reeves report
Liberal Party
Where did the ‘Liberals’ on Toronto Council go?
Back in July, 2011, a remarkable thing happened. Councillor Shelley Carroll, a progressive and vocal critic of Mayor Rob Ford, sent a letter to her riding association in Ward 33 (Don Valley East) which she has represented since 2003. Beyond her stated opinion that the City’s (conservative) leadership was not working in the best interests … Continue reading
Ontario votes to amble into the twenty-tens
For an election that was about as little as an election can possibly be about, last nights results brought more change to Ontario than many anticipated. And despite the set election dates we have in Ontario, Ontarians should not expect to wait until 2015 before casting their next provincial ballot. But they can be forgiven … Continue reading
Taking election polls with a grain of salt
In advance of the leader’s debate tonight, two competing polls have come out in recent days that indicate both PC leader Tim Hudak and Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty are leading in voter intentions. This means two things: that this race is likely closer than anyone anticipated two months ago, and that polls are worth what … Continue reading
Parking taxes and road tolls: the politics of misdirection
I have an important announcement for all political parties – not every comment made by every individual opposition candidate can or should be used as a stand-in for opposition policy as a whole. Because people are not dumb, they see through it, and you end up looking silly. Case in point: a press release came … Continue reading
Horwath downplays coalition talk; asks Toronto Council to halt TTC cuts
Anyone hoping that a recent plea from provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath to Toronto City Council to hold off on transit cuts will make a difference is kidding themselves. Or the have a lot more faith in Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s desire to listen to left-wing politicians than I do. According to Horwath as reported … Continue reading
Tim Hudak’s Hypocrisy is Apparent in Recent Immigration Debate
Perhaps Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak would like to find a new issue with which to drive a wedge between the Ontario electorate and Premier Dalton McGuinty. Why? Because in recent days, his decision to use an immigration pledge in the recently-released Liberal platform shows both his lack of experience as a party leader and … Continue reading
Jack Layton: Our Politics are Poorer for the Loss
The unthinkable happened twice this year for the federal New Democrats: their charismatic leader Jack Layton took them as close to the Holy Grail of Canadian politics as you can get as a ‘third party’ in doubling their historic seat count to form the official opposition. And then, as the euphoria proved short-lived, the NDP … Continue reading
Are the NDP too dependent on Jack Layton?
I’ll be brief this time, because I know every pundit and their brother will be covering this story and making this speculation. But it’s worth asking – are the NDP too dependent on Jack Layton for their success? True, this success has been incredibly recent, and it is an exception in Canadian politics that the … Continue reading
Out on a Limb: In Defence of the (Political) Moral High Ground
This may be terribly naive of me (and I’m not ruling out that possibility, to be fair), but I am going to go out on a limb and make the following two statements: 1) the (political) moral high-ground is (often) worth defending; and 2) two wrongs do not make a right. I know, I know. … Continue reading
On Senate reform, Rae should choose his battles more carefully
For the record, I am still trying to figure out how I think Canada could best tackle the problem of a 19th Century Senate in the 21st Century. I am not convinced that outright abolishing it would be wise, nor am I certain that half-measures like fixed-terms and fixed-seats is the way to go. I … Continue reading
