In which I praise Trudeau and Trump

— 03.09.2018 07:28 AM

Cartoon by the amazing de Adder.

Historic.

I have been critical of Justin Trudeau for (a) sucking up to Donald Trump and (b) getting nothing in return.

But credit where credit’s due: yesterday, Trudeau got a temporary exemption from Trump’s insane steel and aluminum tariffs.

But.

The key word there is “temporary.” As I say to my pal Charles in our weekly chat, below, it looks very much like Trump did what he did to wring concessions from Canada and Mexico at the NAFTA tables.  He did it to get the U.S. what it wants at the NAFTA tables – which is something, but it ain’t free trade anymore.  It’s giving America all the marbles.

Anyway, here’s me and Charles.  These days, Justin Trudeau needed a win – any win.  Donald Trump, of all people, gave him one.



Comments (8)

All this talk of delaying the PC leadership vote reminds me of something

— 03.08.2018 01:32 PM

Oh, wait.  I know what it is.

Arguing that computer errors have disenfranchised huge numbers of Conservatives, Belinda Stronach’s campaign chief said Wednesday that the party’s leadership vote should be postponed until the membership list mess is sorted out.

“These list problems will deprive up to tens of thousands of members of their votes for the first leader of our new party,” said John Laschinger, Ms. Stronach’s national campaign director.

The leadership vote is scheduled for March 20, but on Wednesday Mr. Laschinger urged the executive director of the Conservative Party to delay the vote until it can be assured that all legitimate members have the chance to vote.

“It is clear that the number of disenfranchised members reaches into the tens of thousands,” he writes. “We have no option but to ask that voting be delayed until these list problems are resolved. It is undemocratic to continue with an unfair process in which so many legitimate, paid-up members are denied their democratic rights.”

Oh, and Laschinger lost that one, too, of course. He’s good at losing.


Comments (3)

Kevin J. Johnston’s hate tour – let’s cancel it

— 03.07.2018 08:50 AM

Late yesterday, I was sent this:

The piece of human garbage pictured, on the right, is Kevin J. Johnson. (That’s a swastika on his poster, to the left.)  Lately, he’s been showing up at Doug Ford events. Johnston was charged in July with wilful promotion of hatred, mostly against Muslims.  A condition of his bail was that he stay away from any Muslim mosque or community centre.

That bail condition is why I was suspicious by Johnston’s apparent intention to speak at the Brampton Islamic Centre on March 21.

But better safe than sorry.  So, we got word out to our contacts nationally in the Muslim, Jewish, LGBT and other communities.  We needed those centres/locations contacted, as soon as possible, to shut this bastard down.

So my online friends got to work.  Here’s the latest:

  • Simcoe County District School Board investigated and said no way.  Thank you to them.
  • Sudbury – the good folks there have told us no such event is taking place at a Greater Sudbury library or City facility.  Here.
  • Cornwall Collegiate – likewise.  The advertised hate fest “will not take place,” they told us.
  • Barrie’s Mayor, the terrific Jeff Lehman, also made clear this racist thug wouldn’t be welcome in his town, as seen here.

The Sleeping Giants approach works, folks.  Contact the people in charge at the locations listed on the poster.  Be factual, polite and make the direct request: that (a) they confirm no such event is taking place under his or some other name and (b) that, if it is, they shut it down.  That’s it.

Need your help, folks.  Please get involved.  Thanks.


Comments (9)

Ontario Election Watch, right here, gratis

— 03.06.2018 11:46 AM

[By one of my smart Daisy colleagues.]

As of Tuesday, March 6th in Ontario:

  • Writ drops in 64 days!
  • Wednesday, May 9th
  • Election is 13 weeks and 2 days away
  • 93 days!
  • Ontario’s provincial election is set for Thursday, June 7th, 2018
  • There are 124 electoral districts in Ontario in 2018
  • Up from 107 in 2014
  • Therefore, 63+ seats = majority government

Interesting thought – there are an even number of districts (124) to be contested in the 2018 election.

Therefore… it is possible for the two parties to end up with a combined seat total that is equal to the seat total of the winning party. (example: the NDP wins 62 seats – while the Tories win 60 seats and the Liberals win 2 seats.)

In that case… backroom deals and the election of a speaker will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

And if we don’t think that is possible, please note that Ontario’s 2011 minority government was decided by just 630 votes in Perth-Wellington:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pettapiece


Comments (11)