How Does Prime Minister Jack Layton Sound?

Just the sound of that should be enough to scare the wits of ya. Norman Spector muses about a Prime Minister Jack Layton in the light of the latest Angus Reid poll.

Think about it for a moment, a coalition government lead by a Prime Minister Jack Layton would literally bring our country to it's knees. We'd make Greece look like tight wads. We'd be in the same shape or worse as them in short order. Of course to stay in power, he'd have to shovel billions more of your money into Quebec to keep them appeased and on board.

You'd have free National Daycare, National Social Housing, 360hrs of work to qualify for EI, full implementation of Kyoto bowing to the religion of global warming and all kinds of welfare programs that hasn't even been thought of yet etc.. Heck, why not National everything?

The oilsands would shut be down. How about strict gun control laws? The military would be armed with candy, teddy bears and shovels and be reduced to doing social work and shovelling snow in Toronto. Slaps on the wrists and hugs for criminals. Free drug injection sites through out the land. There would probably be a new national holiday named Gay Pride Day. If you operate a business or manage a bank, you'd be punished for making a profit.

I don't know how this sounds to you but this is most likely what you would get with a "Prime Minister Jack Layton." All your dreams come true! A socialist's utopia! Barf!!!

If this were to happen, God help us! Makes me want to run to the hills.

Mr. Ziffy Does Not Know Canada

 As Rex Murphy has so eloquently states it, Mr. Ziffy just does not know or get Canada.
Mr. Ziffy believes that being out of the country for so many years has made him a" better Canadian."  Huh?   Because I haven't been a world traveler and out of the country for years, does that make me "less of a Canadian?

Mr. Ignatieff, in a recent Toronto speech, tried a little rhetorical judo on the Conservative ads. He tried to project the idea of Canada as a place in continual evolution, as the most internationalist of countries, and went so far as to say his "being out of the country" actually made him a better Canadian.
This last claim was merely excess and nonsense since, in logic, he'd be the perfect Canadian, by his terms ... if he'd never come back at all.

You need to know the country on a basic local level. You need to feel it. Rex thinks Mr Ziffy doesn't feel it thus the success of the "Just Visiting" ads the CPC put out were successful. You need to get out and get to really know the people and they are all about. What we're thinking, what we're feeling. Ziffy just doesn't get it.  In other words, you need to connect to the people, the surroundings etc. You need to know what makes the country tick.

Let me be clear on this point. His absence is not a disqualification for our highest office, but it is a mighty obstacle. The common-sense response to having lived "out of country" for so long is that he cannot know it. We are, we Canadians, very much where we live. We learn our country by living in it, by absorbing the flow of its events, by acquiring an emotional as well as an intellectual grasp of its rhythms and moods. We inhabit this country, and it returns the favour: It inhabits us.
What's implicit in Mr. Ignatieff's picture of Canada is that there's nothing fixed, common and settled here. This is ludicrous. Canada is not a centreless void: There is, very much, a here, here. We have our social and civic codes. There are, beneath the multitude of our separate and diverse peoples and regions, great central patterns of common attitude, shared value, a signature take on the outside world and an understanding of our entwined interrelationships.
Canada isn't a blank slate waiting for the inscriptions of unending diversity. There is an essence to this country. What we have in common, the core, is that which enables the embrace of diversity in the first place. Mr. Ignatieff may understand some of this, but does he feel it? Does he perceive the strength and depth of the common endeavour which has been and is this country since its founding? Canadians are far more patriotic than, outside hockey triumphs, they let on.
The public then is perhaps anxious that the man aspiring to be prime minister, while abundant of intellect is impoverished of experience, that he lacks the emotional knowledge and feel for this country that is the product of daily lived encounter with it and its people. Can he give it a "local habitation and a name?"
So at both ends of the political scale, the district and the national, the question of understanding and really knowing the people and country is the central one. Proportional representation is a step away from full engagement of the representative and the people he or she represents. Michael Ignattief's core weakness is that so many Canadians are withholding assent to him as their leader because they do feel that, at the most profound level, perhaps he does not know their country.

Here is one example of him being out of touch with the country's mood, abortion. This from John Snobelen, the Toronto Sun

So why are we suddenly talking about abortion? Michael Ignatieff.
Ignatieff would like you to believe there is a vast right wing, neo-con, radical right, fundamental Christian conspiracy to ban abortion. Desperate for a wedge issue, he has dusted off the old, tired hidden agenda stuff.
Trouble is, Ignatieff managed to wedge himself. The boy is sharp.

Mr. Ziffy at one time compared our flag to a beer commercial. He said the only thing he missed about Canada was Algonquin Park.  Times have changed. The country is different than when he was here before. Maybe he should go out and smell some more barns.

Do As I Say Not As I Do

Liberals demand that the government must allow staffers testify in front of committees to raked over the coals by the opposition for  political gain and yet Liberals in committee hearing  fillibustered  to prevent their own from testifying. 
Derek Lee has been accused of lobbying when it was found on a website for a law firm he works for.

OTTAWA - The Liberals shielded one of their own Thursday from answering questions about alleged lobbying at the same committee where they have grilled former Tory MP Rahim Jaffer over similar accusations.

Their efforts elicited accusations of hypocrisy from the Conservatives, who have been hammered this week by the Liberals for telling ministerial staff not to testify at parliamentary committees.

I mean this is the height of hypocrisy. Conservative ministerial staffers have to appear and be hammered by a hostile opposition instead of the Minister to score political points meanwhile Liberals accused of something that could be inappropriate don't have to testify to clear things up? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

Committees used to be where the work for Canadians actually got done. Not so much anymore, they've become kangaroo courts where there's nothing but witch hunts for political gain. Look at for instance the special committee for the mission in Afghanistan. They should be discussing our mission over there and how better to improve our chances at winning and what we should do next after our combat mission.  All they do is talk about how Taliban detainees are being treated and trying to tar the troops and the government with war crimes and so called cover ups. Then there is the Guergis/Jaffer issue, drugs, shady characters and busty hookers. Disgusting! It all about gotcha politics!

Committees are becoming a joke. We are paying for these clowns to waste time and money on stuff like this.

Are they getting any of the public's business done? One wonders. To be fair though, the media is complicit in these circuses by covering them live and reporting on them ad nauseam.

