When they play nice it works

It's not so much peace in the valley as peace on the floor.

On Thursday before the Manitoba Legislative Assembly rose the house leaders of the two parties outlined the details of how the legislature will function going into the election campaign next spring. 

The words exchanged and the pleasantries that followed were almost inspiring.

Here's a sound clip of NDP House Leader Dave Chomiak after he rose to speak on the house agreement:

Kelvin: Courage, Truth and Right

What will their memories be of high school?

Grad, a first girlfriend or boyfriend, something new they learned, a teacher that influenced them or the day police came to put up the yellow tape?

To the few students and teachers who witnessed it to those who knew the victim or accused, what happened on Tuesday will stay with them forever. The same is true for other students and staff who saw or heard about the aftermath; the yellow tape, police officers and paramedics, the forensic specialists carefully gathering evidence to be used in court.

This is the kind of stuff these young high school students have only seen on TV or the movies, or in another part of the city where this kind of violence is supposedly more common or normal.

The curious case of Christine Melnick

You would think that with them kissing and making up, it would all be water under the bridge.

Not so.

There's still chatter on Broadway about Premier Greg Selinger's expulsion of Melnick last year. 

She was expelled from the NDP caucus Feb. 4, 2014 because the premier said he could no longer trust her. The reason why is here: NDP bids goodbye to Melnick 

Pallister’s toughest nut

Despite everything that's happened to the NDP over the past six months, it is far from guaranteed that they won't form the next government.

Yes, they have been hobbled by the leadership crisis. Yes, they still have the same unpopular leader. Yes, their recent budget is banking on possible good times ahead to pull them out of deficit. Hopefully. Maybe.

Yet, each day in Question Period and in the recent spate of "good news" announcements, Premier Greg Selinger and his MLAs appear to be finding their legs, pulling things together, day by day, stitch by stitch, at least on the surface.

On the other side of the House, Opposition Leader Brian Pallister and his MLAs have also improved their game. The PC critics are more knowledgeable about their departments, and are speaking more confidently about issues from children in hotels to wildlife enforcement to education.

Dewar’s 1st budget

If he hasn't been already I would expect rookie Finance Minister Greg Dewar to be burning the midnight oil over the next week.

Next Thursday (April 30) is B Day for Dewar and the Selinger government.

The relatively untested Dewar presents his first budget first to media in the budget lockup and then in the House in his budget speech.

Dewar has been an MLA since 1990 and has had several responsibilities over the years, including being his party's whip. There was also an attempt to have him elected as the House speaker, but he lost out to Daryl Reid.

Kids are alright, photo radar isn’t

Right up front I admit kids are great. They're fantastic. They're super.

I have two of my own and love them to bits. They are fun to have around when they're not draping their socks on the living room coffee table or leaving every light on in the house or taking a shower for an hour.

I would be absolutely devastated if either of them was hit by a car. I'd be emotionally crushed if they were hurt on their way to or from school. I'd be outraged if they were injured by a speeding driver or someone too busy texting to pay attention to the road.

I also confess that I am among the more than 21,000 people who've been dinged speeding through one of the city's 300 new 30 km/h speed limit school zones.

Goodbye Danielle

Is Saturday's defeat of Alberta's former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, for the Progressive Conservative nomination of Highwood, a sign of things to come in Manitoba?

For Theresa Oswald in particular?

Smith will go down in political history as leading eight of her Wildrose colleagues to join the rival PCs last December.

Smith's surprise defection from being leader of Alberta's Official Opposition to sit with Premier Jim Prentice's governing PCs is seen as the moment that truly defined her ambition, and on Saturday her ultimate defeat.

Dear Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil Show5482 Wilshire Boulevard #1902Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dear Dr. Phil;

Boy, have I got a doozy of a story for you.

When bad news is good news for NDP

So how is the delegate system working for the NDP?

It seems not too well, but it's better than the alternative.

Heading into the March 8 leadership vote, the party's system for electing its leader, and Manitoba's premier, is anything but transparent.

Those of us watching from the sidelines see a system where the big unions, particularly the mighty Canadian Union of Public Employees, are able send 691 delegates to the convention. That's where up to a total of 2,271 delegates with either confirm Premier Greg Selinger as NDP leader or go down a different route, electing either Steve Ashton or Theresa Oswald as the party's leader to guide it into the next election.

UPDATED: Survey – Who should lead NDP?

Which of these three people should guide the NDP into the next election?

Take the survey here: Who's the best choice?

Thanks!

We'll update the results when we hit 100 responses, plus give you a slice of the comments that are coming in.

To find a better lake

To look at Lake Winnipeg right now, it's as frozen over as Pluto.

In the lake's south basin at least, pressure ridges and scattered ice chunks dot the lake's surface to the horizon. On a cloudy winter day, it blurs into the sky.

The lake at this time of year is mostly forgotten except for the odd snowmobiler and fisher's ice shack.

And for the province's Clean Environment Commission.