Thanks for the apology, but it’s not enough

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Thanks for the apology, but it’s not enough

The federal justice department’s 19-page internal review into its role in the the Fenwick MacIntosh extradition process — Aug. 15, 1997 (“Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service contacts the International Assistance Group to discuss potential extradition request”) to July 14, 2006 (“Canada formally requests extradition”) — has no named author. The review itself — which followed […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Welcome, Mr. Premier. And good luck…

Stephen McNeil doesn’t even have the key to the executive washroom — premier’s desk, top left-hand drawer — and his administration-in-eager-anticipation is already being sideswiped by economic events over which it has little control and less influence. Just two days after his Liberals were swept into office on an electoral toss-those-rascals-out-and-let’s-see-what-these-rascals-will-do roll of the dice, […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

What did the NDP do to deserve its electoral fate?

The question is why. Why — if you believe the polls — is Darrell Dexter’s NDP government heading for an ignominious defeat? Nova Scotia’s first-ever NDP government was hardly a disaster. It succeeded a Tory government that had careened out of fiscal control, stumbled into one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns, got sideswiped by […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

The leaders debate: Take it from me, I wasn't there

I confess up front I didn’t watch last week’s CBC leaders’ debate. There was a book launch — mine — at the same time and, well, you have to have your priorities. To make matters worse for a political columnist, I must also acknowledge I didn’t watch the full online, blow-by-blow, health-care-by-power-rates replay of the […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Progressives and the NDP: making the hard choice

On June 23, 2012, 50 longtime NDP activists put the issue starkly in a j’accuse letter to Premier Darrell Dexter. “If the NDP now actually stands for anything fundamentally different, for any change from previous governments,” they wrote, more in angst than anger, “it is hard to see what it is. And if the NDP is […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

This is the campaign we spent 3 years waiting for?

What to make of Liberal leader Stephen McNeil’s plan to save taxpayers money by making Nova Scotia Power responsible for (and responsible for footing the bill for) what is now the regulated, arms’ length, non-profit — and working very well, thank you all the same — energy-reducing agency known as Efficiency Nova Scotia? The reality […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

The journalistic implications of fixed elections… dates

METRO LOGO GREEN Mr. Baillie, I must, respectfully, disagree. Last week, on the eve the possible election call that preceded the eve of the likely election call which was, thankfully, finally followed by the actual election call, Conservative leader Jamie Baillie declared that, if elected, he would introduce legislation to set fixed provincial election dates. […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Peter MacKay has never smoked dope. Pity

So Peter MacKay has never smoked dope. Perhaps that’s his problem. If, indeed, he’s telling the truth. Last week, the justice minister got his knickers in a knot when Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s matter-of-factly disclosed he had — like 39 per cent of Canadians — enjoyed the occasional puff from a joint, most recently at […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Feeling 'compassion fatigue' for Trevor Zinck

So… Trevor Zinck has “compassion fatigue.” His problem is not that he defrauded taxpayers of $9,000 by stealing money destined for charities, and sponsorships, and poured it down the bottomless drain of casino gambling. Nor is his problem that he suffers from an all-too-commonplace gambling addiction, which he needs to acknowledge and seek treatment for. […]

Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.

Rocky Jones, thank you and rest in peace.

The last time I talked face to face with Rocky Jones was in November 2011, a few nights before he was scheduled to deliver a public lecture on “The Struggle for Human Rights in African Nova Scotian Communities, 1961-2011.” It could have been the too-wordy title for his autobiography. (Metro File Photo) We met at […]