Take off, eh?

Water, water everywhere...

2011-11-15T10:57:00.003-05:00

A report has singled out Ontario as the only province to get an "A" grade for its water protection efforts.

It's worth pointing out that the group in power in Ontario at the time of the Walkerton debacle are closely linked with the gang currently in Ottawa, who have received a "F" for their efforts.

Watching Hockey on TV

2011-11-05T19:15:00.001-05:00

Just saw the "Stopthesteamroller.com" commercial; the sad last swing of a side going down.

Oh well.

Farmers are about to lose their wheat board, just as Quebecers are losing the gun registry that they approve of.

Neither of these Tory moves were a surprise, were they? And yet, they won a majority last election. Go figure eh?

I could yammer on about compromise and the value of having a big-tent party closer to the middle of the spectrum, but what would be the point?

I hope people remember this next election, but I won't bet on it.

Harper misled Parliament over G8 costs: AG Really?

2011-06-09T11:24:00.001-05:00

Thanks Sheila for letting us know.

And now that they have a majority, so what can be done?

Oh well.

Enjoy your retirement Sheila.

Our PM really had to go see a hockey game

2011-06-09T05:43:00.002-05:00

Anyone know how much that little sortie would have cost? A bit more than the price of the tickets for a regular flight, but that doesn't matter to Steve, does it? He used to decry stuff like that as abuse of power and wasteful. Now it's just a perk.

Edit: I don't feel like "lightening up" on this; this is hypocrisy, and unacceptable.

Everyone, have a great long weekend.

2011-05-20T13:52:00.001-05:00

Scott Stinson on the Cabinet: Harper plays Canadians for suckers

2011-05-18T23:27:00.001-05:00

LOL.

Tories back off campaign pledge to show a surplus by 2014-15

2011-05-12T07:22:00.001-05:00

LOL.

Edit: Hey, good for the Tories on deciding to make good on their promise.

How about, instead of saying "baggage," you give some details?

2011-05-10T13:04:00.005-05:00

I'll just leave this here...

Political mythmaking, Ontario style
By Tim Armstrong The Hamilton Spectator (Aug 14, 2006)

The drumbeat theme of those opposing Bob Rae's Liberal leadership candidacy is, "A smart guy, with a terrible record as premier of Ontario." It's difficult to fathom whether this myth is the product of ignorance, malice, or both.

I was appointed as a Deputy Minister by Premier Davis and served under him and his three successors, Premiers Peterson, Miller and Rae. None of those premiers would claim to have achieved perfection. But the suggestion that the Rae government did not live up to -- and in some areas exceed -- the standards and accomplishments of its predecessors on behalf of the people of Ontario is untrue.

When Bob Rae assumed office, the province was faced with an economic crisis -- a deepening recession, unprecedented competitive challenges from a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., high interest rates, an overvalued dollar and a budget deficit of several billion dollars rather than the surplus predicted by the prior administration. Over 300,000 manufacturing jobs were lost between 1989 and 1992.

When the Rae government approached the end of its term, Ontario led the way in growth among the provinces and had one of the strongest economies in the G7. Surveys showed strong consumer and business confidence.

Private sector investment was back with billions in capital spending. Labour productivity was at an all-time high, as were manufacturing exports. Health-care costs were under much improved control as part of a broader strategy that was reducing the deficit.

My most memorable work with Premier Rae involved the restructuring of Algoma Steel in Sudbury and Dehavilland Aircraft in Downsview. From the outset, the premier made it clear that he was determined, in the interests of the employees, the affected communities, and the provincial economy, that both companies would survive. His personal efforts in achieving success exceeded, in dedication, intelligence and shrewd negotiating skills, anything that I had previously experienced.

The costs incurred by Ontario in these restructurings, as well as those extracted from the federal government, have been recovered, many times over, in tax revenues alone. And the dismal alternatives to success -- weeds in the companies' parking lots, padlocks on their gates, and thousands of discouraged unemployed workers, their families on welfare or seeking social assistance -- were all avoided. These achievements were repeated, at Spruce Falls Pulp & Paper in Kapuskasing and other communities across the province, under the Manufacturing Recovery Program, a program designed and implemented with the full involvement of the Premier.

Bob Rae was, from the outset, under attack from many in the business community. After taking office, he faced vigorous opposition from organized labour, principally for his efforts to curtail what he perceived to be excessive wage demands and his commitment to share the necessary cuts in government spending fairly. In my experience in the labour relations field, if you displease both labour and management, you are likely on the right path.

There were other noteworthy achievements during this time. The Rae government successfully promoted the Jobs Ontario program, with increased investment in child care and training; incentives to employers to hire people on welfare and those whose employment insurance had run out; the elimination of payroll taxes on any new employee hired -- policies that, combined, created in excess of 50,000 jobs.

Ontario's welfare system was renewed, focusing on the needs of children living in poverty; the child-care budget was expanded; hundreds of thousands of poor families were removed from income tax rolls; and the new Trillium Drug Plan gave affordable access to all in need of therapeutic drugs.

The Rae government placed a renewed emphasis on aboriginal affairs, leading to the first Statement of Political Relationship between a provincial government and aboriginal leadership, acknowledging the need for government-to-government relations and providing new funding to address native poverty, with emphasis on housing, child care and improved sewer and water facilities.

Finally, as premier, Bob Rae held a deep commitment to the success of our federal system, and in particular, one that would accommodate Quebec's goals and aspirations, without jeopardizing Canadian national unity. He played a leadership role with the First Ministers that produced an affirmative vote in Ontario on the national referendum on the Charlottetown Accord.

Many other reforms were set in motion, many of which have been continued by successive governments. As to the Liberal leadership race, may the best candidate win. But in the process, the trumped-up myth that Bob Rae presided over an ineffective government needs to be put to rest.

Tim Armstrong was Ontario's Deputy Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology and was the province's Agent General for the Asia- Pacific region, 1986-1990.

Quick Quiz: Rebuilding the Party

2011-05-04T10:43:00.001-05:00

Rebuilding the Liberal party is going to take:

A) 6-12 months, if we push it and find the right leader.
B) 2-4 years, to make sure we are ready to regain power after the next election
C) 8-1O years, if we're lucky.

I think part of the cause of the party's recent setback has been too many people choosing A) or B) after the last couple of election losses.

The result? Option C) may be the new default.

One aspect of this that I think has been missed all around is that it takes time for leaders to make an impression, and more than just a couple years for Canadians to get to know them and warm up to them. Like it or not, we have to resolve to stick with our next leader for a long haul, perhaps even after an election loss (*gasp!*).

Another factor in the NDP and Conservatives success is that their respective leaders have been around long enough for people, average voters who aren't hard wired into politics, to get to know them and get comfortable with them. Unfortunately, Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff were never given this opportunity, so we'll never know how well they could have eventually done. We shouldn't make this mistake again, tempting as it is to try to find someone who will resonate with voters and enjoy a greater immediate success (has this ever happened?)

A few cents more

2011-05-04T06:51:00.002-05:00

To say that Monday night's returns were the result of further polarization in Canadian politics wouldn't be entirely accurate. While there is some evidence to say that this is a factor, it is still one out of a myriad.

One of the things that has been gradually helping the Conservatives towards this majority has been their own creep towards the centre of the Canadian political spectrum, where they will have to govern from if they want to solidify their gains. This is a transformation that has had to happen gradually, to avoid over straining the "stretch" that party is experiencing (this will become evident as Ontario and Toronto makes it's way back into the fold, and Alberta begins to wonder wtf they were thinking).

Stephen Harper's appeal to right-leaning Liberal voters was not an off-the-cuff remark. This was a focused tactic, a strategy which was geared toward pulling in more of the centrist vote, and it worked. This echoed Jack Layton's own "Lend us your votes" strategy from a few elections ago where the NDP pulled in the other direction; only the Liberal party could be targeted in this way (from opposite directions).

2 Cents

2011-05-03T23:12:00.001-05:00

Well, now I've read one account that says the Liberal party achieved the results it did in this election because it was too far to the right, that we were "Blue light" which obviously couldn't succeed when the choice for those so inclined would obviously be "Blue."

I've read another account that says that we were too close to the NDP on the left, and seemed to suggest, a disingenuous version of them which failed in the face of their perceived sincerity over ours regarding those positions which we shared.

Perhaps, just maybe, what we are seeing is more of a polarization of Canadian politics, moving slightly away from that centre ground that we have done so well to occupy in the past.

In such a scenario, you would see more of the kind of results that materialized for the Conservatives and the NDP.

Another upside

2011-05-03T16:40:00.001-05:00

Bev Oda will no longer have to resort to underhanded means to cancel funding to aid organizations.

Another silver lining

2011-05-03T11:36:00.001-05:00

Soon Sheila Fraser can release her report on the Conservative's spending for the G8!

Yip-pee.

More positives...

2011-05-03T08:04:00.000-05:00

Well, the attack ads against Michael Ignatieff should finally stop.

Looking on the bright side

2011-05-02T23:40:00.001-05:00

The Bloc are almost gone, for now.

The NDP enjoy historic gains, and becomes the Official Opposition.

The Green party elects their first MP.

And for better or worse, there will be a stable government and the Conservatives will fully own 100% of what comes out of it.

Burlington still leaning Conservative

2011-04-29T13:33:00.005-05:00

According to LISPOP, the riding of Burlington is still leaning heavily to the Conservatives. It doesn't look like the Orange Crush has taken effect in the riding.

The Liberal candidate is Alyssa Brierley. Her hope of winning rests on a significant number of disgruntled CPC votes bleeding away to the Liberals. I can say this because having scrutinized a few times I've seen firsthand that the NDP support has never shifted enough to the Liberals, even when it could have won the poll.

Soon the NDP will know the frustration of being so close (well, not in Burlington), and yet so far because they will be unable to coax that hardcore support away from another party. What comes around goes around, eh?

I can see both side of the coin though. Why should an NDP supporter deny their party the funding that comes with their vote? Small as the sacrifice may seem on an individual basis, it's the cohesiveness of the riding level support that can make a difference on the funding for the party and candidate, a hard lesson that the Liberals might soon get to experience themselves. When you are third party status, lending your votes can amount to political seppuku.

On the other hand, I want to see Stephen Harper out of the PMO enough that I would still be inclined to cast my vote to the party that had the best chance of defeating the Conservatives.

Winds of change

2011-04-28T09:44:00.001-05:00

Heady times for sure. Personally, I think there is only so much that can be done I the face of such a groundswell; it is looking the federal NDP party is going to have it's time in the sun. Good for them.

Another upside is that the Quebec electorate is once again learning they have other options, and that they can have an important say in the makeup of the government, beyond electing MP's that don't want to be part of Canada, and can't see beyond their own provincial borders.

As far as I can tell, the Liberal candidate in my riding still has the best shot to unseat the Conservative, but if it were the NDP candidate I would have given them my vote.