Perhaps if the media would focus less on this kind of garbage and focus more on the committees that are actually doing some work, maybe the circus atmosphere at committees would lessen too. One can only hope!

Well, It's About Time!

It seems like MPs are finally breaking to the pressure from the public on opening their books to Auditor General Sheila Fraser in having a look at their expenses. They have been stonewalling for weeks now giving all kinds of lame excuses why not to have their expenses audited.  They could have saved all this trouble  by telling Ms. Fraser from the get go, she can see anything she so chooses at her convenience. They wouldn't have looked as though they're trying to hide something.  I think though, the optics were terrible and has left a bad taste in the mouths of the public.

At least now the Conservatives have come up with some proposals that Government House Leader, Jay Hill will present to the Board of Internal Economy next week.

The moves come as a new poll suggests four out of five Canadians believe their MPs are breaking the rules on expense claims.

The Conservatives have come up with a plan to end the controversy around the disclosure of MP expenses that would allow Auditor-General Sheila Fraser to look at the books of members of Parliament and senators.
In developing the proposal, the Tories hope to halt the barrage of criticism directed at MPs of all stripes since the Board of Internal Economy, the committee of MPs responsible for House of Commons expenses, declined two weeks ago to let Ms. Fraser audit Parliament’s financial statements.

Well it's at least a start. The MPs and Senators  must not put any conditions on the AG in what she can see and not see.  She should be given full disclosure. If they don't, the whole thing will still stink. The public has been outraged over this as indicated by a Harris Decima poll,  and rightly so.

The moves come as a new poll suggests four out of five Canadians believe their MPs are breaking the rules on expense claims.
The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey is bad news for parliamentarians who have collectively rejected a request by Auditor General Sheila Fraser to examine half a billion dollars in annual spending.

 The Harris-Decima poll of just over 1,000 respondents found that just 12 per cent believe it unlikely that MPs are claiming expenses against the rules.
The survey follows high-profile news coverage of expense claim scandals in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Britain.
Fully 85 per cent of those polled said they were concerned about the MPs’ refusal to let Fraser look at their books, including 52 per cent who were very concerned.

The public does have a right to know how our MPs and Senators  are spending our money.  It just makes sense.
This  is proof we can have an affect on our politicians and that we still have power over them.  We need to keep our foot on their throats until the AG has access to whatever she needs and is actually in doing what she does best, making sure Canadians are getting value for money.

I want to thank my fellow Canadians for  applying the pressure.  Keep it up!  We are their employers, they are our employees.  Let us all keep that in mind. 

PM Harper Gets Top Grade From Usual Libluvin Columnist

Jeffery Simpson is usually tepid at best in heaping any praise for PM Harper and his government. This time he gives resounding praise for this government.   He gives PM Stephen Harper an "A" for Canada's new research program.

Stephen Harper’s government deserves an “A” for the conception, execution and delivery of the program that lured 19 renowned scientists to Canada from overseas.
                                *******************************
So good is this program that the federal government should repeat the exercise in a few years, widening the criteria to include humanities and social sciences and insisting that the winners teach some undergraduates.
                                 *****************************
The CERC program, with its lofty but limited ambition, was not designed to address any of these endemic problems. Instead, it set out to improve the country’s scientific research capabilities by adding excellence from overseas. The process was well-conceived, the public policy purposes important and the results, well, excellent.

I just want to give Jeffery Simpson an "A" for this decent piece where he gives credit where credit is due.  
Quite a difference from Susan Delacourt's piece griping that no women were included in the program.

OTTAWA – Not one woman was among the recipients this week when Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government handed out big dollars for big thinkers.
Of the 19 people who were selected to be the first of the “prestigious” Canada Excellence Research Chairs, receiving up to $10-million in total in federal money over the next seven years, all were men.

Delacourt's piece basically turns what should be positive story that is good for the country into a women's issue and a slag fest against the PM.
Kudo's to Simpson for his well thought out positive column. Keep it up.  It's not very often the PM and his government get positive press from  usual lefty journalists. Thank you Mr. Simpson!

Liberals Pine for Ole Days

Libluvin columnist Larry Martin, speculates the Libs are pining for the "good ole Chretien days." Probably, but the way writes his column, I think he is the one that 's pining.

It’s Jean Chretien’s day today.

The old warrior’s portrait, which is to be hung in the halls of Parliament, will be unveiled in a ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper tonight.

A safe bet is there will be a lot of Liberals in attendance wishing Chretien was still around.

“Ah, the good old days.” That will be the phrase on everyone’s lips as his three straight majority election victories are recalled.

His legacy is getting better with time, particularly on account of what has happened since he stepped down in 2003. The once-proud party has staggered ever since. Paul Martin won a minority and then was defeated. Stéphane Dion took over and the party declined further. Michael Ignatieff replaced him and the party’s latest poll standing is at 25 per cent.

 Yeah right, pine for HRDC  boondoggles, Shawinigate, Adscam, decade of darkness for the military, treat farmers like criminals. and "the culture of entitlement" 

The Chretien good ole days? "Da little guy from Shawinigan" who throttles an innocent protester almost to death.  Yeah right! What a legacy!  Good ole days for Liberanos not for Canada.

More fond rememberance.

 One piece of encouragement Chretien will be able to provide is a reference to his own experience. He served as opposition leader for three years and had a terrible time almost every step of the way...and won.
Another sign of hope is that the party’s major opponent isn’t exactly setting the world on fire

Larry your party isn't exactly exciting the population either. Your leader is a dud.  All your party has to offer is muckraking trying to drum up faux scandals.  And oh, Larry, btw, good ole Chretien faced a very fractured right. 
It's not the '90's anymore. The world has changed. Larry, you're living in the past. Time to get with the times. The population is getting older and more conservative. Apparently Larry hasn't heard what Stephane Dion's wife, Janine Kreiber has said about the state of Libranos.

The Liberal Party is falling apart, and will not recover. Like all liberal parties in Europe, it will become a weakling at the mercy of ephemeral coalitions. By refusing the historic coalition that would have placed it at the helm of the left, it will be punished by history.

