What is Wrong with the GG's Husband?

Where does he get the nerve?  Governor General Michaelle Jean's husband 
Jean-Daniel Lafond had the audacity to suggest that the Queen shouldn't stay at Rideau Hall but should instead stay at hotel.  Was she supposed to find a room at the Travelodge or Super 8?

OTTAWA – Jean-Daniel Lafond didn’t want the Queen to bunk at Rideau Hall when the monarch visited the nation’s capital last week, QMI Agency has learned

 Her Majesty has stayed at Rideau Hall every time she has visited Ottawa ever since before she was Queen when she was still a princess.  

The Queen has bedded down at Rideau Hall any other time she’s ever visited Ottawa, beginning in 1951 when she was then Princess Elizabeth.

Mr. Lafond should have been honored to have the Queen stay at the residence that he was living at temporarily.  The residence does not belong to him. Obviously, he's not very gracious.
I'm glad Ms. Jean didn't have anything to do with this.

 Jean apparently had nothing to do with Lafond’s odd request.

 The arrogance of this man, who does he think he is?   The current GG's gig is up at the end of the summer. He'll have to find other digs.  I'll be sorry to see Michaelle Jean leave but not him.  She has done an excellent job in her term as GG and I thank her for her service.   Her husband, he seems to be a jerk!

Mr. Iffy the Apologist

Ezra calls out Iffy on his trip to China on the human rights issue.  Iffy was once  director of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University.

Ignatieff heaps false praise on China, saying its newfound prosperity -- for at least part of the country -- "has been one of the most significant advances in human rights for mankind ever." A higher standard of living is indeed a good thing. But what does that have to do with human rights like the freedom to criticize the government, or to organize a political rally, or to believe in a religion that doesn't have the Communist Party's approval? Is Ignatieff really comparing China's material wealth -- at $10/day, their per capita GDP is still quite modest by international levels -- to the freedoms protected in the Magna Carta or the American Revolution or the Enlightenment?
Ignatieff falsely disparaged Canada's human rights achievements. He falsely lauded China's human rights achievements. And then he falsely implied a moral equivalence between our two countries -- that we are moral equals, and can learn from each other about matters like justice.

The National Post talks about how Iffy is Bejing's Canadian Apologist.

If what we've seen so far -- simpering apologies and moral equivalence in the face of China's dictatorship--is indicative, we say, "No, thank you."

Iffy goes on to slam Canada. 

He even took some time out to slam Canada on foreign soil, declaring that a "gap" exists between Canada's ideals and "reality for some of my fellow citizens." Beijing propagandists were no doubt busily taking notes

Iffy  should know better but clearly is to cow towing to China.  Why?  Could it be Maurice Strong?

Btw. Having problems with comment moderation today.  Bear with me.  Hope it will be resolved in short order. Thanks for your patience!

Iffy Too Late to the Party

On the heels of the GG's visit to China and the G8/G20 meetings in which PM Harper made progress  promoting trade even signed a deal where China would once again accept our beef, Iffy is courting China. Wants to get closer saying there should be more trade. Gee, Iffy's a little late out of the gate. PM Harper is already getting those very things done with China. 

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promoted an enhanced trading partnership at a state dinner in Ottawa with Chinese President Hu Jintao. And this week, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is touring China saying the ties between the two nations should be taken to a new level.

Chinese companies are about to invest billions in our oil and gas industry.

Chinese companies are set to spend billions more on Canadian oil and gas properties in coming years, as the resource-hungry nation scours the world for energy, the executive in charge of Canadian operations for one of China’s major state-owned oil firms says.

President Hu Jintao says China  also wants to double trade with Canada to the tune of $60 billion by 2015.

China, the world's biggest exporting nation, wants to double its trade with Canada to $60 billion by 2015, President Hu Jintao said on Thursday.

 

Hu made his remarks during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservative government is trying hard to boost ties with Beijing.

"I have agreed with Prime Minister Harper that we should take active measures to make our countries' two-way trade volume reach a target of $60 billion by 2015," said Hu, who noted that bilateral trade last year totaled $29 billion.

They also opened up their border to Canadian beef again after the BSE crisis.

Agriculture - China has reopened its borders to Canadian beef, seven years after mad cow disease was found in an Alberta animal.

  One hopes Iffy doesn't ruin the progress that has been made by PM Harper's government and the GG. 
Meantime,  Quebec MP Denis Coderre wants to bring the World Cup to Canada. Good luck to him!

La Presse says it has learned that Mr. Coderre would like to revisit the concept once the current World Cup has ended

Canadians Have Reason To Brag and Celebrate!

