Nuff said.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Go Canada!
Canada always hits way over it's "weight class" when it comes to Winter Games. In comparing with the USA, we have 10 times less population. They should be getting almost 10x as many medals.
We win. Regardless of the men's hockey results...
More on the "take-aways" from these games in a later post. Let's just say that having them in Vancouver, and being the most mass-transit-friendly, and greenest (with a strong focus on both these topics) was a huge part of the "fan-success" of these games. The record crowds in downtown Van didn't just "appear" - they came from across the Lower Mainland, and from around the world - and they used the efficient green transportation set out in Vancouver to get most, all, or part of the way. This is truly a legacy of the games. We need to push for more rail transit, more mass transit, and more high speed rail - as well as a focus on more pedestrian streets.
Go Canada!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Leave The Canadian Women's Hockey Team Alone!
Their celebration is no worse than any other celebration by any other winning hockey team. And it was part of a tradition since Salt Lake.
Sometimes we North Americans tend to be a little too damned anal (conservative for lack of a better description). In Europe there would nary be a whimper about a young lady only a year or so under the "drinking age" for having a beer.
We should all lighten up a little - and enjoy a great victory by our most dominant Olympic athletes ever!
Another Conservative Trashes Atlantic Canada
They really don't like the Atlantic Canadian provinces, do they? "Culture of defeatism", now this...
Acting very Conservative, Ms. Helena "of Troy" decides to be as juvenile as her hubby. Figures. Wonder if she had a little share of her hubby's meds?
While many in the media point out her absolutely despicable behaviour... Her lack of judgement, and her tirade against people doing a job that the "law and order" (bullshit) Conservatives so vehemently claim needs to be done (and done even more vigorously according to their recent tax hike for added security), I think the focus needs to be on the Conservative's attack - once again - on a region East of Manitoba.
What will it be next time? Ontario again? Quebec - the Reform-a-Tory's favorite bashing subject? Newfoundland? All these regions have been bashed by the Reform-a-tories in recent months/years.
Growing up out West, on the Prairies, I recall the hatred about "The East" spewed by the Reform crowd. I should have known it was part of their ingrained philosophy, and not going anywhere anytime soon.
Time for a change. The recent swell of patriotism during the games just shows Canadians want a government that loves Canada back. A day after a young lady from PEI becomes a Canadian hero for her bobsleigh run, trashing the island is not what Canadians want from their elected representatives...
... Come to think of it, "Canadians" did elect a true majority from the other parties in the house...
Monday, February 22, 2010
Goodale Weekly Report: Senior Pension Crisis
This Grit is back from European vacation... to find life pretty much the same around here... (we can learn a thing - or three - from the Europeans)...
Well... I guess there are the Olympics... That's new.
Ralph's Weekly Report makes some good points about pensions and the potential crisis facing us (unless some more progressive policy comes to the forefront - and soon):
CANADA’S LOOMING PENSION CRISIS
Did you know that one-third of Canadians have no retirement savings, beyond the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)?
Another one-third don’t have sufficient savings to maintain their standard of living.
Over half of Canadian families do not belong to any employer-sponsored pension plan, and for those with a company plan, what happens if your employer goes bankrupt?
These are serious concerns. Liberals have called for three remedial steps to be taken immediately.
First, if your employer goes bankrupt, your pension is “stranded” and must be “locked in” to annuities. But annuities are not managed for growth and the “locking in” often takes place at the bottom of the market (when bankruptcies typically occur).
Liberals propose to bolster the value of stranded pensions by giving Canadians the option of transferring their assets to the CPP (with its impressive security and growth record).
Secondly, we need to help the most vulnerable pensioners – those on long-term disability. If your employer is paying you these benefits directly, but goes bankrupt, you’ll be left with nothing. Liberals propose that long-term disability benefits be given “preferred” status over other claims in bankruptcy proceedings.
Third, we need to help Canadians save more, by offering safe, reliable and hassle-free ways to invest for retirement. Some of this can be achieved through tax and administrative changes to promote greater up-take on RRSPs and other private savings vehicles.
