A Good News Story Gone Under the Radar

This should have been the top news story the last couple of days instead the Guergis story. It seems to have gotten hardly any press. Gee, I wonder why. Could it be because it's a good news story? That it makes the government look good because of the good work the government has done handling of the recession and the media doesn't want you to hear about it?
Maybe they haven't hardly reported on it because it might make the opposition and some in the media look foolish for all the gloom and doom that was propagandized for months over a year ago, you think? It could be too that sensationalism and negativity sells. Good news doesn't quite so much. Pathetic if you ask me.

Canada's growth outshines rest of G7

Loonie's slip insignificant as rate hike likely to add strength while economy's `firing on all cylinders'

Meanwhile, the Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation, or OECD, said Canada's economy likely grew 6.2 per cent (give or take a percentage point) in the first three months of this year.
That far outpaces growth of 2.4 per cent in the U.S. The average for G7 nations is 1.9 per cent.
"It just reflects the economy's momentum and the fact it seems to be firing on all cylinders now with exports and manufacturing turning up," Guatieri said of the report.
The OECD expects Canada's economy to grow 4.5 per cent through the second quarter – nearly twice the G7 average. - This from the Red Star of all places, even though buried.


"Canada is benefiting from its past good policies, in spite of the fact that Canada was severely hit through trade ... from south of the border," OECD chief economist Pier Carlo Padoan said during a news conference in Paris.
Padoan noted Canada had entered the recession with stronger fundamentals than its peers in terms of growth, the banking sector and the government's fiscal position. Canada's debt relative to its economy is the lowest in the G7. - Isn't this exactly what PM Harper and Minister Flaherty was saying all along?

This is a good news story that has been buried by the majority of the media.We are better off than most countries. Look at our neighbors to the south, they are in big trouble financially. This story should be shouted from the rooftops because it affects every Canadian unlike other stories that the Lame Stream Media's been focused on lately.

Come on Lame Stream Media, what's hindering thee?

Update: Go and enjoy the perspective on the same topic from fellow blogger Iceman.

What Should Be Done With Helena?

With all the troubles that Helena Guergis has been having lately, is it time for her to step aside? I am so sick and tired of the Helena and Rahim soap opera. If I want to tune into a soap opera, I might as well watch the Young and Restless or some other soap. Those at least are probably more entertaining, I don't know. I mean this is just getting ridiculous.

As the stomach churns, I have come to the conclusion that she should step aside, for the betterment of the government so they don't have to be distracted by this sideshow while they're trying to get things done. She should at least take a temporary leave from her cabinet post. She has real issues and needs the time to take care of them. Let one of our other fine women in caucus take over her files for awhile like for instance, Shelly Glover or Candice Hoeppner.

This for the media and the opposition is like a dog with a bone. They're out for blood. Let's not give them anymore ammo. There are so many important issues that should be focused on.. Like we still have our brave men and women in Afghanistan in harms way. There's immigration, justice and corrections problems etc to deal with. We all know the opposition and the media will hang on this story until something is done.

The sooner this is dealt with, the better. Maybe then we can move on and deal with those problems that need dealing with.

There, I had to voice my thoughts and get things off my chest. I am not going to post about the Helena, Rahim soap opera again. I will deal with the important issues of the day. Now, let's get on with other matters, shall we?

Update: Helena Guergis has tendered her resignation . h/t Lorraine

The Hyporcrisy of Hillary and the Liberals

Claire Hoy points the hypocrisy of the Liberals and the other opposition parties on Hillary Clinton's visit last week compared to if where Condoleeza Rice preaching to us on our we should conduct our affairs. Not only the opposition who would be screaming, the MSM would be too. "How dare Condoleeza Rice come here and dictate to us what our public policies should be!" Oh the horror!

Remember Condoleeza Rice? She was George W. Bush’s secretary of state from 2005 to 2009, a position now occupied by Hillary Clinton.
Consider the outrage we would have heard from Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois, had Rice breezed into town and lectured us on our foreign policy.
And that outrage would have much of our mainline media, most of whom would have taken great umbrage at the arrogance - and outright rudeness - of a visiting official from a friendly country abusing her host’s hospitality.
Rice was never crass enough to do it. Clinton, alas, is.
.........................................................................
Yet, quite apart from defending our country from the notion of foreign politicians dictating to us, you’d think that a self-declared genius and patriot such as Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would see through the hypocrisy, in Clinton’s position.
No such luck. Ignatieff, and much of his Liberal caucus, applauded Clinton, although they fell on their collective faces when their motion supporting foreign abortion funding failed because several Liberals joined the Tories to defeat the idea that abortion is simply a family planning tool for Third World persons.
Liberal MP Scott Brison - who used to be a Tory MP, but quit in a snit after his party made it clear it didn’t want him as leader - took great delight in Clinton’s unprofessional foray into our domestic politics.
Brison, who would be among the first to scream had Rice done something like this, chirped that “Hillary Clinton’s smackdown of the Harper government was really something to see.”

