One of the greatest challenges to policy makers within the next year is something which is now not even on their radar screens. Sadly, this just underscores what a bubble most politicians inhabit, divorced from the realities of the world outside.
The meltdown in residential real estate values which has gripped the United States, thrown its economy into recession and is now sparking social upheaval as well as a withering banking crisis, is coming here. The reasons are obvious to those who seek them. In the main, they’ve been mentioned here over the last few months, and I boil them down to three unstoppable forces in my current book, Greater Fool.
This story was published today in the Toronto Star. It’s the first mainstream media acknowledgement of the painfully obvious. — Garth
52 comments ↓
The economics news is a troubling reality. My concern is to preserve what wealth we have.
As with most things there are cycles. I believe this cycle will be especially harsh.
For North America to recover we neeed to get some of these jobs back from different parts of the world.
The second part of this problem is the factories and equipment that are now vacant will be so old that we will not have a competitive edge without intense capitalization to catch up.
So the question will be how do we Canada / North America develop a new competitive edge that creates wealth that lifts us out of this?
And so you have spoken true words again. I may not be the sharpest tack in the box but I listen and read. Yesterdays news in the Washington Post is that Harper’s mentor GWB is going to give the lenders 200 Billion well kinda. Now not being smart, me thinks, giving taxpayer money away with a national debt near $10,000,000,000,000 (10 Trillion) spending $12.800,000 million per hour on the winds of war. would seem to qualify as insane? The American public has been told that the worst is yet to come on the sub prime fallout…Repeat, “Worst is yet Come” There is now an automotive crunch as these people and others are walking away from lease vehicles and from all other debt. America has been pre-warned of $4.00 per gal gas, (there gal is 20% smaller than ours) distance is the same form A-B. Jobs are going south with 95,000 last month alone. O/K enough already we are bullet proof because we have Harper/Flaherty/Van Loan/Baird/Prentice…. are you feeling really good now hey? Not me! your vote, your life but it is our children’s future….Think?
Harper Rules,
Turner Drool!!!!!!!!
Once again, you could have role in this if you would stop fleeing the commons every time they called for people to stand and say what they think.
Hey, I stand and speak all the time. Pay attention, drooler. — Garth
November 24, 1992:
“One person, no matter how well-intentioned, cannot accomplish very much,” observed Tory Garth Turner, a former Toronto Sun columnist who was elected MP for Halton-Peel. “I’ve learned the importance of the team. Things get accomplished through the team, not the office of the MP.”
What happened between then and now? Team is no longer important?
I am a strong part of a principled team. Fortunately, I left the mob behind. Your quote is almost 20 years old, and back then Conservatives were called Progressive Conservatives. Today they’re Reformers in drag. — Garth
By cpm on 03.09.08 9:12 am
Now if when any opposition member stands and asks a question (I am sure you must have watched sometimes as you are so well informed) Why do they not answer the question? and why more than often does the person to which the question asked have some other conservative clown answer it for then? just wondering.
Today they’re Reformers in drag. — Garth
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t the Reform Party founded to oppose Mulroney’s P.C.’s?
If so, and today’s CPC are just a bunch of knuckle dragging, redneck Reformers, why are the Liberals going after the CPC on the Mulroney-Schreiber affair?
Pardon my candor, but shouldn’t they then be going after people like you and Scott Brison, who are “Progressive Conservatives”?
Why are your knuckles smoking? — Garth
Hi Garth,
I just want to thank you for championing the cause of Dan McTeague’s Private Members’ Bill. I have no children, but I support this bill, because as a young middle-incomed professional (I’ve passed my CA exams and will be getting the designation in a year or so), I like this bill because it gives me both a tax savings incentive when I have kids of my own, and it also encourages me to invest in my future children’s post-secondary education, an investment that is vital for Canada to remain competitive in our global economy.
It has restored my faith in the role of individual MPs when there are parties that work to allow them to represent the people, not just the party. Clearly Mr. McTeague worked hard to get this through, and now we need to wait and see if the Harper party will squash the will of the parliament, through some ridiculous technicality. In the letter of Parliamentary procedures, this was not a spending initiative, it wasn’t even a tax reducation initiative. It simply changed the allocation of tax, making the contributions deductible, and the whole withdrawals taxable, and so when the Tories whine about how Parliament can’t determine spending policies, it just sounds pathetic.
Anyways, I wouldn’t write this much about an issue unless I felt strongly about it. It’s made me happy to see that Mr. Dion’s Liberal Party is still very much a fiscally responsiblen Liberal Party. But it’s also made me happy to see that a bill like this exactly what Mr. Dion proposed when he ran for the leadership of the party: his three pillar approach of economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and social justice. This bill not only ensures that our middle-class families have great tax reducing inventives, but it also has strong social implications: it gives young individuals who couldn’t go to university because of financial burden a chance to go. The implications of this bill will be long-lasting.
