Owner: Prairie Fire URL:www.saskprairiefire.blogspot.com Join Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:05:26 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A true Saskatchewan Grit. From the bright lights of Saskatoon’s synchrotron, to the intrigue and inspiration of Canada’s capital, to the political heart of the free world, and back again – commentary on real life, politics, and everything in-between Site statistics:Click here
Campaign for Saskatoon Northwest - Day 1 2007-08-16 18:16:00 Well it is now official - last night we had our nomination meeting for Saskatoon Northwest
and I was honoured to be confirmed as the Saskatchewan Liberal Party candidate for the upcoming provincial election. Was really great to see so many people out for a nomination meeting on a beautiful summer evening - my sincere thanks to all who took the time and effort to come out and support me as we officially launched the campaign. And a big thank you as well to all of those both near and far who have been flooding me with e-mails and phone calls over the past few days with words of encouragement and offers of support for the coming campaign - it has been a real boost and I can feel some momentum already!There was a little bit of media coverage today about my candidacy which you can read here and here. Hope to have some video and/or pictures from the nomination meeting up on the website in the not too distant future.Now the real work begins, and I couldn't be more excited. The more people I Read more:Campaign
Talking to Americans 2007-08-28 08:45:00 I haven't seen the mainstream media pick-up on this yet, but Saskatchewan Liberal Leader David Karwacki has received some considerable ink south of the border as he has made the business case to Americans
as to why our Canadian health care system actually makes Canadian companies more economically competitive. To date, I have seen his op-ed published in the following papers:Salt Lake TribuneKansas City Starthe Billings Gazette Undernews Columbia Tribune The MonitorModesto Bee Read more:Talking
Airport Blogging 2007-09-02 18:15:00 Waiting for my connection at Pearson Airport in Toronto as I make my way back to Saskatoon after spending a few days in Halifax for a wedding. Was a real honour and a touching moment to stand next to one of my oldest friends as he began a new chapter in his life.I have been following the "PORNT" controversy while I have been away. Already I was hearing from people on the doorstep annoyance with the NDPs "same old sask party" attack campaign. Will be very curious to see what people are saying when I am back on the doorstep this week.I think David Karwacki was right to have said a few days ago that the provincial Liberals are not going to just stand around with our hands behind our backs if this is how the other parties are going to fight the election. We can not allow such an important opportunity to have a real conversation about the future of our province be passed over because of more of the "same old, same old" from the Sask Party and the NDP.On a side note, the lounge I am in has j Read more:Blogging
Keeping Them Honest 2007-10-15 02:53:00 It has only been four days since the writ was dropped but it feels like we have been campaigning for months already (well, then again, maybe that is because we have been!). One of the major themes that Liberal Leader David Karwacki has been talking about in the first few days of the campaign is keeping the Legislature accountable and transparent.There is no doubt as I talk to people on the doorstep that there is an honest desire for change. In fact a poll of Saskatoon residents released on Friday found that almost 40% of people in our city are undecided - nearly 2/3 of those being former NDP supporters. But at the same time people are tired of politics as usual in Saskatchewan. The partisanship. The backroom deals.Speaking of which, a few people here at the campaign office have found the reaction of at least one commentator to our accountability and transparency in government announcement a little puzzling. Accountability is not an issue in this election? When is accountability ever no
And We’re Off! 2007-10-11 11:17:00 Last night the writ was dropped and we are off to the races here in Saskatchewan with an election date set for November 7th. It will no doubt be a fascinating 28 days to come, and an election that promises a realignment of the political landscape in our province.Since my nomination I have had the chance to talk to hundreds of people throughout Saskatoon Northwest – at events, on the doorstep and on the phone. People are telling me that they want to see change in the Legislature and are ready for new voices. They want someone who will fight for issues that really matter to people, like eliminating unfair property taxes. And they want to make sure that the next Government of Saskatchewan is held accountable – particularly after the revelations last week of the gold-plated health benefits scheme that the NDP and Sask Party cooked up behind closed doors while they were asking regular working people like teachers and nurses to take a pay-cut.I’m feeling great about the campaign and re
The Housing Crisis and the Provincial Election 2007-10-25 13:10:00 Cross-posted from the "Saskatoon HousingCrisis
" group on Facebook:-------------------------------------------------------------------------For those who have been following the provincial election over the past few weeks, the issue of affordable housing has popped up from time to time.As the Liberal candidate in Saskatoon Northwest, the housing crisis is the number one issue that I am hearing about from voters on the doorstep. I am committed to fight for meaningful relief for people so that they are not forced from their homes because of rising costs and am proud that our party has made addressing the housing crisis one of our top priorities.Under our education property tax reform plan we would provide a rebate directly to renters, which would be equivalent to about one month's rent per year, to help take some of the bite out of the housing crunch and put money back in your pocket. I would encourage you to visit our on-line property tax calculator and see how much you would save: www Read more:Election
