The seals are barking mad, or at least barking.
After the resignation from the Conservative party caucus by Brent Rathgeber, in protest of the command and control by staff “half my age” in the prime minister’s office, loyalists in caucus assured everyone that there is plenty of independence and autonomy in the Conservative caucus. It’s the kind of thing one might expect an MP to say if he was in the habit of substituting PMO talking points for his own thinking. Continue reading
It’s not easy being British. The country has lost its way. And should you be on the streets, you don’t want to lose your way, lest you encounter the roving bands of intoxicated thugs that spill out on the streets as a regular part of social life. Britain has embraced the machinery of the totalitarian state more than any other democracy, with the entire population under general video surveillance on the streets and squares. The theory was that Britons who had forgotten how to behave might behoove themselves to do so if the nanny state adopted the tactics of the police state. Continue reading
- in Gananoque, Ontario -
Toronto, despite the “distractions,” had a good fortnight in government. The Toronto casino project was killed, and not doing active harm is about as high a standard as one can expect from those embarrassingly dysfunctional governments which afflict our largest city, whether at Nathan Phillips Square or Queen’s Park. Continue reading
There are scandals aplenty afoot. But there are distinctions to be drawn amongst them. A shady official here, a covered-up boondoggle there — all are regrettable. Then there are the super scandals, where an entire operation is seen to be corrupt, thereby calling into question the system’s very integrity. Continue reading
- in Calgary, Alberta -
Even when I grew up in Calgary, I can’t say that I paid much attention to the goings on at city hall — and that was in the days of Ralph Klein’s mayoralty, when things were rather livelier than they are now. Continue reading