Samara Main Blog

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:46:31 Z

Head to events with Equal Voice and Proud Politics, apply to be Parliament's Poet Laureate, and asnwer the age-old question: Can the Senate fire their Senators? This and more in our weekly roundup of the best and most bizarre in #cdnpoli.

The search for common (political) ground

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:11:26 Z

A month ago we spoke to some university students about their thoughts on political parties. One of their suggestions? Get rid of them. In response, a number of party members wrote to us, wanting to provide their perspective and positive experiences with parties. Today's post comes from a member of the Conservative Party.

Democracy Talks meets the BC Election

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:01:24 Z

Marissa Lawrence is the BC coordinator of Samara’s Democracy Talks, and has done an amazing job traveling the province holding Democracy Talks events leading up to the BC election. She recently shared her experiences in an op-ed in the Vancouver Sun. Read more.

Researchers' Notebook

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:21:51 Z

Samara’s Researchers’ Notebook gives you a behind-the-scenes update on research at Samara, including how our Democracy Reports and Samara Index are developed. This series is brought to you by Samara’s Research Manager, Jane Hilderman, and Research Analyst, Laura Anthony.

Underrepresented groups in Parliament punch above their weight

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:41 Z

New research from Samara finds that underrepresented groups in Parliament - women and those under age 35 - are speaking up more than their colleagues. We take a look at the numbers and some other interesting trends in Parliamentary conversation.

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:32:48 Z

Jobs available in all the major political parties! A four year old is elected mayor. BC's election is full of surprises, and more! Samara's weekly Friday Fill(ibuster) - a round-up of our favourite stories and events in #cdnpoli this week.

All politics is local

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:43:32 Z

Should we abolish political parties? Two weeks ago we posted a blog about some university students who were strongly considering it. A number of readers wrote to us, asking for the opportunity to show the other side of the story. Today we share the perspective of one Samara volunteer, an executive member of an NDP riding association, who sees political parties as key to building successful democracies.

Correction & Apology

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:13:49 Z

On Monday, we released a project that analyzed over 8 million words spoken by MPs in the House of Commons in 2012. Due to a mistake in transcription, this contained errors, which we regret and have corrected. We wanted to take this opportunity to apologize, and also explain where we went wrong to help ensure mistakes won’t happen again.

New research finds Cabinet Ministers are among the quietest MPs in the House

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:27:28 Z

Samara releases new research that illustrates the diversity in how much MPs speak in the House of Commons. Two interactive infographics, "MPs by the Books" and "House of Words" pair Members of Parliament and words spoken in the House with notable books by Canadian authors.

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:21:03 Z

This week in Canadian politics we learned that you can apply online to be the mayor of Montreal, share a love of Arrested Development with Thomas Mulcair and calculate the true cost of an election. All this and more in our weekly roundup of the best stories and events in #cdnpoli.

Political Parties: Expectations and Realities

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:16:39 Z

You know they exist… you may have even been contacted by one… and you’ve heard the rumours about how they’re out of touch. But what exactly are political parties, and perhaps more importantly, what exactly is their role in Canada’s political system? In this first blog post, we consider this question in light of the expectations and realities of parties’ activities.

UBC opens boot camp for aspiring politicians

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:50:38 Z

Calling all aspiring politicians. Starting in June The University of British Columbia is offering Canada's first non-partisan "political bootcamp" - The Summer Institute for Future Legislators. Mentorship and workshops will be provided by former Parliamentarians, party leaders, political journalists and cabinet ministers. Learn more about it here.

Samara Notebook: April

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:44:47 Z

Samara's April notebook, giving you a behind-the-scenes update on life at Samara, by executive director Alison Loat.

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:03:39 Z

Lots of political job postings, Elizabeth May takes on party leaders, and youth may not be so apathetic after all. A roundup of our favourite news stories, job postings and events in #cdnpoli this week.

Democracy Talks Dispatches: Does Canada have a "political culture"?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:13 Z

Gina Foley, a new citizen and Democracy Talks participant, asks "Does getting a maple leaf tattoo demonstrate love for Canada more than casting a vote?" Here we talk to her about Canada's "political culture" and how it compares to the culture in the 14 other cities where she's lived.

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:28:35 Z

12 year-olds are running campaigns, citizens are robocalling politicians, and even drama teachers are stepping into the political fray - it's been quite the week in #cdnpoli! We round up our favourite news stories and events in today's Friday Fill(ibuster).

Donner Prize Winner

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:16:13 Z

We announce the winner of the Donner Prize and of our "Guess the Winner" contest who will be taking home all 4 nominated books!

Calling All Civics Teachers! Spend a week in the shoes of MPs on Parliament Hill

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:03:41 Z

Civics Teachers: Apply to spend a week on Parliament Hill! Deadline: Tuesday, April 30th, 2013.

Whose party is it anyway?

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:34:37 Z

Youth membership in political parties is declining across industrialized nations. So who is joining parties? We take a look at the demographic make-up of parties in Canada and what it means for the state of our democracy.

Will they or won’t they? Finally a reason to watch Question Period

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:33:38 Z

"Let the pandemonium ensue"--Kady O'Malley on Twitter yesterday at Speaker Scheer's ruling on the question of freedom of speech for MPs. At Question Period today (2:00) we'll see if any MPs take Speaker Scheer up on his offer to stand up and be recognized.

Democracy Talks Dispatches: University students skip the party

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:47:34 Z

A survey conducted 12 years ago found the average age of a political party member in Canada to be 59-years-old. Here we talk with Democracy Talks participant and university student Bryce Geereart, on why his vision of an ideal democracy would not include political parties, and why his peers aren't interested in joining parties either.

Your Friday Fill(ibuster)

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:50:00 Z

Remembering great Canadians, questioning attack ads, and looking forward to Canada's 150th anniversary. Our roundup of the best in #cdnpoli, events and goings-on this week.

Civic Engagement: A Canadian Success Story

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:59:14 Z

Inspired by our conversation with Democracy Talks participant Uzma Irfan, today we highlight another example of a civic engagement success story: The Registered Disabilities Savings Plan.

Announcing the Donner Prize Contest!

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:01:21 Z

Next Thursday the winner of The Donner Prize, a $50,000 prize awarded to a book that demonstrates excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians, will be announced. Take a look at the contenders and enter our contest to be entered into a draw to win all 4 finalists!

Balancing Family and Work: Challenges Facing Canadian MPs

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:02:28 Z

Samara's Content Manager, Kendall Anderson, offers a personal reaction to the lives of MPs--and the impact on their families. Reviewing a newly published article based on the MP Exit Interviews, she outlines the authors' four recommendations for change.