So to conclude, to me, I have seen ugly politics in the last 3 years. But this bill is perfect. It’s the kind of bill that does everything that not only the Liberal Party stands for, but also shows that individual MPs can make a difference.
Thank you once again,
Georg
I want to let you know that, in my opinion, (and probably more than just mine) you are a Precious Gem. Thank you so much for continually becoming your best – it is, really, very rare. There are others as well, like Brent Fullard, who speak and are so
open and honest about things – and educate – and share – and do their utmost to protect – for the beautifully simple reason of CARING. Thank you again. God speed.
Today they’re Reformers in drag. — Garth
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t the Reform Party founded to oppose Mulroney’s P.C.’s?
By T. on 03.09.08 9:47 am
The Manning Reform bunch were populists in the beginning. Could you say that now about the Harper Conservatives? All their elected members are controlled.
What ever happened to the Reform idea member recall?
Most old federal PC’s like myself could never tolerate that and left over time. Most former federal PC’s have held true to their beliefs. They never abandoned their party, their party abandoned them.
I find it curious though this whole question of leadership. Most leaders are recognized as leaders based on merit and performance. So then why do the Harper/Conservatives have a marketing program to try and convince uCanadians that Harper is a leader?
Shouldn’t Canadians be able to see that for ourselves? Not!
Harper is impulsive…Harper is not a leader.
Once again Garth is leading the nabobs of negativity parade. Yes, house prices sometimes get ahead of themselves; sometimes they get behind themselves. Sometimes the herd mentality takes hold and everybody heads for the exit at the same time. This is what Garth is doing…stoking the herd mentality. It is not his job and he should butt out….the market will work to everyones ultimate good. The majority of home owners have the ability to fund their standard of living and their home ownership. This is not the USA.
OK…manufacturing jobs are down but they are down world wide. For example, between 1995-2002 22 million manufacturing jobs were lost globally. China was a big loser; going from 98 million jobs to 83 million in 2002. However, productivity increased considerably with the fewer jobs.
Our Government and manufacturing sector needs to concentrate on what they do well and give it all they got. We can succeed.
This nonsense of selling out to foreigners to the benefit of the few and the detriment of the many has to stop. One has to look no further that the MDA debacle.
Harper and his crowd are rank amateurs in the business of running a country. The business of business is the Govt. and the business of Govt, is business…they work to each others benefit…Where in blazes do they think the money and wealth comes from.
There were people saying exactly the same thing in September, 2005, in the United States. Pity those who listened. — Garth
Care to respond, Garth ..??!!!
Afraid of the electorate? Keep throwing mud
By ANGELO PERSICHILLI – Sun, March 9, 2008
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Persichilli_Angelo/2008/03/09/4952301-sun.php
The Harper government, according to the Liberal leader Stephane Dion, is the worst this country has ever had. According to Dion, the Conservatives have no meaningful economic plan, no credible foreign or environmental policies and no morals.
Now, Dion is accusing the prime minister of criminal actions.
I have but one question for Dion: Why don’t you defeat him?
While it may seem rhetorical in nature, we find the roots of the decadence of Canadian politics in the answer.
If we believe in Dion’s raucous daily rants, this government is not good for Canada, but he is keeping it alive to serve his own political self interest.
All right, some would argue — even this answer is acceptable because that’s what politics is ultimately all about — enlightened self interest.
However, what is offensive is the way this view of politics has been implemented.
Dion is not delaying the election because he needs more time to prepare his policies.
He’s doing it because he needs more mud to throw at the government.
Indeed, politics in Ottawa is no longer about policies, but mudslinging.
These days, every time we think the absolute bottom of bad behaviour has been reached, someone finds a new way to disappoint us and pushes the decorum of the House of Commons even lower.
For over a year now, our dysfunctional Parliament has been screaming to voters to come to its rescue by putting it out of its misery.
But no. We have to wait until Dion has enough mud in his hands to make sure that by the time he’s finished throwing it, everyone will look the same.
By playing the “Brian Mulroney card” the Liberals won back-to-back-to-back majorities, even as they took advantage of Mulroney’s policies (free trade and the GST).
The Grits used the “M” word to provide political cover for the feud between Jean Chretien and Paul Martin for over a decade. Every time civil war broke out inside the Liberal party, Grits resorted to the Mulroney card not to tell Canadians “how good we are,” but “how bad they were.”
After losing the government thanks to their internal bickering, they are now trying, again, to milk the “M” card with the Schreiber-Mulroney affair. Oh, I’m sorry. That was last week. They don’t care about Schreiber anymore. Now they’re exploiting a new case, involving a deceased MP, Chuck Cadman.
