Posts Tagged ‘ Eric Grenier ’

Northern lights on US election V : does Comey’s latest announcement cancel Bill Maher’s right-wing coup?

Nov 7th, 2016 | By | Category: In Brief

GANATSEKWYAGON, ON. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2 AM. The phone rang. It was the doctor. “You’re supposed to be the humour guy,” he said. “Do something humourous about this US election. It’s killing us.” He went on : “I watched Bill Maher Friday night. President Obama – just on tape but of course impressive. Then a […]



Various natives get restless as 2015 Canadian election day draws near .. but is a Liberal majority possible ??

Oct 13th, 2015 | By | Category: In Brief

The appearance of Justin Trudeau at the Beacher Café in Toronto this morning – just around the corner from our counterweights editorial offices (aka world headquarters)  – was a reminder that Canadian federal election day 2015 is now less than a week away. As another sign of something a little out of the ordinary, the […]



Has Canadian federal campaign finally turned the corner .. and is “Justin” where it’s going at last, after all?

Oct 4th, 2015 | By | Category: In Brief

[UPDATED OCTOBER 5, 7]. With just two weeks to go to the Monday, October 19 election day, it’s beginning to look like the front lines of the 2015 Canadian federal election ground war we were lucky to hear from at this site last week absolutely did and do have a point. The Mulcair New Democrats […]



Really 5 or 6 different Canadian regional elections on same day in 2015 (or Senate reform where are you?)

Aug 17th, 2015 | By | Category: Ottawa Scene

[UPDATED AUG 18TH]. The second week in the long official campaign for the Canadian federal election of 2015 is over. And the congenital regional diversity of it all is what sticks in my mind right now. I’m watching from the old East Toronto, close to the most easterly of the Great Lakes. Reading “Liberal leader […]



What happens if Harper Conservatives and Mulcair New Democrats “win” same number of seats?

Aug 3rd, 2015 | By | Category: In Brief

The official 2015 “long form” Canadian federal election campaign has only just begun. And already I can understand what Rosemary Barton means when she says : “In this election campaign, the only constant is ‘change’ .” I know it’s finally just because I am so much older and more tired than Ms Barton. But it […]



What happens if Harper Conservatives “win” only minority government .. and not largest share of popular vote?

Aug 2nd, 2015 | By | Category: In Brief

Now that Stephen Harper has “called” a “long federal election” –  for October 19, as already prescribed in his own 2007 fixed election date legislation –  here are three quick notes to celebrate the start of the official campaign (as opposed to the unofficial one underway for almost too long already) : (1) Fixing elections? […]



Are the Harper Conservatives really en route to improving their re-election chances by leaps and bounds ????

Jan 17th, 2015 | By | Category: In Brief

If you have been in any way distressed by this past Thursday’s Global News headline on the Canadian federal election this year,  “Conservatives pull ahead of Liberals, could be on cusp of majority: poll,” take heart. There is at least some countervailing good/bad news. To start with, the poll in question – which reports Conservatives […]



Along the line of smoky hills, the crimson politicians stand .. and wonder what the people of Canada will demand

Oct 14th, 2014 | By | Category: Ottawa Scene

[UPDATED OCTOBER 15]. Coming home on the airplane from a recent trip to Europe, I read an article by an eminent Cambridge academic in a British political magazine. And I was almost shocked when it proclaimed that the “two most successful leaders in contemporary western politics are Angela Merkel and Stephen Harper.” This international point […]



Per capita party subsidy issue not as good for Cons as PM Harper thinks?

Jan 25th, 2011 | By | Category: In Brief

Yesterday, in a piece headed “Harper’s talent for turning,” John Geddes at Macleans.ca opined: “Anyone can look good when they’re right. More formidable is the ability to look strong when events have proven you wrong.” This seems to me nicely written, but untrue. Or, at the very least, looking strong, like beauty, must be in […]