president, Nik Nanos, wrote.

    "The number of those who rated the Conservative Government’s performance as “very” or “somewhat” poor jumped eight points, to 33 percent."

    This is just the latest

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  • Five political stories to watch for in 2013

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Sun, 30 Dec, 2012

    First Nations protesters on Parliament Hill December 21, 2012. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
    Trudeau-mania 2.0; the F-35 debacle; mayors across the country getting into hot water: 2012 has been an eventful year in Canadian politics.

    What will 2013 bring?

    Here is our look at the year ahead:

    1. A new premier for Ontario. A new one for British Columbia?

    The New Year will kick-off with the Ontario Liberal leadership convention in Toronto in late January.

    As of now, the common refrain is that former MPPs Gerard Kennedy and Sandra Pupatello are the front runners in the race to replace Dalton McGuinty as premier. Whoever wins will have a tough year ahead with a ballooning debt crisis, a teacher's dispute and dysfunctional minority legislature.

    Meanwhile, British Columbians will head to the polls in May to elect their new provincial government — most likely to be led by NDP Leader Adrian Dix.

    If the pro-oil pipeline crowd thought current Premier Christy Clark was a headache, just wait until they're forced to deal with premier Dix.

    2. A new leader for the federal Liberals

    Barring an

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  • Canadians became more enamoured with the monarchy in 2012

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Sat, 29 Dec, 2012

    Canadians are warming up to the monarchy.

    According to a new Forum Research poll conducted on behalf of the National Post, only 36 per cent of Canadians are in favour of cutting ties with Buckingham Palace upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. That number is down 7 points from January.

    "It is remarkable what a royal tummy-bump can do to public attitudes," Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff told the National Post, suggesting that the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy helped boost the pro-monarch numbers.

    "It’s the fairy tale: prince marries a commoner romance. It’s all out of central casting."

    What's also interesting in the Forum poll is what's happening in traditionally anti-Royal Quebec — in January, 67 per cent of Quebecers were in favour of cutting ties; today that number sits at just 58 per cent.

    [ Related: Queen's Christmas message urges helping others ]

    Earlier this year, Yahoo! Canada News spoke with Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada, who

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  • B.C. Premier Christy Clark: “Better a MILF than a cougar”

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Fri, 28 Dec, 2012

    Is B.C. Premier Christy Clark a MILF or a cougar?

    It's clearly an inappropriate, even vulgar question. A MILF, of course is an acronym for 'Mother I'd like to f@#$' and a cougar is an older woman who goes after younger men.

    But, last week, during an interview on a Vancouver Island radio station, Premier Clark received such a question.

    What's worse, is that she answered it.

    As chronicled by the Vancouver Province, 98.9 JetFM host Drex asked Clark what it was like to be a MILF (apparently 'Drex' was asking on behalf of a listener).

    Here's the premier's response:

    "You know, I take that as a compliment … you know, it’s one of those things. Better a MILF than a cougar … so tell him I said thank-you."

    The Province newspaper goes on to quote Clark's press secretary who said the premier was "shocked" by the question and "responded accordingly and simply wanted to move on."

    [ Related: McGuinty, Clark ranked as Canada's least popular premiers ]

    But others aren't as forgiving — Clark's response

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  • Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa December 6, 2012. REUTERS/Chris WattieDespite all the news about the Americans going over the 'fiscal cliff' next week, Canadians are still confident about our economy heading into the new year.

    According to an Ipsos Reid poll released Thursday, 65 per cent of Canadians expect 2013 to be a ‘good’ year for the economy.

    Moreover, 49 per cent of us approve of the Harper government's management of our finances.

    "The polling we do every month in 24 countries around the world on 11 measures about the economy shows that the Canadian composite is the third highest — a steady increase over the past two years up from eighth place," explained Ipsos Reid vice president John Wright in an email exchange with Yahoo! Canada News.

    "This translates into good approval ratings for the federal government as they are viewed to have the major role of stewardship for the economy."

    [ Related: Canadians rank Budget 2012 as the top political story of the year ]

    While those numbers aren't bad, things aren't as rosy for the Conservatives as they were

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  • 2012 Year in Review: Top political YouTube videos of 2012

    By Andy Radia | Yahoo! Canada News – Thu, 27 Dec, 2012

    Over the past year, some the most memorable political events were brought to us via YouTube. Here are some of our favourite political videos of 2012:

    1. Binders full of women

    During one of the Presidential debates in the United States, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was asked about pay equity for women. His response about having a 'binder full of women' quickly went viral and was the butt of many a joke.

    Here's the video, courtesy of the New York Times.

    2. Dickhead

    As part of yet another year of incivility on Parliament Hill, NDP MP Peter Stoffer went on a two-minute rant in October, after he learned that Conservative MP Rob Anders was quoted as saying that Thomas Mulcair "helped to hasten Jack Layton's death."

    3. 'This country is in trouble because Albertans are in power': Justin Trudeau

    In November, a two-year-old interview came back to haunt Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau. In the video, posted on the Conservative Party's website, Trudeau is quoted as saying the

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  • Top political YouTube videos of 2012

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Thu, 27 Dec, 2012

    Over the past year, some the most memorable political events were brought to us via YouTube. Here are some of our favourite political videos of 2012:

    1. Binders full of women

    During one of the Presidential debates in the United States, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was asked about pay equity for women. His response about having a 'binder full of women' quickly went viral and was the butt of many a joke.

    Here's the video, courtesy of the New York Times.

    2. Dickhead

    As part of yet another year of incivility on Parliament Hill, NDP MP Peter Stoffer went on a two-minute rant in October, after he learned that Conservative MP Rob Anders was quoted as saying that Thomas Mulcair "helped to hasten Jack Layton's death."

    3. 'This country is in trouble because Albertans are in power': Justin Trudeau

    In November, a two-year-old interview came back to haunt Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau. In the video, posted on the Conservative Party's website, Trudeau is quoted as saying the

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  • Feds considering massive Chinese-backed Arctic mining development

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Thu, 27 Dec, 2012

    Copper is extracted in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo by Minmetals Resources Ltd, a unit of state-owned China Minmetals Group.In 2004, Minmetals Resources — a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned company China Minmetals Corp. — backed away from a takeover of Canadian mining giant Noranda, partly due to a public backlash.

    Well, they're back in the news again.

    According to the Canadian Press, MMG Minerals, a subsidiary of Minmetals, is involved in the Izok Corridor project — a proposed multi-billion-dollar mining development in Nunavut.

    "Some time in the new year, four federal ministers are to decide how to conduct an environmental review for the Izok Corridor proposal. It could bring many billions of dollars into the Arctic but would also see development of open-pit mines, roads, ports and other facilities in the centre of calving grounds for the fragile Bathurst caribou herd.

    It would be hard to exaggerate the proposal's scope. Centred at Izok Lake, about 260 kilometres southeast of Kugluktuk, the project would stretch throughout a vast swath of western Nunavut."

    Nunatsiaq Online claims that the project

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