Wednesday 29 October 2014

Was Michael Zehaf-Bibeau a terrorist? Yes (but you don’t get to decide)

The attacks in Ottawa on October 22, 2014, by Muslim-convert Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, in which he killed an unarmed honour guard at the War Memorial and then stormed parliament, have been called “terrorist” by the RCMP, the government and, depending on weather conditions, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.
Thomas Mulcair: soft on "terror"? (Source: CBC)

However. Tom Mulcair, leader of the official oppositions, has stated categorically that “When we look at the individual...we are not in the presence of a terrorist act in the sense that we understand it.” 

In Mulcair’s view, Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau, who suffered from mental illness and drug addiction, and repeatedly sought help, had committed an uncommon and horrific crime, but not a terrorist act.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Jian Ghomeshi on track to be Canada’s Pee-wee Herman

After recent allegations of abusive sexual conduct, and the loss of his job as host of CBC Radio’s Q, Jian Ghomeshi’s career as a media personality in Canada is likely over.
Together in the wilderness?

Ghomeshi got out ahead of the game, defending his actions on a Facebook post saying that the behaviour was always consensual, with the attacks against him being orchestrated by a “jilted lover” and an over-zealous journalist. 

It was a shot across the bow but, without anything else in his arsenal, that cannonball may simply sink, forgotten, to the bottom of the ocean.  The same can be said for his $55 million legal action against the CBC, which is essentially a nuisance suit.

Sunday 26 October 2014

Bennett's decision to use Mayor’s office for campaign purposes “carefully reviewed according to the City’s guidelines”

Being an incumbent has its privileges, but Mayor Bennett may have taken his too far.

His most recent campaign photo has him in his office at City Hall. The image has been widely disseminated by his campaign, via both traditional and social media.
Bad judgement...again?

To some observers, this would seem to contravene Peterborough’s Municipal Election Procedures (EL 470), which states that “Election campaigning or the distribution/posting of election campaign material at municipally owned or leased facilities is not permitted.”

Some might consider the photo a form of campaigning. It certainly indicates the Mayor's willingness to use his privilege, and taxpayer-funded public assets, to his advantage.

However, Mayor Bennett, addressing concerns on Twitter, said that the decision to use the Mayor’s office was “carefully reviewed according to the City’s guidelines,” though as of this writing Mayor Bennett has failed to clarify who conducted the review. Was it done by his own campaign, a third party, or city staff? La politica has contacted the City to find out, and will keep you posted.

At least Bennett is not claiming ignorance of the issue. After all, the City has made it clear that "Incumbents are aware of a restriction on the use of City resources for campaign purposes."

Friday 24 October 2014

For mayor of Peterborough, do we vote for a rising star, or a setting sun?

Peterborough This Week recently ran an opinion piece titled “What Peterborough needs in its next mayor”. The local news outlet, which is owned by Torstar Corporation, matched up what it considered to be the skills needed to do the job, as well as the various contenders.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mayor Bennett took top honours due to his “successful leadership roles within the community” and his ability to “make tough choices”. Maryam Monsef, lacking experience managing large groups, “oversimplifies the  job” and is “in over her head” – a pejorative talking point familiar to those who have heard the federal Conservative attack ads against Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau. Patti Peeters is “not a team player” and “lacks diplomacy” (as opposed to Mr. Bennett, one assumes). Alan Wilson can “react badly under pressure” but “has the skills and experience to make him capable of the job”. The other candidates, Terry Leblanc and Tom Young, are simply not up to the task.
Ms. Monsef at the Sales and Ad Club mayoral debate

In its opinion piece, Peterborough This Week made some interesting assumptions. The first was that a well thought out policy platform is of little relevance. Ms. Monsef has one of these, but only “on paper” (perhaps she should have hammered it together with plywood, or used a 3D printer). The second, and of greater relevance, it would seem, is a business background. There is something to that, but, in La politica’s opinion, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Bennett in particular, are unqualified for the job precisely because their own business experience is not relevant to Peterborough’s future economic needs.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Mayor Bennett to push for casino during next term

Mayor Daryl Bennett made it clear during the Sales and Ad Club mayoral debate at the Holiday Inn on Tuesday, October 21, that if re-elected to office he would push for a decision on a casino in Peterborough. His specific goal is to accomplish this within his next four year mandate, and his preference is to have the casino within city limits.
Daryl Bennett at the Sales and Ad Club mayoral debate

His reasoning is simple enough. Right now, the majority of gamblers at the Kawartha Slots are from Peterborough. From a numbers perspective, then, money is leaving Peterborough and going to Cavan Monaghan Township. By having the casino in Peterborough’s city limits, the municipality would keep that money – and get some revenue from outsiders as well.

Many people have opposed the casino on the grounds that gambling can be addictive, ruining lives, and that gamblers tend not to spend money outside the casino itself. Casino defenders will say that gambling is legal, and already nearby, while the money that would be going into the casino’s coffers would never have been intended for surrounding businesses, anyway.

Friday 17 October 2014

An assessment of Mayor Daryl Bennett - and his chances

Daryl Bennett was elected to mayor of Peterborough in 2010. He received, 14, 061 votes, almost 59% of all votes cast. The incumbent, Paul Ayotte, received 9,990 votes, over 41% of the total. There were no other candidates. This time around the citizens of Peterborough have more choice. Mr. Bennett is back up for re-election, with Maryam Monsef, Alan Wilson, Patti Peeters, Terry LeBlanc, and Tom Young also in the race.

