It appears that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is winning. Opposition Leader New Democrat Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau are giving him a free pass. By default, Harper is locking Canada into an economy based on Alberta bitumen and we will rue the day. We were reminded of it
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: Bye Mr. Ford. See you in the funny papers.
There is an unsavoury anger in Toronto these days. It is directed at Mayor Rob Ford. It has to do with the fact that the city appears to be stuck with that guy until the municipal election planned for October next year. He has dragged the city through the muck
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The time of testing of Trudeau.
Monday is by-election day. In four federal ridings scattered across Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, voters will be having their say. It will be a test of their resolve for change and their direction for change. New Democrat leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will be tested and judged
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Rob Ford’s evil twin Stephen Harper.
It seems appropriate. While the Toronto Police are sniffing around Mayor Rob Ford’s purported dealings with crack houses and drug dealers, the RCM Police are sniffing around Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s dealings with the Senate and expense account fiddlers. Are they not all the same? Do Canadians have one law
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Rob Ford, Civic Commando?
The Rob Ford mayoralty situation in Toronto is just like trying to get rid of a Condo Commando. These are tenacious troublemakers for condominium boards. They are the bane of property managers and boards because they use the Ontario Condominium Act to terrorize the condo to get their way. Whether
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Countdown in Toronto Centre.
It is the week before election day in the federal riding of Toronto-Centre and it is when the campaigns go into the transition for election day. And no matter what your pollsters tell you, it all comes down to getting out your vote. Intentions are worthless unless you get them
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: What is Wynne running from?
There is a television advertisement running these days of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne running. It should have a warning on it to tell kids not to try this at home. Maybe the Premier can close county roads for her run to be recorded. Try running like that in the city
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Any idiot can play blackjack.
Periodically Babel-on-the-Bay tries to be helpful to Ontario gamblers. It is not that the rules are all that different but in Ontario you have two strong government ministries fighting over which one really rules gambling. It can also be fun to write about something you know about. The one firm
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Prince Charles as a senior citizen.
At a time when most wage earners are retiring Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall is still waiting to do the job he was supposedly born to. He and his lovely wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, celebrated his birthday number 65 this week in Sri Lanka. Charles
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Rob Ford needs his fishing buddy Stephen Harper.
There is no better form of bonding between men than fishing. It is a quiet introspective time that you share with a true buddy. And what better buddies could there be than Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford? There are not many people who have been invited
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Stephen Harper’s scorched earth plan.
It was in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Halloween convention speech and we failed to recognize it. It is there in his disdain for Ottawa and its elites. It is there in his lack of a forecast for the future. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has just two years left in Ottawa
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Does Tim Hudak really have a strategy?
There was a Toronto Star exclusive story the other day about a document that might be Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak’s secret strategy for the upcoming provincial campaign. The Lord knows that Timmy needs all the help he can get. Yet if he follows the plan as described, he will
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Rob Ford news is now officially boring.
It took a lot of excruciatingly boring repetition and alarmist claims in the news media over many weeks but we can now declare the Mayor Rob Ford affair to be officially boring. It took time. It was more than some people could handle. It has finally been resolved. Official boredom
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Canadian crash of 2016.
It will be former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s legacy. Forget free trade with Europe. Forget the adulation and fawning over him by the G8. Stephen Harper will be remembered for causing the greatest economic crash in Canadian history. Canada’s economy started to crumble when the Chinese state oil company CNOOC
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: More on wooing Toronto-Centre.
How about giving your leader some help here Chrystia Freeland? As Liberal Candidate for the November 25 by-election in Toronto-Centre, you should not leave all the heavy lifting to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. As a politician who wants to make a major contribution in Ottawa, you need to assert yourself.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Tommy takes on Justin in Toronto.
If you think the fight for the Toronto-Centre by-election on November 25 is between two outstanding candidates—Linda McQuaig and Chrystia Freeland—you are wrong. The real battle is between their party leaders. Liberal Justin Trudeau is in a rough and tumble fight with New Democrat Thomas Mulcair. And it looks like
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In wonder of Wynne’s Whigs.
There was a picture in the newspaper the other day of Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa. He was looking so smug and self satisfied as though all was great in the sphere of provincial finances. It seemed to contradict the forecasts that Ontario’s economy is struggling and we are at
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The toils of Tough Tommy.
There was a very telling news clip on the television news the other day of Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair asking a question of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Both speakers had their wall of supporters behind them. Parliament appeared full for Question Period. It was the usual sham. If there is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Chief Blair Mayor Ford’s doppelganger?
That spectre that comes for you as your life flashes before you in death is your doppelganger. It seems totally fitting that the wraith Toronto Mayor Rob Ford should see is Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair. And remember, your doppelganger does not appear as others see you but as you
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: This business of Canada’s Senate.
Surely many Canadians are aware of the Prime Minister repeatedly saying that in any business, people who are reputed to have falsified expense reports would have been fired. We should not rush to agree with him. Mr. Harper is comparing Canada’s Senate to a business and he knows that the
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