Federal Politics ← Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

Babel-on-the-Bay: Pollyanna goes to Washington.

Aug

19

2017

They gathered in Washington this week to start renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland took along her plans for a new NAFTA. Just to throw another opinion into the mix, I think we might have sent our Pollyanna foreign minister to an autopsy. While we all listened to ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Jagmeet’s ‘means test.’

Aug

10

2017

It is a trap that more and more New Democratic Party spokespeople are falling into. By denying universality of programs, they think they are attracting voters from the right. They are not. They are setting themselves up for failure with their traditional supporters. It is a losing proposition. And when Jagmeet Singh poses his challenge ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The grassroots of ignorance.

Aug

8

2017

Recently we complained about Opposition Leader Andrew ‘Chuckles’ Scheer inciting bigotry over the restitution paid to Canadian citizen Omar Khadr. Now we have the less bright of Chuckles’ backbenchers repeating the lies and half truths in ‘penny-dreadful’ mailings to their constituents. We who live in the electoral district of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte M.P. Alex Nuttall have been ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The Trump Technique.

Aug

5

2017

The media were all atwitter the other day when they got some leaked transcripts from the White House of conversations President Trump had with other countries’ leaders. They got them and did not understand them. They did not seem to understand the technical term for the technique he was using; it is called B.B.S. (Better ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Money matters maybe.

Aug

4

2017

Never judge a political race by money raised. Whether it is an internal party race for a nomination or a leadership or party fundraising prior to an election, you have to remember that money does not vote. Case in point, the fundraising by each of the four candidates for the New Democratic Party might tell ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Our poster-boy PM is the answer?

Jul

31

2017

Despite the wild ravings of Rolling Stone Magazine, our Prime Minister has to whip Canada into shape before taking on the added burden of the American presidency. Donald Trump’s job is safe, for now. In corporate terms, Justin Trudeau might be able to pull off a reverse takeover, (That is where the smaller business buys ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: ‘Chuckles’ challenges Canadian compassion.

Jul

30

2017

Federal Conservative Leader Andrew ‘Chuckles’ Scheer will not let it go. He is raising troops among the bigoted to fight against the compensation to Omar Khadr. He must intend to keep scratching at that wound until the pus from it corrupts or repulses all responsible Canadians. What sickens us the most in this disgusting argument ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Jagmeet Singh: Not just a pretty face.

Jul

29

2017

The New Democratic Party’s federal leadership race is getting a little more heated. With less than two months to go, the race has taken on some disturbing aspects of the last Conservative leadership in Ontario. It is turning into Jagmeet Singh’s race to win if he is using the same tactics as Ontario Conservative winner ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Running in the Green.

Jul

24

2017

If the federal New Democratic Party is now Green, where does the Green Party get to go? Looking at NDP MP Niki Ashton’s pricy green plan, you really wonder about the grasp on reality of the entire party. Is this the party of Tommy Douglas that cared so much about people? What really worries me ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: What comes ‘AFTA’ NAFTA?

Jul

22

2017

Back in the first round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, it was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney who caved in to the American negotiators. In this upcoming go-around, our Canadian negotiators have to show a great deal more backbone. We also have to have a game plan in place just in case Donald ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Our Prime Minister grunts.

Jul

20

2017

Despite teaching public speaking, I occasionally took someone else’s course on public speaking just to make sure I was not slipping into bad speaking habits. We are all guilty of that. And teachers can be the harshest critics. You can include a former school teacher in that: The Prime Minister of Canada. The first time ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The art of changing minds.

Jul

19

2017

Author and columnist Susan Delacourt asked her readers last week in a Toronto Star column to help her understand how views can be shifted in politics. Having observed this phenomenon in politics for many years, I can only assume that Susan is contemplating another book. Back when I was teaching executive classes in public speaking, ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Who’s congratulating Trudeau?

