Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The state of garbage
The city of Toronto today is swarming with a specially trained elite government force officially known as the Tactical Trash Team.
To terrified city residents they are simply known as the dreaded“Triple T’s”
Fanatically loyal to their master, Commissar David Miller, the Triple Ts ruthlessly enforce Toronto’s Garbage Edict – which states “during the city worker strike, citizens shall dispose of garbage only in legal drop off zones, except in those cases where legal drop off zones are blocked by placard-wielding and nasty union types, in which case citizens are expected to keep all garbage in their living rooms.”
To prevent misguided citizens from breaking this edict the Triple T’s use their finely honed “rummaging” skills to root through contraband garbage, seeking clues which will lead them to the perpetrators.
A discarded banana peel, a used up toothpaste tube, an old David Miller for Mayor button – all these can be used to track down anti-social elements.
So beware Torontonians – anything you throw away can and will be used against you in a court of law.
To terrified city residents they are simply known as the dreaded“Triple T’s”
Fanatically loyal to their master, Commissar David Miller, the Triple Ts ruthlessly enforce Toronto’s Garbage Edict – which states “during the city worker strike, citizens shall dispose of garbage only in legal drop off zones, except in those cases where legal drop off zones are blocked by placard-wielding and nasty union types, in which case citizens are expected to keep all garbage in their living rooms.”
To prevent misguided citizens from breaking this edict the Triple T’s use their finely honed “rummaging” skills to root through contraband garbage, seeking clues which will lead them to the perpetrators.
A discarded banana peel, a used up toothpaste tube, an old David Miller for Mayor button – all these can be used to track down anti-social elements.
So beware Torontonians – anything you throw away can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The politics of summer
Here's my latest Sun Media column -- I explain why our MPs should take a much longer summer holiday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Et tu Gerry
That red dot is me in front of Stratford's Avon Theatre.
I love this play because it shows how a cunning politician -- in this case Mark Antony -- can whip up a crowd with the right emotional appeal.
Our leaders could learn a thing or two from guys like him.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Political tapes
I see Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff are having secret meetings to see if they can work out a deal to avoid an election.
Sure would be interesting to know what they are saying to each other.
Of course, if the two leaders are accompanied by aides with tape recorders we are bound to find out sooner or later.
Sure would be interesting to know what they are saying to each other.
Of course, if the two leaders are accompanied by aides with tape recorders we are bound to find out sooner or later.
Playing political cards
When it comes to reacting to all the political posturing that's going on in Ottawa, pollster Nick Nanos has the best line: He called it a "game of poker where everyone's bluffing, but nobody's holding anything."
Liberty in the Summer
What's the best thing about summer?
Baseball, of course.
But without a doubt, the second-best thing about summer is the Liberty Summer Seminar.
In case you've never heard of it, the Summer Seminar is a great event that combines the bucolic outdoors of rural Ontario with the stimulating conversation of freedom.
There's also music and barbecues and swimming. (If you don't mind swimming in a pond.)
And the organizers always manage to attract fascinating speakers with this year's seminar, scheduled to take place on the July 25th weekend, being no exception.
Among those scheduled to speak are Conservative MP Scott Reid, the Cato Institutes's Will Wilkinson and Kerry Howley of Reason Magazine.
So don't miss out; register soon as spaces are limited.
Baseball, of course.
But without a doubt, the second-best thing about summer is the Liberty Summer Seminar.
In case you've never heard of it, the Summer Seminar is a great event that combines the bucolic outdoors of rural Ontario with the stimulating conversation of freedom.
There's also music and barbecues and swimming. (If you don't mind swimming in a pond.)
And the organizers always manage to attract fascinating speakers with this year's seminar, scheduled to take place on the July 25th weekend, being no exception.
Among those scheduled to speak are Conservative MP Scott Reid, the Cato Institutes's Will Wilkinson and Kerry Howley of Reason Magazine.
So don't miss out; register soon as spaces are limited.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Why an election would be good
The only good thing about triggering an election this summer is that it would, as Kelly McParland put it, "put the stimulus program on hold indefinitely."
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Leadership woes
As we wait for Michael Ignatieff to determine if the government's latest economic statement is socialist enough for his liking, we should take the time to ponder the current political strategic climate.
