“Oceans lash our coasts. Deserts Burn. The sky provides no shelter. Turmoil of Biblical proportions threatens not just our weather but life itself. Global Warming is upon us.†SOUNDS LIKE GARTH!
You hear it everywhere. Global Warming is a fact. It is here. It is now unstoppable. The Polar Ice Cap is melting. Polar Bears are endangered. Greenland is actually turning green! Hurricanes are blowing with more force. Tornadoes are growing in numbers. Water levels are increasing, threatening to flood New York City. Human existence is threatened. And, of course, the deserts are starting to burn. We are assured that scientists are in near total agreement with the assessment.
The media is in a frenzy, rushing to report the latest news release from special interest groups with the latest report or prediction. Al Gore is rushing his hi tech docudrama to the theaters to whip up more frenzy. Corporations are being forced to turn “green†to show their “corporate social responsibility†in the wake of the coming disaster.
Global Warming has become a euphemism for a political agenda. There is Socialism, Capitalism and Global Warmingism.
You’ll notice a spate of similar comments in response to my post yesterday about the Greens and their new leader Elizabeth May. There are obviously a lot of right-winger conservatives crawling over this blog who think global warming is junk science and the Greens are commies. They see a left-wing conspiracy in this, and a political agenda which will lead to more government, a crappy economy, fewer individual liberties and a standard of living that Mennonites would find tough.
This is one big challenge in our path.
Another challenge was much on my mind as I drove home through Cow Country this afternoon after a special Ontario Caucus meeting in Owen Sound. While a great deal of the talk was (understandably) about agriculture and the crisis facing our rural farm economy (and toss tourism in there, as well), enough time was left for some colleagues to rip into me over the events of the last two weeks.
My crime was this quote, uttered to a Canadian Press reporter just a day after I discovered silver-tongued homophobe, televangelist and Defend Marriage Canada boss Charles McVety was behind a serious move to scoop my job. I said: “Am I supposed to change my mind and all of a sudden hate homosexual people because I’m facing a challenge in my riding? Of course not, I’m not going to change.â€
This was widely interpreted in socon circles, and by a number of my colleagues, as my belief that everyone who opposes same-sex marriage hates gays. That, of course, is bunk. My anger at that time was focused 100% on McVety, who I think gives us a definition of intolerance and who I’ve personally heard call homosexual people, “abominations.†So much for Christian charity.
In any case, we clearly have a tussle within the Conservative Party, as we do within Canadian society, between those who want this government to turn up the moral dial, and those who wish for social ‘progress’. This is not unlike the gulf between those who wish for environmental activism even when it costs more or is inconvenient, and those who equate the green agenda with socialism, big government and an assault on the laws of the free market.
A wise prime minister, of course, has to navigate this minefield of public and caucus opinion. Not easy, given the passions now raging. A same-sex marriage vote is coming. So is a new federal green plan. And a second budget. Obviously the next months will do much to define who Stephen Harper is, register his ability to satisfy competing demands and lay flesh over the bones of the government’s five basic priorities.
Were he to ask me for advice (stop laughing back there, will you?), I would say this:
Hold the same-sex marriage vote immediately when Parliament resumes, to prevent a giant media buildup, and pray the result is the same as last time. The last thing Stephen Harper (or any PM) needs is to have a new mandate mired in an issue – like abortion or capital punishment – that is a bottomless pit of disappointment and debate.
Second, hire Elizabeth May on a contract to be a Special Advisor on the new green plan. Hell, if you can abscond Wajid Khan, who has a whole elected Liberal caucus to answer to, she should be easy to pick off. Lots of your MPs would gag, but this is the kind of bold move that would win public admiration and expand the voter base. Besides, I think we could use the help, or at least the optics.
Third, make sure you underscore your conservative principles and roots with a commitment to less government through more tax cuts. Bring in that capital gains deferral (assuming the finance gnomes have had time to sweat the details). Set up a serious study of flat tax. Allow income-splitting for single-income families and pension-splitting for seniors. Set up the after-tax retirement savings plan Conservatives have already endorsed.
