Bob Rae passes the torch

And does so with great glee. Bob Rae penned this note-perfect letter to Harper, published yesterday in the National Post. Highlights: You have learned that deficits are not the product of the devil incarnate, but happen when there are recessions. You will regret that your every prior thought is in print. Your old copies ofcontinue reading

Steady hand on the tiller

From CBC News’ fun new quiz on the economic wisdom of Stephen Harper: 4. On Sept. 26, 2008, Harper said, ‘The only way there is going to be a recession is if they (the Liberals) are elected and that’s why they’re not going to be elected.’ o Myth o Fact Consistency is your friend whencontinue reading

Whatever happened to adulthood?

Somehow, the Canadian Association of Retired People — CARP — has moved from being, well, an association of retired people, to “50-plus”, to — wait for it — 45 and over. 45 and over? At a time when Freedom 55 is stretching to Freedom 65 and there is debate about moving out the qualifying agecontinue reading

Divide and conquer

For the sake of the tens of thousands of students who are the hostages in the York strike, let’s hope that the government-mandated vote on the university’s offer doesn’t go the way the executive of CUPE 3903 believe it will. It’s possible that there are enough strikers at this point who simply can’t afford tocontinue reading

Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away

Home sick last week, I spent some time listening to the radio, where coverage alternated between Obama inauguration previews and the recession. Two days in a row, I tuned in midway to interviews with economists opposed to fiscal stimulus. Both interviewees were upbeat about the prospects of Canada, touting its stronger, more stable fiscal outlookcontinue reading

Easy come, easy go

Or why letting your developed country slide into being a one-trick, resource-exporting copy of a developing one is a poor idea: The November surplus of $1.3-billion is the smallest since October 1997, and analysts warn that Canada is quickly heading to the land of dual deficits – both for the current account and the fiscalcontinue reading

Spinning for the city he disdains

Goodbye, so long, and enjoy your visit to the dark side. Yes, putting us all out of the misery of his whiny, self-referential, tiresomely negative screeds in Toronto Life and elsewhere is Philip Preville as (according to newsletter Inside Queen’s Park, not online) he takes on the role of Director of Public Affairs at thecontinue reading

The new normal

After the barrage of happy-happy new year stories on the turnaround that’s no doubt just around the corner, some bracing blasts of common sense from some of the best financial bloggers around. From the Cassandra Does Tokyo blog, an excellent rant about the “when things get back to normal” school of thought. When massive shiftscontinue reading