For instance, it seems both the Liberals and the Conservatives have the same glaring weakness: leadership.
Take the Liberals first. There's no doubt Ignatieff is an upgrade over Stephane Dion, but that's not saying much. Ignatieff is intelligent, but in an academic way, a kind of intelligence that doesn't take you very far in the blood sport known as politics.
It's not the kind of intelligence, for instance, possessed by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Chretien was no Rhodes Scholar, but he had a street fighter's cunning, an ability to sense an opponent's weakness and to exploit it without mercy.
Ignatieff seems to lack that killer instinct.
What's more Ignatieff is still a political novice, a rookie who has yet to have his leadership abilities tested in a national election campaign. Indeed, recall he actually lost to Dion in the 2006 Liberal leadership race.
Bottom line is, I could see this guy committing some major gaffes in a campaign pressure cooker environment.
But what about the Tories?
Well their leader, Stephen Harper, is smart and battle-tested. And indeed the Tories have always made Harper the centerpiece of their campaign messaging.
Simply put the Tory strategy was to say, "Hey vote for us because our leader Stephen Harper is a nice guy, who likes to play the piano and drink Tim Horton's coffee." This was the point of those infamous sweater vest TV ads.
I always though that was a bad strategy and now I know it's a bad strategy. A recent Nanos survey says that among Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "twice as likely to be identified as a weakness than as a strength."
That's devastating news for the Conservatives.
It means selling Harper to Canadians in the next election will be about as smart as selling Canadian flags to Bloc Quebecois supporters. The Conservatives will need a completely new strategy and they will need one quick.
But what can the Tories say? They can't brag about their fiscal management, not with a $50 billion deficit and thanks to Raitt-gate even their competence is coming into question.
Anyway, I suspect both sides will ultimately employ the strategy political parties always use when they have leadership problems which is to go negative.
Boiled down the Liberal and Tory message will be: Maybe you don't like our guy, but the other guy is even worse.
For instance, it seems both the Liberals and the Conservatives have the same glaring weakness: leadership.
Take the Liberals first. There's no doubt Ignatieff is an upgrade over Stephane Dion, but that's not saying much. Ignatieff is intelligent, but in an academic way, a kind of intelligence that doesn't take you very far in the blood sport known as politics.
It's not the kind of intelligence, for instance, possessed by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Chretien was no Rhodes Scholar, but he had a street fighter's cunning, an ability to sense an opponent's weakness and to exploit it without mercy.
Ignatieff seems to lack that killer instinct.
What's more Ignatieff is still a political novice, a rookie who has yet to have his leadership abilities tested in a national election campaign. Indeed, recall he actually lost to Dion in the 2006 Liberal leadership race.
Bottom line is, I could see this guy committing some major gaffes in a campaign pressure cooker environment.
But what about the Tories?
Well their leader, Stephen Harper, is smart and battle-tested. And indeed the Tories have always made Harper the centerpiece of their campaign messaging.
Simply put the Tory strategy was to say, "Hey vote for us because our leader Stephen Harper is a nice guy, who likes to play the piano and drink Tim Horton's coffee." This was the point of those infamous sweater vest TV ads.
I always though that was a bad strategy and now I know it's a bad strategy. A recent Nanos survey says that among Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "twice as likely to be identified as a weakness than as a strength."
That's devastating news for the Conservatives.
It means selling Harper to Canadians in the next election will be about as smart as selling Canadian flags to Bloc Quebecois supporters. The Conservatives will need a completely new strategy and they will need one quick.
But what can the Tories say? They can't brag about their fiscal management, not with a $50 billion deficit and thanks to Raitt-gate even their competence is coming into question.
Anyway, I suspect both sides will ultimately employ the strategy political parties always use when they have leadership problems which is to go negative.
Boiled down the Liberal and Tory message will be: Maybe you don't like our guy, but the other guy is even worse.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Flanagan: Harper needs to rebuild reputation
Professor Tom Flanagan and I have had our disagreements in the past.
The former campaign manager for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Flanagan believed the Conservative Party needed to push "incremental" conservatism, whereas I took the position that the party should stress more of an aggressive conservative vision.
Anyway, it seems Flanagan and I are starting to sing from the same hymn book.
In an update of his book Harper's Team, he argues the Prime Minister needs to rebuild his reputation.