Some Liberals tell me: “We want to vindicate ourselves for what the Conservatives did to us when in government.”
Sorry. Conservatives and other opposition parties did nothing to the Liberals. The sponsorship scandal was homemade. They handled the money, they leaked information to the media and it was a Liberal government that called the Gomery inquiry. Opposition parties just played along.
To many Liberals, it is now painfully obvious the decision of the Montreal leadership convention to elect Dion was a mistake. Supporters of the new faces in the party such as Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae, are keeping their powder dry, waiting for an election to get rid of Dion. Meanwhile the mud-throwing Liberal leader is hoping to find the right pile of mud to play with.
We do need to know if something improper happened 15 years ago in the Mulroney-Schreiber affair, and what, exactly, Cadman was offered two years ago by the Conservatives to switch his vote.
But we don’t need lectures on morality from the leader of a political party where turncoats fly in on charter flights.
We don’t need lectures from a leader who accuses Prime Minister Stephen Harper of trying to muzzle freedom of speech by resorting to lawsuits, when he did exactly the same thing with Gilles Duceppe, when the Bloc leader in 2005 tried to tie Dion to the sponsorship scandal. (Duceppe, at least, had the guts to apologize.)
We don’t need lectures from a leader who presents a non-confidence motion against the government, but then sends his MPs home to make sure it’s defeated so his leadership is safe.
What we need, Mr. Dion, is not mud, but an election to put to rest this Parliament.
How disappointing it must be for Liberals who thought Dion was a man of ideas and integrity, to watch him turning into just another professional mudslinger.
I do not respond to idiots. You are a worthy exception. — Garth
Today they’re Reformers in drag. — Garth
They wear women’s clothing? Somehow I see Mr. Dion in a dress more so than the CPC men.
There were a lot of good people in the Reform Party. Do you just blanket hate them all or just some?
Please clarify. Leasa
Remorse, actually. I leave the hate for them. — Garth
“Sadly, this just underscores what a bubble most politicians inhabit, divorced from the realities of the world outside.”
That’s the sad reason so many people are choosing to Abstain. Why are they so insulated from real life?
Abstaining only encourages us. VOTE! — Garth
It begins…
By this time next year if you bought a home or built a home at the top of the market…you’re toast.
If you don’t believe it you are not capable of understanding basic econimics…and you are in fact…the greater fool….
And to Micheal who feel Canada is immune. Do you actually read?
How is that dunce cap fitting?
By Glen 11:18AM
I didn’t say we were immune. I said that we are not the USA. Debt to equity ratios in Canadian Real estate are considerably better than the USA and the ability of Canadians to afford mortgage payments is better by a country mile.
I take it as a complement being called a dunce by a moron like you who can’t even spell let alone think…A typical CON.
Garth; I looked at real estate prices in Washington, DC in 2005 and thought they were gastly and did not reflect reality. The American mess comes as no suprise. However, it will work itself out eventually. The question is? how much damage it will cause while doing so. Perhaps they will inflate themselves out of the mess. That would cure a lot of their debt problems but with unimaginable consequences.
This is exactly why we should not be in Afghanistan.
Afghan protesters chant ‘Long live al Qaeda’
Updated Sun. Mar. 9 2008 10:48 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Thousands of Afghan students chanted “Long live al Qaeda,” during a protest aimed at Denmark and the Netherlands.
Protesters accused the two European countries of insults against Islam. Sunday’s protest in Jalalabad was one of at least a half-dozen in Afghanistan, including one in the capital city of Kabul.
The demonstrators burned flags from each country and also shouted “Death to America.”
Jalalabad was where Osama Bin Laden made his last public appearance in late 2001. The eastern city has long been seen as friendly to the al Qaeda leader, who had a major compound south at Tora Bora in the White Mountains.
“We don’t want Dutch and Danish forces in Afghanistan. If our government does not kick them out, we will continue our demonstrations until they leave Afghanistan,” said one protester, university student Qari Ibrahim. “If these forces do not leave, we are prepared to carry out suicide attacks against them.”
Both Denmark and the Netherlands have troops in the NATO security force in Afghanistan. There are 780 Danish troops and 1,650 Dutch troops. U.S. forces are operating in eastern Afghanistan.
A protest happened in Kunar province on Saturday, also in eastern Afghanistan, and in the western city of Herat, where an estimated 5,000 people rallied. There have been earlier protests in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080309/afghan_protests_080309/20080309?hub=TopStories
Mr Garth TurnerMP,
Have you been getting any headway on the garantied annual income idea?
Modern manufacturing takes lots of capital. Robots seem to be replacing many of the lower skilled repetative jobs involved in making stuff. Or they simple move the work to low wage places in other parts of the world.
