Bits and pieces of news from the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, in advance of tonight’s debate in Ottawa. The Policy Candidate: Glen Murray has released the most detailled policy proposals and routinely peppers his speeches with more facts and figures than you’ll see in a fourth year economics class.
Continue readingTag: Ontario politics
the reeves report: Cleaning up the Niagara River
Niagara River © RokaB – Fotolia.com The Niagara River has come a long way since the 1980s. One would still be advised not to drink the water, swim in some of the public beaches or eat the fish you reel in, but the latest report on the remediation plan reveals
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Tim Hudak, leader of Ontario’s opposition Progressive…
Tim Hudak, leader of Ontario’s opposition Progressive Conservatives, released a policy white paper this week, outlining his party’s extremist plans for the province if his useless party ever manages to slide its hands into the political cookie jar. His two main brain farts are to privatize casinos and other types
Continue readingCalgary Grit: The Air War Begins
The Ontario Liberal Party’s leadership race has been largely fought on the ground until now. With such a tight timeline, the campaigns were forced to focus almost exclusively on signing up new members until November 23rd. There have been polls, endorsements, and a few policies rushed out the door, but most of the race has taken place outside of the public eye. Heck, Harinder Takhar didn’t even declare until after the membership deadline. With that deadline passed, today’s debate in … →
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me…
The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me I’m a Liberal” (click on the Justin Bieber — I mean Trudeau — photo for a Youtube video of the original song) were inspired by recent stories about Liberal Party wrongdoings in Canad…
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Make a Difference
I recognize that most readers of this blog either: a) Don’t live in Ontario or b) Have pretty strong political beliefs So any pitch to join the Ontario Liberal Party is either a case of preaching to the choir, or preaching to atheists. However, if you are an unaffiliated Ontarian and want to make a difference, the deadline to sign up as an OLP member to vote for the next Premier of Ontario is midnight Friday. All Ontario residents 14 … →
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Sandra Pupatello replies first to my set of questions
The first of the Ontario Liberal candidates to respond to the questions I sent off to them/their campaigns has responded; that honour goes to Sandra Pupatello. I was actually sent these answers to me on Saturday, but they sent it to an outdated Progres…
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Kennedy for Ontario
After some bleating about how no one wanted the “poisoned chalice”, an impressive field of six candidates has declared for the OLP leadership race: Glen Murray, Sandra Pupatello, Eric Hoskins, Kathleen Wynne, Charles Sousa, and Gerard Kennedy. All have Cabinet experience, and all are ready to step into the Premier’s chair. I have nothing negative to say about any of the six and will gladly campaign for whichever one of them scrambles across the finish line first in this race. … →
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Remembrance Day 2012 at Queen’s Park,…
Remembrance Day 2012 at Queen’s Park, Toronto
This year, since November 11 fell on a Sunday, I managed to attend two Remembrance Day ceremonies at Queen’s Park in Toronto.
First I obse…
Scott's DiaTribes: There are now 2000 candidates for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership.. what are their policies?
Ok.. so I’m exaggerating.. but it sure seems that way. It also seems like the entire provincial cabinet has resigned so they can enter the race. Two more have entered today, or are about to enter – Charles Sousa – Former Minister of C…
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Your Weekly OLP Leadership Update: Can Kennedy Restore a Liberal Camelot?
With the membership cut-off fast approaching, it seems likely we’ll have a good idea of the field of candidates to replace Dalton McGuinty within a few days. This week, Laurel Broten, Brad Duguid, and George Smitherman added their names to the list of those taking a pass, prompting a round
Continue readingCalgary Grit: OLP Leadership Update
While Federal Liberal leadership aspirants are free to subject their candidacy to a year-long striptease before declaring, Ontario Liberals do not have the luxury of time. With the membership cut-off in just four weeks, there’s little time to play coy. Yasir Naqvi mulled it over for a few days before
Continue readingCalgary Grit: OLP Leadership Mad Dash
While the federal Liberals chose a lengthy marathon to replace Michael Ignatieff, their provincial cousins sounded the starter’s pistol on a mad sprint this past weekend. Heck, maybe “roller derby” is the more apt sports analogy. The next Premier of Ontario will be selected on January 25th, but the date
Continue readingCalgary Grit: After 16 Years of McGuinty, What’s Next for OLP?
Sixteen years ago, Dalton McGuinty won the Ontario Liberal leadership race at 4:30 am, after 5 rounds of voting. Always one to defy expectations, McGuinty worked his way up from 4th place over the course of 9 hours in what was truly one of the wildest leadership conventions in Canadian
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Dalton McGuinty
A toast to McGuinty or a toast to his departure? Every pundit, commentator, and Joe Schmoe with a Twitter account has weighed in on Dalton McGuinty’s legacy today. The range of opinions is vast, as you might expect for any leader who has been in power for nearly a decade
Continue readingCalgary Grit: The Changing Face of Provincial Politics
Gary Doer, Bernard Lord, and Dalton McGuinty With Dalton McGuinty’s abrupt resignation, Stephen Harper has now outlasted every sitting Premier in power when he took office. Hell, Alberta has seen two regicides during this period: John Hamm (succeeded by Rodney MacDonald in 2006, who was defeated by Darrel Dexter in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Young Tim Speaks Again
But of course, he is singing the same tune as always: tax cuts will lead us to prosperity. What’s next? Did I hear someone say monorail? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Lying Politicians
Given the level of odium in which the public holds politicians, the title of this post probably seems redundant. However, it is also appropriate given an article written by Lawrence Martin yesterday and a not-so-surprising revelation made in today’s Toronto Star. First, Martin’s article, published yesterday in iPolitics, posits that
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pick On Someone Your Own Size, Premier McGuinty
Much rhetoric has been uttered of late about the need for everyone to ‘share the pain’ as Ontario’s McGuinty government attacks the provincial deficit in a manner that many think is counterproductive, stripping away teachers collective bargaining rights being but one example. However one may feel about such moves, those
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Apt Contrast
There is the Energizer rabbit, brought to you by Everready: Then there is the Never-ready rabbit, brought to you by Ontario’s Conservative Party: Recommend this Post
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