Jan 14 2019 — John Milloy — The Record — Several years ago a group of prominent Canadian authors were asked to come up with the three most boring words in the English language. Their answer: officers of parliament. OK, I made that up. But you have to admit discussions around the role of independent agents of the legislature ranks pretty high on the boring […]
Dec 1 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — You can’t accuse Doug Ford of being inactive. Despite spending long hours fighting with the feds, dealing with sexual misconduct scandals and holding show trials of the Kathleen Wynne Liberals, our busy premier still has enough energy to dismantle government programs and eliminate officers of the legislature. Ford’s activist streak stops, however, when it comes […]
Nov 5 2018 — John Milloy — Hamilton Spectator — Although I am not Doug Ford’s biggest fan, I do have some grudging respect for his political prowess. His ability to tap into Ontarians’ frustrations is impressive. Smart politics, however, doesn’t always equal good policy. A perfect example is the premier’s crusade against the way Ontario’s schools teach math. The Tories recently made the surprise […]
Oct 17 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — How have they gotten away with it? How have Doug Ford, Jason Kenney, and a cabal of other provincial politicians been able to separate the concept of a carbon tax from the threat of climate change? Remember climate change? The increase in temperature caused by human activity that is threatening our planet. According to the […]
Oct 16 2018 — John Milloy — Hamilton Spectator — What do debates over Canada’s refugee policy, Ontario’s basic income pilot and Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination all have in common? It can be summed up in one word — fairness. Like so many policy discussions taking place today, proponents on both sides of these issues are desperately trying position themselves as representing the only […]
Oct 1 2018 — John Milloy — The Record — I can’t decide whether recent events at Queen’s Park remind me more of childhood trips to the circus or that feeling I get watching the babysitter investigate a noise in the basement in one of those teenage horror flicks. Whether you want to laugh or turn away in fear, there is no question that it’s […]
Sep 4 2018 — John Milloy — The Record — Einstein apparently never defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Someone else did. Regardless of who said it, the sentiment applies nicely to the Ford government’s approach to poverty reduction. Their plan is simple: Kill the basic income pilot, halve expected increases and take 100 days to […]
Aug 15 2018 — John Milloy — Policy Options — Is the West falling apart? Although news of the West’s demise may be premature, the increasingly erratic policies of US President Donald Trump are placing enormous pressure on the military and nonmilitary ties that bind us. And it’s not just the United States. Britain’s exit from the European Union, no matter how amicable the eventual […]
Aug 8 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — Although I oppose cancelling the current sex education curriculum, I was not surprised to see a recent poll confirming that over 40 per cent of Ontarians support the decision. I actually believe that the move might be more popular than many think. I also believe that many of the arguments being put forward by supporters […]
Jul 18 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — The critics are in high dudgeon. Our prime minister appears to be applying rules to his own conduct that are different from the ones he established for his own MPs. When he gets accused of groping a young reporter many years ago, he writes it off as a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, when members of his own […]
Jul 9 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — You could see it coming miles away. Even before assuming office, our newly minted premier announced that government officials were no longer “going to live high off the hog with taxpayers’ dollars.” Laying down the law, he asked Ontario’s top civil servant to issue a directive that, among other things, banned the serving of free […]
Jun 29 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — Today marks a very significant day in Ontario politics. After 15 years of power, Ontario Liberals will no longer be leading our province. Doug Ford and a new Progressive Conservative government will be assuming the reins of power. And as we look ahead there are two certainties. The first is that the new […]
Jun 20 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — Is representative democracy in Canada in trouble? The Samara Centre for Democracy, a Canadian charity working to improve politics thinks so. Their recently released report, Flip the Script, paints a grim picture of Canada’s system of elected representation. Based on interviews with 54 Members of Parliament exiting after the 2105 federal election, it portrays a hyper-partisan House […]
Jun 9 2018 — John Milloy — Hamilton Spectator — Elections by their very nature produce those who are victorious and those who are defeated. For both, the resulting upheaval to their lives can be dramatic. Thursday’s provincial election was no exception. For some, it means heading to Queen’s Park as a newly elected Member of Provincial Parliament. For others, it marks the end of […]
May 12 2018 — John Milloy — National Newswatch — Ontario’s election campaign has officially begun and those poor souls who have decided to put their names on the ballot are about to start one of the most intense periods of their lives: The equivalent of being asked to write a final exam, play the star forward in a championship game, and shine on a […]