Unpublished Cafe

Oh what 365 days can do to those who predict the future. Here is what Macleans Magazine had for its top 2025 Prediction: Poilievre will kill the Capital Gains Tax .  We know how that went. There is a danger to credibility when you attempt to make those forecasts. Of course, no one saw what was coming: Trudeau’s resignation followed by Carney taking over the helm of the Liberals and Poilievre on th...

We are less than a week away from Canada’s 45th federal election. Which way will it go? There has been a lot said about this election being the “most consequential“ in modern history. It could be for the Conservatives. They had been sailing along with a 20+ point lead on the Liberals for more than a year. All they needed was an election. So, they pushed and pushed, doing everything they could to f...

Here in the drudge of an Ontario winter, the Province’s voters are gearing up for an election. Did we need it?  February 27th Ontarians head to the polls to elect our government. The PC’s had a majority in the Legislature with a fixed election date 15 months away. Premier Doug Ford says he needs a strong majority to deal with tariffs and Trump.  Our Unpublished dot vote question asks:  Did Ontario...

Five horses in the race to take the reins of the federal Liberal party. Who would want it? Who will win? Karina Gould, Ruby Dhalla, Frank Baylis, Christia Freeland and Mark Carney have all made the initial payment of $125,000 or the $350,000 total to enter the race.  Our Unpublished dot vote question asks:  Who do you think will make the best leader of the Liberal Party of Canada?  Gould, Dhalla,...

Since when did the truth become a problem for people? It seems the “truth” is up for sale in some circles.  With a US election less than a month away and a Canadian federal election on the horizon next year, misinformation and disinformation is rampant. The FBI has shut down Tenet Media in Tennessee, which was run by two Canadians, because it was discovered that the Russian owned RT (Russian Today...

Canada had a front row seat to the Donald Trump show in 2016. What would Trump 2.0 mean for us and the rest of the world?  A recent Angus Reid poll found that two thirds of Canadians believe Trump will be bad or terrible for Canada. Meanwhile, in the few weeks Kamala Harris has been in the race, she has jumped ahead in the polls. But polls don’t win elections.  Our Unpublished dot vote question as...

It is a “stain” on our electoral process, according to Marie Jose Hogue, Canada’s Commissioner of Inquiry into Foreign Interference. Hague’s report indicates there were attempts in the 2019 and 2021 elections, although it did not impact the overall outcome. While Justice Hogue said the outcome of the election was not impaired, it is troubling.  Our Unpublished.vote question asks: Will Canada’s new...

Change, change, change. We all want change. Talk to any pollster in Canada and that is the pervading theme across the country. It’s strange because human nature doesn’t like change. Yet, Canadians are clamoring for it. But what kind of change do Canadians want?  Concerning Canadian politics, our Unpublished Vote question this week asks:  What kind of change do you want to see most? A. Change in Li...

You would have to live under a rock in this country if you haven’t heard the clarion call, “Axe the tax!’  The federal government’s latest increase to the carbon tax is set to rise on April 1st. First introduced in 2019 at $20 a tonne, the latest increase will see it rise from $65 a tonne to $80 a tonne. Has it become Politicized?  Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre calls it a 23% increase. The...

Since October 7th, the world has been littered with horrific images from the attack by the terrorist group, Hamas on unsuspecting Israelis. The pushback from Israel has been strident and expanding. In the middle are five million Palestinians who have seen destruction of their homes as the Israeli military pursued Hamas. While the violence is half a world away from Canada, there has been a huge upt...

Will Canadians be going to the polls federally in 2024? Will the Grits or even the NDP have a leadership change? Can Canada tackle affordability housing shortages? South of the border, what can we expect in November?  So many questions. But by far the biggest one is whether or not Canadians will go the polls in 2024?  So we ask in our Unpublished Vote question this month: “Do you expect a Canadian...

The New Democrats have come off their latest leadership review, and Jagmeet Singh survives to lead another day. Will it get the party further ahead? Our Unpublished Vote question over the last 10 days asked, “Is the NDP squandering its chance by supporting the Liberals? While the delegates in Hamilton gave Singh 80 % support, our voters saw it differently:  82 % Yes 16 % No 2 % Unsure If you haven...

