leadership

Thursday November 15, 2018

November 15, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday November 15, 2018

Patrick Brown cites sexual misconduct allegation against Ontario finance minister in new book

Former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown comes out swinging in a new tell-all memoir, claiming the province’s current finance minister, Vic Fedeli, has also been the subject of a sexual misconduct allegation.

July 28, 2018

Brown’s new book also contains allegations that his former party spied on him as far back as 2015.

Entitled Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown, the book follows Brown’s rise in politics, starting with his nine-year-old self writing a letter to then-prime minister Brian Mulroney and ending with reflections on his life after his abrupt resignation as Progressive-Conservative leader earlier this year, following allegations of sexual misconduct.

“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy,” Brown told CBC News in sit-down interview, describing the night he was forced to resign.

“It’s like being run over by a truck. You can never be prepared for that.”

Brown, who from the scandal and was elected mayor of the City of Brampton in October, takes aim in the book at a number of PC caucus members and former staffers, and claims he was stabbed in the back by those in his inner circle.

Patrick Brown Retrospective

Brown is in the midst of an $8-million defamation lawsuit against CTV News for publishing the original story detailing the allegations against him, which he has always denied. CTV has filed a statement of defence. The case has not yet been heard in court.

In the years prior to Brown’s resignation, there were questions within the PCs about his ability to lead them to an election victory in 2018.

In the book, Brown frequently describes himself as a “red conservative.” He writes that he felt disliked by the party for his more progressive stance on issues such as gay marriage, climate change and the carbon tax.

At one point in the book, Brown offers advice to the new premier.

“I would say to Ford that the social conservatives are dinosaurs who are becoming less and less relevant every single day,” Brown writes.  (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Wednesday November 14, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 14, 2018

UFO reported streaking across Irish skies on Friday morning

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is investigating an unidentified flying object (UFO) which streaked across the sky on Friday morning and disappeared.

December 17, 2016

Several commercial aircraft reported seeing at least one bright light with one pilot stating that the UFO was going at an “astronomical” speed of at least Mach 2 (2,500 km/h), which is twice as fast as a commercial jetliner.

If there are little green men and women visiting Earth for the first time, they have proved to be very elusive.

The British Airways 787, call sign Speedbird 94, radioed Shannon Air Traffic Control at 6.47am asking if there were any military exercises off the west coast of Ireland.

A pilot recounted: “It was moving so fast. It appeared on our left hand side and rapidly veered to the north. We saw a bright light and it then just disappeared at a very high speed.

“We were just wondering. We didn’t think it was likely political. We were just wondering what it might be”, she added.

May 14, 2004

A Shannon air traffic controller responded: “There’s nothing showing on either primary or secondary (radar)”.

A pilot from a Virgin Airlines plane, callsign Virgin76, came on to air traffic control and suggested it might be a “meteor or another object making some kind of re-entry. There appeared to be multiple objects following the same sort of trajectory. They were very bright from where we were.”

The pilot also confirmed that he he had seen “two bright lights that seemed to bank over to the right and climb away at speed at least from our perspective.”

A third pilot responded: “Glad it wasn’t just me”.

An IAA spokesman said the authority is investigating the incident and will file a report. “This report will be investigated under the normal confidential occurrance investigation process.” The spokesman added that it was unlikely to be aliens from another planet. (Continued: Irish Times)

 

 

Tony Clement Gallery

He’s been in Canadian politics for a very long time. Tony Clement, known for his cabinet positions in Federal and Ontario political spheres. Known for his ambition to lead conservative parties both federally and provincially. Known for his influence in political affairs going back beyond two decades. Now the man at the centre of a humiliatingly tawdry sexting scandal, seeing his world and legacy collapse before him. Oh well, it’s been a fun ride.  

August 17, 2018
July 14, 2016
May 31, 2016
April 14, 2016
June 20, 2015
January 7, 2015
July 16, 2013
June 22, 2012
June 9, 2011
May 24, 2011
June 18, 2010
January 8, 2004
November 6, 2002
March 23, 2002
November 7, 2001
October 20, 2001
November 28, 2001
March 22, 2000
January 7, 2000

Thursday March 8, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 8, 2018

Doug Ford raises abortion issue in effort to woo social conservatives: expert

March 2, 2018

One of the four candidates competing to lead Ontario’s Opposition raised questions about access to abortion this week, resurrecting a political hot potato while stopping short of promising to reopen debate on the issue.

Doug Ford’s statements that he would not personally revive the abortion debate but would allow those in his caucus to bring forward legislation on any matter important to them appears to be a “Hail Mary” move aimed at wooing the party’s socially conservative members as the leadership race comes to a close this weekend, a political analyst said.

February 21, 2018

“This is a top-down leader and for him, on this issue, to be signalling that, hey, it’s ok by him for any of his caucus members to be where they want to be on the map on this one tells me that this is a retail politics vote-getting move, pure and simple,” said Myer Siemiatycki, a professor of politics at Toronto’s Ryerson University.

“If he really believed it, he would say this is what he’s going to deliver, and the fact that he’s not prepared to say that says to me it’s about appealing to a base and portion of the (Progressive) Conservative party that nobody else has, on this issue, spoken to.”

February 1, 2018

In interviews with various media outlets this week, Ford suggested that as party leader he would welcome having members of his caucus table legislation that would require parental permission for abortions sought by minors.

He clarified his position Tuesday, saying that while he personally believes in “the sanctity of life,” he would follow in the footsteps of the federal Conservatives by not rekindling debate on the issue.

“That being said, I will allow MPPs to draft, bring forward, and debate any legislation that is important to them,” Ford said in a statement.

“The Liberals have set a dangerous and narrow-minded precedent both federally and provincially. I will never put members of my party in a position where they will have to compromise or deny their personal beliefs. I will never muzzle members of our caucus.”

While the right for patients to give or refuse consent is laid out in law, there are currently no provisions regarding parental notification, according to Ontario’s medical regulator. (Source: CTV News) 

 

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Friday March 2, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 2, 2018

Ontario PC Leadership Debate Adds To The Political Drama

February 28, 2018

The race to lead the Ontario Progressive Conservatives might be the most captivating political drama in Canada right now.

The race took another turn this week when Patrick Brown — who sparked the contest by resigning as PC leader last month amid sexual misconduct allegations — abandoned his controversial bid to reclaim his job.

February 15, 2018

Some of the remaining contenders have deep political connections that make for an interesting contest, even for those outside of Canada’s largest province.

Former Toronto councillor Doug Ford is the older brother of late mayor Rob Ford; lawyer Caroline Mulroney is the daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney; and former MPP Christine Elliott is the widow of late federal finance minister Jim Flaherty.

Anti-sex-ed activist Tanya Granic Allen has also joined the race as a champion of the social conservative wing of a party that was moved more to the centre under Brown’s leadership.  

February 21, 2018

With voting to begin Friday, PC members are hoping to drill down on policy and priorities of the candidates who seek to lead the party into a June election. More than 1,000 questions have already been submitted by party members for debate consideration, said Raj.

Though Brown has bowed out, questions about his management of the party and the divisions that have surfaced over a tumultuous few weeks remain.(Source: Huffington Post) 

 

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