democracy

Democracy itself is the solution to the climate crisis

| February 1, 2013

As posted on the Center for Humans & Nature website in response to the question: "Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?"

Can democracy in crisis deal with the global warming crisis? Yes! But only by addressing the crises of democracy and climate together.

I see four steps.

Rein in the power of Big Oil

Civil disobedience: CD or not CD, that is the question

John Bennett

| January 30, 2013

It's been hot in the driver seat since I talked to the Vancouver Sun about Sierra Club USA's decision to lift its 120-year-old ban on civil disobedience for the upcoming (Feb. 17) rally against the Keystone Pipeline in Washington, D.C. "Will Sierra Club Canada take similar action?", I was asked by a reporter almost immediately after the news broke.

Although this has been a major topic of discussion for some time (on both sides of the border), the Great White North was caught off guard by the controversial announcement in San Francisco. Since its inception in 1892, Sierra Club has campaigned for the preservation of our natural environment using lawful means only. It's a big deal!

politics

Common Causes: Progressive forces acting together to build a better society

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Common Causes actions are taking place Monday in over 20 cities and towns across Canada, part of a global day of action called by Idle No More. Visit our dedicated rabble.ca page for full coverage of Common Causes.

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Columnists

Democracy, leadership conventions and the voting fallacy

Ontario Liberals hold their leadership convention this weekend at Maple Leaf Gardens -- a great choice of venue. The event belongs to a dying breed: brokered conventions. That means the wheeling, dealing and decision-making happen right there on the floor among delegates in real time. It runs counter to the trend toward more self-evidently democratic conventions, in which party members everywhere get to vote by mail or online -- the way the NDP chose Tom Mulcair last spring and federal Liberals will do so in April.

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democracy Liberal Party free speech ontario liberals voting liberal leadership

Group calls on politicians across Canada to sign Democratic Good Government Pledge as their New Year's Resolution

Democray Watch

| January 15, 2013

All Canadians can help get their politicians to sign the 7-point Pledge

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Six ways Government Boss Stephen Harper is killing democracy

January 9, 2013 |

If we look at actions taken by Harper, it's easy to draw the conclusion that because of Harper and the Conservatives, democracy is dying in Canada.

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Harper democracy labour UFCW canadian legislation

Elections Canada decides to keep its rulings secret on more than 3,000 complaints

Democracy Watch

| January 9, 2013

Elections Canada decides to keep its rulings secret on more than 3,000 complaints because the rulings may make Commissioner of Elections look bad -- group complains to Information Commissioner and calls for public inquiry

Refusal to disclose past rulings raises question of whether rulings on robocall complaints will be disclosed -- group calls on complainants to send in any letter they received from the Commissioner

More than 62,000 messages have been sent by Canadians through Democracy Watch’s letter-writing drive calling for disclosure of election complaint rulings, and other fair election enforcement measures

Columnists

How conflict of interest rules affect the public interest

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Since the Redford, Katz, Ford and other scandals of late, there has been much discussion about conflict of interest rules, what is and isn't a conflict of interest, and whether there can be degrees of conflicts of interest. What should the legislative penalties be where a conflict is found?

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Federal Conservatives' accountability and democratic reform record gets an F

Democracy Watch

| December 17, 2012

Six years after Federal Accountability Act became law, dishonesty, conflicts of interest, excessive secrecy, unlimited donations and patronage all still legal

Another, stronger Accountability Act needed to close 100 remaining loopholes and flaws

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch marked the sixth anniversary of the passage of the federal Conservatives’ so-called “Federal Accountability Act” (FAA), and the recent annual International Anti-Corruption Day, by issuing its Sixth Good Government Report Card on the FAA and the Conservatives’ overall accountability and democratic reform record.

Group launches national letter-writing drive calling for federal government action to stop record big bank profits based on goug

Democracy Watch

| December 14, 2012

OTTAWA – Today, in response to Canada’s big six banks reporting their new record annual total profits for the fourth year in a row — totalling $29.29 billion (up 15% from $25.46 billion in 2011, and more than double their 2009 total profits of $14.34 billion), the Canadian Community Reinvestment Coalition (CCRC – Canada’s largest and leading bank accountability coalition) is making it easy for Canadians to send a letter to the federal Conservatives and opposition parties calling on them to implement accountability measures to ensure bank profits are not based on gouging customers and arbitrarily cutting credit, loans and services, and to ensure the banks support Canadian economic devel

democracy

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