Science For Thee, But Not For Me

A common refrain for some people who criticize Harper is that he ‘hates science’. They will usually list a few causes celebre (ie Insite, climate change, etc…) where Harper supposedly ignored or is ignoring scientific advice in a decision or a position. These accusations do an injustice to the issues under consideration by grossly simplifying them but more so I tend to think they are

Who is bankrolling the Vancouver mayor??

Vivian Krause asks fair questions in the National Post and Vancouver Sun:

... Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is no stranger to Tides Canada. In fact, he was a Tides Canada director from 2002 until 2004 when he entered politics with the NDP. The treasurer of Vision Vancouver, the political party that Mr. Robertson rode to power, is Martha Burton, who has been a senior advisor to Tides Canada. Mike Magee, the Chief of Staff at Vancouver City Hall, was also a senior advisor to Tides Canada (2002 to 2007).

... according to my calculations, during the course of five years of politics with both the NDP and Vision Vancouver, Gregor Robertson has received $400,000, including $340,000 in campaign finance for Vision Vancouver, from sources that are affiliated in various ways with two registered charities: the Endswell Foundation and Tides Canada.

There's lots more, including info on Robertson's real estate holdings on Cortes Island:

... Tides USA announced that it had purchased Hank's Beach, a 150-acre ocean-front property on Cortes Island. [which is happily (for Robertson) located right next to] ... 82 acres of ocean front that is owned or co-owned by one of Mayor Robertson's companies, Treedom Ventures Inc.

See also, Terence Corcoran's "mystery Mayor".

Veeerrrry interesting!

Gary McHale, a true Canadian hero

Gary McHale with Michael Coren providing a reminder that:

Gary McHale is a true hero;
Dalton McGuinty is a despicable, law-ignoring (if not law-breaking) weasel;
The OPP are contemptible enforcers of McGuinty's banana-republic lawlessness;
Julian Fantino - see OPP above;
Tim Hudack is a cowardly political weasel;
Stephen Harper should be ashamed of himself for appointing Fantino to his cabinet.

MP Bob Sopuck: Right Wing Scientist?

The Toronto Star has an interesting article on Bob Sopuck, the new Conservative MP from Manitoba. I strongly recommend the article as it seems to give an unbiased look at his environmental credentials and background.What caught my eye however, was the fact that he attended and graduated from Cornell University. That name may not be as familiar to you as Harvard or Yale, but it is an Ivy League

The Art of Deflection

So, Obama is seeking some big deal on alternative energies as a result of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Trying to link the two issues is akin to proposing to repair the roof when your basement is flooding. Sure, maybe your roof needs fixing, but shouldn't one focus on the leak in your basement?The US' problem is that their oil dependence is forcing them to ally with less than reliable

Never Trust the New York Times

By amusing coincidence, I happened to be reviewing the recent Czech legislative election results which will in all likelihood lead to a centre-right coalition taking power with a decrease seen by all the parties of the left; Green, Communist and Social Democratic PartyAnd then I happened on an article in the New York Times talking about the increasing power of the Communist party in the Czech