Most people have a healthy scepticism of politicians and their promises. As Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet president in the 1950s, observed, “politicians are the same all over, they promise to build a bridge even when there’s no river.” So, to last Wednesday’s throne speech, either written or pre-approved by Justin Trudeau and delivered by the […]
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Including Growing Second Wave and New Closures Even now, nine months since reports of COVID-9 emerged Canada still does not have enough PPE or test kits and tracing is weak. For months, Canadians have been held in the grip of an unprecedented pandemic that has left few people untouched. Canada failed to protect workers and […]
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Malcolm X said “You can’t have capitalism without racism.” Trudeau wants to tackle systemic racism with capitalism. In June 2020, Justin Trudeau promised action “very soon” on the systemic racism in Canada. In September, the government announced support for black entrepreneurs and business owners. While some Black business owners and aspiring owners may welcome this, […]
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After a pause due to COVID restrictions, Socialist Alternative has produced a new 20-page bumper issue. For Socialist Reconstruction Canada “Reopens” to Uncertain Future For Climate and Jobs The Pandemic for Women’s Oppression The Dire State of Canadian Youth Police: A Tool of the Capitalist State Against Indigenous Peoples Capitalism Made COVID Disaster Kenny’s Attack […]
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Tim Heffernan and Martin LeBrun are Ontario and BC educators. They say that school days are the best days of our lives. This may be debatable at the best of times. But as the topic of this year’s return to school dominates media and family discussions, one thing is certain: everything is uncertain. With the […]
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At a time when the Canadian population is polarizing around the pandemic and looming economic crisis, Erin O’Toole has been selected as Andrew Scheer’s replacement atop a relatively energized and mobilized Conservative Party membership. While the number of Conservative party votes, members and donations are all up, the path to a Conservative parliament is less […]
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In 1967 the Boxtops sang “Give me a ticket for an aeroplane, ain’t got time to take a fast train.” 53 years later in the Canada of COVID-19, the chances of going anywhere, whether by plane or train or even long-distance bus, are severely limited. Even before COVID, Canada’s transportation system between towns and cities […]
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The BC NDP’s decision to proceed with the Site C dam a few years ago was a slap in the face of every progressive climate policy that the party claimed to espouse. That was only the tip of the iceberg however, since not only was Site C an ideological betrayal, it did not make sense […]
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Alberta has a long and proud history of community support, cooperatives and working-class struggle, yet in taking a page straight from the political playbooks of the US right wing, the United Conservative Party (UCP) continues to dismember, subdivide and undersell our province’s wealth and security, bankrupting current and future generations. Jason Kenney recently announced a […]
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One can hardly call the Cabinet shuffle involving the departure of Bill Morneau and the promotion of Chrystia Freeland as heralding out with the old and in with the new. Despite alleged policy differences (Trudeau supposedly is a more profligate spender of government money than Morneau), it was more a question of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. […]
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