Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph - July 14, 2016

For the umpteenth time in the year-and-a-half history of Open Sources Guelph,
we’ll tackle another American shooting tragedy driven by racial
politics. If we could have a few less of those, that would be great, but
as long as it keeps happening, we’ll keep talking about them.
Meanwhile, across the pond, the British government is still dealing with
tragedies past, and the bitter ghosts of the Iraq War have been dredged
up again. So with all that seriousness, after a much needed break, we
hope that City Councillor Mark MacKinnon will be able to lighten things
up with a pointed conversation about municipal matters (with laughs…
Hopefully).
This Thursday, July 14, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Black and Blue.
There were three successive violent incidents involving police last
week. Just as the shooting of two separate unarmed black men reawakened
concerns about the quick, swift armed reaction of police, especially
where black people are involved, a sniper opened fire on Dallas Police
last Thursday, killing five and injuring nine more. The irony in tht
case of Dallas was that its police is noted for their training and
community outreach, but the incident has seem to do nothing but entrench
both sides of the debate in the U.S.; the ones that stand up for the
police, and the ones that think that the police are going too far in
enforcing the peace. With partisan politics as tightly wound as ever in
the United States, can anyone find a way to prove, as President Obama
observed, that we’re not as divided as we seem?
2) The Big Chilcot.
Lord John Chilcot spent seven years studying the United Kingdom’s
involvement in the build up to, and action in, the Iraq War, and he came
to the conclusion that "the U.K. chose to join the invasion of Iraq
before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military
action, at that time, was not a last resort." Furthermore, the war was
“mounted on flawed intelligence,” the military went in with "wholly
inadequate" planning, and the whole thing ended "a long way from
success." No kidding. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stands by
his decision, and continues to insist that the world is a better place
without Saddam Hussein, but considering Iraq is still a mess 13 years
later, do Blair’s platitudes excuse the troubling findings in the
Chilcot report? And why isn’t anyone pushing for a similar investigation
in the U.S., the true architect of the Iraq disaster?
3) MacKinnon Comes to Campus.
That, of course, is an inside joke concerning the University of
Guelph’s infamous Winchester Mansion-like College of Arts building. This
MacKinnon though is Ward 6 Councillor Mark MacKinnon, who has business
interests in real estate and board game publishing, but on city council
has been a voice for prudent spending and finding cost efficiencies.
MacKinnon represents Ward 6, which is not only home to a lot of U of G
students, but it’s also home to a lot of development and, this year, a
lot of construction. So we'll talk about what changes are coming soon to
the Royal City’s southernmost ward, and we’ll also discuss the coming
changes to city council’s meeting schedule, developing guidelines for a
community node at Clair and Gordon, the tight transit situation during
the school year, and the always contentious debate over the fate of the
Niska Bridge. Plus, we’ll have listener questions too.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - July 7, 2016