Thought on the NDP surge

2011-04-25T21:11:00.001-05:00

One of the things that has been somewhat downplayed is Jack Layton's current reliance on a cane, with the impression being that maybe the NDP were trying to avoid having Jack appear as a weakened leader, or too much like a senior citizen.

But, perhaps this is actually contributing to their current success?

The median age in Canada as of 2011 is an all time high of 41, which means that half of the population is middle aged, or older.

Looking at the Wikipedia entry on the Demogrphics of Canada, the largest cohorts in 2010 were in the 45 and 50 year range: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pyramideca2010.jpg

Could it be that an aging population sees something they identify with a little more, adding to the appeal of the NDP and the 60 year old Layton?

Obviously, I'm not saying this is the only factor, or even the largest of the many circumstances, but perhaps a significant one that has contributed to what is looking like a Sea change in the Canadian political landscape.

"Something to ponder before we vote, the sad truth" or "Quelle tragedie: Something that won't resonate with most Canadians"

2011-04-24T08:34:00.002-05:00

Not sure when this email originated, but by the time it made it to my inbox it was already out of date, at least in respect to who might be forming the official opposition.

That aside, the message in the email should resonate with any Canadian who isn't already a blinder wearing supporter of the Conservatives. It may have already been posted online, but I figure one more time couldn't hurt.

Written by a Senator who was originally appointed as a PC, it should give anyone cause for concern, but tragically enough, most voting Canadians wouldn't take the time to read it, and even then it likely wouldn't resonate with them. Quelle tragedie.

It reads:

*A letter from Tom Banks, Canadian Senator*

It's worth noting that Tom was a Conservative when he was appointed to the Senate. If you agree with this food for thought please feel free to send it to your friends of whatever political stripe. The bigger message here is how we want our government to behave, no matter who forms that government. Here's Tom's missive:

"There is only one thing about the outcome of the May 2nd election on which Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Harper agree. It is that one of them will be the Prime Minister of Canada. Mr. Layton, Mr. Duceppe and Ms. May are not in the running to form a government. They can't. It will be either Mr. Ignatieff or Mr. Harper.

That is the choice, and it is a very clear – in fact, stark choice. We will choose between openness or secrecy. Between listening or refusing to listen. Between someone who respects Parliament or someone who disdains it. Between things we can and will do now or things that, (provided of course that everything goes well), we might do in five or six years. Between someone who answers all questions from Canadians, or someone who won't accept any.

Between Mr. Harper who said "It's past time the feds scrapped the Canada Health Act", or Mr. Ignatieff who said " . . . we don't want user fees. We want universal, accessible, free-at-the-point-of-service health care, paid out of general revenue. That's just bottom line. Otherwise we get two-tiered".

Between buying jets or helping vets. Between real early childhood learning and care or Saturday-night babysitting. Between respect for our great institutions or contempt for them. Between helping families or helping big corporations. Between the Canada that we think we have, or the way in which Mr. Harper has already changed it.

Over the past few years Mr. Harper's government has quietly engineered so many changes that there are some ways in which our country is barely recognizable. Many of us don't yet realize the extent of those changes, because many of them have been brought about very carefully and gradually – almost imperceptibly in some cases.

This is diabolically clever. If these things had all been done at once, there would have been loud protests and reactions. But moving just one little brick at a time doesn't cause much fuss – until you realize that the whole house has been renovated. And we've hardly noticed.

These are changes that are at the very heart of who and what Canadians are. They are changes to the protections that used to exist against the tyranny of the majority – or against a single-minded my-way-or-the-highway autocrat. These changes are losses to our very Canadian-ness. Let me remind you of some of them:

The Law Commission of Canada was created by an Act of Parliament in 1997. It worked very well. It kept an eye in a sort-of avuncular way, on necessary reforms of the law, including election law. The Commission couldn't actually change law; but it was very good at letting governments and everybody else know when changes needed to be made and why. It was our legal Jiminy Cricket, and it performed a valuable service for Canada. The Commission was created by an Act of Parliament, and any government wanting to shut it down should have been up-front about it. It should have come to Parliament with a Bill to rescind The Law Commission of Canada Act. That's what any of our 21 previous Prime Ministers would have done.

But to Mr. Harper, Parliament is an inconvenience. Somebody might ask "Why are you doing this?" But he didn't want to go through all that Parliamentary trouble; so, rather than proposing the abolition of the Commission (a proposal about which there would have been pretty fierce debate on all sides), they just eliminated all funding for it in the federal budget. Governments can do that. Poof – no Law Commission.

Nice and quiet. Just one little brick. Hardly noticed.

Then there was the Court Challenges Programme, set up in 1994, which was the means by which a bit of legal help could be provided to a private individual or small organization who didn't have a lot of money, and who was taking on, or being taken on by, the Government of Canada. It leveled the legal playing field a bit. It was a perfect example of fundamental Canadian fairness.

By convincing a tough panel of judges of the reasonableness of your cause, you could get a little help in paying for some lawyers to go up against the phalanx of legal beagles that could always, and forever, and at public expense, be brought to bear against you by the State. In other words, if you weren't rich, and if you were taking on or being taken on by the Feds, you might have had a chance. But Mr. Harper doesn't like being questioned, let alone challenged. It's so inconvenient! Solution? Quietly announce that the Court Challenges Programme is being, er, discontinued. Poof – no Court Challenges Programme – no court challenges.

Hardly noticed.

The Coordination of Access to Information Request System (CAIRS) was created (by a Progressive-Conservative government) in 1989 so that departments of government could harmonize their responses to access-to-information requests that might need multi-departmental responses. It was efficient; it made sure that in most cases the left hand knew what the right hand was doing, or at least what they were saying; and it helped keep government open and accountable. Well, if you're running a closed-door government, that's not a good idea, is it? So, as a Treasury Board official explained to the Canadian Press, CAIRS was killed by the Harper government because "extensive" consultations showed it wasn't valued by government departments. I guess that means that the extensive consultations were all with government departments.

Wait! Wasn't there anybody else with whom to extensively consult? Wasn't there some other purpose and use for CAIRS? Didn't it have something to do with openness and accountability? I guess not. Robert Makichuk, speaking for Mr. Harper's government, explained that "valuable resources currently being used to maintain CAIRS would be better used in the collection and analysis of improved statistical reporting".

Right. In other words, CAIRS was an inconvenience to the government. So poof – it's disappeared. And, except for investigative reporters and other people who might (horrors!) ask questions, its loss is hardly noticed.

And the bridge too far for me: Cutting the already-utterly-inadequate funding for the exposure of Canadian art and artists in other countries. That funding was, by any comparison, already laughably miniscule. Mr. Harper says that "ordinary" Canadians don't support the arts. He's wrong. And his is now the only government of any significant country in the world that clearly just doesn't get it.

All these changes were done quietly, cleverly, and under the radar. No fuss. No outcry. Just one little brick at a time. But in these and other ways, our Canadian house is no longer the kind of place it once was. Nobody minds good renovations. Nobody even minds tearing something down, as long as we put up something better in its place. That's not what has happened.

Mr. Harper fired the head of the Canadian Wheat Board because he was doing his job properly. He removed the head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission because she wanted to make sure that the Chalk River nuclear reactor was safe.

Hardly noticed.

There are many more things that were hardly noticed: Cuts to funding for the Status of Women, Adult Learning and Literacy, Environmental Programs, museums funding, and more. All quietly, just one brick at a time.

Hardly noticed.

As to campaign promises, everybody in sight on every side is guilty of breaking those. Except the Federal NDP of course, who haven't yet had the opportunity. (It's very easy to make promises that you know you will not likely have to keep).

But the government promised to end wait times in health care. They didn't. They promised to end, once and for all, the whining of some provinces about the non-existent "fiscal imbalance". They didn't. They said they had brought final resolution to the softwood lumber problem with the U.S. They haven't. They promised to create thousands of new child-care spaces in Canada. They haven't. They promised not to tax income trusts ("We will NEVER do that!" they said). They taxed them. They promised to lower your income tax.

They raised it.

They said they had a good "made-in-Canada" plan to meet our obligations on climate change. They don't. Mr. Harper has said plainly that whatever the Americans do is what we'll do too.

They campaign on a platform of transparency and accountability; but they're now trying to discredit the Parliamentary Budget Officer that they created, because he's trying to do the job that they gave him. Mr. Harper said that our form of government, evolved over centuries from the 900-year-old British Westminster tradition, was all wrong. We had to have fixed election dates, because otherwise, democratic principles would be trampled. "Fixed election dates", he said, "stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar. They level the playing field for all parties".

So Parliament (remember them?) at Mr. Harper’s insistence, passed a law requiring fixed election dates, which Mr. Harper promptly broke.

Somebody once said that we get the kind of government we deserve. What did we do to deserve Mr. Harper? He once said that we should all “Stand Up for Canada”. Well, let’s do that. We just have to decide whether the present version of Canada is the one that we’ll stand up for. Or stand for.

On the positive side...

2011-04-13T14:31:00.005-05:00

... if they win a majority, it's gong show laughs like this for 4+ years!

2011-03-31T10:41:00.001-05:00

Coward.

Makes me wonder...

2011-03-25T08:12:00.002-05:00

Do we really want the Tories negotiating water exports?

Remember what a great job they did with Softwood Lumber issue?

Enough Harper

2011-03-24T12:25:00.001-05:00

At least somebody...

2011-03-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

...is standing on guard for thee.

How much longer they can hold out is another question.

Wise guy for mayor !?! Fuhgeddaboudit!

2010-09-30T06:43:00.000-05:00

I just saw that campaign theme this morning, thanks to the captivate network in our buildings elevators.

Whoever thought up that should give their head a shake.

I won't even bother listing the myriad ways that is offensive.

Wtf?

2010-05-04T05:35:00.000-05:00

So then I turn the page and read about Nancy Ruth's comments... Wtf!?

Apopleptic with disbelief.

Vive les Canadiens!

2010-05-04T05:22:00.001-05:00

About as short a french phrase as I could write and I'm somehow sure I've still managed to mangle it.

I'm trying to make reference to our Heritage Ministers idiocy in publicly proclaiming that one hockey team from the West coast is "Canada's real team." Oh, but it makes sense because he's so fond of their colours.

Never mind trying to argue the opposite point, name and historical significance of the Habs making more than a case for themselves.

No, the truth is that we have once again a cabinet minister, our Heritage minister no less, clearly playing favorites with segments of the Canadian population. What is it about the Conservatives that compels them to constantly pick and choose who is a real Canadian? It might not be such an annoying trait if they didn't seem to demonstrate such a profound inability to make a reasonable assessment.

You haven't lived in the country all your life? Your not a Canadian.

You were born in the country, but chose to work abroad? Less than Canadian.

You don't blindly support the actions of the military? Not a Canadian, or worse, you're some sort of traitor.

And now again they manage to cleave even more national division into another area where it really doesn't belong. Crass politics have been applied to something we all love, and should be able to enjoy without some idiot going and inadvertently spoiling it for some.

A crude attempt to label their vision of who and what represents Canada, ignorant of the reality of this country.