We are able to make more stuff now than we could ever consume, and with less people needed in the process.
Human beings may not even have the right to know about or personal have protective equipment to protect themself form toxins at work.
The companies may just deal with industial waste products by blowing, poring, dumping them into the sirounding environments, again affecting the working people, there
families, the air, water and food that all living thing including humans need to stay healthy.
Why do people pave over and build on good farm land were we can grow food loacaly? It’s seems like a very bad long term planing, quit a ‘mad’ plan.
Who is looking out for the common good? Why are cemicals being put on the mass market with out checking if there realy safe? Lots of examples, DDT, Fluoride, the hormon mimicing stuff in plasting food and water containers, aspestos, cigerets, tefflon, to name a few.
Why are so many people allowed to make weapons to kill human beings and sell them around the world???
Many are still causing problem long after there are deploys, land mines, agent orange, depeleted uranium weapons,….
We’ve been told for quit some time now that we need to stop uping green house gasses into the atmospere or it will bet very bad. But a few have trying to add confution so they can make profit at the expence of the many.
We have a BIG problem with climate change, peak-oil and global population.
Is the ship/system that hard to turn/change??? Are we and are families all just stuck in this trap???
The ship is headed for the rocks and we are running out of time fast to prevent really bad stuff from happening to the many, or worse.
What kind of world do you want for you and your family grand kids?
What are you doing to trun the ship?
Shame on the cons. playing favourites.
Tory ridings in Quebec getting more handouts
Andrew Mayeda , Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, March 09, 2008
OTTAWA — The Harper government has been channelling a disproportionate amount of economic development money in Quebec into Conservative-held ridings, a Canwest News Service analysis has found.
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions has a mandate to promote “long-term economic development” in Quebec by issuing grants and loans to businesses, non-profit organizations and communities. According to the agency’s governing legislation, it is supposed to give special attention to regions where “slow economic growth is prevalent or where opportunities for productive employment are inadequate.”
Since Feb. 6, 2006, when the minority Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper took power, through the end of September 2007, the agency has funded more than 1,200 projects worth nearly half a billion dollars.
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Font:****During most of that period, the Conservatives held 10 of the 75 federal seats in Quebec, giving them a 13.3 per cent share. However, projects in Conservative ridings received 22 per cent of the agency’s funding, according to an analysis of the agency’s publicly disclosed funding figures and Elections Canada riding data.
(Denis Lebel won the riding of Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean for the Conservatives in a byelection on Sept. 17, two weeks before the end of the period examined by Canwest News Service. The agency has yet to release information on grants and contributions awarded since the end of September.)
Ridings held by the Bloc Quebecois received funding roughly in line with the party’s share of seats in the province. The Bloc held 51, or 68 per cent, of the seats in Quebec over most of the period studied, and Bloc ridings received 69 per cent of the agency’s funding. By contrast, Liberal MPs occupied 13 seats, or 17.3 per cent of the total, but their ridings only received 8.5 per cent of Canada Economic Development’s funding.
On average, each Conservative seat received $10.8 million in economic development money. That is more than one and a half times the average of $6.6 million that Bloc Quebecois ridings have received, and more than three times the $3.2-million average for Liberal ridings.
“There are two stories here. One is the partisan favouritism and the corollary to that is that (the results) suggest this is a pork barrel,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto.
“Why is need so highly correlated with partisan representation? That is the question that is being begged here for any outsider. Which then leads to the second question, what is the purpose of this fund? Is it economic development or is to selectively support constituents of the governing party?”
But Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the minister responsible for the agency, flatly denied taking partisan interests into account when approving projects. Blackburn said he looks at every project before it gets the green light, but he noted the agency’s bureaucrats first evaluate all projects based on specific program criteria.
“Sometimes I say no, but not very frequently. Most of the time their recommendations are accepted,” said the minister, adding that he takes “seriously” his responsibility to spend taxpayers’ money wisely.
The Harper government rode to power roughly two years ago in the wake of the sponsorship scandal, which revealed that a program designed to promote federalism in Quebec funnelled cash to advertising and communications firms connected with the Liberal party. In their campaign platform, Harper’s Conservatives vowed to end “old-style politics” and “replace a culture of entitlement and corruption with a culture of accountability.”
The riding of backbench Conservative MP Luc Harvey has been by far the biggest beneficiary of the agency’s largesse. Harvey’s riding of Louis-Hebert, in the western part of Quebec City, was home to 28 projects that received $69 million in financial assistance.
Harvey won the riding, which has changed hands frequently between the Bloc, Liberals and Conservatives during the last two decades, by only 231 votes in the last election.
But, an official in Harvey’s office argued it is only natural that significant economic development funding flow into the riding, since it is considered one of Quebec City’s industrial and knowledge hubs. Numerous high-tech enterprises and more than a dozen colleges and universities, including Laval University, are located in the riding.
