Last week, Michael Ignatieff was heard from again.

Now that he has returned to the cloistered corridors of academe, we should be getting used to the publication of his occasional essays, one supposes. But it’s still odd — unnerving, even — to turn on one’s computer, and see an Ignatieff think piece flash across the screen. It’s weird.

Ex-party leaders generally follow a well-worn path, you see: They retire to a generous pension, they hang out at a law firm, they get paid scads of money to give speeches which are neither controversial nor newsworthy, and then they write their memoirs. They don’t look like they have anything to prove because, well, they don’t.

Former Liberal Party leader Ignatieff is a notable exception. Since leaving public life — and since taking up a fellowship at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, where he teaches political science — Ignatieff has published essays about politics, and he has maintained contact with many of his supporters from his first run at the Liberal leadership, in 2006.

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…to speak to a poli sci class at my alma mater.

Maybe I’ll pop by the Hill later and frighten some people.

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It’s to Dion’s credit that he has acknowledged the mistake he made, and which his successor made.

Problem: Stephen Harper knew we’d come to this conclusion. And he changed the election financing laws to ensure we couldn’t do anything about it.

Checkmate.

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Leslie is one of the smartest political operators in this country.  She is also someone not to be trifled with.

That’s why her comments in today’s big Ontario Newswatch exclusive are a real eye-opener:

Ms. Noble denied having any significant role in the campaign.

“If you’re asking me were Leslie Noble, Paul Rhodes and Tom Long running that campaign?  Not a chance in hell.  Am I glad I’m not running the campaign? Yup,” she told ontarionewswatch.com.

“I don’t need to take calls like this on a Sunday fucking night…What kind of a horse-shit story is this?” she asked.

Will Tea Party Tim Hudak make it through his leadership review?  I sure hope so.  But, increasingly, I am wondering if he will.

Now, with the leg being back, at what time today will Timmy repeat his intention to defeat the government?  Guesses, anyone?  Let’s have a contest!

 

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As predicted, when Harper’s gang finally achieved their majority, they’d go after section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. They didn’t campaign on a pledge to do that – it was never mentioned, as I recall – but they’re doing it.  In fact, before 2011, their position was always to defend the section.

Why is it a mistake?  Two reasons:

• We are now going to see a dramatic increase in the number of hate expression cases where the Criminal Code is involved.  The Human Rights Act, which is non-criminal, is a much better route than the Code, which is.
• If skittish Attorneys-General decline to grant permission for Code prosecutions, as I expect they will, the affected communities will grow frustrated (as happened in Citroen v. Zundel) and, in some cases, seek justice outside the judicial system.

Offensive expression is offensive – but it isn’t always criminal. The idiots in the Harper government have now created an environment where targets of hateful expression will be obliged to use the criminal law to defend themselves from hate.

I hope the Minister of Justice has the budget to hire many, many more prosecutors.  He’ll need them.

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Youngest Son: Daddy, will you be sad if I want to go to [eldest son’s] hockey game, not the Santa Claus parade?

Me, totally lying: No, of course not, buddy. If that’s what you want to do, we’ll do that.

[The author checks himself in for treatment of depression.]

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Confucius didn’t predict Stephen Harper, but it seems that the great Chinese philosopher certainly anticipated politicians like him.

“The superior man understands what is right,” Confucius observed some 500 years before the birth of Christ, “the inferior man understands what will sell.”

And what “sold,” up until 2009 or so, was the Conservative leader’s undisguised contempt for China and its government.

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Why are the Hudak PCs threatening an election just days after the last one, and why are they putting Ontario’s economic stability at risk?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

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How good does she seem?

Good enough that this incorrigible Liberal and liberal could vote for her, that’s how good.

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To wit:

Hudak suggests Tories may try to trigger election next year (Ont-Minority)
Source: The Canadian Press
Nov 18, 2011 16:40

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TORONTO – Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is suggesting that his party may try to trigger an election next year to put Ontario’s economy back on track.

In an email to the party faithful, Hudak slams Premier Dalton McGuinty for shooting down his idea to force a pay freeze on public sector workers through legislation.

He urges the party to continue working hard so they “will be ready to go into an election next year if necessary to restore Ontario as the economic leader in Canada.”

But the Tories wouldn’t be able to bring down the government on their own.

They hold just 37 seats in the 107-member legislature, which means they’d need the support of the NDP, who have 17 seats.

The Oct. 6 election saw the Liberals reduced to just 53 seats _ one short of a majority government.

INDEX: LABOUR ONTARIO POLITICS

“Mr. Hudak, is [insert complaint] now enough for you to finally defeat the government? When are you going to do that?  When are you going to make good on your threat? When? When?” Every press conference.  Every release.  Everything he does, now – he will be asked about this Historic Blunder™.  What an idiot.

And when he doesn’t defeat the government – because he won’t – he’ll look weak, or like he made a Historic Blunder™, or both.

Didn’t know this one was coming, but I’m sure glad it did.  God’s a Liberal, etc.

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