So, could somebody remind the erstwhile Heritage minister of the oath he pledged when he accepted his post? Maybe it will sink in enough that he'll start to pretend at least that he is supposed to represent all Canadians, including le "Canadiens."

This thing is still here?

2010-04-22T06:22:00.001-05:00

Hey look, I still have a political blog.

I've been trying to avoid paying attention to politics as much as possible for the past six months or so, and I think I can say I'm happier for it.

See you in six months.

Canada's image lies in tatters. It is now to climate what Japan is to whaling

2009-12-03T17:30:00.005-05:00

From the Guardian. The Neo-Tories can make all the excuses they want, it doesn't change the fact that as far as the world is concerned they will get to wear this, and it looks good on them.

The tar barons have held the nation to ransom. This thuggish petro-state is today the greatest obstacle to a deal in Copenhagen

When you think of Canada, which qualities come to mind? The world's peacekeeper, the friendly nation, a liberal counterweight to the harsher pieties of its southern neighbour, decent, civilised, fair, well-governed? Think again. This country's government is now behaving with all the sophistication of a chimpanzee's tea party.

Read on

Hmmm, think I'll check out the headlines in the st... OH MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!

2009-10-30T14:32:00.004-05:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist, in light of my last post. I can't help but think the media is helping stoke a dangerous level of paranoia about this situation.

Of course everyone should get the flu shot, but that has always been the case.

Update: Maybe we'll get somthing to really panic about.

Perspective

2009-10-30T06:18:00.003-05:00

Click on the photo to see a larger version, and get some perspective on this situation that we are in.

Why am I a member of this party again?

2009-09-17T11:46:00.001-05:00

That is the question I ask myself after reading this.

Here we go

2009-09-14T05:56:00.000-05:00

I caught the new Conservative adds on TV last night on Sunday Night Football.

It is just a little strange that their opening salvo is still a shot about Michael Ignatieff having lived in the US for a decade (teaching at Harvard for some of that, wasn't he?).

You have to wonder at the strategy of decrying an affinity for the US to the Canadians watching American football. Their polling must have told them it would work.

Their other tactic might work however, as they seem to be sticking with the "an election could hurt the economic recovery" line. The sad part is that kind of fearmongering might stick if they keep saying it enough. We shall see.

Now this gaffe deserves some attention...

2009-07-10T10:21:00.003-05:00

Hard to find good help, eh Steve? Maybe embarrassing moments like this wouldn't happen if you weren't so preoccupied with taking partisan pot-shots at inappropriate times.

Oh for crying out loud...

2009-07-08T11:16:00.002-05:00

I'm no fan of Harper, but this is nonsense... gotcha politics at it's worst.

Isn't there anything more important people could be reporting?

Tory Minister of the week race heating up!

2009-06-09T06:19:00.005-05:00

John Baird obviously hasn't been getting enough attention lately. Not content to let Lisa Raitt have all the coverage, and perhaps concerned that Leona Aglukkaq might join her in getting more ink than he has of late, Canada's biggest blowhard decided to up his game and jump into the limelight in a big way.

Well, the good news for him is that he likely didn't make the Tories chances of electing a Toronto MP any worse than they already were.

I still can't believe that we managed to oust dolts like this from the Ontario provincial government, only to have them fail upwards into the Federal government.

PS. Does it get any better that this is a typical file photo of Baird?

(credit to SEAN KILPATRICK/THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO)

Update: Ok, Canada's biggest blowhard may have justifiable, albeit poorly articulated reasons to be angry.

Update: Ok, deftly handled and put to rest.

Wtf!? Old tapes?

2009-05-28T06:22:00.003-05:00

Politics in Canada takes another turn for the bizarre.

I'm guessing if there was any real mudslinging gold on those tapes, it would have been released with the last round of drive-by smearing.

Either that or Harper has just such a wealth of material to mine that he and the Neo-Tory war room haven't got the time to possibly go through it all.

Whichever the case, bring it on. Really. With a threat like that, you either prove there was something that we should hear, or you admit it's not worth wasting our time over, and that they were just bluffing.

I'm guessing its the latter.

Because they don't seem to be doing anything else effectual...

2009-05-13T11:12:00.008-05:00

Floundering in the polls, the Conservatives decide to step it up and... release more ads attacking the official opposition?

For an unbelievable third time, yet another unprecedented attack of the sitting opposition outside of an election period is the best thing Stephen Harper could come up with to improve his party's image.

This could be going a bit too far, as the Tory smear machine attempts to label one of Parliament's more accomplished MP's as an "arrogant elitist." Yep, only under the Harper Conservatives does being a Harvard professor count as a black mark, or a liability.

Steve-H seems to be under the mistaken impression that just because his degrees are apparently worthless, everyone else's are as well.

Hmmm... they appear to have disabled comments and ratings for this ad on Youtube... I wonder why, heh heh.

2 cents for this week

2009-05-07T10:38:00.004-05:00

This is a really bad idea imho... I understand wanting to support Canadian workers, but not by politicising (sp?) the Olympics.

That sound you hear is me grinding my teeth

2009-04-21T06:38:00.003-05:00

What an awful mis-step this is... really, what kind of excuse can there be for this level of ineptitude and sheer disregard for consumers? None.

Blogging hasn't been a priority, and nothings really fired me up in awhile, until now... notice my last post? My Mexican vacation in January was booked through Conquest. They were a recognized name brand in the industry, and we certainly had no reason to suspect they were teetering on insolvency.

Should we have been warned? Damn straight. Of course it would have meant we might not have booked our vacation with them, but then there wouldn't have been a risk of a vacation nightmare.

The people who ended up being held for ransom in their resorts in Mexico were denied the information that might have enabled them to make an informed decision.

I understand that TICO doesn't want to precipitate failures by companies that are cash strapped, but then again, who did that concern help in this case?

Conquest? Still went under.

Consumers? Shafted. Royally.

Hasta la vista

2009-01-15T05:29:00.002-05:00

I'll be getting on a plane this morning bound for Cancun, Mexico.

Just sayin.

What?

Happy New Year, everyone.

2009-01-01T11:01:00.006-05:00

Wishing everyone, of all political stripes* a Happy New Year.

Au Revoir: Stephane Dion almost went out with a bang. I was pulling for him personally, and still think the coalition would have been a much better choice for Canada's government (thanks Michaelle). Far from being a lame duck -- the erroneous use of that term grated my nerves even more than Harper's disengenuous claims of the coalition being anti-democratic -- Stephane, in his final act as leader of the Liberal party, did a good job of reminding Harper that he's the leader of a minority government and forgets that fact at his own peril.

Egads: The perspective I'm getting -- not that I'm an economist or anything -- is that the economic downturn we just experienced is the result of two major bubbles, sub-prime mortgage lending and oil, both breaking. Both were artificially inflating economies thanks to rampant greed, as investors hoped to increase the value of their portfolios. The message for the future? Real growth needs to be based on concrete foundations, and investment in areas that bring real value to the market and society, locally and globally.

Wow, they did it: What a year in US politics... definitely one for the history books.

Some other leftover business from 2008: In late July I had attempted to jump-start a political blog inspired blood drive fueled by some good natured partisan competition. When the dust settled in September the only participant was still me.

Congratulations to Rob from Nanaimo who chimed in for the Conservative supporters in December... better late than never, and so a special Happy New Year to you Rob!

New totals:

Liberals: 1
CPC: 1
Greens: 0
NDP: 0

Hey, just a reminder that Canadian Blood Services still need donations eh?

I'm thinking about my predictions for 2009, and should post them sometime soon.

Update some time later: Predictions? Meh.

*Well, obviously not all political stripes: Neo-nazis, communists, Hamas, and other such extremist nutbars can all sod-off, thank you very much.

Oh, the Harpocrisy!

2008-12-11T08:23:00.002-05:00

Seriously, how many times have you said to yourself: "I can just imagine the howls of outrage if the Liberals had done this."

Too many.

Oh well.

Holding my breath...

2008-12-04T09:16:00.004-05:00

Waiting for word on what transpires from Harpo's visit to the GG. Although from what I gather from, she may accede to his request to prorogue, unfortunately.

I'm catching the drift that Ignatieff's supporters are losing their nerve... is this and indication of how Michael feels about the coalition? I hear more talk from some quarters looking for reconciliation with the Conservatives on this matter, which is disappointing and strange considering they don't seem particularly conciliatory themselves.

Somebody please remind Michael that Harper just tried to murder the Liberal party, you know, the one Ignatief wants to lead, eh?

Update: Merde

Crisis? What crisis?

2008-12-02T22:19:00.005-05:00

My message to the coalition partners: Hang in there team. Two and a half years of peace, order and good government will make Canadians forget all about this brief kerfuffle.

I'm sick of this episode of parliamentary procedure 101 being described as a "crisis." The Economic meltdown currently still underway? That's a crisis. Terrorist attacks in Mumbai? Crisis. Thai protesters laying siege to airports? Crisis.

This isn't a crisis. A rare lesson in procedure, yep. Crisis? No.

The only people who really believe this is a "crisis" are Conservatives... for the majority of the Canadian electorate who voted for other parties, namely the Liberals, NDP and yes even the Bloc, this isn't a crisis; rather, it's an opportunity to have the kind of government that we wanted when we voted.

I'm really fed up with hearing this situation being called "undemocratic" by Harper and his minions. They are either being willfully deceptive, or they are truly ignorant when it comes to the processes of Parliament, but then again considering how they got themselves into this mess the latter might be closer to the truth.

Watching Rick Anderson on the National tonight, I was surprised to see him acting more of the shill than usual, and did I detect an edge in his voice? Some perturbation? He seemed to be laying it on pretty thick and partisan when he made his appeal to the 'grown-ups' in the opposition parties to save the Harper government from it's own ineptitude.

Also interesting was the brief mention that the Conservatives are making the rounds trying to see who they can get to cross the floor to help them, coupled with the veiled threat that Liberals or NDP'ers who support the coalition might find themselves in trouble in the next election, entirely ignoring the fact that they were elected by people who opposed the Conservatives.

I repeat: Keep your eyes on the ball. Two and a half years of peace, order and good government will make Canadians forget all about this tempest in a teapot. Make the Canadian Parliament work, and resist the temptation to try and make hay at your partners expense.

Wow... this would be excellent.

5 days and counting...

2008-12-02T13:15:00.004-05:00

Thoughts on the today's news and recent events:

Peter MacKay and Ed Stelmach are only looking out for the interests of fellow Conservatives, nothing more.

Stephen Harper managed to blunder his way through the last election, and somehow got a free pass from a minority of voting Canadians. If the coalition doesn't take over, they will be letting down the majority of Canadians who voted for parties other than the CPC.

The most irresponsible thing Parliament could do would be to let Stephen Harper continue to act as Prime Minister.

I'm quite startled by the number of Canadians who don't seem to grasp that this is not only a function of Parliament, but who think this represents some sort of 'instability,' when in fact it is stability being reasserted.

