Short snappers are a series of short articles that I put together into one blog to give the reader some variety.
Pop Quiz
Who is the Premier of Ontario?
If you erroneously named Rob Ford, you would be wrong. Rob Ford only aspires to be the super mayor of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). By his performance, it seems to be the only part of Ontario that he takes any interest in. From his first bill after he won the premiership to dictate the number of councillors in the Toronto city government, his ill-advised promotion of a new highway, 413 (which will primarily ease the flow of traffic from the western suburbs of the GTA to highway 400 and north to cottage country), his desecration of the Toronto green belt to benefit Toronto developers, to his decision to break up Peel township into three cities (no discussion, please), he has shown that he alone will rule this area. Please name me one thing of substance that he has done for the rest of the province. It will prove to be a pretty futile effort. The GTA probably accounts for less than 5% of the area of Ontario. There are about a dozen other cities of significance in Ontario. But Mr. Ford seems only interested in that one small geographical area of this very large province.
So, tell me, who is the Premier of all of Ontario?
The Affluence of Incahol and the five-minute rule
“Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” So says a plaque on my refrigerator. The phrase has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin although he said it about beer not wine. Not surprising given the times in which he lived. Alcoholic beverages were probably invented about ten thousand years ago in order to alleviate the foulness of water and because it used grain for beer and fruit for wine, it also was a way to avoid starvation. After all, alcoholic beverages last a lot longer than the original plant products they are made from.
I enjoy an alcoholic drink as I’m sure many of you do. A glass of wine with supper. A beer after doing something strenuous on a hot day. A whisk(e)y as an after-dinner sip with friends. All have their place in a pleasant life. As long as it is all done in moderation. Fortunately, I cannot drink too much as I soon feel as if I’m about to slide off the carpet I’m lying on.
And of course, there is the five-minute rule. The next time you pour yourself a wine, beer, whisky or whatever, immediately take a sip. Then leave the drink for five minutes and take another drink. You will undoubtedly find that the drink is much less harsh and better tasting that the original sip. All it takes is a little patience. I’ve pointed this out to friends and none of them have ever argued that this does not make a pleasant difference. By the way, it also helps coffee and tea.
Election Interference
There is a big flap going on about intelligence reports indicating that China probably tried to influence the election results in 2019 and 2021. But the flap doesn’t seem to be about the actual interference. It seems to be about the appointment of David Johnson to his role of determining whether a public inquiry should be held. I think the public inquiry is not required and that it could be dangerous. The fact is that the disclosure of most of the CSIS evidence could not be aired to the public. Intelligence information is a precious thing and rightly so. Much as the opposition and the press would love to disclose this information, it must be protected as much as possible, not only for national security reasons, but also for our partners in the five-eyes intelligence network. Our partners would exclude us in a heartbeat if they thought that intelligence would be compromised by Canada.
The selection of Mr. Johnson has been the big argument in the media and parliament. PP calls him Trudeau’s “ski buddy”. Mr. Johnson has proven himself as an honourable man throughout his career. Mr. Trudeau has the right to select someone that he knows and respects. That fact is in Ottawa everyone in the higher levels of government and even industry, knows each other. They have probably attended the same events and even entertained each other. It’s how a lot of things get done in that town. And if not Mr. Johnson, who? A political hack from the Conservative party selected by Mr. Poilievre? A retired supreme court judge who was chosen by one party or another? Someone who knows nothing about Ottawa politics and wouldn’t know how to maneuver through the maze of federal politics? For me, David Johnson was an excellent choice and I believe in his findings.
