Category: Uncategorized

Democracy Damned.

by Peter Lowry

You have to admit; doing things democratically is tough work. Doing things openly and honestly is even tougher. You would think that Ontario premier Doug Ford would understand that by now. And we all thought Toronto mayor John Tory knew that at the get-go. We were wrong.

We know that Doug Ford is no Bill Davis. He has neither the experience nor the training nor the intellect needed to work within what we accept as democratic measures. Instead, he sees the democratic process as a challenge. His time at Toronto City Hall was a constant struggle of ‘us against them.’ He saw democracy as a blockage in the business of politics. It was an inconvenience

Practically his first act as premier, was to override the Toronto council’s decision to double the number of councillors to better serve the diverse and growing population of the city.   Watching Ford create his first provincial cabinet was not an act of who could do the best job for the people of Ontario but an act of selfishness to help him. He made some interesting mistakes.

Quitting the embarrassment of Ontario’s health ministry was the smartest thing that Christine Elliot did in her political career. Doug Ford used her. He hid behind her. He has shown his hand in betraying our trust in his government doing right by our health-care workers.

Yet it took the threat of a province-wide general strike to get him to back-off with our educational CUPE workers. The next troubles for Ford’s administration are the teachers’ unions and they are not going to accept the ‘not withstanding’ clause nor Ford and his fledgling education minister’s blustering.

The biggest disappointment in Doug Ford’s anti-democratic ways is that mayor John Tory is more than willing to use his new anti-democratic powers. The one person that Torontonians have trusted over his past two terms as mayor, has gone over to the dark side with fellow conservative Doug Ford.

John Tory has already made a senior city appointment without going through council. Going to council would have been the polite thing to do. And, if Tory had checked with them, he might have found that council would have made the same choice of city manager as the mayor.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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This Tory is Trouble.

by Peter Lowry

Maybe I come from the wrong era. I come from a time when you could be friends with conservatives. I always enjoyed sparring with the late Dalton Camp. He might have been the guy who brought John Diefenbaker down, but to me, he was always a man of intellect and honesty. He and former senator Hugh Segal were cut from the same cloth, as was the late Bill Davis, former highly regarded premier of Ontario.

Yet this guy Pierre Poilievre, current leader of the federal conservatives, has come out of hiding to try to influence the December 12 by-election in Mississauga-Lakeshore.   This is the worm who did the meet and greet with those inconsiderate clods who partied on Ottawa streets last winter. He is probably not as dumb as Ontario’s Doug Ford. Ford only lies to you when his lips are moving. Ford relies on bombast and what he thinks people want to hear.

Poilievre might be smarter than his provincial peer group. He doesn’t like having his picture in the general media very often. He likes being where he can control the environment. He has a slyness about him. He uses others but never trusts them. He seems to be playing a role that reminds me of some of the events in the Weimar Republic of the 1930s.

He uses simplistic slogans. He talks about freedom in a country known around the world for its freedoms. He talks down to his followers. He argues with the Bank of Canada while spouting jargon that shows no grasp of knowing about economics.

Political pros are looking at this by-election in Ontario as a test of Poilievre’s strategy—such as it is. I do not know the conservative candidate. Maybe nobody does. It seems to me that he is not even a factor in this test for Poilievre.

But I do know the liberal candidate. He is a good guy. He was a trusted finance minister in the Wynne government in Ontario. He is well known in the riding. He lives there. He is a progressive liberal. He can make a strong contribution in Ottawa.

I will certainly be interested in what happens on December 12. It will be worthy of a close look. My advice to liberals in Mississauga-Lakeshore is to get out the progressive vote. It will matter.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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Financing Ford’s Follies.

by Peter Lowry

I hate to admit that I am going to have to stop saying Ontario premier Doug Ford is stupid. That dumbass has us paying for his stupidity. So, who’s stupid now?

And who do I have to give the credit to for this revelation but that crazy lady who just won a premier’s pension in Alberta. She was on Global Television’s West Block last Sunday defending her weird sovereignty act. You didn’t have to be political to just know that she was relishing the publicity. And she very obviously wants to be taken to court. The Alberta taxpayers can make some more lawyers rich. It’s all free publicity for her.

It is the same with that bigot in Quebec City. François Legault has groups lining up to sue him for his discrimination. Who else can get sued for religious intolerance, language oppression and discrimination towards immigrants and have his legal fees paid by the voters who put him in office.

