Blogs

rabble blogs are the personal pages of some of Canada's most insightful progressive activists and commentators. All opinions belong to the writer; however, writers are expected to adhere to our guidelines. We welcome new bloggers -- contact us for details.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 31
L-R: Terry O'Flynn (Alberta Enterprise Group), Rick More (Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce), Finance Minister Travis Toews, Todd MacKay (Canadian Taxpayers Federation), Sandip Lalli (Calgary Chamber of Commerce) and Janet M. Riopel (Edmonton Chamber of Commerce). Image: Government of Alberta/Flickr
Canadian Taxpayers Federation skewed commentary on nurse salaries is an echo chamber
David J. Climenhaga | Readers are advised to take Canadian Taxpayers Federation "reports" with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Blog - A change is gonna come October 30
Still from film "Arab Blues" Image: Arab Blues/mk2 films
Women-centred films close out Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival
Doreen Nicoll | The Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival not only screened films from a wide variety of genres, but included powerful pieces and panels that gave insight into our world and how we treat others.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 30
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews speaks about budget 2019. Image: Government of Alberta/Flickr
Plan to roll back Alberta public employees' pay is no surprise but seems unexpectedly inept
David J. Climenhaga | After a four-year respite, it looks as if the days of perpetual chaos in Alberta's health-care system are about to return with a vengeance.
Blog - David Suzuki October 30
Image: Joe Brusky/Flickr
Youth lawsuit draws attention to climate crisis
David Suzuki | A group of youth activists decided marching isn't enough. The 15 youth, ranging in age from seven to 19, are taking the federal government to court. Forget settlements, their goal is climate action.
Blog - The Views Expressed October 29
Flaming tires on February 11, 2019, in the streets of Hinche, Haiti.Image: Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons
Open letter calls on Canada to stop supporting a corrupt Haitian president
various | The undersigned call on the Justin Trudeau government and Canadian state to stop backing a corrupt, repressive and illegitimate president that Haitians massively reject.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 29
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews. Image: David J. Climenhaga
Are secret mandatory government orders the new face of public-sector bargaining in Alberta?
David J. Climenhaga | Big changes to public-sector bargaining introduced by Alberta's UCP government yesterday is likely to unleash a flood of litigation.
Blog - Judy Rebick's Blog October 29
Image: Carlos Figueroa/Wikimedia Commons
Will neoliberalism die in Chile?
Judy Rebick, Carlos Torres | Protesters are calling for a general strike as mass demonstrations against neoliberalism grow. Carlos Torres, a Chilean refugee now back in Chile, talks to rabble.ca about the mass protests.
Blog - Pulpit and Politics October 29
Image: Spence Mann
As Western premiers blow smoke on carbon tax, youth organize for climate justice
Dennis Gruending | Western premiers are demanding an end to the carbon tax, even though two-thirds of Canadian electors voted for parties that support it. Meanwhile, the climate justice movement takes to the streets.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 27
Image: Mahkeo/Unsplash
Abandoning 'social license' was a dumb idea for Alberta's oilpatch
David J. Climenhaga | If Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is serious about helping Alberta's fossil fuel industry, he'll need to adopt the NDP's social license strategy.
Blog - Brent Patterson October 27
Image: Peace Brigades International
Canadian companies involved in upcoming Colombian fracking projects
Brent Patterson | Colombian human rights defenders to talk fracking and climate change at public forums in Ottawa, Vancouver and Nanaimo this November.
Blog - Taking Sides October 25
Person holding a cell phone. Image: Humphrey Muleba/Unsplash
In the fight against disinformation, 'facts' can be a grey area
Sara Speicher | News agencies, civil society organizations, and concerned individuals in Canada and overseas have taken on the fight for "truth." But is what someone says "right" or "wrong," or somewhere in between?
Blog - Alberta Diary October 25
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews reads the province’s budget speech yesterday. Image: Screenshot of Government of Alberta video
The poor little rich kid of Confederation brings down a budget
David J. Climenhaga | Alberta's once again the poor little rich kid of Confederation, crying poverty, throwing its weight around, and careering from knee-jerk austerity to pre-election profligacy.
Blog - Brent Patterson October 25
Chilean protests in 2019. Image: Jorge Morales Piderit/Wikimedia Commons
Canada's role in the austerity and uprising in Chile
Brent Patterson | What are the Canadian links to the social uprising in Chile that has claimed at least 18 lives over the past seven days?
