The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party will announce its new leader tomorrow. Will anyone care? Is it going to make a difference? With three years to go before an election in Ontario, will the voters notice the change? When you hear that timing is everything in politics, you get the idea
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Politics, Re-Spun: How Do YOU Fight for Workplace Justice?
How do YOU define determination? One of them gave birth the day before the vote. As soon as her baby was nursing properly and her bloodwork came back okay, she made the trip to the hotel to vote. via Inside a union drive at The Trump Hotel | Toronto Star.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The mad mathematics of Ontario’s Whigs.
Maybe Ontario teachers were on strike back when little Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa were there to learn mathematics. It would be the only excuse for the utterly ridiculous decision of the Ontario government to sell part of Hydro One and not the Liquor Control Board stores. As children, our
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A potpourri for Sunday.
Babel-on-the-Bay has resisted the urge to do an occasional potpourri of comments. We usually try to stick to one (related at least) topic at a time. If we did a potpourri, it would probably look like this: Ignorance is bliss: In a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star
Continue readingTrashy's World: PCPO leadership race
I’m obviously NOT a supporter of Ontario’s PC Party, but rooting for Patrick Brown over Christine Elliott. The wise voters in our province have time and time again rejected the social conservatism that has been the hallmark of leaders like Hudak and Brown. Elliott would be a far greater barrier
Continue readingcmkl: The cold, hard factual stupidity of Ontario selling its electrical utility: Hugh Mackenzie on rabble.ca
Normally I’d be all “but this represents Ontarians’ birthright, stuff that we have worked hard for and built with blood sweat and taxes” over the Ontario Liberals’ plan to sell Hydro One. But Hugh Mackenzie, an economist who works with CCPA, has another take. A rather cold, realpolitik, Bay Street
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: With Patrick Brown you get bupkis.
It seems we are supposed to do some sort of mea culpa in regards to Barrie’s MP Patrick Brown. Yes Babel-on-the-Bay originates in Barrie but we thought we had that covered by calling the place Babel. It just would not remain hidden. In writing the other day about the relative
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Two Tory budgets for the price of one.
It was Ontario’s turn this past week. How often do we get two Tory budgets at a time? On Tuesday, we had a laugh at federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s expense. And then, right on the heels, Thursday we had a budget redux from Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa. There
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Discovering Barrie’s Patrick Brown.
It has taken on all the elements of a farce. The Ontario news media are discovering Patrick Brown MP for Barrie. They are running lengthy, laudatory articles about him with flattering pictures. (And getting a flattering picture of Brown is no easy task.) The media think he has a lock
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doing without the politicians.
This Ontario resident missed Treasurer Charles Sousa’s budget yesterday. Not that we shunned his budget. The day involved 12 hours at the local hospital. Given a choice we would have preferred to be strapped down and forced to listen to Charles’ budget. Do not get all excited out there: it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The people wall is uncomfortable.
It is coming to a point where politicians will need to use videos of the right types of people behind them. It would certainly be better than the uncertainty of dragging in whoever is available to make up the backdrop for political announcements. It is the Prime Minister’s Office in
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Whining about Premier Wynne and wine.
Once again with feelings folks! We just found out from Ontario’s official newspaper the Toronto Star that the Ontario budget will not include selling good wine in grocery stores. We have been betrayed. We have been used. We have been had. This is unforgiveable. And what’s the excuse? It seems
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Wynne works with the Arc of Political Change.
Political change is never a straight line. No politico ever wants to admit that they were not doing things properly nor do they ever want to make a 90 or, God forbid, 180 degree change. Change must be slow, incremental and loaded with plenty of political plaudits for the politicians
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Patrick Brown, we hardly knew you.
Ontario media have discovered Patrick Brown MP. Yes, that is our Patrick from Barrie. He has been our Member of Parliament for the last three parliaments. He was barely noticed. He said nothing. He did nothing. He was another mindless Conservative vote. He was your typical Conservative MP. But finally
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Ontario can have a two-day budget day.
Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa hardly needs us to tell him what to do. Premier Wynne put Ed Clark of TD Bank in charge. That way, she tells Clark and Clark tells Sousa. No comments from the cheap seats are allowed. But do they have any idea of how long
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “Rules, shmules, we the boss:” says Brother Brown.
Canadians are usually fairly good about not mixing religion and politics. It is one of the less endearing traits of American politicos. That was why it was most unusual the other day when a B.C. member of the Conservative backbench quit his caucus and said he would sit as an
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: International Women’s Day 2015: Ontario’s bold anti-sexual violence plan
This powerful anti-sexual violence ad, released just in time for the 2015 International Woman’s Day, is part of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s ambitious $41-million plan to combat sexual violence. The post International Women’s Day 2015: Ontario’s bold anti-sexual violence plan appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingTrashy's World: Essential job requirements to be a CPC or OPC Minister…
1. Publicly state that evolution should not be taught in schools… Check 2. Tweet to the world that evolution should not be considered a “fact”. Check 3. Make slanderdous and way-over-top statements about Ontario’s school cirriculum Check Yup. And add in the: – mandatory climate-change denying blathering; – Jenny
Continue readingScripturient: Blog & Commentary: What’s Wrong with Municipal Bonusing?
Until the early 1970s, municipalities in Ontario were involved in a free-for-all competition to attract business and industry. They offered tax breaks, free land, free infrastructure, utilities or services, housing — whatever it took to get a plant or office to open within their boundaries. A lot of small Ontario
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Looking for Heroes?
I’ve been watching The Book of Negroes this week. I have no words. I only recognize justice, integrity, brutality, acknowledgement, witnessing, story telling and a myriad of other foggy responses. It’s easy to also ponder qualities of heroes. Then I read this from earlier this week, and nodded. Do you
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