Damn... six days and counting... you can tell that I'm eager for the change.

A long overdue commercial:

2008-11-28T21:38:00.008-05:00

Hearing that Jean Chretien and Ed Broadbent were working behind the scenes to help get the parties talking and potentially working together made my day.

The opposition stand up to Steve Harper and Deficit Jim's odious and partisan attack? ... was a bonus.

Reading that Steve and Jim *blinked* and retreated with their tails between their legs... priceless.

For some things in life, like when the Neo-Tories rule arrogantly with a minority, there was Scotch, and lots of it; but for days like today, there is Mastercard, the official card of the Loyal Opposition kicking ass and taking names.

And now I'm breaking mine out to make a couple donations.

Oh, and the current leadership race?

2008-11-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

Put a deadline on the throwing-the-hat-in and/or nomination process, and then give every current paid member 1 vote.

No superdelegates or whatever you want to call them.

Make the vote by riding, so that travel out to BC isn't required.

And then everyone be ready to work together, no matter who wins.

This process needs to be cheap and decisive, at least for this time around, imho.

Pull the plug

2008-11-27T13:11:00.003-05:00

Deficit Jim's bill cannot be allowed to pass, imho.

So vote it down, and be prepared to meet with the other opposition leaders, and work out a coalition government that will represent the interests of the majority of Canadians.

Nice of them to wait until the election was over.

2008-11-21T08:27:00.004-05:00

RCMP interview Bernier about Couillard claims

Mounties waited until after the election to discuss allegations of influence peddling with former foreign affairs minister

Wouldn't want to unfairly influence the electorate, now would they.

Tory times, eh?

2008-11-21T08:19:00.001-05:00

But Harper's ability to respond to the crisis has been undercut by his own government's record of tax cuts, which has emptied federal coffers, the parliamentary budget officer concluded in a report released yesterday.

Budget officer Kevin Page concluded the federal Conservatives are likely to run budget deficits "in the near term," possibly beginning this year, and that the fault lies as much with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty as it does with the weak economy. Page's report projects a budget deficit of $3.9 billion in 2009-10. But it adds that, if the economic downturn proves worse than expected, next year's federal deficit could hit $14 billion.

Liberal 308

2008-11-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

Having recently started re-reading The Big Red Machine, I was reminded of some of the past forays into renewal that the Liberal party has made.

With this in mind, I'm optimistic there will be some positive results from the latest grassroots movement towards reform and renewal of the party, through Liberal 308.

Personally, I think one of the keys is going to have to be getting out the message that being a Liberal means being involved; Involved in fundraising, and involved in campaigning.

So first, I issue the challenge to myself to dig deep and give more. I've made my first donation, and I look forward to being involved in the process of continued renewal.*

*which really won't begin for me until December as I've gotten myself caught up in the NaNoWriMo thing... wish me luck.

Bob

2008-11-03T20:20:00.004-05:00

I had a feeling in my gut telling me I didn't want to see him run for the leadership this time around.

Not because I don't think he's the best choice for leader of the Liberal party right now; quite the contrary, I've never been more convinced that he is one of the few preeminent statespeople in Canada at this time.

It is just going to be such an uphill battle. I don't think there is another candidate out there that has any more 'empty baggage.'

Empty baggage, because there isn't much, if any substance to the knocks against Bob Rae, or his time in office as Premeir of Ontario.

The trolls will attribute all sorts of fictional and nonsensical failing, twisting the circumstances of the time entirely to suit their lame arguements.

Even if he wins the party leadership, the same vacuous zombie lies pick themselves up, and stagger after us again during the next Federal election. I've seen enough zombie movies to know, the zombies always win.

Nevertheless, I have to give my support where conscience dictates.

That said...

A Defence of Bob Rae's Ontario

and

Political mythmaking, Ontario style
By Tim Armstrong The Hamilton Spectator (Aug 14, 2006)

The drumbeat theme of those opposing Bob Rae's Liberal leadership candidacy is, "A smart guy, with a terrible record as premier of Ontario." It's difficult to fathom whether this myth is the product of ignorance, malice, or both.

I was appointed as a Deputy Minister by Premier Davis and served under him and his three successors, Premiers Peterson, Miller and Rae. None of those premiers would claim to have achieved perfection. But the suggestion that the Rae government did not live up to -- and in some areas exceed -- the standards and accomplishments of its predecessors on behalf of the people of Ontario is untrue.

When Bob Rae assumed office, the province was faced with an economic crisis -- a deepening recession, unprecedented competitive challenges from a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., high interest rates, an overvalued dollar and a budget deficit of several billion dollars rather than the surplus predicted by the prior administration. Over 300,000 manufacturing jobs were lost between 1989 and 1992.

When the Rae government approached the end of its term, Ontario led the way in growth among the provinces and had one of the strongest economies in the G7. Surveys showed strong consumer and business confidence.

Private sector investment was back with billions in capital spending. Labour productivity was at an all-time high, as were manufacturing exports. Health-care costs were under much improved control as part of a broader strategy that was reducing the deficit.

My most memorable work with Premier Rae involved the restructuring of Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie and Dehavilland Aircraft in Downsview. From the outset, the premier made it clear that he was determined, in the interests of the employees, the affected communities, and the provincial economy, that both companies would survive. His personal efforts in achieving success exceeded, in dedication, intelligence and shrewd negotiating skills, anything that I had previously experienced.

The costs incurred by Ontario in these restructurings, as well as those extracted from the federal government, have been recovered, many times over, in tax revenues alone. And the dismal alternatives to success -- weeds in the companies' parking lots, padlocks on their gates, and thousands of discouraged unemployed workers, their families on welfare or seeking social assistance -- were all avoided. These achievements were repeated, at Spruce Falls Pulp & Paper in Kapuskasing and other communities across the province, under the Manufacturing Recovery Program, a program designed and implemented with the full involvement of the Premier.

Bob Rae was, from the outset, under attack from many in the business community. After taking office, he faced vigorous opposition from organized labour, principally for his efforts to curtail what he perceived to be excessive wage demands and his commitment to share the necessary cuts in government spending fairly. In my experience in the labour relations field, if you displease both labour and management, you are likely on the right path.

There were other noteworthy achievements during this time. The Rae government successfully promoted the Jobs Ontario program, with increased investment in child care and training; incentives to employers to hire people on welfare and those whose employment insurance had run out; the elimination of payroll taxes on any new employee hired -- policies that, combined, created in excess of 50,000 jobs.

Ontario's welfare system was renewed, focusing on the needs of children living in poverty; the child-care budget was expanded; hundreds of thousands of poor families were removed from income tax rolls; and the new Trillium Drug Plan gave affordable access to all in need of therapeutic drugs.

The Rae government placed a renewed emphasis on aboriginal affairs, leading to the first Statement of Political Relationship between a provincial government and aboriginal leadership, acknowledging the need for government-to-government relations and providing new funding to address native poverty, with emphasis on housing, child care and improved sewer and water facilities.

Finally, as premier, Bob Rae held a deep commitment to the success of our federal system, and in particular, one that would accommodate Quebec's goals and aspirations, without jeopardizing Canadian national unity. He played a leadership role with the First Ministers that produced an affirmative vote in Ontario on the national referendum on the Charlottetown Accord.

Many other reforms were set in motion, many of which have been continued by successive governments. As to the Liberal leadership race, may the best candidate win. But in the process, the trumped-up myth that Bob Rae presided over an ineffective government needs to be put to rest.

Tim Armstrong was Ontario's Deputy Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology and was the province's Agent General for the Asia- Pacific region, 1986-1990.

"You can't turn off the big red machine; you just shut it down for maintenance."

2008-10-19T11:38:00.004-05:00

And so it appears that the machine is going for an overhaul on Monday. Call it ongoing renewal (I mean, we're obviously not done yet are we?)

Stephane Dion will have packed a lot of experience into the year and a bit (correction: two years) at the helm of the Liberal party. From a heady and improbable fifth-to-first victory in the leadership race, to the distinction of being the target of at least two unprecedented off-election-cycle attack add campaigns launched by the governing Tories, to the agony of defeat and finally the victim of an ignominious push by Liberal party members who are perhaps a little impatient in their desire to get back to winning.

I hope he doesn't take it too hard. He fought the good fight, with a better than expected showing in both debates, and only one minor gaffe which unfortunately accentuated his only weakness, that of his English language skills. Too much time was spent trying to gloss over or defend this chink in the armour. Consider it this way, political leaders whose primary language was English but had a poor grasp of French have always been seen as liabilities (usually for the NDP or some Reform/Alliance leader). Yes, Chretien had his own language difficulty, but in hindsight he also had decades of experience in the trenches of the bloodsport of Canadian politics.

In the end, Mr. Dion's intelligence and integrity couldn't necessarily translate itself into the kind of withering attack that would be required to take down even a bumbling Stephen Harper (who truly did bumble-away a majority that was finally within his grasp), nor could he galvanize public opinion in such a way as to draw out the required support from an increasingly politically apathetic populace.

That raises a good point: was it Stephane Dion, or was it an election that just couldn't bring out Canadians to the polls? Three elections in six years is a bit much (correction: three elections in four years? worse); if the next one falls anywhere within a winter season, be prepared for an absolutely appalling turnout (provided there isn't some sort of scandal or trigger that inflames our less than glowing hearts).

Denied the second chance that even Turner was given, Stephane Dion will be relegated to one of the brief chapters in Liberal party leadership history. He wasn't my first, or second choice for leader, but once chosen he did grow on me, and I personally would have supported him for another campaign at the very least. But this is Canadian politics, and the Liberal party prefers less and less to twist and dangle in opposition.

Warren Kinsella has called it: "The Liberal Party will win the next election: that's my prediction. I'll put money on it."

We'll see, just hopefully not too soon.

T-minus 1 day...

2008-10-13T14:32:00.005-05:00

This should be my last post until the election is final. I'll be working to G.O.T.V. tomorrow, starting at 9:30am.

Nader eh? Yeah, we'll take it. This should piss-off Jack.

Have a happy E-day everyone, and remember... we can disagree without being disagreeable.

Conservative Softwood Sellout Blowback

2008-10-13T08:51:00.002-05:00

There's still time for Harper and the Conservatives to wear this one, if enough people hear about this:

h/t to Red Tory

Here's a link to another post on the topic also: Harper Soffwood Sellout becomes U.S. payout

Theft and Defacing of campaign signs is unacceptable regardless of which party is attacked

2008-10-12T14:32:00.002-05:00

Until today, I had only heard about Liberal signs, houses and cars being targeted for election vandalism; however, it now seems to be blight that is affecting the CPC party as well.

It doesn't matter which party is being targeted, this kind of attack is utterly unacceptable, and an anathema to the democratic principles of freedom of speech and security of property and person.

In a time when the average person's regard for politicians and the political process is almost at an all time low, any such criminal behaviour that drives people further away from participation is utterly detestable.

