The Paliament Hillbillies

Topics Covered:Reach out and touch faith: Alex's demarcation of the science of global warming.Relevant Links:Wikipedia: Global WarmingCTV: Global WarmingWikipedia: IPCCSecurity Catalyst: In-Depth with Punchscan

Topics Covered:Seeing Red: Rally in support of Canadian military presence, Afghanistan president addresses parliament, Pakistan president weighs in.QP Antics: Heckling in the House of Commons? Unlikely!Clinton vs. Fox: Willy does his best Jeremy Paxman impression.Misc: New Brunswick swings Liberal unproportionately, Tories review the Liberal leadership candidates, RCMP commissioner grilled over Arar.Relevant Links:CBC: RCMP Commissioner Giuliano ZaccardelliThe Star: Memo Shows Tories Fear Ignatieff MostWikipedia: New Brunswick General Election

Topics Covered:Actual Canadian Politics: Access to information leak, Do not fly list, Liberal leadership update, NDP call Afghanistan withdrawal, School shooting spawns gun registry debate.Plus a Few Tangents: Google.org's capitalistic philanthropy, Closed parking lots.Relevant Links: Google.orgNational Post: A Chill in the AirCNEWS: U.S. no fly list snagging CanadiansWikipedia: Liberal Leadership Convention

Topics Covered:Target Market: Eco-capitalism at Ottawa Bluesfest, Predictive markets and collaborative wisdom, Click fraud and the Yahoo stock bomb, The long tail of markets.All About Voting: Preferential voting, Strategic voting, and Proportion representation.Israel & Lebanon: Understanding the end game, The (a)symmetry of the war measures, Western reaction and sentiment, Fighting autonomous groups instead of nation-states.Relevant Links:Slate: Middle East Buddy ListWired: The Next Green RevolutionWired: The Long TailWikipedia: Lebanon-Israel ConflictGuardian: How could both sides have blundered so badly?Cenimar Predictive Market

Topics Covered:QP Round-up: Hockey fever hits the house, Rowdy hockey chants emerge from the benches.Liberal Check-up: Volpe scores the contents of childrens' piggy banks, Ignatieff and Brison support Afghanastan extension.Global Warming: What better to discuss on a hot summer day?Police Action: OPP praised for terrorist sting, criticized for inaction in Caledonia.Relevant Links:Police getting smeared in Caledonia: union groupsPolice hurt, swarmed in Caledonia clashCanada no haven for terrorists, CSIS head tells U.S.Second Liberal leadership debate [Video]

Topics Covered:Census Day: The government successfully prevents people from finding out how the census is secured.Copyleft: Creative Commons primer, The alternative to copyright, Piracy questioned, The 4 ways of stealing, The friends and enemies of modern music.Afghanistan Vote: Jeremy weighs in via email.Dissin' the Judiciary: Vellacott's vexing vernacular.Relevant Links:Smashing Pumpkins, "Machina II - The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music"Can I Get an Ahmen?Creative Commons CanadaCanadian Census controversy continuesDebating Maurice Vellacott

Topics Covered:QP Round-up: Flippant MPs drop a crop of flip flops, Official orator of the opposition, Heckling unhinged.Online Census: Security questioned, Do you trust the government just because they are the government?Tory Times: Bland budget, Walking the line on Quebec, Wise words on the softwood settlement from the PM before he was the PM, McKay in Afghanistan.Relevant Links:UK Question TimeMcKay in Afghanistan Liberal Candidate Logos on WikipediaAmbrose on Rick Mercer Report [Video]Made in Canada

Topics Covered:QP Round-up: The latest and greatest from Question Period.Parliament Preview: Jeremy's take on the tone in the House of Commons and what to watch for.Leadership Madness Continues: Ever more Liberal candidates with lots of baggage to go around, the Green Party gets in on the leadership fun.Note:Due to not having done a show on my computer before, I wasn't prepared for a few technical difficulties. As a result, the quality of the show is generally subpar and there is some clicking and skipping that gets progressively worst towards the end. Apologies.

Topics Covered:Parliament Opens: Milliken re-elected as Speaker of the House, Throne speech expected on Tuesday, Question Period begins on Wednesday, Accountability Act likely tabled early next week.More Mouth-Offs: Singer Morrissey compares seal hunt to holocaust and cuts Canadian concert dates, MP Mayes writes that bad journalists should be jailed in Op-Ed and then retracts.Middle-East Tension: Afghanistan's constitution mashes-up theocracy and democracy, Canada cuts support to Palestine's Hamas-led government, Israel elects new Prime Minister, Iran showcases weapons as its relationship with Russia worries the West.Liberal Leadership: Jeremy reports on Ignatieff's "vision speech", controversial views on torture.Relevant Links:Milliken re-elected Speaker as Parliament resumesSlate's Explainer on Hunting SealsTory MP retracts suggesting jailing bad journalistsThe Torture ToolkitHarper must let his ministers take the heat"Not a red cent to Hamas"Ignatieff's Speech Transcript (note: does not contain ad lib regarding protesters)

Topics Covered:Throne Speech: Liberals ready to play chicken, NDP and Bloc likely not to get in on bluff.Afghanistan: Religion trumps human rights, Grappling with our military's dialectical composition of peacekeepers and warriors.Integrity Commissioner: Harper set to announce new office to handle whistleblowers, Alan Cutler forerunner for commissioner position, Ethics Commissioner's blunder raises questions of whether new office will be subject to the Privacy Act.Ongoing Grit Saga: Ignatieff set to throw his hat in the ring and square off against Ashley MacIsaac et al, Liberals reexamine party principals through renewal commission.Relevant Links:Convert in Afghanistan faces death penaltyNew Office of the Integrity CommissionerShapiro's office exempt from Privacy ActDr. Ignatieff set to runWatch-out for longshot candidate in leadership raceLiberals launch renewal commission