In an interview, Harvey said he occasionally contacts Blackburn directly to promote projects in Louis-Hebert that have applied for funding. But he said that has happened “less than five times.”
“Sometimes, the person in charge of the enterprise doesn’t know which door to use,” said Harvey. “The government is kind of like a big building with (more than) a thousand doors, but only one is good. Sometimes they need someone to say, ‘Hey, it’s door 1,776.’”
The biggest project in Harvey’s riding was an $18-million grant awarded to the National Optics Institute, a non-profit research lab that develops optics and photonics technologies for commercialization.
The institute was briefly dragged into the spotlight last March, when Liberal leader Stephane Dion accused the Conservative government of bullying the institute’s management into cancelling a news conference by Dion at the 190,000-square-foot facility. Government officials denied applying pressure, but an institute spokesman admitted that the lab was being prudent because it was awaiting further funding from the government.
In January, the institute announced it would receive $15 million in funding from Industry Canada.
Canada Economic Development also granted $15 million in 2006 to refurbish Jean Lesage International Airport, which is located in Harvey’s riding, to prepare for this year’s celebrations of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary. Blackburn said the money was part of roughly $46 million allocated to his agency to promote the anniversary.
The Quebec City riding of Quebec, held by Bloc MP Christiane Gagnon, received the second highest amount of funding, at $52 million. The Montreal riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie, occupied by Liberal MP Lucienne Robillard until she resigned in late January, came in third with $27 million.
Besides Harvey’s riding, only two Conservative ridings ranked among the top 20 most well-funded ridings. The riding of Jonquiere-Alma, held by Blackburn, came in 15th place with $10.4 million in funding.
The biggest project in Blackburn’s riding was a grant of $2.3 million to the Aeroport D’Alma. The money was used to extend the airport’s runway by 700 metres, enabling commercial flights to carry more passengers to and from Montreal. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in December with the airport’s president and Alma’s mayor, Blackburn brushed aside questions about the large number of announcements he appeared to be making in his own riding and declared the new infrastructure would “stimulate the economic vitality of the region.”
Meanwhile, the Pontiac riding of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon received $6.3 million in funding, good for 18th place. The largest contribution was a $200,000 loan to Theo Mineault, a manufacturer of doors, windows and kitchen cabinets.
Much of the funding dispensed in Conservative ridings went to local development agencies that in turn distribute the money to companies and community organizations. For example, Canada Economic Development granted $9.7 million to the Reseau des SADC du Quebec, a network of development corporations that says it funds 8,000 businesses and organizations every year in “rural and semi-rural” communities.
A variety of individual companies in Conservative ridings, from tool manufacturers to technology start-ups and specialty-cheese makers, also received funding from the agency, as did a handful of events. For example, the 2007 World Championship of Taekwondo in Louis-Hebert received a grant of $37,500, while a professional rodeo competition called the Festival Western du Pontiac was granted $21,150 in Cannon’s riding.
Canada Economic Development is one of four regional economic-development agencies created in the late 1980s. The other three serve the Atlantic provinces, northern Ontario and Western Canada.
Canwest News Service also analyzed contracts granted by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, which funds economic development in the Maritimes, but found that funding was not as heavily skewed toward Conservative ridings.
The Conservatives held 28 per cent of the seats in the Maritimes for most of the period examined, while Conservative seats received roughly 31 per cent of the agency’s funding.
- With files from Glen McGregor, Ottawa Citizen.
© Canwest News Service 2008
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=bd4105c0-a66d-48f3-8f85-6933fe8a6287&k=26588
ANGELO PERSICHILLI – is a devout conservative and has been on Dion’s back since day one – his opinions are totally biased – in fact, that’s all he writes about – how to trash Dion. He certainly is a limited writer. I don’t pay any heed to what he says.
Now, some reporters think that by abstaining on the vote – the Liberals have put Harper on the hot seat – he has no more agenda. Imagine a leader not having an agenda that lasts more than a few months and can’t count past 5 or 6 – this is not visionary at all.
Martin may have tried to do too much all at once, okay, but Harper can’t come up with more than a few items? This is pathetic.
Leasa – we’ve seen Harper in a dress – he looked pregnant. Your point is really childish and pathetic and obviously you are running out of material.
CPM – your preamble to all your responses is getting tiresome – you can’t think of something else? It has no impact and I suspect you are about 16 because that is a phrase a teeny bopper would use.
Bravo – Mark Warner is now a Liberal. What a great addition to the party. I saw him on Paikin the other night discussing NAFTA – he’s a brilliant man. He didn’t trash and bash but did say he didn’t like how Conservatives of today treat people – and he noted especially Finlay and Brodie and also stated that at a function the other night some Conservatives were rude.
