If you really want to know who Doug Ford is, consider what Linda McQuaig has written: There will be no cheapness on the part of the Ford government when it comes to providing for customers visiting the private spa to be built at Ontario Place. On the other hand, the
Continue readingAuthor: Owen Gray
Northern Reflections: Things Will Be Different
Many people believe that the next election in the United States will be a replay of the previous two elections: the Democrats will win the popular vote, but the election will be decided in the Electoral College. Celinda Lake and Mac Heller write that won’t be the case: The candidates
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: What We’ve Got Here Is A Failure to Communicate
If there’s one thing the Liberals don’t know how to do, it’s to communicate. Max Fawcett writes: After nearly eight years in power, one thing has become abundantly clear about Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government: it can’t communicate to save its increasingly vulnerable political life. From the carbon tax to COVID-19,
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Canadian Constitutional Chaos?
The United States is in constitutional chaos. In Canada, we could soon find ourselves in similar circumstances. Max Fawcett writes: It’s been clear for some time now that when faced with a choice between democracy and power, Republicans in the United States will almost always opt for the latter. It’s
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Crazytown
We are about to discover just how crazy Republicans in the House of Representatives are. Eugene Robinson writes: I’ll admit I was surprised when Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) got the House to approve a deal on the debt ceiling that takes the threat of default off the table until early
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Deal They Couldn’t Refuse
Ontario and the Feds have come to an agreement on funding the Stellantis EV battery plant in Windsor. Martin Regg Cohn writes: So why did the premier and the prime minister dig so deep? And deeper still? They couldn’t risk Stellantis pulling up stakes — and pulling the rug out
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: That Kind of Change
Polls suggest that Canadians are in the mood for change. Michael Harris writes: Within its sample of 2,000 respondents, the same Abacus poll that showed an overwhelming majority wants a change in government also found 31 per cent of respondents didn’t like any of the politicians on offer. This group
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Money And Journalism
Some nasty stuff has been going on at CTV News. Michael Harris writes: Bob Fife blew the whistle on the sad state of affairs inside CTV, when he reported in a June 27, 2023, story in The Globe and Mail that Wade Oosterman, a top Bell Media executive, urged his
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Canada Day 2023
Where we live, smoke is in the air. It irritates our eyes and, when we go outside, we wear masks. These are difficult days. But let’s not be overcome with cynicism. There is still much to celebrate in this country. Happy Canada Day.
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: No More Of The Same
On Monday, Olivia Chow was elected mayor of Toronto. Max Fawcett writes: Chow is taking the reins of a city that’s in much worse shape than it was when she unsuccessfully ran for mayor the first time in 2014. The housing market is actively hostile to anyone who didn’t buy
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Pup Tent In Their Own Backyard
Chantal Hebert writes that Pierre Poilievre’s performance has not been stellar. He appears to be taking the same road that his two predecessors took: Nine months into his tenure, there is no denying that the latest CPC leader is having a measurable impact on Canada’s federal dynamics. But is it
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Complete And Utter Insanity
The United States House Of Representatives has voted to impeach Joe Biden. Dana Milbank writes: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) rose in the House Tuesday evening after the last vote. “For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Colorado seek recognition?” asked the presiding officer, Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.). The gentlewoman sought
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Whopper King
Pierre Poilievre is using Donald Trump’s playbook to claw his way to power. He specializes in telling whoppers. Michael Harris writes: As adroitly pointed out by Gary Mason in The Globe and Mail, Poilievre’s claims that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is responsible for the housing crisis is patently false. Speculative
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: National Cowardice
Tom Friedman begins his latest column with a series of rhetorical questions: What if Mitch McConnell, at the close of his scalding speech on the Senate floor blaming Donald Trump for the riot that occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6, had promised to use his every last breath to
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Bonnie And Clyde Factor
Donald Trump will be indicted for a second time today. Michael Harris isn’t convinced that he’ll ever face justice. To begin with, a judge who twice ruled in Trump’s favour — until she was reversed by a higher court — will preside over the trial. But there is something else
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Train Wreck
David Johnston is gone. He was last week’s sacrificial lamb. Intergovernmental Affairs leader Dominic Leblanc has suggested that the opposition parties construct their own solution to the problem. Susan Delacourt writes: Only the most optimistic political observers, who have not been watching the antics in the Commons this spring, would
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Finally
Donald Trump has finally — finally — been indicted. Ruth Marcus writes in The Washington Post: For me, a seven-count indictment — though we haven’t seen all the specific charges and accompanying details — is an amply justified demonstration of the rule of law in action and the principle that
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Zombie Economics
There is an idea that should have died decades ago. Unfortunately, like a zombie from the film The Night of the Living Dead, it refuses to die. The idea is trickle-down economics. It’s an idea that the Conservative Party of Canada keeps selling. Les Wittington writes: As the next federal
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Bottom Of The Barrel
Michael Harris doesn’t pull his punches. What the opposition parties are doing to David Johnston, he writes, is a “ghastly shitshow:” The slimy assault on the reputation and character of David Johnston is unforgivable. If he had recommended a public inquiry into China’s alleged interference in Canadian elections, the same
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The DeSantis Boomering
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is desperately trying to weaponize his state’s public education system. But a rebellion is brewing. The rebellion is coming from teachers. Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman write: By now, it’s obvious that the reactionary culture warriors who want to reshape American education are inspiring a serious
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