May 18 2021 — Randall Denley — Ottawa Citizen — Fans of political theatre should cheer the prospect of a mayoral race that has Bob Chiarelli trying to unseat Jim Watson. A Jim-Bob election would certainly be entertaining and hard-fought. Even better, it would feature two candidates who are capable of doing the job.
Apr 16 2021 — Randall Denley — National Post — Ontario Premier Doug Ford brought in the toughest pandemic restrictions the province has ever seen Friday. They better work because there isn’t much more the government can do. Ford’s new approach is an odd mix of bluster, misdirection, overdue restrictions and authoritarian, punitive measures that will infuriate Ontarians for little practical gain. It’s hard to […]
Apr 1 2021 — Randall Denley — National Post — Messages don’t come much more mixed than the ones delivered Thursday by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his top COVID-19 advisers. In the morning, Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the province’s science advisory group, presented his usual prophecy of doom. The latest COVID modelling projects sharply increasing case numbers as the deadlier, more contagious virus […]
Dec 31 2020 — Randall Denley — National Post — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has made a lot of tough decisions during the pandemic, some of them right, some of them wrong. The next decision he has to make should be easy, if unpleasant. Finance Minister Rod Phillips has to be fired, not just for taking a Caribbean vacation while other Ontarians are locked down, […]
Dec 21 2020 — Randall Denley — National Post — Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the dumbest move of his premiership Monday. His severe pandemic lockdown of the entire province will not only subject millions of Ontarians to unnecessary restrictions, it effectively undermines the idea that his government’s decision-making is driven by science, logic or even a minimum of rationality. There is a significant COVID […]
Oct 29 2020 — Randall Denley — Ottawa Citizen — When Ottawa and Gatineau community leaders band together to support a city-enhancing project, it’s a rare occasion and one that demands public attention. It’s even better when the idea is a winner that solves longstanding national capital problems.
Nov 15 2019 — Randall Denley — Postmedia — Here’s some urgent advice for federal Conservatives wondering who should lead their party in the next election and what ideas they should offer. Do not, I repeat, do not follow the course taken by Ontario PCs after their 2011 defeat. It’s a tested plan for losing the next election and it’s one the federal party […]
Oct 24 2019 — Randall Denley — Postmedia — It’s no surprise that this week’s federal election was decided by Ontario voters. Despite political parties’ obsession with Quebec, Ontario is the province where elections are won or lost. With more than one-third of federal seats, it can hardly be otherwise. What was a little more perplexing was the strength of Ontarians support for the […]
Dec 28 2018 — Randall Denley — Ottawa Citizen — Ontarians have a big environmental and political decision to make in 2019. It is one that will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the fall federal election. They have been offered two competing approaches to combat climate change. The provincial government’s plan will regulate emissions and offer incentives to reduce them. Expect […]
Jan 25 2018 — Randall Denley — Ottawa Citizen — The resignation of Patrick Brown as Ontario Progressive Conservative leader seems like a devastating blow to the party with just over four months until the provincial election, but if the PCs play it right, it could help them win that election. Job one is to get a credible new leader in place as quickly as […]
Jul 29 2015 — Randall Denley — Ottawa Citizen — Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s reputation as an economic manager has taken a bit of a hit as Canada experiences a possible recession. So much so that a Nanos Research poll this week showed that 47 per cent of people believe that electing NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair would have a positive or somewhat positive effect on […]