Conservatives Joke About Canadians Dying Of Lysteria

Conservative Cabinet Minister Gerry Ritz joked about Canadians dying of Lysteria. In a meeting with ministry officials his main concern was about how it would impact the government - rather than the safety of Canadians - he asked if there were any more "bombshells" - to kick off the meeting.

Of the 17 Canadians who died of Lysteriosis (the highest number of any nation in the world this year - that's shocking considering the food conditions in some parts of the world) Ritz joked that it was "death by a thousand cuts, or should I say cold cuts". When he heard of the next death he joked that he hoped it was (Liberal food safety critic) Wayne Easter.

This information is especially troubling considering the "privatize everything party" has been busy taking apart our food inspection system since early 2007. Conservative efforts to cut back on inspections AND more seriously (and idiotically) letting the industry inspect itself are to blame for the outbreak - and more significantly, the deaths.

Letting the industry inspect itself? What the f? What kind of idiot lets an industry regulate itself when money is at stake vs. public health? Talk about letting the fox guard the henhouse. We should just let people at borders inspect themselves when they come in (more people die from food-borne illness in Canada every year than have ever died from a terrorist incident). We should let prisoners in penitentiaries guard themselves. They have no interest in making things easier for themselves do they?

The lysteria outbreak is much worse than the Walkerton eColi debacle. Guess who was in charge of Ontario's healthcare system at that time? You guessed it: Clement, Flaherty, and this same bunch of "privatization-happy" Conservatives.

When you elect a government whose only goal is to make itself obsolete ("less government", more privatization - even essential services), this is the end result. It can only get worse with more Conservative MPs, or - heaven forbid - a majority of Cons. The reason these guys exist is to privatize and basically reduce government's role to the "policeman" for the land.

Time to wake up Canada.

Tough Economic Times - Harper Tries To INCREASE Canadians' Debt Load

Is it just me, or am I the only person taking a sane look at Canada's current political reality? Lord knows the "journalists" aren't being "investigative" these days...

Just look at this lunacy:

At a time when the economy is slowing - maybe even towards the "r-word" - the "great political genious" (Saint Stephen, if you haven't already figured it out) is promising to help Canadians INCREASE their debt burden. That's right. You too can take on a 40 year mortgage, and get a $750 dollar incentive - if you're a first time buyer.

That's right. Take the most vulnerable buyers - first timers - at a time when the real estate market is at an all-time low. Give them an INCENTIVE to get into the biggest purchase of their lives, at a time when it's probably worst to do it. Better yet, (this is the kicker) you actually aim the incentive at helping the realtor - to "help close the deal".

That's Harpernomics. Voodoo economics. Don't help with potential fallout of a poor economy on new home-owners. Don't consider helping people retrofit their homes with more efficient equipment to save a few dollars when heating costs will go up. No... keep fueling the machine. Keep those consumers buying like Daddy Bush says.

To Old-Fashioned "Journalists" - We, The New Media, Have Simplified Things For You...

Note to "journalists": Since you have abandoned all research and accountability for your messaging, we here at WesternGrit have put together some simple, easy to digest facts to make your news-gathering a little easier. Instead of smiling and reporting the latest Con soundbyte, try a new diet.

Here it is, MADE REAL SIMPLE FOR YOU - THE CANADIAN MEDIA; True facts (check them out yourselves):

1) Conservatives - by any measure are the WORST fiscal managers in both Canada and the USA's past 50 years, and many would say this Century.

1) Conservatives - by any measure are the WORST fiscal managers in both Canada and the USA's past 50 years, and many would say this Century.

1) Conservatives - by any measure are the WORST fiscal managers in both Canada and the USA's past 50 years, and many would say this Century.

1) Conservatives - by any measure are the WORST fiscal managers in both Canada and the USA's past 50 years, and many would say this Century.

2) Stephen Harper's government (or lack of one) has run up the highest spending totals in CANADIAN HISTORY, and is poised to run us into deficits for the first time in a decade...

2) Stephen Harper's government (or lack of one) has run up the highest spending totals in CANADIAN HISTORY, and is poised to run us into deficits for the first time in a decade...

2) Stephen Harper's government (or lack of one) has run up the highest spending totals in CANADIAN HISTORY, and is poised to run us into deficits for the first time in a decade...

3) Harper's inadequate government and short-sighted economic "vision" has cut from the very institutions WE THE PEOPLE will be required to lean on in a global economic slowdown.

3) Harper's inadequate government and short-sighted economic "vision" has cut from the very institutions WE THE PEOPLE will be required to lean on in a global economic slowdown.

3) Harper's inadequate government and short-sighted economic "vision" has cut from the very institutions WE THE PEOPLE will be required to lean on in a global economic slowdown.

4) Harper has "led" Canada to the worst economic performance in the G7. We used to be at the top with Paul Martin and Jean Cretien... Leader indeed. What did your Mom say about jumping off a cliff after your buddies (in this case the American Republicans)?

4) Harper has "led" Canada to the worst economic performance in the G7. We used to be at the top with Paul Martin and Jean Cretien... Leader indeed. What did your Mom say about jumping off a cliff after your buddies (in this case the American Republicans)?

4) Harper has "led" Canada to the worst economic performance in the G7. We used to be at the top with Paul Martin and Jean Cretien... Leader indeed. What did your Mom say about jumping off a cliff after your buddies (in this case the American Republicans)?

Hopefully that was clear enough for our seriously short-sighted media. Don't you clowns remember how Harper knocked you down and pissed all over you in the Parliamentary Press Gallery? Maybe you like that hmmm....??? Well then, looks like WesternGrit will continue to insult and shit all over the "so-called journalists" who claim to report "the straight facts" in this land...

The Most Useless MPs in "The West" - Laurie Hawn

Try as we might, we have had no luck finding info on her. The Wikipedia entry indicates very little. This person does not exist. Supposedly a retired Lt. Colonel in the Canadian Forces. Very quiet. Even as a Parliamentary Secretary for Defense, we really haven't heard anything from Laurie.

Oh wait... this just in: Laurie is a man. That makes more sense - considering Conservatives usually don't like to vote for women...

Seriously though folks, I have knocked doors in this riding. It is quite densely populated and VERY divided. I had an apartment super scream at us (me, another fellow, and a young lady canvassing), open his window, and threaten us with his howling pitbull (very typical conservative hardcore). There are the VERY poor, and the working poor, along with a strong union contingent. There are some posh homes along the South side of the riding - closer to the River and parks, but for the most part, this riding should be NDP - if people voted according to which party would suit them best. Call it a case of "I wanna vote with the prevailing attitude", or perhaps a "tough guy macho vote is a good one", but somehow enough progressives failed to vote for Anne McClellan in the last election to defeat the Con.

The February day we knocked polls in this riding were VERY cold. Terribly cold. We really battled for every vote. We found that the people who had Con lawn signs were typically not a good knock. Usually the women and children were happy to listen to common sense policy, then an angry voice would scream out of the back room, laced with profanity, and the poor wife or kid would embarrassingly shut the door with a frightened look in their eyes...

This riding could be in play again... We'll need to see.

Until Mr. Hawn actually DOES SOMETHING we will have to leave him on our list of most useless MPs in the West... Just another quiet Conservative back-bencher (Quietest Parliamentary Secretary in the House?).

Okay, this may just be getting a little boring. Nothing to talk about with these backbench Prairie Conservative MPs... What we need is another Maxime Bernier/Julie Cuillard story...

I Got A Crush On Harper... Not

So the very "original thinking", "creative" Harper war room team has struck again... Trying to mimic the success of spontaneous American creativity (Obama fans singing songs about him), the Harpocrites have copied a popular song about Obama ("I've got a crush on Obama..."). The site it is located on is hosted by a Conservative...

