When it comes to climate change, Ottawa is not so much the head waiter to the provinces, to borrow Pierre Trudeau’s memorable phrase, as the stretcher-bearer for their environmental policy.
Now we will have to wait and see what will happen to environmental policy in the next few weeks. How will the spin explain that we now have a climate change problem at has occurred in the past two years????
Time horizon allows for one lameduck president and one lameduck ACTING prime minister to depart!
The provinces have set goals … We must direct all our efforts to meeting them. The Ivison [N.Post] article set out some of the provincial targets. The feds cannot even manage a feebate [cars]program effectively.
Catherine: Dion said that the Harper government was an embarrassemnt.
Baird had the gall to say he was ‘disappointed in the watered down version’–when he was the one mixing the drinks!!
So what did Stephane Dion actually say? No substance at all, as usual. sigh.
By Catherine on 12.15.07 5:42 pm
LOL I love that. Yup, thanking the Canadian public. sigh, no substance. Imagine, a leader who cares about Canadians and what they think. AMAZING.
Foreign to the current con supports here perhaps, but a refreshing look to me and many many others.
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
You are really grasping at straws now. You have missed the point entirely.
It’s all about numbers. Catherine was throwing around numbers without any explanation what their significance was. What appeared to be reactor reliability numbers apparently related to seismic events. It is still not entirely clear.
I have seen others fall into this trap many times and gender has nothing to do with it. I don’t care if you are male or female or a PhD or a grade school drop-out or something in between, if you can’t defend or at least explain the, numbers, you had better leave them out. Otherwise, at best, you will come across as pretentious.
I took this up with Jim earlier, with respect senate terms, when he apparently didn’t know the difference between a maximum and an average. In his case I wasn’t quite as gentle. Catherine may remember this because it was on the senate term issue that she tangled with skewness. Either you missed this or, as you are fond of doing, you chose to ignore it in order to make a point.
Little wonder another poster described you as hyper-partisan to the point of being dishonest.
Baird had the gall to say he was ‘disappointed in the watered down version’–when he was the one mixing the drinks!!
By Judy on 12.15.07 6:44 pm
Well said, Judy. But how many people are going to remember that Baird preferred to attend a cocktail party at the Bali conference instead of attending a meeting when Parliament resumes in January, I wonder?
Gordie, I feel like you and I are on a never ending dance, quite frankly it’s getting boring. Fact is; my problem with you on this board, the ‘men’ on this board say ass, balls and shit and worse and you have nothing to say. A woman says the very same thing and she gets constant condemnation from you over and over…smutty, foul mouth, blah, blah, blah. You argue with the men, to Catherine you were condescending…it’s like you are patting her on the head and saying, ‘now, now little lady, hush now, the men are talking and it’s way over your head’.
That? Mr. Dion was telling us that because of the petition, the agreement in Bali was made. Yup. That was it.
Everyone ready for Christmas? I’m not. Working on it though. Hear there’s a big storm heading our way. Hope the hydro doesn’t go out. I’m looking forward to the day after, there’s something really beautiful about a fresh snow, the fields and the woods with only the odd fox or deer prints visible. My big girls and I will most enjoy that walk… Leasa
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
By SJ on 12.15.07 6:55 pm
The world already sees him as a world leader!! Do you dream all the time SJ or did you get the names mixed up? The batteries are dead on your light, put a new set in with Iggy and you might have half a chance
So when the loud mouth does not come clean as to why he tried to scuttle the conference like they scuttle committees with PMSH’s play book, perhaps 250K names should be sent to Ottawa asking for the loud mounth to resign if not let’s go for 500K English and then send it in French and get another 500K. Perhaps then and only then will they get the message….our children and grandchildren deserve no less than a good fight from their parents and grandparents for the thier future.
We need to stop it now, before the world becomes a living HELL.
It’ll be a one way trip. We are also runing out of oil and gas, peak-oil. We’ll be all out soon, at pressent rates of growth about 2050-2060.
Constant growth is not sustainable!
The most important vidio you’ll ever see. (Part 3 of about 9min.
You should see all 8 parts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFyOw9IgtjY
We need to build more energy efficant buildings, use more energy efficant stuff, get more energy from renewables,
Stop burning oil and gas to get the energy we are using now. We need to recycle more stuff. Burning garbage for energy is an energy loser. you can save 5x as much energy by recycling stuff than burning it. It take energy to make new stuff from the ground.
The latest UN IPCC report only give use to about 2012 to realy start reducing the CO2 output or we are going to see the realy BRUTAL effects of climate change soon.
The only none CO2 producting energy source we have now that can replace oil and gas in time is Nuclear power.
The wind isn’t always blowing.
More info. on Canadian CANDU Nuclear power. http://www.aecl.ca/ http://cna.ca/
Even Tim Flannery a green peacer, and friend of David Suzuki,
thinks we need more nuclear power now to stop climate change in time. At lease in the short term.
Harper could be the anti-crist, or sosiopath, he doesn’t even care about his own kids future. He either doesn’t have the faces about man made climate change, or he is not a critical thinker.
There is know one coming to save us from ourselfs. We need to us our brains,
and ask the best and brittest, and act in the worlds best interest for the future or we’ll be leaving a polluted, energy depleted, over heated world for the kids of today and tomorrow. If they can live? There may even be more wars over the last bits of resources and food. The worlds grain supply is down to about 30days only. It’s been much higher in the past.
The average temperature rise forcast of Toronto area is ~9 degrees. Know take the last heat wave and add 9 degrees, will people be dieing from the heat?
How do you heat and cool your home?
Oil and gas? were running out, the price will rise first. Have you thought about getting geo-thermal heating cooling for you home.
How will we make hydrogen for fuel cell cars? Burn more coal? It’s running low also. Or us nuclear power and some wind if it’s blowing. How will we recharge plug-in cars? Were will we get energy to change and make the stuff we use, when oil is gone? We now eat oil, we use oil to grow food make furtilizers run farm equipment, pump water out of the ground, ect..
Will crops grow in hotter temperatures?
Will we be able to feed everyone on the planet? Will it rain often enough to grow food? Will we pump the ground water dry? Were does you drinking water come from? It take lost of energy to pump water, it’s heavy!
There is no positive side to climate change!
We the people need to run for office and vote people in that will make the changes we need to make while there still enough oil and gas energy to make the changes even posible.
Ask them what they know about climate change and peak-oil. What plans/ideas do they have to help us all deal will it in time!!!!
David: Spoken like a true Republican.
Don’t criticize or question your leader.
Accept without questioning.
Wave the flag and claim patriotism.
Support our troops but disclaim what they are fighting for: freedom ( including speech and the right to protest)
You’d think something wonderful for the planet just happened. It didn’t. We’re still operating on C20 thinking with this huge world problem.