But that’s not all.
Supported by several provincial governments (including Saskatchewan), Liberals are calling for a “Supplementary Canada Pension Plan”, to allow all Canadians to voluntarily contribute more of their own money to the CPP, and thus benefit more from the CPP’s high-grade investment performance.
Stephen Harper’s government promised to make fixing pensions a leading priority, but to date they’ve accomplished nothing at all.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Welcome To Vancouver
It is true Canadian fashion to extend a warm welcome to all our guests. We would like to encourage everyone to embrace our international guests this month.
Flying back from Paris this Tuesday, we had an opportunity to meet athletes from many countries. There were members of the French Olympic Team, Hungarian skiers, Bulgarians, Croatians, Czechs, Slovakians, Polish, etc. Our flight from Paris to Toronto was about 1/4 athletes, and from Toronto to Vancouver was mostly athletes... Amazing...
We made sure to extend a friendly handshake to whoever we had the opportunity to share a smile with, and a hearty "welcome to Canada/Vancouver".
Regardless of the protests against the games, it certainly makes you feel warm inside to host the world.
Enjoy the show (or don't), but let's ensure we make a warm Canadian effort to welcome everyone to our home and native land.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Framer Recognizes Ignatieff... Liberal Victory On It's Way!
I'm not a big believer is polls, except as they reflect "general trends". A "statistical tie" is the best assessment we can glean from the current round of polling.
One thing I do believe in, is the "buzz on the street". Last week, while getting some work done around the house, a framer pointed out "Ignatieff" (not "Iggy", or "that Liberal leader", etc.). I was floored.
For several years I've been hoping to hear some recognition of one of our leaders (post-Martin) by members of the general public. Not just random comments about what's on the the cover of the local paper, but "real" recognition. Last week I found that recognition.
When the real "Joe Average" (not pundits, politicos, and hacks) start talking up your leader, you're coming around.
We've come around.
Now let's give them all something concrete to stand on.
Can we wait until the "Thinkers Conference"? I don't know. We certainly should make public some of the discussions that will occur leading up to, and during, that meeting of "the minds".
Hmmm... It's nice to be 'back'...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jason Kenney Must Resign... Pt. 5
Kenney continues his crusade against the people he feels he doesn't want in Canada.
Today's target: Haitian orphans who have been adopted by Canadians.
Instead of approaching the Haitian Government to fast-track paperwork to fly these tots out (as the Netherlands did), Kenney prefers to call the Dutch action "kidnapping". He "cleared" a tiny handful of orphans through the Canadian part of the process (ones already cleared to leave Haiti). Big whoopie!
What an idiot.
Kenney goes on to say how "generous" our family unification class of immigration is (he claims it is the most generous in the world), which is total bullshit. The USA has a much more welcoming immigration policy when it comes to family reunification, and they are miles ahead of us (decades?) when it comes to the lottery system for green cards.
Getting married in a couple of weeks, our "friendly" policy/government has rejected the visitor visas for some of my fiance's family members (maternal cousins). Can't attend a wedding. A bloody "visit", not staying or anything. They were accused of trying to "queue-jump", since they had previously applied for immigration. Oh yeah. One more thing: they happen to be South Asian/Indian. It's not "preferred nation status" when it comes to immigration under this Conservative Government. If they were a majority religion, and perhaps from a different lattitude, their luck may have been different.
Jason Kenney. Keep up the hypocritical work! Your talking out of two sides of your pie-hole may "curry" favor with some minority quarters (mostly from your "preferred" groups). There are even morons in my own community who continue to jump at the opportunity to pose for pics with you when you slither into town... Opportunists know no bounds... Heck some of them are even MPs in your caucus. Earning their "keep" within their ridings by being THE conduits for immigration "letters" for their own groups of friends and networks...
Not really holding my breath for you to resign. You'll lose your job (though not your seat) in the coming "crimson tide".
Farewell, my not-so-worthy nemesis! May the door to the House not hit even one quarter of your posterior on the way out...
Monday, January 11, 2010
I Didn't Know I Am ... Elite...
