James Bowden's Blog

Jean Chrétien Shawinigan-Handshakes Canadian History

Posted on 2023/10/25 by J.W.J. Bowden

On 23 October, Jean Chrétien sat for an interview with Daniel Thibault of Radio-Canada to mark the 30th anniversary of the general election of 1993, in which he led the Liberals to victory and the first of three consecutive parliamentary majorities. Thibault asked Chrétien, who will turn 90 on 11 January 2024, various perfunctory and respectful questions about his ten years as prime minister, and their exchange included Chrétien’s recollections of Quebec’s referendum of 1995. But here the wily old Jean Chrétien – derided as “Yesterday’s Man” even back in the election of 1993 – still wishes not merely to share his own recollections of significant political events but to spin tall tales in that famous folksiness of the Little Guy from Shawinigan.

This interview will receive little to no attention in English Canada and will disappear into the ether that separates our Two Solitudes.

Chrétien recounted the following to Thibault at around 5 minutes and 40 seconds into the video:

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Posted in Film & Television, Reviews | Leave a comment

Anthony Rota Resigns in Disgrace as Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada

Posted on 2023/09/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

A Politician’s Propensity toward Platitude Destroys His Career

After Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, addressed a joint sitting of the House of Commons and Senate on Thursday, 21 September 2023, Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, recognised an elderly man in the galleries:

“We have here in the chamber today a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98. His name is Yaroslav Hunka. I am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing—Timiskaming. He is a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Thank you.”[1]

Rota’s praise precipitated a standing ovation. This seemed in the moment like the sort of innocuous and innocent platitude that politicians routinely make about their own constituencies, and it formed but one part of his closing remarks to the Ukrainian delegation.

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Posted in Parliament, Speaker of the House of Commons | Leave a comment

Northwest Territories Delays Its General Election to Mid-November

Posted on 2023/08/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories convened in Inuvik – above the latitudinal treeline and thus away from the fires – on 28 August, though most MLAs had logged on remotely via Zoom because the fires had forced many of them had to flee the territory and take refuge in Alberta.

The Legislative Assembly met yesterday afternoon and passed three bills: one postponing the general election, another amending the Emergency Management Act, and a third Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No 2 to cover the costs of evacuating residents and containing the fires.[1] The Speaker mentioned that “The Commissioner will be asked to assent in writing to the bills you passed today.”[2] I can therefore only presume that the Commissioner of Northwest Territories, Margaret Thom, swiftly granted these three bills Royal Assent by written declaration yesterday.

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Posted in By Efflux of Time, Consensus Government, Dissolution | Leave a comment

Consensus Government & Dissolving the Legislature in Northwest Territories

Posted on 2023/08/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

Wildfires Prompt a Special Sitting of the Legislative Assembly

In August 2023, the skies turned an ominous orange over large swathes of the Northwest Territories as gargantuan wildfires gobbled up forests and inched ever closer toward the edge of Yellowknife, forcing a mass-evacuation of the territories’ capital city.[1] Fires inherently pose a threat to human life and infrastructure, but these particular fires in 2023 have brought another unintended consequence: forcing a delay in the upcoming Northwest Territorian general election, scheduled for 3 October 2023 after a dissolution of the legislature on 3 September 2023.

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