Hi Garth:
The Afghanistan vote is coming up this week.
On Sat Mar8th/A column written by Khorshied Samad the former Kabul bureau chief and television correspondent for Fox News and the wife of the Afghan ambassador to Canada appeared in the Montreal Gazette.This article speaks of how well women and girls are doing in Afghanistan and she makes her case why Canadiann troops should remain there.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/editorial/story.html?id=3badfa11-e88b-42ff-a2ac-ccdea82ce6ea
Now I find this information:Khorshied Samad is the wife of Omer Samad, who is from a criminal band of Jamait-e-Islmai in Afghanistan which is accused of war crimes.
Why is this guy in Canada if he accused of war crimes????
The following 2 links tell a much different story.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77156
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/category/women
How can any reasonable thinking person conclude things are improving or will improve.The GD Taliban is but one problem among many.
By Johnny on 03.09.08 8:22 am
I fully agree. The question, of course, is what the feds are willing to do about it and since, in the U.S. as it is with this current New Con government, both governments are beholden to corporations above all else, I see very little room to change until a change of government takes place.
To that end, what are the options? Protectionist legislation? There is no other way to stop the flow of manufacturing jobs finding their way to asia unless corporations are regulated.
What can I say? All corporations, for profit or otherwise, need to be regulated! Improved environmental standards, fed spending guarantee’s to avoid friendly takeovers with direct federal investment, improved manufacturing standards, improved food and drug standards… the best Harper and Co., beholden to his beloved NCC, Republican friends and U.S. corps in general will ever do, is deregulate. Smaller government… is precisely what we do not need.
Since when did we ever need business dictating government policies? Harper’s government loves to appoint lobbyists on boards and cabinet positions, including unelected party officials and there is still, after more than 2 years, nothing done against this clear smite against democracy.
People should get used to the ideas that firstly, protectionist governments are not only coming in the U.S. and Canada, but they are needed. We should get used to the idea that real estate is grossly inflated and will deflate with a softening economy which will worsen the economic downturn, and we should get used to the idea of higher taxes should this nation run deficits and it will. If Harpers crew can’t find a billion dollar tax break for parents stowing away savings for child education and cry deficits as though a mere billion will do it, something is wrong and what is it? Try all the stupid tax cuts to government revenue in the face of a shrinking GDP. That, folks, is how a government runs deficits and is dummer than dumb.
We need a leader that is loyal to Canada including all of its people without predjudice and appreciates a strong federation, not some U.S. sellout traitor turncoat who answers first and only to U.S. multinationals, the Republicans, Israeli controlled Canadian media and the NCC all rolled into one.
Its time to elect a government with a leader that loves Canada and is willing to serve the people of which the PMO was intended. Thats why this year, I’m donating the limit, $500.00 to the Liberal party of Canada (as well as the Greens) and urge Liberals and undecided’s across the land to support Dion as Dion’s strong suit, the one that trumps all else, is his love for this nation with a strong federalist plan without prejudice and I urge others to do the same.
I’m obviously anyone but Harper. And the NDP… what do I not like about the NDP? Their leadership. There is a void of integrity there and a major flaw in their strategy. The NDP believes their core support will come from the Liberals, not the Greens or Cons. If the NDP wants to be a true leftist party, they had better start acting like one and that means they need to actually oppose the Conservatives on every turn to be truly leftist… but instead, they spend more time campaigning against the liberals!
Does the NDP not know the Liberal party has a leftist content, they oppose their own? Does Layton not know that to truly garner leftist support, they actually have to behave like a leftist party? And how do they do that… try attacking the right at every turn!!!! If you are diametrically opposed, then be diametrically opposed!! And they aren’t. They spend more time attacking the centrist Liberals than they do the right wingnutter Cons. A quick look at their website tells all.
http://www.ndp.ca/page/6238
Earth to NDP land. The ruling party of this nation is the right wing Harper Cons. The NDP strategy should begin and end there!!! Painting the Cons and Libs with the same brush is like saying there is no difference. (yawn) Does the NDP not realize that the average Canadian knows an election cannot be called unless an opposition party believes that they can win an election? It might seem opportunist at first to wait for such a mandate… but its not up to the opposition to foolishly force an unwanted election on blind ambition or even to be seen as waiting for present governing policies to fail first and win an election at the taxpayers expense. Its up to the people to support the opposition by giving them a mandate to go to the polls!