Dear Tony Clement:
Thanks for describing me as "the best of a class" (according to Webster's definition of elite).
Judging by my salary (a scant FRACTION of your's), I couldn't possibly have thought myself to be "elite" in the past.
Maybe it's because I buy my own "fair trade" organic coffee and brew it myself - instead of paying the Conservative Party's favorite Calgary-based corporation (Tim's) the $1-whatever per cup it costs... Does that make me "elite"?
Maybe I went to university and received post-graduate education. Maybe THAT makes me "elite". It certainly makes me a fair bit more educated that most of your Cabinet - even your PM perhaps... But elite? Never thought of it that way.
It is good to be considered the "best of the best". But... seriouslyTony, I don't know why you'd consider me to be "elite".
I have to say, the real "intellectual elite" in this country have been pissed on just a little too long. In the 70s and 80s - even the 90s - our governments used to celebrate our scientists and researchers. My high school texts were full of elite minds who made Canada a better country. You know - people like nuclear watchdogs, professional civil servants, and hard-working climate researchers.
When your brand of NeoConservatism came to light (first in Bush's America, now here) your hyper-ideological kooks branded a whole class of hard-working Canadians as "elitists". All the while you took your funding from the elite of Canada's elitist classes (the Big Oil Companies and mega-corporations - the preferred funders of conservative movements the world over). Talk about the pot calling the kettle...
Conservative movements/right wingers around the world have used these tactics to seize power. You and your friends, Mr. Clement, are no different. You need votes and a way to gain favor with the working masses. You need to drive a stake - create a schism. You begin to tear apart society and create an "us and them" mentality. You tell hard-working farmers that city folk are a bunch of latte' swilling elitists. You go to an assembly line and tell the workers there, that people like teachers, scientists, artists, etc., are "elitist" snobs who are out to get them (even though many of those workers earn more than the teachers and artists ever could). You try to divide. To tear society assunder, then create a backlash against the scapegoat: "the elitist".
You also wish to "shut up" those who would question you. Those who would debate your logic (or lack of it). A lot easier to scapegoat an adversary, and call them names, than to actually debate them. Heck, why not just close debate altogether? Call it a prorogue....
There have been scapegoats created in societies in the past. It is a dangerous path you take. They were also referred to as "elitists" - and much worse. We don't need Canada to take that turn...
Sure, I'm "elite". I consider myself good at what I do. I consider years spent going to school, earning next to nothing, and constant studying, to be "sweat-equity" into a world where my thought do mean something... And now... me, and others like me, are going to do everything we can to ensure that your schisming of Canadian society does not succeed.
In the meantime, I'll keep brewing my own organic brew (and saving what I don't spend at Tim's).
I'll keep reading.
I'll keep questioning.
I'll keep speaking out.
I'll keep on being "elite", because it will take elite thought, and elite action, to bring down your farcical government. Not kowtowing to the lowest common denominator...
House Leader Goodale Discusses Prorogue
Ralph Goodale makes a few great points surrounding the Harper Con suspension of Parliament:
PROROGATION SHOWS LACK OF CHARACTER
Prorogation! Most Canadians probably never heard of it, before these past two weeks.
It’s an ancient procedure. It means discontinuing all the functions of the House of Commons and the Senate, stopping just short of dissolving Parliament for an election.
Typically, a Prime Minister “prorogues” Parliament when virtually all the business scheduled for one session has been accomplished, and it’s time to start over. That’s how Liberals used the procedure – and no more frequently than once every three years.
But in the pathologically partisan world of Stephen Harper, “prorogation” has become a parliamentary swear word.
It’s no longer a rare, but honourable procedure. In Mr. Harper’s hands, prorogation is a frequently-invoked tool of political cowardice, to throttle accountability and cover-up Conservative wrong-doing.
Whenever he’s confronted with that wrong-doing – e.g., his willful blindness to torture in Afghanistan, his farcical behaviour at the Copenhagen environmental conference, his domestic failure to create jobs, protect pensions, or reduce barriers to education – he puts a padlock on Parliament and runs away.
