There was an event years ago when the Liberal Party president and this writer were taking a rest after helping set up chairs for a large party meeting. And yes, it was part of our jobs. Because authority in the party comes with responsibility. You do whatever needs to be done. Justin Trudeau needs to […]
Continue readingTag: Trudeau
Babel-on-the-Bay: Is Justin Trudeau’s senate legitimate?
When a leading Liberal thinker such as Pierre Trudeau’s former Principal Secretary Thomas Axworthy challenges us on how to make the new independent(?) Senate of Canada legitimate, workable and effective, we need to pay attention. The only problem is that in a think piece for the Toronto Star on March 26, Tom writes that Justin […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Party conventions are always about money.
The first thing learned about political conventions is that it always has to be at a profit. The second is that if there is nothing contentious, create something. You always have to fill the hall. And filling the hall does not seem to be a problem for any of the three political party conventions planned […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A guaranteed income for Canadian elites?
That was a firm step backward in time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday. He gave jobs to people who had no need for another job. He gave the title of senator to people who had no need for further titles. He made a mockery of much needed reform. This is elitism at its worst. […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Waiting for Minister Monsef.
Canadians have heard from the Conservatives and more recently the New Democrats about electoral reform. Voters are getting the impression that the Conservatives are vigorously opposed and the New Democrats very much in favour. Yet we seem to be hearing more from Liberal House Leader Dominic LeBlanc about this government initiative than the minister responsible. […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: PM’s Job: Making the tough calls.
Sorry Prime Minister, the honeymoon is over. It is time to decide whom to please and whom you are going to piss off. And you can hardly please both the pipeline people who want to push tar sands’ bitumen to our ocean shores and those who care about our planet. Look at what sucking up […]
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Justin Trudeau and the Continuing Saga of Canadian Apathy
A recent poll shows strong support for the Trudeau government in Canada, and I have to think, once again, that it is surprising to see that Canadians can be so uncritical and unquestioning of their government. Yes, Harper was defeated, and yes, that wa…
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Ottawa thinking outside the box?
We should send an ‘Attaboy’ to the Trudeau Liberals in Ottawa. It seems they are trying to stretch the thinking in the Finance Department to find new ways to fund high- technology start-ups. They are giving serious study to a report recommending ways to support Canada’s weakened high technology sector. The hope is to move […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Honourable Members All!
A reader brought up what he considers a serious weakness in first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting yesterday. It is the assumption that we elect “honourable members’ to our legislatures and the House of Commons and select the same for our Senate. The member we elect with at least a plurality is assumed capable of representing all voters […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: But what if FPTP isn’t broke?
You almost hate to ask the question. What is wrong with the way Canadians vote? There seems to be an assumption by some people that first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting is a failure. Does that mean you have to dump FPTP and take a flier on some other theoretically improved voting system? And why is it better? […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin marks a hundred days.
The wife wanted to send our prime minister a Valentine card. She is a fan. Maybe we both are in our different ways. She only wants him to lose the rock-star role and start to look more prime ministerial. She is right in that. It is time he got down to the real job and […]
Continue readingLeft Over: Turning a Fail into a Win…
Mulcair takes responsibility for failed election campaign in letter to NDP supporters Mulcair wants to remain NDP leader promising not to repeat mistakes of 2015 election By Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press Posted: Feb 10, 2016 3:51 PM ET Last Updated: … Continue reading →
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The perils of political predictions in by-elections
A friend called the other evening. He wanted to know who would win tonight’s provincial by-election in Christine Elliott’s former electoral district of Whitby-Oshawa. Once again we had to patiently explain that it is impossible to predict. The opinion polls that say the Conservatives have the best chance are useless. The big rally the other […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Can Trudeau open the sepulchres of government?
Can Canadians have an open government? Do we want one? Can Trudeau deliver it? They are all good questions. The problem inherent in the questions is Justin Trudeau’s understanding of how Ottawa really works. He might be biting off far more than his limited experience can handle. Of note is the fact that Justin’s father […]
Continue readingLeft Over: Who Defines “Affordable?”
Vancouver mayor offers $250M of city land for social housing Gregor Robertson is asking the federal government give $500M in return for affordable housing projects CBC News Posted: Feb 02, 2016 8:11 AM PT Last Updated: Feb 02, 2016 9:29 … Continue reading →
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin: On electoral versus constitutional reform.
In a sit-down conversation with Justin Trudeau about six years ago, it was immediately obvious that he is an emotional person and as easy to read as an open book. Other than being eager to get him into a poker game, it was interesting to test his reaction to some basic political propositions. While he […]
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Laying Down A Deadly Bluff
For ages now Canadians have been conditioned to accept that we “need” more pipelines to move more oil. Otherwise we’ll continue to exhaust train crews and have bombtrains in every town. Canadian oil production to keep rising even if pipelines not approved: National Energy Board https://t.co/Sa4Me2FjDR #business — Regina Leader Post (@leaderpost) January 27, 2016 […]
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Trudeau To Rush A Billion Dollars to Wall and Notley
The government is in talks to quickly allocate $1 billion for infrastructure projects in the two provinces — money earmarked by the previous government’s infrastructure fund but not yet delivered, two of the officials said. I sincerely hope that this money goes into supporting the growing renewable energy industry, and not into propping up the […]
Continue readingcartoon life: The reprimand
Filed under: art Tagged: Harper, Trudeau
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