Meantime Chalk River residents think they should leave town. No wonder when the fake PM over rides the safety regulatory body because profit is more important than people. Something stinks in Denmark. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/12/13/chalk-river.html
Greg,
We installed geothermal heating when we built our house a few years ago, and I can tell you, it is very expensive. Sure it may pay for itself in 8 to 10 years, but you have to be able to pay the up front fees, and if the price of electricity goes way up, yikes. And for most, its a “wouldn’t that be nice”
Kerry
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
By SJ on 12.15.07 6:55 pm
The world already sees him as a world leader!! Do you dream all the time SJ or did you get the names mixed up? The batteries are dead on your light, put a new set in with Iggy and you might have half a chance
By Betty White on 12.15.07 9:20 pm
Buddy, Dion was INVITED to the conference. He was invited because he is a LEADER, a person who has the ability to bring people TOGETHER, to work for a common goal.
The complete and total opposite of our current PM.
Your blind faith to the fool harper does nothing for this great country. He needs a swift boot out of office ASAP. For all our sakes.
I just got your scribble in the mail Garth Thanks and happy holidays.
We need a royal commission to determine why Canada is so far behind it’s Kyoto targets, because it’s scandalous Canada being 33% behind and unable to cut back GHG emissions to meet it’s Kyoto commitments without buying Billion$$$ of Carbon Credits as a penalty for our failure.
The past Liberal governments must be held accountable for Canada’s global crime against humanity by neglecting our GHG emissions for 10 years …. and the Conservatives must be held accountable for doing nothing substantive for 2 years.
I want to know how this happened and why it happened. Blame for Canada’s dismal Kyoto record must be laid against those who callously disregarded our international Kyoto commitments and plunged us 33% behind our target.
If Canada must now spend Billion$$$ for Kyoto Carbon Credits and finding we must impose a Heavy Carbon Tax because of our delinquency, I want to know who is responsible for this mess..!!!
A judical inquiry into our failure to abide by our Kyoto Treaty obligation resulting in Billion$$$$ required to mitigate our failure, will determine fault and Canada losing Billion$$$$ to China, India, Russia …. who will be using our money to build up their economies at the expense of the Canadian taxpayer.
John Bolton, the recess appointed U.S. ambassador to the U.N., where he riled everybody, thinks Canada is just great for siding with the U.S. on climate change.
WHen John Bolton is praising you, you know you’ve taking a really, really bad turn.
“Well, it’s not unusual for Vice President Gore to be wrong, either, as he is in this case. Of the G8 industrialized democracies, four — the United States, Japan, Canada, and Russia –share our view…If you look at the developing countries, Brazil, India, and China all oppose these targets as well. So, the notion that this is the fault of the U.S. is wrong.
If anybody’s isolated here, I think it’s the Europeans and Al Gore… “
To carry your argument further, Harper is not fit to lead the country either.
After all it was he who treacherously wrote in the Wall Street Journal, with reference to our lack of participation in the Iraqui war, that the “Canadian people were wrong”, thereby betraying the very people he is supposed to represent.
Dion may represent 29% of parliamentarians who support Liberal goals but all Liberals and all other opposition members are against Harper’s stance on climate change so Dion actually speaks for the majority of Canadians. Too bad neither you nor Harper gets this fact.
Harper and Baird only move when the Bush administration moves, not when Canadians want action. Could this be made any clearer?
Btw, would you suggest Harper has any scruples about where and when he bad-mouths people…other elected M.P.’s or anyone who seems to disagree with him?
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
————————————
Leasa, I agree with you, because (at least from my point of view) we are each other’s equals and opposites — we give each other as good as we get, and we are much better individuals for it.
We choose to disagree on different subjects, but if you want to swear (as I have done), go ahead. No skin off my nose!
Garth,
Let’s start talking about the next election. I want to know if the Libs will take the high road on Election Promises, obviously not enacted with the Accountability Act. Hell hardly anything in that act has been by the Cons.
So how about getting the Libs to say/promise they will not do the usual of Campaigning on the Left and then Governing on the Right, it’s getting really boring. Give me a reason to vote.
Do something different like taking the AAct and actually doing something with it, it’s been forgotten. The most important issue to Canadians right now, this minute and in the future is Campaign Promises and pledging with their signature on them. Do it or get out of the way.
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport.
David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
David, I could not disagree more with your position. Every Canadian citizen, especially elected officials like MP’s, have the right to criticize the ruling government and the Prime Minister whenever we feel that the policies the government are flawed. THAT is what freedom is all about….it’s NOT about trying to muzzle your opposition as you suggest. You obviously must be a big fan of fascist states. Thank God Canada is not yet one of them.
Yup – Baird needs to follow Stephane Dion: Baird buys a dog, names it Kyoto, says “we are going to make mega bucks”, and calls it a day.
Who is in Stephane Dion’s back pocket? Maurice Strong? Why isn’t Stephane Dion talking about the immediate problems – like water, land, and air pollutions? What’s he afraid of?
I’d agree with you IF Dion was at the conference as part of an official delegation, but we all know that Dion paid his own way to Bali as an average Canadian Citizen who is concerned enough about global climate change to travel to Bali to lend his lone voice, and whatever influence he he has, in order to stand up for the world on this vitally important issue.
People at the conference naturally recognized him from his official leadership position at the ‘environment summit’ in Montreal in 2005 and invited and welcomed his input.
For you to say that a Canadian Citizen cannot go to Bali on his own dime and speak his mind REEKS of the ARROGANCE and assumed ENTITLEMENT of respect of the man you attempt to defend Mr. Halfkenny… STEPHEN HARPER.
How about the Stephen Harper showing a little respect for the Office of the PM?
That would be nice for a change.
And speaking of change… on election day VOTE FOR CHANGE
And you wonder why you have to beg for respect!
Not nice, Leasa, not nice.
By Gord on 12.15.07 7:00 pm
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
Good morning Leasa
I see you are still using “change the subject” as your partisan methodology.(I always live in hope that
people can see themselves as others see them)
I believe Gord was commenting on your inability to defend your positions.
What relationship does God’s comments re misinterpreting numbers have to do
with the vocabulary used by men?
Leasa, it would be beneficial if you were to go back and read your non-responses to others comments,
respond to the matter under discussion and you might possibly earn the respect of others.
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
David – then you should also be embarrased by Harper & his Ministers who go abroad and, almost without fail, in their speeches blame the former Liberals.
When former Liberal & Consdervative leaders spoke at international conferences I do not recall them constantly blaming the former govt. in power. But this CRAP govt. does it all the time. And no, don’t ask me to review all those past speeches reported in the papers. You’re not interested because you only read/see what you want to see.
So when the loud mouth does not come clean as to why he tried to scuttle the conference like they scuttle committees with PMSH’s play book, perhaps 250K names should be sent to Ottawa asking for the loud mounth to resign if not let’s go for 500K English and then send it in French and get another 500K. Perhaps then and only then will they get the message….our children and grandchildren deserve no less than a good fight from their parents and grandparents for the thier future.
By David Bakody on 12.15.07 9:26 pm
The time has come to cut back on those Timmies David. You are getting awful hyper. Watch the blood pressure. Just a suggestion, go for your walks Davy but walk right by Timmies. Those friends of yours at Timmies only laugh at you anyway. Me thinks I know who the loud mouth is.
Well, looks like the progress-haters have won again.
Instead of gathering public support for clear and bold legislation that addresses the climate crisis head on, the CPC and the MSM are framing conservative weakness, cowardice and inability to act as “compromise.”