Below is a brief assessment of the mayor – and his chances.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Good vibrations: an assessment of Northcrest Ward candidates for Peterborough City Council

This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the five Northcrest Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in Peterborough, Ontario. La politica has also done assessments, posted separately, for Monaghan Ward, Town Ward, Otonabee Ward, and Ashburnham Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.

Intro to the assessments

The ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e. parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.

The total score out of 10 does not provide a breakdown of the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too, and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with material effects on stuff n’ things.

You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the Ward summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember: you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.

Northcrest Ward

Northcrest Ward (also known as “Ward 5”) is Peterborough’s orphan ward in the north end, yet it is an area that is expected to see significant growth in the years to come. It has the most to gain or lose in the parkway debate, and has a significant voting block – 9,880 votes were cast in Northcrest in 2010 – yet it receives little coverage. The ward extends north of Parkhill, from Jackson Park and up along the northwestern edge of the Otonabee river. It is largely residential, though it includes the Chemong Road shopping strip. In 2010, Andrew Beamer took the first seat, with 3,201 votes (over 34%), and Bob Hall the second with 2,478 votes (just over 25%). Mr. Hall is not running this time around: he is instead throwing his hat in the ring for the federal Liberal nomination.

Good vibrations: an assessment of Ashburnham Ward candidates for Peterborough City Council

This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the five Ashburnham Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in Peterborough, Ontario. La politica has also done assessments, posted separately, for Monaghan Ward, Town Ward, OtonabeeWard, and Northcrest Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.
Ashburnham Ward (Ward 4)

Intro to the assessments

The ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e. parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.

The total score out of 10 does not provide a breakdown of the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too, and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with material effects on stuff n’ things.

You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the Ward summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember: you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.

Ashburnham

Ashburnham Ward (also known as “Ward 4”) is unusual: it covers the entire length of the city on the eastern shore of the Otonabee River. In 2010, 9,126 people cast their votes.  Incumbent Len Vass took over 29% of the vote, with 2,662 ballots cast, followed by newcomer Keith Riel, with 2,102 votes, or 23%. This time around Mr. Vass and Mr. Riel are back for re-election, and are facing challenges from Donald Fraser, Paul Teleki, and Gary Baldwin.

Good vibrations: an assessment of Town Ward candidates for Peterborough City Council

This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the five Town Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in Peterborough, Ontario. La politica has also done assessments, posted separately, for Monaghan Ward, Town Ward, Ashburnham Ward, and Northcrest Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.

Intro to the assessments

The ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e. parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.

The total score out of ten does not provide a breakdown of the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too, and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with material effects on stuff n’ things.

You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the ward summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember: you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.

Town Ward

Town Ward (also known as “Ward 3”) is downtown Peterborough. It represents one third of the city’s entire tax base. Historically, it also has the smallest voter turnout – there were only 5,032 votes cast in Town Ward in 2010. This is a ward that punches above its weight. Every vote counts. In 2010 Dean Pappas was re-elected with 2,106 votes, over 46% of the total votes cast. Bill Juby was also re-elected, coming in second with 1,273 votes (25%), narrowly winning over third place finisher, retired school teacher Tim Rowat. This time around Pappas and Juby have thrown their hats back in the ring, but are facing stiff challenges from a strong field of newcomers that includes Diane Therrien, Jason Stabler, and Jim Hendry.

Good vibrations: an assessment of Monaghan Ward candidates for Peterborough City Council

This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the five Monaghan Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in Peterborough, Ontario. La politica has also done assessments, posted separately, for Otonabee Ward, Town Ward, Ashburnham Ward, and Northcrest Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.

Intro to the assessments

The ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e. parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.

The total score out of ten does not provide a breakdown of the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too, and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with material effects on stuff n’ things.

You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the Ward summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember: you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.

Monaghan Ward

Monaghan Ward (also known as “Ward 2”) is the central west district of Peterborough. In the 2010 election Henry Clarke walked with 4,077 of the 12,712 votes cast, with over 32% of the electorate favoring him. Local legend and former mayor Jack Doris took second place with 3,520 votes, almost 28%. However, Doris has announced he is retiring from politics, which leaves only one incumbent in the race for Monaghan Ward’s two seats. The other candidates this time are Don Vassiliadis, Jocasta Boone, Jeff Westlake, and David Edgerton.

Good vibrations: an assessment of Otonabee Ward candidates for Peterborough City Council

This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the four Otonabee Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in Peterborough, Ontario. La politica has also done assessments, posted separately, for Monaghan Ward, Town Ward, Ashburnham Ward, and Northcrest Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.

Intro to the assessments

The Ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e. parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.

The total score out of ten does not provide a breakdown of the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too, and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with material effects on stuff n’ things.

You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the ward summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember: you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.

Otonabee Ward

Otonabee Ward (also “Ward 1”) is in Peterborough’s central south district. In the last election in 2010, 8,280 votes were cast. At that time newcomer Lesley Parnell won with 2,994 votes, about 36% of the total. Dan McWilliams garnered 2,514 votes, or about 30% of all votes, to take the second seat. Both incumbents are running again, and are facing challenges from newcomers Kim Zippel and Stephen Morgan. Camille Parent was running, but has dropped out due to illness.