From flanders field... - Memorial Day 2007

Today thousands of Canadians across the nation joined millions of others worldwide to pay their respects to those who served and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. At 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month we paused for a moment to honour our brave soldiers with the reaffirmation that we will never forget.

In Flanders Field - Lt Col John McRae, MD (1872-1918).

We will never forget...

This week will see different cermonies to honor those who have served, are currently serving. Veteran's week will end on Memorial Day Sunday, November 11, 2007. Let's go out rain or shine and honour those brave hero's who have served us and those who continue to fight for our freedoms.

New Federal tax cuts

Federal Finance minister Jim Flaherty yesterday unveiled a range of tax cuts for Canadians starting in the new year. All this, amidst clamouring from provincial and municipal governments for funds to be released for infrastructure development. The federal and provincial governments continue to enjoy enormous budget surpluses which is grossly unethical. Toronto has for sometime given strong support to the Liberal party hence our help should come from Premier McGuinty who chides the Feds for not sharing with Toronto. He got the votes, what is he waiting for?

Living the sheltered life

"For those who fought for it, life has a flavour the sheltered will never know" - John S Mills.

Canadians have a lot to be thankful for these days however, if you ask around there will be a number of our constituents who would disagree for a variety of understandable reasons. In Canada poverty and needs are defined in Canadian terms, and they should be. Yesterday a few hundred demonstrators were out adding their voices to what was a global effort against troops in Afghanistan. I am never sure what these demonstrators are thinking as there are many ways of looking at the situation with Afghans in their country today.

In Afghanistan a power vacuum was created in late 2001 and the UN Security Council unanimously agreed that help must be provided to get the country up and running again. I can think of three groups of people in the case of the Afghan situation namely; the anti-American fraternity who opposes anything the USA is involved in, those from the middle-east and eastern regions (living in the west) who are anti-American and believe that Afghanistan is better off without soldiers from the west (this group seems to have few or no Afghan members) and then there are those who think all things should be accommodated in the name of peace and dialogue should prevail ad infinitum. The last group however well intentioned, are largely sheltered and unlike their parents have not been exposed to any of the horrific wars fought by the Europeans in the last century. This group could also included some of those who would like to prosecute our military leaders for allowing members of the Taliban resistance movement to be tortured. They are not necessarily naive, they just never had to fight or fend for anything in life as yet.

It is that time of year again and I proudly wear my poppy in remembrance and appreciation for those who gave that we might enjoy Canada today. I know that in life there are always things worth fighting for, dying for, depending where you are on the needs hierarchy.

When scientist fall prey to their instinctive social upbringing

Nobel laureate James Watson expressed his honest belief earlier this week when he declared that Europeans were essentially smarter that Africans and that social policies to help Africa were based on the flawed assumption that they (Africans) were as intelligent as Europeans. He however did not reveal where or how the Europeans stacked against the Indians, Asians, Arabs or Hispanics and that in itself is a display of some amount of intelligence on his part. Watson was smart enough to single out the ethnic group less likely to react in kind to his comments. I am somehow curious as to his opinion on Nazi Germany's position that they were superior to the British and were bent on exercising that belief until deterred. In his defence Watson declared that he was misunderstood, particularly by the less intelligent journalists and commentators and maybe by a few of his own who would very likely have defective genes.

If James Watson were to state his understanding of intelligence as it relates to his statement earlier this week, I would be most curious as to his excuse for those Europeans who after invading Africa and plundering it for the last 400 plus years had not been intelligent enough to realize that their recent methods for resuscitating the African economies were not working. Is it that they were successfully making a fool of their population or James Watson on the eve of his 80th birthday needs help?

John Tory moves to save campaign

Without even addressing the "non-issue" of funding to his constituents, PC leader John Tory changes his tune on the controversial faith-based school integration issue. While one could reasonably argue that the further promotion of faith-based schools was a dangerous path, it is very clear that the current batch of 53,000 students are entitled to public funding should they chose a school from the two public school boards. One of Tory's opponent chided him for being a poor leader who was determined to take a path even it was disastrous and linked him to other notable North American conservative leaders. Ironically, its the same camp that now questions Tory's leadership as a result of his change of plans.