Jul

18

2017

Stephen Harper’s PMO had a revolving door for communications people, so it is not too surprising if we do not remember one of them. This is in reference to an op-ed in the Toronto Star last week by someone named ‘MacDougall.’ What was noticeable about the article was that he claims to be a Tory ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The history of image politics.

Jul

15

2017

It must be your age that determines when history began. Reading an op-ed in the paper last week, there was a public relations guy who thought that image politics only went back to the time of American President Ronald Regan. He must have missed the lecture on the image of President Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy, as ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: ‘Chuckles’ leads from the rear.

Jul

14

2017

It is embarrassing. ‘Chuckles’ Scheer showed up on television last week from the Calgary Stampede to blast the federal government for its generosity to Omar Kadr. It was a classic illustration of a political brain fart. It was bigoted, it was inaccurate, it was mean-spirited and it was knee-jerk Conservatism from the newly chosen Conservative ...

Mind Bending Politics: Exclusive: Monia Mazigh Responds To Omar Khadr Settlement

Jul

12

2017

(Monia Mazigh Human Rights Advocate and Author Best Known For Her Advocacy of Her Husband Maher Arar Responds to Omar Khadr Settlement) Mind Bending Politics sat down with Monia Mazigh this week to discuss the Omar Khadr settlement and her thoughts on the future of human rights in Canada. Before that interview we wanted to ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The Prince of the Past.

Jul

10

2017

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales will be a pathetic pallbearer likely to be tasked to shut down the House of Windsor. As a family business, the House of Windsor inherited a somewhat convoluted history going back to Alfred the Great in 871. Charles will have more than a few royal ghosts with whom to make ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: NDP searching for succour

Jul

8

2017

Every once in while, we look in on the New Democratic Party’s sputtering national leadership discussion. It is really more of a crawl than a race. And when you look at the four remaining candidates in the selection process for this fall, you wonder why they are bothering. The basic problem is that none of ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Rule of law beats bigotry.

Jul

6

2017

We should all get down on our knees and thank whatever God we worship that we live in a land ruled by law. This argument over a multi-million-dollar settlement and an apology for Omar Kadr is a disgrace. It is not a political decision. It is a legal settlement for years of torture and mistreatment ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Are these the summer doldrums?

Jul

4

2017

Why do the talking heads of television shut down for the summer? While we know that it is just our hardcore readers who drop by during these months, we are not going to let them down. There is lots to discuss. That takeover by Jason Kenney in Alberta has yet to be resolved. The attempt ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: A land big enough for a rubber ducky.

Jul

3

2017

That churlish little man, Conservative leader Patrick Brown, stood in the Ontario legislature a while ago to make fun of a rubber ducky he had never even met. That rubber ducky has now arrived and that silly man can quack all he likes, that rubber ducky adds something to an otherwise dull harbour. And that ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The tremors of Trump.

Jul

1

2017

Each year at this time, we do a little introspection. While Canada Day 2017 is as joyous as ever, we feel it is the impact of the American President that causes those ground tremors we are feeling. The man seems to stomp a lot. At first, we were under the impression that he might just ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: ‘Chuckles’ Scheer is no attack dog.

Jun

30

2017

It was two Regina MPs who helped Vassy Kapelos to wrap up her West Block show on Global TV for the summer. As she had Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the week before, she brought on the new Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer this week. She also took another shot at asking Public Safety Minister ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: The anger factor.

Jun

22

2017

A reader on the west coast asked the other day if we are seeing anger in Liberal ranks directed at Prime Minister Trudeau’s disrespect for the party? What was strange about the question was that most of that anger is building on the west coast. The flash point will be the funding and tooling up ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Trudeau: Poster Boy or Action Figure?

Jun

18

2017

Goodness! Is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being criticized for not living up to his promises? Is he just a poster boy? Why is he not living up to his billing? He will have two years as prime minister in his pocket this October and some people are starting to have doubts. What is the problem? ...