Politics: Al Capone’s version of a team sport

 I do not like Jody Wilson-Raybould. But contrary to popular opinion on social media, this is not because I’m a blind Liberal partisan. In fact, I’ve thought JWR was a hypocritical, self-righteous narcissist since long before she became the Trudeau-hater-in-Chief. Why do I feel this way? Especially about someone who

Stab, stab, stab: time to bring out the classics

 As a once-prominent federal Liberal, my DMs this week have been a less-than-fun place. The overall message to Team Trudeau? Welcome to your first real election! Yes, the team ran a solid campaign in 2015 and came from 3rd to win a majority. Props. But they were running against a

The week that wasn’t.

 “Events, dear boy, events!” — Rt. Hon. Harold McMillan, OM, PC, Earl of Stockton Well that wasn’t what we were told to expect! One would struggle to remember a more surprising first week to an election campaign. The federal vote in 2000 is the one that comes to mind but in

Truck nuts.

 Hoo boy! Turns out if you want to rile up the right-wing “fringe” on the Prairies, there’s no faster way to do so then to attack their pick-up trucks! A little context: the “Toronto Globe an Mail” – as Premier Jason Kenney has taken to calling it – ran a

Time to rotate some federal cabinet tires

 PICTUTED ABOVE: Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence. So last week I was critical of Doug Ford in terms of his competence to govern – imagine the shock from voting for someone who’s biggest policy issue was the price of beer not being ready

The real cost of cheap beer

 Right now Ontario is paying a huge price for cheap beer. Look, governing is complicated and should only be undertaken by serious people. But the thing about democracy – and we can debate if its a bug or a feature – is that we get the government we deserve based

Paging Mark Carney. . . your table is ready

 Look, Mark Carney is running. For the House of Commons? Yup. For a cabinet seat? Duh. For the Prime Minister’s Office? Yeah, probably that too. The man has become ubiquitous: a special advisor to the PM; author of a new book on the economics of climate policy; media panels; and

Skip the election tea leaves and grab a summer cocktail

 It is once again time to play official Ottawa’s favourite game show: wild-ass nonsensical election speculation! You’ll forgive me for not being excited. The volumes of ink (digital and otherwise) spilled on prognostications of one sort or another during a minority government could drown a horse. And with constant cuts

Seriously, WTF is wrong with Jason Kenney?

 Look: I’m going to start with a complement! While to some extent is a result of demographics, it is clear Jason Kenney is no longer trying to kill us. Alberta’s vaccine roll-out will be one of the first to inoculate Canadians under the age of 60 and by the end

Not exactly grace and dignity but turns out that interview was thoroughly Royal

 So I watched it. That interview. Like everyone else, apparently. But then I took some time and thought about what it all meant. First and foremost, I was an avowed monarchist going in and nothing I heard or saw changed that. From that perspective, the interview was profoundly frustrating – more on

Polling is an imperfect science, volume 10,672

 One of my all-time favourite scenes in the West Wing was a short interaction between Josh Lyman and Will Bailey. Josh: 68 per cent think we give too much in foreign aid, and 59 per cent think it should be cut. Will: You like that stat? Josh: I do. Will:

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

 Above: Paul Newman in an outake from the film Cool Hand Luke. The captain in Cool Hand Luke (1967) wasn’t referring to Canada’s vaccine roll out but man, his famous line is apt. Let’s be clear: most Canadians want the Covid-19 vaccine ASAP. So do most Belgians. And Germans. Argentinians. Indians. South

The Prairie Premiers and their wrongness

 ABOVE: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Manitoba Premier Brain Pallister, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. Look, I get I’m beating this drum pretty hard. But the data just keeps piling up. To wit: in the last couple days, two polls have come out ranking voter satisfaction with the various provincial governments across the

A month later and Jason Kenney is still trying to kill us

 We have officially reached the point where I don’t understand what’s going on in Jason Kenney’s head. To be clear, I used to understand and largely disagree with most of what was in the Premier’s head. Now I just plain don’t understand. Emerging after basically being on the milk carton for

Jason Kenney is trying to kill us

 Above: Premier Jason Kenney (PHOTO: Red Deer Advocate) While there are very very very few political issues about which Jason Kenney and I agree, I have known Alberta’s premier at least in passing for almost 20 years and I have always respected him as a hard-working politician, a competent manager

America, we need to talk.

 Well, if that was the American election, we had it. Notwithstanding the almost inevitable chicanery and nonsense likely to occur between now and January 20th about which I’ve written previously, the fat lady has sung and Joe Biden will win the presidency by 36 Electoral College votes and 5m+ direct votes.

Wither ‘Murica

 No one who has read a word I’ve written over the course of my life will be surprised to hear that I loathe Donald Trump and everything his administration has come to represent with an abiding passion that makes Romeo and Juliet look like puppy love. The man is a

One fish, two fish; red fish, arson.

 They’re ugly. They’re bottom feeders. And they’re delicious – especially with a little melted garlic butter. It is virtually impossible for anyone in Upper Canada or points west to understand how important, lucrative and competitive the lobster industry is in Atlantic Canada. This results in national news stories about the

Some free advice for Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP

 Notwithstanding some excellent advice from John Diefenbaker – one of my least favourite Canadian Prime Ministers but still seen as a hero here on the western prairies – that “only dogs know what to do with polls”, a good poll is like catnip to any politician. Especially one in the

Reign in the NCC to save Canada’s built heritage

 Above: Canada's six official residences are: (Clockwise from top left) Rideau Hall (Home and workplace of the governor general of Canada), 24 Sussex Drive, (Home of the prime minister of Canada), Harrington Lake (Country residence of the prime minister of Canada), Stornoway (Home of the leader of the Opposition), The