Androsoff to LeClerc: “It’s Time for an Open Debate” 2007-10-30 13:33:00 The following press release was issued by my campaign this morning.------------------------------------------------------------For Immediate ReleaseOctober 30, 2007Androsoff to LeClerc: “It’s Time for an Open Debate
”Saskatoon – Saskatoon Northwest Liberal Candidate Ryan Androsoff is asking Saskatchewan Party Candidate Serge LeClerc why he won’t participate in an open debate. The Sask Party campaign has indicated that they “don’t have time” to participate in a debate during the final week of the campaign.“It is a sad commentary when Serge and his campaign team view having an open debate in front of his constituents as being a waste of his time,” said Androsoff. “The ability to have an open debate of ideas is the foundation of our democratic process, not an optional activity.”The Liberal campaign has taken the initiative to contact both the NDP and Sask Party campaigns to offer to co-organize a debate for the voters of Saskatoon Northwest. The NDP campaign has ind
SIAST All Party Debate 2007-11-05 01:32:00 Here are some clips from an all party debate I participated in on Thursday at the Kelsey SIAST campus in Saskatoon. Along with myself representing the Liberal Party
was Rob Norris of the Sask Party, Frank Quennell of the NDP, and the Leaders of the Green Party, PC Party, and Western Independence Party. Read more:Debate
Turning the Page - Saskatchewan Election 2007 2007-11-20 16:07:00 "There is a tide in the affairs of men"- from Shakespeare's Julius CaesarIt has been almost two weeks since election night in Saskatchewan
. For those who have worked on campaigns before you know just how taxing they can be. The late nights and early mornings. The emotional highs and lows. The bonds you build with your comrades in arms as you work together in a pressure cooker, and the long goodbyes as the team goes their separate ways in the days that follow. For those who have been candidates before, you know (as I have just discovered) it amplifies all of these feeling by a factor of 10. It is an incredible experience to be able to talk with thousands of your fellow citizens as they share their hopes for the future and participate in the democratic process. And it is a real honour to receive support in so many ways, both big and small, from people who believe in your ability to make a difference. I am immensely proud of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party's campaign and our campaign in Read more:Election
Book signing update 2007-12-07 18:47:00 Rumour in line is that 700 people showed up tonight. After an hour I have advanced from the French lit section to the Harlequin romance section. Pitty the poor bastards back in the Children's area.Will Big Ryan make it before the Little Guy's hand goes numb? Stay tuned!Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network Read more:signing
Live blogging from the Chretien book signing 2007-12-07 18:07:00 Tonight Prairie Fire is coming to you live from the Chapters on Rideau Street in Ottawa where former PM Jean Chretien is signing
copies of his new book.He may be gone from public life, but certianly not forgotten. The top floor is packed, and people were lining up almost two hours ahead of time. The first 100 get their signature personalized. Sadly I am not amongst their ranks.Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network
Three Cheers for Ottawa Snow Removal 2007-12-03 17:33:00 I am always impressed when I am in Ottawa
during the winter at how on the ball (at least compared to Saskatchewan) they are with respect to snow removal.Last night almost a foot of snow fell here. By the time the first flakes hit the ground the trucks were out. The result is that by this morning it seems all the major routes are passable and by this evening even secondary routes seem to be in good shape. In Saskatoon it would take DAYS to dig out of that kind of mess - and I really don't understand why!Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network Read more:Three
, Cheers
, Removal
What's that? More clucking politicians you say? 2007-12-17 23:20:00 It seems tis' the season with two more examples of politicians
"chickening out" as it were:- In Saskatchewan, after boldly proposing to change the Government of Saskatchewan's wheat sheaf logo that was created back in 1977, Deputy Premier Ken Krawetz backed down today in the face of such overwhelming opposition as 300 (that's right...with 2 zeros!) people joining a facebook group. Oh yes, and some people said bad things on talk radio. If that is going to be all it is going to take to stop the Sask Party from doing something, I guess we should have believed Brad Wall when he said his crew really were a bunch of sheep as well.- And in Ottawa, a much less reported story. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty late last week announced $1.3 billon dollars to the World Bank's International Development Assistance fund over the next 3 years - a 25% increase in Canada's contribution. How is this chickening out you ask? For a government that continues to push an agenda of accountability and getting
