Overheard at the press tables at #MNC14. "Well, if [Trudeau's new baby] has been born, it doesn't really matter what we write for tomorrow."
— Kai Nagata (@kainagata) February 28, 2014
OK, it's just Forum, but most of the real pollsters have also put Horwath's NDP well back of the reigning OLP and Hudak's PCPO. Some have been advising that Andrea Horwath shout damn the torpedo!, eat the red pill, and send her crew into the soup, but that didn't work so well for these guys did it? So, while I seldom agree with Bozinoff's numbers, I am half inclined to his line of reasoning in this particular case. I think its significant that the NDP chose not to bring down the government earlier this week. Do they think things will get better for them after Wynne presents a budget/campaign platform/bag full of goodies? Hard to imagine that being the case.
I'm nine floors up in outer Scarborough (or, as we call it down here, The Bro), facing West, and every once in awhile I find animal poop on the balcony of my condo unit. Too big for a mouse or rat--and how could they get up here anyway?-- not a furry pellet like owls produce, and not an acidy splat like pigeons or gulls. I figure I'm dealing with a hawk of some kind, as I've seen them flying among the buildings and resting on balcony railings in the afternoon when nobody's home. Its kind of neat to think a red-shoulder perched on my patio chair, sleeping, and they are welcome to do so. Bit rude to abuse my hospitality like that, however.
As I've mentioned previously, David Soknacki is an intriguing candidate, and I predict that his anti-Scarborough subway stance will prove to be surprisingly popular now that the bill for it has come due. I have not heard the fellow speak, but a lobbyist friend has and tells me that the fellow is, well, not very charismatic. That may be a wee problem.
Apparently, Tory shifted all his radio show followers to his mayoral run feed, so this might have something to do with his high fake score. Still, the page offered to sell me software to remove all his fake followers. Here's Karen Stintz for comparison:
Ran out of free searches before I got to anyone else.
NDP MP @alexboulerice: “I think General Leslie will realize it’s tough to be a general, but maybe it’s tougher to be a politician.” #cdnpoli
— CTV'S QUESTIONPERIOD (@ctvqp) February 23, 2014
Ontario's Superior Court court has overturned the provincial Environmental Review Tribunal's decision to kill a proposed wind-farm at Ostrander Point. The court doc can be found here. I've written about that earlier decision in a number of places, primarily here.
Below is a quick summary of the superior court's justification:
I'll just touch briefly on point (iv) and (v). Re (iv), the judge writes:
This basically accepts a Ministry of Environment argument contra the ERT that I discussed briefly here. The argument still confuses me, so I'll repeat what I wrote on that earlier occasion:
If the province's stock of endangered turtles is parceled out into discrete sub-populations, of which only one or two would be effected by a particular development, how could you stop any development?
The court seems to be suggesting that while the local population might be negatively effected, the mitigation efforts required by the apellants might lead to actions elsewhere that would enhance the health of the Blandings Turtle populations in Ontario generally. That's strikes me as very doubtful.
Fortunately, part (v) of the decision is enough to give one hope. Of course the main problem for turtles living near the wind-farm was not the presence of turbines, but the presence of a road network designed to bring workers and equipment to and from them. It was felt that increased traffic on this public network might lead to increased mortality among female turtles (who like to make their nests in the gravel at roadside).
Fortunately, Gilead Power Corporation, who are behind the Ostrander Point project, have already agreed to gate both the main access road and a number of points where preexisting trails intersect with that road, if the project is allowed to go forward. This will mean that the danger to the turtles will come almost exclusively from ATV-ers avoiding the gates. If the numbers of local oiks can be minimized, this measure just might do the trick
Had a Walmart-brand pizza for dinner for the first time last night. They're a terrific bargain. They come in an edible box. Or at least the box tastes identical to the pizza itself.
Thorium reactors are not big on my radar screen, although they have proponents. But whether you agree or disagree with the individual policy, its very much the kind of thing the LPC should be doing: lean forward on "clean energy" of any kind. Some things might work out, some won't. But the future is not in oil. And in any case the thrust of the piece is research.
...I lobbied LPC/OLP potentials for a post-2015 Senate appointment. First up was Saturday night's confab at the Pauper's Pub, organized by the venerable Jeff Jedras and some guy named Ed Blake, who didn't bother showing up. There I met longtime gal-pal Nancy LeBlanc:
Nancy wants to represent the OLP against Cheri DiNovo down in Parkdale-High Park. Though she's the only one running for the nomination, the deal still hasn't yet been sealed, for some unknown reason. Hopefully, the OLP isn't up to some kind of parachute candidate jiggery-pokery. Because you couldn't ask for a better person to represent our values. Dedicated, sincere--the works. Here's Nancy's web-page, and here's a clip of her door-knocking:
When we met on Saturday I pitched my idea of an Ontario Provincial Senate, to which I could be appointed when Hudak had been thoroughly whupped and we were set to rule forever. I was about four pints in at the time, but I think I convinced her, because as you can see she's smiling.