Finally, reaffirm the Tory commitment to individualism by setting the stage for the restoration of the right to own property – possibly your single greatest long-term, gift to the citizens of Canada. Remove power from politicians and bureaucrats while restoring it to voters and taxpayers. Give people the right to defend what they own, within the context of a society that will never give anyone the right to pollute or possess restricted weapons.
It’s all about balance, between right and left. Learned that on my Harley.
46 comments ↓
And we are worried about global warming
The Day The Earth Fell Over
Earth might have spun on its side to keep its balance in the distant past, and could do so again, scientists reported today.
Alaska was suddenly at the equator, the thinking goes. [Graphic]
Scientists already know that the North Pole wanders over time. But a theory known as true polar wander suggests that if a very heavy object, like an oversized volcano forms far from the equator, the force of the planet’s rotation would pull the object away from the axis the Earth spins around.
Should a mass such as the very heavy volcano become unbalanced, Earth would tilt and rotate itself until the extra weight moves somewhere near the equator.
Analyzed samples of ancient sediments found in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard show that such an event may have indeed happened in the past.
…… article continued http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060825_earth_tilt.html
Was Mr Kenney present?
Did anyone “rip” into him?
Sorry-I just realized this was an Ontario caucus meeting and Mr. Kenney is from the West. But did he get any mention? Honourable or dishonourable??
Nary an honourable mention. — Garth
CLIMATE CHANGE- THE KYOTO AGREEMENT
It is very obvious that in recent history – 40 years? we at least in north America, have global warming occurring. I don’t know of any politicians, of any stripe, contrary to what our ‘resident contrarian’ Judy has to say on the subject, who say that there is not global warming at this time. There was also global warming however, coming out of every other ice age, this is not a new world phenomena, they are known as interglacial period s and without which, we would still be in an ice age yet today.. Those previous ice ages ended without any man made global warming. It is and has always been, and always will be, an evolutionary process. What we need to know is, to what extent we as humans accelerate the process and conversely, to what extent can we, if at all, retard the process. I am of the belief that we of course can influence the changes in terms of reducing the rate of increase. I question however the benefits of doing so when eventually we will be powerless in preventing the continuing series of ice age- global warming- interglacial period- ice ages. There have been estimates made by the IPCC, however many world class scientists dispute the validity of those estimates, in particular, the so called ‘hockey stick’ curve.
What we need to know and the IPPC have not given us the information nor has the David Suzuki Foundation who I presented the question to, is what is the incremental “human made†addition to global warming in terms of what it otherwise would have been had we as humans not inhabited the planet. It is also obvious that all previous ice ages ended by virtue of global warming; with out any human caused additions, as of course there were not any significant numbers of homo sapiens present at the time.
There are other unanswered questions that the IPPC have not even addressed at this time, such as the recent discoveries made by some British scientific researchers regarding the changes which may be occurring in the ocean currents, in the Atlantic Ocean in particular, caused by the increase in water temperatures. These scientific researchers installed temperature and ocean current measurement devices across the Atlantic, from early data, they believe that it may be, that such ocean current changes, EG ‘the Gulf Stream’, may in time cause and may have in past history, been the cause of Europe’s ice ages. This suggests that it may just be too early for the world to be jumping on the Kyoto band wagon and that we as a world society should do more due-diligence (scientific study) before renegotiating then implementing this extremely out of balanced agreement on world action against climate change.
For those gullible, save- the- planet people, who blindly believe in the potential positive affects of the Kyoto agreement and have not considered the enormous negative economic effects to our country by meeting the ridiculous commitments in terms of our country’s GHG reduction commitments, it is a fact that the vast majority of signature countries to the Kyoto agreement stand to benefit considerably from it whether or not it is successful in slowing the rate of global warming.
I believe that we as a nation, we were far too quick to jump on board with the Kyoto Agreement, in particular the ridiculous unattainable reductions in GHG that we are obliged to make. The fundamental problems that we had at the time, were a Prime Minister who as an intelligent lawyer, saw only the political benefits of signing on to Kyoto but did not question his very incompetent enviro-dreamer, Minister of the Environment, David Anderson. We were very badly out negotiated at the bargaining table when the formulas for reduction levels of GHGs were made. Today we have the choice of becoming a third world country if we are to reach the Kyoto levels in the time frames stipulated, or breach the terms of the agreement.
