Monday, January 23, 2012

"Firewall" Harper's Firesale Continues...

After obliterating Canada's fiscal safety nets (multi year surpluses), Harper has set his aim at destroying Canada's environment, our First Nations, and now Healthcare. Read more in Ralph Goodale's weekly newsletter:

HARPER CANCELS FEDERAL ROLE IN HEALTHCARE

When he first came to power in 2006, Stephen Harper inherited a decade of surplus budgets, declining debt, declining taxes, and federal financial flexibility of $100 billion over five years.

It was an enviable position. The best in the western world.

Embedded in the fiscal framework was sufficient funding to implement the ground-breaking Kelowna Accord for Aboriginal people, achieve 80% of Canada’s international obligations on Climate Change, and launch a decade of rejuvenation in healthcare.

The Conservatives immediately cancelled work on Aboriginal issues and Climate Change. Consequently, Canada has become a global embarrassment on the environment, and we’ve spiraled downward from high Aboriginal hopes in Kelowna to the tragedy in Attawapiskat.

Most recently, healthcare too has been thrown under the bus.

Just before Christmas, Mr. Harper announced a new funding formula. Arbitrary. Unilateral. Non-negotiable. He’ll keep commitments Liberals put in place for three further years, but then cut back.

It’s dictatorial federalism, by brute force.

A couple of Premiers, like Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall, were hoping certain things could still be discussed with the feds – like healthcare innovation. But just before the Premiers met last week in Victoria, Mr. Harper bluntly told them all to get stuffed.

The biggest problem is not his typical crudeness, or even the short-term money he put on the table. The biggest problem – and danger – is Mr. Harper’s ruthless abandonment of any creative federal role to help make medicare better.

He says that’s exclusively a provincial problem. All the feds should do, according to him, is write a cheque – one, incidentally, that represents a steadily declining share of healthcare costs – and that’s it. Don’t even discuss anything substantive.

This attitude is absolutely guaranteed to fragment and balkanize Canadian medicare, creating a patchwork among provinces, and leaving many Canadians vulnerable.

In Stephen Harper’s Canada, it’s more important to spend billions on bigger jails.

post signatureVICTORY FUND

Thursday, January 12, 2012

No Endorsements

WG will not be endorsing any candidates this Convention. I simply ask all delegates to think over your choices well. Select the most capable people for the roles. We have a long road ahead, and need the best of the best... The most experienced, best equipped candidates to lead us out of the wilderness. We all love our friends, or the "local guy/girl", but let's please ensure we think of the party when we cast our ballots Saturday.

As a lifelong,active Liberal of 25+ years, I implore everyone to get to know all the candidates, and their strengths. Choose wisely!

Enjoy a great weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone Saturday and Sunday!


-- Post From My iPhone

Saturday, January 07, 2012

GritWear For The Convention



Here they are!


All the latest styles, just in time for the Convention! Rock the coolest Trudeau T's!

Show everyone how proud YOU are to be a Liberal!

***Note: Designs are not sanctioned by the LPC... Any semblance to person's living, or otherwise, are strictly coincidental and purely fictional.

post signatureVICTORY FUND

Liberals Moment Coming...

A dyed-in-the-wool Liberal, Ralph Goodale has a good assessment of the future of the Liberal Party:

LIBERALS HOPEFUL ABOUT FUTURE

Looking back, politically, Liberals will likely remember 2011 as an “annus horribilis” (to quote the Queen), but our focus must be forward – on 2012 and beyond.

Right after the May 2nd election, the Party was naturally flummoxed. But with time and thought, perspective was regained.

We looked hard at the numbers. They weren’t flattering, but they did NOT constitute some great “Conservative conversion”. Barely 60% of eligible voters actually made it to the polls, and only 40% voted Conservative. So the government’s so-called “big mandate” represents just 24% of the total electorate.

Furthermore, the outcome was heavily influenced by two unusual factors that are unlikely to recur – the extraordinary surge for Jack Layton in Quebec, and the reaction to that surge (both for and against) in Ontario that produced many odd vote splits.

So the arithmetic doesn’t preclude a Liberal revival. But recovery won’t come from wishful thinking. We need to work harder and with more imagination than ever before.

That effort is underway. Memberships and fundraising are both up. A national convention in mid-January will continue structural renewal.

In Parliament, Liberal leader Bob Rae outshines all the rest. Our Caucus is smaller, but it’s experienced and cohesive, with a constructive attitude. The election was what it was. We’ve taken its lessons to heart. Now, we need to look ahead with goodwill, good humour and good ideas, to re-earn the public’s trust.

There’s both “room” and “need” for an attractive alternative to the harsh two-way polarization advocated by both Mr. Harper and the NDP.

This country is too complex, nuanced and decent to be content for long with the wedge politics of fear, greed, envy and anger – politics designed to drive people apart.

Canadians will look for leadership that can rise above such mediocrity, inspire confidence, and pull people together to reach higher goals.

Liberals need to be ready.

post signatureVICTORY FUND