Then on Sunday, I attended blogger and lawyer James Morton's campaign launch for his run at the federal seat in Thornhill. Here's a shot of me and Bernie Farber at that event:
Later I approached Mr. Morton, another Liblogger, and suggested that post 2015 I could make a good Senator. I also registered my displeasure at Justin Trudeau's new proposals for that August body, because if they are going to make appointments according to merit than I would be pretty much excluded from consideration. James shook my hand, said "Thanks for coming out!" and moved on. So I think I'm set!
Its worth noting that in both pictures I am modelling the "Irish Laborers Jacket" that I received for Xmas, and which I am quite proud of and feel I look extraordinarily sexy in. As a Senator, I would of course want to polish my salt-of-the-Earth type creds, even if the whole point was to book in and sleep late for the next 25 years. A jacket like that will surely help.
And, as I like to point out, I am and will always be a friend of a friend of the working class.
I don't have much to say on this. Other than the amount involved ($72,000) there is nothing remarkable about it. And if you look at the list CTV got hold of there are some other pretty big numbers on it ($38,000, $50,000) including another move within Ottawa (one Brigadier General King) that cost roughly $22,000. Its obviously an attempted smear of the guy, but to what end? Leslie has his suspicions:
The same thought was expressed yesterday on the army.ca forums (in a very enlightening thread that I encourage everyone read from end-to-end):
(As usual, its easier to read if you click on the image).
So, will the CPC use this issue to steal another benefit back from our troops? Worth noting that they were already sniffing around the issue last year.
Finally, as to the amount claimed: though I have some small experience with the relocation program--I have occasionally fielded calls from service members involved in it re T.O. house prices--I don't really know what expenses it is meant to cover. The general mentions "real estate" fees, and the army.ca conversation suggests that commissions may be covered. If so, five percent on the sale of a $1,000,000+ house is $50,000 right there. And as to the distance of the move, well, in T.O. a five minute drive can can take you from an "island of affordability" too some pretty ritzy digs (think The Guild vs. North of Kingston near Markham Road, for example), so that is a red herring.
Readers of this blog may be familiar with Mr. Peiser. He is on the editorial board of Energy and Environment, once the AGW denialists journal of choice (ie where they could always publish crap the other journals wouldn't take). He was, in fact, before he joined the GWPF, co-editor of the journal. So it's worth noting what fellow co-editor Sonja A Boehmer-Christiansen said when he left that position in, roughly, 2011:
So, the GWPF is called a lobby group in the very magazine that Peiser once helped edit, and to which he still provides editorial services. We can assume he had no issue with this characterization at the time. His indignation now rings supremely false.
PS. To get some idea of what E&E was once willing to publish when Benny helped run the journal, read this.
Let the NDP crow for a day. They've earned it. As for a Spring election, its about as likely/unlikely as it was yesterday morning, which means we'll probably have one. And as to the likely result, well, Kathleen will be dogged by anti-wind protesters at her rural events. Our wild and crazy Ombudsman is launching a new and possibly embarrassing investigation into Hydro One billing. (Not that that's an unworthy target, but check out the man's twitter-feed from last night:
...His behavior is, let us just say, unseemly.) But on the other hand, Tim Hudak still resembles a constipated weasal; his own party hates him and challenges his leadership at every juncture (google "Richard Ciano" and "Tim Hudak"); and his policies are so barbaric as to be judged appalling by a focus group of cannibal rednecks.
So, for an OLP partisan, you have to be thinking that any Spring election is eminently winnable.
PS. What about Andrea Howath's NDP? Some folks think they see a wave building. Maybe. I'm not noticing anything yet.
Word is the UK Telegraph (the Torygraph, as they call it) felt he was an embarrassment. And of course, in his sign-off column he admits he knew nothing about science. Something most of us figured out long ago.
Although I would also suggest he's pretty ignorant even for one of us English grads.
From this guy. No wonder Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is having doubts. I can't see this as being good politics, and it wouldn't surprise me if his negative comments are some kind of trial balloon to gather feedback before the Tories decide for or against. Alternatively, if you've heard Flaherty lately, he sounds terrible, so maybe he's set to retire and doesn't care that he's breaking with party orthodoxy.
The only time I would ever ask my readers to watch anything from Brian Lilley. If you really don't want to, I'll just say its all about Brian calling out the politically correct "over-pronunciation of French athletes names".