Some points of interest:
• The only groups in the scientific community, who have studied and monitored world climate change for more than recent history, are the geologists.
• The vast majority of so called “climatologists’ do not have a BSc in “climatologyâ€, they are a mish-mash of mostly well meaning engineers, mathematicians, geneticists (like D. Suzuki), horticulturists, biologists, environmentalists, meteorologists and countless other ‘ists’.
• Until a couple of years ago, there was only one university in the world that offered a BSc in Climatology; I believe that it was the University of South Wales in Australia.
• How many of the Kyoto fear mongers were also in panic mode with the Y2K bug.
One thing that I want to share with you that I briefly mentioned earlier, is the suggestion (hypothesis) that an accelerated melting of the Greenland ice cap – could put a cover of fresh low density water over the adjacent northern ocean – thereby shutting down the gulf stream – as the present salty dense cold water would not be able to drop down to bottom of the ocean, which presently allows the warm gulf to extend to the north. If true then global warming could shut down the N. Atlantic circulation and precipitate the next ice age. Then of course Europe might just be wanting global warming. But this is only one the many hypotheses out there.
We need more studies.
Lewis
Judy this quotes for you…….
“But in the last resort, what is most important in a prospective PM is his demonstrated good judgement, his integrity, his wise policies, his broad experience, his willingness to make hard decisions for the common good even if they are unpopular, and his commitment to work to the best of his ability and energy to lead the country in peace, justice and prosperity. In each of these repects, warts and all, Stephen Harper rates better than any other leader on the federal scene since Pierre Trudeau”
William Johnson
Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada
Unathorized Bio
Not that anything can change the closed mind of a diehard partisan……..
“You’ll notice a spate of similar comments in response to my post yesterday about the Greens and their new leader Elizabeth May. There are obviously a lot of right-winger conservatives crawling over this blog who think global warming is junk science and the Greens are commies. They see a left-wing conspiracy in this, and a political agenda which will lead to more government, a crappy economy, fewer individual liberties and a standard of living that Mennonites would find tough.”
TRUE (just a conservative though)
Gore “The debate’s over. The people who dispute the international consensus on global warming are in the same category now with the people who think the moon landing was staged on a movie lot in Arizona.â€
This flies in the face of such challengers as professor Bob Carter of the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook University, in Australia who said: “Gore’s circumstantial arguments are so weak that they are pathetic. It is simply incredible that they, and his film, are commanding public attention.”
Famed climatologist and internationally renowned hurricane expert Dr. William Gray of the atmospheric-science department at Colorado State University went even further, calling the scientific “consensus” on global warming “one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people.” For speaking the truth he has seen most of his government research funding dry up, according to the Washington Post.
Neither Gray nor Dr. Carter believe that the moon landing was staged on a movie set in Arizona.
Nor does famed Oxford professor David Bellamy who sniffs that Gore’s theory is “Poppycock!”
“As a result of their ignorance, the world’s economy may be about to divert billions, nay trillions of pounds, dollars and rubles into solving a problem that actually doesn’t exist. The waste of economic resources is incalculable and tragic.”
Wrote Dr. Bellamy “It has been estimated that the cost of cutting fossil fuel emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol would be [$1.3 trillion].
“If we signed up to these scaremongers, we could be about to waste a gargantuan amount of money on a problem that doesn’t exist – money that could be used in umpteen better ways: Fighting world hunger, providing clean water, developing alternative energy sources, improving our environment, creating jobs.
“The link between the burning of fossil fuels and global warming is a myth.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/20/134405.shtml?s=ic
And what’s the matter with Jason Kenney? His straight forward talking bothering “nuance” lefties?
I would like to see our government invest heavily in alternative fuels. The more that North American gets off its fossil fuels dependancy, the more you’ll see ME come around. ME are black mailing us in the west.
Catherine…It doesn’t bother you that Kenney, the most vocal critic of MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj for suggesting Canadian officials hold discussions with Hezbollah, had attended a rally for an Iranian terrorist group just a short while ago?! I’d say it’s hypocracy that’s bothering people not his “straight forward talking”. Partisanship knows no bounds..