Simple Con strategy: A blanket swath of pro-Harper advertising and other spurious stuff to basically drown out anything else... It seems to be working so far... but it IS EARLY.

The Republican advisers certainly had some input...
1) Spend years talking about how politicians all lie (when you're in Opposition there's lots of time to do this). At the same time this same message is carried by the media which is owned by right wing ideologues for the most part (you'll have to imagine which political parties "friendly" guys like Rupert Murdoch and His Lordship In Jail support). After a while anyone whom you ask parrots the same line about "all politicians" being liars... The media continues to reinforce this ad nauseum.
2) Once no-one trusts any politicians anymore you know you have a situation where no voter will believe stump speeches or platforms. Time for phase 3...
3) Since you (Republican-Conservatives around the world) control most all of the media, you can begin deluging the electorate with extremely slanted stories. You can force reporters to "edit" their stories if you don't like them. The small, and quite weakly-funded "public" media try to be balanced, but note ratings slip unless they "toe the line", so companies like NPR and CBC follow suit with the reporting that doesn't see any justification or credible back-up, the sensationalism, etc.
4) Now you bombard the public (during, or pre-election) with pro-you ads. You have the money. You have the media cooperation - so no-one calls your bluff on all the blatant lies. Your marketing experts have shown you psychological studies which display what occurs with repeated bombardment of a message on radio, TV, and print. The public may not like your brand. They may not like you. They may not agree with your ideology. BUT: they will have - in the backs of their minds, in their subconscious thoughts - a recollection of something that tells them "vote Conservative/Republican". Like the marketing guys say, "any publicity is good publicity"...

And the band plays on... Time for us to up our ads... get back into the public consciousness... If we don't do it over the next couple of weeks... We don't have an Obama to sell, but we can make him appear to be one. Image, image, image... We need to up the publicity game.

Dion Calls Harper's Lack Of K. Maru Apology Inappropriate

Stephane Dion spoke to a boisterous crowd of between 500 and 1000 in Surrey last night. During several standing ovations Mr. Dion promised a Liberal government would apologize for the Komagata Maru incident on the floor of Parliament... to a rousing ovation from the crowd.

In a purely political stunt Stephen Harper quietly came to Surrey in August and offered a "pseudo-apology" to South Asian Canadians for the Komagata Maru incident (a situation where Canada rejected a shipload of immigrants - who returned to India, with many being imprisoned and killed by British Authorities.). The crowd immediately shouted down Harper and boos echoed through the stadium as Harper quickly left the podium - followed quickly by Nina Grewal (his token brown woman). Community leaders were outraged, and very upset with both Harper and Nina Grewal (who refused to speak or answer questions regarding her feelings on the apology not being given on the floor of the Commons).

Mr. Dion should do well with the South Asian communities - if the press doesn't bury this story, like most others...

Dion Speaks To Packed Banquet Hall In Surrey

York Center, Surrey:

Stephane Dion just hit the stage tonight to a roaring crowd of Surrey residents at the Crystal Banquet Hall at York Center in the heart of the fast-growing city...

Mr. Dion is playing to a packed room, with many more standing outside to see the man, and hear what he has to say. Several NDP supporters were seen in the room, as well as many former Conservatives from the South Asian community. It actually seems like a "Red Shift" is going on... lol...

We will have more updates as time permits. Looks like an amazing kick-off to the Surrey Liberal campaign!

The Worst MPs In The West - Deepak Obhrai... Deepak Who?

As far as trips abroad at taxpayers' expense go... Deepak Obhrai is quite familiar with them. The MP from Calgary East has quite possibly chocked up more Airmiles than many cabinet ministers... The rotund MP hails from Calgary East - by way of East Africa (although he is very hazy about his background).

In his riding of Calgary East, Obhrai is a bit of an enigma. Opponents have run campaigns pointing out Obhrai's complete lack of presence in the riding, and his trips abroad, but with little success. Even a riding like Calgary East - which claims 25% "foreign extraction" in its' voter base, is in the Reform-Conservative heartland of Calgary. Door knocking the riding in the past few years, I come to the conclusion that the riding has about 3 types of demographic groups that stand out: 1) 75% - White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant; 2) 25% - Various recent immigrants (Eastern European, Vietnamese, East African, East Indian, Pakistani, South American, etc.); 3) Young people of the first generation of all these groups. There is also a very distinct breakdown of what they like and don't like: each other. Knocking doors you find either people who "like people", or those who don't... There really wasn't much in-between. People seemed to like to point out minorities as their scapegoat for neighborhood issues. A very polarized neighborhood indeed.

The geography in Calgary East is basically flat... The Bow River loops through the riding on the West, and flat plains run off into the distance (all the way to Ontario) on the East... The West edge of the riding is actually a tall ridge above the banks of the Bow, and arguably has the best views in all of Calgary - both mountain AND the downtown of the city - along with some river. None of the more "exclusive" neighborhoods of the Southwest, West, or Southeast have such great views. Much of the riding was built in the 60s and 70s. There are some newer areas to the far East and in the South of the riding. In one area - Lynnview - Imperial Oil had dumped millions of tons of oil refinery by-products years ago. Homes were built overtop, and when the health problems and poisoned soil became "news" people lost their homes and the associated values... Residents pursued Alberta Environment - without any help from their federal MPs (who would never say anything against Big Oil, would they). Obhrai was never heard from during the crisis...

Calgary East has the bulk of Calgary's warehousing and industrial lands. A large part of the populace works in the industrial areas - versus the gleaming Big Oil office towers of downtown. Some of the biggest challenges in the area include serious drug abuse problems, drug trafficking, youth prostitution (in Calgary wealthy businessmen are routinely caught picking up underaged prostitutes along the underaged stroll around 17th Ave SE)... We had a campaign office on 17 Ave SE, and routinely saw hookers out our back door.

Deepak Obhrai has pretended to represent this riding through the last several elections. While there have been some serious battles for him to get the nomination, he managed to court a huge effort by ethnic communities to get out the vote. South Asian bus and taxi drivers picked up voters throughout the day, and he worked very hard to pack the nomination meeting with people of various ethnic groups - further angering some of the hardcore Reformers, who could only stand by and watch... Attempts have been made - even recently - to dump Obhrai from the riding, but he has become somewhat "entrenched" as a sitting MP - even as far back as he is in the back benches.

As one CBC feedback provider noted: " I am very disappointed to see that no representation is given to the South Asian community in this cabinet. Where are Nina Grewal, Rahim Jaffar, and Deepak Oberoi? All these people have been working hard for the party for many years, still Mr. Harper does not see any fair representation in the South Asian Community. Canada is a multicultural country and South Asian people are playing very active role in building the strong and prosperous Canada."

So, is Mr. Obhrai in the wrong party? Doesn't seem like his party seems to think much of him (or anyone of a similar persuasion - South Asian, that is). Perhaps he's only in it for the notoriety - in India... Yup, that's right, back in South Asia these foreign MPs of South Asian heritage are real celebrities. Doesn't matter that they're not cabinet ministers. Does not matter that a few of them are basically just "window-dressing" to court the minority vote by their party... How else can one explain the 3 MPs of South Asian heritage who sit in the Conservative back benches, keep quiet, and seem to have nothing much to say? I laughed when I saw images on TV of Harper at a "suburban Toronto" rally this week. Behind him on stage was a veritable "rainbow coalition", while the audience looked like the complete opposite... Could they be "planting" these folks up on stage with Harper as "window dressing"? The party that "misinterpreted" the election financing laws wouldn't do THAT, would they?

Deepak Obhrai ... our latest "Most Useless MP"... Tomorrow we'll discuss Laurie Hawn.

Canadian Media Turns to Toilet "Tabloidiness" - Unable to Discern Harper's "Truthiness"

Over at Gauntlet.ca today, there is a great post about "attack" ads, and the perception of them.