Chickens coming home to roost 2007-12-11 20:42:00 And by "coming home" I mean sauntering on down the stairs from Councillor's Row to Ottawa's City Council chambers last night for a special, emergency session of Council to respond to Mayor Larry O'Brien being criminally charged by the OPP of bribery during last year's municipal elections. This promised to be high drama in the world of Ottawa municipal politics where Councillors could have a rare opportunity to play a part in a memorable scene of political theatre. Or, you know, ask a question or something.City Solicitor Rick O'Connor led off after a few rambling remarks by the Mayor to scare the beejebers out of everyone that if they were to discuss this matter currently before the courts, fire and brimstone would fall from the sky and rain legal Armageddon upon each and every member of Council. Well okay, that's O'Connor's job to remind Council that it is a political body, not a legal one. Duly noted.Then it was Council's turn. And they decided to...go home.Seriously? The bes Read more:Chickens
Dispatches from the Road 2008-02-28 16:36:13 Miami Beach is, predictably, warmer than Saskatchewan. Though surprisingly, the last couple days, not actually so much. I have high hopes for the weekend.Got to play with gators today...it was much fun. And for my dear friend Pumpernickel, as promised, a picture of the rare "South Beach Pastrami on Pumpernickel" to add to your collection. More to come. Read more:Dispatches
Post #200 and a short break from blogging 2008-02-24 23:39:09 As you may have noticed, my blogging in the last week or so has been a little more sporadic than usual. In large part this has been due to the fact that my work with Trident International has keep me quite busy as of late. Well it isn't going to get any better.Starting tomorrow, I am taking a long overdue vacation to the land of alligators & Scarface, and then to the land of country music & Elvis (incidentally, though the odds are sharply against it, I won't be visiting a single state that Obama won during my vacation!). If the time and mood strikes, I may blog from down south. If you don't hear from me for the next two weeks, take it only as a sign that I am having far too good of a time!
Why I Don't Like John McCain: Part 3 2008-02-24 23:26:09 Most have gotten caught up in the unproven sex scandal, but the bigger issue is his ties to lobbyists in general. As this video rightly points out, for all of Saint McCain
's preaching about ethics, his own practice thereof is something that is sure to come to haunt him during the general election.
The Hypocrisy of John McCain? 2008-02-21 00:04:54 A very interesting and anticipated story (or non-story depending on whom you ask) is breaking at the New York Times regarding John McCain
's history with lobbyists. A number of commentators have attacked the piece for being a little bit shallow, digging up old stories, and being based too heavily on anonymous sources. That said, for young pups like me, I wasn't aware of the "Keating Five" scandal from the early 90's, which is certainly an interesting episode from his legislative experience. The article goes on to make some veiled attacks on other possible ethical breaches, including a strongly implied affair with a lobbyist about 30 years his junior.No doubt there will be much discussion of this in the days and months to come. The most interesting Presidential race in recent history seems t Read more:Hypocrisy
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Why are the Conservatives Such Jerks? 2008-02-14 14:14:12 A former colleague of mine sent me this excerpt from yesterday's Hansard of debates in the House of Commons:-------------------------------Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the House has just given its unanimous consent to a motion that came to us outside of the ordinary order or precedence. Yesterday the Chief Government Whip rejected such a practice. He said that it would create a bad precedent. The precedent now seems to have been set, so in the same spirit of cooperation in the House I wonder if there is now unanimous consent to adopt Motion No. 427, standing in the name of the hon. member for Davenport, which states:The Speaker: Does the hon. member for Wascana have the unanimous consent of the House. The hon. government House leader is rising on a point of orderHon. Pe Read more:Conservatives
Must Reads for Presidential Primary Junkies 2008-02-13 20:59:18 Given the scope of on-line media these days, one could spend all their waking hours reading about every twist and turn in the race to the White House. No doubt you, like me, don't quite have that much free time on your hands and are looking to find the best information beyond the pablum offered up by the major news networks. Thus, allow me to share with you the four indispensable resources I have come across that are my new daily reads for all the goings on in American Presidential
politics.Slate's Trailhead: In general, Slate is an excellent read and has great coverage from a number of perspectives, including "XX Factor" which is a woman's only political blog. But Trailhead is the must read with great analysis and on-the-scene reporting.Time's The Page:This is Time's reporter Mark Halperi Read more:Primary
, Junkies
James Carville Agrees With Me! 2008-02-13 17:58:12 From the Orlando Sentinel:On the chances of Hillary Clinton, the candidate he is advising:"She’s behind. Make no mistake. If she lose either Texas or Ohio, this thing is done." Read more:James
Coming to you Live from Left Field 2008-02-13 17:36:22 Seriously, can someone explain to me why the US Congress is waisting time holding hearings on whether or not Roger Clemens took steroids? How does this have anything to do with the mandate of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform? Or is this the Congressional equivalent of wasting time at work by surfing Facebook?I caught a few minutes of the testimony and it was without doubt one of the most ridiculous spectacles I have seen in a long time. Thank the good lord that I am not a US taxpayer, otherwise I would be absolutely livid. Read more:Field
