Sep 24 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — A lot has changed in the three years since Justin Trudeau’s government came to power, promising to deliver on the “sunny ways” he promoted during the campaign. A few big things got in the way – a court ruling on Trans Mountain pipeline, struggles with the provinces, including the Doug Ford victory, carbon pricing troubles, […]
Sep 17 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — One thing you can say about politics – it’s forever exciting. For all our complaints about its apparent dysfunction, “gotcha-ism” and ineffectiveness, research is revealing that we are increasingly becoming fascinated with it through the media. Ironically, it proves the old adage that “effective politics is boring.” It’s a sure sign that democracy is undergoing […]
Sep 6 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — “It can be safely said that no widely applicable economic models have been developed specifically for the upcoming era.” Here we go again – another global report on the dangers of climate change and a warning that the world is woefully unprepared for the approaching onslaught. The problem is that there have been so many […]
Aug 30 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — A couple of days ago, in a National Newswatch piece, I broached a sincere question: Can we actually afford the kind of capitalism we have at present? There were lots of interesting responses, usually focusing on America as the epi-centre of economic dysfunction. So, it was surprising to read Franklin Foer’s column in the Atlantic […]
Aug 28 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — In the midst of what was perhaps Donald Trump’s worst week of his presidency emerged a Gallup poll whose findings got lost in all the political intrigue. To quote the poll directly: “The major change among Democrats has been a less upbeat attitude toward capitalism, dropping to 47 percent positive this year — lower than […]
Aug 17 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Along with many other Londoners shocked by the events in Charlottesville, Virginia a year ago, our family joined the rally in our city’s central park to speak out against the racist and neo-Nazi behaviour that had so troubled that American city. But we came away feeling that it wasn’t enough. And, so, this past week, […]
Aug 10 2018 — Glen Pearson — London Free Press — In a move likely designed to rattle a few cages this summer, the provincial government’s decision to chop the basic income pilot project came across as a cold reversal of a campaign promise that said the opposite. The basic income guarantee has been around as a concept for decades, but after years of research and […]
Jul 26 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — In capitals around the world, including Ottawa, questions are being asked no one ever envisioned examining only a few years ago. The rise of authoritarians and the turbulent world of populist politics represent an ongoing conundrum, leaving global leaders flummoxed in the wake of uncertainty. But one Great Question is outflanking all the others: Is […]
Jun 20 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — In the parliamentary calendar, it is inevitable that the subject of Question Period’s dysfunction will emerge, often with a twinge of anger. It’s happening again in these last few days, led by the Toronto Star researching into the veracity and truthfulness of that one time in the House where the government must account for its […]
Jun 19 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — I caught his stare as I was brought into the House of Commons for the first time and just couldn’t read it. It was late-2006, shortly after I had won a by-election as a Liberal in London, Ontario. Paul Dewar had entered the House as a newcomer for the NDP only a few months before. […]
Jun 12 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It was hardly much ado about nothing. In fact, there’s been nothing like it in decades. Donald Trump’s erratic utterances before, during and following the recent G7 meetings effectively kept the world attentive and coming unglued at the same time. The irony of the American president wanting a chair at the table for the Soviet […]
Jun 7 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It’s Election Day in Ontario and many remain as confused as ever as to the choice they must make. Too many have said that they’re not heading to the ballot box this year because elections themselves no longer provide the outcomes people hope for. There’s a lot of truth to this, and should be acknowledged. […]
May 23 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — “Political life is like a big wheel: constantly turning. At times you are up, at times down. But always, the wheel keeps moving,” noted former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. That remains so for many politicians even after their political days have ended. Typically, there are the three acts in a politician’s life: life before, […]
Apr 24 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — The headlines have been fairly consistent. “Canada Introduces a New Era in Peacekeeping,” notes Legion magazine. “UN Peacekeeping in a New Era,” is the title of a policy piece by the Routledge Group. The Globe and Mail headline read, “Liberals Grapple with a New Era of Peacekeeping.” It’s remains a difficult thing to discern exactly […]
Apr 17 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Robin Sears’ article, posted in Sunday’s Toronto Star, was a cogent warning on the implications of extreme populism. Titled “The Fatal Attraction of the Politics of Confrontation,” the column reminds us of what inevitably happens if we opt for leaders who would rather attack democracy as opposed to reforming it: “But the problem with those […]