Larry Martin might as well face it, the Libranos will not be the powerful force it once was in the forseeable future if a at all anymore. I don't see the Libs getting enough seats to even get a small minority never mind a majority. They would have to gain at least 50 seats. I don't know where they would get those.  Where as the Conservatives only need 10 to 12 more seats for majority. That is very doable.

A coalition with the NDP will form enough seats to govern, they would have to include the Bloc and Canadians will not tolerate that at all.
 So get used to Conservatives in government for the foreseeable future. 

Mr. Ziffy's Trip to Edmonton

Mr. Ziffy was in Edmonton yesterday trying to up his popularity. He was harping about how the oilsands must clean up they're act.

EDMONTON — Alberta's oilsands need to be "cleaned up" and development must be both environmentally and socially sustainable, federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says.
Government must create incentives that will encourage industry to do less damage to the environment while extracting oil in northern Alberta, he said Thursday in Edmonton.
"Our position is very clear: The oilsands have got to be cleaned up ... They've got to be environmentally sustainable and they've also got to be socially sustainable; that is, they've got to be good for aboriginal communities, they've got to be good for the workers," he said

First of all the oilsands are just as clean as the coal fired power plants in Ontario and Hydro in Quebec.
Second leave the industry alone to clean up, they don't need government. They'll do it on their own.
Then this about the deficit and corporate tax cuts.

He told the crowd the federal Conservatives have dug the country into a $56-billion financial hole and now Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to hand out $6 billion in corporate tax cuts to address the problem.

"All Stephen Harper can offer is a corporate tax cut on your dime. We're borrowing to do that," he said. "Then a 2011 budget ... which will involve savage cuts to the services on which Canadians depend. It's just not good enough."

He said the corporate tax cuts should be suspended until the country gets its financial house in order.

Mr. Ziffy give your head a shake. Uh, yeah, it's because Mr. Ziffy and the coalition of the losers pressuring Harper to come up with a stimulus plan we have that big deficit plus it wasn't enough. They were hounding for more spending. Had the government caved, or had the coalition of the losers were allowed to take over, we'd have a much larger deficit. We could very well be not much better off than Greece.

Corporate tax cuts, yes we need them. It encourages investment and allows business to be competitive and hire more people. That's only good for the economy.

He believes that post-secondary education should be open to all students who have the grades to get in.

I agree a good education is a must these days but how is he going to pay for it? How about students working a part time and get summer jobs to pay for their post secondary education?

Then he goes fishing to poach votes back from the CPC in the immigrant communities.

It was his fourth official visit to Edmonton. He also visited with leaders of the city's Chinese and Muslim communities.

New Canadians have seen with the leadership of PM Harper and Minister Jason Kenney. They have discovered they have more in common with the Conservatives than the Liberals. Most have c-conservative leanings. Liberals had taken advantage of them and have taken them for granted for too many years. Don't think Libs are going to woo them back in the near future.

It looks to me Mr. Ziffy is still out of touch, doesn't know what he's saying, and I think seems to be pandering to the left wing of his party. We have a lefty MP from Edmonton,NDP Linda Duncan only because Jaffer so neglected that constituency. Next time we'll get it back.

Don't think he's going to make in roads in Edmonton or any part of Alberta for that matter. He might as well write Alberta off. He's just not resonating anywhere in Canada either expect maybe, Toronto.

Mr. Ziffy Blames Tories For His Low Poll Numbers

The new poll that came out this morning by the Lib lovin' supporter Frank Graves, Ekos has the Libs tanking again. Mr. Ziffy's personal approval numbers are abysmal as well.
But you know what the latest is?  He's blaming the Conservatives   I mean come on, he can't be serious, can he?

Michael Ignatieff blames his lowly status in the polls on his adversaries, who he says have “done a number on me.” And that was before today’s EKOS results showing the Liberals slipping even farther into the basement of public opinion.

Uh, maybe he should look at himself in the mirror.  He's been leader now for over 16 months and hasn't been able to make inroads with Canadians.  Canadians just don't trust him. Trust needs to be earned. How can he or his party be trusted when they offer no credible policies and continually engage in faux scandals, smears, and a cultural war? Besides, they still need to pay back the $40 million they stole from us.

You can't blame your opponent for all your short comings.  You need to stand up and take personal responsibility  for why you are losing ground.  Didn't a well known Lib politican say to the affect once that "the more mud you throw, the more you lose ground?"  

As long as Mr. Ziffy and the Libs keep up the scandal mongering, the culture war and keep blaming the CPC for their low poll numbers they aren't going to get traction with the voters and their numbers will keep dropping.

Mr. Ziffy Irrelevant?

Kelly McParland has a good piece about on Mr. Ziffy called Michael Who?

The leader of the Liberal party isn't just unpopular. He's also increasingly irrelevant

  You're the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. You have been leader for well over a year. Your party has just spent the winter portraying the government and Prime Minister as willing -- even eager -- accomplices in the torture of foreign combatants, enemies of women, keepers of a secret agenda that opposes abortion rights and discriminates against impoverished women in developing countries.

 You have argued ceaselessly that the government is obsessed with secrecy, is deliberately hiding critical documents from public scrutiny and is increasingly contemptuous of Parliament. You've hounded the Prime Minister into firing a troublesome minister whose antics raised serious questions about the way business gets done in Ottawa. The country has just gone through one of the most frightening economic periods in a generation, a situation that invariably reflects badly on the government of the day.

Yet an opinion poll finds that, given a choice, voters would pick almost anyone else, including the target of all your party's scorn, as Prime Minister. Far from making inroads against a government faced with any number of challenges, you place dead last when Canadians are asked to identify their favourite leader.

Mr. Ziffy's personal numbers are atrocious.

A Canadian Press/Harris-Decima survey found 52% of those questioned had a negative impression of him, against 26% with a positive impression, leaving him with a net score of minus-26.

 Today also has the CBC's Liberal friendly pollster, Frank Graves, Ekos putting  the Liberals down from their last poll at 25.1, CPC, up to 34.4, NDP, 15.3, Greens, 12.0. 