I'm with him. While there is all this crap in the public domain about "the high road", and "attack" ads or "dirty politics", in reality they work. They also get the idea behind the ad into the public mind.

Sure, if they're over the top personal attacks, then they are "dirty", but something that attacks policy in a truthful way - is really clean... attack ad, or not. I think the crappy (and getting crappier) media in this country does every voter a disservice by just dubbing everything an "attack ad" with the ominous undertones. They need to make a distinction behind the content of the ad.

When a party "attacks" someone on their lies, or failure to keep promises, that should be considered akin to "investigative journalism" (considering the mainstream media has ceased to do anything that can be construed as "investigative journalism"). If we cast disparaging remarks at the way he/she smiles, or talks, or looks, or their social or ethnic background - or imply that in any way - that should be looked down upon. If someone is attacked with lies or false information (such as the Conservatives' ads against Dion), then they should be taken to task for it...

The media in this country (which seems to be getting more and more "tabloidically" American every day) has to do a better job at clarifying the difference between good ads and bad ads. Maybe a daily news story that outlines the "truthiness" of party ads and party lines...?

Like I've indicated before, we need stronger controls over media ownership in this country - especially foreign media ownership...

The West's Most Useless MPs - Today: Rob Anders (Con)

Continuing our series on MPs that equate to pylons on the political highway, today we bring you Rob Anders of Calgary West. Rob is perhaps less of a harmless pylon and more of a wandering porcupine - one which could slice you up, but one whom even the Cons try to keep penned up... (in case he reveal the true nature of the Reform bowel movement)...

Calgary West is a riding nestled in the dry, arid, foothills of the mighty Rocky Mountains. It stretches from the Glenmore Trail on the SW, up to the old town of Bowness just South of the Bow River, and right up to Crowchild Trail, then West into Elbow Valley, and along the Trans Canada Highway. Like most ridings in Calgary it is ethnically/culturally "monotone" with very little diversity. It does house Calgary's first mosque, and first Sikh Temple. Demographically, besides the "majority" community, Calgary West has a significant Greek population, and quite a few families from the Ismaili faith. There are not nearly enough cultural, economic, or social minorities to make a dent in a very blue conservative riding. Next to Calgary SW (Harper's old riding - and mine) Calgary West is the most affluent riding in Calgary. Pretty much anyone with a corner office in Big Oil has a home in the affluent neighborhoods of Elbow Valley, The Slopes, etc.

Rob is revered by the old "Guard" members of the Reform/Alliance/Conservative Party. "The Guard" - the ominous sounding secret society which forms the core of angry, venom-spewing Western Firewall Conservatism (many were former WCC Separatists) - is the only group who could have mustered enough forces to keep Anders around. Even Conservatives within his riding would like to see him out.

Anders is pretty much ONLY known in Parliament for his xenophobic outbursts. Everyone in Canada recalls his strong opposition to Nelson Mandela and Mandela's welcome to Canada. Members of his own party stood by him (Reform or Alliance or Conservative), and he was quite obviously not ejected from a party which probably valued his "keeping the attention" of the hard right in Reform-land.

In his neophytic career Anders has invoked the anger of Canadians and foreigners, and even spurred a website by his own constituents: VoteOutAnders.com...

Here's a little bit from the media on Anders:

""[Honouring Nelson Mendela is a] total political-correctness poster-boy thing... He was a Communist. He was a terrorist... The Liberals always deprive us unanimous consent on all sorts of provisions. They wouldn't allow us to honour the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen with regard to their wedding anniversary..."
- Calgary West MP Rob Anders, June 2001.

The comments obviously generated a great deal of animosity. So Anders was asked to clarify and generally given plenty of opportunities to back away from his disgraceful statements. He chose a different path.

"I don't think that, you know, anybody would argue that if Nelson Mandela was saying, you know, 30 years ago, that you should go around with matches and necklaces and strangle people or burn them out of their homes, that is not terrorism."
- Anders, 2001

So, then we can assume that his party was incredibly embarassed of him, right? Wrong. "Rob is a true reformer and a true conservative. He has been a faithful supporter of mine and I am grateful for his work." - Stephen Harper

Rob Anders was gleefully accepted by the new unified Conservative Party. Barely a whisper was raised about his disgusting remarks. Today, the Conservatives vehemently deny suggestions that they are racists and suggest those who accuse them of racism are 'fear mongering'.
The newspaper articles, however, are eternal.

"Rob Anders: Incredibly, Anders went one wackier after he trashed honorary Canadian citizen Nelson Mandela as a terrorist and a communist last spring. When the former South African president phoned for a peacekeeping chat in November, Anders refused to take the call because he wasn't granted enough time to outline his many concerns. In a Commons loaded with lightweights, Calgary West's MP almost defies gravity."
- Never a dull moment with magnificent seven. The Calgary Herald. Jan 13, 2002.

"Rob Anders is a callow 29-year-old Canadian Alliance MP for Calgary West, an Opposition cipher of high dudgeon and low intellect, a sadly misguided voice who knows little of history and shamefully less of global politics....
If Anders had limited himself to attacking the Liberals for pushing the citizenship honour through Parliament without a proper debate in the House, he would have been on sturdier procedural ground. Instead, the redneck disgraced himself and his party by describing Mandela, 82, as "a Communist and a terrorist." Despite getting slapped about the head by colleagues and opponents, Anders was defiantly unapologetic, albeit pathetically ill-informed on Mandela's background....
I feel honoured that Nelson Mandela would accept Canadian citizenship.
I feel ashamed that Rob Anders is a Canadian citizen."
- Citizen Mandela triumphs over a callow MP The Toronto Star, June 13, 2001.

Wonder how Conservatives will explain this one... " (BlogsCanada Conservative Quote of the day)

Conservatives are pretty much not at all concerned about explaining anything Rob Anders - or any other "true-to-the-Conservative-name" MP says. They are only concerned if the media roots it out. The media doesn't seem to have the journalistic skills required to expose these Conservatives for what they really are. "The Guard" members of the party must be overjoyed at their success in bringing their hidden agenda fully cloaked this close to a majority. Part of the original plan.

Rob Anders - our Most Useless MP for today...

Conservatives Continue Their Lies About Being "Pro-New Canadian"

Vijay Sappani has a great post on his blog... He lays out Conservative claims about new Canadians and immigration, and what they have actually done. There is a stark contrast:

http://www.vijaysappani.com/myblog/2008/09/10/conservatives-are-not-the-true-voice-for-new-canadians/

The West's Most Useless MPs - Today, Nina Grewal

WesternGrit introduces a new "special feature" on this blog: "The West's Most Useless MPs". On these pages, over the next few weeks, we will look at the most inept, opportunistic, and generally useless MPs in Western Canada. Having resided in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and now BC, I have an interest in politics and politicians across the fabled "West". While many people like to lump all of this part of Canada into one bunch, the "West" is very diverse - culturally, geographically, socially, and economically. You have strong cores of NDP and Liberal support (mostly Northern and urban areas), and the bastions of conservatism - in rural and mostly suburban areas (with the exception of AB and Sask, where the cities have weaker Liberal and NDP numbers.

Today, we will discuss my own riding: Fleetwood-Port Kells, in suburban Surrey BC, and our MP - Ms. Nina Grewal.

Surrey is a fast-growing city (growing much faster than Vancouver) which is projected to be larger than Vancouver within the next 10 years. Fleetwood-Port Kells - along with the Morgan-Creek/White Rock area (in South Surrey) - is one of the most affluent suburbs of the City of Surrey. Dotted with urban farms (yes, we have beautiful farms and market gardens throughout the city) , wineries, rivers, urban forests, and rolling hillsides, Fleetwood, Surrey is very much like it's United Kingdom namesake. Green, sunny (sunnier than Vancouver, believe it or not), and wedged between the Fraser River and the US border, Surrey is one of the largest, most spread out urban areas in Canada.

