Bill Kelly's Blog

It was good to see so many community leaders gather at the Chamber of Commerce yesterday to talk about Hamilton’s economic development game plan.

They talked about Hamilton being open for business; they said that ‘ this is Hamilton’s time’.

The enthusiasm exhibited by our business leaders is contagious. Their knowledge and leadership is inspirational.

But, amid all this enthusiasm , is the stark reality that there is still a lot of work to be done to create prosperity for Hamilton.

And , a great deal of the work to be done rests with Hamilton City Council and City Staff.

Perception is reality. And the perception is that Hamilton is not business friendly . Too many businesses become frustrated by red tape and unnecessary delays.

That has to change.

City Council, for their part, has endorsed the economic development initiatives. But they can’t just talk the talk; they have to walk the walk.

Roll out the red carpet, ...

To suggest  that OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino is a polarizing figure is a gross understatement .Those who like him, like him a lot.

Those who don’t agree with Fantino’s ‘ in your face’ style , seize every opportunity to jump all over the Commissioner when they feel he’s crossed the line.

Such is the case with the call by the Provincial NDP  to turf   Fantino for his ‘ inflammatory  comments to Native Protester Shaun Brant last year during the blockade of Highway 401.

Fantino’s language  was  brutally frank. During the coarse of all night negotiations, he told Brant that if he didn’t call off the protest, there would be dire consequences for him and others.

The language may have been ‘ over the top’, but the message was received. The blockade was ended without confrontation or violence.

The hyperbole surrounding the comments  needs to be put into context. The assertion by Brant’s lawyer that Fantino’s comments threatened Brant with the same fate as Dudley George is nothing more ...

The word out of the Liberal camp this weekend , is the Stephane Dion is sending out a group of Dion loyalists across the country to sell his Green Shift Plan to Canadians.

By the looks of things, they have their work cut out for them.

A recent national poll suggests that only one in three Canadians have even heard of the Green Shift, or Carbon Tax Plan.

And, of those who have heard of it, most don’t like it very much.

That shouldn’t be too surprising really. Canadians have become a skeptical bunch over the last few years and they tend to cast doubt on any plan from any political party.

That’s especially true here in Ontario, where we’ve been burned too many times by previous governments of all political stripes.

In fact, you’d think someone would have told the Liberal policy wonks who devised this plan, that the term ...