About that Office of Religious Freedoms

The government is undertaking
consultations for its new Office of Religious Freedoms. But the US tried this
before and it was a big problem – and hey, it looks like we’re on the way to doing
it again because these types of offices seem to be covers for Christian
proselytizing. (You really should read this CBC piece, which lays out what a
lot of the problems with this kind of office).

The news that the premier of New Brunswick
could be signing on to that disastrous Senate “reform” bill? Sounds to some like
it’s more of a bargaining chip to get other concessions from Harper. Not that

it makes it a good idea or anything, because it’s a very, very bad one.

Kady O’Malley looks at the list of upcoming
private member’s bills from the government benches, to see if there’s anything
too scary or hidden agenda-y in there.

O’Malley, industrious person that she is,
also found links between a polling firm with Conservative ties and stimulus
funds that they received. Very interesting.

We have another outsider declaring his
intention to join the NDP leadership race – Martin Singh.

On the Liberal side, former MP Alexandra
Mendes has officially launched her bid to be party president.

Remember Daniel Paillé? He was a Bloc MP
who asked about tax harmonization in every single question period of the
previous Parliament? And how before he ran for the Bloc, the Conservatives
appointed him to look into the polling contracts of the former Liberal government,
and how he turned around and looked at the Conservative ones while he was at it,
which embarrassed them? Yeah, him. He’s apparently going to run for the Bloc leadership, too.

As mentioned in my QP recap, the NDP gave a
unique understanding of what private members’ business is supposed to mean.
Aaron Wherry looks at some previous NDP positions on the very same question.

And here’s a look at the current state of women in Canadian politics now that we have a fourth female premier. (Hint: baby steps – we still have a

long way to go.)