School might be out for summer, and so is Peter Mansbridge, but Open Sources Guelph
keeps up its good works all year long and today will be no exception.
Summer fun at Toronto Pride was interrupted for some seriousness as one
group forced the annual event to get back to where it started from.
Others, it seems, will have more time off than they bargained for, as a
major crown corporation is looking to force its workers into accepting a
new deal. And finally, we’ll talk to one of the few politicians that's
taking the time this summer to work harder… on his musical career.
This Thursday, July 7, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Pride Goeth...?
An otherwise charming and uproarious Toronto Pride parade got
gobsmacked by its political past last weekend when Black Lives Matter -
Toronto, the honoured group leading this year’s parade, held up the
start of festivities till their demands were met. The episode quickly
bifurcated Toronto’s activist community, there were those that admired
BLM’s stand, and those that chastised them for turning an inclusive and
celebratory affair into a publicity stunt for their own exclusive cause.
So was it fair? Was BLM trying to shake-up things up by getting Pride
back to its activist roots? Is their demand to have the Toronto Police
removed from the parade reasonable, especially in the midst of the force
making amends with Toronto’s queer community? And what happens next?
Will Pride follow through on BLM’s demands, and are they bound to?
2) Freeze Mr. Postman.
Although some would say it’s as antiquated as newspapers and video
stores, many would argue that like those once great institutions, the
post office still has its place, but are we willing to pay the price?
That’s the question as Canada Post’s employees countdown to a lockout
Friday that will see widespread mail disruption for Canadians coast to
coast to coast as workers cry for more money and management just cries
poverty. Although people don’t send letters quite as often as they used
to, Canada Post’s parcel delivery is a backbone for many small
businesses. On top of the current labour issues though, what about all
those Liberal promises about reversing the cuts to Canada Post? Should
we be trying to save the post office as is, or should be take this
opportunity revamp the whole thing?
3) Sunny Jim.
Not many city councillors have to take a break from their concert tour
promoting their new album to talk politics, but such is the life of
James Gordon. The Ward 2 councillor was elected to office in 2014 after
two runs in provincial politics, which begs the question that after
nearly two years on the job if the politics thing was all it’s cracked
up to be? We’ll ask Gordon about that, and his efforts to increase
community engagement, bring a little more social justice awareness to
the horseshoe, and some of the big developments in his ward like the
Homewood redevelopment. And with the release of his 14th solo album
recently, we’ll also talk to Gordon about the intersection he’s created
at the corner of music and politics.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #43 - Bicycling in Guelph

Once we get to driving age, a great many of us forget the joy and
exhilaration that comes from getting out and about on one's bicycle.
Over the last several years, many municipalities, including Guelph, have
been busily trying to make their communities more bike-friendly in the
hopes of maybe getting people to catch that spirit once more (much to
the chagrin of those that think that the road's for cars only). But is
Guelph bike friendly enough? This week we talk to some experts. 
 So
why is cycling such a big deal? For many cities, it is key to curbing
congestion, and creating healthier communities. In the last decade,
municipalities across the country have hoped to encourage more people to
get on their bikes where possible and leave their cars at home by
creating bike lanes, bike trails, multi-use paths, clubs, safety tips,
and specialized bike parking. These things are all meant to encourage
people to use two-wheeled forms of transportation, and Guelph is just as
eager to make a case for it as any other city. So how are we doing?
You
want to learn about bicycling in Guelph first hand, there are no better
authorities to talk to than Yvette Tendick, president of the Guelph
Coalition for Active Transportation, and Nathan Poulton, host of the
CFRU show Cycology. I brought the two cycling magnates together
to talk about the glories of being on your bike in the Royal City, the
ways that the City can improve the experience, and the problem of bike
theft in Guelph. If you're a cycling nerd, you're definitely going to
want to bookmark this.
Learn more about the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation at its website here, and on its Facebook page here. And you can listen to Cycology every Monday morning on CFRU.
The theme music for the Guelph Politicast is from the KPM Klassics collection by Syd Dale.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

Open Sources Guelph - June 30, 2016

We’ve got a bad feeling about this… On this week’s Open Sources Guelph, we depart from our usual format of two topics and an interview, or even four topics and no interview, and go with one topic and an interview. The momentous topic in question that requires a half-hour of discussion: Who would win a fight: a taco or a grilled cheese sandwich? But seriously, there was a pretty big vote in Britain last week, and it had widespread reverberations across the world, that continue to spread as everyone involved asks a simple question: Now what? So there’s that, and we call the police! No big deal, this was a pre-planned visit and not emergency.
This Thursday, June 30, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) #Regrexit. We all thought it wouldn’t happen, but it happened anyway. On Friday morning, the United Kingdom and the world woke up to the fact that slightly more people wanted to leave the European Union than stay. Or did they? Some people wanted a do-over referendum immediately, not believing that so many had the gall to say they wanted to leave, but still, the U.K. is now caught between a rock and  hard place. Britain wants an orderly exit that will eliminate the need for a violent blood bath, while the E.U.wants them gone sooner rather than later and don’t let the door hit you on the @$$ on the way out. With political and economic turmoil now setting in over the continent, did the U.K. bite off more than it can chew? What does the Brexit endgame look like? And what further fate awaits Scotland as it may seek its own independence, or other E.U. countries that also want out?
2) Hail to the Chief. Guelph is routinely identified as one of the safest communities in the country, and that fact kind of makes the Royal City sound kind of like Mayberry, doesn’t it? Not so fast though. In this year alone the city’s seen a lot of violent crime - a murder at a hotel, a stabbing downtown - anecdotally it makes one wonder… Well, Guelph Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter will join us this week to talk about policing in Guelph, how we keep our status as one of Canada’s safest, and some ongoing concerns about crime in the city. Drug abuse downtown, repeated theft from unlocked cars, and speeding issues all preoccupy the everyday life of Guelph Police, plus we will talk with Chief DeRuyter about community policing and accessibility on social media. And we’ll have your questions too.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - June 23, 2016