Garth, hiring Elizabeth May on as a Special Advisor on the new green plan is a great idea…if she’d do it. Unless the Con Green plan is really good, which I am skeptical about, the move would simultaneously improve Harper’s rep while destroying May’s credibility. However, if May was a partner in crafting a real plan for environmental improvement and sustainability then it would benefit us all.
Adam:
Please provide more info… you can’t just throw out accusations like that without backing them up.
http://www.cumminswestport.com/
As one example the Federal Gov’t has been investing for some years in Cummins Westport – alternative fuel engines. Living in Toronto it sincerely bothers me that our Mayor (soon to be ex-mayor?) does not pursue these bus engines for use in our growing metropolis. Still using hundreds of big black- spewing buses and digging up streets for inefficient and space-inhabiting streetcars. Maybe the Federal Gov’t should make using these engines for urban public transport a condition of the gas$ and other money being poured into Toronto? Cummins Westport sells most of their engines for buses and trucks in U.S., China, Russia. Go figure…
K2: Where have you been the last week? Jason Kenney has been all over the news with his attendance at an April 2006 rally for an Iranian terrorist group-listed by Canada!! He brought greetings and best wishes to the groups from the P.M. and the government of Canada!! He said “he was railroaded” and “didn’t know” who the group was. Can you actually believe a rep from the P.M.O. would not investigate ANY group from Iran that he was scheduled to address!!!
Kenney’s picture is actually on the Iranian web site delivering the welcome!!!
And this before he ripped into the Liberal M.P. for dare suggesting that we talk with Hezbollah.
That’s hypocrisy–if it is treasonous for the Lib M.P. to suggest talking to listed terror groups, then I believe it is even more treasonous to actually support a listed group (as Mr. Kenney did) by wishing them success in their endeavours.
The groups is the PMOI: People’s Mujahedin of Iran. Kenney admits to addressing the group on behalf of the P.M. but says he did not know who the groups was!!!!
John; You must be the diehard partisan with quotes attributed to a “non-authorized” biography. Kind of like believing the Kitty Kelley unauthorized biographies of George Bush and family.
“Nary an honourable mention”
Am I to assume that the Kenney mentions were therefore “dishonourable’?
K2, here’s a link…
http://www.ncr-iran.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1275&Itemid=0
According to reports this group is also on the Canadian terrorist list.
Ann – good point and good idea! I’d support it.
Some good ideas have been presented already within the first few posts of the day. Please keep it up (makes me feel upbeat):
- Get off the Middle East IV fuel drip. Agreed! The region is more trouble than its worth, and this could be a sobering catalyst to change (would it be a good one?). If only there was someone clever enough to figure out how to separate hydrogren from sea water, but with a net energy gain. The beauty of it would be the by-product of burning: water. Save petroleum for plastics and medicines rather than tail pipe and smoke stack emissions.
- Elizabeth May as environmental consultant. She has even said that her goal is to get her ideas implemented and will work with any government to do so, in a non-partisan way. So I say go for it!
- Cummings engine. Okay for now, temporarily better than other options, but a stop-gap measure because it burns natural gas, a declining resource that I believe is in high demand for converting those tar sands into something more useful (and among other things, keeping my house warm in the winter). On the other hand, such an engine would be much easier to convert to use another combustible gas, such as the aforementioned hydrogen. One observation: natural gas was once the next big thing, used for fleet vehicles and cabs, but seems to have disappeared – or is it just me and have such uses so become the norm that they have melted into the background?
Catherine, What alternative fuels? Ethanol?
Ethanol’s Dirty Little Secrets
Today’s politicians try to justify ethanol’s upward pressure on gasoline prices by touting it as a “clean fuel,” but that claim is dubious. In fact, ethanol was on the verge of being outlawed by clean air laws in October, 1992
It turns out that, despite all the claims that ethanol is good for the environment, ethanol may be a net polluter in many ways.
While some scientists find that making ethanol uses more energy than it yields, scientist Marcelo Dias de Oliveira, disagrees. But looking at the full “ecological footprint,” taking into account cropland used, water consumed, and other secondary factors to the ethanol process, Oliveira found that ethanol is a net drag on the planet. “The use of ethanol as a substitute for gasoline proved to be neither a sustainable nor an environmentally friendly option,”
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=071206E
Also, it isn’t so much that global warming is a myth, but as I stated above:
“The link between the burning of fossil fuels and global warming is a myth.
