Power Trap - How fear and loathing between New Democrats and Liberals keep Stephen Harper in power--and what can be done about it

The political, media and business elites of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal ran this country for almost its entire history. But in the last few years, they have lost their power, and most of them still do not realize it’s gone. The Laurentian Consensus, a name John Ibbitson coined for the dusty Liberal elite, has been replaced by a new, powerful coalition based in the west and supported by immigrant voters in Ontario. So what happened?

Great global migrations have washed over Canada. Most people aren’t aware that the keystone economic and political driver of this country is no longer Ontario, but rather, a Pacific province dominated by immigrants from China, India, and other Asian countries, who have settled there. Those in politics and business have greatly underestimated how conservative these newcomers are, and how conservative they are making our country. Canada, with an ever-evolving and growing economy and a constantly changing demographic base, has become divorced from the traditions of its past and is moving in an entirely new direction.

In The Big Shift, John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker argue that one of the world’s most consensual countries is polarizing, with the west versus the east, suburban versus urban, immigrants versus old school, coffee drinkers versus consumers of energy drinks. The winners-in politics, in business, in life-will figure out where the people are and go there too.

Canada has always been known as a good place to live: a tolderant, prosperous, stable country that treats its citizens fairly and protects the weakest in society. Yet during the past seven years, it has started to change into a harder, more mean-spirited place. What is going on?

According to political scientist Christian Nadeau, this transformation is being engineered by Stephen Harper and the neo-con ideologues around him. The Conservatives have a clear agenda that they are implementing step by step. It is a well-planned and organized attack on justice and democracy as we have understood them to date.

Nadeau looks at how Harper and the Tories are systematically dismantling political, social, and cultural institutions--and with them, traditions and values--that many Canadians hold dear. He analyzes the wide range of actions and decisions that reflect this program: proroguing Parliament, appointing right-leaning judges, promoting a law-and-order agenda, trying to gut the gun registry, preventing the collection of impartial data through the Census, and shutting down social programs.

Rogue in Power is a compelling exploration of how Canada is being refashioned in broad daylight.

As the race for the leadership of Canada’s federal Liberal Party heats up, candidate Deborah Coyne has written “Unscripted”, a memoir that weaves her life-long dedication to seeking bold directions for the Canadian nation with her 15-year relationship with the late former Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. Lawyer, university professor, constitutional activist, public servant, writer and mother of two children, Coyne’s skills and hard work have often placed her at the centre of some of the great public debates of our times. “Unscripted” candidly lays out her plan for a more inclusive style of government that will inspire Canadians to fully embrace what they can do with their ideas, talents and drive.

A call-to-arms from Nobel Prize–winning economist and best-selling author Paul Krugman.

A provocative history of violence—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Stuff of Thought and The Blank Slate