Thanks to Agnes Cseke!

We’re not exactly overjoyed by Justice Charles Hackland ‘s decision to remove Toronto Mayor Rob Ford from office [well sort of, and maybe, at some point], over conflict of interest rule violations. Like West Side Noel in this space during the middle of this past September, we’re too worried that it will ultimately backfire on the cause of progress in Toronto city politics.

For more detail see the latest addition to our Streetcar Named Rob Ford file : “Monday 26 November 2010 :  Justice Hackland just didn’t feel able to let Mayor Ford off the hook.” Meanwhile, we would like to give two awards for memorable twitterings on the subject. First to   Saadia@Saadia_Sediq for “He rode the gravy train right out of office.” And second to Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam for “Justice Hackland’s ruling today … doesn’t change much from my perspective. Mayor Ford has been absent from his duties for sometime.”

Meanwhile, here’s some additional reporting on the world wide web: “Judge Orders Toronto Mayor to Leave Office” (the New York Times weighs in); “Rob Ford out: Toronto heads into uncharted territory” (apparently no one really knows exactly what happens next!) ; “Toronto Mayor Rob Ford vows to fight ‘tooth and nail’ to keep his job” (from the Edmonton Journal) ; “Rob Ford, Toronto mayor, removed from office; says he will fight court ruling” (Vancouver Sun) ; and “Destitution: le maire de Toronto Rob Ford ira en appel” (Le Devoir).

Meanwhile again, it probably is good news for the sanity of the world economy that Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney will be taking over at the Bank of England in July 2013.  But some of us who are most interested in the Canadian future may be pardoned for also feeling a little uneasy about the vaguely neo-colonial ring of the appointment.

As The Guardian in the UK itself explains : “Born in Canada, the 47-year-old intends to bring his British wife and four children to the UK and apply for citizenship.” According to The Independent : “Canadian Mark Carney is first foreign Governor of the Bank of England in 318 years … The Chancellor [of the Exchequer, David Osborne] said that Mr Carney, a Canadian citizen, would apply for British citizenship. His wife, Diana, and four daughters already have joint Canadian and British citizenship.” Or, in the words of the Times of India : “Carney is not a British national, although Osborne said he would apply for UK citizenship.”

Others will say it is all about the growing global village, and that is a good thing. Our at least immediate reaction reaches out to an old Ottawa aphorism :  maybe, maybe not. For further immediate intelligence, see “Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney new head of bank of England”; “Carney off to England, but says leaving Bank of Canada and economy in good shape” ; “Osborne springs surprise with Canadian Mark Carney as new Bank Governor”; “Out of left field: the hard man sent to do a tough job” ; and finally,”Mark Carney: Best banker of his generation has his work cut out for him.” (Whatever else, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.)