” Despite claims to the contrary, there is no consensus among climate scientists on the relative importance of the various causes of global climate change, they wrote.
“‘Climate change is real’ is a meaningless phrase used repeatedly by activists to convince the public that a climate catastrophe is looming and humanity is the cause. Neither of these fears is justified.
“Global climate changes all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural ‘noise.’”
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/20/134405.shtml?s=ic
Unless the Con Green plan is really good, which I am skeptical about
Prediction 1: no matter what the plan is, the Liberals and NDP won’t like it. That’s the nature of politics…
Prediction 2: it will be better than the Liberal plan which was a) a commercial nagging us to conserve/reduce (Rick Mercer Rant), and b) giving money to foreign countries to buy emission ‘credits’.
“It’s all about balance, between right and left. Learned that on my Harley.”
That approach will get you far in the neo-con Conservative Party of Canada, at least to the exit. But do keep up the straight thinking and talking – refreshing reminders of what politics should be in this country.
I think hiring Ms May is a great idea. I also think if the Conservatives wanted to get serious on a green plan they should remove the GST on environmentally friendly products and increase tax on non environmentally products. My thoughts
I just read this about you:
McVety, meanwhile, said Turner has a “disease called entitlement,” and can’t entertain the notion of anyone challenging his nomination.
How I laughed, reading your blog over the last year it’s pretty clear you don’t but I guess that’s all they’ve got to come at you with.
It’s not like they’re very clever in the first place.
All this because they hate gays, oh it is, there is no other reason that makes a lick of sense. Two men or women sharing health benefits and a host of other rights and responsibilities have no impact on anything else. The idea of homosexuality being tolerated drives ‘em hog wild, accepted? Heads go boom.
But G, this is the whirlwind your party is reaping from pandering to these fu… ahem… people. But thankfully they are a minority here, one of the reasons I do love this country of ours.
At any rate you’re totally right about holding the same-sex marriage vote immediately, stab a fork in it it’s done. Gays can get married here and hey if you don’t like gay marriage? Don’t gay marry, that’s my plan at any rate.
Now on to more important things, what is all this about I ask?
Marc, join the liberals and support Iggy.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=2425f525-5fec-4e2f-8488-932dd623602f
Ignatieff (lieberal) proposes carbon tax at pump (TAX me, I’m canadian!!!) (What a joke!!!)
VANCOUVER – Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal leadership candidate, put forward a climate- change plan yesterday that included a politically risky proposal to increase taxes on gasoline with high carbon content.
Mr. Ignatieff said he would like to see the 10 cents per litre excise tax the federal government receives, plus the 6% GST that is levied on the total gas price, “restructured” to encourage consumers to switch to cleaner fuels such as those that use ethanol.
See my ethanol coments earlier.
Hello Salvage,
Would you please repost that last line of yours but remove the trailing tilde ‘~’ from the link so others can reach it (go to bad page otherwise). Also, I’d also suggest that you add a few introductory quotes to draw attention to it. Very interesting: if true, I’d like to hear the “rational explanation”…
I grew up with a pragmatic environmentalist. Yes, that’s right, there are people who see that environmentalism needs to be tempered with the needs of the economy and society at large. So, when people claim that environmentalism is a leftie conspiracy, it kind of annoys me.
The number of smog alerts in the GTA has been consistently over 10 since 2001, and peaked last year at 48 – if you don’t believe me, check out http://www.toronto.ca/health/smog/smog_new.htm Breathing in all that crap isn’t all that different than smoking, and that HAS been proven as a health risk. Thus, by continuing to stick our heads in the sand regarding airborne pollution, we are bringing upon ourselves increased public health costs due to respitory illness. Combine that with an aging population, and we have a recipe for some serious problems with the health system (as if it wasn’t already in shambles).
Dispute the science behind global warming all you like, but you won’t be able to dispute the poor air quality soon enough – you’ll be choking and coughing before you’re finished.
As for energy conservation, if you’re wasting electricity, you may as well get yourself $5 bills and use them as fuel to heat your house in the winter, because you’re just burning your own money. Have we really forgotten the lessons taught by the Great Depression and two World Wars? Conservation doesn’t have to be a dirty word, and if nothing else, it can save you a few bucks to go see a hockey game or a movie. The same goes for fuel – why spend over a buck a litre at the pump and then waste it? Do you really have that much money? Why not just take money out of the bank and throw it out the window?