It's a week of break ups and make ups on this edition of Open Sources Guelph.
Across the ocean, one country is deciding today if they're going to
dump the Eurozone experiment like a bad boyfriend that forgets your
birthday and never picks up after himself. In Canada, the provinces made
the decision to work with the Feds to expand the savings possibilities
of the people. Meanwhile, one Conservative politician may be looking to
dump his federal party and take his chances with a provincial one, and
an old friend is coming by to help out with our ongoing political roast
of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
This Thursday, June 23, at 5 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and guest co-host Oliver Rockside will discuss:
1) Brexit Wounds.
The long-anticipated (or dreaded depending on your point of view)
referendum on whether the U.K. should stay or leave the European Union
is being held today, but the last days of the campaign were not without
controversy and tragedy. British MP Jo Cox was murdered by a man whose
motives were clearly inspired by the "Leave" side, attacking a
politician who was in support of immigration and remaining in the E.U.
It was a terrible sign of just how far, and how vitriolic, the debate
became as the future of the United Kingdom comes down to what's being
reported as a very close vote with a great many people still undecided
about their country's fate.
2) Pension Play.
It seemed like a fool's errand earlier this week when the federal and
provincial finance ministers got together to talk about expanding
Canadian Pension Plan coverage, but after one day of talks, the
ministers came out with an agreement in principle to help Canadians save
more for their golden years. Good news, right? Not to fast, says
Canada's business community. Small businesses in particular are warning
that an increase to the CPP will cost us all in the long run in lost
hours, wages, and jobs for working Canadians, but in an environment
where Canadians are having a more and more difficult time saving for the
future, is it not advisable for government to help find a way to
rectify that?
3) Later Kenney.
Even before Stephen Harper stepped down as party leader, Jason Kenney
was long seen as an obvious heir apparent for the federal Tory
leadership, but is that what he really wants? Rumours abound this week
that Kenney will step down from Federal politics and instead pursue the
leadership of the Alberta PC party, where he will try and unite the
right again in his home province. Shrewd decision, or does Kenney just
not fit in with the new Conservative Party federally? We'll also recap
the year so far on Parliament Hill as MPs rise for summer break with the
government more popular than ever.
4) Rockside V. Trump.
It was another banner week for Donald Trump as Hillary Clinton once
again went on the attack, and a staff shake-up at Trump HQ represents
the first real hiccup behind-the-scenes for the presumptive Republican
nominee. At the same time, there are persistent attacks on his status as
a financial whiz, the grotesque things he says about his daughter, and
his petty battle against the media, including his banning of the Washington Post from
his campaign events. All the while, the #NeverTrump movement still has
some life left in it as the GOP is starting to have serious buyer's
remorse. Oliver will surely have words to say about this messed up
situation south of the border.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - June 16, 2016