Its a thoroughly grovelling apology, and the word is:
Everyone's speculating that Quebecor bosses (or even PKP himself) forced @brianlilley to apologize. If so, why now?
— Steve Faguy (@fagstein) February 11, 2014
As to why of all occasions would PKF force his guy to eat dirt on tape, well, the Olympics are everywhere. Mr. Lilley's remarks reached an audience far beyond his usual.
So this notification at GCSurplus looks to have been placed by the Office of The Privacy Commissioner of Canada. That is, the address given in the ad (112 Kent Street) matches the one given by the office. And the email suffix (priv.gc.ca) also matches.
And the notification is for:
It sounds as though the Privacy Commission is selling off its library shelving. Here's a shot from the ad:
This is presumably the product to be disposed of (the shelves, not the books...yet). So, if they're selling off their ability to house books, does this mean they are getting set to dump their books? And if they are closing down their library, what does this mean for the Commission itself?
Well, you can read him in comments all over the Internet, from Arnie Lemaire's site to Jihad Watch (none of which will get links here) to most of the other hard right culture warrior blogs.
So, he's nuts, clearly. And while he insists that he was kicked out for being non-Muslim, I suspect the university smelled Teh Crazy on him. Certainly, this guy has no interest in preaching Islamic doctrine. In fact the justification he gives for wanting to enroll in the course...that he wants to spy on the teacher to make sure she's not indoctrinating little jihadis is, well, I've already used the term nuts once, haven't I?
This is not the first time that appellants protesting nearby wind farms have made health claims while refusing to provide the medical documentation needed to back those claims. And it is only recently that they ERT has begun to consistently demand that they produce such records. In addition, as noted here, if appellants are testifying re reductions in property values due to nearby turbines, they will now be asked to turn over all relevant real estate records. I expect most of those appeals to fail as a result of this change in procedures.
This is Mitt Romney style politics, pure and simple. You're all lazy welfare bums. Pull up your socks and vote for my guy! Hardly the kind of appeal that is likely to attract a non-Tory to the Tory cause. So hardly the kind of appeal Tim Hudak needs to make. Randy must be assuming that the province's hard-core rightests will be able to vote twice, or that by voting really, really hard they can carry the day, though they be outnumbered. We saw how that worked for Mitt.
Apparently, attacks on John A. are "shabby" and "opportunistic", but Mr. Gwyn declines to explain why. I think the most important bit in either column is Bernie's reference to the newly published Clearing The Plains, by James Daschuk of the University of Regina:
Mr. Gwyn's piece would have benefited by directly engaging the claims in this book. I admit I have not read it (yet), but the fact that this kind of thing went on into the 1950s makes its claims plausible at least.
All of which is not particularly relevant to the renaming of Union Station. That's just a dumb idea whatever the truth about John A. It's just Denzil floating a few balloons to get his name out front before he announces he's running for mayor.
Mike De Souza is, or was, pretty much the only journalist in Canada who consistently covered issues surrounding the federal government's response to Global Warming. And now he's gone. On the other hand, pointless blow-hard climate change denier Terence Corcoran remains.
If they're willing to ensure that their editorials will be onside with CAPP, who knows that they wouldn't terminate a reporter whose stories have been an embarrassment to their new pay-masters.
Is he crashing and burning, in other words? Getting involved in a potentially ruinious lawsuit must be bad enough; representing yourself must surely make it worse. Witness this, from The Orange County Register, one of the papers that publishes Mr. Steyn's work:
Maybe the guy's hiding under his bed, wishing that the world will just go away. Maybe's he's wearing nothing but his "legal briefs", clutching his head in his hands and crying for Mama.
So don't even think it. Personally, I will be off the road by game time. And, yeah, I may well be eating wings and nachos. Don't wreck your evening, and the evening of those around you.
They've gone read-only, for the time being. Meanwhile, it worth nothing the occasion that brought them out.
A federal appeals court has put the final nail in the coffin of Mark Lemire's constitutional appeal of section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act (the hate speech provision). You can read more about it here; I've written extensively on the matter here; and the court doc is here. I've only glanced at the latter, but its obvious that Marc Lemire has been defeated utterly. Even the act's penalty provision (section 54.1), severed in a previous ruling, has been judged constitutional.
Why worry about legislation that has already been repealed? Well, a Trudeau-led government that wanted to re-establish section 13 and 54.1 could do so knowing that they have passed constitutional muster. And remember, the Tories snuck their changes through the system as a private member's bill in the dead of night. Divided and leaderless as they might well be after 2015, they would not want to revisit these measures, especially since Mark Steyn, their strongest advocate on the file, might be playing piano for tips and cigarettes at some skeezy U.S. strip club by that time.