The City of Toronto is in the most trouble. It really needs a break. The city and even the province are suffering from hyper-politicossis. It is a rare disease that can happen when too much political activity drives the voters to distraction. Even worse, they take out their frustrations on
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: We’re waiting for the slowpokes in Babel.
Members of the provincial Liberal Party in Babel are watching their e-mail in-boxes. We are waiting for news of our Liberal candidate for the June 12 election. You would think that with all the support Kathleen Wynne got from this riding in her run for the Liberal leadership, it would
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: And the best of luck to Adam Vaughan.
But just a minute! Is this the Adam Vaughan who was handed the nomination in the federal riding of Trinity-Spadina by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau? Is it not the riding of Trinity-Spadina where Justin said Christine Innes cannot run because her husband Tony Ianno was accused of doing something wrong?
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: How the Hair will save Whitby-Oshawa.
We all know him now. He is not Stephen Harper, mystical leader from the nether world. He is the Hair, the only Prime Minister of Canada to keep a hairdresser on staff. In fact, the hairdresser is the only member of the Hair’s staff with tenure. The Hair is the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Hudak’s odds are now 100,000:1.
There must be a rule for Conservative Party leaders in Ontario that, during an election campaign, they have to commit some form of political suicide. Ontario Conservative Leader Timmy Hudak came to Barrie last Friday and did the deed. Timmy not only proved he is a failure in economics but
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Ms. Horwath wants your vote.
On that two-deck-high campaign bus, Ms. Horwath’s picture has been reproduced bigger than life. The Ontario New Democrat leader looks good. In fact it is too good. It seems to be trying to lay a patina on the New Democrat campaign that does not exist. It appears that Andrea Horwath
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin Trudeau: Dictator or Leader?
What has gone wrong here? Why is Justin Trudeau screwing up the one clear promise he made to the Liberal Party? Did we so artlessly choose someone who does not understand the role of party leader? How worried should we be? What is wrong when Justin Trudeau tells potential Liberal
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is this as you like it Ms. Wynne?
There is a wonderful old expression, still in use today: “Hoisted by your own petard.” It simply means that the schemes you used to harm others can be used against you. And when you consider how wrong it can be to allow third parties to advertise in Ontario elections, the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: If you could only pick your enemies.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne must be annoyed. Can you believe the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has pre-empted Kathleen’s fight with the Prime Minister? That leaves Kathleen in the dust as the crowds rush to view the battle of the titans. Few will ever remember what Chief Justice Beverly
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Do you have anyone to vote for?
It was intriguing to read Toronto Star columnist Martin Regg Cohn’s take on the opening of the Ontario provincial election. It was not quite as perceptive as he has been in the past. Frankly most Star readers would have expected a better knowledge of politics. The give away line in
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: There are no ‘Butts’ about it.
If Gerald Butts is the key apparatchik behind the rise of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, when he is going to butt in? As the former head of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Butts should know a thing or two about our environment. If he does, why has he not influenced Justin’s
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Morning Line: Ontario Election 2014.
How can you have a race without a morning line? The political parties are at post and the gamblers among us need more than just performance statistics to compute their bets. The morning line gives you a starting point for your betting convenience. But please remember, these figures cannot factor
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Welcome to Ontario’s “Nasty” campaign.
Ready, aim, smear. The campaign has been launched in Ontario. Soon all the candidates will be down in the muck wallowing in the futility of claim and counter-claim. And the losers in this mud wrestling contest are the people of Ontario. Ontario deserves better. After more than two years of
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The pessimism of Chantal Hébert.
Sometimes it is hard to determine if Toronto Star Quebec political analyst Chantal Hébert is serious or just firing for effect. Taking a meaningless poll of Quebec federal political leanings as gospel is like those who assured us that the Parti Québécois was going to win the last provincial election.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: When is a budget not a budget in Ontario?
A budget is not a budget when it is being offered as an election program. While overly exploited and old news, Finance Minister Sousa’s budget yesterday was stolid and basically ho-hum with a veneer of concessions to the New Democrats. The real question for the Wynne government is whether it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Zen of the gambler.
Casino gambling is an excellent aid in the attainment of enlightenment. If you do not obtain direct insight into the teachings of the Buddha at least you gain some respect for the law of averages. This thought comes to mind after a recent trip to Casino Rama outside of Orillia.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Get off the dime Justin.
Liberals are waiting for Leader Justin Trudeau to act and every day he dithers is another day when the party is losing sight of the objective. You can hardly expect everyone to be coming to the aid of the party when Justin lies to it. When he was chosen leader
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Ontario’s ‘overly ambitious’ gaming.
The recent audit report on Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) proves once again that you should not audit something you do not understand. Gaming is based on promises of riches. It takes a gamer to understand that not everybody can win. And you are hardly going to win when the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The people trump the politicos.
When the Supreme Court ruled the other day on Prime Minister Harper’s questions about changing the Senate, the answer was unanimous. It was also the answer that most people expected. For the House of Commons to make substantive changes in the Senate requires the approval of the provinces and of
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Hair today, gone tomorrow.
It seems the Hair is out of step with Canadians. He is constantly rebuked by the Supreme Court, abused by his friends in the Senate, let down by his caucus, betrayed by underlings and his cabinet might all be vying for his job. As he said at Jim Flaherty’s funeral,
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