Yes, some of the Green’s policies are radical, and some might go a bit too far. Then again, so do the Conservatives sometimes, as well as the Liberals – they just do it in different areas.
Jerry, some reports do state that ethanol takes more energy to produce – however, it’s renewalable; where some reports do state that ethanol does have a small net benefit. Both are using today’s technologies to produce it. Possibly, we should explore more effecient technologies to produce it?
There are other alternative fuels, like, methanol, biodiesal, p-series(it’s a blend), etc. All are renewable.
The other side is producing more effecient cars – and maybe taxing SUVs, Vans, and sports cars to disuade their usage.
And one of my personal pet peeves is our societies’ wants of larger homes (with 2 story rooms with 3-4 baths, etc) on postage size lots. Take a look at the last decade’s home developments – one must have a living room and a family room; one must have huge master baths and a jack and jill bath and a guest bath and a 1/2 bath; one must have 9 and 10 foot ceilings; one must 2 story vestibules; one must have….). Even if the home was energy effiecient, you must agree it still takes an awful lot of energy to run that type of home.
These are just starters for energy conservation and resource conservation.
Exactly what did Jason Kenney say that endorsed terrorist behaviour? Please elaborate with his speech.
Thanks for the heads up Judy & Steve. I hadn’t heard anything about that.
Regarding Iggy’s retarded fuel tax….You can’t encourage consumers to switch off gasoline until you provide a viable alternative. Switching to alternative fuels is a great though but a) WHAT alternative fuels? Do you have an ethanol or hydrogen or WHATEVER pump in my local gas station? And B) will my car run on said fuels as it is now or will I have to fork out an obsene amount of money for a car that runs on fuel that isn’t available? If you can’t provide good answers to those questions then Canadians will butt-ream you in the next election and the Libs will tumble to having the credibility of the NDP (ie NONE).
Salvage – very interesting link, although I had to remove a ” at the end of the URL to be able to see it, thanks for posting it!
Global warming and airbourne pollution are not the same thing.
I am with you on cleaning up all sorts of pollution, and yes conservation beats waste any day.
Don’t confuse these things with Global Warming a euphemism for a political agenda. “There is Socialism, Capitalism and Global Warmingism”.
GREENHOUSE METHANE RELEASED FROM ICE AGE OCEAN
Periods of warming temperatures during the last ice age triggered the release of methane from beneath the ocean, according to U.S. and French researchers. Once in the atmosphere, the methane would have acted as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas.
Looking at sediments laid down during the past 30,000 years, they measured the amount of tar left behind by methane seepage and also the temperature at the ocean surface as recorded by the oxygen isotopes included in the shells of tiny sea animals.
“Tar deposition lines up with significant periods of warming,” Hill said.
The warming climate between glaciations might have destabilized the “frozen” biological methane, causing changes in the sea floor, such as landslides, that increased seepage from below the surface, Hill said. Adding more methane to the atmosphere would have increased the warming trend.
Such natural methane seeps are present around the world, Hill said. Throughout the past several thousand years while climate has been stable, seepage has been relatively constant, but it might increase if the oceans warm significantly.
http://www.physorg.com/news76087184.html
Aahhh to heck with it, join the lefties. Just TAX ME, I’M CANADIAN
Re Jason Kenney “He was just stung” Give the guy a break!!! Nothing compared to MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj. It is attitude that shows through, and Jason isn’t a leftie!
” Kenney said he did not remember attending the rally, then recalled an invitation from “something called the Committee for Human Rights in Iran.”
The invitation came from a man Kenney said he met at the foreign affairs sub-committee on human rights.
Kenney, MP for Calgary Southeast, said he “would be shocked” to hear his picture was posted on the group’s political wing website.
Directed to the website, Kenney said he was “completely unaware of the context as it is presented here, even though we had done our due diligence.”
He said he did not know the rally was in support of PMOI prisoners. He said it was a small crowd of about 30 people.