Topics Covered:Emerson Exonerated: Ethics Commissioner finds Harper and Emerson acted within boundaries, Alex objects to Shapiro's soapboxing on floor-crossings, Jeremy buys Shapiro's counter-argument to the PMO's "double standard" accusation.Inter-Party Dissent: Liberals officially back the Conservatives on not opening debate on Afghanistan despite Ujjal's earlier comments to the contrary, Liberal senator shoots her mouth off in a "not reflective of party views" response to an American family upset over the seal hunt, Conservatives crack down on public comments and require PMO authorisation to ensure everyone sticks to the script.Harper and Quebec: Bloc fearmongering over seperatism continues as Harper develops close relationship with Cherest.Boarder Control: Americans propose stricter rules on identification at the boarder, Americans invoke 190 year old treaty to arm ships patrolling the Great Lakes.Et Cetera: Judge imposes bail conditions on teens accused in Calgary fatal beating, Australian protest over Queen's visit to the Commonwealth games.Relevant Links:The Harper-Emerson ReportLiberal's back Tories on Afghan MissionHarper's plan helps separatists, Bloc saysSenator fires back at U.S. Family Upset with Seal HuntU.S. ID card scheme fatal for tourism: surveyMachine Guns on Coast Guard BoatsBus slaying suspects free on bailProtests greet Queen at Commonwealth Games

Topics Covered:Surprise Visit: Prime Minister Harper braves the rocket attacks and spends the night in Afghanistan, debate over Canada's role simmers back home.Ethics Fever: NDP Pat Martin takes the shotgun approach: better late than never for Belinda, allegations of leaking insider information may cool Scott Brison's potential for Liberal leadership, how the space shuttle Challenger explosion might hold the key for exonerating Brison and Goodale.Smear Campaign: David Emerson gets a surprise visit from Mr. Hanky.Rights Revolution: Ontario MP discusses organ donation, BC and Alberta take on the US PATRIOT Act, we take on online census security.Nuclear Anxiety: international tension escalates over Iran's proposed nuclear program.Relevant Links:Harper visits AfghanistanEthics probe should include StronachEthics probe should include BrisonManure dumped outside Emerson's office'Presumed consent' option for organ donationsAlberta Introduces Bill to Block Patriot Act DisclosuresHarper's 11

Topics Covered:Seal Hunt: Premier Williams vs Paul McCarney: "I've got a word or two, to say about the things that you do."Emerson Lives On: Ethics commissioner launches investigation to PMO's public chagrin, Alex reveals what the P stands for in MP, 28 and a half Helens agree: Emerson should face byelection.Weapons of Past Restriction: The Supreme Court overturns ban on the Sikh Kirpan in public schools, Kirpans are daggers in name only.Patent Fever: Justice Rothstein gets the nod while we revisit his ruling on patenting living organisms, RIM pays up to NTP.Provincial Jurisdiction: Premier Klein keeps peddling his healthcare vision, Ontario fesses up to a coming energy crisis.Other Random Rants: Crash scoops Best Picture, Liberal leadership potentials mastermind their sinister plots to power.Relevant Links:Williams, McCartneys on Larry KingDon't touch the seals, PaulSupreme Court ruling on KirpansEthics commisioner to look at floor crossingEmerson's mock byelectionGeist on RothsteinKlein's third way health-careRIM and NTP settlePotential Liberal leadership candidates test watersOntario's "Our Energy, Our Future" [pdf]

Topics Covered:Digital Rights: Learning from C-60, antiquated tariffs on recordable media afford users no rights.Technological Issues: A national do-not-call list: easier said than done, securing public trust in Canada's first online census.Supreme Court Committee: Good or bad.. or just useless?Relevant Links:Russell McOrmond's comments on PHBOKill bill C-60Statscan to fortify online census toolNational do not call list frameworkHow to finance a Hollywood blockbusterSupreme Court nominee faces MPs' questionsProposed levies on blank audio recording media, 2007 [pdf]Michael Geist on the levies

Topics Covered:Recent Picks: New ambassadors to the US and UN named.On the Defence: Cabinet criticism continues with ex-lobbyist Gordon O'Connor.Media and PR: Harper-Charest meeting closed to the media, the hostile media effect and media bias in Canada, the future of the CBC.Supreme Court Nomination: New process conjures up images of US Senate hearings but similarities are superficial.Controversial Cartoons Continued: Hasty generalisations and double standards.Relevant Links:Reality Check on O'ConnorGlobe and Mail Op-Ed defends O'ConnorMichael Wilson named as Ambassador to USMPs to question new Supreme Court pickBev Oda and the CBCIslam Today on CTS

Topics Covered:The Conservative Cabinet: Emerson crosses over, Fortier elected to Senate, Turner hushed.Liberal Leadership: Wide open race for leadership, Graham named leader of the opposition.David Wilkins: U.S. ambassador crosses swords then retreats.Controversial Cartoons: Mohammed caricatures spark outrage.Relevant Links:The Canadian CabinetLiberal Party's Potential LeadersHarper brushes off U.S. criticism of Arctic planWestern Canadian magazine publishes Muhammad cartoonsSyria, Rice face off over prophet cartoon