Who Do You Serve?
As Toronto police cleared St. James Park this morning, one of the few remaining protesters yelled at an officer, “Excuse me! Who do you serve? That’s the basic question behind…
Owen Gray
Premature Obituary
Predictions are in the air these days. Not long ago, Lawrence Martin predicted that, after spending time in the wilderness with Bob Rae, the Liberal Party will be led to…
True North
In today’s Globe and Mail, Robert Redford — who lately has spent a lot of time in Vancouver — offers another take on the Canadian-American partnership, which Stephen Harper trumpets…
Limited Intelligence
When Megan Leslie and Claude Grevelle went to Washington this past week, Environment Minister Peter Kent was furious. The two NDP members of the House, he said, were taking “the…
Pension Shell Game
Tom Walkom writes that the only real pension is a defined benefit pension — the kind of pension which allows you to know how much you will receive in retirement…
A Rae Of Hope
Lawrence Martin -- who admits being inspired by MacKenzie King -- looks into his crystal ball this morning and predicts that Bob Rae will lead the Liberals in opposition and…
They Don’t Know What They’re Talking About
The Hill Times reports that an invitation has gone out to all Conservative MP's and senators to come and network at the Albany Club on December 1st. The speical guest…
Angry Old Men
Last week, in The Globe and Mail, Brian Topp wrote that a little discussed part of the government's Omnibus Crime Bill represents a significant change in policy at Canadian prisons:…
They Get It
The reaction is starting to set in. The Occupy Protesters have been evicted from their camps in London and Halifax. Mayor Rob Ford has told the people in St. James…
Rememberance Day, 2011
I awoke this morning to the refrain, "And the band played waltzing Matilda." I thought of my father, who spent some of World War II in Australia. Most of the…
It’s More Than The Economy
Chantal Hebert writes in today's Toronto Star that the Liberal Party is floundering because Canadians believe Stephen Harper is a competent economic manager: The global economic downturn has become to…
When Every Vote Counts
Every several decades, David Shribman writes, the United States has an election in which "the country seems to approach one of the hinges of history." The election of 2012 will…
Dull But Brilliant
Canadians tend to think that their country's history is dull. But like William Lyon Mackenzie King -- one of Canada's longest serving prime ministers -- there is much that is…
The Sun Also Rises
Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times that solar power is no longer the Impossible Dream: . . . progress in solar panels has been so dramatic and sustained…
The Problem of Political Courage
Chantal Hebert argues in today's Toronto Star that the repatriation of the Constitution in 1981 unleashed a tide of populism which has paralyzed Canada's parliamentary institutions: In the three decades…
Sophocles Knew How The Story Went
Two weeks ago, I applauded as European leaders finally forced their mega banks to take a haircut. But events this week have illustrated how fragile their plan is. The union…
Science is Useful
When the Harper government encounters facts which contradict its preconceived notions, it simply ignores them. That is certainly the case with the government's tough on crime agenda. As Jeffrey Simpson…