Wow, those numbers for the Libs are at Dion numbers! He must be somewhere smiling.
Seems like Mr. Ziffy is just not turning the public on.  The culture war, that Graves was advocating (abortion, guns, secrecy, the whole hidden agenda etc.) doesn't seem to be working. Smearing first a former Minister, then the PM and our brave troops in Afghanistan, with the help of the Lame Stream Media hasn't helped either.The more the Libs and their media wage the culture war and demeaning our troops trying to accuse them of "war crimes" the lower the numbers go for Mr. Ziffy and his Libs. It just helps the CPC. 

That old culture war to try and scare people, Canadians aren't buying it anymore.  The CPC has been in office now for four years and everything the Libs said before that the CPC would implement hasn't come to fruition, you know, soldiers in the streets with guns, women would have to go back to the kitchen and they would have to resort backstreet abortions, Harper would make everyone go to church every Sunday, etc.

 Liberals don't know who they are, what they stand for, all they have is faux scandals, smears, and a friendly media who are only too happy to help them along with the smears and faux scandals and cover for them.  Example, Rahim/Guergis vs Pablo   Keep it up Libs and media, it's good for the Conservatives, it just drives more support toward them and away from you!  Could Janie Krieber, Stephane Dion's wife be right?

Ok MPs, You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide

MPs think they can turn the Auditor General down from wanting to audit their expenses to make sure taxpayers are getting value for our money but I think they have another thing a coming. I, like Tasha Kheiriddian think it's absolutely disgraceful that they are resisting Sheila Fraser.
. Don Martin says that if MPs have following their guidebook and the checks they have nothing to fear.

It should be stressed that MPs face 100 pages of bylaws governing what they can pay for hospitality, housing, supplies, staff salaries, and airport lounge fees.
If federal MPs actually follow their guidebook to the letter and the checks on how they spend public money function as intended, MPs would have nothing to fear from the icy blue eyes of the auditor general peering through steel-rimmed spectacles at their detailed budgets.
That’s why she should intensify the come-clean pressure on Parliament. Sooner or later, MPs must accept that Sheila Fraser has made them an audit offer they cannot politically refuse.

They think this is will be forgotten about and will go away. It's NOT going to go away and it shouldn't. It sure did not go away in Britain. MPs resisted over there too and look what happened. Expense were finally exposed and it was revealed that some MPs had spend taxpayers money inappropriately. Are our MPs scared of some similar inappropriate things getting out? Who knows but the optics just does not look good.

The Nova Scotia expense scandal I think is spooking them too. Now the RCMP is investigating.

The funds our MPs are using for their expenses are taxpayers money. We have a right to know if they are being good stewards or not. They tend to forget we are their employers. They work for us. Not the other way around. We should not stand for the blatant refusal and accuses they are giving for not opening their books.

I urge MPs to please stop the stonewalling and allow Sheila Fraser to have a look. If everything is on the up and up, what are they afraid of?

Conservative MPs, you can take the high ground here and voluntarily invite the AG to come and see what you have. Set the example. You talk about openness and transparency, practice what you preach. The public will honor it if you do.

It's up to us, the citizens to put the pressure on and keep it up until they change their tune and allow the AG to conduct that audit. Phone, email, visit your MP and demand they open their expense accounts to scrutiny.

Update: Maybe the AG could start with Mr. Ziffy. h/t wilson

Personalities

Colin Mochrie, Shirley Douglas, Michael Ignatieff, Jill Barber (manicure), Rex Harrington, Sophie Milman, Liane Balaban, Arsinee Khanjian, Joe Flaherty, Sheila McCarthy, David Julian Hirsch, Mark Breslin, Andy Kim, Patrick McKenna, Phil Nimmons, Dan Redican, Isobel Bassett, Paul Gross, Sharon Hampson, Michael Lee-Chin, Daniel Liebskind, Justin Louis, Jeff Seymour, Miriam Toews, Michael Bonacini, Ashley Legatt, Michael Seater, Ralph Benmergui, Jaymz Bee, Larry Green, Danny Marks, Glen Woodcock, Walter Venafro, Heather Bambrick, Rosemary Dunsmore, Tie Domi, Jamie Sale, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Craig Simpson, Ken Daneyko, Stephane Richer

Oh,oh, Is the NDP Faction of the Liberal Party Causing a Rift?

Looks like some in the Liberal party are not happy with  former NDPers Ujjal Dosanjh and Bob Rae concerning the Afghan detainee transfer issue.  They seem to be causing a rift within the party over the issue.  It apparently started last week after former  Liberal Defence Minister Bill Graham testified in front of the Special Committee on Afghanistan.

Some senior Liberals are unhappy over the manner in which party defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh and foreign affairs critic Bob Rae have been pursuing the Afghan-detainee issue. They fear this relentless pursuit of possible wrongdoing will undermine public confidence in the Canadian Forces and create a major rift between Canadians and their military.

Well duh, isn't that what we on the Conservative side been saying all the time concerning this major non scandal? They're just seeing the light now after Bill Graham testified last week?  Ujjal and Bob clearly didn't get what they wanted in Bill's testimony.  He more or less said much of the same as others had testified to.

The split between at least two very senior Liberals was apparent last week when Bill Graham, the minister of national defence in 2005, appeared before the House of Commons committee probing the detainee matter. At one point, Mr. Graham clashed with Mr. Dosanjh when the defence critic, in effect, implied that the former minister ought to have known that transfers of detainees by Canadian troops had made Canada “responsible as a country” for their welfare – in other words, responsible for their alleged torture. Mr. Graham replied that Mr. Dosanjh “has totally jumbled up what international lawyers make of the law of war and the law in war.”

That must have gotten Ujjal's back up.

Reflect on Mr. Graham’s words. He and his government did the best they could at the time, in a chaotic situation. They had no intention to break any laws of war. And there is still no evidence that they or their successors did.

David Bercuson, author of the article wonders where Mr. Ziffy is on these two  former NDP members.

Where, then, is Mr. Ignatieff on this issue, now that he is the only real alternative to Prime Minister Stephen Harper? His failure to rein in Mr. Rae and Mr. Dosanjh is a major lapse in leadership. There is simply no significant advantage to be gained by the Liberal Party, let alone the nation, by encouraging those who continue to seek evidence of crimes committed by Canadian troops in a war in which tragic ambiguity is an ever-present reality.
There ought to be plenty of room between the Liberals and Tories to debate all sorts of issues touching on Canada’s defence, starting with the basic question of how much defence the country actually needs. But there also ought to be a basic consensus on defence and foreign policy.
When Liberals begin to argue among themselves about a gut-wrenching issue such as this, it is time for Mr. Ignatieff to quit flirting with his party’s left wing and restore sense to Liberal defence policies.