Memo to Clinton: Beware the Ides of March 2008-02-13 12:44:33 With the completion of last night's Potomac Primary, we may have in fact witnessed a turning point in the Democratic contest. Obama for the first time overtook Clinton
on the big board in terms of total delegates (that is pledged and superdelegates). Since Super Tuesday he has been ahead in terms of pledged delegates, and the math that I have seen from his own camp and other observers would make it seem very unlikely he would lose that lead in that Clinton would need to win each future primary by margins of 20-30% to pull ahead. Moreover, Obama has won almost double the number of states that Clinton has and has won a greater number of votes (even if you factor in Florida and Michigan).That said, Clinton could still win. She could go negative, Obama could stumble, the superdelegates could o Read more:Beware
, March
The Superdelegate Problem - a lesson for Canadian Liberals? 2008-02-11 17:31:17 For those watching the Presidential primaries, no doubt you have heard about the growing debate regarding the role that the so-called "superdelegates" may play in determining the who the nominee of the Democratic Party is.As I was wading through some of the coverage today, I couldn't help but think back to the Liberal Party's leadership campaign in 2006. Like the Democrats, Liberals
have "ex-officio" delegates who get an automatic vote at Liberal leadership conventions. And though no doubt all camps were actively courting ex-officio delegates during the leadership race, they never played as prominent of a role as they are right now in the United States. I thought perhaps this might be because there is a higher percentage of automatic delegates (for the sake of this posting, automatic deleg Read more:Problem
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McCain 08: Like Hope, But Different 2008-02-11 11:15:06 Check out this hilarious parody of the inspirational "Yes We Can" video by will.i.am:For those who haven't seen it, here is the original: Read more:McCain
And finally - the most ridiculous comment of Super Tuesday 2008-02-06 10:08:35 So as my brother and I watched the results come in last night (rooting for Huckabee and Obama respectively, and enjoying rye and coke and scotch on the rocks respectively) we couldn't help but laugh our asses off at John King of CNN. Now usually he is one of the more insightful and watchable commentators on American cable news. And for the most part he was again last night.However, whenever Wolf was trying to rag-the-puck for time he would go over to John at his snazzy county-by-county interactive map of the states that were in play to analyze the results that had come in so far. The maps would be color-coded giving a visual representation of the strength of the various candidates. And inevitably as he was explaining what was going on he would give some variation of this line:"But Wolf, wh Read more:ridiculous
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Super Duper Tuesday: The Aftermath (Republican Edition) 2008-02-06 09:52:45 So on to the Republican
s. It is a bit of a simpler storyline than the Democrats, despite having three players. Let's look at them one at a time:McCain:He did what he had to do, won the lion's share of delegates and the big states, cemented his front-runner status, and give-or-take has locked up the nomination. He has some nicey-nice he needs to make somehow with the conservative wing of his party (one shocking exit poll result I remember seeing last night: in his home state of Arizona he lost the conservative vote to Romney!). But all that being said, it is pretty difficult to see a reasonable path for either Romney or Huckabee to take the nomination from him.Romney:A poor showing for him last night, and universally seen as the loser of SuperTuesday
. Won his home states of Utah and Massac Read more:Aftermath
, Edition
Super Duper Tuesday: The Aftermath 2008-02-06 08:58:07 No doubt all the political junkies who read this blog have, like me, been glued to their computers and American cable news channels over the past 12 hours or so to follow all the ups and downs of SuperTuesday
. There probably isn't much I can add that hasn't been said better by others already, but since I really can't help myself, here is my analysis anyway of the Presidential primary race post-Super Tuesday.Democrats: One of the frustrations with the media coverage is that they again treated the race as if it was a "winner-takes-all" contest with 50%+1 getting a big flashy graphic and a check mark on their running totals. The curse of live television (other than having to listen to Wolf Blitzer's voice for hours on end) is the need for instant gratification to keep viewers tuned in. Thus Read more:Aftermath
On ideas and free markets 2008-02-04 09:25:15 There has been a lot of virtual ink that has been spilt over the past few days over Private Members Motion M-446 that MP Keith Martin has put forward which seeks to delete section 13(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act. In essence, this is a response in part to the current cases before the Human Rights Commission that Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn are facing. I won't get into the gory details of their respective cases - you can dig in to learn more yourself at the links above.In the interest of wading into this debate, let me quote myself from a posting back in July:My position on the matter is that short of endangering the physical security of others, we should not just tolerate but encourage the whole spectrum of opinion. Vigorous debate and the harnessing of the collective wisdom of the ma Read more:ideas
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