How much money and how many announcements are forthcoming from a political party that believes it can buy a Canadian majority?
Now that the conservatives have embarrassed themselves again on the international stage and since the climate crisis is moving back into the mainstream consciousness, we must maintain the pressure on our politicians, particularly those that support obstructionism framed as compromise. We need to somehow force a choice between progress action and constant conservative obstruction.
Thanks Charles! You get my point! Actually, in our house you will very seldom here a swear word. I simply repeated what the ‘boys’ on the board had said, and Gordie went ballistic. Too funny. Stay safe & warm this blustery day! L
By Geminesse on 12.16.07 6:07 am
Morning Geminesse, You should go back and read my posts, because if that’s what you really think is going on with Gordie, ya must have missed a paragraph or five. Further to your comment, I really don’t have to ‘fish’ for respect. I’ve always felt respected, I am treated with respect, but there are just some people were I to ‘have’ their respect, I think I’d have to worry. So, no…it’s all good. As for being ‘non-responsive’, with that comment I KNOW you don’t read my posts, or is it, you just don’t like the response?
Anyway, as I said to Charles, do stay warm and safe on this most wintry day.
We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Defending us; (U.S.), from the Taliban? No Taliban ever told me that I could go freeze in the dark, or referred to the people from my region as bums scum and Maritimers.
For a guy who claims to be non-partisan, you seem awfully touchy about perceived criticism of Harper or his government.
Bali ended as a bad joke. A joke on those who funded their representatives costs in good faith, only to be scuttled by George et al. George has once again done his duty to the Industrial and Military Complex that installed him as their Shiny Face. Two more years to do whatever they want.
Next time I hope they find someone to represent their interests who not only doesn’t resemble a chimp, but is smarter than one too. There is buying your vote with your own money, (Trudeau) then there is buying your vote with endless currency and credit of dubious value. Enter George and Co.
With either scenario, the Piper always wants to be paid.
Even the Chinese managed to give an impression of wanting to move forward. Nice trick. Seems Comrade Chin is applying the Wisdoms of Confucius.
-The cost of oil and gas is going up for sure! We’ll be all out ar pressent rates of projected world growth in about 2050-2060. (Just when Harpers clean air act starts. How is he really working for?)
-geothermal also double as am air conditioner and water preheater.
- NO CO2 produced from geothermal, as long as the electricity to run the pumps and fans is CO2 free, like wind if its blowing or solar if it’s out. Nuclear CANDU electrical power is safe and reliable on demand power.
-Geothermal works best if your building is well insulated in the first place.
Building codes need to require all new buildings to be better insulated, good fresh air exchangers, and geothermal to start with. The cost would only represent a fraction of the total building cost. The building would be usable after oil and gas is gone.
As you say goetheremal does pay for its self (you said 8-10years at persent oil and gas cost. It’s going up and will be all out soon.)
-Higher energy cost is not ‘nice’ at anytime.
Global climate change is worse and if we don’t stop it NOW, it’ll be apocalipic.
There is nothing good about cliamte change!
Are you informed? Are you a critical thinker?
Do you care about other human beings on this only planet we have?
What kind of polluted, over populated, over heated, energy depleted, food and water poor world are we making for your
on family and other future people?
What are you doing to help?
Do you even vote? Are you running for office? Why not? You couldent be any worse that Harper and his gang.
What are the governments planing to help us all stop climate change and deal will it and peak-oil and gas?
What are there plans for the common long term good? The corperations are not hear to help us. They are hear to maximize short term profit. The Government is supose to be working for the common long term good. Unless they are being corrupted be lobbies and cash payments in secret. How is Harper looking out for, oil and gas corporation? He doesn’t even care about his own kids future on this planet, do you think he care about your family.
Harper and Baird only move when the Bush administration moves, not when Canadians want action. Could this be made any clearer?
By Pat. G. on 12.15.07 11:43 pm
So they are supposed to sacrifice Canadian jobs to the American competition who don’t have such strict emission controls on their businesses? May I remind you that 80% of our trade is done with the US. Even the Liberals had concerns.
This is the last post that I will make to you, it is so obvious that you only listen to yourself. It is so easy to locate posts that you have made that change or ignore the subject and refuse to directly answer a question.
e.g
Hi Leasa,
I’m also curious… if you can tell us:
a) whether emissions have gone up or down since your dear leader has been in office
b) and by how much they have gone up or down And I mean the hard numbers, not ‘aspirational’ targets by 2050.
Got an answer? Never answered By Frank Frink on 12.07.07 12:53 pm
be sure and note the date on Frank’s post as I recall him asking you to respond many times subsequent to that post.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and an enlightening New Year.
Buddy, Dion was INVITED to the conference. He was invited because he is a LEADER, a person who has the ability to bring people TOGETHER, to work for a common goal.
The complete and total opposite of our current PM.
Your blind faith to the fool harper does nothing for this great country. He needs a swift boot out of office ASAP. For all our sakes.
I just got your scribble in the mail Garth Thanks and happy holidays.
By SJ on 12.15.07 10:38 pm
You could of fooled me SJ. Now, please tell me who invited Mr Dion to the conference in Bali? I await your reply.
You missed the point. I will repeat it for your benefit. When you are in another country you do not speak ill of your country or your leaders and show respect. Having had the benefit to represent Canada abroad I take great pride in my country. Therefore, I do not need lessons on the subject.
I read several papers everyday. These are not my words only my observations. Dion has openly made several comments critizing the goverment in Bali. I have read where Baird had responded once. It is difficult for Baird to make comments while at the same time not attend press briefings. I think it is you who only want to say to others what you believe. In this case you are off base and your comments are false.
Gee Garth
I never thought my little comment would raise so much ire with some of your bloggers. I thought I was being a patriot. I hve served my country for approximately 44 years and take my citizenship very serious. Therfore, I do not need any lessons from the persons who are supporting their political view under the guise of protecting the environment. It appears to me the environment is the new front the Liberals hope to fight the next election. The canadian public is wiser than this. Just go back to the redbook #1 and #2.
Hi Leasa,
I’m also curious… if you can tell us:
a) whether emissions have gone up or down since your dear leader has been in office
b) and by how much they have gone up or down And I mean the hard numbers, not ‘aspirational’ targets by 2050.
Got an answer? Never answered By Frank Frink on 12.07.07 12:53 pm
be sure and note the date on Frank’s post as I recall him asking you to respond many times subsequent to that post.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and an enlightening New Year.
By Geminesse on 12.16.07 11:03 am
Where those the questions he was talking about? Thank you. I believe that the emissions have gone up. Exactly how much, I don’t know. Do you?
You want to know how much they went up from Mr. Harper’s first day in office? HE’S responsible for that? Or, do you want to know how much in the last year? I’ll look around and if I can find any data…I’ll post it to Garth’s blog. Leasa
“Should we sacrifice Canadian jobs to the American companies who don’t have such strict emission controls in their business?”
We need a government which can legislate incentives for business to adopt new technologies and which can penalize when changes aren’t made. This was the purpose behind Dion’s carbon budget plan. There are both sticks and carrots in his plan and many businesses who have already changed have found new economic benefits and improved their bottom lines.
