All entries by this author

Who’s just playing politics in Ontario now (and/or BC)?

Apr 30th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED MAY 3]. Some say the alleged Oakville gas-plant “revelations” of Ontario Power Authority chief executive Colin Andersen before a Queen’s Park legislative committee today bring an Ontario spring election close enough for jazz. And who knows? They may be right. (Although listening to Andrea Horwath’s jousting with scandal-mongering media just before noon made us […]



Money in politics is “a big problem” and “ Lawrence Lessig is right”?

Apr 26th, 2013 | By | Category: Key Current Issues

One thing about life in the global village nowadays is that the subtleties of political debate keep getting lost in the demands of 140-characters-or-less, and similar rules elsewhere. (And if you think things were always that way, try reading a 19th century newspaper.) A case in point glows brightly in this past Wednesday’s Washington Post […]



175th anniversary of early democracy struggle at Lount and Matthews Salon, Gladstone Hotel, Friday, April 12

Apr 9th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

This coming Friday, April 12 will mark the 175th anniversary of a significant event in the history of Toronto (and even Ontario and Canada writ large), that hardly anyone remembers now. On the morning of April 12, 1838, close to the present-day intersection of King and Toronto streets downtown, Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews were […]



Justin Trudeau – what is he?

Mar 25th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

With some three weeks to go before the Liberal Party of Canada chooses its next leader, there seems little doubt that Justin Trudeau will be the man (or woman, of course, as the case may in theory be : “Joyce Murray and Martha Hall Findlay are fighting over who’ll finish second.”). Even those who are […]



Will Harper “step down this summer”?

Mar 10th, 2013 | By | Category: Ottawa Scene

This past Thursday Steve Paikin wrote a short “Inside Agenda Blog” on the TV Ontario website called “Why Stephen Harper May Step Down This Summer.”Â  The Huffington Post repeated the item in its Politics Canada section. On Friday Andy Radia on the Yahoo Canada site wrote that “Steve Paiken – a journalist for TV Ontario […]



Justin Trudeau is making a mistake on Senate reform ..??

Feb 13th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED FEBRUARY 14, 16]. According to a Canadian Press report by the estimable Joan Bryden yesterday, Justin Trudeau has now come out as an opponent of any major democratic reform of the unreformed Senate of Canada. (The CP report appeared in at least two places on the net : ”Forget Senate reform and just appoint […]



Does anyone really care about the Harper government’s Supreme Court reference on Senate reform in Canada?

Feb 1st, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED FEBRUARY 2]. Unlike many of its other actions, the Harper government’s longstanding plans for what used to be known as step-by-step reform of the unreformed Senate of Canada have been broadly supported on this site since their beginnings, many, many moons ago. (For just a few recent cases in point, see “Three strikes and […]



Kathleen Wynne’s big surprise .. maybe this really is the start of some new Ontario Liberal dynasty (or maybe not, of course .. but .. )?

Jan 26th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

TORONTO. COLLEGE PARK FOOD COURT. SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013. 9:00 PM ET.  So it is now official – and the “pleasant surprise” vainly hoped for on this site just two days ago has come to pass. Kathleen Wynne is the new leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Very soon she will also officially become not […]



How two early January 2013 events show that the British monarchy in Canada is living on borrowed time ..

Jan 11th, 2013 | By | Category: In Brief

Still strangely enthralled by legendary Tory oligarchs of the 19th century, the mainstream media usually tries hard not to notice. But there is nonetheless an ardently gurgling Canadian republican activism even in various anglophone parts of the country in the early 21st century. This activism has a number of reasons for wanting to retire the […]



World in 2012 from our corner north of Great Lakes could have been worse??

Dec 23rd, 2012 | By | Category: In Brief

Without any doubt, we would say here, the biggest news of 2012 in the larger universe to which Canada belongs (though quite independently of course!) was the re-election of Barack Obama as president of the USA. And we did at least follow this big story, like everyone else. As early as January 13, 2012 we […]