But that’s not Stephen Harper’s only despotic tendency.
He methodically intimidates the public service, except for one brave diplomat (Richard Colvin) who insisted on telling the truth about Afghan torture.
Mr. Harper also fires or cripples the supposedly independent “watchdogs” who are intended to protect the public interest – the Military Complaints Commission, the RCMP Complaints Commission, the Nuclear Safety Commission, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Ethics Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, and on it goes.
His vindictiveness even includes slashing the budget for groups that advocate equal rights for women, church organizations like KAIROS, and the independent Canadian Council on Learning.
To quote Stephen Harper himself in 2005: “When a government starts trying to cancel dissent or avoid dissent is frankly when it’s rapidly losing its moral authority to govern.”
Amen!
Friday, January 08, 2010
It's "Iggy" - Not Ignatieff...
We can take a page from Harper's playbook... He wants to wrap his party in Olympic glory, then intro a throne speech. This will put the Opposition on the spot: "support" the speech to avoid an election, so we can have our "thinker's conference" in March (to develop policy), or end the government, and scrap it out...
He will goad us into defeating him, because he wants either the "support" of the Opposition, which he can wave in our faces all session long (to allow him to have free reign), or he gets his election before interest rates and debt catch up to him (the economic "genious" that he is).
What to do? What to do? Well, for one thing, we need to start calling Iggy "Iggy".
Yup.
I know he doesn't like the nickname. He's said so much on a ride in a car from downtown Vancouver to Richmond a few years back.
There is, however, more at play here. Ignatieff is catching on with the public (as far as knowledge of him goes). I've heard people who normally don't mention Opposition Leaders' names mention his. He is named on the late-night talk shows. This is all good.
Still, we need to have a catchy name for our leader. Like Ike. "Mike" Pearson, etc.
Our choice? Iggy. Why? With the Olympics in full swing in the next month, one of the heroes of the games will be "Iggy" - Jarome Iginla. Jarome is someone a lot of the Canadian public will associate with next month. A carefully placed meeting and photo-op will help tie that bind with Iggy-Iggy. I can see the headlines: "Liberal's Iggy Meets Canada's Iggy", etc. Ignatieff will wish him well, etc., and proudly wear a Team Canada jersey. It could even be staged with a press conference immediately afterwards promising to bring back the "Team Canada Trade Missions" that are so sorely needed by Canada's business/trade community (something Harper has ended due to his contempt for the rest of the world).
"Iggy to lead Team Canada to China/India". "Iggy Scores For Canada", etc., etc., etc.
Circulate buttons, "Score With Iggy" (yes, a little overtly suggestive); "Join Team Canada".... etc....
Get all this out BEFORE the Conservative Olympic love-in.
By the way, who do you think Iggy votes for???
And it is IGGY... Go with it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
According To ConBot Supporters, PMSH Is "Just Playing" With Us Vis-a-Vis Prorogue
Hahaha... He "screwed around" with us guys... Boy did he ever... He messed with us soooo much he actually went through with something that even the NeoCon minions didn't think he would. Ha. Ha. Ha. Jokes on us - All Canadians. This "government" is a joke. What to expect from a party that doesn't believe in government. They always thought MPs in Ottawa were just "feeding at the trough" and doing nothing else. When they got there, they decided that they would "make it so", and have done NOTHING but waste tax-payers money, create a massive new debt, and scorn, deride, and begin to tear apart the institution of Parliament with their searing contempt of it...
Running from accusations of possible war crimes. Running from gross mis-management. Now they're attacking the civil service. Their end days are near...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Racism In The Conservative Party...?
Who are these guys trying to fool?
Your favorite "mouthpiece" and "friend/advisor/confidant" of the Grand Leader, spouts off hatefully xenophobic attack speech according to recent twitter comments, and the Conservatives continue with the "love-in" with said Conservative hero...
