In May 2, 2011, it was the 41st general federal election. That was the day that Stephen Harper won his first and only majority government, and while that did shake up the normal political order, it was not the only thing that happened that day to reverberate in Canadian political culture. Remember Pierre Poutine? Remember Robocalls? Well this is the day for a little political unsolved mystery. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #272 – A Political Unsolved Mystery”
In a few days, the second decade of the the 21st century will be in the history books, and we’ll be back again in the Roaring ’20s. Before leaving all this behind, let’s take one look back at the decade, and rate the 10 biggest political news stories that happened in and around the Royal City for the last 10 years. Continue reading “The Top 10 Guelph News Stories of the Decade”
A report by Postmedia has linked a series of text messages sent by someone who identifies themselves as “Sue” from “BC Strong” to iMarketing Solutions Inc., a marketing firm that was founded by the directors of Responsive Marketing Group. Why does that sound familiar? Remember the Robocall scandal of 2011? Continue reading “You Know Sue from Ontario Strong? She’s Got a Robocall Connection”
Last week, you might have read about how Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer of Elections Canada, will be at the Kitchener Library next Wednesday to talk about electoral reform. Well, if you don’t want to drive 30 minutes up the road, good news! Kingsley will be in Guelph, one day earlier. Continue reading “Kingsley Coming to Guelph Too”
Although, it was known last month that the appeal of the convention of Michael Sona was denied, the exact reasons for that decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal was not known… Until now. On Thursday, the court posted the rationale for their decision, and it seems that they’re satisfied with the judgement of the trial judge and his reasons despite the objection of both Crown and defense. Continue reading “Ontario Court of Appeal Releases Sona Decision”
In so much as people wanted someone found and prosecuted for committing the robocall fraud perpetuated against Guelph and other ridings on May 2, 2011, there was also the matter of principle. How could we be sure that the person elected was the right person elected if so many people got a call that told them to go some place where they couldn’t vote? Did they all make it to their actual polling stating? How many decided to not to vote at all? It was a Charter issue. Everyone that can vote, should vote, and when the robocall story broke in 2012, that’s the angle that Kornelis Klevering decided to pursue. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #39 – Kornelis Klevering and Robocalls”
In the Ontario Court of Appeal last Wednesday, Michael Sona arrived with one of three roads in front of him, more jail, less jail or the same amount of jail he was sentence to back in November. Ultimately, the three judge panel chose door number three, but does that mean the case is over, and what about the unanswered questions that linger still? Continue reading “Appeals in the Sona Case Denied, the Man Himself is Now in Jail”
We may have put a whole other election between us and it, but the robocall scandal returns to the foreground today when the parties arrive at Osgood Hall to appeal the sentence of Michael Sona. The Tory staffer has tried and convicted of “preventing or endeavouring to prevent an elector from voting” back in 2014, but according to his appeal, Sona’s been either punished too harshly, or, according to Crown, his nine month prison sentence is too light. Continue reading “Sona and Crown Appeal Sentence Today in Toronto”
On this edition of the Guelph Politicast, we experiment with the form by have three separate short interviews: robocall investigation enthusiast Sebastian Silva, senior policy planner with the City of Guelph’s Joan Jylanne, and Guelph Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #29 – Sebastian Silva/ Joan Jylanne/ Lloyd Longfield”
When Mike Duffy was arrested and charged for writing off one too many receipts at the government’s expense, he promised that in the midst of his trial, he was going to be dropping some bombs concerning insider knowledge of the Prime Minister’s Office. The fireworks have been somewhat muted, but for those that have still been smelling something fishy in the Robocall scandal had their paranoia pay off last week when Duffy seemed to indicate that the Conservatives were behind the Robocall prototype in 2008 in the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. Continue reading “Mike Duffy Dropped a Non-Guelph Robocall Bomb”
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