Embarrassing Barrie.
It has been 12 years since I launched Babel-on-the-Bay.com. Initially a frequent theme was Barrie’s city council. They were often humorous digs at the mayor, with city councillors relegated to…
Peter Lowry
The Weakness of Democracy.
Nobody ever said that democracy is perfect. It is just expected to be better than any of the alternatives. After more than a few years of trying to understand democracy,…
When Byelections Prove Nothing.
There you go Mr. Trudeau. You have your reading on the voting intentions of Canadians. The byelections in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba proved, once again, that some ridings tend to…
They are all Super Mayors.
The idea of Barrie’s mayor being given undemocratic powers by the province is hilarious. In a poll to determine the least competent mayor in Ontario, our mayor might be, at…
Windfall Profits and Taxes.
Why are all the grocery stores bragging about their higher profits? And why is the government not taxing those excessive profits at a higher rate? It wouldn’t do anything to…
Wishy-washy Doesn’t Cut It.
This is an important time to be an Ontario liberal. It is not just the time to take on a new leader, it is a time to pick the direction…
Do We Need This Help?
It seems every time there is someone of note jumping into this or that political race, we get the morning line in the media with the new entries. The other…
Bell blames the Bureaucrats.
You would think that once in a while Bell would blame their failures on their own incompetence. This is a company that bought CTV thinking it was just another way…
The King in his Counting House.
It is classic conservative strategy. The Ontario government has been caught banking $20 billion that they claim is a reserve fund. What they are really doing is telling the public…
Parting with Poilievre’s Perfidy.
They are not going to have former conservative leader Erin O’Toole MP to kick around any more. He gave his farewell speech to parliament the other day. Let’s face it,…
Tea Leaves and Chrystia Freeland.
Reading a future in politics for finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland is challenging. She is a strong individual but I think her career in politics is about…
Pierre Poilievre Proposes.
If it was up to the leader of the opposition in Ottawa, we would throw all mass murderers in maximum security prisons. He also wants to have a bill passed…
Resigning is Always an Option.
It was not realistic to expect David Johnston to resign as special rapporteur. It was always an option and I considered what it would imply once the conservatives made him…
Ford Flails at Foes.
We won’t have Ontario premier Doug Ford to kick around much this summer. He will be up polluting the air in Muskoka on his gas-guzzling water craft. Before he fled…
Poilievre’s Legacy.
When you have a political party of climate change deniers, what can you say about climate change? I once asked a very conservative lady why she wanted to leave the…
Like the Shot Fired on Fort Sumter.
There was no way the peace would last. Surely the late Hazel McCallion must have warned her replacement, Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie, about that pissant Patrick Brown in Brampton. Mayor…
Jousting with Johnston.
Our Ottawa castle keep turned out in all its pomp, glory and pageantry this past week to see former governor general David Johnston in the lists to joust with Poilievre’s…
Poilievre’s Plan.
When Adolph Hitler sent his Brown Shirts to the Bundestag in the Weimar Republic elections in the 1920s and 30s, their purpose was not to govern but to obstruct. It…
Chowing Down.
There is no sadder thought to consider than Toronto with a mayor named Olivia Chow. And the fault would be blamed by some on the first-past-the-post voting. I deny that.…
Liberal List Grows in Ontario.
It is obvious that there is little expectation of Doug Ford earning another go at governing Ontario. His failing foray with the conservatives is attracting more candidates to the leadership…