Whew!! What a week that was as Canadians went from being the 'peaceable kingdom' talking about the need for cooperation and consultation to what many described as 'a full blown national crisis'. The Prime Minister and Conservative Government had turned an 'economic crisis' into a 'political crisis', then a 'constitutional crisis'. And if that wasn't enough of a week's work, the Prime Minister managed to also turn it into a 'crisis of national unity'. And some say Canadian politics and politicians are boring!!!!! Accusations of "traitor", "coup d'état", "illegitimate", "undemocratic"; "loss of confidence", "loss of trust", "socialist", "separatist", and "deals with the devil", reverberated across the floor of the House of Commons. Each of the 'crisis' that engulfed the Hill over those eight days had political consequences for those involved and for the parliamentary system. Stephen Harper may have survived to fight another day but in doing so he may have committed his most serious strategic error and will pay a heavy price for it over the next months and years. It is my contention that he is as much a strategic stumbler as a master strategist, and, that his long term goal to make the Conservative party Canada's 'natural governing party' and to move Canadian society to the right has been derailed.

The authoritative biography of Stephen Harper. As one of the important prime ministers in the life of our nation, Stephen Harper reshaped Canada into a more conservative country, a transformation that his opponents tacitly admit will never be reversed. Under its 22nd prime minister, Canada showed the world a plainer, harder face. Those who praise Harper point to the Conservatives' skillful economic management, the impressive new trade agreements, the tax cuts and the balanced budget, the reformed immigration system, the uncompromising defence of Israel and Ukraine, and the fight against terrorism. Critics--pointing to punitive punishments, muzzled scientists, assaults on the judiciary, and contempt for parliament--accuse the Harper government of being autocratic, secretive, and cruel. But what about the man? In this definitive new biography, The Globe and Mail's John Ibbitson explores the life of the most important Canadian of our times--his suburban youth, the crisis that caused Stephen Harper to quit university for three years, the forces that shaped his tempestuous relationship with Reform Leader Preston Manning, how Laureen Harper influences her husband, his devotion to his children--and his cats. Ibbitson explains how this shy, closed, introverted loner united a fractured conservative movement, defeated a Liberal hegemony, and set out to reshape the nation. With unparalleled access to sources, years of research and writing, and a depth of insight that has made him one of the most respected voices in journalism, John Ibbitson presents an intimate, detailed portrait of a man who has remained an enigma to supporters and enemies alike. Now that enigma is revealed, in a masterful exploration of Stephen Harper, the politician and the man.

The acclaimed investigative reporter and author of Confronting Collapse examines the global forces that led to 9/11 in this provocative exposé. The attacks of September 11, 2001 were accomplished through an amazing orchestration of logistics and personnel. Crossing the Rubicon examines how such a conspiracy was possible through an interdisciplinary analysis of petroleum, geopolitics, narco-traffic, intelligence and militarism—without which 9/11 cannot be understood. In reality, 9/11 and the resulting "War on Terror" are parts of a massive authoritarian response to an emerging economic crisis of unprecedented scale. Peak Oil—the beginning of the end for our industrial civilization—is driving the elites of American power to implement unthinkably draconian measures of repression, warfare and population control. Crossing the Rubicon is more than a story of corruption and greed. It is a map of the perilous terrain through which we are all now making our way.

Whew!! What a week that was as Canadians went from being the peaceable kingdom talking about the need for cooperation and consultation to what many described as a full blown national crisis. The Prime Minister and Conservative Government had turned an economic crisis into a political crisis, then a constitutional crisis. And if that wasnt enough of a weeks work, the Prime Minister managed to also turn it into a crisis of national unity. And some say Canadian politics and politicians are boring!!!!! Accusations of traitor, coup dtat, illegitimate, undemocratic; loss of confidence, loss of trust, socialist, separatist, and deals with the devil, reverberated across the floor of the House of Commons. Each of the crisis that engulfed the Hill over those eight days had political consequences for those involved and for the parliamentary system. Stephen Harper may have survived to fight another day but in doing so he may have committed his most serious strategic error and will pay a heavy price for it over the next months and years. It is my contention that he is as much a strategic stumbler as a master strategist, and, that his long term goal to make the Conservative party Canadas natural governing party and to move Canadian society to the right has been derailed.

In 1964 the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in New York Times v. Sullivan guaranteeing constitutional protection for caustic criticism of public officials, thus forging the modern law of freedom of the press. Since then, the Court has decided case after case affecting the rights and restrictions of the press, yet little has ben written about these developments as they pertain to the Fourth Estate. Lucas Powe's essential book now fills this gap. Lucas A. Powe, Jr., a legal scholar specializing in media and the law, goes back to the framing of the First Amendment and chronicles the two main traditions of interpreting freedom of the press to illuminate the issues that today ignite controversy: How can a balance be achieved among reputation, uninhibited discussion, and media power? Under what circumstance can the government seek to protect national security by enjoining the press rather than attempting the difficult task of convincing a jury that publication was a criminal offense? What rights can the press properly claim to protect confidential sources or to demand access to information otherwise barred to the public? And, as the media grow larger and larger, can the government attempt to limit their power by limiting their size? Writing for the concerned layperson and student of both journalism and jurisprudence, Powe synthesizes law, history, and theory to explain and justify full protection of the editorial choices of the press. The Fourth Estate and the Constitution not only captures the sweep of history of Supreme Court decisions on the press, but also provides a timely restatement of the traditional view of freedom of the press at a time when liberty is increasingly called into question.

This book, the 32nd volume in the Canada Among Nations series, looks to the wide array of foreign policy challenges, choices and priorities that Canada confronts in relations with the US where the line between international and domestic affairs is increasingly blurred. In the context of the Canada-US relationship, this blurring is manifest as a cooperative effort by officials to manage aspects of the relationship in which bilateral institutional cooperation goes on largely unnoticed. Chapters in this volume focus on longstanding issues reflecting some degree of Canada-US coordination, if not integration, such as trade, the environment and energy. Other chapters focus on emerging issues such as drug policies, energy, corruption and immigration within the context of these institutional arrangements.