Part of our strategy should be to all pull together and help our businesses to lower their emissions. This may mean using some of our federal budget surpluses to help both businesses use new technologies and to help in the transition of employees whose companies still can’t make it. As Dion has said, we should try to advance our technologies so that we can sell them to other countries. Canada has the potential to do this.
Everyone will have to sacrifice but if we don’t do this, what is the solution?
I believe the Americans will be much more amenable to change after the next election. Surely the Americans won’t vote in the Republicans again. The Democrats may be harder to deal with in some ways because they will try to protect jobs but if we can all row in the same boat, maybe we can get to a better place.
We can’t lead from the rear and we certainly can’t influence other nations by being hypocrites. Harper has tried everything he can to drag any progress down. We’ve got to change our government and get on with it. Courage!
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Before you jump on me I want to assure you I do not support the Liberals.
The problem with your position is this. Once Harper went onto the international stage and began to criticize the former government he left himself wide open to the opposition using the world stage to criticize him.
Remember that the Conservatives characterized their administration as a “new” government and immediately abandoned the decorum that once characterized traditional Canadian politics.
You should tell your leader that by airing partisan laundry internationally he ensured that he will not be accorded the same level of respect as previous Canadian leaders. There is always a price to pay for ill-conceived change.
Well, apparently I can’t back it up. I have looked and could not find the article where Dion states that he received many emails from people to attend the meetings.
Unless someone else can help me out there, then I am wrong about the invitation.
My statement, however, is quite correct.
Dion is a bridge builder, harper on the other hand is a bridge burner.
You missed the point. I will repeat it for your benefit. When you are in another country you do not speak ill of your country or your leaders and show respect. Having had the benefit to represent Canada abroad I take great pride in my country. Therefore, I do not need lessons on the subject.
By David Halfkenny on 12.16.07 1:27 pm
Mr. Halfkenny, in all likelihood I wouldn’t have responded to your post if it weren’t that you referenced our Military in conjunction with your point about criticizing the CPC performance in Bali.
I don’t see how they are interconnected. Our country’s presence in Afghanistan is one political front, Bali and the environment are another. Separate and apart.
The CPC position represented at Bali on behalf of their limited minority government, does not speak for anywhere close to the majority of Canadians,(according to polls) and therefore is fair ball for criticism in my view. Regardless of where.
The news from Bali strongly indicated that the CPC position was supported by a small minority of countries there as well.
That is my view on the point you clarify as being the focus of your post. Apparently, we don’t agree.
Well, apparently I can’t back it up. I have looked and could not find the article where Dion states that he received many emails from people to attend the meetings.
Unless someone else can help me out there, then I am wrong about the invitation.
My statement, however, is quite correct.
Dion is a bridge builder, harper on the other hand is a bridge burner.
By SJ on 12.16.07 5:21 pm
Actually SJ I think he invited himself, that is why you can’t find anything. I would also bet he didn’t pay his own way. At least Harper doesn’t go to foreign countries without arranging ahead of time or being invited. Actually all Dion did in Bali was associate with the Waco rentals trying to look like a teenager.
I assure you, as much as I disliked Mulroney, Chretien and others, I never spoke negatively of them outside my country, like Dion has done this past week. He should apologize to this government for his actions. You Michael and others are to quick to forget who is the ruling government in this country. You can bad mouth them all you want, there is free speech in Canada. We shall see who will be the government in power after the next election.
By Betty White on 12.16.07 12:21 pm
~~~~~ Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Maybe, just maybe, you can now understand and appreciate how many of us felt when Harper, in 2003 as Leader of the Official Opposition, set the mould for such upstaging and circumventing of the Canadian Government through his American media dog-and-pony show, meant to shame the government of the day into participating in Iraq. I had never witnessed such base and dishonourable politicking before. One did not see, for example, the Democratic leader criticising his government outside of the American border, and if anyone had the right to criticize, it would be him. That man-of-action posturing may have played well with Harper’s followers, but not to this observer. To a much lesser degree, he repeated it again when he dispatched his MPs south during the Mad Cow outbreak. In terms of degrees of disgrace, I’d say Harper is the clear winner and in my view his actions do not make him a worthy leader.
I personally don’t like this tit-for-tat activity, and look forward to some future date when such nonsense is no longer practised or tolerated. I do not think it will happen unless the Conservatives drop Harper and his vision, then evolve yet again into some less virulent form of Conservatism. Until that day, toxicity will likely remain the order of the day, an endless stream of “what goes around comes around”.
Here’s the article with the invites noted for Dion to attend at Bali. Also an explanation that Dion felt it was for the Liberal Party to pay his way rather than to accept the money from the environmental groups.
Here’s the article with the invites noted for Dion to attend at Bali. Also an explanation that Dion felt it was for the Liberal Party to pay his way rather than to accept the money from the environmental groups.
But Mr. Dion, who chaired the 2005 UN climate change summit in Montreal, said his office has already been flooded by e-mails and phone calls from international politicians, business leaders and environmental organizations, who hope to meet with him at the conference in search of solutions to stop humans from causing global warming.
If the above is what you are referring to I’m sorry but “hoping to see you some where” is not an invitation. Missed the mark Deb,no cigar for you.
You argue with the men, to Catherine you were condescending…it’s like you are patting her on the head and saying, ‘now, now little lady, hush now, the men are talking and it’s way over your head’.
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
Pffffftttt! L
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
Actually Leasa,
since you support that lier, It is obvious that it is WAY over your head.
ANYTHING is come to think of it.
I would rather support a crook than a lier. You know what a crook is up to. You NEVER know with a lier.
60 comments ↓
Why it’s BIRDY [BOO!] BAIRD at the poo-dium!
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/166423.bin?size=404×272
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=164994
Mr. Ivison’s fitting analogy:
When it comes to climate change, Ottawa is not so much the head waiter to the provinces, to borrow Pierre Trudeau’s memorable phrase, as the stretcher-bearer for their environmental policy.
Now we will have to wait and see what will happen to environmental policy in the next few weeks. How will the spin explain that we now have a climate change problem at has occurred in the past two years????
Time horizon allows for one lameduck president and one lameduck ACTING prime minister to depart!
The provinces have set goals … We must direct all our efforts to meeting them. The Ivison [N.Post] article set out some of the provincial targets. The feds cannot even manage a feebate [cars]program effectively.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/?src=rss_video&mid=22296
What the hell was that?
Promises … Promises … Promises …
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1673258,00.html
The Big Deal Goes Green
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595244,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom
How will the spin explain that we now have a climate change problem at has occurred in the past two years????
By Doug on 12.15.07 4:39 pm
Try that again, Doug!
So what did Stephane Dion actually say? No substance at all, as usual. sigh.
Catherine: Dion said that the Harper government was an embarrassemnt.
Baird had the gall to say he was ‘disappointed in the watered down version’–when he was the one mixing the drinks!!
So what did Stephane Dion actually say? No substance at all, as usual. sigh.
By Catherine on 12.15.07 5:42 pm
LOL I love that. Yup, thanking the Canadian public. sigh, no substance. Imagine, a leader who cares about Canadians and what they think. AMAZING.
Foreign to the current con supports here perhaps, but a refreshing look to me and many many others.
