The behavior of Honorable Members have become Dis-honorable to me. They act no different than a bunch of four year olds. In fact I think most four year olds maybe act a little more mature sometimes than these circus performers.
"I can’t help but think of question period as a form of professional wrestling for geeks and dweebs. Question period has all the phoniness and grandstanding of pro wrestling but with none of the subtlety. I say this as someone who was once a pretty good pencil-necked grappler in that sorry forum and I admittedly had fun doing it, but enough of true confessions. My point is that whatever dignity question period may have once possessed, if it ever had any, it is now just a faded memory. Now it’s about performing like Jo-Jo the dancing monkey in order to get covered on the evening news."It's a waste of time and taxpayer money that both could be spent much more effectively.
I say can it. Nothing constructive ever comes of that circus in the House anyway.
Nationalism on rise, poll finds
ReplyDeleteGames afterglow
Mark Iype, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, March 08, 2010
photo taken by Jean Levac, Canwest News Service Files
Some 80% of Canadians call themselves "Canadian nationalists," a jump from last March.
The fervent flag-waving, raucous singing of O Canada and thrilling success of the country's athletes during the Vancouver 2010 Games appear to have influenced more Canadians -- especially Quebecers -- to view themselves as "Canadian nationalists," according to a survey conducted in the days following last week's closing ceremonies.
Andrew Cohen, president of the Historica-Dominion Institute, says the numbers show that Quebecers are feeling much closer to Canada, something he says is because the country is in a "sweet spot of security, unity and prosperity." More than 80% of Canadians in general, and nearly two-thirds of Quebecers, are willing to call themselves "Canadian nationalists," suggests the Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Historica-Dominion Institute.
That's a sharp rise from an identical poll conducted last March in which only 48% of Quebecers surveyed, and 72% of Canadians surveyed overall, said they would use the term.
"There is a larger sense that the country is at peace," Mr. Cohen says. "The unity crisis, which has bedevilled us for so long, no longer seems prominent."
More than 80% of respondents in Quebec agreed that "Canada plays a positive role in international affairs," up 16 points from last year, and 76% agreed they're "patriotic," an increase of 11 points. Mr. Cohen pointed out that two of the most compelling stories from the Olympics were that of Canada's first gold medallist, moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau, and the inspirational performance of figure skater Joannie Rochette, who competed days after the sudden death of her mother.
"I think Quebecers saw how their athletes were embraced by the rest of the country," Mr. Cohen said. The national survey of 1,013 Canadians was completed on March 1 and 2, in the days after the Vancouver Olympics ended. The margin of error was 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The brash patriotism on display during the Games, even if short-lived, appears to have boosted Canadians' pride and confidence in the country's abilities in other ways as well. Two in three poll respondents said they "agree" that "when Canada speaks the world takes notice," a result that's up 13 points from last year's poll.
And nearly 90% of Canadians also think that "people in other countries look to Canada as an example" (up five points), and that they are "patriotic" (up four points).
Also showing a significant change, was the belief that Canada can dominate the Olympic medal standings.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2654026
Cut out question period or get rid of the tv cameras. All the huffing and puffing is just for show....question period is a joke because the MPs get the questions in advance so they can comment on the question without answering the question. Ask them anything outside the chamber and they give pat answers. They go to school to learn how to give vague or non answers. Watch next time when someone asks what they would do about a situation...it"s not their problem...elect us and you will see, in other words don't say anything that could come back to haunt you
ReplyDeleteYes and no. Too many of us political junkies enjoy the phoniness and grandstanding of pro wrestling but with none of the subtlety during QP from our MP's.
ReplyDeleteThe MP's love their TV time.
I am going to vote for the continuation of question period, though I must say the partisanship can be off putting. Today was brutal. Ujjal Dosangh is now using the Attaran interview on the Soloman Show to accuse the government of actively participating in rendition. That's the new buzz word. Too bad that Jake Gillenhal movie bombed.
ReplyDeletefrmgrl, this happen after the Q/P debate, here what caught my attention which I highlighted:
ReplyDeleteMr. John Cannis (Scarborough Centre, Lib.):
Madam Speaker, with respect to our athletes, I agree with the hon. gentleman, and thanks to the Liberal government's own the podium program they did reach those goals.
The member talked about debt. Often when we ask questions about the budget, the Conservatives say, “Read the budget”. I have read the budget and I have the government's graph which says the debt today is $463 billion and by 2014-15 it is going to be $622 billion; that is $160 billion or so more. Either the government's graph is lying to me or I am lying to the member.
I have one simple question. He talked about the employers in his riding and several thousand employees. I hope they continue to grow and prosper like all Canadians.
However, on page 52 of the budget there is a steady decline in EI premiums between the period of 2000 and 2006-07, which was a Liberal administration. After that, for the next three years, it stayed steady.
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, in its words, the government is going to be increasing the EI premiums well over $13 billion, which in the finance minister's own words is a job killer, costing us over 200,000 jobs.
What does the member then, I ask, tell his employers and his employees who are going to be hit with one of the largest tax increases in Canadian history?
[Table of Contents]
Mr. Daryl Kramp:
Madam Speaker, I can tell the hon. member one thing we are not going to do. As a small businessperson for 38 years, I was one of those people who paid into employer deductions as did my employees. There was a surplus created of $56 billion in a dedicated account, and what happened? The Liberal government, the party across the way, and the gentleman who is so proud of maintaining that, took those dedicated funds and put them into the general coffers and spent it. This government will no go down that route.
Note: the whereabouts of the $56billion.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&DocId=4337024#OOB-3026471