Why the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system might not be good for Ontario at this time

The mixed-member proportional (MMP) system might not be good for Ontario at this time. I say this against the background of the current system of government, which often results in three political parties occupying the parliament. The Ontario assembly and government needs to deliver urgent and critical development in the province and a more "splintered" parliament with the almost certain entry of "new" parties will not help. I am recommending a NO vote in the referendum on October 10 in the interest of moving Ontario forward.

Wal-Mart goes high-tech with managing employee absenteeisn, will others follow?

Wal-Mart earlier this year moved on employee absenteeism in a manner some may describe as draconian and even worse. But then, that's Wal-Mart. Recent trends have been focusing on employee productivity and not time spent around the office. I wonder how many other corporations will make this move as pressures mount to increase cost savings. If this trend continues, will it spell the end of the telecommuting trend? More

Circus comes to town - UN in session

This week will see even more theatrics with the anti-US corner getting their moment to sound-off in New York. These leaders often are not otherwise eligible for entry into the USA based on their record in their home country with their own citizens. Leaders from Iran, Venezuela and Cuba have been known to give quite animated speeches to the UN General Assembly often ranting against the prime target, USA. Let the show begin!

Tory's team should be providing more expalnation on his key policy issues

I just read John Tory's response to voters' questions in the National Post this afternoon and I am wondering why his campaign team is not explaining the key policies the way Tory did today. The explanation given by John Tory today which would see all faith-based schools having had to meet key provincial school board requirements would best become law in three years following consultations and pilot projects. Also included was his response to questions on public transit in the Toronto and the GTA.
Tory went on to further explain and allay the fears of a voter who thought keeping now private schools out of the public system of monitoring and supervision, would prevent extremism from being taught in these classrooms.

Again, here is my question to the electorate. If the 53,000 students attending the faith-based schools decides to enter/re-enter the public school system, isn't the province and Dalton McGuinty obliged to accept them and provide additional funding for the schools they choose? Read the full blog.

Ontario's future and the campaign messages

The Ontario election campaign is noticeably lacking in issues of vital importance to the province's economy and is instead focused on the the issues to get votes and power. The only party that has deviated somewhat from the "faith-based" funding issue since the start of the campaign is the NDP. Howard Hamilton has shifted the debate to funding for children with special needs and joined McGuinty and Tory in promising needed provincial uploads to the city of Toronto. Unfortunately Premier McGuinty is now seeing victory on the issue of John Tory's pledge to provide public funding for faith-based schools and forgets that there is a desperate need for public transit in the province.

I don't understand the concerns regarding the funding of faith-based schools as these students can always re-enter the public school system. Whatever happened to the $17 billion promise that he made when "Green" was the fashion of the day?

Ontario election campaign

Today is day 2 of the Ontario election campaign and the main candidates came out swinging. John Tory is defending his proposal to make religious schools public and Dalton McGuinty is trying to justify his decision to tax Ontarians after his 2003 election pledge not to. Tory's campaign theme "Leadership Matters" could turn the tables on the Liberals here in Toronto and the recent scandal involving government grants to "liberal friendly" groups will not help the premiere. October 10 is not so far away.

9/11 - 6 years on

Today we remember the attacks of 9/11 which has changed the world since. Few predicted the extent to which the world would change as a result, however many seem to forget when this latest round started in New York. How did it help those in whose name they fight? Only time will tell. The conspiracy theorists were quick to capitalize on the emotions of those too gullible, despite repeated evidence and explanation from those who understand structures. Unlike the conspiracy theories memories have not faded. More

Funding Cricket and sports in Ontario

Yesterday Perdita Felicien won the 100M hurdle silver medal at the World Track and Field Championship meet in Osaka, Japan. Athletes have complained repeatedly about not getting support from the government, however our cricketers have been lucky. A month ago it was revealed that the Ontario Cricket Association were the beneficiaries of a $1M grant after requesting $150,000. The only problem the association seem to be having is deciding what to do with the $600,000 they still have in their coffers. It's election time Premier McGuinty. more

Toronto and the Mayor's tax plan

Today Royson James outlined in his Toronto Star article what might be the genesis of the city's tax woes. Whatever happens for the rest of Mayor Miller's tenure there will still be a need for strong leadership in the city in the years to follow.