Is it time for the Liberal—NDP coalition to pull the plug?  The Liberals don’t mind as they’re still in power, but the NDP, which is propping them up, hasn’t seen much in gains when it comes to the deal? They didn’t ask to form a coalition government with the Liberals, but they seem to be wearing every mistake the government makes.  Is time running out for the New Democrats?  Our Unpublished Vote...

Did China try and influence two previous Canadian elections? A stunning report from Canada’s spy agency claims that country’s government attempted to interfere in our previous two federal elections but the report also pointed to a lack of concern from the PMO. Prime Minister Trudeau has appointed David Johnston as special rapporteur to investigate the claim. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks,...

It’s cloak and dagger stuff, the latest dispute between Canada and China.  A CSIS report suggests that China was complicit in trying to influence the outcome of the last two federal elections using money and intimidation.  The report points out, despite the attempt, the outcome of the elections would have been the same.  The head scratcher is why the federal government is not holding a public inqu...

The curtain will soon fall on 2022, a year that started with so much optimism after two years of Covid restrictions, vaccine mandates and lockdowns. Instead of a rebound to normal, many other issues have risen to prominence during the year.  In today’s show, we look back at some of those events of 2022 and where they may lead us in 2023.  Our Unpublished.vote question is:  What do you feel was the...

Canada’s inflation rate in June was 8.1%, something we haven’t seen since the early 1980’s. To cool off the economy, the Bank of Canada has rigorously increased the cost of borrowing which slammed the brakes on our red-hot housing market. The reaction has seen the cost-of-living start sliding down towards the goal of two percent. Currently it stands at 7%. As you sat down for Thanksgiving dinner,...

The Emergencies Act Inquiry, which probes whether the federal government was able to utilize such powers to bring the Ottawa occupation to an end, has been running for about three weeks now with plenty more testimony to come.  From this vantage point the one thing that is very clear is that no level of government was competent in ending the occupation until the Act was finally implemented. A munic...

Canada’s inflation rate in June was 8.1%, something we haven’t seen since the early 1980’s. To cool off the economy, the Bank of Canada has rigorously increased the cost of borrowing which slammed the brakes on our red-hot housing market. The reaction has seen the cost-of-living start sliding down towards the goal of two percent. Currently it stands at 7%. As you sat down for Thanksgiving dinner,...

Sticker shock at the pumps and the grocery store is the number one concern of Canadians according to Ipsos Research, with 8 in 10 worried that a recession is in the financial horizon. Anyone who has had to fill up or pick up staples at the store has seen their buying power reduced.  The latest inflation numbers peg the cost of living at 7% for August, which is down marginally from the previous mon...

It’s a laundry list of names vying for the votes of Ottawa residents for the top job in municipal politics in the Capital. Fourteen in all are looking for your vote to put them in the Mayor’s chair for the next four years.  Jim Watson had announced late last year that he would not seek re-election. There will also be a number of new faces around the Council table as many have decided not to run ag...

It was a 7-month scorched earth strategy that led Pierre Poilievre to the top spot in the Conservative Party as leader. Can he turn that into a federal election victory? The member from Carleton was first in the race and had an insurmountable lead he would not relinquish. Almost 70 percent of members supported him, giving a first ballot victory. Let’s face it. Poilievre was in control from the out...

The day is drawing near for the federal Conservative Party to choose a new leader. September 10th in Ottawa delegates will gather to cast their ballot for the person to lead them into the next federal election, whenever that may be.  Pierre Poilievre has led from the beginning and shows no sign of easing up. Jean Charest is a distant second in the race leaving Leslyn Lewis, Scott Aitcheson and Rom...

Another month and another eye popping inflation number for Canadians. The cost of living rose 7.7 percent in May, a 40 year high. It won’t surprise anyone who has filled up the tank or shopped for groceries in the last few months.  It has money minds worried about the economy running off the rails. The Bank of Canada has moved to curb inflation by hiking interest rates with further increases on th...