It strikes me as such a bizarre tactic on so many levels... it only reflects poorly on the party(s) who signs aren't affected. The added expense ends up costing all taxpayers a little more, and if the perpetrators are to be caught and their association with a specific party is revealed, the effect for that party could be disastrous... why risk it?

It's easy to assume that the rival parties somehow endorse or condone this kind of behaviour, as I've figured must be the case here in Burlington and nearby Halton where the main victims appear to be Liberal, but such a knee jerk reaction would be equally wrong, and lends itself to possibly reinforcing these acts of vandalism.

I think all parties should make it a priority to condemn and acts of election vandalism, especially when it affects their rivals.

It might also help to restore some people's faith in the Canadian political system.

Now the muzzles on the other... er, you know what I mean...

2008-10-12T12:52:00.003-05:00

Nice to the see the press is picking up on the fact that Stephen Harper has chosen to muzzle himself, along with the rest of this CPC caucus in the closing days of the election.

He might be giving speeches, but he won't be taking questions.

If it keeps him from giving out any more ill-informed stock advice, it might be the smartest move he's made in quite a while. I hope nobody was caught up in Steve's irrational exuberance with regards to 'good buys' in the market... now there's a piece of tape that would have been better off lost in translation.

Still, keeping himself at arms length from people with questions won't keep this tactic from being recognized as that of a weak leader. The Globe might think he's growing into the job, but I think he's wilting.

It's ironic that Harper had the temerity to jump on Stephane Dion's unfortunate taped interview from last week, when it proved to be a minor gaffe, and one that hasn't stopped Mr. Dion from meeting the press and taking questions.

Who's 'not a leader' now Steve, eh?

Meanwhile, South of the border...

2008-10-12T10:19:00.001-05:00

Theft of the 2008 Election:

Just one more reason I'm grateful to be Canadian.

Toronto Star endorses Stephane Dion and the Liberal party

2008-10-11T08:11:00.003-05:00

The Toronto Star's editorial board have endorsed Stephane Dion and the Liberal party, and contrary to what the Tory trolls will undoubtedly say, their choice was not 'automatic' or 'a given,' but rather one arrived at after some debate and discussion.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has run a government that has put partisanship and ideology ahead of the public interest.
In fiscal policy, Harper has pursued a neo-conservative strategy to cut the GST – not, as economists had recommended, income taxes – in order to reduce dramatically the role of government. He inherited a $12 billion surplus from the previous Liberal government (under Paul Martin) and has squandered almost all of it. His moves have left the government with little room to manoeuvre in the current crisis. (more)

Campaign sign theft in Burlington

2008-10-11T06:37:00.004-05:00

My sign was stolen some time last night. @#%&*!

I arrived home around around 1:30am and noticed it was gone. I had noticed other Liberal signs on our street were missing (but not any CPC signs, curiously).

Checking the brake lines on my wife's and mother-in-law's cars which were in the driveway, everything looked ok... I'll test them out to be safe.

Well, I had a small sign before... think it's time for a big one now.

...and I'll be extra vigilant for the next few nights.

Oh well

2008-10-09T20:19:00.005-05:00

The hope was nice while it lasted. Hey, maybe it won't be such a big deal, or make much of a difference, but then again when an "awkward moment" from a taped interview makes the national news, it usually makes an impression.

Tough break Stephane. It's too bad you won't be judged for what is really most important. C'est la vie.

Let's hear it for the liberal-biased MSM!

Update: Hey look, front page of the Star. @#%&!.

For future reference Stephane, asking for a do-over in a taped interview is like telling the interviewer to garrote you with the extra tape.

As usual, Red Tory says it best.

Campaign thought for the day

2008-10-09T07:50:00.003-05:00

I'm nowhere near being connected to the larger campaign, so this post amounts to some off-handed speculation.

Quebec and BC are the key battlegrounds for a Liberal minority.

I come to this thinking:

Things couldn't get to much better in Atlantic Canada
Ontario is trending in the right direction
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are as tough as they'll ever be... always worth the effort, but don't expect much return.

The next 4 days are going to be interesting, to say the least.

OMG Is this a joke?

2008-10-07T10:07:00.006-05:00

This can't be real can it?

This has to be some sort of bizarre joke right?

Of course, in a government where central messaging control is religion, it is all purely coincidental that the feds' latest marketing mascot is a white guy with a helmet-head hairdo and the same name as George Bush's favourite moniker for our PM.

And the timing... I'm speechless. Was this really supposed to help attract tourists to Canada?

On the page featuring Victoria, for instance, there's a picture of Steve in a wetsuit, looking oh-so-Stockwell Day, and talking about sea kayaking around the blue-hair capital of the universe.
Steve "tips his hat to Calgary" in an urban cowboy outfit, which at least looks a lot better on a bobblehead than the PM's famous vest get-up for the Stampede. Notably, a third of the page is devoted to the Calgarian inventor of the Bloody Caesar cocktail.

Wow.

Afterthought: Hey wait a sec... is this their platform!? You will vote for bobblehead Steve... look into his eyes.... you're getting sleepy.

Monday morning... "The fundementals of our economy are _______"

2008-10-06T09:53:00.004-05:00

You fill in the blank.

Hey, things could turn around this afternoon...

Update: 11:43am and things are already rebounding... but oil is still down. While I won't mind the lower gas prices, that will be the harbinger of rough seas for the Canadian economy.

Update 2: 3:17pm... yow, this sucks.

The Conservative Foreign Policy train wreck continues

2008-10-01T09:09:00.004-05:00

Couillard told to trash NATO briefings? Sacre bleu!

Wow. Can the Conservatives be revealed to be any more inept and unfit to lead?

I'm hoping more Canadians wake up to this fact, but again, I'm not holding my breath.

The debates are going to be the best opportunity to take a bite out of the CPC. If Harper uses any prepared statements, Stephane Dion should ask him if they're his own original work.

The Sarah Palin Random Quote Generator

2008-09-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

Sarah Palin Random Quote Generator

Enjoy

Disturbing

2008-09-30T11:27:00.004-05:00

There is something truly disturbing about watching your Prime Minister (then the Leader of the Official Opposition) parroting, almost word for word, a speech by another Prime Minister from another county.

Could someone pass on a message to PMSH that it's still plagiarism even when you aren't in school?

Ok, sure, it's a five year old speech; 'big deal' you say.

I say it should serve as a reminder that PMSH would have had Canada involved in the 2nd Iraq war. I wonder what the Canadian casualty count from that escapade would have been?

Hey Jack, Listen up: This is why I'm not going to vote NDP*

2008-09-29T17:24:00.008-05:00

I had the pleasure of catching a brief snippet you on CBC Radio1 on the drive home tonight, and I just thought I'd pass on a little advice:

I get that you don't just want to be leader of the official opposition, but rather that you want to be elected Prime Minister.

I get that your job is to attract as many voters to the NDP as possible. Got it.

I totally grok that you and all of the NDP supports out there truly and passionately believe in the NDP vision, and furthermore that you all believe it is the best path for all (or at least most)Canadians. Check.

But when you start flatulating about voters not choosing the "same-old-same-old," as you put it, you only steel my resolve not to vote for you.

Did it ever occur to you or your genius campaign advisers that maybe some Liberals vote Liberal not just out of habit, but because its the party that has best represented our values, and has achieved great things? When you denigrate those achievements, you only succeed in driving my vote away.

Was helping ensure that gays and lesbians are not second class citizens, but instead enjoy the same rights and privileges as all Canadians the "same-old-same-old"?

Was lengthening maternity leave to one year the "same-old-same-old"?

Was balancing the Federal budget and helping ensure prosperity for Canada the "same-old-same-old"? This one is especially poignant, because Mulroney left Canada with the largest deficit ever, and there is no way any NDP'er could ever say with a straight face that the NDP would have had the cool hand to pull that recovery off.

Was choosing to keep Canada out of the 2nd Iraq war the "same-old-same-old"? Meh, probably, and the NDP would have done that too I guess.

Has the NDP ever even come close to the remotest possibility of achieving the position of leadership in this country to be able to achieve any of these things? Ever wonder why perhaps?

So Jack, the quick and dirty is that your "same-old-same-old" line is, quite frankly, offensive.

So kindly get stuffed.

*at least in this election, for certain. If , in the future, for some unforeseen reason I should find myself living in a riding where the NDP have the best shot at winning the local seat in a close race with a CPC candidate, I would likely hold my nose and lend you my vote, because that's the kind of guy I am. Get stuffed.

Update: Let me spell this out for people like Lefdog who just don't get it... I listened to Jack instead of reflexively turning off the radio, and he only succeeded in offending me. Is this a good strategy? Hmmmm? Shit, why am I bothering?

Get the message out: Tories anti-abortion agenda

2008-09-25T16:01:00.003-05:00

From the Toronto Star:

Women's groups accuse Tories of anti-abortion agenda

Sep 25, 2008 01:53 PM

OTTAWA–The Conservative government is eroding women's reproductive health and right to abortion "by stealth," a group of advocates representing labour and women's rights charged this morning.

"There is a clear anti-abortion hidden agenda at work that puts women's health at risk," said Carolyn Egan, of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

At a news conference, the groups representing the Canadian Labour Congress, the Quebec Federation for Family Planning, and the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, called on all individual candidates and party leaders to clearly state their views, and their political intentions, challenging them to oppose any moves to extend "personhood" or legal rights to fetuses.

They did not limit their criticism to the Conservatives, but reserved especially harsh comments for the government after its announcement, in August, that it would bring forward a bill this fall to allow harsher penalties for offenders who cause injury or death to a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman.

They also pointed to the Conservative government's failure to force New Brunswick to publicly pay for abortion procedures in a Fredericton clinic. The previous Liberal government also refused to sanction the N.B. government under the Canada Health Act.

In addition, the women cited two other private member's bills to ban abortion after 20 weeks, and to absolve "pro-life" health practitioners who refuse to refer women to legal abortion procedures, which Egan said is a "serious violation of medical ethics" that puts women's health at risk.

"We represent the pro-choice majority in this country that fought and won women's right to abortion and we will not stand idly by while these rights are eroded," said Egan.

Barbara Byers, of the Canadian Labour Congress, said she believed Prime Minister Stephen Harper, known for his tight control of his caucus, realized the implications of the private member's bill that claimed its objective was to express society's abhorrence of crimes against pregnant women, not to re-criminalize abortion.

"Don't tell me and don't try and convince me that he didn't realize this was going to be chipping away at women's reproductive rights and it was a backdoor way to get what he wants anyhow," said Byers.

Byers said she believed a Conservative majority would chip away at the status quo which – since 1988 when Parliament failed to re-legislate against abortion after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down an old law – allows publicly funded abortions.

"My sense is it's going to be done by stealth," she said, pointing to the U.S. where various measures such as those that curb late-term abortions are restricting the right to abortion.

In August, the Conservative government said it would rewrite a private member's bill that had passed second reading with the support of several Liberal MPs, in order to address the question of whether it would recriminalize abortion in any way.