It’s been another one of those weeks. A week that reminds just how
bad the bad guys can be and how even a night of dancing and frivolity
can turn into an unprecedented bloodbath. On Open Sources Guelph
this week, we will understandably try and tackle the terrorist attack
on Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL, site of what is now the worst mass
shooting in the history of the United States. In more political
concerns, we’ll talk about how the last two years have been going for
the government of Kathleen Wynne here in Ontario, and how our local MPP
got a new job in cabinet. Then, we’ll continue with part three of our
twelve part series interviewing a member of Guelph’s City Council, who
this time hails from Ward 5.
This Thursday, June 16, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Orlando.
The dark spectre of gun violence fell over the United States again this
week when Omar Mateen walked into an Orlando nightclub and killed 49
and injured another 53. Why Mateen did it, is still up in the air; was
it an attack in support of ISIS’ philosophies, as he told one newsroom,
or was he driven to homicidal insanity at the sight of two men kissing
as his father said? And what about these reports that he was frequently
on gay dating apps, and even visited the nightclub he would eventually
shoot up on several occasions? All this in the wake of a tragic week in
Florida, a contentious presidential race where one candidate is race
baiting at every opportunity, and ongoing fears of lone wolf attacks by
people with ISIS sympathies but not necessarily any connections. This
week we’ll have our latest installment of “What is this world coming
to?”
2) In the Midterm.
The past week marked a solid two years of the Provincial Liberal
government, which is otherwise known as the halfway point. It was
something of a surprise when Kathleen Wynne led the Red Team back to
majority status, but it’s been less than smooth sailing these last 24
months as the Liberals have had trouble with teachers, trouble with
hydro, trouble with deficits, and trouble with racial tensions with
Black Lives Matter in Toronto. To combat any perception of stagnation,
Wynne changed up her cabinet this week, but can the provincial Liberals
look forward to any sunny ways in the next 24 months?
3) Uppers and Downer.
Cathy Downer was on Guelph’s city council for five-terms before she
decided to step down in 2006… And then, for some reason, she decided to
run again in 2014, and easily retook her place as of Ward 5’s
representatives. Since coming back to the horseshoe, Downer has actively
participated in many debates on council and has led them to join the
province-wide effort to push the Ontario government for reform of the
OMB. We’ll ask her about that and other issues before City Hall like the
shake-up in the CAO position, infrastructure spending, and the ongoing
debate around District Energy and the Community Energy Initiative. Plus,
we’ll have your questions too.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #42 - Jay Reid and Hayley Kellett of the Making-Box

Comedy is big business in Guelph. Who woulda thunk it? Guelph has
been long known as a destination for artistic works, unique music
festivals, and accomplishments in filmmaking and media art, and now the
Royal City is staking a claim to comedy. If there is a comedy revolution
in Guelph, then the Making-Box is ground zero, and this week, the
Guelph Politicast goes inside with the two people behind the wave.
Meet
Hayley Kellett, who describes herself as an improviser, writer, actor
and puppeteer. Amongst her accolades are a Canadian Comedy Award for
Best Female Improviser (2015), being named NOW Magazine's Best Female
Improviser of 2015, and kissing Colin Mochrie on the mouth. She's an
instructor at the Second City Training Centre and The Making-Box, and
she brings a wealth of comedy and improv experience to the table as she
helps the Making-Box grow through both its educational and performing
programs.
Working by Kellett's side is Jay Reid. Fresh off hosting
the Guelph Chamber of Commerce's Awards of Excellence, he was recently
named one of Guelph's Top 40 under 40, and is the co-founder of The
Making-Box. Reid also has the titles of Regional Director and National
Trainer of the Canadian Improv Games (CIG). Reid is the face of the
Making Box, at once its driving force on the business side and its
smiling, excited face of promotion.
Way back in October
2014, the Making-Box was supposed to be around for a month. It was an
experiment of sorts, testing the waters to see if Guelph had an appetite
for what Reid and Co. were offering, and boy, were they. In less than
two years, the Making-Box has established itself as the preeminent name
in comedy in Guelph, and, through word of mouth, their improv programs
have become enjoyable endeavours for individuals looking to improve
themselves and businesses* looking to team build. The Making-Box, in
return, has been built up, and is now ready to move from what was once
its temporary home at 40 Baker Street to a new made to order facility in
the Petrie Building complex.
*Full confession: I participated in an improv workshop when CFRU had their annual general meeting last fall at the Making Box.
So
for this edition of the Guelph Politicast, I talked to Kellett and Reid
about the rapid evolution of the Making-Box, how big they want to get
(watch out Second City), and why so many people have come through their
doors to say "Yes and..." It's almost trite to say "If you build it,
they will come..." but in the case of the Making-Box, they really did
build it, and Guelphites have come and continue to come.
So let's head to the Making Box for some serious talk about comedy!
Learn more about the Making Box at its website, and its social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you're interested, you can also contribute to the Making Box's Kickstarter, which is now over 75 per cent funded with a little more than two weeks to go.
The theme music for the Guelph Politicast is from the KPM Klassics collection by Syd Dale.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

