In Stittsville, Ontario, at what will likely be his last “media availability” before tabling the federal budget in a week’s time, I asked Finance Minister Jim Flaherty what he thought of the provincial budgets already tabled by Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta. He didn’t have much to say about those provinces, but he did say this:
“I’m concerned about Ontario. Let’s face it, the credit rating agencies have already warned Ontario. Continue reading Flaherty takes a shot at Ontario
A decade ago this week, Stockwell Day lost his leadership of the Canadian Alliance to Stephen Harper, an event which turned out pretty well for both men. On that anniversary, I spoke to Day (below) who was in Mumbai, India when I reached him. We talked about that Harper decade but we also reflected on another leadership race — the race New Democratic Party’s race to name a new official opposition leader this week. In our papers today, I argue that more Canadians have moved left than right during the Harper decade. Day, in our interview, welcomes the disappearance, if you will, of the centre because he believes it will focus policy debate in Canada and may even mean fewer ad hominem political attacks and more back-and-forth focused on policy. “What it will mean is much clearer lines of debate for Canadians. Clearer policy differences.” Watch the video…
In my column across our chain today, I suggest that the answer to that question may be yes!
Harper has convinced fewer than a million Canadians to move right in the last decade, while Jack Layton convinced a whopping 3.4 million Canadians to move left to vote NDP in same period.
Moreover, a New Democrat looks a good bet to win the premiership in B.C. next year.
A New Democrat is premier in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. New Democrats are the official opposition in Saskatchewan and hold the balance of power in Ontario
Please, if you would, read the rest of my argument at the Ottawa Sun’s site...
UPDATE: Scroll down for the poll!
The Wildrose Party and its leader Danielle Smith today unveiled the election bus it will use this spring in an attempt to unseat the Progressive Conservatives and Premier Alison Redford. Seems to me Wildrose is off to an, um, eye-catching start. (Photo credit: Amber Bracken Edmonton Sun.) Continue reading The Wildrose bus and its, er, odd tire placement
A couple of weeks ago, the Canadian Taxpayers Foundation held its annual awards for the most egregious examples of wasted tax dollars. The winner in the provincial category was the Alberta legislature’s Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Committee which hasn’t met since 2008 but the 21 MLAs who serve on that committee have been paid $1,000 a month for “working” on that committee nonetheless.
The revelation immediately caused an uproar in Alberta. Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford, who must face the voters within weeks, immediately cancelled the pay program for this moribund committee. Continue reading Wildrose MLA suddenly remembers: "Alberta taxpayers do not owe me anything"
Recommended bits from around the Web:
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics wishes to have Adam Carroll appear before it on the Vikileaks30 matter. Carroll is the former Liberal party staffer who confessed to being behind that Twitter account. Here is the response to the committee’s request from Carroll’s lawyer Paul Champ: Continue reading Carroll to ETHI committee: Relax, I'll be there when I'm better
A few interesting developments today in the NDP Leadership race:
The Papineau Pugilist, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau (left) is all set to take on the Senate Slugger, Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau (right), on Saturday, March 31 at the Hampton Inn Ottawa. Can’t make it? Don’t worry — Sun News Network has the exclusive broadcasting rights and we’ll be showing it live!(Thanks to mediaball.ca for those great pix.)
It’s all for a great cause, too — raising money for cancer research.
Ringside seats are already sold out but there’s singles left. Find more info at fightforthecure.ca
We’ve been watching both men train and it looks like a decent matchup. Brazeau looks to have a heavier punch but Trudeau is taller with a longer reach and looks pretty quick on his feet. Good luck, gentlemen!