This is NOT your great-grandfather's Conservative Party. No "progressive" anywhere in the label - and they removed that ON PURPOSE. It was very clear where they were headed...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Conservatives Endangering Our Troops
Conservative reaction that they (and, in their hopes, the public) don't care about the Afghan prisoner issue is putting our troops in danger. Even IF we "don't care" about them (the Afghans), or that place (Afghanis-nam), we SHOULD care about the welfare of OUR TROOPS who are at greater risk due to the Conservative cover-up. And the government's attitude since is simply inflaming the issue. If I'm an Afghan warlord/Taliban nut-job, I'm going to make sure I put clips of Harper and the Cons' reaction to the matter in their propaganda... It certainly would help recruit more fighters - and make them fight against us much harder. "Support our troops", my ass. The Conservatives only care about covering their own coverup. Harper and his party's words of late have done more to put our troops in harms way than ANY opposition criticism of the government's conduct of the war ever has... The Opposition voices their concern based on concern for the troops and for Canadians working abroad.
Shame on Harper and his minions.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Liberal Alternative - What We Offer
Ralph Goodale's Weekly email...
Why a Liberal alternative is good for Canada:
A READY ALTERNATIVE WORTH VOTING FOR!
The Official Opposition in our Parliamentary system has a constitutional obligation to be the government’s principal watchdog and critic – asking the toughest questions on every topic, constantly challenging the government’s record.
A Parliamentary democracy is, by definition, adversarial. That’s how accountability is achieved. So, almost every day, the Opposition finds itself taking the negative side of every debate.
But that’s only half the job. The other half is generating constructive ideas to form the policy agenda of an alternative government. As 2009 winds down, Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals have been focusing more and more on this positive side of being the Official Opposition.
For example, from early childhood development through skills training and access to post-secondary education, we’re working on a package of ideas to make Canadians the most educated and competitive people in the world.
On another front, we have proposed legislation to move this country toward pay equity between women and men. Liberals believe it’s wrong for women to be paid 30 to 40 percent less than their male counterparts. We believe fixing this discrimination is a matter of human rights.
For rural Canada, a new Liberal agenda is emerging, including a guarantee of rural postal services. Under the Conservatives since 2006, these services have markedly deteriorated. Liberals would stop the decay by putting a moratorium on the closure of rural post offices.
The Liberal Opposition has also been leading a campaign to safeguard Canadian pensions. The government promised to make this a priority nearly a year ago, but they’ve done nothing so far and seem extremely reluctant to tackle this challenge.
Liberals have advanced proposals for supplementing the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), for salvaging stranded private pensions, and for assigning higher priority to disability benefits in bankruptcy situations.
At least this is a start in the right direction!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Script Kiddies & Pimple-faced Teenie-boppers In The World Of Web Responsibility
Note to political parties: You don't let your teenage kids the leeway to run your website. Yes, we all know we are a party full of youth and youthful direction - but that youth needs guidance (as in any facet of life).
We have a good example of what happens if a party tries too hard to attract youth... When a party with no youth wing desperately tries to curry favor with the youth vote. That example is the train-wreck that is the Harper "war-room".
We don't need to stoop to that level - and we're not desperate to attract youth. We're the youngest party of the two major ones. We have a new core of strategists, and the Don-OLO... We've got Warren dishing out smack talk like Ali in Manila.
Okay. So it WAS silly fun that went too far. It was dealt with, and now it's over. We didn't defend it until the media came to roost (like the Puffin Poop incident which went for days before an apology was given)...
Done deal. Let's carry on.
Oh yeah. One more thing: Now that the incident has occurred, and the offending images removed, I think we'll have a record number of Canadians go to the site and laugh at the other images.
Thanks for the free publicity media!
You can never say "no" to free pub.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Of 6 Yard Ist Downs and Lowering The Goalposts...
Wrote a lot of this in response to a great post by KNB about Harper's dismantling of Canada...
The "Harper Deception" is slowly beginning to choke the workings of the nation. His party has lowered the goalposts of government performance and responsibility.
Our nation has been duped into settling for a complete lack of vision in Ottawa, but frighteningly, have also been lulled to sleep while "the Hill burns". Harper and his Reform-a-Tory hacks are laying waste to Canada's government mechanism, bureaucracy, and Parliamentary system.