Surrey has a very large ethnic population. The largest cultural group in Surrey is South Asian. There are also large pockets of East Asian, Middle Eastern, and African immigrants (and their descendants), as well as many newly arrived Eastern Europeans. The visible minority population of Surrey goes back to Chinese and Indian laborors, railway workers, and lumberjacks from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The riding of Fleetwood is located to the East of Surrey - directly North of Cloverdale (also part of "metro" Surrey), running South of the Fraser River, and East to Langley. Fleetwood is not quite as "diverse" as the rest of Surrey, but still has ethnic populations rivaling some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the rest of Canada. It is also home to some of Surrey's largest groupings of East Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese, Phillipino), Greek, and Italian settlements. More recently affluent South Asians have settled throughout Fleetwood, building some of the most exclusive neighborhoods (for example in the Tynehead area, and further East). The rural/farm population is also very diverse - with many South Asian owned farms in the area.

Fleetwood-Port Kells' MP is Nina Grewal. Who? Yeah, many people do say that. Nina is not exactly a "hyper-active MP" in Parliament. She rarely speaks, and very rarely brings forth new ideas (outside of what might be scripted for her by her party). Within the East Indian community credit for her election goes to a solid core of conservative support in the riding, and her "opportunistic" grab at the riding nomination - angering more than a few life-long Conservative members in the area. Getting help from the Newton-North-Delta supporters of her (since defeated) husband didn't hurt either.

Look up Nina Grewal on the web, and you get some mentions on sites aligned AGAINST a woman's right to choose. There are VERY FEW Hansard entries. As a matter of fact MY last name may have been mentioned more in the House. It's not funny. Seriously... not funny. The other commonly noted mention is stuff like this gem I found:

"Grewal Speaks

Oh my gawd she actually said something. Nina Grewal, the silent partner in the Conservative husband and wife duo of Grewal and Grewal, actually spoke up in the house today and asked a question. For the record this is not thefirst time since she was elected she actually spoke in the house. But she usually was overshadowed by her flamboynt and goofy husband Gurmant.

Nina Grewal was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 for the new riding of Fleetwood-Port Kells. She and her husband, Gurmant, became the first spouses to simultaneously hold elected seats in Parliament

Yep folks an election is on the way. Cause Nina said something in order to get her name written into Hansard. Just to show here constituents she is still in the house."

You see, she isn't exactly a "star" performer of the calibre that is required to represent the people of a riding as large and diverse as Fleetwood-Port Kells. I'm South Asian, so take the next statement with that in mind... She has done a lot of work getting "help" in immigration cases of people who have been otherwise cast aside or rejected via the "normal" immigration process. The thing is, she hasn't actually done any more (I can argue that she's done FAR less) than someone like Penny Priddy, or Sukh Dhaliwal has. Even with her "inroad" in the government vis-a-vis "ministerial immigration permits" (basically by-passing the system), she still hasn't been able to do much more than any other MP - of any party.

So, the extent of Nina Grewal's usefullness as an MP lies in her "ability" to be a visible minority person of the female gender (and we know how badly the Conservatives need both these demographics), who graciously votes anti-choice, and grants immigration permits (via the ministerial backdoor) to her former countrymen/women. Meanwhile all other matters in Fleetwood-Port Kells get conveniently swept aside. How good is that for my riding? Not very. Further to this, she doesn't live in the riding, AND she doesn't seem to have a map of it either - seeing as her 4x6 signs are showing up curbside (on public property) in the ridings of Newton-North Delta, and South Surrey- White Rock.

To add further to Ms. Grewal's horrible record, her handling of the Komagata Maru affair is reprehensible. The Komagata Maru incident occurred in the early 1900s, when a shipful of South Asians (mostly Punjabis from India) were legally sailing to immigrate to Canada. During their sail - and hearing of it - more conservative voices in Canada raised a storm of fury forcing the government of the day to re-enact exclusion laws. The provincial government of BC was also very much involved in this - and was the driving force with some very vocal local conservatives. The shipful of Indians was sent back to India where many were killed or arrested. For years a South Asian Group has been asking for an apology - IN Parliament. Just an apology, placed in Hansard - the Canadian record of law-making. There is an annual fair in Surrey called the Baba Mela (literally "old guys' fair") where the Komagata Maru incident is remembered. For years all governments were slow in acting. When Mr. Harper thought he could get an "in" into the South Asian votes he needs for a Majority he came up with the most ridiculous fake apology ever. The PMO actually TOLD Sahib Thind and other organizers of the group that they absolutely will not offer an apology in Parliament. The group told Harper that without a formal apology in Hansard (like those offered to other groups), there really is no need to show up. There is documented email evidence of the discussions. Harper used his link to Nina Grewal to show up at the fair anyway. He gave his bogus apology and when the crowd of several thousand looked visibly agitated, he fled the stage... tailed by Ms. Grewal. Mr. Thind implored Ms. Grewal to tell the crowd if she felt an apology in Parliament was in order... She refused to retake the stage. Several South Asian community organizers were visibly very upset, and indicated even though some had supported Nina - just because she was South Asian - they would not do so the next time.

There may be some serious changes in the direction of South Asian votes in this upcoming campaign...

A good option to vote for is Brenda Locke - former Provincial Cabinet Minister, and someone who is very involved in the community at large.

Nina Grewal. Congratulations on being named WesternGrit's first ever "Most Useless Canadian MP". Many more to come... Tomorrow: Rob Anders (Calgary West).

Oh... and Nina... try to get your signs on voter's property (to this day I have yet to see a sign on an actual lawn), and IN your own riding. Geography may not be your strong suit, but there has to be someone on your team who knows North from South. If you want, I can post pictures of the offending signs...

Which Conservatives are Anti-Choice? Pretty Much ALL Of Them

Interesting tidbit of iinformation form the Pro-choice action network based on the period before the last federal election.

Conservatives only defense of their anti-choice (against women's right to choose) stance on abortion is "the Liberals are too". Another false drive-by smear... In true numbers the handful of Liberal MPs (some on this list are no longer in office - supplanted by Conservatives in the last election - in their more socially conservative ridings) is infintessimally small. Most of the Conservative MPs are extremely anti-choice, and their base (the people who will drive their decisions IF they score a majority) is even MORE anti-choice. It is pretty clear that a lot of the Conservative MPs who are supposedly "pro-choice" are often "conveniently" so, because they run in an urban riding where the voters are pro-choice. It's probably similar for the tiny handful of Liberal MPs from (mostly) rural/suburban ridings who are anti-choice. If they weren't quiet about the issue, or hinting at being "anti-choice" their rural voters would have them for lunch...

So, without further ado, here is the list. Enjoy!

Anti-Choice Federal MPs

Before the Election	After the Election
83 of 297 MPs (28%)	90 of 308 MPs (29%)
59 of 71 Conservatives (83%)	69 of 99 Conservative MPs (70%)*
20 of 168 Liberals (12%)	20 of 135 Liberal MPs (15%)(even less now)
4 Independents (3 former Conservatives)	1 Independent

* Note: Perhaps 5 to 10 Conservative MPs are pro-choice or likely pro-choice. The stance of the rest is uncertain or unknown, but at least some are anti-choice.

Conservative Party of Canada — Anti-choice Incumbents

An asterisk (*) indicates a previous incumbent; the rest are newly elected.