What I would humbly suggest is that the taxpayers involved deserve a break.

The next time a judge has to rap the knuckles of the provincial perpetrator of spurious legislation, the judge should apportion a fine against the premier, the cabinet members and the caucus sheep who went along with such spurious legislation.

And I think there should be an extra apportionment of costs against the chief law officer of the province for allowing the cabinet to promote legislation that would never pass the litmus test of fairness. And I am not just saying that because my provincial member of the legislature is such an uncaring attorney general and needs to pay more attention to my electoral district.

But just think: If cabinet members and their party’s caucus really had their good faith (and maybe their outrageous pensions) invested in their government’s legislation, they would pay more attention. We need people in our parliament and our legislatures who not only pay attention to what is going on but have their financial future involved with the outcomes of their laws and policies, we might see more responsible people taking the reins.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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Golden Rule Days.

by Peter Lowry

One of the stupidest moves over the years with Toronto schools was the removal of school resource officers. It was an example of ignorance winning over common sense. School resource officers (SRO) was a program whereby Toronto police officers were located in some schools to create a presence and a resource to help build a relationship between the police and the community.

They were not there to guard the students. This was a program that could pay its way for many years down the road. The officer was a resource for the teachers, a back-up for the parents, a humanizing of the police for the students. Nobody who understood the program expected miracles. It was reaching for the long-term benefits. It needed to reach around the hollowness of the police are our friends. It was a program of inestimable value for years to come.

But some ignorant parents and busybodies and trouble-makers complained. The Toronto School Board did its usual mealy-mouthed flip-flop. The police services board caved in. The program was stopped.

I mention this because when you really need this type of program, you have nothing to replace it. I am thinking of my high school, the ill-fated York Memorial Collegiate.

I was already at York Memorial when George Harvey School was completed nearby on Keele Street.

From the beginning, there was a sense of rivalry between the two schools. And, quite frankly, I never wanted to play football again, after the trouncing we grade 10 students took when we played against George Harvey’s grade 10 students. So, I switched from football to the choir (Not being able to sing the same note twice did not seem to be of concern.)

I felt sorry for the students though when I heard about the fire a couple years ago. It was a wonderful school and I really enjoyed the years I was there. It was also easy to see the problems involved if York Memorial students found themselves squeezed into George Harvey. Some rivalry is good; crowded cohabitation can be risky.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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Help Wanted, Ontario.

by Peter Lowry

We need a leader of his majesty’s loyal opposition for Ontario. Applicants must have qualifications and strong desire to replace current incompetent as premier. Political leaning should be to the left. The voters have had enough guff from conservatives.

Applicants must be adult individuals, qualified to vote in Ontario with at least nascent leadership potential. Must care about fellow humans. A strong presence in public speaking is desirable but the applicant must at least be intelligent enough to learn how to read from a teleprompter. Applicants must have a determination to protect Ontario’s designated greenbelt lands. A genuine interest in saving our planet for future generations would also be welcomed.

The applicant is expected to provide a respectable living style for self and partner and any family on a salary of $180,000 per year as Leader of the Opposition and then $208,000 per year as premier. Benefits are generous and there should be no concerns about potential income after you, or the voters, decide enough is enough.

The applicant can have any of a broad range of professions but someone with more than a passing knowledge of farming and food processing would be warmly welcomed.

One of the interesting challenges for applicants is the potential for combining the Ontario liberal and new democratic parties. It is not essential but we can assure you that the next step would not only be easier but a caring democratic liberalism suits Ontario voters very well.

Think of it. Ontario is not only the major economic engine of Canada but the cornerstone of our democracy. We have to care about this country and where it is going. We care about the environment and what is affecting it. Ontario is the keystone in supporting the external efforts of Canada in trade and diplomacy. It need not conflict with Ottawa. It does not need to dispute for the sake of disputing. It is a province that honours its commitments in both English and French languages to both language groups. It is home to many immigrant groups from around the world.

Applicants need apply to the Liberal Party of Ontario or the New Democratic Party of Ontario. Winning the leadership of either is your first challenge. Bringing the parties together will be your second.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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What Lane is That?

by Peter Lowry

Alberta premier Danielle Smith won this week’s prize. That would be the case if we had a prize for the dumbest statement of the week by a provincial premier. It seems we have a constant three-way contest between Doug Ford in Ontario, Danielle Smith in Alberta and François Legault in Quebec. These guys make prime minister Justin Trudeau look smart.