“I told them I would pass by if I could. And I was running up to the Hill, I just literally grabbed a megaphone and said that the Canadian people would stand in solidarity with the Iranian people in their wish for respect for human dignity and human rights and democracy, and these were universal aspirations that all people in every country deserve to have respected, and you know, our government will stand for those universal values.
“I honestly don’t recall any particular grievance that they had about any particular person in Iran or Iraq or somebody who’s pending execution. At least that wasn’t brought to my attention.”
Kenney said he is well aware that the PMOI is also known as the MEK and is listed as a terrorist group. He then specifically recalled questioning the man who invited him — whose name he said he could not recall — at a meeting in Kenney’s office after the parliamentary committee meeting. He asked if the man had any ties to “those radicals in the People’s Mojahedin. And he laughed or denied it or something.”
“I wanted to be sure there wasn’t a connection,” said Kenney. “I came away with the impression that there was no connection whatsoever.”
Kenney said he also later asked a staffer to double-check the background of the Committee for Human Rights in Iran to be sure it was a mainstream organization. The staffer said he couldn’t “seem to find anything problematic about them.”
An Internet search doesn’t turn up any website for a group by that name.
“I guess I was stung,” Kenney said. “
Be careful what you accept as fact from Judy. From reading her posts she has an interesting slant. For background on Jason Kenney, Boris, Alan Tonks…I’d recommend you refer to http://www.westernstandard.blogs.com. You’ll find more context and perspective there…
The other side is producing more effecient cars – and maybe taxing SUVs, Vans, and sports cars to disuade their usage.
Agreed, and then some: Once upon a time your annual license plate fee was based upon number of cylinders in the vehicle or wheelbase, both characteristics that could be loosely correlated to fuel efficiency. But now it’s uniform regardless of what you drive, Hummer or Honda. If there was a way to do it without causing too much expense for service stations, I’d like to see a graduated price at the pumps much like we see for electricity consumption. Peg the base rate at the tank size of a mid-sized vehicle, say 50 or 60 litres, and if you pump more, the price per litre increases. Fuel taxes could be used to reimburse the stations during the changeover. Imperfect, I know, in actually getting it implemented, because there is nothing to stop someone from visiting several stations to get fuel in
…oops, last post didn’t like that less-than sign, will try again…
The other side is producing more effecient cars – and maybe taxing SUVs, Vans, and sports cars to disuade their usage.
Agreed, and then some: Once upon a time your annual license plate fee was based upon number of cylinders in the vehicle or wheelbase, both characteristics that could be loosely correlated to fuel efficiency. But now it’s uniform regardless of what you drive, Hummer or Honda. If there was a way to do it without causing too much expense for service stations, I’d like to see a graduated price at the pumps much like we see for electricity consumption. Peg the base rate at the tank size of a mid-sized vehicle, say 50 or 60 litres, and if you pump more, the price per litre increases. Fuel taxes could be used to reimburse the stations during the changeover. Imperfect, I know, in actually getting it implemented, because there is nothing to stop someone from visiting several stations to get fuel in %lt; 50 litre increments (could use different size pump heads and fuel pipe openings, like during the transition from leaded to unleaded gas, and charge more for every litre for the bigger vehicle), and well, I’m sure it would be branded as some sort of “socialist†measure (but then one could argue that that would also apply to “Drive Cleanâ€, which those north of the Haliburton are not subjected to, and annual vehicle fees, for which the same northerners pay half that of southerners). And I’m sure in other factors I haven’t considered, but I’m sure someone here will be more than willing to identify them.
“Oceans lash our coasts. Deserts Burn. The sky provides no shelter. Turmoil of Biblical proportions threatens not just our weather but life itself. Global Warming is upon us.†SOUNDS LIKE GARTH!
Think about this one.
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1073835.htm
This critter has survived unchanged for 250 million years – through cold periods and periods much warmer than present, and now all of the sudden a slight warming is going to wipe it out? According to Garth and others on here!
“There is Socialism, Capitalism and Global Warmingismâ€.
Catherine: Does it matter what he said? He stood on the podium, in front of a rally for a listed terrorist group from Iran and brought greetings from the P.M. and wished them well in their endeavours!!!
This is the same Jason Kenney who reamed the Liberal M.P. for daring to even suggest that we talk to Hezbollah: and he is leading the cheer at a known terrorist groups rally!!!! Shame on him and shame on the P.M. for not immediately demanding his resignation.