* Jim Abbott	* Gurmant Grewal	Pierre Poilievre
* Diane Ablonczy	Nina Grewal	* James Rajotte
Dean Allison	* Art Hanger	* Scott Reid
* Rob Anders	* Richard Harris	* John Reynolds
* David L. Anderson	* Loyola Hearn	* Gerry Ritz
* Leon Benoit	Russ Hiebert	Andrew Scheer
* Garry Breitkreuz	* Jay Hill	* Werner Schmidt
Gordon Brown	* Howard Hilstrom	* Carol Skelton
Colin Carrie	* Dale Johnston	Joy Smith
* Bill Casey	Guy Lauzon	* Monte Solberg
* Rick Casson	Tom Lukiwski	* Kevin Sorenson
* David Chatters	Randy Kamp	* Darrel Stinson
* Cheryl Gallant	* Jason Kenney	* Chuck Strahl
* John Cummins	Ed Komarnicki	* Greg Thompson
* Stockwell Day	* James Lunney	* Myron Thompson
* Norman Doyle	* Rob Merrifield	* Vic Toews
* John Duncan	* Bob Mills	Brad Trost
* Ken Epp	* James Moore	* Maurice Vellacott
* Brian Fitzpatrick	Rob Moore	Mark Warawa
* Paul Forseth	Rob Nicholson	Jeff Watson
* Peter Goldring	* Deepak Obhrai	* Randy White
Gary Goodyear	* Brian Pallister	* John Williams
* Jim Gouk	* Charlie Penson	* Lynne Yelich

Liberal Party — Anti-choice Incumbents (many lost out to Conservatives)

An asterisk (*) indicates a previous incumbent; the rest are newly elected.

* Raymond Bonin	* Joe McGuire	Alan Tonks
* Joe Comuzzi	* Dan McTeague	* Rose-Marie Ur
* Mark Eyking	* Shawn Murphy	Joe Volpe
Albina Guarnieri	* Pat O'Brien	* Tom Wappel
Jim Karygiannis	* Jerry Pickard	Borys Wrzesnewskyi
Judi Longfield	* Paul Steckle	Paul Zed
* Lawrence MacAulay	* Paul Szabo

Other — * Chuck Cadman (Independent, formerly Conservative)

***UPDATE: Please check this link for an updated list of MPs:

http://www.arcc-cdac.ca/action/list-antichoice-mps.html

Leader (Yeah, that means Dion) in Surrey Friday

PM-to-be, Stephane Dion will be on the West Coast this Friday.  We hope to catch a glimpse of him at York Center on Friday, at the Crystal Banquet Hall.  York Center is located on 128th St between 72nd and 80th Ave in Surrey.  

I've been hearing lots of positive feedback on the Green Shift in Surrey, and look forward to hearing more...  

The reception will be a great kick-off for Surrey and Lower Mainland Liberals.  Hope to see everyone there!

Private Media Barons - Election Fixers?

It appears more and more that the consortium that runs the media in this country will do anything it can to snuff out a moderate or left-leaning voice. It used to just be speculation - based on the vastly conservative ownership of media in this country... They used to cover it up well, by using populist rather than blatantly right wing appeals to their readership. They were good at dumbing down stories for the benefit of the beer and donuts crowd... and at the same time making it cool to be one of those people. You know who we're talking about. People who should be voting NDP or Green - maybe Liberal - but certainly NOT Conservative.

For a long time the media snuffed out any discerning voices with waves of populism, racial-profiling nationalism, and the deification of "Joe Average" - that non-existent dream of most right wing politicos. This week the private "old boy's club" went a little too far...

What the private media has done today is really the most undemocratic thing we've seen in this country for years. Keeping a legitimate national party leader out of the leadership debates is a disservice to the people of Canada. It is a shame. It is something that should well be remembered the next time the good guys have a chance to govern: do we allow more "deregulation/Americanization" of the media in Canada? The private media (Rogers, Shaw, BCE, Global, etc.) all have interests linked to American ownership, neoCon nationalist pastimes (like war, big oil, etc.), and conservatism in general.

It's a shame. It's time for Canadians to wake up and start fighting for what we believe in. Time to fight for our nation.

Stephen Harper Cannot Be Tough On Crime When He's Soft On Guns

Stephen Harper cannot be "tough on crime" when he's "soft on guns"... (Stephane Dion).

Perfect... And 100% accurate. While Connies gun-nuts cry about "stolen guns" being the problem, the public needs to be reminded that a lot of these stolen guns are stolen from poorly stored collections because we don't have serious penalties for NOT storing your guns appropriately. If a gun is stolen from your home and used in a crime, YOU should also be charged with criminal negligence (or something akin). If I were to lend my car to my 12 year old nephew and he ran someone down with it, firstly, it would be traced back to me because of the extremely tight controls on car ownership in Canada, and secondly, I would be held accountable as the registered owner as the party partly responsible - due to my own negligence.

Some arguements just don't get past the gun-nuts and NRA. So sad. Sick really...

Conservatives Get Lawnsigns Out First - On Sunday...

Fleetwood Port Kells
Newton North Delta
South Surrey White Rock
Mission Port Moody?
Coquitlam
Pitt Meadows Maple Ridge

Driving through these ridings yesterday, I noticed the Conservatives had multiple 4x6 or 4x8? billboards at strategic locations throughout the riding... Interestingly enough, NONE of them were on "private" property - or should I say on the front lawns of homes (where you would typically have "lawn signs").

Just goes to show that appearances are everything. Joe Q Public drives around the city and says, "hey, look at all those Conservative lawn signs... they must be winning". For the average guy who just wants to "follow the trend/be like his neighbors", this is bad news for parties that don't have their signs out earlier, and in huge numbers - even if they only are on public space, ditches, and boulevards.

I must give credit to Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton North Delta), as he did have several of his signs up. Extra credit (or maybe detention - or a move to the "remedial class") goes to Nina Grewal, whose lawn signs appeared in such distant ridings as South Surrey-White Rock, and Newton North Delta...

To Brenda Locke's Liberal team (Fleetwood Port Kells): I have a pickup, and a 4 LB hammer. Give me a few dozen of these signs, and we'll get this party started...

Cheers - and good luck to all moderate, middle of the road candidates who don't believe the "second amendment (of the US Constitution)" applies up here, who don't want to take away a woman's right to choose, and who don't want to kill our public system of health care to make way for their corporate friends - EVEN ONE FOOT IN THE DOOR - ONE "FOR PAY" CLINIC IS TOO DAMNED MUCH.

It's Go Time!

This may be the most critical campaign in years.  Nothing - nothing in years - can come close to the terror Harper could unleash on unwitting Canadians if he could sneak by with a majority in his "sheep suit".  

Canada is at a vital crossroads.  We have to fear the very real risk of the Americanization of our great land.  Harper, his henchmen, and his Big Oil friends want nothing less than the North American union which would result from the continued weakening of Canadian values and institutions embarked upon by his Neo-Conservative movement.

Whether it is the blind acceptance of American security fear-mongering; the marriage to the American economy (spurring hatred and intolerance of China, and Asia, while focusing on the USA as the sole destination for Canada's foreign trade trips); the "yessir" blanket acceptance of American foreign policy (every time we mirror the US line on some foreign policy issue, we lose the respect of nations worldwide - and more important to some of us - trade and valuable exchanges);  Whichever Conservative initiative it is we look at, the results are the same:  there is a Conservative initiative to destroy our nation as we know it...

Time for Canadians to "stand up" for our land.  Time for a "shift" to a new way of thinking.  A new outlook on life, and a new outlook for this great land.  We need to stand and fight for our healthcare system, our environment, and our sovereignty.

Promises, Promises, Promises, and Fixed Election Date Laws...

From its inception the Reform/Alliance/New Conservative Party has been screaming about "fixed election dates". It is an idea that had pervaded the reform ideology, and any time you engaged a Connie you received a litany of their usual tripe - with the fixed dates being one of their top promises.

