Check out Common Ground, and add your voice to protect the Pickering Lands and say no to Flaherty’s Folly International Airport. The Conservative government in Canada wants to convert over 13,000 acres of prime farm land into an international airport (one that’s not needed) and for undisclosed industrial use. While
Continue readingTag: Ontario
Trashy's World: The Ontario Catholic School Board supporters had an email campaign, I guess…
So. There is this website that the Ontario Liberals have set up called “Common Ground” that is designed to elicit comments from Ontarians on new policy directions. This is not a bad idea. But good ideas can be hijacked by special interests who would clearly be positively or negatively affected
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Jordan Brennan and Jim Stanford put to rest any attempt to minimize the growth of inequality in Canada: (I)ncome inequality has reached a historic extreme. Inequality was high during the 1920s and 1930s (the “gilded age”), but fell sharply during the Second World
Continue readingthe reeves report: Land needs trump Pickering airport
Pickering area protest sign (Flickr image courtesy of jbcurio) Residents opposing the Pickering airport have come to expect the unexpected. In their 40-plus years of struggle against a development many feel prioritizes business interests over prime agricultural farmland, the story has unfolded in fits and starts. Long periods of inactivity
Continue readingFalse positive: private profit in Canada's health care: Private Hospitals in Specialty Clinic Clothing
The provincial government’s mid-summer announcement that regulations under the Independent Health Facilities (IHF) Act will be drafted to permit “specialty clinics” raises some serious concerns. Changes in the LHINS enabling legislation will also be required. While the details are sparse the government’s stated goal is to permit the LHINs, Ontario’s
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Hudak Finance critic bills you for second home
If Hudak wants to lower the deficit, his own Finance critic not billing you 20 grand for a rental home while he spends his time in Niagara-on-the-Lake, 150 km from his riding of Thornhill might be a better idea than firing thousands of teachers and nurses. Last year, Tory finance
Continue readingAt least the provinces (well, two of them) care about climate change
In a good news item, the governments of Ontario and Manitoba announced they will maintain the internationally renowned Experiment Lakes Area project. Ontario has committed $2-million a year and Manitoba another $900,000 over six years through its funding of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The IISD, a Winnipeg-based
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne writes that it’s long past time for Newfoundland and Labrador to boost its minimum wage: Last year, a statutory review of minimum wage, conducted by a government-appointed panel, called for action to be taken on the minimum wage. The panel recommended
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Thoughts on Taking The Lane
Updated 2013-11-11
As I am not an expert on cycling safety this post is not intended to be advice on how to safely take the lane but only my thoughts on the subject.
While I am not one of those “vehicular cyclists”, that oppose cycling infrastruc…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Thoughts on Taking The Lane
As I am not an expert on cycling safety this post is not intended to be advice on how to safely take the lane but only my thoughts on the subject. While I am not one of those “vehicular cyclists”, that oppose cycling infrastructure because they think that the best
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Thoughts on Taking The Lane
Updated 2013-11-11 As I am not an expert on cycling safety this post is not intended to be advice on how to safely take the lane but only my thoughts on the subject. While I am not one of those “vehicular cyclists”, that oppose cycling infrastructure because they think that
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: If Tim Hudak goes, who do you pick as Ontario PC leader?
One of my old university political classmates (and still a friend) Michael Taube, who once worked on the staff of Stephen Harper, has a guest op-ed column in the Star this AM, saying Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Hudak needs to resign, as he hasn’t connected with the people of Ontario,
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The 1%, Their Cottages, and the Occupy Movement
You aren’t middle class if you own a cottage. Remember that. If I need to single-handedly reboot the Occupy Movement for this one, I’ll do it, I tell ya [emphasis is mine]: A month ago, I had a conversation with Deb Hutton, wife of PC leader Tim Hudak, who said
Continue readingTrashy's World: Some of the PCPO MPPs are being just plain ol’ scumbags today…
Like this guy, for example: I’m pretty sure that no one has been convicted of an offence. I guess Mr. Bob Bailey MPP doesn’t really care about stuff like “charges” and “due process”. (1) Trashy, Ottawa, Ontario
Continue readingTrashy's World: E Day in Ottawa South!
Woot! Come on everyone! Woot with me! I just don’t “get” people who don’t get excited about elections. It is the one tangible time when we, as citizens, can choose what a part of our democracy will look like. As we are CITIZENS, dammit! Not “taxpayers” as conservatives like to
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: All the Hilarious Hypocrite Holyday Memes in One Place! #pcpo #onpoli #HypocriteHolyday #PoorSteveRyan
Before Doug Holyday was officially parachuted in as the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Conservative candidate, we had Steve Ryan, affectionately known as Poor Steve Ryan. The guy found out by Twitter he was no longer the Etobicoke-Lakeshore candidate. Then, the moment everyone was waiting for – Doug Holyday was appointed the candidate for
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: First Report of Voter Turnout in Ontario By-Elections – Dismal #onpoli
Via Elections Ontario: As of July 29, preliminary figures indicated that the following numbers of electors have cast their ballots for the upcoming provincial by-elections: 6430 electors in the Electoral District of Etobicoke—Lakeshore (out of 89,550) – 7.2% 7567 electors in the Electoral District of London West (out of 95,265) –
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: The Ontario Conservative Party’s Hail Mary #pcpo #onpoli
Yesterday, the Conservative Party of Ontario released copies of emails it obtained that showed that Ontario Liberal staffers wanted to pressure the Speaker of the legislature into reversing his decision requiring the release of documents pertaining to the “gas plant scandal” – to suggest using partisan leverage against a non-partisan
Continue readingTrashy's World: John Fraser has earned the right to represent Ottawa South as the MPP
The Liberal Party nominee has come under some criticism during the Ottawa South by-election over some files that were the responsibilities of his predecessor, and the former Premier, Dalton McGuinty. These have not been fair criticisms. I, as a resident of the riding for 10 years and as an active
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: In Brampton, Few Recorded Development Votes After Developers Contribute To Political War Chests
By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzzi Key Findings: – The development industry is clearly engaged in the political process at Brampton City Hall. – 233 development companies and development-affiliated individuals were publicly disclosed to have contributed money to Brampton candidates in the 2010 municipal election. – Of those 233 developer donors, 48 were
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