In times of desperation

As I watched the newscast last week where the people in a town in the northern Indian state of Bihar were stricken and devastated by flood waters, I couldn't help but notice the reporter's words on how the residents were fighting for the food being released from the helicopters bringing in relief supplies. This brought to mind, the basics of humanity and how we all react when confronted by desperate situations. I was at Ontario Place, Toronto a year ago and a crowd of probably a thousand or more had converged on the TTC station to get the street car back to the city centre.

The small street cars were still running at the usual schedule of 10 minutes or less and the crowd grew restless and started pushing/shoving each other and the customary queue disappeared. In Canada, we are not accustomed to these desperate situations however by the example I have outlined there are no exceptions when they do happen, desperate circumstances almost certainly provokes desperate responses, not just in the developing world.

The Mayor is on the offensive again

His Lordship is carrying out some of his threats to Torontonians as he can't seem to have his way at taxing the population. The mayor has not displayed any form of negotiation skills since he started threatening the Federal Conservative government about campaigning against them (which he always does since he is affiliated with the NDP) unless he gets 16.7% (his misleading 1 cent plan) of the GST revenue collected in the city. Mayor Miller never negotiates from a position of strength and seems surprised when he is unsuccessful. His leadership ability is now being questioned and he should be doing some serious self assessment if he has not done so in the past couple days. Things have not changed since he first took office and the city's debt has climb to where it now sits. The Mayor now has some critical decisions to make and chief among them should be his tenure in office.

Gordon O'Connor's future

Gordon O'Connor could leave his post of Defence Minister in the near future when Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to shuffle his cabinet. Political opponents are clamouring for his removal however, I doubt it will be from the cabinet. Afghanistan has been very challenging however there has been a number of accomplishments namely the renewal of the military infrastructure. Opposition leader Stephan Dion could see his wish for a full removal only partially granted as a full removal of Minister O'Connor from the cabinet could be harmful for progress made in the development of Canada's ill-equipped military.

Canada not living up to UN committee expectation?

Oddly enough, there was a news report yesterday on an issue that was reported in March 2007 regarding Canada's need to revise the term "visible minority", citing that it may be racist. This report by the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued March 7, 2007 is asking for a review of the current policy. Surprisingly, the call for compliance from multilateralist Canadians has not been forthcoming. more

Prove Evon Reid wrong

The press learned yesterday of the now infamous "Ghetto Dude" email that was reportedly sent in error by a recruiter at the Ontario government's cabinet office where he had applied for a position. "This is the ghetto dude that I spoke to before," Aileen Siu was quoted as saying in the email by the Toronto Star, which was coincidentally sent to Reid whom she had spoken to in the past. In her defence Siu stated she refers to someone who is not outside her circle of friends however, she hasn't stated that she was intent on sending Reid any email correspondence or had his resume open. To have typed his name/email address in a message he had to have been in her thoughts or she has members of her inner circle with similar names and/or email addresses. The fact that she has his resume in hand she would have known that he is from Malvern, a community with a history of social challenges hence Reid feels that the "ghetto" originated from this knowledge.

Siu also stated in her defence that Reid was being considered job given his stellar qualification and experience hence it should not be difficult for the Ontario Government's Cabinet Office to prove Reid wrong. Then again, should he accept?

City Under Seige

Toronto has been put on notice by His Lordship and council executive. How dare those councilors fearing retribution from the voters in the near and not too distant future, not play along with his tax plans. The treats include TTC fare hikes, shutting down subway services and eliminating other city services to name a few. Whatever happened to all the gab about getting more people to ride the TTC in order to protect the environment?

