A small change in a robocall the other day was an announcement of the name of a company responsible for the call and a toll-free number to verify the call. And even if you were able to write down the number and you called it, was it real? The truth
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: Canadians exit the Khyber Pass.
To the lament of a single bagpiper, Canadians took leave of Afghanistan this past week. We have been aware of being involved since the winter of 2001 when then Defence Minister Art Eggleton admitted that there were Canadian troops fighting in Kandahar Province. For 12 years, Canadian military fought in
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: But the Hair heads for the unknown in Ukraine.
There seems to be no limits to what the Hair will do to win votes next year. Like penguins shoving one of their number into the sea to see if he gets eaten, he sent Foreign Minister John Baird to Ukraine first and now he can go. Whatever he thinks
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Comments: We are told we still don’t get it.
The argument continues. People seem to think that federalists will help Quebec Premier Pauline Marois if they involve themselves in the provincial election. If these federalists are from outside Quebec, that might be right. Politicians love to take on bogeymen from some other place that cannot fight back. It is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Hair is hands-off Quebec.
The Globe and Mail reports the Hair is urging federal opposition leaders and premiers to adopt a policy of non-interference in the Quebec provincial election. As a staffer reported, the Prime Minister is obviously trying to rise above the fray and wants the federal side to speak with one voice.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: When Liberal infighting is out.
Campaign co-chair for the federal Liberals in Ontario David McNaughton has made his first blunder. When somebody gives you their authority to do a job, you have to do it right. When he told Liberal Christine Innes she cannot contest the nomination in Trinity-Spadina, it made a mockery of Justin
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Rushing to claim victory—in seven months!
Torontonians now have the main contenders for the Toronto mayoralty in October. You hardly need public opinion polls to tell you who are the serious three and the lesser two. With Olivia Chow, Rob Ford and John Tory in the race and Karen Stintz and David Solnacki looking on, the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Hair holidays in South Korea.
With parliament taking spring break from Senate questions and questionable election changes, the Hair and the hairdresser are holidaying in South Korea. It is a welcome respite for the Hair and he is celebrating the occasion by signing a lopsided trade agreement with the South Koreans. It is not the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Péladeau in the steps of John Bassett?
Pierre Karl Péladeau running in Saint-Jérȏme for the Parti Québécois, brings back fond memories of John Bassett. This is the John Bassett that was famously publisher of the Toronto Telegram and the founder of CTV. And he relished having the reputation of being something of a womanizer, a sports enthusiast
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On protecting Canada’s democracy.
The last serious attempt in Ontario at changing how people vote was brought forward by the McGuinty Liberal government in 2007. It was a foolish and ill-conceived attempt to put a foot in the door for a form of proportional voting. Ontario voters gave the idea the brush-off in the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Péladeau steps up to Quebec election.
Pierre Karl Péladeau scion of the Quebecor millions has agreed to run in Saint-Jérȏme riding for the Parti Québécois in the April election. Quebec Premier Pauline Marois has made the announcement just months after appointing Péladeau head of Hydro-Quebec. The choice of Saint-Jérȏme riding will allow the candidate to get
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The bother of bewildered blogs.
There are bloggers who care. Some will even suppress that overwhelming desire to write about themselves and write lovingly of their country. They are often concerned liberals and progressives. They worry that all political parties are travelling a road to sameness, to the right and to greed and to uncaring.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Watch the Orange Wave wave goodbye.
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois has made a critical error. When she called the Quebec election, she did not realize who her enemies really are. Her separatists have not just taken on a novice provincial Liberal Leader Philippe Couilard and an inconsequential center-right Coalition Avenir Québec led by François Legault. She
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Lying low at Lottery and Gaming.
Things are quiet at Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG). Too bad! The people there are fun to write about. For a government agency that contributes almost $2 billion to government revenues each year, it works at keeping a low profile. It lets its games and casinos speak for it. Not
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Larry, Curly and Moe represent Canada?
This is disgraceful. Canada’s foreign affairs seem to be in the hands of the Three Stooges. Recent events in Jerusalem, Kyiv and Hollywood appear to be making the point. First of all, Prime Minister Harper leads an invasion of Israel. That is a small country and they hardly need more
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Harper harms Canada’s reputation.
The objective of foreign relations is not to pander for votes at home. And it is conducted with diplomacy, not a baseball bat. Those are just two of the lessons that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his eager understudy John Baird have yet to learn. What they are doing is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Achieving electoral mediocrity.
The faster you try to do something, the longer you will have to regret it. There are too many stupid things we do that seem like a good idea at the time. Take the latest ill-considered suggestions at Queen’s Park to change the way people vote in Toronto elections. The
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The poverty of Ontario’s political parties.
What we have in Ontario today are three political parties that have moved to the right of the political spectrum. They will all tell you that there is no meaning to left or right wing politics anymore. They might be correct. And if they are correct, we can assume that
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Better button up Tory!
In more than 30 years of dealing with the news media, you find that you can make all the mistakes you will ever need to make in the first week. If you do not clue in during that first week that the news media are not your friends, all is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Horwath toe-tests minimum wage.
It would be great to have a real left-wing political party in Ontario. This is not a promise to support the party but it would be great for voters to just have the option. And if you think Andrea Horwath and her Ontario New Democrats are going to answer the
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