Then he goes on to point out the hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton

So here comes Hillary, lecturing Harper on his initiative, mainly on the grounds that it does not promote public funding of abortion abroad. Incredibly, her comments came on the very week - the very same week - that her own boss, President Barrack Obama, agreed to buy the votes of pro-life Democrats in Congress for his healthcare bill by promising to sign a presidential decree which - wait for it - would ban public funding of abortions in the United States.

This

And finally, just what, exactly, is Obama’s abortion position. Well, his first act as president was to cancel the Bush plan that banned U.S. funds from paying for Third World abortions. He says Americans should help pay for those abortions. But then, when it comes to U.S. soil, Obama says tax dollars can’t fund abortions.
So which is it? Is it morally and fiscally responsible to publicly fund abortions or not? Apparently not when it comes to unborn American babies. They’re too precious. But hey, no problem aborting Third World babies. What does that really say about their feelings toward the Third World? Yet Canada’s opposition parties, simply to make political points at home, are applauding this appalling double standard. Shame on them.

Yes, I agree, Shame on them. All of them! Just think if Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon went to Washington D.C. and tried to dictate to them their what their policies ought be. I don't think any congressman or senator, Democrat or Republican would applaud that at all. Neither would any of their media and they shouldn't. Who would blame them? You'd hear outrage here though, from our opposition and the media. "You just can't go and tell another sovereign country what their polices should be." That's what they would say. So it's different if a left wing Democrat, Hillary Clinton comes here and does that. It's ok in their eyes because she's a Dem not a Republican.
So yeah, double standard for sure. Disgusting!

Thank you, Glen Pearson

Finally a Liberal with some common sense on the Helena Guergis issue. Liberal MP for London North Center, Glen Pearson wants to put a stop to the Helena pile on. To that I say Amen! I think enough is enough now.

Is it just me, or does this whole Helena Guergis saga seem increasingly macabre? Every week seems to bring out some new sordid revelation that turns this narrative into some kind of neverending story. I’ve grown increasingly disturbed at what appears to be a pack mentality swirling around the junior cabinet minister. It’s almost as if we’ve reached the point where we can no longer avert our gaze, as most civilized people would normally do.
In any story like this, things take a clear turn for the worse when we go from hearing of someone’s troubles to actually pursuing more discoveries in hopes that the person in question goes through even further shame.
I’ll be honest here and state that I believe it’s time we backed off from the Helena Guergis story – not because of what we’re discovering about her but about what we’ve seen in ourselves. Citizens, media, political parties (including her own) – we’ve all pursued her calamities to such a degree that we now seem kind of ghoulish. I’m reminds of Albert Einstein’s sage observation: “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

In the mean time his caucus colleague Marlene Jennings is keeping on with the pile on. She want the Ethics Commissioner to investigate the financing of a mortgage on a home that Helena has purchased. This is just getting ridiculous!

The Liberals have asked the federal ethics commissioner to review the financing of an $880,000 Ottawa home purchased by Status of Women Minister Helena Guergis.
Montreal MP Marlene Jennings wrote to Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson on Monday afternoon to ask that she look into the terms of the mortgage on the four-bedroom home on Rock Avenue in Lindenlea

Ms. Jennings and Mr. Pearson seem not to be on the same page. Mr. Pearson should have a little chat with Jennings and Doorknob Wayne Easter too for that matter to tell to back off and leave Helena alone now.
The media too should pay attention to this common sense Liberal and stop as well. There are more important stories to cover, like what are we going to do next in Afghanistan for instance or we have a looming crisis coming in healthcare, we need to be talking about that too. Gee, how can you make the Conservatives look bad talking about issues like that? Hmmm.............!

Come on Jennings, Easter and MSM how about acting like adults for a change and focus on adult issues and stop playing these juvenile junior high games? Listen to Mr. Pearson, he makes sense!

Thank you Mr. Pearson for bringing some sanity to this saga!

Update:
Dave Rutherford has a good rant on this here. A must listen. Goes after the Liberals and the MSM on the Guergis mortgage thing. Takes phone calls after rant. Go to the around April7, 9:35 am mark.

Who Will Be the Next Governor General?

 The current Governor General Michealle Jean's term is ending in a few months and the speculation is PM Harper is on the hunt to appoint a new GG.  Michealle Jean has done an admirable job during her tenure and  I for one will be sorry to see her leave.  She would make a great ambassador to Haiti. Hopefully PM Harper will appoint her to post like that.  

The next GG will have a hard act to follow.
The buzz around now is who will replace Michealle Jean?  There have been a few names bandied about such as

1. Rick Hansen
2. Inuit leader Mary Simon
3. Preston Manning
4. Wayne Gretzky
5. retired General John de Chastelain

I like Rick Hansen, Preston Manning, and Wayne Gretzky. I think they have all represented Canada very well well in their particular capacities and would do a great job at Rideau Hall.. I don't really know the other two names, Mary Simon or General John de Chastelain so it's hard for me to comment on them.

But my first choice I think  would be retired Major General Lewis Mackenzie. He's had a distinquished career in the military, has been a great spokesman for the forces and Canada, and is a man of strong principals and of high integrity, a man of common sense.  General Mackenzie, knows the forces inside out and is well respected by all in the armed forces  and would make a great commander in chief.  He's also well liked and respected by general public as well.  So I hope the PMO is considering him too.

So that's my choice, what say you?