At the time, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the government's re-written version – not tabled – would replace C-484, the Unborn Victims of Crime Act, and would make the injury or death of a fetus an aggravating circumstance for judges to consider during sentencing. He said the government's bill "leaves no room for the introduction of fetal rights."

Egan said it would re-open the debate over abortion "under the guise of stopping violence against women."

The groups have sent a 9-page questionnaire to all parties demanding to know where they stand on different questions of abortion rights and violence against women.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion described himself today as in favour of a "the right of women to choose" abortion. "As prime minister, I will protect this right," he told reporters, and called on Harper to clarify his position.

"Where is Mr. Harper? He needs to make his view clear because Canadians have the right to know."

Dion stumbled when he identified himself as "pro-life." An aide later clarified that he meant to say "pro-choice."

Strategic voting. Friends, Canadians, lend us your votes... or not

2008-09-25T12:03:00.008-05:00

Vote for Environment seems to be getting a lot of attention. I'm obviously in favour of strategic voting, as I prefer to see the Harper Conservatives braying at the government from the opposition benches.

But I'm not getting my hopes up.

From their analysis on the seat allocation if everyone votes 'smart' (VFE's words), it would seem an obvious win-win-win-victoire situation for the parties in the Progressive spectrum.

The Achilles heel for this plan is the funding question. Parties that receive over 2% of the national vote are given $1.75 per vote received on election day. Add to that the riding's that receive over 10% of the vote locally will receive back 50% of their campaign spending. These two points alone give the NDP and Green party boosters sufficient reason not to support strategic voting.

The Greens even have a page arguing against strategic voting.

Score
Greens, NDP and Democracy: 1
LPC and Strategic voting: kick in the groin

Of course, the parties then forming the coalition government could find legislative solutions to make up for such future shortfalls. Just being an active part of a coalition has benefits such as higher public profile and governing credibility that, imho, outweigh one-time election funding.

Still, I just don't see it happeneing to any substantial degree. The parties aren't interesting in risking their votes, and the 'non-politicized' public is just not that fired up about preventing another Haper government.

Nice try though. Nice site too.

Stephen Harper Economics

2008-09-24T09:36:00.000-05:00

Divide and conquer: Harper takes aim at artists and academics

2008-09-23T19:54:00.009-05:00

Well, if you didn't see it before now, it's becoming pretty clear what demographic the Harper Conservatives have targeted.

His appeal to the "ordinary average" Canadian is being spread pretty thick.

Earlier, I finished listening to him mangle a statement on why the average Canadian doesn't support the arts, conjuring images of "rich people at galas" complaining about not getting enough funding; rather, he contrasts how "ordinary Canadians" know how they have to live within a budget.

The message is that artists are "elitist," and "ordinary" Canadians shouldn't support them.

Now I read that he's rejecting the assessment of sociologists, criminologists and others "who work in ivory towers" and oppose his get-tough, law-and-order proposals.

The message is that sociologists and criminologists don't live in, or are somehow disconnected from the world of the average Canadian. Never mind, Harper suggests, their education or specialized study in the fields which he presumes to understand better.

The Real Harper

2008-09-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

Is this add going to appear on tv? It should...

Good point

2008-09-18T07:13:00.003-05:00

This is the kind of message that needs to be spread outside of Ontario, with Canadians who haven't shared our previous experience with these Conservatives:

Earlier Wednesday, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said the first act of a Liberal government would be to ask for an audit of public finances to see whether Canada is in deficit already.

He said he would take his cue from Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who asked for an independent audit of his province's books after taking over in 2003 from a Progressive Conservative government in which Finance Minister Jim Flaherty had served as a cabinet minister. The audit revealed Ontario had a $5.6-billion deficit.

“The first thing we'll do, we'll ask for an audit, an independent audit … and we'll see if Mr. Flaherty did to Canada as he did to Ontario,” Mr. Dion said in Kitchener, Ont., during a stop in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election.

From this article in the Globe and Mail

Government study supports the green shift

2008-09-13T21:24:00.002-05:00

With a hat tip to Steve, I'll add my voice to the chorus...

What Stephen Harper doesn't want Canadians to find out, is that they stand to benefit from the green shift plan.

TORONTO – The Green Party is releasing a secret report to the federal government from one of Canada's leading economists, obtained under the Access to Information Act in 2007. The report supports a carbon tax as an effective way to make significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and concludes that a $50/tonne tax on carbon would have an insignificant impact on the Canadian economy and would open tremendous economic opportunities. The model estimates this carbon tax shift would cut emissions by about 36 megatonnes (MT) by 2010, 59 MT by 2015 and 114 MT by 2030 (Table 3).

Green Party leader Elizabeth May May diverted from her intended remarks at a campaign event in Toronto today to point out the hypocrisy of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and thereby kicked off the leaders’ debate.

The study, undertaken for Natural Resources Canada by M.K. Jaccard and Associates (MKJA), calculates the impact of carbon taxes of between $10 and $250 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) beginning in 2006 and applied throughout the economy at a single rate.

The report – Cost Curves for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in Canada: The Kyoto Period and Beyond – concludes that the GDP impact of a $50/tonne tax shift is less than 0.1% of GDP per year until 2010, is virtually zero during the next five years and is then positive after 2015 (see chart below).Further, the report projects net financial savings to those who take action as a result of the tax shift, after taking into account the investment in emissions reductions. At $50 per tonne, that windfall
comes to $13.8 billion by 2010 and climbs from there (see chart below).

“Mr. Harper’s ridiculous claim that taxing carbon will bring about economic ruin and a recession is starkly contradicted by his own research,” said Ms. May. “In fact, this report shows a positive impact on GDP beginning in 2015. With this in the public omain it is clear that Mr. Harper is deliberately distorting the evidence. Mr. Harper’s fear mongering on a carbon tax is a deliberate and premeditated effort to demonize a sensible plan.

“The government’s own analysis proves that a $50 carbon tax shift will benefit businesses and individuals, and will achieve deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The Prime Minister should now explain to Canadians why, in the face of this compelling evidence, his government stubbornly refuses to consider the carbon tax option and continues to viciously attack those who do. Mr. Harper must bring some honesty into this debate.”

In remaining doggedly opposed to even considering a carbon tax and attacking those who do, Conservatives are ignoring a growing international consensus among leading economists and a government-commissioned study contradicting its warnings of economic meltdown.

The Green Party of Canada would implement a $50 per tonne carbon tax shift – with matching cuts in income and payroll taxes – as the cornerstone of a comprehensive plan for a green energy future that will reinstate Canada as a leader in the global
campaign to prevent catastrophic climate change.

“When we first released our plan to put a price on carbon, Environment Minister John Baird saw fit to deride our plan as ‘the mother of all tax increases’ even though we propose a tax shift with no net increase in revenue,” said Ms. May. “It’s another example of the government’s willingness to deliberately mislead Canadians in support of its ineffective and widely discredited climate change policies.”

I read the news today, egad...

2008-09-13T08:36:00.004-05:00

This is a situation that needs to be turned around, and I think it still can. If it's one thing that Dion has proven, is that he can achieve victory against daunting odds.

Part of the problem is that the CPC, which has been steadily gaining strength since they unified, has developed and honed an effective election machine.

The Liberal campaign has got to go on the offensive, and this is one way to do it, especially now with the price of gas jumping up. The other way is by hammering away at the broken promises, scandals, and situations that should rightfully make Canadians doubt the integrity of the Harper Conservatives

Another point that the general public seems to be missing, and that must be brought to their attention is that the Green shift is a combination of taxes combined with tax breaks, and that it's possible to come out ahead with an overall tax cut.

Suggestions

2008-09-12T10:45:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine raises a couple good points; where are the Liberal attack ads about:

a) Tony Clement being AWOL during recent Listeria crisis.

b) Reminding Ontarians about Flaherty's anti-Ontario statements.

There needs to be more pointed criticisms levelled at the Conservatives.

Perhaps a frugal Liberal campaign has these ads in the works or waiting to go as the campaign comes down to crunch time?

I don't like Nik's numbers...

2008-09-11T13:38:00.005-05:00

... especially since he tends to be so accurate.

Despite a gaffe riddled campaign, the Harper Neo-Tories appear to be leading in the polls, according to pollster extrordonaire Nik Nanos

Our first set of CPAC-Nanos nightly tracking indicates the Conservatives have entered the campaign with a five point lead over the Liberals among decided voters (CP 37%, Lib 32%, NDP 13%, BQ 9% GP 9%). Notably, the Conservatives are showing strength in central Canada where they are statistically tied with the Liberals in Ontario (Lib 41%, CP 39%) and close on the heels of the Bloc in Quebec (BQ 35%, CP 32%).

Looks like we've got our work cut out for us.

Update: Rumors have Liberal war room considering a few strategically timed gaffes.

Harper sees threats from Green Shift plan

2008-09-11T11:21:00.004-05:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper warns that the Green Shift plan would be a threat to Canada's economy, possibly causing a recession, as well as posing risks for national unity in Canada and in other countries, such as Belgium, the United States and Burkina Faso.

He went on to claim that the Green shift would also cause all of the food in your fridge to go bad, scratch all of your CD's and DVD's.

Your iPod's contents will be erased, your pets will run away and your morning coffee will taste weird.

Raccoons will take up residence in your attic, if they haven't already. All your colours will fade in the laundry. Your rush hour commute will take longer than normal.

Your risks of Cancer, Alzheimer's and Halitosis will increase by 120%.

Asked about their alternative plan, Harper just gave the Prime Ministerial stinkeye:

Scandalpedia

2008-09-09T08:14:00.006-05:00

Nice list eh? Scandalpedia is your one-stop shop for The CPC's greatest hits.

And to think, the Harper and his minions acheived this in such a short time. Now that's effective government!

What's your favorite CPC scandal? For me, the Cadman affair just edges out the Income Trust betrayal for outright audacity.

h/t to penlan (who appears to be a war-room blogger)

4 former PMs join call for climate change action

2008-09-09T07:47:00.003-05:00

It will be interesting to see how much traction this story will get. It's the kind of thing that should get more attention, but somehow I almost expect it won't.

I always expect elections to bring out the public's biggest concerns and make them clear platform choices.

All this story does is add another underline to the fact that yes, climate change is a concern.

What is doesn't do, is give any specific endorsement to a specific plan. That doesn't help Joe and Jane Frontporch, who don't really know much about which is the best plan. Joe and Jane are concerned, and they wan't to work towards a better tomorrow for their children or grand-children, but they don't have all the facts.

Oh well. Next story.

Day 1

2008-09-07T22:32:00.013-05:00

My sign is up, and I'm ready for one month of election overload.

Never having much in the way of serious commentary to offer, today I just felt like practising my motivation sign building.

I'm sure there are going to be a few good photo ops in the next month, so I'm going to start brushing up now.

One thing is certain, the success of the Liberal party hinges on Canadians being able to get to know Stephane Dion... out to dinner with friends the other night and I'm still hearing that people just don't know much about him. Hopefully this will change.

