One of the best—and funniest—opeds we have read for a while was by Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star. Susan’s first premise in her article (Liberals must win the middle…July 25) was that there are too many communications people in the Liberal Party. She then segues into a discourse on
Continue readingTag: Liberal Party
Babel-on-the-Bay: Eglinton-Lawrence is the place to be today.
It all comes down to the wire today in what will be one of the most hotly contested Toronto ridings in the October federal election. It is widely assumed by politicos that whoever the riding Liberals pick as their candidate will become the next Member of Parliament. The dour Conservative
Continue readingPolitics Canada: Trudeau’s blunt rejection of coalition will cost the Liberals more support
Justin Trudeau’s blunt rejection of the idea of a coalition will cost the Liberals more support I predict. There are several people in the country who sincerely believe that Harper must be removed from power at all costs and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. The fact
Continue readingPolitics Canada: The Liberals need a plan, an emergency plan
The Liberals needed a strategy a long time ago. That is a long-term strategy, they needed it when Mr Dion took the helm, again with Ignatief and of course with Trudeau. The main strategy the Liberals need is a way to deal with the ferocious relentless Karl Rove Conservative attack
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Do Conservatives consider Justin Trudeau dangerous?
While most Canadians simply laugh off the silly “Trudeau’s not ready” commercials playing with increasing intensity on English-language television, there is another more layered campaign underlying it. This more insidious campaign is spreading through social media and says that Trudeau is ‘dangerous.’ If you have not received the core threats
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Knowing how Ches Crosby feels.
The one thing people in Newfoundland can count on is politicians who rattle the cage. From the late Premier Joey Smallwood and others since, we have always expected controversy and salty comments from Island politicians. Ches Crosbie, a St. John’s lawyer, has been in the news lately for being refused
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: First lessons in the environment.
It hardly matters at what age young men have their first camping experience. The most common first lesson is to never pee into the campfire. Not only is that a part of your body that should never get singed but urine on an open fire smells terrible. This lesson occurred
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: John McCallum visits #Brantford #Brant again, Danielle Takacs Community Office officially open!
There was a lot of activity happening this past Friday and Saturday in Brantford-Brant where my friend Danielle Takacs is running. On Friday, the Honourable John McCallum came down to the riding to spend a half day with Danielle greeting people and talking to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The media feel the excitement.
Just about four months to the federal election and the news media can barely contain their excitement. Not since John Diefenbaker came out of the West like an avenging angel has an election been so fraught with possibilities. They have so many scenarios to write about. Change is in the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: One of Justin Trudeau’s better moves.
It makes sense to make nice with the United States. It is surprising for many Canadians when that becomes necessary. Not since Prime Minister John Diefenbaker pissed off President John Kennedy have relations with the Americans been more in the dumpster. Not only has Prime Minister Stephen Harper been a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Canadians are owed answers on the Senate.
Do you have a mental image of the three major party leaders cowering in their campaign bunkers this year afraid of questions on the Senate? They will all tell you that they are in favour of Senate reform and just what that reform might entail and how they will accomplish
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin Trudeau brought his perfect game.
When somebody bowls a perfect game, you have to admire it. In politics a perfect game is a rare event. You have to remember that in politics there are people out there who are lurking to ridicule, there are professional scoffers and there are the people paid to deride any
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Hair’s hopes in Quebec are fading.
The pundits are catching on. There are a paucity of votes for the Hair and his party among voters in Quebec. Mind you, there are even fewer for the Bloc. This fall in Quebec, it will be a head to head contest between the Liberals and New Democrats. The other
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: It’s not in the cards for Tom Mulcair.
Whether you prefer to use a crystal ball, tarot cards, automated telephone calls or the entrails of a sheep, forecasting the results of the fall federal election in Canada at this early stage is a waste of time. And making up stories about New Democrat Leader Thomas Mulcair being the
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Should we be taxing the rich 1% more?
Louis-Philippe Rochon Associate Professor, Laurentian Economics Founding Co-Editor, Review of Keynesian Economics Follow him on Twitter @Lprochon Originally published by CBC. Find commentary here. The federal Liberal Party’s recent election promise to create a new tax bracket for rich Canadians has been quickly decried by – well, rich
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Building a better Bill Blair?
It seems that Bill Blair hopes to be forgiven almost everything. The former Toronto police chief is now a politician. And federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has officially welcomed Blair to the Liberal fold. Trudeau was actually reported by the media as saying: “I’m not going to Monday-morning-quarterback decisions made
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Bearing bad news for NDP’s Tom Mulcair.
George Lakoff is an American who thinks. The UCLA Berkeley professor was in Toronto last week. We missed a chance to meet him. He is reported to have told his audience there is no such thing as the political centre. That must have been bad news for the New Democrats
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Goodbye Bill Blair: You failed us.
Toronto has not lost a police chief. It has gained freedom. It has left an era of bad policing behind. It has new opportunities for better policing. It has new opportunities for discouraging crime, fewer gangs, fewer guns, easing of trouble spots and better relations between the police and the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Political Game of Stupidity #nlpoli
Last week, the provincial Liberals came out of the candidate protection program to talk about the Dunphy shooting. Liberal justice critic Andrew Parsons told Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that his party thought it was too soon to talk about any type of further inquiry into the tragic shooting death of Don
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: John McCallum visits Brantford-Brant to talk immigration/cultural issues
This past Thursday evening, John McCallum, Liberal MP from Markham-Unionville and the LPC’s critic for Immigration/Multiculturalism/ Seniors visited Brantford-Brant to meet with Liberal candidate Danielle Takacs and leaders of Brantford-Brant’s various cultural communities. Mr. McCallum is the 4th Liberal MP to visit Brantford-Brant in the span of less than 3
Continue reading