Author: Peter Lowry

The trial that Donald Trump and his co-defendants are currently undergoing in New York City is not a question of guilt or innocence. The State of New York knows that Trump and the others committed the offence. They know that Trump properties and other assets were overstated in value in

Ontario premier Doug Ford tends to bluster. Take the recent meeting of the premiers in Nova Scotia, where he claimed that the federal carbon levy was “the worst tax ever.” What he does not seem to know is that it is really not a tax. When people in Ford’s position

They are trying to turn the Ontario liberal leadership into a boys-only club. Maybe I was a bit of a wus as a youngster but I always let the girls into our various club houses. And I hardly think that this last-minute deal between Nate Erskine Smith and Yasir Naqvi

The city of Barrie, that sits in the middle of Ontario, has two conservative members of parliament. One of the two is Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard. He told the local Internet newspaper the other day how pleased he was to vote in parliament for a conservative motion to eliminate the

When premier Bill Davis opened Ontario Place in 1971, he noted that it was “A stimulating and permanent symbol of the work and achievement of the people of Ontario.” Today, it sits fenced off and forlorn on Toronto’s lakefront, a nostalgic memory for those of us who were raising young

The wise writer in these days is wary of certain subjects. They are subjects that offer no wins. It is when, no matter what you say, somebody is convinced you are wrong. Good examples of this are about children and gender selection and our schools. I jump into the fray

Another two years of conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s poisonous attitude in the House of Commons and there could be a lynching rather than an election. The only thing we do not know is who would bear the brunt of all the vehemence and who would need to be ferried across

We need to smarten up. Foreign wars do not belong on Canadian streets. Thankfully those Canadians of Russian heritage, as a group, are not fond of Russian President Vladimir Putin. They don’t like his war on the Ukraine. And they undoubtedly realize how they are outnumbered in Canada by the

It is becoming clear that conservative leader Pierre Poilievre wants to win the next federal election simply because he is not Justin Trudeau. All he thinks he has to do is continue to lie about Trudeau, misrepresent government policies and appeal to the greed and baser instincts of his followers.

A friend of mine was fired the other day. And there is no severance pay for a volunteer. He was a volunteer at Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) here in Barrie, Ontario. He had been an enthusiastic volunteer before the pandemic, and had been delighted to be welcomed back. What he

It is becoming clear after all these years of studying our politics, that Canadians are dealing with far more political factions and causes than are needed to govern this country. Instead of concentrating on the outward view of foreign relations, trade and peace, Canada’s federal government is constantly having to

Ontario premier Ford’s trials are about to be taken over by the Mounties. We have been racking our brains trying to think of a Canadian senior politician who has gone to jail before. It might be Ford’s legacy. Parents could admonish their children with the threat of being good or

It is highly unlikely that many people in eastern Canada would worry about alienating Alberta. Over the years, there might have been some envy of the scenic beauty of the province and the crude oil royalties for the provincial government of the day to spend. But the truth is that

It caught us by surprise last week when Justin Trudeau caved in on the carbon pricing on heating oil. It was good to see him get off his high horse for once. What amused me about the announcement was the Toronto Star ran the story on the front page on

It is obvious that Ontario MPP Paul Calandra is living in the wrong century. He might have been more successful back in the late 19th Century. It was then, that people would collect curios and display them in their cabinet. Cabinets were the museums of those days. And the more

It had to happen sometime and the tensions in the Ontario liberal leadership race are starting to show. The only surprise is that it is Yasir Naqvi’s team that has decided to break the logjam. There have been some weak digs at front-runner Cinderella at some of the debates but

There is a video clip doing the rounds of MP Pierre Poilievre eating an apple while being interviewed. He should only hope that the other guy in the clip knows the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Not that I was hoping that he would choke to death but to teach the little twerp

It seems to be a universal quest these days. Whether country, province or municipality, we are desperately in need of effective leadership. I feel embarrassed that I bitched about Jason Kenney as premier in Alberta. Compared to Danielle Smith who replaced him, Kenney was a saint. Even in Ontario, when

In Ontario, the rules are different—especially in Toronto. We play lip service here to freedom of speech. You can say anything you like but do not publicly criticize the State of Israel. I think of it as an open apology for the obnoxious antisemitism I witnessed in this province in

What’s with all these economic experts in the conservative parties across this country? Their ignorance amazes me. Probably the most dangerous is Pierre Poilievre who is currently spending millions on an advertising campaign telling Canadians what a sweet guy he is. Doug Ford in Ontario is so out of touch