Blog - Cathy Crowe's blog October 24
Metro Hall cooling centre showing a table with granola bar and water. Image: Cathy Crowe
Splash pads and swimming pools are not a response to climate change for vulnerable populations
Cathy Crowe | Toronto city council's recent declaration of a climate emergency is meaningless without measures to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 24
Alberta Minister of Finance Travis Toews puts on his cowboy boots in preparation for the release of the budget. Image: Government of Alberta/Flickr
Budget cuts to Alberta's public sector feed into propaganda not facts
David J. Climenhaga | If you're not going to raise revenues, the millions required for inquiries, snitch lines, war rooms and constitutional jiggery-pokery have to come from somewhere.
Blog - The Activist Toolkit Blog October 24
Rental signs. Image: Ashley Brown/Flickr
Housing is more than a roof over our heads
Ashley Reyns | Tenants in Ottawa are organizing and demanding landlords are held accountable for dilapidated homes.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 23
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. Image: David J. Climenhaga
Kenney threatens equalization referendum if Trudeau doesn't adopt Conservative energy platform
David J. Climenhaga | It's clearer every day Jason Kenney views the equalization referendum idea, on its face constitutionally meaningless, as a thinly disguised sovereignty-association vote.
Blog - Brent Patterson October 23
Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Image: Coolcaesar/Wikimedia Commons
How might a minority Parliament in Canada address human rights globally?
Brent Patterson | Does the outcome of the federal election create opportunities to improve Canada's human rights policies internationally?
Blog - David Suzuki October 22
Image: Peter Blanchard/Flickr
The election's over, now let's get back to work on climate
David Suzuki | We need all political representatives to cast aside their differences and work together to solve this challenge. An election is just the start.
Blog - Brent Patterson October 22
The interim House of Commons on January 16, 2019. Image: Leafsfan67/Wikimedia Commons
Election result signals the need for continued grassroots activism
Brent Patterson | What are some observations we can make about the results of this federal election and how could that help shape continued grassroots mobilizations?
Blog - Alberta Diary October 22
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. Image: David J. Climenhaga
Andrew Scheer snatches defeat from the jaws of victory
David J. Climenhaga | If Jason Kenney is heading back to Ottawa -- as long rumoured in the event Andrew Scheer should lose, which he now has -- the Liberals should take him seriously.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 21
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. Image: Andrew Scheer/Flickr
The party that wins the most seats doesn't always form the next government
David J. Climenhaga | Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is making up parliamentary conventions to suit himself, and Albertans are likely to be angry no matter the outcome of today's federal election.
Blog - The Gaza solidarity blog October 19
Illustration created using a wiki image by Howard the Duck with other open-source and public domain elements.
No UN Security Council seat for Canada without foreign policy change
David Heap | The Liberals' ongoing bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council provides an opportunity to send a message to whoever forms the next federal government.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 19
Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist, at the start of a large march through Edmonton yesterday. Image: David J. Climenhaga
Massive Edmonton rally greets eco-activist Greta Thunberg
David J. Climenhaga | It would have been a remarkable accomplishment for any group to summon a throng of the size that enthusiastically greeted 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg in Edmonton.
Blog - rabble.ca's staff blog October 19
A journalist to cut through the crisis in media democracy
Kim Elliott | Week in and week out, Karl Nerenberg delivers exclusive reporting from the Hill, and it's readers just like you who keep him there.
Blog - A change is gonna come October 18
Antonio Banderas as Salvador. Image: Manolo Pavón/El Deseo/Mongrel Media. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
'Pain and Glory' sets inclusive tone for Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival
Doreen Nicoll | "Pain and Glory" is a beautiful tribute to celebrating the reaffirmation of one's sexual identity.
Blog - Taking Sides October 18
Image: Marcus Spiske/Unsplash
Unlocking encryption: who watches the watchers?
Philip Lee | Encryption is supposed to ensure that information stays private by scrambling data. In practice, security forces and corporate interests are keen to be able to crack any code.
Blog - The Views Expressed October 18
Paul Taylor. Image: Sandro Pehar. Used wth permission.
New food insecurity research says it's black and white and not pretty
Paul Taylor | The research identifies that the higher prevalence of food insecurity among households with Black respondents is simply because they are Black. It's not caused by anything else.
Blog - Alberta Diary October 18
Heather McPherson, the federal NDP's candidate in Edmonton Strathcona, and former Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason. Image: Heather McPherson for Edmonton Strathcona/Facebook
Edmonton Strathcona voters should support NDP, says former Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason
David J. Climenhaga | Former Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason didn't mention Notley by name, but her recent suggestion she might not vote NDP because of the federal party's pipeline policy obviously didn't impress him.
Blog - Indigenous Nationhood October 18
Still from debate livestream. Image: Global News/YouTube
Indigenous issues largely absent from 2019 election
Pamela Palmater | Reconciliation cannot be achieved if its lifespan is dictated by what carries political currency in each election. The party leaders all have a legal and moral obligation to do better.

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