Danielle won hands down this week with her Alberta sovereignty act. This woman who has never been elected premier of anything, tells us that our federal government has to stay in its own lane. It is hard to trust polls this far ahead of an election but Smith, at this time, might have difficulty getting elected provincial dog catcher.

The only people who have voted for her—and in a squeaker—were a collection of rural libertarians and urban conservatives called the United(?) Conservative Party of Alberta. And the guy who put all that together, namely former premier Jason Kenney, has left the building.

At least in Ontario, the only enemy Doug Ford has is himself. He read a book once—I think it was Robin Hood—only he got it wrong and he thinks you are supposed to steal from the poor and give the proceeds of your crime to the rich. He is a conservative and doesn’t know any better.

We had a good laugh the other day when a superior court judge tossed out Ford’s signature law limiting, mostly female, government employees to a one-per cent wage hike per year. The judge said, very wisely, that there was no fiscal emergency on which to hang such a draconian law. I guess the fact it was also discriminatory was just frosting on the cake.

And what was Doug’s response? He will appeal—using the taxpayer’s money—to defend his stupidity. And most of us in Ontario know his stupidity is indefensible.

And that leaves the guy in Quebec City who must have been taking a breather this week. After all you can hardly defend the French language and encourage bigotry, week in and week out and not need some time off. He is probably in Florida, getting lessons in uncaring right-wing governance from Governor Ron DeSantis.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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Cutting What Red Tape?

by Peter Lowry

You can always have a laugh when another conservative goes on about their hate for red tape. They are always telling you they are going to cut it. They just don’t know which red tape they are going to cut. They will have to get back to you on that.  Maybe a simpler question to a conservative is to ask what is red tape?

Their simple answer is that they want to rid us of the red tape that delays us getting things done. Another answer is that red tape is rules you don’t like. For example: If you are building a house, there are many rules. One that bothers some home builders are the rules for trusses under the roof. In Canada, the rules are more stringent than in the U.S. In Canada we build houses with stronger roofs because we have to allow for a certain amount of snow accumulation. You eliminate that red tape at your peril.

One of the simple ways of eliminating red tape is by eliminating the inspectors who check the red tape. In 2000, there was an outbreak of e-coli in Walkerton, Ontario that killed six people. There were no inspections of the water quality. It is like setting a speed limit on a highway and not bothering to police the highway.

Red Tape is also standards that are recognized around the world. There is, for example the metric system. It has always amused me that the rest of the world has embraced use of the metric system—except for the Americans. The Americans said they were going to join the metric measurements and then changed their minds.

The Americans could, at least, have gone along with measuring time in 24-hour days. It would have put an end to the foolishness throughout North America of trying to figure out what it means when somebody says something is to happen at 12 AM or at 12 PM. You can do your own survey on this but I have found that about half the people I ask will tell me that 12 AM is the same as 12 Noon and the other half will swear it is 12 Midnight. It seems to be the rare person who knows that there is no such thing as 12 AM or 12 PM. The 24-hour clock is so much easier to understand.

I figure that the problem is that there are too many conservatives in the U.S.A. They call themselves Republicans. They are always cutting red tape.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

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Beware Politicians Bearing Gifts.

by Peter Lowry

Mayor John Tory of Toronto should know better. He knows premier Ford. He knows how those guys at Queen’s Park think—or don’t think, as the case may be. From the time, that buffoon premier Michael Harris downloaded the province’s social welfare costs on Toronto, the province has been taking more than it gives.

And to offer to give back a third of the development funds, it has recently grabbed, is just adding insult to injury. Tory can hardly expect to see any of that funding before Ford has announced it at least three times would be breaking a Ford tradition.

Nor should mayor Tory bask in the glow of the super mayor proposal from Queen’s Park. How can he put up with such bullshit? There are some key words in the super mayor proposal that everyone seems to want to ignore. He can only use his super powers when he is doing the bidding of Queen’s Park. What kind of a ‘super power’ is that? What it says to me is that he can only get the extra power when he is doing what Doug Ford wants him to do. The word for that is “flunky” not “super.”

And John Tory should wonder what else Doug Ford has in store for the city council he hates. I think he still bears a grudge for how those people treated his poor misunderstood, late, younger brother with his crack-cocaine habit.

