The Hordes are at the gates of Castle Liberal on the Rideau and William Shakespeare, once more has appropriate words at the ready. With a year left of his tattered mandate, prime minister Justin Trudeau had best take the advice of Henry V and plug the breach with his dead
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: And confusion for ‘Chuckles.’
There must be days when conservative leader Andrew ‘Chuckles’ Scheer goes home to his taxpayer-provided hideaway at Stornoway and asks the wife why he is doing his duty for the ungrateful. He gets scorn from across the aisle in parliament. He gets static from his loyal(?) caucus. He is ignored
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Could Quebec go with Legault?
With less than two weeks to go to the Quebec election, it comes across as a spiritless event. At least the Couillard liberals have not laid down their arms and surrendered to François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec. Why would they? Is there any logical reason for Quebecers to vote for
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doing doctors a disservice.
There is growing disgust with the medical specialists who have a stranglehold on the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). What is really needed is a way for doctors to ensure that their representatives are really representing them. What is sucking all the value out of the OMA these days is the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Bernier bids from the Beauce.
The beauty and tranquility of the La Beauce makes the region a must for tourists seeking the essence of Quebec’s joie de vivre. Each season in La Beauce offers its special attractions. This year, a new season has been added: it is political, it is the ‘silly season.’ It is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The whitewash wears on the White House.
It was two years ago when that jaw dropping campaign saw a braggart and a bully win the White House. It was obvious that politicos, both in America and abroad where dumbfounded by the brashness, ignorance and foolhardiness. It was a campaign that collected the angry, the bigots, the jealous,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On second thought Mr. Singh.
He has no other to blame than himself. Jagmeet Singh sought to lead the federal new democrats and where has he taken them? Has the party advanced during his tenure of the past year? Are more Canadians offering dues, fealty, funds and support to the party? What new programs, policies,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Carpetbagger Brown.
In politics, the carpetbagger is a figure of derision. The person is considered an unscrupulous opportunist who is seeking to exploit some real or imagined opportunity among local voters. No politician in Ontario better fits this description than Barrie’s Patrick Brown. Or should we now call him: Brampton Brown? In
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is ‘Lyin Brian’ Trump’s Judas goat?
We saw how former prime minister Brian Mulroney negotiated the original NAFTA. When the public service negotiators hit an impasse, Mulroney sent in finance minister Michael Wilson to replace the professionals and close the deal. Canadians ended up with free trade with the United States of America. Whether it was
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Not your father’s Tories.
Back in the years when I was a frequent visitor to the legislature at Queen’s Park, the conservatives there were a different breed. There is no way we can compare to-day’s incumbent in the premier’s office to someone such as premier Bill Davis. In relations with Bill and his staff,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Obama’s Oratory Opens Opportunity.
That is how it is done! The former American president has finally directed his skilled oratory at that disgusting Donald Trump. Obama brought honour to the office of president now held by Trump. Somebody had to say it. Mr. Trump dishonours the office. Enough is enough. But so what? What
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Keeping calm in chaos.
Not being a big fan of Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, I must admit that she is very good at handling the news media. Being a former journalist certainly helps. And you have to admit that she is under a great deal of pressure from the media to tell it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: That train is dead on the tracks.
We are talking about a serious problem. A train dead on the tracks is a hazard for following trains. And an idea promoted by the Wynne government is hardly going to appeal to the Ford government. That leaves us with another progressive idea as an orphan. I have always been
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Left is the lonely lane.
I have never felt so alone in politics. The left, the progressive, the social democrat is a dying breed. Even the federal New Democratic Party is struggling with fund raising and direction as it sluggishly moves to the right. All political parties have felt the shifting of the sands. But,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Gobsmacked by sex education.
There are a lot of people in Ontario angry and frustrated by the idiocy of our politicians trying to satisfy the wrong people with how we are teaching children about sex. What is wrong with honesty? Have we become a society of hypocrites? Or are the politicians just pandering to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “And miles to go before I sleep.”
It is rare that a politician(?) such as Doug Ford can remind me of a snatch of a poem such as the one published by Robert Frost in 1923. The haunting words are “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Bernier’s boy begs off.
I guess it is not going to happen. My member of parliament is not the brightest bulb on the conservative party’s tree but he does not seem eager to head out into the wilderness to follow former conservative, Quebec’s Maxime Bernier. Maybe someone explained the difference between conservatism and libertarianism
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Harper’s henchmen halted.
The earth is still shaking in Alberta from the Federal Court of Appeal finally corralling the Calgary-based National Energy Board (NEB). The court was asking the logical questions about the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project. The industry is angry and the politicians all a-twitter. It was high time that someone
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Poker playing politicos.
It has been a while since playing poker at the local casino. The people who work the tables as a team, at that place, play a rough game. I stick to blackjack and craps at the casino and play poker monthly with a group of friends who have played together
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The politician as huckster.
It is hard to estimate the times a politician has said to me: “What do you think of this great idea? In most cases—if part of the campaign team—I will listen to the idea and then say: “That’s nice, now go to that wall, hit your head against it ten
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