The promise goes back beyond Harper. And let's not even call it a promise... it was a demand. Rank and file Reformers spewed this stuff out on Prairie doorsteps from the late 80s - right up to - oh... let's say a few weeks ago? I can still remember both Preston Manning and Stockwell Day screaming about the need for fixed dates.

Is this a major promise broken by Harper? As far as promises go, I would say that all PMs have broke a few. The last governing Liberal Party did set a record by keeping between 70 and 80% of their Red Book promises... This record number of promises kept was never matched by another government. We're talking about multi-paged documents containing 100s of liberal ideas. This number was so hard to match that Harper and his Reform-a-tories knew they had to scale down the promises... hence his "5 pillars". Getting back to whether this was a promise, I would say it is more of a "law" that Harper has broken... Promises that are voted on in Parliament and made into those pesky things called "rules" are usually termed "laws"...

Life's pretty easy when you only have to own up to 5 promises... Forget the fact that you promised millions of seniors not to tax income trusts... and hmmm... weren't there a few other promises there? Sure there were. Still, Harper's Republican strategists had it fairly well-planned out when they decided to narrow down the promises so much. Better odds.

The lesser promises made by the Conservatives probably had one other important reason for being, (or "not" being): The Conservatives are a party devoid of ideas. Being a "small tent", "one wing of the political spectrum" party, they are pretty much a "two or three issue party". They couldn't come up with more than 5 ideas (and some they stole from the Liberals - cutting programs then renaming them) because they are more about taking Ottawa apart, and not about building on the legacies and traditions of our great system.

Conservatives are about destroying the institutions which make up one of the most moderate and successful democracies in the modern world. Canada is a great political and cultural experiment, which has existed (after the initial atrocities committed by the European invaders) pretty much in harmony - pretty much without riots, fire-bombings, or civil wars for over 100 years.

Conservatives don't need ideas to build a nation, because they are NOT "nation builders". That role has always been a Liberal one (after the times of MacDonald's "Liberal Conservatives"). Nation building, first of all, requires that you LIKE your nation. You don't call it a "Northern European Welfare State". You don't go to your neighbor's capital and act like you hate it. Nation-builders love their land, and want to keep it the best place on earth. Nation-builders don't let record surpluses and solid infrastructure growth (called an economic miracle in some quarters) turn into the slowest growth in the G7.

You don't need to make promises, if you don't intend to build a nation... Mr. Harper - we know your game... Times up.

Gangs of Right Wing Thugs Running Amok In Guelph??? What the...???

In Germany in the 1930s gangs of brown-shirted thugs went about terrorizing the population. These gangs created "false terrorist acts" (Reichstag fire, etc.), while doing their own terrorizing with beatings, vandalizing shops, etc.

When I read this blog post this morning, my stomach turned. It is blatantly obvious - although the papers didn't clarify (but the NDP candidate made clear) that it was Liberal homes/property targeted, and it was not NDP or Liberal workers doing the terrorist acts.

This is really sickening. Deplorable. Even for Conservatives - if it is proven so - this is a shameful day. While lawn-sign "vandalism" and defacing has occurred for years (ever since there were lawn-signs, I'm sure), vandalism against homes, cars (including attempted assaults/murder? by cutting brake lines) is a new low, and goes clearly into the realm of organized criminal activity.

This is such a frightening and unsettling turn in events on the national scene, that something NEEDS to be done on the federal level, and the RCMP MUST be involved to ensure that a VERY STRONG message is sent.

I always have a lawn sign, and they have been vandalized (when I lived in Calgary). This new organized criminal up-kick in vandalism is much, much more serious. Someone could be killled or seriously injured...

Time for an investigation on a national scale.

Election Will Be Called Early Next Week... And More Ralph Goodale Commentary With Substance...

Typically, I get Ralph Goodale's weekly email newsletter on Monday or Tuesday. Today I received his weekly email the Friday before... Hmmm... Me-thinks something is up... It is probably pretty obvious that the Cons are calling a snap election to people on the Hill, and this newsletter going out this week is surely to ensure that people get to read it before the election call.

Perhaps good strategy on the part of the Conservatives. It's a shame that they want to hide what comes out during the inquiries and commissions into their electoral improprieties, or the Julie Couillard book, or their serious lapse on the economy file. Harper still is Canada's #1 Liberal hater (although that title may also belong to the Conservative that threatened to get his gun when me and a young Liberal knocked his door a few elections ago). He still thinks PM Cretien's election call in 2000 was targeted at him (since everything is about him - Harper the icon...), and not somehow related to other political events in the East (no Reformer considers the East in anything they do - except to cry about how the East apparently "rules Canada")...

Anyway... Without further ado, here is another well thought out Goodale piece:

WEEKLY COMMENTARY

By Ralph Goodale, M.P.

A TAINTED ELECTION! A TAINTED GOVERNMENT!

From its first day in office, Stephen Harper’s government has been one of questionable legitimacy.

The Conservatives made two massive, vote-buying promises in the last campaign which they quickly dishonoured. One was never to tax Income Trusts. The other was to pay Saskatchewan $800 million more every year in Equalization.

Such bare-faced dishonesty obviously undermines Conservative legitimacy.

Their position is further eroded by the serious legal questions which have been raised by the Chief Electoral Officer about a Conservative election financing scam in the last campaign.

Respected, independent election officials are investigating whether campaign spending limits were violated at the national level, while illegitimate reimbursement claims were filed locally.

On top of that, the Conservatives benefited shamelessly from the extraordinary and inexplicable involvement of the RCMP in the last campaign. Every credible independent observer says this incident in the midst of the last election had a huge and totally improper impact.

… /2

-2-

Two and a half years later, Stephen Harper now wants a snap election – in violation of his promise of a fixed election date in October of 2009.

The illegitimate Conservative behaviour continues.

What has the Harper government so panicked that they are prepared to break their word to Canadians – yet again – and even break the spirit of the fixed-election-date law which they, themselves, enacted?

They’re spooked by at least three things on the horizon, which don’t look good for Mr. Harper.

First, the Conservatives will lose all four of the federal byelections called for September.

Secondly, the national economy is getting into deeper trouble, and the responsibility will rest squarely on Mr. Harper’s shoulders.

And third, the investigations into Conservative ethical lapses are exposing more and more illustrations of apparent Conservative corruption and incompetence.

A quick election could sweep this all under the rug.

Conservatives Intend To Break Election Financing Laws Again???

Assuming (based on finding by Elections Canada) that the Conservatives cheated taxpayers out of millions of dollars with their illegal "in-and-out" scheme last election, it remains to be seen what they intend to do this time around...

Harper recently indicated he will "work with" elections Canada, BUT he will spend according to their (Conservatives') interpretation of the rules. Isn't that what they did last time?

When it comes down to it, they pretty much HAVE TO do that - spend a wad of cash over their legal limit, and shuffle monies back and forth between ridings and the Central Office. Why? Well, let's say they decide NOT to do that this time around... That would in and of itself be an admission of guilt. They can't just stop doing what they are sure (sure enough to go to court and sue over) is the correct way to finance their election.

Either way, it is interesting for us. We can go in anticipating that they are going to really spend up a storm. It's the "safe" assumption. This will also make them much "guiltier" in the eyes of Election Canada later on... Problem is, they may eke out a big enough win (IF they win) to avoid an immediate defeat in Parliament, and subsequent public embarrassment. If they chose to stop with the illegal "in-and-out" scheme they are certainly admitting guilt.

As Liberals we'll need to be ready to weather the onslaught of disingenuous ads, drive by smears, door-step whispering campaigns (typically Reform), and hours and hours of illegally financed ads. As a strategy, we'll need to ask Canadians to "keep the Conservatives honest" by ensuring that we have the means to remove them IF (and that's a big IF) they happen to win, by ensuring a weaker minority than they may get. Chances are, there will be enough scandals (talk of Julie Couillard's book, voters seeing Bernier's face), scams, and racist/sexist/homophobic faux pas' during the election to put a bad taste in voters' mouths.