GUELPH POLITICAST #41 - Fair Vote Guelph on Electoral Reform

You might have heard a lot of discussion in the news about electoral
reform, but what is it, what are we reforming, and what are we reforming
it into? All good questions that also have the virtue of not being easy
ones to answer as well. This is the podcast that, at least initially,
aimed to answer those questions, but if you're not sure where to begin
on electoral reform, then this is as good a place as any to start.
This
week's Guelph Politicast comes in advance of "Vote for Canada,” a Fair
Vote Guelph event being held at 7 pm on June 28 at Hope House. Two
experts - Prof. Dennis Pilon from York University and Prof. Byron Weber
Becker from the University of Waterloo - will talk about Proportional
Representation (PR) with Pilon discussing the Mixed Member Proportional
System (MMP), while Becker will wax on about STV, the Single
Transferable Vote System. There will also be a short question and answer
session.
The following Q and A session is between myself
and Steve Dyck and Ken McKay, two of the organizers of Fair Vote Guelph.
Electoral reform's been on my radar for a while, and it's a topic that
has a lot of traction in Guelph, which has had many people working hard
on the issue since the robocall incident in 2011. The general feeling
being that a less partisan Parliament - less dependent on winning a few
bell-weather seats to achieve majority government status by tapping out
at 39 per cent national support - would mean less illegal shenanigans to
encourage people not to vote. Oh yes, and it will also help to create a
more democratic country that better reflects its citizens and bring
Canada in line with other western democracies that already use some form
or proportional representation.
In our discussion, we talk about
the problems with the present form of voting, First Past the Post
(FPTP), the various forms a PR election might take, what's involved with
developing and enacting those forms, how the public might get better
educated about them, why previous referendum votes to move to PR have
failed, and what effect the move to ranked ballots on the local level
might have on the broader discussion.
So let's get the discussion
started. Electoral reform - why we need it, and what does it mean - this
week on the Guelph Politicast.
For information about the fight for electoral reform, you can visit the Fair Vote Canada website here,
and if you would like to learn more about local efforts, or get more
information about next week's event, you can email the Guelph chapter of
Fair Vote at guelph@fairvote.ca.
The theme music for the Guelph Politicast is from the KPM Klassics collection by Syd Dale.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