Flanagan writes there is now a widespread impression "that [Harper] stands for nothing in particular, except winning and keeping power” in Ottawa.
“This is a major loss for a political leader ... once seen as a man of conviction," writes Flanagan. "How long will voters continue to support someone who is thought to be mainly a cunning tactician, especially if a run of mistakes makes him seem not even particularly cunning?”
That's an excellent point.
Of course, it's a point I made more than two years ago.
The former campaign manager for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Flanagan believed the Conservative Party needed to push "incremental" conservatism, whereas I took the position that the party should stress more of an aggressive conservative vision.
Anyway, it seems Flanagan and I are starting to sing from the same hymn book.
In an update of his book Harper's Team, he argues the Prime Minister needs to rebuild his reputation.
Flanagan writes there is now a widespread impression "that [Harper] stands for nothing in particular, except winning and keeping power” in Ottawa.
“This is a major loss for a political leader ... once seen as a man of conviction," writes Flanagan. "How long will voters continue to support someone who is thought to be mainly a cunning tactician, especially if a run of mistakes makes him seem not even particularly cunning?”
That's an excellent point.
Of course, it's a point I made more than two years ago.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Harper loves Obama
It's bad enough that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is racking up massive deficits in this country, but now he's also acting as an apologist for American president Barack Obama's stimulus insanity.
Speaking on Fox News, Harper declared:
"We need stimulus spending now, and I say that as a conservative ...When the house is on fire . . . you have to bring the hoses and spray water all over it, you can't worry about the basement ... The reality is, the fiscal situation in the United States is very worrisome, but that said, President Obama came into office with a deep structural deficit position, at a time when fiscal stimulus is actually required economically."
If that's speaking as a conservative I wouldn't want to hear him speak as a liberal.
Speaking on Fox News, Harper declared:
"We need stimulus spending now, and I say that as a conservative ...When the house is on fire . . . you have to bring the hoses and spray water all over it, you can't worry about the basement ... The reality is, the fiscal situation in the United States is very worrisome, but that said, President Obama came into office with a deep structural deficit position, at a time when fiscal stimulus is actually required economically."
If that's speaking as a conservative I wouldn't want to hear him speak as a liberal.
Speaking for Fraser
The good people at the Fraser Institute have asked me to give a policy briefing on June 25 in their Toronto office.
And, of course, my idea of "policy briefing" is talking about my book Loyal to the Core.
So if you are in town be sure and drop by to say hello and maybe buy a book ... or two.
And, of course, my idea of "policy briefing" is talking about my book Loyal to the Core.
So if you are in town be sure and drop by to say hello and maybe buy a book ... or two.
Socialism map
As my friend Janet Neilson recently noted on Twitter this map is a great way to track Canadian socialism.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Obama's debt
Here's a good column from the Investor's Business Daily on the dangers that could result from U.S. president Barack Obama's big-spending economic schemes.
Here's a sampling:
"It is irresponsible stewardship for Obama and Congress to go on a borrowing spree that puts America in the same unsustainable position as an overstretched boomer with too much debt and too little income and whose only option is to refinance at higher costs just to pay the interest."
Here's a sampling:
"It is irresponsible stewardship for Obama and Congress to go on a borrowing spree that puts America in the same unsustainable position as an overstretched boomer with too much debt and too little income and whose only option is to refinance at higher costs just to pay the interest."
Voter discretion is advised
Transport Minister John Baird is in hot water for suggesting Toronto city officials could "f_ _ k off".
I don't know.
Seems to me Baird is just saying what a lot of taxpayers are thinking.
I don't know.
Seems to me Baird is just saying what a lot of taxpayers are thinking.
Not much of a scandal
When rumours were running wild yesterday about the explosive Lisa Raitt audio tape, I was expecting a whale of a scandal.
Instead, it turned out to be a minnow.
OK, so she made some mildly disparaging comment about a fellow cabinet minister. Big deal. That's hardly a shocker.
But wait a minute, you might be asking, didn't she call the medical isotopes crisis "sexy"? Isn't that a horrendous scandal?
No, that's just the way people talk while engaging in a private conservation. I am sure if we could eavesdrop on Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's private discussions with his advisers we would hear him utter comments from time to time that might be considered unHarvard-like.
