... to whom? Canada's New Government (TM, Pat. Pend) claims to be "open and accountable", the question is to whom? It certainly isn't to Parliament with Rona Ambrose giving misleading statements to a parliamentary committee. It probably isn't the people, since there's likely no chance we'll be consulted on the "green plan". Further, what we have heard about the so-called environmental plan it would seem that the oil industry is being given a pass on greenhouse gas emissions.

I've long been a proponent of proportional representation, the system of electing representatives in such a way that their numbers in a legislative body reflect the percentage of the vote their respective parties received in the last election. Now there are several different systems of PR, lists are one of the most common. My personal favourite is the Single-Transferable-Ballot with Multi-Member districts. Though complex, it gives the voter a good chance to make their vote actually count. This is different from our current first past the post system where a party that receives less than 50% of the popular vote, gets 100% of the power in the form of a majority government.

In their attempt to placate their theo-conservative base, the federal Tories are reopening the same-sex marriage debate with a free vote to rescind the act that allows it. Since the Tories are unlikely to win such a vote, they have also stated that they will introduce a "religious freedom protection" act. Such an act would allow people to discriminate against homosexuals in any aspect of life. So, under this act, if an apartment owner didn't like homosexuals, he/she could kick them out for that reason. A restaurant owner could put up a "no-gays" sign in his window. It would seem there's nothing the Tories won't do to turn Canada into the worst parts of the US south in the early 1950's.

In the continuing saga of the Calgary West nomination controversy it would appear that the Conservative Party is concerned about how the disclosure of the nomination documents would "irreparably harm" the party. Makes one wonder what these documents contain, given that the party is worried that it would turn of the ultra-conservative Alberta voter, let alone those in the rest of Canada.

There's a climatologist over at Environment Canada by the name of David Phillips. He's probably the most well known of Environment Canada's meteorologists as he is generally the one interviewed when the press has questions about the weather. Now according to Phillips, the next winter will be a mild one, and that it has been ten years since we've had a seasonable cold winter. In fact in the last 37 years we've only had two winters that were colder than normal.

The race to succeed Ralph Klein is now officially underway. An uninspiring group of nine Tories are vying for the position of party leader and Premier. What's made me think about these people are comments by the president of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. Specifically, in response to the lack of rules for the leadership race, party president Doug Graham stated that there were few rules because the rules would be unenforceable. What does this statement say about the character of the candidates?

In a move reminiscent of the 2004 Calgary Montrose nomination battle between next to useless MLA Hung Pham and Gus Barron the courts have decided to look into the nomination process of Rob Anders. It's a sad comment on the Conservative Party that it's own members can't get rid of the cow-pie that is Anders. Now loathe that I am to improve the chances of a Tory getting elected, almost anyone would be better than the embarrassment that is Rob Anders.

I've set up a new poll question about what you think of "Canada's New Government (TM Pat. Pend)". So click here to get to this site's main page and the poll is on the right hand side.

The Tories are doing so much backpedaling this week, you think it'd be easier for them to just turn the bike around. I discussed the firing of a scientist for refusing to use the new Tory catchphrase "Canada's New Government" here. Well apparently the heat from that was too much and as of yesterday he was reinstated. Now listening to As It Happens last night, I was able to hear the minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn's side of the story.

On my way into work this morning I was listening to the local CBC morning show when I heard about an upcoming meeting between government and industry to discuss the employment problem in Alberta. Now when I say employment problem, I mean there aren't enough workers to go around which is causing problems for small employers who can't afford to pay huge salaries to attract workers. This meeting is interesting in what it tells us about business people and conservative government as well as what it means for the economy.