Last weekend, Canada lost a beloved, well-respected, honest, persuasive, gruff-voiced, hard-working, non-conformist, friendly, principled, down-to-earth man of the people who drank and smoked, wore cowboy boots, stood up for the little guy and was re-elected several times. No, I’m not talking about that asshole Ralph Klein, whose merits and accomplishments
Continue readingTag: Ontario politics
the reeves report: Mississauga mayor urges government to move on from gas-plant hearings
Outspoken Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion lit up the Standing Committee on Justice Policy at Queen’s Park Thursday morning with testimony on the government’s 2011 decision to cancel a proposed gas plant in a residential neighbourhood. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion Though a witness called by the Liberal government, McCallion was blunt
Continue readingthe reeves report: Next Steps in Protecting the Great Lakes
Lake Huron shoreline/Photo by Jimmy Brown In the face of decades of environmental, pollution and development stresses on the shorelines, wetlands, river basins, flora and fauna of the Great Lakes, the government of Ontario realized making a difference in the health of these critical water bodies would require all hands
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pining For A Non-Existent Past
It occurs to me that perhaps the limited appeal of young Tim Hudak, the increasingly out-of-touch leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, might be related to the retro mentality that periodically pops up in North America. You know, that nostalgic pining for a non-existent past where everyone lived harmoniously in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Thoughts on ‘Tea Party Tim’
I wish I could take credit for the title sobriquet describing Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, but that distinction lies with Val Patrick of Hamilton whose letter, along with several others that appear in today’s Star, I am taking the liberty of reproducing below. Enjoy! Tea Party Tim Hudak
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Could be just me…
….but Tim Hudak seems like an angry guy these days. The modus operandi of the Ontario PC leader seems to be to “attack” everyone and everything these days as a way to try to get himself elected – an angrier version of ex-Premier Mike Harris, if you will. Polls seem
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: ‘Master of the Universe’ Tim Speaks Again
And, as usual, has nothing to say to anyone with the capacity to think. H/t Kev Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Incorrigible Deb Matthews
That Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews, who presided over the Ornge scandal, remains in her portfolio in the new Wynne government is unfathomable to me. A woman of breathtaking incompetence who steadfastly refused all calls for her resignation as each sordid detail of corruption and sybaritic spending within the air
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: There’s been so much bullshit and insanity in the Canadian…
There’s been so much bullshit and insanity in the Canadian political scene lately, it’s hard to keep on top of it all. Here are just a few recent examples: fraud and theft being officially endorsed in the Canadian senate prime minister Stephen Harper and his stooges lying through their teeth
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Villagers With Pitchforks
Looks like these folks need some direction: I suspect young Tim Hudak would like to provide it for them. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tim Speaketh Again
The only trouble is, everytime he does, he affirms his incompetence. Yes, young Tim Hudak, the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, has weighed in on yet another ‘obstruction’ that he believes can be remediated through his simplistic prism. This time it is that pesky perennial problem of those
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Fathoming The Reactionary Mind
I readily admit that I find it difficult, if not impossible, to fathom the extreme right-wing mind. To me, it is a mind mired in a world of fantasy, willful ignorance, and intractable denial. Magical thinking seems to be a substitute for cogitation. Name-calling in lieu of discussion. Denunciation instead
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: My brief take on the Ontario Throne Speech
Briefly – Wynne and the Liberals sounded conciliatory, the NDP said it would support the Throne Spech and subsequent budget, provided the Liberals give them some goodies, and Tim Hudak and the Conservatives instantly marginalized themselves by already declaring they’re voting against anything the Liberals may bring forward, without any
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Perhaps He Should Try Thinking Before Speaking?
Last week I wrote a post on two inane ideas uttered by young Tim Hudak, the hapless leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party. He proposed tying post-secondary funding to rates of employment upon graduation, along with the idea that only those who achieve a certain mark shuld be elegible for
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Mike Harris Redux
In his ongoing attempt to resurrect the ‘glory’ days of his close friend and mentor, former Ontario Premier Mike ‘the knife’ Harris, young Ontario Conservative Tim Hudak has a not-so-new-idea. A man, I deduce, not given to a great deal of introspection or critical thought, young Tim has apparently come
Continue readingthe reeves report: Algonquin Park: A Waste Diversion Success Story
Algonquin Park at sunrise. Flickr image by Karin Lewis. The crown jewel of Ontario’s provincial park system is being recognized for hitting a crucial milestone not often associated with our parks system: removing garbage. With approximately one million visitors flocking to Ontario’s largest and most popular park destination, Algonquin Park
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
I have a confession to make: I am a lifelong Beach Boys’ fan. Their harmonies and their idyllic representation of the West Coast lifestyle captivated me as a youth, and still have a hold on me today. One of their signature songs, and certainly one of my favorites, is Wouldn’t
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Lessons Learned
Goodbye Minister of Finance Takhar. Hello Minister Responsible for Seniors Takhar. You win some, you lose some. Or so I hear. Regardless, win or lose, we can all take home valuable lessons from the OLP leadership race – and with no fewer than 5 other Liberal leadership races ongoing in
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Lets review what Kathleen Wynne answered to my five questions (and the blogger conference call)
Now that Kathleen Wynne is the Premier of Ontario (or about to be made formally), I think now might be a good time to review what she said in response to the 5 questions I sent her and some of the other candidates, and see where she might go: The
Continue readingCalgary Grit: As Good as Being There
The mainstream media coverage of this weekend’s OLP leadership convention has focused on backroom deals and electoral implications – but this misses the very human element of leadership conventions, which is where blogs still hold a certain degree of relevance. I therefore encourage everyone to read the following accounts –
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