So what is Ujjal and Rae trying to pull? Looks like Mr. Ziffy is having trouble with his NDP members.  What will he do?  Does he agree the far left faction? Will he placate them or rein them in? 

Is Bob Rae trying to undermine Mr. Ziffy? We all know Rae really wants to be leader and at some point, heaven forbid, the prime minister. Don't forget it's was Bob Rae who brought  forth the abortion motion in the house that so badly backfired on the Mr. Ziffy and the Liberals. Did he know in advance it would fail so it would look bad on Mr. Ziffy's leadership to keep the party on an united front?  Who will win in the end, the NDP faction or the other side?

Either way it's good day for Conservatives when Liberals fight among themselves.  Keep it up Liberals, just don't denigrate our troops in the process.

Liberals Pandering for Votes in Quebec

The Liberals want to grant Quebec 2 or 3 more seats in light of the government granting more seats to BC,Alberta and Ontario.  Why, when their population has been on the decline?  They wouldn't be losing any. They are assured of 75 seats no matter what. They claim it is to ensure equal representation. I don't think so. It's all about currying favor with Quebec.  For the Liberals it's all about votes and getting back into power.

The Liberal Party wants Quebec to get two or three extra seats if the House of Commons passes legislation to increase representation in three other provinces.
The Liberal plan could trigger a clash with the Conservative Party, which is proposing to add 30 new House seats in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, but none in Quebec.
The Liberals’ Quebec caucus is pushing to increase seats in their province, and are gaining traction within the party. Their goal is to ensure that Quebec’s share of the seats in the House reflects the fact that the province has 23.1 per cent of the Canadian population. Quebec would be left with 75 seats under the Conservative plan.

 The Conservative government introduced a bill in the HOC to increase the seats in BC, Ontario and Alberta to a total of 30 because the population in those provinces have been increasing.  That's understandable and makes sense.  It would equal out representation. I sure hope the CPC does not cave into the Liberal proposal.

Quebec is not losing any seats or influence, infact they even though the population is declining, their influence would still be pretty substantial.  They get way more attention than they deserve.  It's about time Quebec get the same amount of time, attention, money etc., the other provinces get. 
Quebec should stop acting like spoiled brats and the  political parties should stop pandering for votes!

CBC Bias Goes Waaay Back!

Surprise,surprise!  CBC bias goes way back, back to the time of  Former Tory Prime Minister, Arthur Meighen.

Both "unrevised" and "unrepented," the speaker approached the microphone. The party he had twice served as prime minister was gathered in convention before him. Considered by friend and foe alike to be one of the finest parliamentarians in Canadian history -- on par with only the great Sir Wilfrid Laurier himself -- his address was eagerly awaited.
It was to be his final fare-well to Canadian politics. He had planned a speech to address an urgent national crisis. Shortly before his address, however, he was forced to change his topic. Quite understandably, he was angry. And, like most proud partisans, a slight like this would not be easy to forget. If it ever could be.
"You will observe that the instrument on my left is a loud speaker; it is not a radio," he thundered. "This convention, recognized universally by all classes of the Canadian people as of definite and outstanding significance, has been denied by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ... coverage over their lines -- denied the right to carry its speeches, its arguments and decisions, or any of them, into the homes of our country. It has been forbidden access to millions of Canadian listeners, by an authoritarian Commission appointed by a Government constituted from a single party. ...
"(Our party) were not only refused free use of this radio, which is granted to every cabinet minister on demand, but, after offering to pay regular charges for time, they were again repulsed."
You could be forgiven for thinking this speaker sounds like Preston Manning or Stephen Harper at an early Reform Party convention in the early 1990s. Or Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, John Diefenbaker, Bob Stanfield or George Drew before that.
In this case, the words came from Tory Arthur Meighen. He later included this address in his famous published collection of debating speeches, Unrevised and Unrepented, which came out to great acclaim -- even from many Liberals -- in 1949. The title of the address to the Conservative Convention of 1942 held in Winnipeg? "The CBC -- A Party Instrument."

CBC to Investigate Itself

How ridiculous is that? They're going to conduct a study to see if they're biased? Come on, what a waste of time and money, our money. Of course they're biased. Ezra has a good post today on that. If they want some outside party to help with their "so called" investigation, how about come to us bloggers. There is plenty instances where bloggers have pointed out bias. CBC, what are you waiting for, we'll point out bias for ya. We will show you specific examples.

We already know what the results will be. It will be a whitewash, a joke. How are Canadians supposed to take that seriously? It would be like Osama Bin Laden investigating 9/11. or the Nazis investigating whether they were anti-semitic.
Time to stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on Mothercorp. Shut 'em down.

Update: What is Rick Salutin at Globe and Mail smokin'?
CBC and Frum: Ships in the ideological night

Counterpoint: Consider the CBC, where David’s late mother reigned, and which Harperites accuse of being left and Liberal. Should leftists defend the CBC? Hell, no, they should attack it – for being so far to the right. Look at CBC’s prestige political panel: two of three members are Andrew Coyne, of hard-right Maclean’s, and Allan Gregg, who polls for Preston Manning to show how right-wing Canada now is. Its chief pundit is Rex Murphy, now also at the National Post. Take former journalists in the Harper government, like minister Peter Kent and senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin – they all had serious CBC careers. Is CBC training right-wing media agents? The case is at least as strong as the Pakistani Taliban being behind the Times Square bomber The only Liberal media senator is Jim Munson, who came from CTV! CTV is now where I go for left-wing analysis. CBC management is so daft they may believe they are left because Harperites say so, prompting them to add even more conservative stuff, as they drift ever further to the right, at some point passing David Frum, still standing still, like ships in the ideological night.

