The Black Rod

It was a year ago this month that Winnipeg Free Press publisher Bob Cox began his campaign for federal government subsidies to newspapers whose advertisers have abandoned them. Since then we've learned all about fake news---that's when reporters make up facts then write stories based on their invented truths. But what about fffake news---news the papers want to conceal from the public and do it by not publishing them? The Winnipeg Free Press is currently sitting on two doozies, both about lawsuits --- against the Winnipeg Free Press. In one, the newspaper is accused of stealing the research of a prominent Winnipeg scholar and cheating him out of royalties from a book t hey told him they would never publish, then did. To add insult, they submitted the book for journalism awards. In the other, the (former) editor of the Free Press used libel chill to silence a radio talkshow host whose critical reporting on the Winnipeg Free Press she didn't like. Her backroom cam...

Here we go again. - Another convicted murderer to be lionized. - A dedicated Crown attorney to be demonized. - And a mainstream media mob to be titillized by a juicy miscarriage of justice. Alleged. 'I wuz framed,' says new saint Frank Ostrowski, blaming veteran Crown attorney George Dangerfield for the 23 years he spent in prison. This week Ostrowski asked the Manitoba Court of Appeal to vacate his 1987 conviction for the murder of an acquaintance. He wants the court to issue a declaration of innocence, (so that he can sue the province for millions?).   The province wants a simple declaration of a stay of proceedings which would eradicate the conviction and leave Ostrowski free (he's been out of prison on bail since 2009), but otherwise end the proceedings. After all, 23 years in the slam is almost the 25-year minimum before parole that the worst murderer would have to serve. The local news media have become the Greek chorus to the 69-year-old Ostrowski...

Has the world gone crazy? A political party that elected an accused wife beater as its leader is roiled by anonymous accusations that a member who is no longer in the Legislature tickled women years ago? He not only tickled women, but threatened to tickle others.  And even asked one if she liked to be tickled.  What a beast! One ex-MLA--- one of the fearless, strong, independent NDP women---has come forward to say that she, whoever she is, was tickled, too.  And not once. Twice. TWICE, we say.  Within four, or maybe eight, or possibly even 17 years.  And nobody stopped this animal? An army of aggrieved females has declared they will put an end to tickling in politics.  Never again, they say. But where were they when a woman came forward last year to say that her former common-law husband, Wab Kinew, dragged her along the ground by her hair to show her how a real man treats his woman.  Another time,...

A perfect storm is hitting Manitoba Hydro. Insolvency is inevitable.  Eight months ago we reported that Hydro was on its deathbed, based on the testimony of the utility's own witnesses at a hearing of the Manitoba Public Utilities Board. http://blackrod.blogspot.ca/2017/08/manitoba-hydro-is-on-its-deathbed-there.html Since then the patient's condition has deteriorated rapidly. It's time to call the family to pay their last respects.  Last week the Bank of Canada announced that the years of low interest rates are officially over. The Bank raised the bank rate by one quarter of one percent. It was the third rate hike within a year.  It's just the start. The Bank of Canada expects at least one and possibly two more rate hikes in 2018.  That will bring the bank rate to about half of where the Bank wants it to be.  You read that right---half.  The Bank of Canada wants the bank rate to steady out at 2.5 percent, the lower end of a range the Bank feels is right...

What a start to the new year---Winnipeg's pipsqueak Mayor gets bitch-slapped in public by the Winnipeg police department.  You don't see that every day. When Brian Bowman rebuked the police service this week  for loaning the police helicopter to a movie company (at a full cost-recovery price) for a short scene he demonstrated his limited grasp of how the city works.    Just as his city hall colleague Councillor I'M-MARTY-MORANTZ-AND-I'M-A-LAWYER learned to his chagrin two years ago, the police department reports to the police commission, not the mayor or city council.  Morantz had tried to browbeat a senior police official at a committee meeting, but was quickly informed by the police chief of the way things run and the next day ate crow for breakfast, lunch and supper. Bowman was delivered a hefty helping of his own on Monday when the police responded to his lecture about extending police resources to Hollywood directors.  "This is what any large...