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
By Leasa on 12.15.07 3:01 pm
Leasa and Catherine,
You are really grasping at straws now. You have missed the point entirely.
It’s all about numbers. Catherine was throwing around numbers without any explanation what their significance was. What appeared to be reactor reliability numbers apparently related to seismic events. It is still not entirely clear.
I have seen others fall into this trap many times and gender has nothing to do with it. I don’t care if you are male or female or a PhD or a grade school drop-out or something in between, if you can’t defend or at least explain the, numbers, you had better leave them out. Otherwise, at best, you will come across as pretentious.
I took this up with Jim earlier, with respect senate terms, when he apparently didn’t know the difference between a maximum and an average. In his case I wasn’t quite as gentle. Catherine may remember this because it was on the senate term issue that she tangled with skewness. Either you missed this or, as you are fond of doing, you chose to ignore it in order to make a point.
Little wonder another poster described you as hyper-partisan to the point of being dishonest.
And you wonder why you have to beg for respect!
Not nice, Leasa, not nice.
Regards,
Gord
Baird had the gall to say he was ‘disappointed in the watered down version’–when he was the one mixing the drinks!!
By Judy on 12.15.07 6:44 pm
Well said, Judy. But how many people are going to remember that Baird preferred to attend a cocktail party at the Bali conference instead of attending a meeting when Parliament resumes in January, I wonder?
If anyone is interested, the article shows that the US is heading downhill, the housing market building up steam quickly; other sectors will follow.
As America goes, so goes Canada.
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2007/12/implications-of-commercial-real-estate.html
Keep playing Dion and the people will get to know him! I see a conservative majority coming!
kathi
By Gord on 12.15.07 7:00 pm
Gordie, I feel like you and I are on a never ending dance, quite frankly it’s getting boring. Fact is; my problem with you on this board, the ‘men’ on this board say ass, balls and shit and worse and you have nothing to say. A woman says the very same thing and she gets constant condemnation from you over and over…smutty, foul mouth, blah, blah, blah. You argue with the men, to Catherine you were condescending…it’s like you are patting her on the head and saying, ‘now, now little lady, hush now, the men are talking and it’s way over your head’.
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
Pffffftttt! L
What the hell was that?
By John Frain on 12.15.07 4:49 pm
That? Mr. Dion was telling us that because of the petition, the agreement in Bali was made. Yup. That was it.
Everyone ready for Christmas? I’m not. Working on it though. Hear there’s a big storm heading our way. Hope the hydro doesn’t go out. I’m looking forward to the day after, there’s something really beautiful about a fresh snow, the fields and the woods with only the odd fox or deer prints visible. My big girls and I will most enjoy that walk… Leasa
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
By SJ on 12.15.07 6:55 pm
The world already sees him as a world leader!! Do you dream all the time SJ or did you get the names mixed up? The batteries are dead on your light, put a new set in with Iggy and you might have half a chance
So when the loud mouth does not come clean as to why he tried to scuttle the conference like they scuttle committees with PMSH’s play book, perhaps 250K names should be sent to Ottawa asking for the loud mounth to resign if not let’s go for 500K English and then send it in French and get another 500K. Perhaps then and only then will they get the message….our children and grandchildren deserve no less than a good fight from their parents and grandparents for the thier future.
Mr Garth TurnerMP,
There is no positive side to climate change!
We need to stop it now, before the world becomes a living HELL.
It’ll be a one way trip. We are also runing out of oil and gas, peak-oil. We’ll be all out soon, at pressent rates of growth about 2050-2060.
For thows that might have nost it 9min,
‘How it all ends’ about climate change.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
Constant growth is not sustainable!
about 9min.
The most important vidio you’ll ever see. (Part 3 of
You should see all 8 parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFyOw9IgtjY
We need to build more energy efficant buildings, use more energy efficant stuff, get more energy from renewables,
Stop burning oil and gas to get the energy we are using now. We need to recycle more stuff. Burning garbage for energy is an energy loser. you can save 5x as much energy by recycling stuff than burning it. It take energy to make new stuff from the ground.
The latest UN IPCC report only give use to about 2012 to realy start reducing the CO2 output or we are going to see the realy BRUTAL effects of climate change soon.
The only none CO2 producting energy source we have now that can replace oil and gas in time is Nuclear power.
The wind isn’t always blowing.
More info. on Canadian CANDU Nuclear power.
http://www.aecl.ca/
http://cna.ca/
Even Tim Flannery a green peacer, and friend of David Suzuki,
thinks we need more nuclear power now to stop climate change in time. At lease in the short term.
Harper could be the anti-crist, or sosiopath, he doesn’t even care about his own kids future. He either doesn’t have the faces about man made climate change, or he is not a critical thinker.
There is know one coming to save us from ourselfs. We need to us our brains,
and ask the best and brittest, and act in the worlds best interest for the future or we’ll be leaving a polluted, energy depleted, over heated world for the kids of today and tomorrow. If they can live? There may even be more wars over the last bits of resources and food. The worlds grain supply is down to about 30days only. It’s been much higher in the past.
The average temperature rise forcast of Toronto area is ~9 degrees. Know take the last heat wave and add 9 degrees, will people be dieing from the heat?
How do you heat and cool your home?
Oil and gas? were running out, the price will rise first. Have you thought about getting geo-thermal heating cooling for you home.
How will we make hydrogen for fuel cell cars? Burn more coal? It’s running low also. Or us nuclear power and some wind if it’s blowing. How will we recharge plug-in cars? Were will we get energy to change and make the stuff we use, when oil is gone? We now eat oil, we use oil to grow food make furtilizers run farm equipment, pump water out of the ground, ect..
Will crops grow in hotter temperatures?
Will we be able to feed everyone on the planet? Will it rain often enough to grow food? Will we pump the ground water dry? Were does you drinking water come from? It take lost of energy to pump water, it’s heavy!
There is no positive side to climate change!
We the people need to run for office and vote people in that will make the changes we need to make while there still enough oil and gas energy to make the changes even posible.
Ask them what they know about climate change and peak-oil. What plans/ideas do they have to help us all deal will it in time!!!!
David: Spoken like a true Republican.
Don’t criticize or question your leader.
Accept without questioning.
Wave the flag and claim patriotism.
Support our troops but disclaim what they are fighting for: freedom ( including speech and the right to protest)
You’d think something wonderful for the planet just happened. It didn’t. We’re still operating on C20 thinking with this huge world problem.
Meantime Chalk River residents think they should leave town. No wonder when the fake PM over rides the safety regulatory body because profit is more important than people. Something stinks in Denmark.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/12/13/chalk-river.html
Greg,
We installed geothermal heating when we built our house a few years ago, and I can tell you, it is very expensive. Sure it may pay for itself in 8 to 10 years, but you have to be able to pay the up front fees, and if the price of electricity goes way up, yikes. And for most, its a “wouldn’t that be nice”
Kerry
This is the man I would love to see lead Canada. The message is getting out there. The world already sees him as a world leader, now we just need to show our fellow Canadians the light.