Glenn Beck On To Something Truly Frightening, Concerns Maurice Strong

 Glenn Beck connects the dots between Bob Rae's Uncle Mo, and others on how they want to control you.  He ties the environment, collapse of the system to various figures.  This is about global governance and control.  The rich countries must be brought down in order in order to level the playing field.
Watch, this is Glenn's show from yesterday. Go here to watch the whole show, Therightscoop
He'll be delving in deeper into that topic in the coming weeks. For all who get Foxnews, I urge you to watch his show in the coming days instead of  Power and Politics or Power Play with their biased gossip.This is more important. For those who can't watch, The Right Scoop usually posts the shows after wards.   Everyone needs to be aware of what's going on.  The show airs at 5:00 pm est., 3:00 pm. mtn.
 It's truly frightening.  Too bad none of our media are willing to tackle this topic. More reason why we need a Foxnews Canada.
BTW.  Glenn  is asking for any info you can give him.  Contact him  at becktips@foxnews.com
The video below is just a start of what is to come.

What Do You Think of This?

Apparently Alberta Liberals wants to give you a $50 credit if you vote.  They think it would encourage people to get out and vote. Our voter turn out last election in Alberta in 2008 was at an all time  low of 41%.

The Alberta Liberals are floating the idea of a $50 refundable tax credit for all Albertans who vote in the next provincial election.
The idea is part of a plan pitched by leader David Swann Wednesday to clean up government and make it more accountable and responsive.

Uh, Mr. Swann, maybe there has been nothing to vote for? I don't like the idea.  It's bribery and I don't feel it's right. Basically the main reason voter turn out was so low last election was that  a lot of people stayed home, they're weren't too impressed with anyone. Wildrose Alliance had just started up weeks before the writ was dropped so they had no platform, few candidates, no money, and no one knew what they were all about.  The Libs and the ND's were out of the question. What Ed Stelmach and the PC's had to offer was less than impressive. So really there wasn't much to vote for.

 If David Swann wants to see  higher voter turn out, the parties need to offer real solutions to the real problems that our province faces. Such as healthcare, it's unsustainable the way it is. Costs keep rising, wait times keep increasing, and we have shortage of doctors and nurses at the same time our population is aging. We also need to tackle our deficit.  The last few years of Ralph Klein and now Ed Stelmach, spending has gotten out of control. There are many more problems, too many to mention that needs to be dealt with.

So no I don't think you need to bribe voters to go out to vote, Mr. Swann. We just need the parties to get to work and offer credible common sense solutions that the public can get their heads around and embrace.

Quebec Going Down the Road of Greece

With Greece's economic problems having their credit status downgraded to junk.  The EU had to bail them out with to a tune of 750 billion Euro and the German people are  fuming. I don't blame them.
The problem is Greece has had a socialist society with all kinds of entitlement programs for so many years.
Heck they can retire at 53 and claim their pension.  Here we have to work till 65.  Greeks don't want the government  to make cuts their entitlements so they have resorted to rioting in the streets. Three people so far have died as a result.

Quebec also has  very generous entitlement programs for years, like $7 a day daycare, cheap university tuition, etc. Even though they receive $8.6 billion in equalization, they still have a debt of nearly $170 billion.

First, the extra one percentage point that Quebec pays on its nearly $170-billion debt translates to $1.7 billion in extra interest each year, money that could be used for many other pressing needs. As an example, over five or six years, it would most likely have been sufficient to pay for Montreal's new teaching hospitals.

Greece and Quebec both have an entitlement mentality. They both have all these generous "social justice" programs and both can't balance their budgets. Greece is in deep trouble. Quebec isn't quite there yet but could be unless they wake up and smell the coffee and stop their out of control spending of other peoples money, they will be in deep trouble.

Equalization needs to go. As an Albertan, I'm like a German who doesn't want my money to go to prop up a state who has trouble getting their own house in order.  Quebec has become so dependent  it's like a junkie with his drugs and it's never enough.  They always want more.  I say NO MORE!

Conservative MP Maxime Bernier has criticized Quebec 

 Lately, Quebecers such as Conservative MP Maxime Bernier have criticized Quebec's overreliance on equalization, saying Quebecers are "spoiled children."

 That junkie (Quebec) has to be responsible and go cold turkey, get clean and get their house in order or they will be Greece in the future.  I don't want to have to bail them out! They get too much already.

 So you have here just two examples of how SOCIALISM DOES NOT WORK!!!

D-Day for Afghan Detainee Document Agreement

Today is the day where all parties must come to an agreement for releasing of Afghan detainee documents that Peter Milliken two weeks ago made in his ruling or the government could face "contempt of parliament" and possibly an election. Apparently the Dippers even have a motion in their back pocket.

OTTAWA -- The New Democratic Party has a contempt motion in its back pocket, but government and opposition MPs all struck fairly conciliatory tones Monday, the eve of Speaker Peter Milliken's two-week deadline to work out a deal giving MPs access to uncensored Afghan detainee documents.

The opposition care about and want to coddle those barbarians who set IEDs that kill our troops and those of our allies.
These are the kind of people the opposition want to protect? From AFP

HERAT, Afghanistan — US and Afghan forces killed 10 Taliban militants in a raid in western Afghanistan after the insurgents beheaded four guards working for the US military, the Afghan army said Sunday

Looks like those insurgents didn't care about Geneva Conventions or anything of the like. BTW I haven't heard this story at all in any of our media.
The protection of our troops and our allies are of the most importance. I am very leery of opposition getting to see sensitive documents that if leaked could very well put in jeopardy the relationship with our NATO allies not to mention everyone's safety. Look, a week ago Mr. Ziffy proved he can't be trusted with certain issues and circumstances that should be kept confidential when he was consulted on the next GG. He just had to make it a media event. How would having him or any of his MPs seeing secret sensitive files be any different? I bet it would be leaked in short order to the media and Ms. Kady would have the full documents posted on the CBC website.
For heavens sake, all this over the testimony of accusations of alleged torture. The testimony of a diplomat( Richard Colvin) whose credibility is in question when he was contradicted over and over again by credible sources like former General Rick Hillier. and the alleged shoe throwing at a detainee who are our troops quickly rescued from the shoe throwers. Up until now, there has been no credible evidence of torture or cover up etc. and this is costing us how much?
The way I see it, it's all about political games on the part of the opposition and the media to make the government look bad on the lives of our brave men and women in uniform. I'm with the government protecting our troops and our allies.
Election if need be. The opposition parties would pay for it at the polls, I'm sure of it. Now the opposition wants more time. Funny isn't it now, that it's the opposition anxious for extension and not the government. You would normally think it would be the government looking buy more time. Me thinks they're trying to avoid facing the electorate.

