It was mentioned the other day that it is impossible to selectively elect a minority government. Before you think you are voting for a minority, you need to check your mathematics and your logic. I would suggest to you that if most people across Canada voted for a second-tier party
Continue readingTag: Jagmeet Singh
Montreal Simon: Is Canada Heading For A Coalition Government?
For years I dreamed of a mighty progressive coalition that would unite to topple the increasingly sinister Stephen Harper.And I will never forget how happy I was to see progressives of all colours marching together after the would be dictator prorogued Parliament.Or forget how much I hoped it would encourage the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On the home straight.
We are in the final week and nobody really knows how this election will play out. We tend to confuse what we hope will happen with what is really happening. The pollsters seemed locked in secondary races and are ignoring the real one. Maybe green leader Elizabeth May is the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Singh’s sendoff into the sunset.
New democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh is not going quietly. He caught some wind in his sails from that disgrace of an English debate this past week and is running with it. It was such a bad debate that Singh came out looking better than usual. And yet, it is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Another bad night for Canadian democracy.
When will we treat these election debates as what they are? When they told us that there would be six leadership hopefuls and five moderators for the one English-language debate, we knew trouble was coming. It would have been much better to drop some of the moderators and pay a
Continue readingAlberta Politics: There was actually something new in the leader’s debate Monday — alas, it’s not a good thing
The United States’ two-party political setup may not be much of a template for actual democracy, but at least it has lots of potential for interesting leaders’ debates. A televised leaders’ debate in a vibrant multi-party democracy like Canada? Not so much. For one thing, you have to invite the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: This Dismal Season
Sorry. I asked around. Couldn’t find anyone who bothered watching last night’s leaders’ debate. Not one. I suppose it has something to do with that “none of the above” attitude that permeates the general election this year. All but two were university grads, the sort who usually pay some heed
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Morning Line: 43rd Canadian General Election
Welcome to Babel-on-the-Bay’s starting point in understanding the coming election. Bear in mind that these are starting odds only. There will likely be changes by election day. Be sure you get full odds on any of your wagers. And, believe me, this is not a simple calculation. It has never
Continue readingAlberta Politics: What was Rachel Notley suggesting when she said she’s not committed to voting for Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats?
Responding to former Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley’s remark last week that she hasn’t committed to voting for Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats in her own federal riding, a young Albertan named Reakash Walters tweeted from Ontario: “I have never felt so out of touch from Alberta politics than right at
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: My latest: debate? What debate?
Here’s the thing about Monday’s leader’s debate, Canada. You won’t be watching it. Well, let’s amend that. Sun readers are a scrappy, elbows-up lot, who dig politics and a good scrap. Sun readers are likelier to be watching the debate. They like debates. But most everyone else? They won’t be.
Continue readingThe Daveberta Podcast: Episode 41: The federal election and Jason Kenney’s Ontario whistle-stop tour
What is missing from the federal election debate, Premier Jason Kenney’s whistle-stop tour through Ontario, and the fall session of the Alberta Legislature are some of the hot topics Dave tackles with this week’s guest co-hosts – Natalie Pon and Justin Archer. Natalie Pon is a chartered professional accountant and
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: My latest: why isn’t Andrew Scheer way ahead?
So, Andrew. You don’t mind if I call you Andrew, do you? It’s better than what I sometimes used to call you, which was Blandy Andy. I stopped calling you that because you figured out a way to make the bland thing work, like Brampton Bill Davis did. You embraced
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: TVA provides a forum for losers.
Making sense of the political sparring on Pierre Karl Péladeau’s French language television network, TVA, on Wednesday was easy. It was the time for Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Québécois and the New Democrat’s Jagmeet Singh to come on strong and hard. This was their first major chance to make
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why Andrew Scheer Was The Big Loser Of The French Debate
Before last night's debate began, most of the pundits were predicting that all of the other candidates would gang up on Justin Trudeau.And that he stood to lose the most in a province he needs to win if he hopes to hang on to his majority.But as soon as debate
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the echoes of previous campaigns in Canada’s federal election – including the possibility that the 1972 minority government scenario might be the best outcome of all. For further reading…– The column’s discussion of public impressions of leaders is based on recent polling from Forum and Angus Reid –
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Who won and lost the French-language debate
Who won? The separatist guy, Yves-Francois Blanchet. He was calm, he was cool and he was collected. He totally dominated. Who lost? Justin Trudeau. He needed to remind everyone that that hopey-changey guy from 2015 is still around. He didn’t, because he isn’t. (And he was clobbered on one key
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Death by a thousand tax cuts.
Canadian voters are being nickel-dimed and conned by their politicians. Even Elizabeth May and her greenies have joined into the game of making promises, with funds, from where, they do not really know. It is a game that voters should not buy. Let’s face facts: Sheer is no savior, Trudeau
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Over-Analyzed Election.
It’s a circus on the hustings. It is like somebody tossed a cherry bomb into the outhouse. Everybody has an opinion to lay on you as to what is happening but not what will happen. There is more coverage every day from radio, television and daily newspapers. They tell you
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – George Monbiot argues that it’s time to cap the amount of wealth any person can accumulate, while highlighting the importance of accepting that there’s a point where we have enough. – Donovan Vincent writes about the rental housing crisis in Toronto, while
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