Interesting how quickly we are faced with the harsh reality of the funding necessary to "walk" the environment preservation "talk". Mum.

Saluting the unhyphenated Canadian

Oftentimes when different groups come together to do tasks such as nation building their diversity is celebrated. This is necessary as differences need to be respected and valued as they are very important to the task at hand. Today from workplaces and schools to government and other areas of civil society there is an unusually great tendency towards emphasising our differences and often ignoring that which we share.

This must be a cause for concern among Canadians, as it is the ties that bind, the common goals we share that will determine the ultimate success of this nation. I am still trying to find an example of a group that succeeded at something which fully satisfied their differences. Canada needs leadership which will move beyond cheap political rhetoric and unite the country on the things common.

We now need to look beyond the hyphenated variety of Canadians and work with the common goals that unites.

The untimate measure of a man - Gordon Brown is tested.

Britain's new prime minister Gordon Brown is about to start the second day of his government in office as gruesome discoveries of bombing plots are being made. Gordon Brown will need all the support he can get from the international community from this Islamic Fundamentalist inspired threat and pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and denouncing George Bush will not make it go away.

The test now faced by Gordon Brown in not simply one of national security but that and beyond. A year ago when the Labour party was rallied against Tony Blair it was clear that Brown was not far removed from this coup and suspicions were abound regarding his role in it. It was never clear where he stood during this labour party crisis in mid 2006 which forced a resignation timetable from Blair. There are a few lession Prime Minister Brown should have learned by now and chief among them is that what goes around comes around. As Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stand in times of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of conflict and controversy". How did Gordon Brown measure up?

Tony Blair leaves office today...

Tony left office today after 10 years as British Prime Minister. As the debate heats up about what his legacy might be one remembers the bold initiatives he led which includes the G8 commitment to helping poor countries in Africa, peace in Northern Ireland and an era of economic growth and increased investment in Britain. Tony Blair did well, and maybe only those who have had to lead at some point in their lives can appreciate the fact that life is not perfect and peace and stability comes at a price. The debate will continue and Iraq will be seen as a failure as chief among the issues with the mission, was that it lacked the necessary support and had its fair share of sabotaging self interest.

Ontario Transit Plans - Will they deliver?

Premier Dalton McGuinty announced yesterday that the province of Ontario will spend $17 billion over the next 12 years on transit infrastructure development. These plans while ambitious are feasible and I suspect will be endorsed by all political parties with varying degrees given the election climate. Regrettably politics took priority and we missed out on an earlier opportunity to do more for the city's infrastructure development.

The World Expo, from my perspective was not simply about hosting a world exhibition but an opportunity to fast track vital infrastructure development for the city. Looking back at Montreal in the 1960s one could see why being selected as host for the 1976 Olympics was no big deal since the infrastructure was there. The detractors argued that the move was not profitable but when did public infrastructure development become a shot term "profit" venture?

Hope the next Premier of Ontario treats the McGuinty plan as a minimum going forward.

Tony Blair moves on...

Tony Blair this week announced the date (June 27) of his final day in office and there was a frenzy about where Britain will be standing on the war on terror in the near future. History will judge Tony Blair for not taking the easy road of comfort and convenience. He chose to confront rather than appease tyrants (the path taken by one of his predecessors in the 1930s) and met with some successes and some failures.

Whatever the "analysts" and "historians" write I hope we will also see some balance which has not been common in the recent years.

Mayor Miller's dilemma

Toronto needs more money and as a committed Torontonian I would prefer to see more federal funding than to pay more taxes. That said, I am not sure what the Lord Mayor is thinking.

The 1 cent plan could use some help from the Mayor himself. He is issuing threats to the Federal government that he will campaing against them in the next election when as expected he did so in the last two and the party he supports didn't help us! Stephan Dion is not committing despite his guaranteed support from Toronto, and here we are thinking the Mayor was serious!