By SJ on 12.15.07 6:55 pm
The world already sees him as a world leader!! Do you dream all the time SJ or did you get the names mixed up? The batteries are dead on your light, put a new set in with Iggy and you might have half a chance
By Betty White on 12.15.07 9:20 pm
Buddy, Dion was INVITED to the conference. He was invited because he is a LEADER, a person who has the ability to bring people TOGETHER, to work for a common goal.
The complete and total opposite of our current PM.
Your blind faith to the fool harper does nothing for this great country. He needs a swift boot out of office ASAP. For all our sakes.
I just got your scribble in the mail Garth
Thanks and happy holidays.
We need a royal commission to determine why Canada is so far behind it’s Kyoto targets, because it’s scandalous Canada being 33% behind and unable to cut back GHG emissions to meet it’s Kyoto commitments without buying Billion$$$ of Carbon Credits as a penalty for our failure.
The past Liberal governments must be held accountable for Canada’s global crime against humanity by neglecting our GHG emissions for 10 years …. and the Conservatives must be held accountable for doing nothing substantive for 2 years.
I want to know how this happened and why it happened. Blame for Canada’s dismal Kyoto record must be laid against those who callously disregarded our international Kyoto commitments and plunged us 33% behind our target.
If Canada must now spend Billion$$$ for Kyoto Carbon Credits and finding we must impose a Heavy Carbon Tax because of our delinquency, I want to know who is responsible for this mess..!!!
A judical inquiry into our failure to abide by our Kyoto Treaty obligation resulting in Billion$$$$ required to mitigate our failure, will determine fault and Canada losing Billion$$$$ to China, India, Russia …. who will be using our money to build up their economies at the expense of the Canadian taxpayer.
This is enough to make you cry.
John Bolton, the recess appointed U.S. ambassador to the U.N., where he riled everybody, thinks Canada is just great for siding with the U.S. on climate change.
WHen John Bolton is praising you, you know you’ve taking a really, really bad turn.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/15/john-bolton-on-al-gores-isolation/
“Well, it’s not unusual for Vice President Gore to be wrong, either, as he is in this case. Of the G8 industrialized democracies, four — the United States, Japan, Canada, and Russia –share our view…If you look at the developing countries, Brazil, India, and China all oppose these targets as well. So, the notion that this is the fault of the U.S. is wrong.
If anybody’s isolated here, I think it’s the Europeans and Al Gore… “
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
Pffffftttt! L
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
Your hatred, venom and dishonesty are now clearly on display.
You won’t get respect that way.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
To carry your argument further, Harper is not fit to lead the country either.
After all it was he who treacherously wrote in the Wall Street Journal, with reference to our lack of participation in the Iraqui war, that the “Canadian people were wrong”, thereby betraying the very people he is supposed to represent.
David Halfkenny 12.15.07 9:09 p.m.
David:
Dion may represent 29% of parliamentarians who support Liberal goals but all Liberals and all other opposition members are against Harper’s stance on climate change so Dion actually speaks for the majority of Canadians. Too bad neither you nor Harper gets this fact.
Harper and Baird only move when the Bush administration moves, not when Canadians want action. Could this be made any clearer?
Btw, would you suggest Harper has any scruples about where and when he bad-mouths people…other elected M.P.’s or anyone who seems to disagree with him?
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
————————————
Leasa, I agree with you, because (at least from my point of view) we are each other’s equals and opposites — we give each other as good as we get, and we are much better individuals for it.
We choose to disagree on different subjects, but if you want to swear (as I have done), go ahead. No skin off my nose!
Maybe this is one of the reasons that snowbirds from here are flocking down there? (Along with an even-strength dollar).
People take on more and more debt, but for what? Sooner or later, it must be paid back.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/152921.html
Garth,
Let’s start talking about the next election. I want to know if the Libs will take the high road on Election Promises, obviously not enacted with the Accountability Act. Hell hardly anything in that act has been by the Cons.
So how about getting the Libs to say/promise they will not do the usual of Campaigning on the Left and then Governing on the Right, it’s getting really boring. Give me a reason to vote.
Do something different like taking the AAct and actually doing something with it, it’s been forgotten. The most important issue to Canadians right now, this minute and in the future is Campaign Promises and pledging with their signature on them. Do it or get out of the way.
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport.
David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
David, I could not disagree more with your position. Every Canadian citizen, especially elected officials like MP’s, have the right to criticize the ruling government and the Prime Minister whenever we feel that the policies the government are flawed. THAT is what freedom is all about….it’s NOT about trying to muzzle your opposition as you suggest. You obviously must be a big fan of fascist states. Thank God Canada is not yet one of them.
Yup – Baird needs to follow Stephane Dion: Baird buys a dog, names it Kyoto, says “we are going to make mega bucks”, and calls it a day.
Who is in Stephane Dion’s back pocket? Maurice Strong? Why isn’t Stephane Dion talking about the immediate problems – like water, land, and air pollutions? What’s he afraid of?
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Dear David Halfkenny,
I’d agree with you IF Dion was at the conference as part of an official delegation, but we all know that Dion paid his own way to Bali as an average Canadian Citizen who is concerned enough about global climate change to travel to Bali to lend his lone voice, and whatever influence he he has, in order to stand up for the world on this vitally important issue.
People at the conference naturally recognized him from his official leadership position at the ‘environment summit’ in Montreal in 2005 and invited and welcomed his input.
For you to say that a Canadian Citizen cannot go to Bali on his own dime and speak his mind REEKS of the ARROGANCE and assumed ENTITLEMENT of respect of the man you attempt to defend Mr. Halfkenny… STEPHEN HARPER.
How about the Stephen Harper showing a little respect for the Office of the PM?
That would be nice for a change.
And speaking of change… on election day VOTE FOR CHANGE
Sincerely,
MB
And you wonder why you have to beg for respect!
Not nice, Leasa, not nice.
By Gord on 12.15.07 7:00 pm
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
Good morning Leasa
I see you are still using “change the subject” as your partisan methodology.(I always live in hope that
people can see themselves as others see them)
I believe Gord was commenting on your inability to defend your positions.
What relationship does God’s comments re misinterpreting numbers have to do
with the vocabulary used by men?
Leasa, it would be beneficial if you were to go back and read your non-responses to others comments,
respond to the matter under discussion and you might possibly earn the respect of others.
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
David – then you should also be embarrased by Harper & his Ministers who go abroad and, almost without fail, in their speeches blame the former Liberals.
When former Liberal & Consdervative leaders spoke at international conferences I do not recall them constantly blaming the former govt. in power. But this CRAP govt. does it all the time. And no, don’t ask me to review all those past speeches reported in the papers. You’re not interested because you only read/see what you want to see.
So when the loud mouth does not come clean as to why he tried to scuttle the conference like they scuttle committees with PMSH’s play book, perhaps 250K names should be sent to Ottawa asking for the loud mounth to resign if not let’s go for 500K English and then send it in French and get another 500K. Perhaps then and only then will they get the message….our children and grandchildren deserve no less than a good fight from their parents and grandparents for the thier future.
By David Bakody on 12.15.07 9:26 pm
The time has come to cut back on those Timmies David. You are getting awful hyper. Watch the blood pressure. Just a suggestion, go for your walks Davy but walk right by Timmies. Those friends of yours at Timmies only laugh at you anyway. Me thinks I know who the loud mouth is.
