Charisma has failed us — and winter is coming

 “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.” ―  Margaret Thatcher The next prime minister of Canada will be the most hated person in the country for years to come. Whether Liberal,Conservative on NDP, he or she will have to deal with the financial mess

Hit and misses —Trudeau minority government’s new cabinet leaves the best players on the bench

 Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet is a mix of hits and misses that leaves one to wonder if the Prime Minister was tone deaf during the election. More than anything, Trudeau needs competence and some outside-the-box thinking to bring some verve, freshness and a sense of purpose to his new minority

Elementary, Watson!

 The colorful flash of fireworks lighting up the Ottawa sky ushered us into the New Year a few weeks ago. The foundation was laid for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest years the city has ever seen. Today, the proverbial cherry was placed firmly on top

Ontario Energy Conservation: Finally Heading in the Right Direction

 Kathleen Wynne was thinking about energy conservation in Ontario long before she became Premier of Ontario. The ideals associated with the Green Energy Act mirrored Wynne’s determination to champion clean and renewable energy in the province. Although controversy was raised by the Green Energy Act under then-Premier Dalton McGuinty, Wynne

The Uncertain Road Ahead: The Ontario Liberal Party Unexpectedly Searches for a New Leader

 On October 15, 2012, Dalton McGuinty unexpectedly announced his intention to retire, signaling the end of his nine-year reign as the Liberal Premier of Ontario and more than two decades as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Ottawa South. While McGuinty’s announcement caught many Ontarians by surprise, an even

In Their Own Words: Ontario Liberal Leadership Candidates Weigh in on SARP and Other Issues of Concern

 In December 2012, Ottawa Life Magazine interviewed candidates in the Ontario Liberal leadership race (Sandra Pupatello and Harinder Takhar were unavailable and Glen Murray has since bowed out) on the issues that are of concern to Ontarians. A fuller discussion of the candidates’ opinions can be found on here.  

Kathleen Wynne Ontario’s Premier Candidate

 Kathleen Wynne was first appointed to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Cabinet in September 2006 as Minister of Education. For almost four years in that portfolio, Wynne worked vigorously to bring full-day kindergarten to the province’s schools, while promoting and initiating measures intended to make classrooms in Ontario’s elementary schools more

Ottawa Life Editorial: Win with Wynne

 Kathleen Wynne is Ontario’s best bet for the future. Dalton McGuinty is the most successful Ottawa-based politician to ever serve in the Ontario Legislature. For nine years, McGuinty led the province through tumultuous times, including the 2008 global economic collapse and recession that cost Ontario over 250,000 jobs. One of

So Unnecessary: Ontario’s Fabricated School Crisis

 On September 11, Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals brought back the Ontario legislature early to get Bill 115 passed. The controversial bill banned strikes, froze wages and clawed back all retroactive pay hikes for Ontario teachers for two years. The government said the province was deep in debt and public servants,

Part One: Horse Sense & Government Nonsense

 Public-Private Partnerships Are Not Subsidies The Ontario government’s decision to end the Slots at Racetracks Program has a detrimental effect for Ontario’s vibrant horseracing and equine industries. THE COMEDIAN GROUCHO MARX ONCE COMMENTED that: “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying

A rural revolution: The farmers are revolting

 By Trevor Tucker Is cutting down a 200-year-old elm tree in the Glebe the same as felling one for firewood to heat a farmhouse in the winter? If the City of Ottawa expropriated the whole front yard of your home, wouldn't you expect some form of compensation? Would you still