I disagree with Kinsella on the importance of the plane not being ready. Non-issue. Next.

Did Layton really say he wants to apply for Harper's job? Last election he just wanted to be the leader of the official opposition.

As a Liberal supporter, I'm spooked by the prospect of the Green party splitting the vote, but from a political standpoint, it is going to be exciting to see how well they can emerge from this election.

Similarly, I'm kind of pleased to see the Bloc running scared. I want to see the Liberals form the next government, but failing that I'll settle for seeing the Bloc Quebecois savaged on their home turf.

Sound advice... mostly

2008-09-03T20:19:00.004-05:00

Mostly Sound advice from Patrick Corrigan of the Toronto Star

Oh wait, thats right, they're going to rescue some jobs from a Ford Engine plant in Windsor... guess that one might have to come off the list.

I like Nik's numbers...

2008-09-02T08:53:00.004-05:00

Although I think Canadians still need to get to know Mr. Dion a bit better.

I guess the big test will be convincing the swing voters, or for the neo-tories: how effective will their smear campaign be?

They must have one in the can waiting to go... we should see it soon.

It must be nerve wracking to see all the money spent on three media smear campaigns in two years have brough minimal results, at best.

Nik on the Numbers The latest Nanos poll shows that the Liberals and Conservatives are gripped in a deadlock (LP 35%, CP 33%, NDP 17%, BQ 8%, GP 7%).Of note, in the province of Quebec, support for the Bloc has decreasedsignificantly by nine points in the last quarter, with the NDP picking up most of that support. On the best Prime Minister front, Stephen Harper still enjoys a significant advantage over Stephane Dion.A potential election poses risks for both the Conservatives and the Liberals. Prime Minister Harper seems ready to risk his mandate while his party is tied with the Liberals. Liberal leader Stephane Dion has not been embraced by Canadians.

No kidding, eh?

2008-08-12T08:12:00.002-05:00

"It suggests to me this is the gang who can't shoot straight. My surmise ... is that they didn't have a pot of money that they could easily fit this into, so a little creative bookkeeping was done ... and you take it out of the PromArt budget,"

It's in you to give... do I hear a challenge?

2008-07-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

Canadian Blood Services are putting out the call for blood donations, as the summer brings an increased demand and the current supply is low. I noticed this story last week, and even received an unprecented email this morning:

From the bottom of my bleeding liberal heart, I'd personally like to challenge all blogging Tories, dippers, Greens and my fellow Libloggers to roll up your sleeves and give 'em a pint.

Dare we turn this into a challenge? We could keep track to see which group manages to have the most participants.

Send me a pic of you donating to be added to the tally (specify if you don't want your picture posted on-line). Be sure to mention which party you are representing.

In deference to anyone who may have donated in the past week or so, let's keep this open long enough for them to be able to donate again... deadline is September 19th.

Update Sept 4th: Ok, it would seem there aren't too many takers. After my donation today the score stands at:

Liberals: 1

Greens: 0

NDP: 0

CPC: 0

Chalk it up to my underwhelming blog :-P

Dion wins a convert... a sign of things to come?

2008-07-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

Reid Scott is joining the Liberal party after being an NDP member for six decades.

Heh heh

2008-06-24T09:51:00.001-05:00

"If I were them I would not be wanting a war on this," he said. "The real challenge for the Conservatives is that the more they talk about it, the more they risk ending up with a campaign on the weakest card in their hand and the strongest card in the Liberal party hand."

Too late.

Screw everybody? Real classy there, Stevo.

2008-06-20T14:46:00.003-05:00

Stephen Harper must be worried about the Tax-shift plan, and it's showing in his lack of eloquence.

It's either that, or the best strategy he can think of is to try to talk down to the lowest common denominator... maybe he figures this is the best way to reach his coveted Tim Horton's demographic.

That's right Stevo, a bit of fear mongering and alluding to the NEP should at least shore up some votes in the West.

While your travelling, are you going to be staging any ribbon cuttings at newly re-classified Lakes tailings ponds?

Dénouement?

2008-06-18T06:51:00.005-05:00

Well, here's hoping that Warren is wrong about this also... I mean, in addition to L'affaire Bernier-Couillard.

With all the time in the world to prep this thing, I'm guessing that the Carbon Tax Shift is going to be the defining moment for this iteration of the Liberal Party, and Stephane Dion's leadership.

What could go wrong?

As long as it's not half baked, and by that I mean full of holes that give it the appearance of a tax grab or unnecessary price hikes, it should give Canadians the opportunity to show where they really stand on the environment.

Coupled with the recent failure of the CPC's poorly thought out strategy of having a oil-blot complaining to Canadians, tomorrow could be the beginning of the end for Stephen Harper's brief tenure as the first among equals.

Canadians will have to decide what is truly important to them...

2008-06-08T12:23:00.003-05:00

The environment has increasingly been a clear priority for many Canadians for a while now; enough so that it may have even came close to being possible to use it as a main plank for an election.

The only thing that could change that is the worsening economic situation, and we surely haven't seen the end of the bad news for the economy. My guess is that this may only be the start of things.

So the Conservatives have unleashed a nicely timed attack at Stephane Dion and the Liberals Carbon tax shifting plan.

For those of you counting, this is the unprecedented third major negative advertising blitz by this Conservative government against the official opposition in 2 and a half years. It's like the election never ended.

So what the Liberals have got to do, and fast, is get the word out where exactly the Conservatives are wrong, and where they are failing miserably on the environment.

The key thing to get across to the voting public will be that the tax-shifting will not be a tax hike, and that the Liberals are still the party that can help the environment, and also the economy.

Just my 2 cents.

Adios Alexa...

2008-06-08T09:30:00.003-05:00

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

I know plenty of people will give Alexa McDonough the credit and kudos due to someone who has led a federal party and given so much to to Canadians.

However, I caught her interview with Kathleen Petty on The House yesterday, and wasn't too impressed. I guess she wants to exit the political scene leaving as much of an impression as she made while she was in the midst of it.

The shorter version of the interview from the show (at least, my interpretation): The Liberals are bad, 1993-1997 was a disaster for Canada, and the Liberals are bad. Jack Layton is doing a great job. Oh, and she's optimistic that one day the NDP will form a federal government.

That's some fine political work there Lou.

Ah well.

A while ago I had attracted the juvenile taunting of one asshat dipper mouthpiece who, to his credit did point out that if you look at all the minutia of government that goes unnoticed by most people, the NDP actually do their job and attack the CPC slightly more often than they attack the official opposition.

Could have fooled me though; it's kinda hard to tell sometimes.

19 years ago today...

2008-06-06T07:54:00.003-05:00

This anniversary notification via Accordion Guy

Update: ok, ok, it was 19 years ago yesterday.

Oh yeah? Well...

2008-06-05T19:05:00.004-05:00

...perhaps they're right. This government is passed it's shelf life.

One opportunity to bring it down would have had us in a nascent campaign as the Cadman affair would have been errupting.

Another would have been kicked off by l'affaire Bernier-Couillard.

Wow.

2008-06-03T22:07:00.003-05:00

Is there anyone in the current political scene, anywhere, who can deliver a speech nearly as well as Barack Obama? Right now I don't think so. Certainly not John "scurvy little spider" McCain.

And just think, if what we're hearing is correct, there might not be a chance for a Canadian Election before the US gets to vote in theirs.

I think Obama is going to be the next President of the United States, at least as long as nothing happens to sideline him before November.

List of Conservative Crap

2008-05-21T13:08:00.001-05:00

Seems there is a list out there of CPC "accomplishments"...

Here is my list of Conservative crap ... and I know I've missed more than a few things, so feel free to add them in comments

1. Hey, I was busy... The week after the election, it is revealed that Stephen Harper couldn't find time between August and November 2005 to talk with the ethics commissioner over the Grewal tapes issue. Fortunately for the Conservatives, the report is released at a time when it won't affect Harper's credibility, or the Conservative election chances.

2. Hypocrisy strikes: On the day the Conservative caucus is sworn in (Feb. 6th), Former Liberal industry minister David Emerson is crosses the floor and sits in the Conservative cabinet.

"Stunned onlookers barely had a chance to ask a question of the Vancouver MP and former head of lumber giant Canfor as he strolled into Rideau Hall shortly before the Tory cabinet was being announced. Emerson is the new Tory minister of international trade, with responsibilities for the Vancouver Olympics.
Pinching Emerson might be seen as Conservative retribution for the defection of Belinda Stronach, who went from being a Tory leadership candidate to a Liberal cabinet minister in about a year.
Several Conservatives responded by demanding laws forcing floor-crossers to go back to the electorate for another mandate.
In the recent federal election, Emerson was featured in televised Liberal election ads promoting the party in British Columbia as the best choice for voters.
He was also frequently under fire from the Tories in the last Parliament over a multibillion-dollar program in the Industry Department."
© The Canadian Press 2006

"That was last year. We talked about it and I decided not to proceed with it. It's one of those matters that is debatable."--National Revenue Minister Carol Skelton, Feb. 10, The Canadian Press, on her change of heart to floor crossers. Ms. Skelton, who said she was "sick to her stomach" when former Conservative MP Belinda Stronach crossed the floor to the Liberals, introduced a Parliamentary motion to restrict floor crossing in the House on Nov. 23, 2005, that was two months ago. (Quotes from the Hill Times)

So much for integrity.

3. Hypocrisy Strikes, again. On the day the Conservative caucus is sworn in (Feb. 6th), yes, Day 1, Stephen Harper appoints Michael Fortier as an un-elected member to his cabinet and is appointed to the Senate. Harper and the Conservative party had previously denounced appointments of Senators, and Harper had publicly stated that he would not appoint any senators.

"I didn't run in the election because I didn't want to run in the election. This isn't what my family was looking forward to. Even today, it's not easy."--New Public Works Minister and soon to be Quebec Conservative Sen. Michael Fortier, Feb. 7 to reporters.

"The very first thing that happens is he appoints a non-elected person. I have a real problem with that, especially when you've got so many good people to choose from. I've said for years that I don't agree that people should just be able to cross the floor. I think they should, in fairness to their constituents, sit as an Independent and if they want to run for another party, fine, put your hat in the ring and if you win fine--but not to cross." --Alberta Government Services Minister Ty Lund who's also a senator-elect in waiting, Feb. 8, Edmonton Journal

"If you allow expediency to trip principle on Day 1, what makes us think it will ever stop? It could go on forever, but I'm not saying it will." --Link Byfield, one of four Alberta senator-elect in waiting, Feb. 8, Edmonton Journal

4. Harper: Do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do: Part 1 Showing utter contempt for Canadians and Parlimentarians alike, Stephen Harper conveniently eliminates a parlimentary reform that he originally championed while in opposition.

Mr. Harper was a vocal critic of appointing chairs when he was leader of the Official Opposition. In 2002, he co-wrote a letter to The Globe with Chuck Strahl, now the Minister of Agriculture, accusing the Liberals of "posturing" on parliamentary reform.