Well, looks like the progress-haters have won again.
Instead of gathering public support for clear and bold legislation that addresses the climate crisis head on, the CPC and the MSM are framing conservative weakness, cowardice and inability to act as “compromise.”
Was Mr. Baird’s behaviour in Bali a show of strength? Or has he helped hobble the rest of the world from moving forward?
How much money and how many announcements are forthcoming from a political party that believes it can buy a Canadian majority?
Now that the conservatives have embarrassed themselves again on the international stage and since the climate crisis is moving back into the mainstream consciousness, we must maintain the pressure on our politicians, particularly those that support obstructionism framed as compromise. We need to somehow force a choice between progress action and constant conservative obstruction.
Enough O.b.s.t.r.u.c.t.i.o.n.p.a.l.o.o.z.a.
I want A.c.t.i.o.n.
-R
By Charles Oxley on 12.16.07 12:54 am
Thanks Charles! You get my point! Actually, in our house you will very seldom here a swear word. I simply repeated what the ‘boys’ on the board had said, and Gordie went ballistic. Too funny. Stay safe & warm this blustery day! L
By Geminesse on 12.16.07 6:07 am
Morning Geminesse, You should go back and read my posts, because if that’s what you really think is going on with Gordie, ya must have missed a paragraph or five. Further to your comment, I really don’t have to ‘fish’ for respect. I’ve always felt respected, I am treated with respect, but there are just some people were I to ‘have’ their respect, I think I’d have to worry. So, no…it’s all good. As for being ‘non-responsive’, with that comment I KNOW you don’t read my posts, or is it, you just don’t like the response?
Anyway, as I said to Charles, do stay warm and safe on this most wintry day.
Best Holiday Wishes to All! Leasa
We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Defending us; (U.S.), from the Taliban? No Taliban ever told me that I could go freeze in the dark, or referred to the people from my region as bums scum and Maritimers.
For a guy who claims to be non-partisan, you seem awfully touchy about perceived criticism of Harper or his government.
Bali ended as a bad joke. A joke on those who funded their representatives costs in good faith, only to be scuttled by George et al. George has once again done his duty to the Industrial and Military Complex that installed him as their Shiny Face. Two more years to do whatever they want.
Next time I hope they find someone to represent their interests who not only doesn’t resemble a chimp, but is smarter than one too. There is buying your vote with your own money, (Trudeau) then there is buying your vote with endless currency and credit of dubious value. Enter George and Co.
With either scenario, the Piper always wants to be paid.
Even the Chinese managed to give an impression of wanting to move forward. Nice trick. Seems Comrade Chin is applying the Wisdoms of Confucius.
Keep your eye on the pebble Grasshopper.
Kerry Busse, on.,
Regarding gethermal and climate change.
-The cost of oil and gas is going up for sure! We’ll be all out ar pressent rates of projected world growth in about 2050-2060. (Just when Harpers clean air act starts. How is he really working for?)
-geothermal also double as am air conditioner and water preheater.
- NO CO2 produced from geothermal, as long as the electricity to run the pumps and fans is CO2 free, like wind if its blowing or solar if it’s out. Nuclear CANDU electrical power is safe and reliable on demand power.
-Geothermal works best if your building is well insulated in the first place.
Building codes need to require all new buildings to be better insulated, good fresh air exchangers, and geothermal to start with. The cost would only represent a fraction of the total building cost. The building would be usable after oil and gas is gone.
As you say goetheremal does pay for its self (you said 8-10years at persent oil and gas cost. It’s going up and will be all out soon.)
-Higher energy cost is not ‘nice’ at anytime.
Global climate change is worse and if we don’t stop it NOW, it’ll be apocalipic.
There is nothing good about cliamte change!
Are you informed? Are you a critical thinker?
Do you care about other human beings on this only planet we have?
What kind of polluted, over populated, over heated, energy depleted, food and water poor world are we making for your
on family and other future people?
What are you doing to help?
Do you even vote? Are you running for office? Why not? You couldent be any worse that Harper and his gang.
What are the governments planing to help us all stop climate change and deal will it and peak-oil and gas?
What are there plans for the common long term good? The corperations are not hear to help us. They are hear to maximize short term profit. The Government is supose to be working for the common long term good. Unless they are being corrupted be lobbies and cash payments in secret. How is Harper looking out for, oil and gas corporation? He doesn’t even care about his own kids future on this planet, do you think he care about your family.
Think globaly and act locally as you can.
Harper and Baird only move when the Bush administration moves, not when Canadians want action. Could this be made any clearer?
By Pat. G. on 12.15.07 11:43 pm
So they are supposed to sacrifice Canadian jobs to the American competition who don’t have such strict emission controls on their businesses? May I remind you that 80% of our trade is done with the US. Even the Liberals had concerns.
By Leasa on 12.16.07 9:26 am
This is the last post that I will make to you, it is so obvious that you only listen to yourself. It is so easy to locate posts that you have made that change or ignore the subject and refuse to directly answer a question.
e.g
Hi Leasa,
I’m also curious… if you can tell us:
a) whether emissions have gone up or down since your dear leader has been in office
b) and by how much they have gone up or down And I mean the hard numbers, not ‘aspirational’ targets by 2050.
Got an answer? Never answered By Frank Frink on 12.07.07 12:53 pm
be sure and note the date on Frank’s post as I recall him asking you to respond many times subsequent to that post.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and an enlightening New Year.
Buddy, Dion was INVITED to the conference. He was invited because he is a LEADER, a person who has the ability to bring people TOGETHER, to work for a common goal.
The complete and total opposite of our current PM.
Your blind faith to the fool harper does nothing for this great country. He needs a swift boot out of office ASAP. For all our sakes.
I just got your scribble in the mail Garth Thanks and happy holidays.
By SJ on 12.15.07 10:38 pm
You could of fooled me SJ. Now, please tell me who invited Mr Dion to the conference in Bali? I await your reply.
After this past week in Bali, can there be any doubt that PMSH is running Canada as a vassal state to George Bush?
To Greg from Ontario
You missed the point. I will repeat it for your benefit. When you are in another country you do not speak ill of your country or your leaders and show respect. Having had the benefit to represent Canada abroad I take great pride in my country. Therefore, I do not need lessons on the subject.
To KPN Ontario
I read several papers everyday. These are not my words only my observations. Dion has openly made several comments critizing the goverment in Bali. I have read where Baird had responded once. It is difficult for Baird to make comments while at the same time not attend press briefings. I think it is you who only want to say to others what you believe. In this case you are off base and your comments are false.
Gee Garth
I never thought my little comment would raise so much ire with some of your bloggers. I thought I was being a patriot. I hve served my country for approximately 44 years and take my citizenship very serious. Therfore, I do not need any lessons from the persons who are supporting their political view under the guise of protecting the environment. It appears to me the environment is the new front the Liberals hope to fight the next election. The canadian public is wiser than this. Just go back to the redbook #1 and #2.
Hi Leasa,
I’m also curious… if you can tell us:
a) whether emissions have gone up or down since your dear leader has been in office
b) and by how much they have gone up or down And I mean the hard numbers, not ‘aspirational’ targets by 2050.
