Kenney caught in quagmire of his own making
OTTAWA—Prior to the pandemic, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was arguably the most powerful and influential conservative leader in Canada. Andrew Scheer, when he was federal opposition leader, had Kenney campaign for him in Ontario, while at the same time staying away from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. When Erin O’Toole was seeking to replace Scheer, he […]
Lost in the COVID haze: Ford’s record in Ontario seems largely forgotten by voters
OTTAWA—Whatever is in those mandate letters, it must be really politically embarrassing or damaging. In the summer of 2018, shortly after Premier Doug Ford took office, CBC Toronto asked that the mandate letters to his 23 cabinet colleagues be made public under freedom of information. The Progressive Conservative government refused, claiming they were exempt as […]
In praise of polling
OAKVILLE, ONT.—American politician Sarah Palin once dismissed polls saying they were for “strippers and cross-country skiers.” Of course, Palin isn’t the only politician who has ever disparaged polls and polling. The old expression “the only poll that matters is the one on election day” seems to pop up every election cycle. Yet, for all their […]
Heading backwards in Ontario
OTTAWA—Call him the Highwayman. Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to have staked his party’s re-election on the perception that the province’s commuters want more, ever-bigger roads, regardless of the environmental consequences. It might have been a miscalculation, seeing that just overnight driving went from being a somewhat costly necessity to an outright luxury. But so […]
Federal ministers, MPs, and staff working on high-stakes Ontario election
Cabinet ministers, backbench MPs, exempt ministerial staffers and MP office staffers from all parties are helping out Ontario provincial candidates in the high-stakes June 2 election. “I’ve been helping my local candidate, Dr. Adil Shamji—who is an emergency room doctor, incredible candidate—knock[ing] on doors with him on the weekend,” said Liberal MP Michael Coteau (Don […]
Why do Conservatives hate public television?
At the Tory leadership debate in Edmonton last Wednesday, the mere mention of the word CBC elicited boos. Loud shouts and hisses were quickly muffled by the microphones as the format for the event prohibited anyone from clapping, cheering, or booing. The format also prevented anyone from mentioning another politician’s name. When that happened, the […]
Ontario election will be a test on how upset Canadians are with incumbents and affordability issues, say some MPs and Nanos
The June 2 Ontario provincial election will be a case study for how upset Canadians are with incumbent politicians about inflation and affordability issues, like soaring food prices, gas prices, and skyrocketing housing prices, say some MPs and a veteran pollster. “We’re in the heat of a provincial election in Canada’s largest province,” said Nik […]
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 […]