My bet is we see "In And Out PartII" this election.

Arrogant, Pompous Conservatives Good For Liberal Electoral Chances...

Conservatives: What a bunch of arrogant, pompous in-breeders. While they've cannibalized and euthanized their own party repeatedly (Progressive Conservative -> Reform -> Alliance -> CCRAP -> Conservative), they actually think they can "destroy" the one party most Canadians can relate to (policy-wise, and being "of the center", rather than one of the wings, left or right)...

This CTV story (which I was kindly directed to by a blogger on this site) outlines just how delusional these people are. No wonder they can believe the earth is only 6000 yrs old, or that man walked with dinosaurs (or looks good in a wetsuit for a press conference), or believe that global warming isn't happening, or believe that everyone (immigrants, minorities, women, First Nations, commies, "left-tards", educated people ("elitists"), bureaucrats, diplomats, democrats...) is out to get them.

Time for this Western-based "Reform-a-Tory" protest movement (bowel movement?) to end... But, we'll be patient... We want to hear the commissions and inquiries. We want the public to hear about the Cons cheating on the last election. We want them to hear about "In and Out". We want everyone to see the results of Conservative fiscal mis-management.

Meanwhile, their pompous rants are making the public think they're the very worst kind of "overgrown" children...

See this laugher of a story here...

Thank You Mr. Goodale

Received another of Mr. Goodale's weekly emails this morning. He has the "Harper Hypocrisy" nicely laid out in succinct messaging apt for a campaign...

WEEKLY COMMENTARY

By Ralph Goodale, M.P.

Another Broken Promise, Another Fraud!

Stephen Harper’s repeated threats to trigger a snap election – despite all his “solemn promises” never to do so – would constitute yet another case of political “fraud” (to use the Conservatives’ own language).

On the attack against other political parties, Conservatives have often asserted “there is no greater fraud than a promise not kept”. They have actually used that wording in their campaign materials.

So what about unkept Conservative promises? They add up to a sorry list of “frauds” – on-going!

Take, for example, Mr. Harper’s unmistakable commitment to change the Equalization formula to send Saskatchewan an extra $800 million every year. But it never happened.

Then there was his pledge never to impose any tax of any kind whatsoever on Income Trusts. That promise too turned into a lie.

The list goes on. The most recent example is all this sudden election sabre-rattling.

In the 2006 campaign, the Conservatives promised to fix the dates of future elections at regular intervals every four years to prevent governments from manipulating the timing to their partisan advantage. Legislation was enacted to implement this rule.

But now Mr. Harper is threatening to break that promise and violate his own law.

The next election date, which he himself fixed in statute, is in October of 2009 – over a year from now. But Mr. Harper is suggesting he may pull the plug as early as next week.

Why? For three reasons:

First, he is worried about the rapidly worsening national economy for which he is responsible.

Second, he wants to shut down several Parliamentary investigations that are exposing his government’s ethical violations and Conservative corruption.

And third, to Stephen Harper a “solemn promise” is meaningless. He has proven time and again that you simply cannot trust a word he says.

Conservatives Cut Health Inspection Funding, Canadians Die From Listeriosis... Hmmm... Is There A Link?

This was not good news for the food industry.

The fact that people are dying from consuming food purchased at a supermarket REALLY says we need to clean up our food industry and farming practices (where meat production is concerned). We currently have a Conservative government which is basically owned by Big Beef, and won't lift a finger to do so. This is reflected in the Conservatives EASING OF TESTING via Health Canada, and cutbacks to funding.

Once again, rural Alberta's interests come before Canadians', or Canadians' health.

Canada needs a ban on meat products being fed to meat products... Yeah, that's right... Right now, big commercial feedlots are feeding mashed up cow parts to the same cows that give you steak and hamburger... Mmmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, tasty! Science has shown that diseases like mad cow and Creutzfield-Yakov (spelling?) are caused and spread by the consumption of infected nervous tissue of diseased animals. We let this practice continue. Why? Because the industry like bigger, fatter cattle hopped up on hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Could this possibly be good for us? We're seeing the results.

Recently, we've seen that links have been established between Crohns Disease, and beef - particularly seeing a related organism being passed between infected cattle. We also know for a fact that infected cattle have entered the Canadian food chain. Europe has a ban on harvest of cattle with the Crohns-like illness (which European scientists HAVE linked to Crohns in humans). The Harper government - even after repeated warnings from scientists - has done nothing. Well, "done nothing" is a little extreme... They did do something - they cut funding to the testing agencies. Sounds like a pretty clear answer back to those scientists, doesn't it?

The bottom line with this government is, they will not bring about any changes that may (or may not) negatively impact the cattle or oil industry in their Alberta heartland. The fact that there is more money in organic farming - especially if the government steers Canadians to such a healthy diet - does not register with these people. They are fans of the giant multinational factory farms, and the meat-like substances they produce.

The MNC-farm lobby (Cargill, AMD, etc.) is HUGE in Canada.

The Conservatives are their best friends... We're seeing the results.

Pity.

(The attached image is from the "almostamerican" blog)

Why Angry Conservatives Can Be Successful Conservatives

Since they've been elected the Conservatives have always been on the attack. It's the "American way to play", and they've learned well from their Republican masters... Right now they are on the attack full time (it's the only way they know how to govern).

The Liberal's problem is (and continues to be), with certain types of people this "attack politics" works. I'm talking about the types of people to whom right wing politics really appeals. Unfortunately some folks who aren't the perfect fit for the "conservative" demographic also get taken in by this... The pseudo-macho, aggressive, rant-filled, "carpet bomb them into the stone-age" jingoism does play well with a swath of the "regular joe" 20-40yr old males who may happen to be big sports fans, and just may be "regular guys" (as defined by the "Reform-a-tories"). This is a demographic we need to work on.

Many men in this demographic do fit into a "liberal" mindset, but are attracted to the "machismo" and angry bravado of the Cons (even if NOTHING else, or very little else in the Conservative policy platform - as compared to the Liberal one - matches their voting criteria). These people are often "under-employed", or living situations where a caring government will eventually, quite possibly be needed. This is a demographic that needs our outreach.

While we write off the Conservative rants as "infantile", and jokingly refer to their angst and antics, they pick up votes in a demographic that only matches up with one part of their platform (the aggressive male hormonal part)...

What can Liberals do? We need to sell a "dose of reality". Liberal pragmatism over Conservative idealistic "wing-nuttery" (sorry Wing-nutterer)... I can even see the election ads: "The Conservatives say... Here's a dose of reality: The economy has gone downhill since... Stephen Harper says he wants to bring integrity to Parliament... We're still waiting (list of scandals and infantile behavior)...", etc., etc. As Liberals we also MUST SELL OUR RECORD OF FISCAL GENIUS. We brought this country back from the brink, and have the skills to continue to build this Northern Tiger - even if it has been slightly derailed by the Conservative Recession...

Liberals need to be vocal in pointing out the Conservative anger and deception. We won't be "taking the low road"... we'll just be pointing out the truth. It is also important to know that so-called attack ads prior to the writ don't count as a "negative campaign". Meaning one could "define" the Conservatives for what they are - prior to the campaign - then, take the "high road" DURING the writ period. We would run the most virtuous campaign ever, but let 'em have it with both barrels RIGHT NOW!

The Cons have learned from their American Republican friends the value of a year-round campaign. While funds may be tight right now, they are rolling in, and we absolutely need to establish a credible and formidable pre-writ campaign.