As Canadians we should count our blessings each day for the great country we have. People around the world want to be Canadians.
Is  it perfect?   Heck no,we have our problems but if you look around, it sure is a lot better than other places in the world.  We live in a peaceful, prosperous, friendly nation.  We are being noticed by the world again, thanks to the best Prime Minister in my lifetime, PM Stephen Harper and his government who has been taking the lead on so many fronts.

Our athletes shine on the worlds stage, look at the resounding success that the Vancouver Olympics turned out to be hosting the world and  where we won an unprecedented number of gold medals for a host nation. We really did own the podium! 

Our men and women in uniform are some of the best in the world and are doing a spectacular job with their mission in Afghanistan. My utmost thanks goes to them.

Michael Den Tandt expresses that we should celebrate our country.  We have come a long way baby!
As is stated the column our economy is doing much better than others thanks to our present Conservative government.

We now have an economy that, thanks to some sensible management by the Conservatives (though with an opposition gun to their heads), is once again beginning to motor. Our national deficit is higher than it should be but, relative to other G8 countries, still relatively benign. Our banking system is the envy of the world.

Theo Caldwell states that we are the envy of others.

But within this maelstrom, Canada stands tall, distinguishing itself in military and moral conflict, maintaining an economy and financial markets that are the envy of all.

He then goes on talk about how we now have garnered the respect of other nations because of  our economy and how they want to replicate it.

Canada’s hosting of the recent G8 and G20 conferences, which came just as other parts of the world began to observe this country’s economic strength, may do something to scratch this itch.
Over so many years, in any photo of international heads of government, Canada’s prime ministers would wear hopeful smiles that invariably went unrecognized. They seemed like good-natured hangers-on, in the company of well-known statesmen from seemingly more important parts of the world.
Owing to reasons perfectly in keeping with the national character — caution and circumspection — Canada’s economy has finally brought the country the respect it craved.

So to all the naysayers and whiners, look around where would you rather live right now?  A country where they have  dire economic troubles like Greece for instance or another country where they have political turmoil?   God has truly blessed us, we have it good!  Never forget that.

Canada's 143rd, Happy Birthday Canada!

Today is July 1st, Canada's birthday.  As we celebrate with family and friends barbecuing, picnicking, festivals,and fireworks, we need to remember a little history. Canada Day what we call it now was originally called "Dominion Day."  Our Fathers of Confederation when drafting the British North America Act were deciding what to call the new union.  One of our founding Fathers,Sir Leonard Tilley had suggested it be named the "Dominion of Canada."  Here's a little back round of how he came up with it:

In December 1866, the Westminister Conference finalized the details of the British North America Act, which Tilley helped to write. Tilley’s best-known contribution, though, came when discussing a name for the new union. A letter written by Tilley’s son describes how the Dominion of Canada came into being:

When the fathers of Confederation were assembled discussing the terms and conditions of Confederation and the drafting of the British North America Act there had been considerable discussion the day before and many suggestions as to what the new United Canada should be called, and no conclusion had been reached. The discussion on the name stood over until the next day. The next morning, as was Sir Leonard’s custom, he read a chapter from the Bible, and that particular morning he read Psalm Seventy-two. When reading verse eight of the said Psalm—He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea—the thought occurred to him, what a splendid name to give Canada. When he went back to the sitting of the convention that morning he suggested the word “Dominion,” which was agreed to, and Canada was called the “Dominion of Canada.”

A letter signed by John A. MacDonald explained to Queen Victoria that the name was “a tribute to the principles they earnestly desired to uphold.”

The British North America Act came into force by royal proclamation on July 1, 1867.  From there on in you had the "Dominion of Canada" therefore every July 1 we celebrated "Dominion Day" until it was changed in 1982. How did the name get changed? Here is a  brief history.

At 4 p.m. on a Friday - July 9, 1982 -the House of Commons met with only one item on the agenda: Bill C-201, a private member's bill to change the name of the July 1 holiday from "Dominion Day" to "Canada Day."
About a dozen of the 282 members the House showed up for work, which presented a procedural problem: A quorum of at least 20 members is required to conduct business, so, officially, no bills could be passed. Nevertheless, Bill C-201 was given second and third reading. At 4:05 p.m., our hard-working representatives called it a day.

Some want to change it back to Dominion Day such as this Facebook group, even though I don't think there is much of an appetite.  I personally prefer Dominion Day over Canada Day because it's a remembrance and  celebration of our  history much like the Americans and their July 4, Independence Day, it's their  history.  It remembers and celebrates the day they gained their independence from England and became a republic. 
  Enough with the history lesson, in any case,what's most important, is that we live in the greatest country on the planet.  For that, let's count our blessings! 
God Bless our Prime Minister and God Bless Canada!  Happy Birthday Canada!

BTW. Bluelikeyou has the PM's annual Canada Day message, enjoy!