And finally, there's the charge that Raitt just viewed the crisis as an opportunity to advance her career.
Well if cynical political ambition is a resigning offence, then the House of Commons would be an empty building.
Of course, none of this will stop the Liberals from trying to build this up into a scandal. As they might admit in private, this is an opportunity that's too sexy to pass up.
Instead, it turned out to be a minnow.
OK, so she made some mildly disparaging comment about a fellow cabinet minister. Big deal. That's hardly a shocker.
But wait a minute, you might be asking, didn't she call the medical isotopes crisis "sexy"? Isn't that a horrendous scandal?
No, that's just the way people talk while engaging in a private conservation. I am sure if we could eavesdrop on Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's private discussions with his advisers we would hear him utter comments from time to time that might be considered unHarvard-like.
And finally, there's the charge that Raitt just viewed the crisis as an opportunity to advance her career.
Well if cynical political ambition is a resigning offence, then the House of Commons would be an empty building.
Of course, none of this will stop the Liberals from trying to build this up into a scandal. As they might admit in private, this is an opportunity that's too sexy to pass up.
Monday, June 08, 2009
What's on those tapes
Everyone is getting all excited about what's on that mysterious audiotape.
You know the tape I mean, the one which allegedly recorded Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt making some sort of embarrassing comments.
Well, I am pretty sure what's on that tape.
In fact, I bet the transcript will look something like this:
Raitt: Will you please hand me the top secret binder, you know the one which I'm not supposed to lose.
Aide: Binder? I don't have that binder? I thought you had it.
Raitt: Well, I don't have it either. Oh well no matter. I'm sure it will turn up when we aren't looking for it.
Aide: Yeah. Ha, ha.
You know the tape I mean, the one which allegedly recorded Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt making some sort of embarrassing comments.
Well, I am pretty sure what's on that tape.
In fact, I bet the transcript will look something like this:
Raitt: Will you please hand me the top secret binder, you know the one which I'm not supposed to lose.
Aide: Binder? I don't have that binder? I thought you had it.
Raitt: Well, I don't have it either. Oh well no matter. I'm sure it will turn up when we aren't looking for it.
Aide: Yeah. Ha, ha.
More about those Tory ads ...
Nanos research did a survey to judge the effectiveness of the Conservative Party's recent slew of attack TV ads and finds in the short term, at least, they have had little impact.
In fact, a majority of Canadians consider the ads ineffective
Interestingly, however, Nanos did find the ads had a "marginally negative impact on the impression of Michael Ignatieff primarily among committed Conservative and NDP voters."
Committed Conservatives, of course, would naturally find the ads persuasive. But what about the NDP? Why did the ads make an impression on socialists?
Well, it's like I noted a few days ago; these ads are primarily appealing to a populist anti-American sentiment, an emotion that runs deep in Canada's left wing.
Is this what the Tories had planned?
Maybe. After all, by playing the anti-American-card in this way, it's possible the Tories could indeed drive leftists out of the Liberal camp and into Jack Layton's arms -- which would be good for the Conservatives.
However, the danger is that such a strategy could also cause many small "c" conservatives -- traditionally more pro-American -- to abandon the Conservative Party.
Indeed, Nanos reports that "50.6% of committed Conservatives believe the ads reflect either somewhat negatively or negatively on the Conservatives."
Turning off your base is never good policy.
In fact, a majority of Canadians consider the ads ineffective
Interestingly, however, Nanos did find the ads had a "marginally negative impact on the impression of Michael Ignatieff primarily among committed Conservative and NDP voters."
Committed Conservatives, of course, would naturally find the ads persuasive. But what about the NDP? Why did the ads make an impression on socialists?
Well, it's like I noted a few days ago; these ads are primarily appealing to a populist anti-American sentiment, an emotion that runs deep in Canada's left wing.
Is this what the Tories had planned?
Maybe. After all, by playing the anti-American-card in this way, it's possible the Tories could indeed drive leftists out of the Liberal camp and into Jack Layton's arms -- which would be good for the Conservatives.
However, the danger is that such a strategy could also cause many small "c" conservatives -- traditionally more pro-American -- to abandon the Conservative Party.
Indeed, Nanos reports that "50.6% of committed Conservatives believe the ads reflect either somewhat negatively or negatively on the Conservatives."
Turning off your base is never good policy.
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