New Liberal Campaign Ads

Picture this Liberal campaign ad:

"Stephen Harper says Parliament is disfunctional" (insert image of Baird foaming at mouth, or ALL their committee antics - with ominous music in background).

"Stephen Harper would like you to think he's been promoting integrity in government..." (lists of the scandals - particularly the election scams)...

(announcer now raises tone:) "Stephen Harper says Parliament is disfunctional and the Opposition parties are playing dirty tricks..."

"Stephen Harper wrote the book on dirty tricks" (words describing Harper's Parliamentary disruption manual, with an image of a large book in the background)...

"The only thing disfunctional about Canada's House of Commons is Stephen Harper's government..."

"On Nov 21st, vote Liberal..."

This Road Leads To Victory!

This image was forwarded to me by a very loyal Alberta Liberal. The road in question is just outside of Stettler, AB.

What is the world coming to? One wonders if the Blogging Tories will swamp the town office in Stettler with annoyance calls, so the town finally gets fed up and sues the LPofC for something as totally unrelated as an Environomic Plan...? Hmmm...

As I stated to her about the road in question: It must be the grandest of avenues, paved with red tar, lined with lofty trees to clear the pollution from the air, with generous space on both right and left, with a big tent on top. The center lane is wide - unlike the rather narrow (minded?) Conservative St. (where the mega-rich have their mansions on one side, while the poor live in huts on the other). There are numerous rest stops with free public medicare, and "learning centers" (signs along the highway) set up to help educate our travelers.

SUVs - otherwise known as "soccer mom limos" are banned from this grand highway.

Conservative MPs have been known to jump up and down, foaming at the mouth, screaming at the road - claiming it is "screwing Canada", and is "a tax scheme". They are angry that they can't run it's course spewing garbage out of the windows of their F-150s, Expeditions, and Denalis...

The general public? They would love to take this road... They agree with every part of the highway. They like the way it is big, wide, all-encompassing, and allows access to all members of the public. They like that it is environmentally conscious. They like that the road takes care of it's travelers. They like that the road is interesting, with lots of turns and change-ups - not a straight line over boring terrain. They like that the road leads to cooperation with foreign lands, and brings trade and friendships with it. They like that the road doesn't have police roadblocks every 5km asking for ID and racial profiling... They like that the road is maintained with public funds, and is not a toll highway...

The public would love to take this road... They just need to be given a reason... After all, it is the "natural road" they've been taking for decades. They just need to be reminded that this is the fiscally prudent, socially sensitive road that has always led them wherever their imaginations would lead them.

Time for Canada to revisit a tried, tested, and true road well-traveled.

*Thanks to Ms. Whitson for the great image. Apparently, this road exists - but now that it's in the blogosphere, who knows how long? Make your pilgrimage to Stettler as soon as you can, to take in this very RARE Albertan site!

Ralph Goodale Speaks Candidly About The West's Prospects

Ralph Goodale is an MP with a huge wealth of experience in Saskatchewan politics. In the 1980s - as leader of the Provincial Liberal Party, Ralph was the LONE VOICE OF REASON in the Legislature, as both the NDP and governing conservatives were on spending binges. Both the NDP and PCs were presenting platforms of excessive spending in a time of fiscal uncertainty (sound familiar?). I still recall Mr. Goodale's incredibly honest and intellectual assessment of the Saskatchewan fiscal situation presented in local papers (in a legislature dominated by the free-spending PCs and Dippers, poor Ralph's only resort was a "letter to the editor"). That editorial received accolades from economists and journalists - but the public still voted Tory. In the years to follow, the Saskatchewan public lamented their populist votes being wasted on "that nice regular guy" - Grant Devine - as they saw a province with an economy in the dumps, and a huge chunk of conservative MLAs under the threat of prison or other forms of justice...

Fast-forward to 2008, and time seems to have stood still. Conservatives once again have their clutches on Saskatchewan (both federally and provincially - as it was in the 80s). Instead of Devine and Mulroney, we have Wall and Harper. Still all "tax-and-spend" Tories. Still brash, populist provincial Premiers pretending their economically "solid" province is impregnable to a slumping national economy. Still, a PM who would rather give the rich - and his oil-financed backers - tax breaks, while the middle class swallows the brunt of national expenses and debt.

Fast-forward to 2008, and you STILL have Ralph Goodale as one of the few elected voices of reason in Saskatchewan.

Reading Ralph's weekly emails this morning, I just could not hold back from that nostalgic trip down memory lane. I was only in Grade 9 when I read his editorial, but the common sense and wisdom of this man stuck with me... Here is Ralph's latest bit of wisdom:

CANADA’S ECONOMIC TROUBLE DEEPENING

The western Canadian economy is booming right now, thanks to world-wide inflation in prices for basic commodities like oil.

That good fortune is not the result of any government policy. It’s simply our long-awaited turn to cash-in on rising global markets.

But be cautious. The commodities boom – as enjoyable as it is, while it lasts – is masking fundamental weaknesses that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives continue to ignore, or even make worse.

Mr. Harper has recklessly increased federal spending by more than $40 billion, to try to buy voters with their own money. Prudence has been thrown to the wind.

He has also eroded the tax-base – pushing Canada to the brink of a deficit once again, while failing to provide meaningful reductions in personal income taxes.

Independent monitoring agencies, like the Conference Board of Canada, are reporting a sub-standard performance by this country in such fields as productivity growth, innovation, literacy skills and environmental integrity.

In four of the last six months, despite western resource wealth, the economy not only stalled overall, it actually shrank. Sectors like manufacturing, forestry and tourism are in particular trouble.

The Bank of Canada and all major private sector forecasters are now predicting a pathetic annual growth rate of barely one percent.

In July, 55,000 Canadian jobs were lost. The last time we saw that sort of setback was in the early 1990’s under Brian Mulroney.

Remember, the Harper Conservatives are the people who failed to tell the truth about Income Trusts or Equalization.

They are the ones who raised Personal Income Tax Rates, while claiming to cut them. They are the ones who proposed investment policies that encouraged foreign takeovers of Canadian enterprises.

Incompetence and dishonesty are their hallmarks.

That’s why Tory times are always, ultimately, tough times. And it’s happening again!

ARE FEDERAL DEFICITS ON THEIR WAY BACK?

This summer, Canada marks a significant 10^th anniversary.

It was during the summer of 1998 that the Finance Minister of that day, Paul Martin, sent the financial statements of the Government of Canada for the 1997-1998 fiscal year to the Auditor-General for final examination.

This audit showed that for the first time in a generation, the federal government had actually balanced its books.

Federal spending had been brought under control. Annual deficits of $40 billion had been eliminated. In fact, Canada had a small but historic surplus that year of $3.5 billion. After 27 years of continuous red-ink, the nation’s fiscal paradigm had recently changed.

The “new normal” became a decade of balanced budgets, rapidly declining federal debt, and taxes reduced year after year.

As consequence, Canada achieved impressive annual growth – the strongest period of economic expansion since the boom right after World War two. Job creation was the best in 30 years. Consumer and business confidence were high.

Canada’s fiscal standing shot-up to Number–One among all G-8 countries

But after just two-and-a-half years of Harper government, there are worrying signs of economic and fiscal trouble.

Independent rating agencies say Canada’s overall economic growth has stalled. High-paying full time jobs are being shredded. Canadian productivity is down. So is our capacity for innovation.

Forty percent of our workforce lack sufficient literacy skills. And Canada’s environmental performance is poor.

Conservative spending is skyrocketing. Stephen Harper has become the biggest spending Prime Minster in history. At the same time, he has eroded the tax base and eliminated all the budgetary safeguards that used to keep this country solidly in the black.

Last Friday, the Harper government reported that at the beginning of this current fiscal year it actually recorded a deficit once again.

Not a good sign!