Ka-ching. Ka-ching. Your tax dollars at work covering government butt

As Justice David Farrar summed up the appeal court ruling: “It would be manifestly unfair to allow the province to hide behind solicitor-client privilege while at the same time impugning the conduct of its solicitor.” But that didn’t stop the McNeil government from trying. And trying. Last week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal instructed […]

‘This is North Preston:’ a story that ‘needs to be heard’

“This is North Preston” is a film about the stereotype of North Preston that allows the young men who’ve been stereotyped for so long to speak for themselves. Jaren Hayman is from Toronto. He’s 32 years old, a white man. He began his professional career as a drummer, touring North America, but eventually morphed into […]

A tale of two protests

While officials moved quickly to respond to student protests about the cancellation of high school rugby, they were quick to erect roadblocks when students wanted to protest climate change. “In my view, kids should be in class.” Premier Stephen McNeilMarch 2019 “Something is happening hereBut you don’t know what it is,Do you, Mr. Jones?” Ballad […]

Health care crisis? What health care crisis?

Listen to Premier McNeil and Health Minister Delorey and you might imagine Inez Rudderham’s problems are specific and anomalous. Fix them and we fix the problem. The problem is McNeil and Delorey are the problem. “To the premier of Nova Scotia, I dare you to take a meeting with me, and explain to me, and […]

Verdict without end

More than 20 years after former Nova Scotia premier Gerald Regan was acquitted of sexually assaulting multiple women, other women are still coming forward with still more stories of what he did to them, still needing finally “to be heard.” ‘Catherine’ is one of them. This column originally appeared in theHalifax ExaminerApril 15, 2019. I shouldn’t be surprised. Not after Me-too. But I am. Still. It happens […]

Wilson-Raybould, Churchill? Evidence our legislative committee systems don’t work

The committees don’t work, of course, because of the people in charge. But the system itself makes that failure possible, even inevitable. This column first appeared in the Halifax Examiner April 8, 2019. Quick now, what does Judy Wilson-Raybould v Justin Trudeau, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick et al have in common with Zach Churchill v […]

Stunting 101: The games Bay Ferries plays

Bay Ferries says its Yarmouth ferry service’s real problem has nothing to do with the government’s over-subsidization or its own over-pricing. Blame it on the “nasty” opposition. This column first appeared in the Halifax Examiner April 1, 2019. Mark MacDonald knows which donkey to pin the blame on for the fact his Bay Ferries Ltd.’s money-sinking pot of a […]

Back to the drawing board, Bill

Finance Minister Bill Morneau says his budget will provide support for journalism. It won’t. It will only provide demise-delaying bailouts for badly managed media corporations. There are better ways. This column first appeared in the Halifax Examiner March 25, 2019. Start with this from Page 173 of the federal budget Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled […]

Clearwater wins. Again. Still. Always. And forever

What began as an act of reconciliation with Canada’s indigenous peoples will likely end up as yet another “landmark” in the continuing process of corporate co-opting and colonialism. This column first appeared in the Halifax Examiner March 18, 2019. Last week, Clearwater Seafoods Inc. released a triumphant joint statement, announcing a 50-year partnership agreement with […]

What would Andrew do? Jagmeet?

The SNC-Lavalin affair offered a stark choice for our prime minister. We know which door he chose. But what about the opposition leaders. Shouldn’t we know what they would have done with the same choice? This column first appeared in the Halifax Examiner March 11, 2019. There is an unanswered, barely whispered question at the heart-attack centre […]