Dec 8 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — Successful political candidates require an ability to persuade, in this order, voters, media, party members and MPs. If you are the leader of a political tribe, that order is reversed. Outside the political world the power and authority of a caucus is not well understood. Even within, some party leaders, fail to acknowledge that these […]
Dec 1 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — Jagmeet Singh arguably had the best personal performance as a political leader in the federal election. Facing pundits who were betting that the party would lose its official status, a campaign war-chest half of what it had been a decade earlier and a very low recognition level among most Canadians, he campaigned boldly and with […]
Nov 24 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — If you thought our recent election was insulting, that the parties’ behaviour was rude, have a look at the U.K. Dirty tricks, vulgar insults, and bizarre stunts abound. This week the Conservatives were threatened with being banned by Twitter for changing their party’s account name from “Conservative Party” to “FactCheck.org,” to blast out lies. FactCheck […]
Nov 10 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — Canada has among the financially cleanest political systems in the world. After half a century of success, however, today it is under serious threat. From the first election expenses limits used in the 1974, ours has been regarded as good a system as any in the world. This election revealed that there is new and […]
Nov 3 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — We have witnessed an astonishing decline in political wit in recent years. It has been replaced by elementary schoolyard insults delivered by the faux enraged. In recent American experience, it has become difficult to distinguish Donald Trump from his Alex Baldwin “Saturday Night Live” persona. “Human scum?” “Traitors and spies?” As descriptions of men and […]
Oct 27 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — When you deliberately raise expectations in a campaign of hope, you are compelled to govern boldly. When you do, you necessarily break a lot of eggs. This was the reality that U.S. president Barack Obama faced in 2009, and he paid heavily for it in the midterm elections two years later. It was part of […]
Oct 20 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — When Robert Stanfield and Pierre Trudeau went to bed on Oct. 30, 1972 neither knew who had a future as prime minister. In those days, B.C. polls stayed open until 11 p.m. Ottawa time and there were too many seats too close to give a final count. It was also the first election in which […]
Oct 13 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — There is a wide chasm between the views of progressive Quebecers and the rest of Canada about social inclusion. The divide is most sharply revealed over Bill 21. Many Quebecers cannot see the racial and cultural offence that the bill’s purported defence of “laicity” — a secular state free of religion — inflicts on citizens […]
Oct 6 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — The classic debate is two people with a moderator. That was true in the Roman Senate. It is true in every legislative chamber and courtroom to this day. A speaker speaks, an opponent responds, and occasionally the judge or the speaker imposes discipline. It is usually true at the Munk Debates, the gold standard in […]
Sep 22 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — As a blasé urbanite who pooh-poohed rising populism warnings among rural Canadians, I got a shock this summer. As vulgarians like the Ontario premier and myth merchants like the new Alberta premier gained power, the alarms rose. At a big city cocktail party you’re not likely to hear muttering about refugees or the nanny state’s […]
Sep 8 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — After too many smoky hours, Bill Fox, the Tory debate negotiation leader, and I looked at each other. It was a shared, painful moment of epiphany. Fox leaned over and said quietly, “We’re being played…!” In the corridor a few minutes later, we both rued how long it had taken for the penny to drop. […]
Jun 23 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — Discouraging people from voting, even actively suppressing their right to vote, is a fine political craft in many parts of the United States, even today. It is not in Canada. Before the 2015 election, the Harper government passed legislation forbidding Elections Canada from encouraging citizens to vote — a kinder, gentler Canadian form of vote […]
Jun 16 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — A few days ago, Lisa Raitt made a serious blunder. For no obvious reason, she decided to attack Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by saying there was no clear link between extreme weather and climate change. Thousands of angry tweets later she took down her provocative post. It’s not clear whether this will mean temporary damage […]
Jun 9 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — “Falsehood flies, while the truth comes limping after it,” said English satirist Jonathan Swift. While that may have been an exaggeration two centuries ago, it sure isn’t today. A fake news story, a doctored video, or a quote torqued to reverse its meaning, are a keystroke away from being put in front of a billion […]
Jun 2 2019 — Robin V. Sears — Toronto Star — “End of the world” headlines notwithstanding, the European Parliament elections last week were far more nuanced than merely the rise of populists. In fact, the traditional, centre-left and centre-right alliances will continue to choose the EU’s leaders and to govern Europe — and the Greens will hold the balance of power.