The advent of Fordism
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Thomas Huxley once said, “The results of political changes are hardly ever those which their friends hope or their foes fear.” Those words, I think, aptly describe the political changes which have taken place in Ontario since Premier Doug Ford ascended to power four years ago. Basically, Ford hasn’t been the premier many of […]
Ford gambling on Ontarians’ health in pre-election dice roll
OTTAWA—Whatever you can say about Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of the pandemic, it clearly didn’t have anything to do with equal treatment of his province’s population. It emerged last year that private schools had been huge beneficiaries when the Ford government began handing out rapid tests (paid for by federal taxpayers) as Ontarians struggled with […]
Canadian political landscape could change dramatically by summer’s end
OTTAWA—By summer’s end, the Canadian political landscape could change dramatically. Ontario is into a provincial election in less than two months, smack in the middle of a national Conservative leadership race. Quebec must have an election by Oct. 3, and next month Alberta’s controversial premier faces an internal review which could plunge his party into […]
Leave the uniform out of this so-called ‘freedom’ fight
OTTAWA—On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 17, the Ottawa Police Service began its large-scale crackdown on the remaining holdouts of the so called “Freedom Convoy” that had occupied our nation’s capital for the previous 21 days. As many of us predicted, the raucous, would-be revolution petered out with nary a whimper. At the height of […]
Emergencies Act invocation sets a dangerous precedent
OTTAWA—I listened to Ram Ranch by Grant MacDonald, so you don’t have to. When our leaders tapped out of this occupation, it became the swan song for a resistance that is brewing in Ottawa that preceded the Trudeau government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act. On Monday, the federal government invoked the Act to get a […]
Doug Ford’s base problem
OAKVILLE, ONT.—If nothing else, Erin O’Toole’s recent unceremonious ouster as Conservative Party leader should serve as a cautionary tale to Ontario Premier Doug Ford. And that cautionary tale can be summed up thusly: don’t antagonize your base. That’s what O’Toole did, and he paid the price. The fact is, conservative leaders can’t win an election […]
In praise of Ford’s snow theatrics
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Ontario Premier Doug Ford was sharply criticized in some circles recently for doing a good deed. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so much a “good deed,” as it was a brilliantly planned public relations performance. I’m talking, of course, about how, the morning after his province got walloped by a massive winter storm, Ford was […]
COVID’s very real demands taking a toll on purveyors of populist flimflam
OTTAWA—Boris Johnson’s troubles have ballooned to the point of creating a moment of truth for the British prime minister. By the weekend, his ability to hang onto his job was dangling in the balance, as Johnson tried to fend off attacks on his integrity from across the political spectrum. One of the most successful politicians […]
Take a look in the social media mirror before casting the first snowball
OTTAWA—Doug Ford fascinates me. Maybe I am a COVID long hauler, and I am suffering some sort of pandemic-induced delusion. Maybe my Atlantic-Canadian, Red Tory soul is opening to Ontario populist Tories. Maybe I was blind all along or maybe I just need something different to write about. Who knows? You be the judge. Where […]
Vax tax, or not to vax tax, that is the question
OTTAWA—To vax tax, or not to vax tax, that is the question. Once again, the Government of Quebec appears to be at the head of the pack when it comes to new public health policies. Whether the proposed vax tax is actually brought to fruition remains to be seen. Reaction to the tax proposal ranges […]