"Standing committees of the House should not simply be extensions of the Prime Minister's Office, and members of Parliament should choose their committee chairs by secret ballot and set their own agenda, free from the Whip's direction," Mr. Harper and Mr. Strahl wrote.

Maybe he can have that reform re-introduced when he's back in opposition.

5. Harper: Do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do: Part 2 Stephen Harper again displays his lack of respect for Canadians by engaging in practises he criticised the Liberals for when he was in opposition. This article spells it out nicely:

Harper flew from Ottawa to Moncton on Friday morning aboard his Challenger jet to announce $6 million in federal funding for that city's bid on the world junior track championships.

He then flew to Fredericton for a midday announcement of $200 million in highway spending, and ended the afternoon in Saint John with a $3-million federal pledge to help clean up the city's harbour.

Preventing the former Liberal government from jetting about the country to make local spending announcements was an ongoing Conservative rationale for bringing down Paul Martin earlier rather than later last year.

As early as last April, Harper was denouncing Martin's plan to "fly around the country on a government jet at taxpayers' expense, and he can throw enough money all over the country to cover up the stench of corruption."

6. Bullshit: Calling a tax increase is just that.

News Story
Comment: Budget 2006 – The 15.5% 'decrease'
By Scott Evans, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Tue, May 9, 2006 4:00 PM EST

When is a tax increase really a decrease?

Perhaps the most misleading bit of double-talk that emerged from last week's budget frenzy is the contention that the increase in the income tax rate on the first $36,000 or so of income from 15 to 15.5 per cent is not really a tax increase.

Yet, we witnessed Conservative MP Diane Ablonczy appearing on CPAC on budget night making just that claim.

Her convoluted logic goes like this. Since the Liberals' legislation meant to lower the rate from 16 per cent to 15 per cent was never approved by Parliament, the rate is still officially 16 per cent, and the 15.5 per cent rate taking effect July 1 therefore is actually a reduction.

Well, sorry.

Check that 2005 tax return you just filed. The tax rate on the lowest income bracket is 15 per cent. (Of course, we doubt Ms. Ablonczy actually sat down at her kitchen table to complete her tax return.)

Check the Canada Revenue Agency website. Same rate.

Check your take-home pay in July. It'll be a few dollars smaller, when the rate goes to 15.5 per cent.

This is the kind of disingenuous hair-splitting that gives politicians a bad name. Come clean with taxpayers. It's a hike in personal income tax rates. Stop trying to pretend otherwise.

7.CPC: Do-as-We-say-not-as-We-do: Part 3 Again, the CPC demonstrates that the ethics they perscribe aren't for them. A BCer in Toronto gave this excellent account of Tony clements failing in the ethics department:

The other shoe has dropped on Mr. Clement, however, with the news this week he hired a senior campaign staffer and long-time crony to his department on a $25,000, un-tendered contract for 33 days of work. Coincidentally, the maximum amount allowed for un-tendered contracts. He got $125/hour. Hey, I wonder where the Conservatives are on raising the minimum wage for ordinary Canadians?

Anyway, said the Toronto Sun:

Haugh has also played a leading role in several of Clement's political campaigns, including his leadership bids for the federal and provincial Conservatives and the January election.

It boggles the mind. Excellent post Jeff.

8. Oopsy... Tories may have taken $2M in illicit donations
Updated Wed. Jun. 28 2006
6:13 PM ET
Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- The Conservative party may have illegally accepted millions in unreported donations last year because it didn't understand political financing laws.

That's the startling conclusion drawn from testimony given to a Senate committee by the Harper administration's point man on cleaning up government.

Treasury Board President John Baird has told the committee that his party did not consider fees paid to attend its March 2005 policy convention to be political contributions.

But the Elections Act stipulates that convention fees do constitute a donation.

The Tories' 2005 convention was attended by about 2,900 party members, who paid a regular fee of $600 each, although discounts were available for some.

That means the party stood to rake in as much as $1.7 million, all or some of which should have been reported to Elections Canada as donations.

9. Do as we say, not as we do... yadda, yadda, etc, etc: No cynical patronage for those Conservatives, no siree...

Macleans. Steve Harper has decided to replace one of his vaunted 5 priorities on the fly; instead of implementing their hospital wait times guarantee, they decided that priority 5 is "strengthening our country at home and around the world." Did Steve think nobody would notice? Maybe someone should remind him about the definition of the word guarantee.

10. The Chuck Cadman affair Oh, they've been exhonerated for this... at least by the RCMP.

11. Polling Harpocrisy

Harper government polls Canadians about polls
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - The federal government has conducted an opinion survey to find out what Canadians think of, uh, opinion surveys.
Release of the polling data comes amid pressure on Ottawa to rein in spending on public opinion research.
The poll, Canadians' Preferences in Answering Surveys, was completed Jan. 31 by Ekos Research Associates for Public Works and Government Services.

The survey of more than 2,250 Canadians last fall found 45 per cent of respondents preferred telephone surveys over Internet or in-person questionnaires.

A Public Works spokeswoman could not immediately say how much the survey cost or why it was undertaken.

A summary of the results suggest the questions were asked as part of a long-running series of polls on information technology.

The Tories are promising to spend $10 million less on government polling in the next budget year.

In December, an independent investigator reported the Conservatives spent $31.2 million on public-opinion research in the 12 months leading up to a government-commissioned probe.

That's almost twice the $18 million a year the Liberals averaged on polling between 1993 and 2006.

12. Flaherty and the Feds attack Ontario:

Crybaby federalism
Paul Wells March 25, 2008 12:46:46

"Our appeal followed the time-honoured advice for raising money by direct mail -- make people angry and afraid, and set up an opponent for them to give against."— Tom Flanagan, Harper's Team

Ontario led the country in job growth last month, nearly all of it in full-time work, much of it through a construction boom that produced job growth outstripping the loss of industrial jobs by 50%. Given the troubles of Ontario's main export market it is a stellar performance.

But Stephen Harper needs somebody to pick on, and Stéphane Dion refuses to show up for the fight. So Dalton McGuinty's Ontario government is the latest designated target, and we are all being asked to sit and smile through yet another of the Prime Minister's asinine tantrums.

Today is budget day at Queen's Park. Pierre Poilièvre, the reliably pliable eastern Ontario Tory MP, has been sent to Queen's Park to critique the budget on behalf of the federal Conservative party. (UPDATE: And the Conservative party's website is now doing a limbo dance under its own previously rock-bottom standards.) This merely extends a show that has been going on for a while now. For weeks the Prime Minister's yappy little budget terrier, Jim Flaherty, has been making apocalyptic pronouncements about the Ontario economy and the McGuinty government's stewardship. Ontario is "the last place" to start a business, and it's headed for have-not status, and it was the "strongest economic province in the federation" when his party delivered its last budget at a car-parts plant somewhere.

Now the truth, if anyone wants some, is that unemployment in Ontario is down nine-tenths of a percentage point from the days when Flaherty and his friends were running up a hidden $5.6 billion deficit. But then, nobody should depend too heavily on Jim Flaherty to pick a winner: he has the unique distinction of being the only man in Canadian history who managed to lose to both Ernie Eves and John Tory.

As for Ontario's chances of becoming an equalization-receiving province, here's Don Drummond of TD Bank saying the biggest culprit if that ever happens will be the Harper-Flaherty government. "They seem to be bent on making Ontario's situation worse at the moment," Drummond says.

Of course they are. For then Harper will have created a bogeyman Ontarians can be angry and afraid of, so he can do some fundraising against them. It's what he does.

The Senate, the CBC, assorted arms-length commissioners and regulators having exhausted their amusements for our impatient leader, he has now turned his distracted, essentially random fury on the voters of Ontario. This is because they voted wrong.

They had their instructions. Nearly two years ago Harper went to a John Tory fundraiser and called Tory "the next premier of Ontario." But just because Tory can beat Jim Flaherty doesn't mean he can beat a pro, and Ontarians stubbornly decided to elect somebody else.

Surely by now Ontarians should know that the big guy doesn't like it when his orders are ignored. And his contempt for Ontarians' electoral decisions, when the voters of that province have the gall not to vote Harper's way, is a matter of long record: witness his childish rant in the aftermath of Stockwell Day's 2000 election defeat. (And understand this: if anyone ever manages to beat Stephen Harper fair and square in a general election, we will see a display of gracelessness in defeat without precedent in the history of Confederation. This is simply guaranteed. It is what he does.)

There are two things going on here. One is the baselessness of Flaherty/Poilièvre/Harper's attack on Ontario's budgeting. Oil is at historic highs, the dollar is up a quarter in the last years, the U.S. real-estate industry is essentially imploding, five central banks pumped hundreds of billions of liquidity into the market in a co-ordinated push -- and the problem is Dwight Duncan's business-tax rates? Come on.

The other is the impudence of Harper's control-freakery. We know he likes to run everything, but here's the deal: if somebody signs up to be a Conservative staffer, you can tell them what to do, OK? You don't get to run the Senate. You don't get to push bureaucrats around for kicks. You don't get to muzzle public servants, tell reporters how to cover you, pick the next US president or write Ontario budgets. There's a Canadian constitution that says so, and just because you boycotted the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Charter of Rights doesn't mean the separation of powers, which isn't even in the Charter, goes away by fiat.

Stephen Harper is such a clever tactician that his little games can be so fascinating we overlook their significance. The significance of this one is, well, significant: he's badmouthing his own country's industrial heartland and running roughshod over the prerogatives of a legitimately-elected government for the sake of cheap political points and to prop up his serial loser of a finance minister. It's not funny.

13. You've come far enought baby: Unbelievable. From Progressive Bloggers post on the cuts to SWC:

Oct 9/06 - Take a look at what Stephen Harper signed during a pledge campaign in the last election back in January of this year according to feminist Audra Williams::

"Yes, I'm ready to support women's human rights and I agree that Canada has more to do to meet its international obligations to women's equality. If elected, I will take concrete and immediate measures, as recommended by the United Nations, to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitments to women in Canada." (Stephen Harper - January 18, 2006)

That pledge - with his signature - is here

14. Maxime Bernier

Ok, just add it to the list...

2008-05-02T15:00:00.003-05:00

What? Muzzling... Interferance? No way!

[/sarcasm]

I, for one, welcome our new octopi overlords...

2008-04-25T17:46:00.004-05:00

...like to remind them that as a trusted blogger I could be helpful in rounding up others to help them in their quest for domination of Canadian politics.

Who's listening to all the sound and fury?

2008-04-24T22:30:00.002-05:00

We may find out soon. There appears to be some phone polling going on right now asking people if they've heard any recent news stories regarding a) the provincial government and Dalton McGuinty, and b) the Federal government and Stephen Harper, and how they respond to these stories.

If this poll becomes public, it might be a good indicator of how the current scandals have affected Harper and the CPC's popularity, at least in Ontario.

I can't help but notice that none of my colleagues discuss the days political issues; it's either just not on their radar or it's being filed for future reference.