It reminds me of a preliminary meeting of people backing David Smith for mayor in 1978 that took place in a downtown Toronto law office. It was one of those huge board room tables and the lawyer chairing the meeting was no friend of mine. It took almost a half hour for everyone to introduce themselves. They were mostly lawyers but when it got to me, David interrupted and introduced me to those who did not already know me. David explained that he had never lost a campaign when I was involved. I was there as his good luck charm. That was my first and only involvement with that campaign—which he lost to John Sewell.

I took the family up to Muskoka for Christmas in 1979 and we were incommunicado for the holidays. The phone was ringing as we got home and it was David. He was very contrite and asked me if he could run in the February election in my riding?

I was involved in that campaign and we got him elected MP in a squeaker.

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to:

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Ford’s Political Pitfalls.

by Peter Lowry

Just how dumb is Ontario premier Doug Ford? We all know why and how he is screwing with our Greenbelt. We have understood his close relationships with developers. It dates back to his brother’s time in the Toronto mayor’s chair. Doug was the understudy at the time—sitting in Rob Ford’s former councillor seat.

That must have been when Doug got the political bug. How could he help but not jump into the race for conservative party leader when Patrick Brown had tanked. Here he was a one-time councillor and a failed mayoralty candidate. Why not go for the brass ring of provincial leadership? And then you are king of the hill!

Ford blustered his way through the 2018 provincial election. Who knows what the results would have been if liberal Kathleen Wynne had not quit before election day?

There were lots of missteps for Doug in that first term. The idea of the provincial police providing him with a travelling bedroom, hardly flew, and his choice of police commissioner was a no-no. The pandemic was unexpected and catastrophic. You had to admit that the premier played his role. Enjoy the lockdowns and wear your mask the public was told. Needless to say, healthcare workers did not enjoy their life with that fatuous ass misdirecting things.

Highway 413 came out of the woodwork to help Doug’s developer friends. Nobody could seem to explain how these developers had determined the locations of all the cloverleafs in this highway from nowhere to nowhere. The liberals had ditched the highway  before it had seen the light of day. He had to tie it to the Bradford Bypass—at least the bypass had some supporters.

But despite the bumps on the road for Ford in that first four-year term, the opposition had nothing to bring to the table for the second go round. The liberals continued in their dismal non-party status after experimenting with a non-leader. The new democrats had to admit that their leader was no panacea and she demoted herself to the municipal field.

Ideally, the liberals and new democrats could merge and that would guarantee us the end of the Ford era at Queen’s Park. They could call themselves liberal-democrats. I wonder if they are smart enough?

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to:

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Small Province; Big Noise.

by Peter Lowry

It is a love-hate situation. Alberta is six months away from a provincial general election and you would swear from the noise level that it is happening next week. And you wish it would. From the time in 2015 that Jason Kenney got his pick-up truck painted blue, packed his fat-boy jeans and headed west, it has not been the Alberta that I know and love.

I am sure many wondered how long the affair with Kenney would last? You had to know that combining the sedentary conservatives of Alberta with the crazy libertarians of the Wildrose would never work. I almost felt sorry for Brian Jean when his old buddy Jason Kenney was through with him.

But there are certainly some what-ifs? If that damn pandemic hadn’t come along, would Jason still be sitting pretty as premier? He didn’t know what to do when he lost millions on failed pipelines except blame Ottawa. (They blame Ottawa if it rains too much in Alberta.)

And who asked for the resurrection of that crazy libertarian-leaning Danielle Smith? You have to admit, the lady has her own extremes she wants to go to. She is busy reworking her health spending savings accounts idea to something the average voter can understand.

All that I have understood so far is that she wants to spend less on health care so she wants the province to give everybody the average amount. What is not clear is the question of what people do if they use up their average. It sounds like American style medicine to me.

It is unlikely that her Alberta sovereignty bill will be much more than a promise to enact it, if Ottawa passes any laws she dislikes—which is probably most of them.

When you think of the wonderful hospitality of people in Edmonton and the sense of humour of Calgarians and the overall congeniality of people across the province, you wonder how things can go so wrong.

It might be that damn bitumen. All my experience in Alberta was before they monetized that gunk from the tar sands and started calling it oil. It is not oil, it is a serious green-house gas pollutant and should be left in the ground.  

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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry

Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to:

[email protected]