Where is the mandate, the will of the people to have this New Con government replaced? It has to surface in numbers and until lately, I haven’t seen it. Febuary was the first nano’s poll we’ve seen with Dion’s Liberals leading nationally and the latest has them at a dead heat. If this nation really wants change, then lets see it! White hairs, open your wallets! Middle agers, get out the lawn signs! Writers, start the big long list of Harper’s failings and splatter them on every editorial one can find. The rest of you, get active! Get involved! Municipally, provincially, federally in your ridings… every great nation has good leadership. Its top down, true, but its also bottom up. Good leaders follow and good followers lead. (tis why Harper is such a poor leader, by the way) If we want this nation to be the best it can be, we have to become activist pure and simple. Must I tell it like it is, truly, on this Roman holiday?
BE YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER
Oh, and by the way… this real estate inflation… was there a seller of a house amongst us that questioned… “geez, can the guy thats buying my house afford this grossly inflated price?” For those of you that got out at the top, were you your brothers keeper?
I, too, watched Mark Warner on Question Period today.
He decided to support Mr. Rae in his riding after listening to the negative speeches and half-truths used by the usurper who was launched in by Finley and Harper to challenge Rae.
Warner said Finley told him that he was off-message too often and should not be addressing Toronto-riding specific areas of concern.
Warner, rightly, decided not to be another “cookie” cut out of the same old mold as every other Con on Harpers cookie sheet.
Bravo, Mark!!!I love home-made cookies with a little spice tossed in—too bad Harper only like the bland, Copnservative factory-made ones. The ones with flaws get tossed out.
By Leasa on 03.09.08 10:41 am
“They wear women’s clothing? Somehow I see Mr. Dion in a dress more so than the CPC men.”
I don’t think they make dresses in Stevie’s size. Good thing for him his make-up isn’t size dependent.
If you don’t like the CRAP going on, you should have bought gold or silver certicates two years ago.
Sell when the Liberals are back in power. That was easy.
Does the NDP not know the Liberal party has a leftist content, they oppose their own? Does Layton not know that to truly garner leftist support, they actually have to behave like a leftist party? And how do they do that… try attacking the right at every turn!!!! If you are diametrically opposed, then be diametrically opposed!! And they aren’t. They spend more time attacking the centrist Liberals than they do the right wingnutter Cons.
By brain on 03.09.08 1:27 pm
Ok, I can see that like I used to be, you are fooled by the rhetoric put out by the “Dippers”. I will say this once so pay attention.
The NDP are NOT a left wing party.
They are a UNION party. Got it?
They represent ONLY their union members and NOT their ridings. They will always support any legislation that is good for big business because thats where their union members work.
If you have any doubts, just show up at a meeting and watch them in action. They will astound you with how much they kou-tou to the union members.
Evalin Ball is a great bad example.
She was selected by the NDP party BECAUSE she was a union rep.
She won her riding because we could see that she was the least bad choice over a Harperite, and the liberals are in disarray here. (Could not field a reasonable candidate.)
So, don’t be fooled. The NDP is NOT the party of Tommy Douglass.
By Judy on 03.09.08 2:27 pm
This is what I mean. The Conservatives are not bottom up, they are top down as the ‘cookie cutter’ approach reveals.
Dump’em!
Well Micheal…
So, you take it as a compliment being called a dunce by me? I happen to hold two university degrees. I am a graduate of a professional program that many apply….few are accepted. I am a pretty edumacated fella…without ploitical bais to boot. I don’t think it makes a big difference WHO is in power…
You are a dunce. Not that anyone who reads a few books would have to say it but…let’s see who the dunce is in about 18 months.
And yes….the spelling errers were juct for yu Micheal…
So, don’t be fooled. The NDP is NOT the party of Tommy Douglass.
By A.R.Wainwright on 03.09.08 3:38 pm
You are absolutley A R. I’m ashamed to even think that I have voted for the NDP in the past even if it was only provincially. That ended after the shenanigans of Clark when he practically bankrupted the province.
The NDP are cozying up to the Conservative party & that’s no lie. If they weren’t supporting them, Harper would now be a distant memory. Like I said in a previous post, check out their website & tell me that the CONs didn’t help design it for them.
http://www.ndp.ca/page/6238
Just a thought; Is it possible in the voting process in the HOC’s to have the NDP follow the CONS, then the Bloc & the Liberals last? This way, the NDP & the Blocs would vote without knowing whether their vote is needed to prop the Cons. Well, I can dream can’t I?
Their is no way that would I even consider giving Layton my vote. If Layton thinks pimping himself to collect votes will work. He’s dead wrong.
Regards,
I just can’t understand why the Cons let the Liberals rule for more than thirteen years and didn’t do anything about it? Were they just storing up savy to blame someone else while they were trying to figure out how to get their government back in power?
Sorry, I just don’t understand why they complain so much about the liberals and the way the liberals brought this country of ours to where we are today! Is there a problem that I am overlooking? Thanks.
I am concerned that talking about this problem will make it happen sooner rather than later in Canada.