GUELPH POLITICAST #40 - Paul Smith, Métis Writer and Activist

Tuesday marks National Aboriginal Day, and Guelph will mark the
occasion with activities in Market Square that evening. Owing to the
fact that this is a political podcast and website though, I thought it
might behoove us talk about some of the issues surrounding Canada's
First Nations people rather than  just celebrate a community event held
in the honour.
One thing though, I am not someone who identifies
as belonging to Canada's First Nations. No problem, I know a ringer I
could bring in. Paul Smith, a Métis writer and activist, has frequently
been a contributor and voice of authority on the subject to both Open
Sources Guelph, and its previous incarnation, Beyond the Ballot Box.
Paul is a freelance writer whose works have appeared in local papers and
websites like StraightGoods.com, and he also once served as councillor
on the Grand River Metis Council, but I mostly know Paul for his
well-spoken and thoughtful remarks on the issues faced by Canada's First
Nations people.
On that subject, there is so much to talk
about. It was this time last year that the initial copy of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission report came back, which seemed to open a can
of worm that has since refused to be closed. First Nations voters came
out in force to vote for the new Liberal government who has so far not
let them down too much with new funding, a new dialogue, and a new sense
of hopefulness in a community that hasn't seen a lot of hopefulness for
a while. Still, Attawapiskat suffered a winter of discontent with a
epidemic of attempted suicides, the people of Grassy Narrows can't drink
their water because of mercury poisoning, and decades of systemic
neglect in infrastructure haunt reserves across the country daily, and
all that's to say nothing of the Aboriginal women and girls that still
go missing or are murdered at an alarming rate.
But it's not all
bad news. As I discuss with Paul, the challenges faced by First Nations
people are substantial, but they're also generational, meaning that it's
going to take time to solve them. Until then, there's still reason to
celebrate as First Nations people are asserting themselves, making their
issues and politics known, pushing governments for action, and are
reclaiming their history and culture. At one point you'll hear Paul's
apologizes for turning the conversation positive, jokingly of course.
To
discuss the issues facing First Nations people in 2016, I met Smith on
the traditional territory of the Attawandaron/ Attawandaronk/ Neutral
People, also know as the University of Guelph campus.
You can learn more about Guelph's plans for the National Aboriginal Day celebrations here. Festivities begin at 6 pm in Market Square in from of City Hall and 1 Carden St.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

Open Sources Guelph - June 9, 2016

Let’s talk elections this week. Who’s running them, who’s taking part
in them, and how some people want to change them. This week on Open Sources Guelph,
we will dive back into the U.S. Presidential Election, not for the last
time, to talk about the end of the primary process, but maybe we should
rename this segment “What stupid thing has Trump said now?” Meanwhile, a
key Canadian political figure threw her support behind one of Mr.
Trump’s rivals, while the federal government continues to dawdle about
our own electoral reform ambitions. And in the end, we’ll discuss the
Toronto by-election, where one good Ford might fill the shoes of
another.
This Thursday, June 9, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Super Tuesday XII: So Very Tired.
This topic is back by popular demand! The long and winding road of the
2016 Presidential primary season finally came to a close Tuesday with
the last delegates counted. Donald Trump secured the GOP nod weeks ago,
but now he’s tripling down on racist comments about how a judge of
Mexican heritage can’t hear the Trump University fraud suit because of
the Wall. You know, the one he’s going to build. Meanwhile, Hillary
Clinton has secured the necessary delegates and is eager to secure
unified Democratic support, but is Bernie Sanders going to let her?
2) Second Degree Bern.
Like a lot of Canadians, NDP MP Niki Ashton is interested in what’s
going on south of the border, but Ashton was more than just interested
last weekend when she headed to North Dakota and campaigned on behalf of
Senator Bernie Sanders. Ashton, like many others, were upset that
foreign political consultants were brought in by both the Liberals and
the Conservatives to shape their campaign strategies, so is it right
that Ashton should embed herself in the electoral campaign of a foreign
country? Would she feel right if a United States Congressman came up to
Churchill to assist one of her rivals?
3) I Love That Word “Reform.”
Last week, the Federal Liberals made a move to be more inclusive in
their electoral reform efforts by giving up their majority on the
committee and allowing the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party to take
part. Then a tape from the past surfaced of Foreign Minister Stephane
Dion saying that the government should hold a referendum before any
electoral reform is undertaken, a position that the government has
bristled against. With less than a year to go until their self-imposed
deadline for reform, can the Liberals pull it together in time to truly
ensure that 2015 was the last federal election with First Past the Post?
4) Ford: The Next Gener-Nation?
It’s only been a couple of months since the death of Rob Ford, but the
City of Toronto wants those big shows filled, and the race has begun to
see who will succeed him in Ward 2. A number of people have come forward
to run in Etobicoke North, but the most well-known amongst the
candidates is Michael Ford, nephew of Rob and Doug. Ford is 22 years old
and was elected a school board trustee in 2014, but he resigned from
that post so that he could replace his uncle as a councillor. The
question is though, does this young man really have these big political
ambitions, or is he being groomed? And will Ward 2 blindly vote for
another Ford no matter his qualifications?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.