Tag: Elections

Policy Stasis in Australia

Saturday was election day in Australia, and pretty much everyone knew what was going to happen.  The clapped-out two-term Coalition (Liberal-National, i.e. right-wing) government, which was so internally faction-riven that it had three prime ministers in six years via a series of “spills” that Canadian political geeks find so thrilling: the smooth Malcolm Turnbull defenestrating the Jurassic Tony Abbott in 2015, and winning an election before being booted by caucus last fall and replaced by the somewhat more Conservative Scott

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PEI Platform Analysis

Prince Edward Island goes to the polls tomorrow, and while it is Canada’s littlest province with an electorate 10% smaller than the University of Toronto’s student body (unbelievably, the provincial budget is actually 25% smaller), but this is a pan-Canadian blog and by God no provincial budget or election is too small for us at HESA Towers to cover.  So, buckle up to find out what the parties are offering. Let’s start with the NDP, who are not even remotely

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Quebec Election Manifesto Analysis

Bonjour à tous et toutes! It’s Quebec’s election day and so we at HESA Towers are here to provide our usual analysis of the party platforms. It’s the first election in 50 years where sovereignty isn’t the main issue on the ballot, partly because PQ leader Jean-Francois Lisée got his party to promise not to hold a referendum if elected and partly because the PQ is so far out of the running – in fourth place, according to some polls

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New Brunswick Manifesto Analysis

Once upon a time, back when Frank McKenna’s was premier, New Brunswick was seen as something of a leader in Canadian public policy.  Balancing budgets, championing official languages, investing in telecommunications and the internet, creating jobs (even if a lot of them were in call centres) – New Brunswick was seen as having understood the nature of the Maritimes’ long-term challenges and moved decisively to address them. It has been awhile since anyone thought of New Brunswick as a policy

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Ontario (Dumpster Fire) Manifesto Analysis

You may have heard that there is an election on in Ontario.  I tried my best to leave the province for the duration but I’m back now, and holy Moses I wish I weren’t.  It is truly godawful.  A dumpster fire, as the kids say.  But duty calls, and so, forthwith, the traditional HESA platform analysis. Let’s start with the Liberals, whose platform on higher education is essentially that from the last budget: a commitment to a student aid program of targeted

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