Harper was smart enough to (after several attempts) connect with the right snake-oil salespeople (ie: PR folks)... Working the doorsteps and C-Trains in Calgary, I recall the comments: "Oh, he's such a good looking man... Blonde hair, and those blue eyes..." Seriously. People think "old lizard-eyes" is good looking. I guess it's all the power behind the suit... Anyways...
The "perceived genius" surrounding the Harper team is slowly getting whittled away. His flaws are pretty apparent. He should have had a massive (1993-like) majority last election. Instead, Canadians REJECTED him BECAUSE OF his Conservatism, and NeoCon ideas.
Remember, Harper was the 2-time loser going into the "Sponsorship Election", and then he barely squeaked out a win DESPITE HIS IDEOLOGY. Ignatieff hasn't even lost an election yet, and he has looked positively brilliant at times (and... "not so" at others). Still, Harper should be a lot more polished by now... Ignatieff is a new leader.
Minority or not, Harper is in his second term right now. Even in "real years", his party has passed the 4 year mark, roughly, and is into the years which would typically represent a second full term in a majority. People will get tired of his games - and they are. Public enquiries into scandals are coming. He was dying for a majority, JUST so he could escape the wraith of the enquiries, but it won't be that easy. The free media are waking up. Even old Con stalwarts have some questions and concerns.
We should worry about our Parliamentary democracy being diluted and dissolved. True, we can change some things back, if the Cons push them through, but it's the gradual dismantling of the institutions and traditions of government that concern me. Used to be there were certain protocols in Parliament, and in government. What the Reform-a-Tories have done is break the rules first, then, if not caught, keep breaking them. Otherwise, lie, fabricate, and tell the public/media, "we have a different interpretation of the rules".
Imagine a football game where 10 yards give you a first down. In Steve Harper's world, it's 6 yards, and he's going to tell you so. If the ref complains, Harp will fire the ref. If the reporter in the press box tries to report the truth, Harp's friends who own the paper will simply "edit" the report, change the title to one less damaging (or completely "friendly"), or sub the report with a "national editorial".
Time to get back to real football, and end the "personally foul" government of Harper.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Afghan Prisoner Scandal Doesn't Matter To Canadians...
BS.
Harper/Reform-a-Tory apologists want to wrap themselves in the flag, and lie about how the rest of us "don't support the troops". Their current line of retort is that "Canadians Don't Care" about the scandal and coverup.
Really?
Well, as usual, they're WRONG on that account.
What the Harper Conservative non-chalant attitude on torture has done, is succeeded in painting a much bigger target on our troops (whom we ALL love dearly), and our civilian citizenry around the world - and in Canada.
Harperites have helped create a more dangerous situation for our troops. Fewer civilian Afghans will trust our men and women in uniform - especially if they were family members of the many who were wrongly imprisoned - and tortured. Many more will be tempted to join the other side. Further, the enemy - the Taliban - will fight harder, knowing they may end up imprisoned and tortured if captured. All this is bad news for our troops, and begins the rest of the World down the path of questioning the professional stature of our great armed forces... and leadership. In many developing countries, the professional armed forces of Canada and the UK are a beacon of established excellence the World tries to immitate. In many of those nations civilian unrest and chaos has been quetted by the professional militaries built in the Commonwealth tradition.
Harper and his clown troop DO NOT support the troops - they simply HIDE BEHIND THEM, and USE THEM for their own political (perceived) gain.
But it's not just the troops who suffer. Our brave men and women of the RCMP, and many other civilian agencies, toil day and night making life better for the Afghan people (and people in other parts of the world). Their lives suddenly got more difficult for the same reasons as above. They will also have a less trustful populace to work with. This becomes more true the longer our government continues the suspected cover-up (as reported by many media outlets).
Canada's image has been tarnished on the international level. Most Conservatives couldn't care less (the same case as with Kyoto, etc., etc., etc.). They will distance themselves from the World, telling Canadians they're more "concerned" about Canadians... Of course they forget how interconnected and close we are with the rest of the World in these modern times. And they want Canadians to forget...
