Bill 329: the ‘good’ developers gift law?

Let’s begin with our question of the day. Do we really need a Law Amendments Committee? After Public Bills have received second reading in the House, the Standing Committee on Law Amendments gives them clause-by-clause consideration and hears representations from any interested persons or organizations. That’s the official logical rationale for a committee that has […]

Is NS Tory leader wannabe John Lohr Maxime Bernier in waiting?

This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner August 27, 2018. Will Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservatives pull a federal Conservative Party and stagger out of their October 27 leadership convention hopelessly divided between their regular right-wing whingers and their ultra-right-wing whiners? Could PC leadership hopeful John Lohr — he of the Northern-Pulp-protesters-were-paid, free-speech-for-fanatics, let’s-build-more-statues-to-Edward-Cornwallis, frack-yes(!) […]

When ‘freedom of speech’ is a code, not a value

This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner March 12, 2018. What is it about Tories seeking their party’s leadership and their seemingly painful need to gymnast-twist the once liberal value of freedom of speech for their own illiberal purposes? Last spring when he was running to become federal Conservative Party leader, Andrew Scheer threatened to cut […]