Got an answer? Never answered By Frank Frink on 12.07.07 12:53 pm
be sure and note the date on Frank’s post as I recall him asking you to respond many times subsequent to that post.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and an enlightening New Year.
By Geminesse on 12.16.07 11:03 am
Where those the questions he was talking about? Thank you. I believe that the emissions have gone up. Exactly how much, I don’t know. Do you?
You want to know how much they went up from Mr. Harper’s first day in office? HE’S responsible for that? Or, do you want to know how much in the last year? I’ll look around and if I can find any data…I’ll post it to Garth’s blog. Leasa
KPN:
“Should we sacrifice Canadian jobs to the American companies who don’t have such strict emission controls in their business?”
We need a government which can legislate incentives for business to adopt new technologies and which can penalize when changes aren’t made. This was the purpose behind Dion’s carbon budget plan. There are both sticks and carrots in his plan and many businesses who have already changed have found new economic benefits and improved their bottom lines.
Part of our strategy should be to all pull together and help our businesses to lower their emissions. This may mean using some of our federal budget surpluses to help both businesses use new technologies and to help in the transition of employees whose companies still can’t make it. As Dion has said, we should try to advance our technologies so that we can sell them to other countries. Canada has the potential to do this.
Everyone will have to sacrifice but if we don’t do this, what is the solution?
I believe the Americans will be much more amenable to change after the next election. Surely the Americans won’t vote in the Republicans again. The Democrats may be harder to deal with in some ways because they will try to protect jobs but if we can all row in the same boat, maybe we can get to a better place.
We can’t lead from the rear and we certainly can’t influence other nations by being hypocrites. Harper has tried everything he can to drag any progress down. We’ve got to change our government and get on with it. Courage!
By Leasa on 12.16.07 9:26 am
—————————————————
Yes indeed, Leasa. A Merry Christmas and a very Happy ew Year to you and yours!
Cheers! Charles
Personally, I feel it was disgraceful to have the Leader of the Opposition go to a foriegn country and critize the Prime Minister. When you bad mouth the PM you are bad mouthing your country. Where is the loyalty to ones country come in. If I was the Prisident of the USA I would lift Al Gore’s passport. He is similar to Dion when they were in government did absolutely nothing to control emissions. Now they want the world to believe they are our saviours. We have military people deployed fighting and defending our freedom and then we have politians running around the world badmouthing their government. When you are in canada and critize that is fine. Once you leave you have to remember that you are representing canada and that is all the people not the 29% that support Liberals in the polls.
By David Halfkenny on 12.15.07 9:09 pm
Before you jump on me I want to assure you I do not support the Liberals.
The problem with your position is this. Once Harper went onto the international stage and began to criticize the former government he left himself wide open to the opposition using the world stage to criticize him.
Remember that the Conservatives characterized their administration as a “new” government and immediately abandoned the decorum that once characterized traditional Canadian politics.
You should tell your leader that by airing partisan laundry internationally he ensured that he will not be accorded the same level of respect as previous Canadian leaders. There is always a price to pay for ill-conceived change.
Well, apparently I can’t back it up. I have looked and could not find the article where Dion states that he received many emails from people to attend the meetings.
Unless someone else can help me out there, then I am wrong about the invitation.
My statement, however, is quite correct.
Dion is a bridge builder, harper on the other hand is a bridge burner.
To Greg from Ontario
You missed the point. I will repeat it for your benefit. When you are in another country you do not speak ill of your country or your leaders and show respect. Having had the benefit to represent Canada abroad I take great pride in my country. Therefore, I do not need lessons on the subject.
By David Halfkenny on 12.16.07 1:27 pm
Mr. Halfkenny, in all likelihood I wouldn’t have responded to your post if it weren’t that you referenced our Military in conjunction with your point about criticizing the CPC performance in Bali.
I don’t see how they are interconnected. Our country’s presence in Afghanistan is one political front, Bali and the environment are another. Separate and apart.
The CPC position represented at Bali on behalf of their limited minority government, does not speak for anywhere close to the majority of Canadians,(according to polls) and therefore is fair ball for criticism in my view. Regardless of where.
The news from Bali strongly indicated that the CPC position was supported by a small minority of countries there as well.
That is my view on the point you clarify as being the focus of your post. Apparently, we don’t agree.
Well, apparently I can’t back it up. I have looked and could not find the article where Dion states that he received many emails from people to attend the meetings.
Unless someone else can help me out there, then I am wrong about the invitation.
My statement, however, is quite correct.
Dion is a bridge builder, harper on the other hand is a bridge burner.
By SJ on 12.16.07 5:21 pm
Actually SJ I think he invited himself, that is why you can’t find anything. I would also bet he didn’t pay his own way. At least Harper doesn’t go to foreign countries without arranging ahead of time or being invited. Actually all Dion did in Bali was associate with the Waco rentals trying to look like a teenager.
Maybe, just maybe, you can now understand and appreciate how many of us felt when Harper, in 2003 as Leader of the Official Opposition, set the mould for such upstaging and circumventing of the Canadian Government through his American media dog-and-pony show, meant to shame the government of the day into participating in Iraq. I had never witnessed such base and dishonourable politicking before. One did not see, for example, the Democratic leader criticising his government outside of the American border, and if anyone had the right to criticize, it would be him. That man-of-action posturing may have played well with Harper’s followers, but not to this observer. To a much lesser degree, he repeated it again when he dispatched his MPs south during the Mad Cow outbreak. In terms of degrees of disgrace, I’d say Harper is the clear winner and in my view his actions do not make him a worthy leader.
I personally don’t like this tit-for-tat activity, and look forward to some future date when such nonsense is no longer practised or tolerated. I do not think it will happen unless the Conservatives drop Harper and his vision, then evolve yet again into some less virulent form of Conservatism. Until that day, toxicity will likely remain the order of the day, an endless stream of “what goes around comes around”.
Here’s the article with the invites noted for Dion to attend at Bali. Also an explanation that Dion felt it was for the Liberal Party to pay his way rather than to accept the money from the environmental groups.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=135875
Here’s the article with the invites noted for Dion to attend at Bali. Also an explanation that Dion felt it was for the Liberal Party to pay his way rather than to accept the money from the environmental groups.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=135875
By Deb Prothero on 12.16.07 10:54 pm
But Mr. Dion, who chaired the 2005 UN climate change summit in Montreal, said his office has already been flooded by e-mails and phone calls from international politicians, business leaders and environmental organizations, who hope to meet with him at the conference in search of solutions to stop humans from causing global warming.
If the above is what you are referring to I’m sorry but “hoping to see you some where” is not an invitation. Missed the mark Deb,no cigar for you.
You argue with the men, to Catherine you were condescending…it’s like you are patting her on the head and saying, ‘now, now little lady, hush now, the men are talking and it’s way over your head’.
That Gordie darling, is my problem.
Pffffftttt! L
By Leasa on 12.15.07 8:38 pm
Actually Leasa,
since you support that lier, It is obvious that it is WAY over your head.
ANYTHING is come to think of it.
I would rather support a crook than a lier. You know what a crook is up to. You NEVER know with a lier.