This week @ rabble.ca: Trudeau's new cabinet will have to deliver

Details: Published on Monday, 16 November 2015 17:00; Written by editor

05 Nov 2015

Hey rabble readers!

So far corporate media coverage of Trudeau's government is all about pomp and circumstance, and softball questions. Harper set the bar way too low. Regardless, when Parliament convenes in early December we need to be ready, and send an independent journalist to the Hill who will ask tough questions and hold the Liberals to account. We don't have much time to fundraise for our award-winning Parliamentary correspondent Karl Nerenberg. It doesn't take much. With a goal of only $2,500 in monthly donations to keep Karl on Parl, you can help pledge the funds needed. Become a Karl on Parl patron here and you'll not only get the satisfaction of supporting independent media but you'll get great rewards too!

On Wednesday, Justin Trudeau became Canada's new prime minister and unveiled his cabinet. In naming an equal number of men to women to his cabinet, Trudeau did not have to compromise on competence. Now the new ministers will have to deliver. Karl Nerenberg surveys the new political landscape and considers what lies ahead in his latest report.

This week we asked WTF: What's the Future? in rabble.ca's first post-election live organizing session on Google Hangouts. Couldn't make it? See video of the discussion with Avi Lewis, Libby Davies, Pam Palmater and more right here!

The Media Democracy Project brings communities together with leading media makers, activists and scholars to discuss the relationship between media and democracy. On November 7 join in the Vancouver Media Democracy Day events, panels, media fair and more -- featuring independent media experts including rabble.ca's own blogs editor Michael Stewart and a keynote address from Canadaland's Jesse Brown. Full program details available here.

Four Jewish panelists (one Israeli and three Canadians) will discuss the pros and cons of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. Join the event in person if you are in Vancouver, or watch LIVE on rabbletv, November 8. Get all the details here.

This week's top news

Whose interests will new finance minister Bill Morneau serve?
Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government have been talking a lot about progressive ideas. But when Bill Morneau is the new finance minister, isn't it just the same old corporate elite in charge?
By Daniel James Wright

The NDP's queasy opposition on the niqab
Many say it was the NDP's principled stand on the "niqab ban" that did them in. However, it was actually their lack of a focused attack against Harper and his "fear and loathing" campaign.
By Sarah Beuhler, Tristan Markle

The Yes Men Are Revolting: Culture jammers talk 'meaningful mischief'
The Yes Men are pranksters with purpose. Mike Bonnano, one of the Yes Men, talks art and activism in this rabble interview.
By Meg Borthwick

'Anything but first-past-the-post' is not the answer to Canada's electoral problem
Surely anything but first-past-the-post is better, right? Nope. We need proportional representation to truly have equal and fair voting.
By Stuart Parker

This week's top blogs

It's time for Canadians to demand the local and community media policy we deserve
Tomorrow is the deadline for Canadians (that's you) to tell the CRTC how it should update its local and community TV policy. TV? Who watches TV anymore?
By Cathy Edwards, Meg Borthwick

Trudeau's cabinet has diversity, but conservative white men will keep the purse strings
Diversity in government is especially good if it can raise expectations and lead people to demand that government reflect society in other, more significant ways.
By Dru Oja Jay

Walk to eliminate barriers to higher learning for Indigenous women
A fundraiser aimed at eliminating the barriers to post-secondary success for Indigenous women in Hamilton.
By Doreen Nicoll

Why Trudeau was right not to appoint a First Nations minister of Indigenous Affairs
The very act of being in cabinet sets the minister directly against First Nation interests.
By Pamela Palmater

The problem of representation in the neoliberal age
When individual respresentation rings hollow, how do we continue to fight for it while also re-building feminist movements?
By Nora Loreto

This week's top columns

Endless war is creating an unprecedented global crisis
The crisis of war and the millions fleeing these infernos has reached levels unseen since the Second World War, prompting the UN to issue an "unprecedented joint warning" for states to end wars.
By Amy Goodman, Denis Moynihan

Balancing our climate books: Why ecological debt matters
Election ads notwithstanding, monetary debt is not the real issue of our times. Our growing ecological debt is what politicians -- and everyone -- should be discussing.
By Ole Hendrickson