Meanwhile, the rest of us are also in increased danger. We travel a lot, and suddenly, "nice friendly Canada" has become viewed a little differently by the rest of the World. In the 70s and 80s, and into the 90s, even as part of NATO we were viewed as "pseudo-neutral", and "honest brokers" of World discussion and engagement. In a few short years the Harper Government has squandered much of that international good-will and trust. We are scorned and ridiculed in international forums (particularly those where the Harper government is involved). It will take many years, and a new government to put back what the Harper Reform-a-Tories have torn asunder in a few minority years...
Sure, the scandal doesn't matter to Canadians Mr. Harper.
Not yet.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Defence Minister Must Resign
Peter MacKay MUST resign for the allegations and pursuant "cover-up" perpetrated by this Harper Government over the Afghan POW scandal.
Further investigation MUST go forward, to determine who knew how much in the PMO - since we know EVERYTHING is scoured by "El Capitano" Harper, Megalomaniac In Chief...
This is all necessary due to this scathing reversal of testimony by our Chief of Defense staff. It is apparent that even our Defense Department got tired of covering up Conservative lies.
Next step please. Bring on the public enquiry. Start determining who violated Geneva Conventions, and bring them to justice to spare Canada's international reputation - one that has been increasingly tarnished since Harper's ascendance to the PMO.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Devastating Assessment Of Harper Government's Fiscal Ineptitude
Inept.
One word that would quite succinctly describe the Harper Reform-a-Torys' brutally juvenile and ideologically bent rape of the Canadian economy.
Now, the Reformatory attack dogs will be slack-jaw-"edly" placing their childish comments to this blog... straight outta that big CCHQ (Constant Campaign HQ) in Ottawa. We, quite frankly, don't care. A blunt assessment of Canada's current economic "unstable ground" is warranted, and much, much needed.
Ralph Goodale - of the multi-billion dollar contingency fund/rainy day fund Liberal budgets - has a very good assessment on this situation. He speaks as an expert who has navigated the troubled waters of recessions, and knows how to operated when it's smooth sailing. This is in stark contrast to the "best" Conservative option: a former neoCon provincial FinMin who devastated the last economy he tried to manage in Ontario.
Here's Ralph's assessment of the current devastation in Ottawa's Finances:
MR. HARPER’S VICTIMS BEGIN ACCUMMULATING
Two years ago, I predicted harsh consequences would flow from Stephen Harper’s ideological style of government. Sadly, the bad news is coming true.
The Conservatives turned a $13 billion annual surplus into a $56 billion deficit. They inherited (from Liberals) $100 billion of financial flexibility over five years. But they used that all up in less than three years.
Federal debt has surpassed $500 billion. And Canadians are faced with the prospect of five more years of red ink, sinking another $170 billion in the hole.
Here’s another telling point. Who’s the ONLY Leader to increase the tax burden on Canadians since 1997? Answer: Stephen Harper!
First he hiked your personal income taxes. Then he dinged the Income Trusts in your retirement plan with a brutal 31.5% Conservative tax. Next, he has announced a job-killing $13 billion payroll tax on every employer and employee in Canada.
This is Mr. Harper’s legacy – deficits, debt and higher taxes. All totally predictable! And remember, all this trouble began BEFORE there was any recession to blame!
But there are other shoes to fall.
Mr. Harper is about to slash federal programs and services, claiming they’re no longer “affordable” because of the deficit the Conservatives themselves created.
Who will be their victims? When they first came to office, they slashed support for volunteerism, women’s programs, child care, literacy services, students, low-income legal services, etc.
Since then, they’ve also chopped cost-of-production guarantees for farmers, money for rural roads, and the PFRA.
Most recently, the Harper Conservatives cut 90% of the funding for democratic observers to monitor the January presidential elections in Ukraine. And they’ve killed the entire budget for KAIROS, an organization of the Catholic, United, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Mennonite and Quaker churches, working on human rights.
These are bad choices for Canada.
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