In this current world climate, any rep. from the P.M.O.’s office who would “grab a microphone” and speak off the cuff at a hastily arranged rally run by any group from Iran is fodder for instant dismissal.
Is he an idiot? He asked an assistant to check them out? When? on his way to the podium?
I have no “slant” on this issue. Jason Kenney admits addressing ( ie. speaking to and endorsing the eforst of a listed terrorist group) this terrorist organization and then pleads ignorance??? Was he overwhelmed by emotion as the LIberal M.P. was when touring Beirut? NO, he was just uninformed-which is inexcusable.
Don’t know why anyone is defending him.
Ann: The Western Standard!!! Right wing bias through and through.
If you want the Jason Kenney life story including his lastest support for Iranian terrorist group check out the following:
(scroll down until you get to April 2006-click on the links to see listed terrorist groups, the website for the PMOI ( People’s Mujahedin of Iran) and the CTV report on Kenney’s speech)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Kenney
Judy I couldn’t find you on your webpage!
http://www.communist-party.ca/
Here is Jason’s problem: Jason Kenney was born in Ontario
http://www.jasonkenney.com/about/default.asp
Mr. Kenney has been named one of Canada’s “100 Leaders of the Future” by Maclean’s magazine, “one of Canada’s leading conservative activists by the Globe and Mail,” and “one of 21 Canadians to watch in the 21st century” by the Financial Post Magazine.
Jerry: That’s right-watch Mr. Kenney-tumble into obscurity. Haven’t heard much from him since he was “outed” for supporting a terrorist group. Where is he hiding?
I goggled Judy Hezbollah and this is what I came up with:
JUDY WOODRUFF, NewsHour Special Correspondent: What kind of damage can the high-tech Israeli armed forces inflict on a guerilla group armed with thousands of rockets, and before the United States and other big powers push hard for a cease-fire?
So that is who you are http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec06/hezbollah_07-19.html
On to more important things!!!
MIT’s inconvenient scientist
More curious are our own taboos on the subject of global warming.
There simply was no legitimate opposing view to the scientific consensus that man – made carbon emissions drive global warming. To suggest or report otherwise, he said, was irresponsible.
What happens when you are told not to eat the apple, not to read that book, not to date that girl? Your interest is piqued, of course. What am I not supposed to know?
Here’s the kind of information the “scientific consensus” types don’t want you to read. MIT’s Alfred P. Sloan professor of meteorology Richard Lindzen recently complained about the “shrill alarmism” of Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” Lindzen acknowledges that global warming is real, and he acknowledges that increased carbon emissions might be causing the warming — but they also might not.
“We do not understand the natural internal variability of climate change” is one of Lindzen’s many heresies, along with such zingers as “the Arctic was as warm or warmer in 1940,” “the evidence so far suggests that the Greenland ice sheet is actually growing on average,” and “Alpine glaciers have been retreating since the early 19th century, and were advancing for several centuries before that. Since about 1970, many of the glaciers have stopped retreating and some are now advancing again. And, frankly, we don’t know why.”
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/08/30/mits_inconvenient_scientist/
“There is Socialism, Capitalism and Global Warmingismâ€.
It’s disgusting that Jason Kenney would be in support of these terrorists in Iran. Harper should ditch this guy..banish him to Iran or something.
Perhaps there should be a Charles McVety arranged nimination meeting in Kenneys’ riding.Shame on The PMO for talking out of both sides of its’ mouth.
“Shame on The PMO for talking out of both sides of its’ mouth”
Jim…you’re confused! The liberals are no longer in power……..
Jerry:
Agree with you on global warming.
Your “catalyst” link gave me a nasty virus.
Suggest you sign in as Typhoid Jerry.
Sorry about that Andy
I ended up with virus problems last night, but finally got everything straightened around late last night.
It has to be Global Warming or Bush or Jason Kenney that caused it!!!
Let’s blame Bush.
John: I think you must be John “Baird”. No one else would be so enamored of this P.M. or is it a compulsive/obsessive disorder? Are you the one who “John” talked to coming out of the Cabinet meeting who said Stephend Harper was “Bright”???