Bold is the best way forward for a chastened NDP
By putting together a policy agenda of bold ideas, the NDP would help Canadians get a measure of the new Liberal government, and give the party a much-needed leadership role in public debate.
By Duncan Cameron

The TPP, Internet censorship, and Trudeau's first big test as prime minister
Although the previous government signed Canada on to the TPP, it will still need to be approved by the new Liberal government.
By Digital Freedom Update, Meghan Sali

Want democratic reform? Let's start with newspapers.
When we talk about democratic reform, as we will be talking in the months and years ahead as a result of this landmark election, we absolutely must include the reform of the newspaper in Canada.
By Murray Dobbin

MORE FROM...
Naomi Klein, Linda McQuaig, Rick Salutin, Duncan Cameron, Wayne MacPhail, Murray Dobbin and others! Read columns...

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This week's top podcasts

Remembering Ali Mustafa, supporting radical media-makers
Datejie Green and Chris Webb talk about remembering grassroots journalist and radical organizer Ali Mustafa, and supporting young people doing similar work today.
By Scott Neigh

TPP brings draconian copyright laws to Canada
Under the recently finalized TPP trade deal, you could have your computer seized and destroyed if you use it to transfer tracks from a CD you bought to a smartphone you own.
By Redeye Collective

Abortion in Chile
As of October 25, 2015, Chile's Congress is debating de-criminalizing abortion in cases of life endangerment, fetal malformation, and up to 18 weeks only in cases of rape.
By Alexandra Hall

Eleven Years in Your Ears - New Directions in Podcasting - rabble radio October 2015
The rabble podcast network is 10 years old this year. Indian and Cowboy is one year old. That makes 11 years of podcasting!
By Victoria Fenner

This week's top rabbletv

Not Rex: Canada's vote for change feels like more of the same
Canadians voted for change. What they got was more of the same, but different.
By Humberto DaSilva

This week's top books

Big Oil is destroying Canada's democracy and we must stop it
Question: Does Alberta's and Canada's reliance on Big Oil affect our democracy? Answer: Um, yes.
By Lorna Stefanick, Meenal Shrivastava

In this issue

Upcoming events

HamiltonFirst annual Moc Walk
A fundraiser aimed at eliminating the barriers to post-secondary success for Indigenous women in Hamilton.
By McMaster University Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students & Alumni

VancouverJoin in person in Vancouver or watch live! A conversation about BDS
Four Jewish panelists (one Israeli and three Canadians) will discuss the pros and cons of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.
By Indepedent Jewish Voices

TorontoWomen Write the Novella: An Author Panel
Join us for a unique author panel to discuss the novella as genre and form for women authors and their female protagonists.
By Another Story Book Shop

This week's top in cahoots

Building a better working future: The USW and Ontario's changing workplaces review
In Ontario, full-time jobs with decent wages, benefits and retirement income are increasingly rare. In their place are too many low-paid, part-time jobs with minimal benefits or retirement income.
By United Steelworkers

From Pierre to Justin Trudeau: Challenging corporate Canada
Yes, every Liberal government ever elected in Canada has ended up screwing working people. But this Justin fellow seems awfully nice!
By Socialist Worker

Health care, political will and federal leadership
Funding universal health care in Canada is economically viable, but it requires political will and federal leadership.
By Inter Pares

Active babble topics

Newfoundland and Labrador general election, November 30, 2015
By robbie_dee

Election deals blow to Canada's dominant press group
By Debater

'Nation to Nation'? Indigenous people and the Trudeau government
By swallow

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This week's top tool

Giving dehydrated pigs water is not a criminal act
Support Anita Krajnc and her compassion.

Poll

What do you think about Justin Trudeau's new cabinet?

Justin Trudeau officially became Canada's prime minister on Nov. 4 and he appointed his cabinet ministers.

There has been a lot of discussion about Trudeau's approach to appointing his ministers with words like "meritocracy" and "gender parity" being thrown around.

What do you think about Trudeau's new cabinet?

Choices Great! Love the gender parity approach and think the ministers will be excellent. Good! Love the gender parity approach, but there are still some questionable ministers in there. Still just remaining cautiously optimistic about this government. I think there are a lot of progressive drapings, but the Liberals still have a lot to do (and prove). This discussion about meritocracy has really bummed me out. I don't like his cabinet at all. None of the above.