John Robson Online » Columns

Opposition screeching over pension reform not helpful

John Robson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:49:35 +0000

OTTAWA – Stephen Harper’s vague musings about modest reforms to Canada’s public pension system, addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have the opposition howling about a “war on pensions” and the Conservatives “attacking seniors.” Such rhetoric is as … Continue reading →

Big project spending isn’t conservative

John Robson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:12:54 +0000

Do I repeat myself? Very well, then, I repeat myself. Until a major problem goes away you shouldn’t stop warning about it. And the Harper government’s reckless, meddlesome, big-spending interventionism has not gone away.

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Gov’s budget book not a budget, but it should be

John Robson — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:55:34 +0000

Once Parliament returns next week, its main business should be scrutinizing the budget expected by early March. It’s going to be a mess: way too much spending, borrowing and handouts through tax loopholes. But they won’t scrutinize it unless we make them. And by accident or design Canadian government budgets are almost impossible for citizens to understand.

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Share destructive secrets for the greater good

John Robson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:35:53 +0000

Terrorists with weapons of mass destruction are the stuff of nightmares, obliterating millions with nuclear, chemical or, perhaps most horrifying, biological attack. So what sort of reckless idiot would consider publishing the recipe for a devastating man-made flu? The surprising answer is, a wise and responsible one.

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Tax breaks the same as spending

John Robson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:57:19 +0000

Give the finance department credit for its annual attempt to list Canada’s tax loopholes and estimate their cost. But then recoil in horror at the resulting tens of billions of dollars in disguised spending. Yes, spending. That’s what tax breaks really are.

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Time to take a bite out of spending

John Robson — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:54:01 +0000

It looks as though the federal Tories and Ontario Grits are finally going to bite the bullet on government spending. The problem is, the bullet might bite back.

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Primaries and caucuses in Canada? Why not

John Robson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:50:24 +0000

The elaborate American system of primaries, caucuses and straw polls certainly gives voters, and the politically committed, a thorough look at the ideas and characters of candidates … if any.

They may not like what they see. But you don’t have to be a fan of Mitt Romney, and I speak from experience here, to think it beats buying a pig in a poke.

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Ron Paul supporters so fed up, they welcome his insane policies

John Robson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:19:33 +0000

To many observers, especially mainstream journalists, the news that a right-wing weirdo is polling well among Republicans is a non-story. They consider any Republican a right-wing weirdo unfit for office except “moderates,” a code word for closet liberal Democrats.

But Texas libertarian congressman Ron Paul’s strong showing, including a serious threat to win the GOP’s Iowa caucus, is almost as bad as they think, and far more important, though not for the reasons they think.

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2012 one for the books

John Robson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:01:37 +0000

Another year is upon us, snarling and scratching, and we’re no better prepared than a year ago. Stand by to tweet or something equally shallow.

For a taste of things to come, consider the announcement that interim Liberal leader Bob Rae would hold a Dec. 30 press conference “to discuss 2011 in review and what Canadians can expect in 2012, with a specific focus on the Conservative EI premium hikes that take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.” Talk about the long view. OK, he managed to predict one thing that actually will happen, since it’s minor and scheduled for the first day of the year. But his characteristic combination of visionary tone and petty partisan content bodes ill for his reputation as a statesman or sage (if any).

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No central planning in health care

John Robson — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:47:52 +0000

Canada’s provincial health ministers clearly aren’t mistaking Jim Flaherty for one of Santa’s elves after hearing the stocking full of gold they get every year won’t bulge quite so splendidly after 2016. Neither am I.

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