No Morning Line for by-elections
There are two types of by-elections. There is the one that gets a pre-selected candidate into a seat and then there is the scramble version that is almost impossible to…
Peter Lowry
Justin, what is wrong with FPTP?
Before the arguments about electoral reform get out of hand, everyone needs to back up and understand why we are arguing and what we are arguing about. The demand for…
The indestructible Premier Wynne.
Readers of Babel-on-the-Bay have gotten the impression that we do not approve of the Ontario government of Premier Kathleen Wynne. The truth is there is a small possibility that she…
Celebrating the challenge of Canada.
That is so tacky. In the Toronto Star the other day a reporter decried the misery of the squalid life in Ottawa of 1867 when Canada became a nation. What…
And one determined dipper.
Over the years we have realized that most of our regular readers of Babel-on-the-Bay are among the more progressive liberals. We certainly enjoy a healthy level of readership and get…
Canada 2016: Love and Lemonade.
A new year and there are no complaints. The year is much too young and it offers too many opportunities to us. We want to think of 2016 as a…
As the British Empire fades into history.
Despite Her Majesty’s annual message of hope, stiff upper lip and all, and her references to the Christian Bible, we see no future for the British Empire. Elizabeth II has…
Harper’s legacy left behind.
In thinking about the legacy of Stephen Harper’s years in the Prime Minister’s Office, you need to consider the people he left behind. Of the 99 Conservatives elected to parliament…
The measure of Mr. Mulcair.
Like a motorist who has driven into a snow drift, New Democrat Leader Thomas Mulcair is standing at the side of the road hoping people will offer him a push.…
Looking Back: Alberta’s Orange Crush?
It was the second most important political turnaround in Canada this past year. It was not so much that the Alberta New Democrats crushed anyone but the Conservatives of Alberta…
The Odd Couple of Canadian Politics in 2016.
There is something perversely funny about the coupling of two of Canada’s least likely politicians. This thought came to mind in wondering about the impact of this pair on Canadian…
A wrap for the Liberal’s wonderful year.
Watching Prime Minister Trudeau being interviewed on Global Television on Christmas was like adding spoonfuls of sugar to an already serious sugar high. It brought back to us the years…
Some Christmas notes.
This is a compromise. Last year we wrote a poem for our readers about Stephen Harper but we no longer have him to kick around. And it would hardly do…
Shaw wants Wind in its sales.
Shaw Communications is sailing into the dangerous waters of the big three telecommunications companies in Canada. It is acquiring Wind Mobile for a bargain price of just $1.6 billion. Shaw…
The story behind the survey.
On average this household gets one or two surveys per week. That is more than the average household but we encourage it. We answer interactive voice response (IVR) calls because…
Welcome to our Canada.
A recent e-mail from a regular reader in the Atlantic Provinces served as a reminder that Canada has not always been as welcoming as we are to the recent Syrian…
“The last election under first-past-the-post.”
That statement by our new prime minister is likely to be the one to haunt him for years to come. It is like many such statements in the heat of…
Whoa, whoa Rosie.
The wife was upset about Rosie DiManno’s column the other morning. It is not that she has ever bothered to post a comment in the Toronto Star’s website about one…
TransCanada’s new billions for Energy East.
What is another $4 billion when you are TransCanada Pipelines? This is not just a pipeline, these people want to complete but a bulldozer to get Alberta tar sands bitumen…
Is there a Ghost of Liberals Future?
His late partner Jacob Marley promised Ebenezer Scrooge there would be three ghosts visiting him in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In relating this tale to the concerns of Liberals…