Since When Are Table Manners Classified a Human Right?

This is a story  that I hadn't heard about until yesterday when Roy Green on his show had touched on it. When I heard about it, it just stuck in my craw. It's senseless and it's just one more reason why the HRCs should be scrapped.

Tasha Kheiriddin has so eloquently put it:

Now table manners are a human right?
From Quebec comes yet another case for why human rights tribunals should be abolished.
A family has just been awarded $17,000 in damages because a lunch monitor tried to instruct their then-seven-year-old son to eat with a knife and fork, instead of with a fork and spoon (the traditional Filipino way of eating).  The monitor allegedly told the boy’s mother that her son “ate like a pig” and the school’s principal told her that her son should “eat like a Canadian”.  The boy was also allegedly punished for clowning around during lunch.
So what did the boy’s family do?  File a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission, natch!  Four years later, despite the Commission initially rejecting the claim for lack of evidence, the Human Rights Tribunal continued to investigate the case and has now issued its ruling, fining the school.

The Vancouver Sun writes:

MONTREAL – A West Island family of Filipino origin is rejoicing over its victory in a school cafeteria dispute that ate up a lot of money and time.

 “Of course, we’re happy (with the ruling), but we just hope (the school board) won’t appeal,” Gallardo said from her Roxboro home, referring to the Marguerite Bourgeoys School Board.

 I just bet they're rejoicing. The family won the lottery and since it's the the school board paying the so called damages, it really means the taxpayer is paying.  

This is outrageous because first of all it shouldn't have been a Humans rights case in the first place.It should have been thrown it out. Second because it took "4" years to play out. Third the taxpayer is on the hook for the cost of the investigation, prosecution and settlement. So really it's way more than the $17,000 damages that taxpayers have had to dish out. Why couldn't a simple apology been enough?

 

Kids have always be insulted and have been called names. Why is it now a human rights issue?     Why did the Humans Right Tribunal even consider hearing the case? It just doesn't make sense. It's just nuts!

Humans Commissions have gone crazy and have stepped way out of bounds and should be shut down.

Elections Canada, Liberals and Loans

 What's with Elections Canada, Liberals and loans?
 First earlier this year Elections Canada gave failed 2006 leadership candidates 'till the end of 2011 to pay off their debt in which they really shouldn't have. It was the second extension granted. 

Now this,Elections Canada has decided they won't probe Liberal MP Marc Garneau for loaning himself  $20,000 for his election campaigns without a written contract. There is no paper trail, nada, nothing and he gets off?

Elections Canada has ruled that no investigation of Liberal MP Marc Garneau is warranted after he loaned his own election campaigns $20,000 without a written contract.

In March, a longtime member of the Liberal riding association of Westmount-Ville Marie submitted a complaint to the Commissioner of Canada Elections regarding the circumstances of a June 2009 payout of more than $20,000 from the riding association to Mr. Garneau. The MP-- a former astronaut and the Quebec lieutenant to Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff -- and his wife, Pamela Soame Garneau, had taken out a line of credit and made two $10,000 loans for expenses on two election campaigns during the fall of 2008.
The basis of the complaint of Daniel Sweeney, a director of the riding association, had been that no documentation exists for the loans.
In a March 17 letter to the elections commission, Mr. Sweeney wrote: "I have not been able to find any records stating that the Member of Parliament (the candidate at the time) had directly, in his name, loaned, or laid claim to $20,000, plus interest, to our association."
On Tuesday, Mr. Garneau told the Post that he made a pair of $10,000 loans in the fall of 2008, one to the riding association and one to his own campaign, which were to be reimbursed with interest later on.
"There's a complete paper trail available for all of that," he said. "I cannot understand why this person [Mr. Sweeney] has decided to do this."
However, in a phone call yesterday, Marc Laperriere, Mr. Garneau's official agent for the 2008 campaigns, admitted the loans were made on the basis of a verbal agreement alone -- which is not prohibited by the Elections Act.
In a decision letter written in French and addressed yesterday to Westmount-Ville Marie Liberal association president Brigitte Garceau, an Elections Canada official wrote that all loans made by the Garneaus to Mr. Garneau's own campaign were "duly reported."
Mr. Sweeney said Mr. Garneau and the riding association should have acted in a more transparent manner.
"They've admitted that there is no loan contract that was written between the MP and either the riding association or his campaign," Mr. Sweeney said, calling the agreement "unethical and not transparent, unprofessional and irresponsible in my view."
"It's ridiculous and absurd for the MP to go into an alleged loan agreement" without documenting the terms, he said.

  "Duly reported?"  Huh?   With no paper trail just word of mouth?  How can that be?
On the other hand a couple of years ago the CPC got their office raided by Elections Canada concerning the "so called in and out scheme"something in which all parties have been engaged in and is legal. But it was just the Conservatives that got hammered.
 How come all the special treatment for the Libs? If it were the  Conservatives, they  wouldn't be let off so lightly.   I bet Elections Canada would come down hard.
Are there different rules for Liberals than Conservatives?  Are there double standards?  That's what it looks like.  Elections Canada biased? Looks like that to me. What I'm saying is Conservatives wouldn't be allowed to get away with  what the Liberals are able to get away with.  Thankfully, the Conservative Government has introduced legislation that would restrict loans.

BTW. Where is the mainstream media with this story? Shouldn't they be all over it? If this involved Conservatives, they would.  Fife, Taber,etc and the whole CBC cabal would be on the case and make sure it was the top story. Will Tom Clark or Evan Solomon even mention it on their shows?  I highly doubt it.
Another thing, who holds Elections Canada accountable anyway?   Time to fire them all!

LIberal MP Derek Lee Accused of IIlegal Lobbying

Liberals have been have been skewering the Tories for weeks and weeks on Rahim Jaffer's so called inappropriate lobbying practices. Oh,oh well, now they have their lobbying own problem to deal with. What now?

