[UPDATED FEBRUARY 24, FEBRUARY 27]. Just under a month ago now, the counterweights editors blogged on “The gathering storm down under .. how much longer can Australia’s Labor government last?” This piece noted “a growing uneasiness about [current Australian Prime Minister] Julia Gillard as Labor government leader. Her regime has been polling below its Liberal/National […]

[UPDATED FEBRUARY 18]. If you just feel confused by both the report of Don Drummond’s “Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services … PUBLIC SERVICES FOR ONTARIANS: A PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY AND EXCELLENCE,” and the immediate reaction from assorted business, labour, media, and political powers that be, join the club. Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park […]

The first big wave of data from the 2011 Census of Canada was released yesterday – on “Population and dwelling counts.” And it didn’t take long for what the lovely Sarah Palin used to call the lame-stream media to pounce on the alleged big story. As just a modest introductory sample, see, eg: “Ontario cedes […]

Anyone who has been talking even a little to NDP friends and colleagues won’t be surprised to hear that, at the party’s Sunday, January 29 federal leadership debate in Halifax, Nathan Cullen came under some heavy fire, “over his plan to hold joint nomination meetings with other parties in Conservative-held ridings to avoid splitting the […]

[UPDATED JANUARY 24]. Ontario Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s welcoming speech was one of the highlights at the Liberal Party of Canada’s biennial convention in Ottawa, more than a week ago now, on Friday, January 13, 2012. One of its most striking passages, I thought, came somewhat before the middle: “Choosing a new leader is no […]

In a number of respects the Liberal Party of Canada biennial convention in Ottawa this weekend has been a surprising success. It was, eg, attended by some 3,200 delegates – considerably more than expected. As Jane Taber has also reported: “The party had wanted to show it can reinvent itself by becoming more open. It […]

At their biennial convention next weekend the federal Liberals will be debating a policy resolution on the Canadian future of the British monarchy, at the democratic reforming behest of the Young Liberals of Canada.. The resolution is officially known as “114. Canadian Identity in the 21st Century.” Its operative section reads: “BE IT RESOLVED that […]

Six recent articles, mostly but not entirely from the Globe and Mail, raise some provocative prospects about Ontario’s changing role in the Canadian confederation: “Ontario Liberals brace for a tumultuous year” (Adam Radwanski) ; “Flaherty’s corporate-tax plan hits stumbling block in Ontario” (Bill Curry) ; “Saving John McCallum’s seat will be true measure of Liberal […]

I know Citizen X posted a piece yesterday, saying the “next article on this site will be in the New Year.” But on my way back from the far north I heard an enchanting new video on the world wide web –  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel doing the Nancy Wilson classic, “What Are You […]

With the year-end holiday season now almost in high gear, I’m about to leave for the far north (well … a little further anyway, into the snowbelt, maybe). Others in the office here will apparently be leaving soon too. But I’m told that Bunting and Citizen X will be holding the fort right through to […]