It is important to remember better days in politics. Like the time I had a laugh with conservative premier Bill Davis. I was able to introduce him to a large luncheon at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel as “The man on my far right, William Davis, Premier of Ontario.” His retort,
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Babel-on-the-Bay: What would make Mr. Trump smile?
Have you noticed how dour the U.S. president is looking in all his recent pictures? The guy has forgotten how to smile. The only time we saw him smirk, even a little, was during that disgusting scene on the south lawn of the White House when his hand-picked audience where
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doing it the old-fashioned way…
In taking over the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in the 1970s, we did it the old-fashioned way: We cared. There was no involvement for government. There was no need to institutionalize a voice for the charitable sector across government. And, if anyone thought to ask, we could have told
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Tooling along with O’Toole.
It is ‘go easy’ time on the new leader of Canada’s conservatives. Erin O’Toole is getting the easy ride ahead of any election. The media are throwing him the soft lobs to try to give them some of the thought processes he will be using for tougher questions during a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: If you cannot honour our past…
How can we expect you to honour our future? Just get your Goddamn hands off John A. Macdonald. Nobody has the right to damage or deface a statue of an honoured Canadian. We have so damn few real heroes in Canada, we need to cherish the ones we have. You
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Oh America!
Watching events on the south side of the White House the other night was traumatic. My American mother had taught all six of her children that the Canada-U.S. border was largely irrelevant. We have all crossed that border so many times throughout out our lifetimes. It was for our 50th
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A sharp turn to the left?
Bloomberg News must be concerned. The business news people are reporting, that under the new management of Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s economy will take a decisive lurch to the left. The only delaying factor that might have held up that lurch was obviously Bill Morneau, whom Freeland replaced
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A fond farewell to Joe Atkinson.
As an undeniable Torontonian, I have always had a special place for the Toronto Star. Sure, I have worked for the Globe and Mail, written for the long-dead Toronto Telegram but my oracle was the Star. As Canada’s Numero Uno daily newspaper, it has been my lynch pin with my
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: That Tool, O’Toole.
Hypocrite, thy name is conservative. If you did not know where all that bullshit about equal rights at the new conservative leader’s first news conference came from, you have not been paying attention. Erin O’Toole had all the tricks lined up for him to make him conservative leader and leader
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: I’m Ba-ack.
The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I have spent the past three weeks in hospital. I remember waking up after an operation to put my ankle back together. I was completely disoriented but conscious of the need for a washroom. I remembered where I was when a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Never confuse Kenney with Trump.
One of my favourite writers wrote in a Toronto Star op-ed the other day that she thought Alberta premier Jason Kenney is the closest thing Canadians have to Donald Trump. As much as I hate to argue the case, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford holds those honours. Neither Ford nor Trump
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin’s ‘Turn to Bow’.
Yesterday’s show from Ottawa reminded me of a small book produced by Maclean’s magazine for the 1972 federal election: Their turn to curtsy – Your turn to bow. It told you all the magazine thought you needed to know to be a knowledgeable voter. Maybe that was the intent of
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Liberals whistle past the graveyard.
While it might be foolish to buy stock in Trudeau and Company in Ottawa, you have to ask who is going to gain in an election? It is a serious question. It would be necessary for the opposition to get together and bring down the minority liberal government in late
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The ‘WE’ boys go to the show.
After months of nothing but bad television, we finally got a taste of drama on Tuesday afternoon. It was politics at its best and its worst. It was a success and failure of technology. And it was sad. The We charity will never recover. And as it is run, it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Maybe we have the economic answer.
Not being an economist, I got into some heavy sledding this last week trying to find out more about modern monetary theory (MMT). The fascination was in seeing how this theory could move us into the future, once we defeat the coronavirus. It was certainly a delight to move forward
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: MP’s paid too much for too little.
In talking with other liberals a few days ago, the question was raised; Why are we paying these liberal MPs so much just to vote as they are told? They have serious questions to ask Justin Trudeau. They have to demand the resignation of finance minister Bill Morneau. Our MPs
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Comparing colonial India to Canada?
Why have so many people from the sub-continent immigrated to Canada? What attracted them to this country? These people are welcome. This question is raised because of a really confused op-ed in the Toronto Star last week. It was identified as being written by a gentleman who emigrated from India
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Liberal MPs not doing their job.
When the mail box notification dinged the other morning with another e-mail from the liberal party, I thought it might be news of finance minister Bill Morneau’s resignation. No such luck, the party just wanted more money. I am not sure why. The MPs in the liberal caucus must be
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Morneau’s meandering memory.
Fool us once Mr. Morneau, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Finance minister Bill Morneau has the amazing ability to remember between breakfast and lunch more than $40,000 in expenses he should have paid. I am sorry those harpies in the conservative caucus are making his life
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The man who cannot tell the truth.
It is a puzzling experience in life to have to deal with the reality of a man who is incapable of telling the truth. Listening to this man is like hearing a child fabricate a tale of the penguin who ate the cookies. You listen with a smile, because the
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