Tories accuse Liberal MP of illegal lobbying for foreign companies

OTTAWA - Liberal MP Derek Lee faces accusations that he's been illegally lobbying the government on behalf of foreign companies.
The bombshell dropped by Transport Minister John Baird has turned the tables on Liberal efforts to tar the government with unethical conduct.
They've been roasting the Harper government for weeks over allegations that former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer illegally lobbied up to seven different government departments and agencies.
They're now scrambling to explain why one of their own sitting MPs is promoted as a lobbyist on a Toronto law firm's website.
Sun and Partners touts Lee — the firm's legal counsel since 2007 — as someone who works on behalf of foreign and offshore organizations lobbying the government and helping secure government approval for mergers and acquisitions.
Lee is not registered as a lobbyist.

Ed Stelmach Slaps the Face of Democracy

How's this for democracy?  Everyone assumed Premier Ed Stelmach would announce that Senate Elections would be held along with the municipal elections this fall. Our current senators-in-waiting term is coming due at the end of the year. Parties were gearing up to nominate their candidates. Well he's put the kibosh on that!  He's putting the senate elections off in Alberta and has chosen instead to extend our current senators-in-waiting's terms for another 3yrs.

So how did Alberta welcome this affirmation of its 25 years of work on the file? By refusing to hold new Senate elections and using a cabinet decree to extend the terms of its existing senators-in-waiting by three years.

In announcing that he would keep Alberta's three current senators-in-waiting in "office" until 2013, after their terms run out this coming December, Premier Ed Stelmach insisted his move "reaffirms the democratic will of Albertans who voted for them."
Yet is has been six years since Alberta voters identified the three current senators-to-be: Tories Betty Unger and Cliff Breitkreuz and Independent Link Byfield.
The only sure way to gauge voter's democratic will would be to ask them to express it again. But not only will Alberta's ruling Tories not go back to voters in a new Senate election, they didn't even have the courage to ask the provincial legislature -- in which they have an unassailable majority -- to back the term extensions.
"Our province has shown leadership in holding Senate elections and continually advocated that the will of the people must be reflected in the Senate," Premier Stelmach added, then without reference to those same people or even to their elected representatives, he merely declared Ms. Unger and Messrs. Breitkreuz and Byfield reaffirmed for an additional half term. Lorne Gunter

Senator-in-waiting, Link Byfield is none too happy about it. Thinks Ed has done this because he's afraid that Eddie's candidates would lose. 

“I think it’s a very bad idea,” said Byfield, calling it undemocratic for the premier to make such a move, especially since previous terms have always been six years.
“If you start playing too many games with that, you discredit the whole process and of course the process is challenged enough as to its credibility without them further straining it,” Byfield said.
Byfield is a founding member of the Wildrose Alliance, which has surged in public opinion polls in the last year, but he insists his criticism has no political angle.
“I’m speaking as a senator-elect on this. Even if I thought the Wildrose Alliance would actually lose these elections … I would say it anyway. Six years are up, let’s go to the polls,” he said.
Byfield thinks the government is afraid that Progressive Conservative candidates would lose if an election was held along with municipal elections in October

Just when the federal goverment  is urging provinces to elect their senators, this happens.  Not very encouraging to the other provinces that's for sure. We were the leaders in senate elections now Ed Stelmach has set Senate reform back.   I happen to agree with Link Byfield in that Ed is probably afraid his candidates would lose, so what! And yes, I agree "let's go to the polls."

Gee, thanks a lot Premier!   I'm sure the Prime Minister is just thrilled too!  Not! (sarc)
Premier where are your principals, hold those elections, I want to choose!

March for Life Events

For all you pro-lifers out there if you have the time to please attend a March for Life event near you.  The main one will be held in Ottawa  starting Wednesday, May 12, 2010 
 
For regional Marches for Life, Lifesite news has more information.   
Or contact the closest pro-life organization near you.  
I hope as many as possible turn out to speak out for those little ones who don't have voice.  We can be their voice.  

Mr. Z Can't Just Can't Get It Right

 Mr. Z keeps making blooper after blooper. It makes you wonder who's advising him 'cause it sure ain't workin' for him.  He's been leader for a year now and he's made enough bloopers, the Liberal party could make a Mr. Z's Bloopers DVD and sell them  as fundraising project for the party.  Fundraising hasn't been too good for them lately btw.

His latest gaffe was about the GG. and how he is trying to make it a partisan issue.    Don Martin and Robert Howard The Hamilton Spectator hits the nail on the head.

For one who is an academic and who is supposed to be intelligent, he sure is not very smart when it comes to politics.  If Miracle Worker, Peter Donolo or Ekos pollster Frank Graves is the one advising him on this, it's not working.

As Monte Solberg put it yesterday, "Sorry, Iggy. You're not PM material" 

MPs Expenses Need To Be Looked At

You have to wonder why after a whole year of Auditor General Sheila Fraser wanting to look at the MPs expense accounts, they won't budge. Why is that? Could they have something to hide?  Sure doesn't look even if everything is on the up and up. 

You would also think in the aftermath of the scandal that broke across the pond last year involving UK MPs expenses, our MPs would want to be open and transparent and ease the  taxpayers that our money is being spent appropriately.   It's the taxpayers money after all not the MP's. 

This is one issue they seem to be all united on.  Both Minister Nicholson and Mr. Z thinks there's no need to  make expenses public. Why not?  I am really puzzled.  If there's nothing to hide, let Sheila Fraser take a look.  I don't care how they slice it.  How they can justify not releasing the way they spend that money.  It looks bad, really bad.  We taxpayers have the right to know. 

MPs. open those books.  Allow the AG to take a look. CPC MPs, you can be leaders here, what's hindering thee? Opposition MPs, you want all the documents released about the detainee issue, well release your expense documents.  Don't be hypocrites. What's so secret you won't release them? Media, do your job here and hound those MPs like you're hounding for the government to release sensitive information on the Afghan documents and the Rahim/Guergis affair.  This is about taxpayer funds!

This is not like the Afghan detainee issue. There is no national security at risk here.  The only security at risk here is MPs jobs, that's all.   The longer you MPs hold out, the more suspicious and cynical the public will be.  If those expenses are not revealed and  looked at, there will always be questions.

Then they wonder why the public is turned off politics and voter turn out is low.  This is the kind of thing that turns people off along with all the faux scandal outrage that the opposition and the media try and stir up. Go figure!