I was talking to my good friend Dave, from Winnipeg, the other night. Dave and I have been friends for 40 years. The affinities that bind us include books, movies and, of course, politics. Like me, Dave has a jaundiced, cynical view of those who represent us, seeing them
Continue readingTag: Provincial Politics
Scripturient: The Death of Local Democracy?
Thirty nine per cent. That was the risible turnout of voters for the local municipal election here in Collingwood. Significantly fewer than half of our eligible voters made the effort to participate in our democracy, even though they could vote in person or on the internet for three weeks. It
Continue readingScripturient: Ontario, I Am Ashamed and Embarrassed
This morning, Ontario, I am ashamed of you. Ontario, you had an opportunity to do the right thing, and chose — deliberately chose — not to. I am ashamed and embarrassed by your choice. And that includes your choice not to vote. At stake was the future of this province;
Continue readingScripturient: No, Brian Hasn’t Done Any of That!
You probably got one of these disinformation campaign cards in your mail this week. It says that Brian Saunderson and Doug “Jabba the Hutt” Ford are “putting money in your pocket.” And then it lists three things Ford did by himself without Brian’s help. Or input. Or even vote because,
Continue readingScripturient: Saunderson’s Your Guy
With the provincial election only a few days away, I thought I should remind you why you might want to vote for Collingwood’s much-disliked, hypocritical, bullying, and inept mayor, Brian Saunderson. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve likely read the dozens and dozens of posts I’ve written
Continue readingScripturient: Debunking Poilievre’s Tweets Part 1
Pierre Poilievre — aka Skippy — tweets a lot. A lot. Not quite in the Donald-Trump-tweeting-on-the-toilet range, but close. And he often repeat-tweets his angry, bumper-sticker slogans that are little more than libertarian micro rages. They are big on emotion but empty on substance. no details, facts, or anything even
Continue readingScripturient: Ecclestone’s New Endeavour
I see from emails he has been sending out that former councillor Cam “Sleepy” Ecclestone has decided to run in the upcoming provincial election as a member of the Consensus Party — an unknown, fringe party that hasn’t got the proverbial snowball’s hope in hell of getting a seat, especially
Continue readingScripturient: Should Candidates and Officials Disclose Criminal Records?
Some questions about openness and truth to consider as we start a year in which we have both a provincial and municipal election coming… Should a candidate for office disclose their criminal records when they campaign? Should they disclose it only if they were convicted of an offence or should
Continue readingScripturient: The Corrupt PC Nomination Process
This week, Stella Ambler, a former candidate for the nomination for the PC party in Simcoe Grey, sent an email that expressed her disappointment over the party’s authoritarian actions: On Monday, Patrick Harris (4th Vice-President, PC Party of Ontario & Chair of the Provincial Nomination Committee for Simcoe-Grey) sent an
Continue readingScripturient: Saunderson: An Affront to Democracy
PC nominee candidate Stella Ambler reported that her competitor, Brian Saunderson was anointed appointed as the party’s candidate for Simcoe-Grey without allowing the members to decide if they want him. Party members weren’t even given a warning that this was coming: the autocrat premier merely waved his hands and made
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: More on language laws.
You never know where interesting comments will come from. A reader in British Columbia agreed with my comments recently on how to protect the French language. As a he is originally from Quebec, he felt that I left out a key reason. He felt I should have mentioned the Quebec
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Locked Down, Locked In, Locked Out.
It was never said that being a prisoner in your home was so bad. It is not until you look across the breakfast table and realize that the person sitting over there, reading the newspaper, feels the same as you. Damn you Doug Ford. His shilly-shallying over what is a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: What if Ontario protected English?
Trying to make sense of Quebec’s new language act, Bill 96, the other day, it raised the question of what would happen if this type of bill was enacted in Ontario. It is a silly question. Ontario goes out of its way to encourage people speaking French to be able
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A leader with no teeth?
Watching a recording of an interview with Ontario liberal leader Steven Del Duca the other day, it seemed that he talks without showing any teeth. Never having read of any affliction or medical cause for this in humans, it seemed to be a metaphor for the man—or a turtle. In
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Following the money.
You can’t track the money trail to Canadian politicians as easily as you can to American politicians. I finally have a theory on what is driving Jason Kenney in Alberta. I have kept an eye on Kenney since he first appeared in Ottawa as a member of parliament for Calgary
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: That pessimist Hepburn.
It is not that often that I argue with Bob Hepburn of the Toronto Star. He is a very knowledgeable commentator. He gets the big bucks! It is just that he recently wrote a column for the Star headlined “Five reasons (Ontario premier) Ford may get re-elected.” That is a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trumpeting for the Trumpers.
Those provincial premiers from Alberta and Ontario must be taking all their cues from former U.S. president Donald Trump. They have both got their asses in a sling as they lead their provinces from confusion to catastrophe. They are both on a slippery slope to impeachment before they can do
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doug Ford: Ideologue.
This is an open and shut case. Ontario premier Doug Ford is obviously an ideologue. His beliefs and actions in government prove that he is committed to extreme right-wing political ideals. His actions from day one of his winning the premier’s job where to change the Ontario government from a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doing the cha-cha with Mike Harris.
Get into the rhythm folks. It is one-two, one-two-three when you do the Chartwell Chair cha-cha with former Ontario premier Mike Harris. If you have a mother-in-law you hate, convince your wife that dear-mom should be stowed away at a Chartwell long-term care residence. With Mike Harris in the chair
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: B.S. for the Beer Store.
You wonder sometimes if anyone is ever going to tell the truth about Ontario’s Beer Store. For more than 90 years, this restrictive system of selling beer has been foisted on the province’s beer buyers. It has provided profits for brewers and sinecure for our politicians and nobody has ever
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