By Glen 5:56 PM
So you are an educated moron but a moron nevertheless. And an ignorant one at that.
Micheal…Ignorant? We shall see. I’m not worried though about my level of understanding. I read…alot….
Good luck though if you have a large mortgage. You will need it.
By Glen 7:36 PM
I don’t know you well enough to call you ignorant or a moron and I apologize
fo such ungentlemanly behaviour. I might add that level of understanding is meaningless. However, level of communication is vital in any human discourse. You should look up the meaning of dunce or dunce cap….you might be suprised. My own experience with these terms is that they are generally the epithets of a bully.
The NDP are NOT a left wing party.
They are a UNION party. Got it? ? – A.R.
I wouldn’t agree with what you’ve said. You’re likey more right about that than I am, at least for what they are in real terms but even with labour, it doesn’t translate into major votes there like it should.
The NDP has had a history with labour and its worked for them provincially with union activists running federally and winning, but federally its a different can of worms. Union members simply have a tendacy to vote Liberal more than NDP unless union acitivists themselves are running and its proven itself where ridings are that have heavy union representation. The Tri-cities and urban voting in general tells all in terms of how union members typically vote, excluding Quebec and Alberta which are both anomalies created by media and/or language/cultural differences.
Call the NDP leftist or labour or whatever one wants in terms of brands or labels but in the end it comes down to platforms, candidates running, history to some extent (voters tend to vote the same way they did last time) which is where the brand and platform comes in and finally, leadership itself as that opposition mug is the one viewers get to live with every other day or week.
The NDP brand can improve if its platform improves and a smart media campaign can sell it well to the public. They can run better candidates, but I can say this of all parties. A small number of ridings just don’t have good candidates from any party to be truthful and this shouldn’t happen, but does typically in some rural ridings.
The NDP has too much to fix, namely Jack and Jack Layton doesn’t think quickly on his feet. His advisers often know more than he does at times, its shows and so if its not Jack, then who? No other names come to mind but they need one and I’m relatively certain the NDP doesn’t disagree, and I don’t wanna sound like Harry S who goes on about leadership 10 times a day, so…
The most the NDP can hope for is a balance of power. Its not like the NDP doesn’t have some good stands some of the time… and thats if anyone likes minority governments and a Liberal minority government is likely, works well with me, but unless the NDP has got a superior candidate running, I wouldn’t vote for them blindly. If it comes down candidates that are evenly matched between the two, I’d go with the Liberal brand hands down in a bid to oust Harper.
As far as the Greens go, again, their weakness is also candidates. Its too soon to say yet, but the Greens have weaknesses there. High national numbers will come down overall as voters get a chance to size up the candidates and its then that Green numbers will go to the other parties. Where they go… I’d like to see the Greens get a few seats. Even Elizabeth by herself. We need her voice in the debates.
Like, I could tell you to go f**k yourself, and no one would care! But, I don’t, because that would be ’smutty’ and it would upset you. ON the other hand…maybe you should consider yourself told? Take your pick. LOL
Profoundly speaking, Leasa
By Leasa on 03.09.08 4:41 pm
This time the Hyper Partisan Queen rides touting her smuttiness and with her foul mouth clearly on display.
The real foul-mouthed Leasa shows up again. Such an outburst simply because I pointed out you were toeing the party line. You obviously know the party line all too well and your knowledge of the party talking points is suspiciously current.
Am I upset? Hardly. On the contrary I rather enjoy watching you make a fool of yourself. The more you keep your true colors highly visible, the better. This tends to erode your credibility even more.
You can call me anything you like if you insist on repeatedly degrading yourself and damaging the illusion that you really are a nice person.
Interesting that you should bring up “smutty” again since, as far as I can determine, you are the only one on this blog who cheapens herself by making overt sexual overtures with lewd reference to the male genitalia. Many others, both male and female, have used the expression “balls” as the figurative vernacular for intestinal fortitude, something which is quite acceptable in our present society. You, on the other hand, are the only one who chose to cheapen herself by putting her sexuality on public display. Is there something lacking in your upbringing? Or do you have some secret agenda? If so, is your husband in on it?
Not nice, Leasa, not nice.
There were a lot of good people in the Reform Party. Do you just blanket hate them all or just some?
Please clarify. Leasa
Remorse, actually. I leave the hate for them. — Garth
By Leasa on 03.09.08 10:41 am
Hypocrisy, thy name is Leasa. No one is driven by hatred more than you. Have you apologized to the Trudeau family yet?
By Gord on 03.09.08 10:29 pm
Gordie, this is fun! Actually, after reading and considering your responses to me, I have to wonder, do you also support stoning of disobedient women? According to the left (that includes Liberals) I am supposed to be from the party of anal retentive prudes. News flash, Gordie; sexuality is something to celebrate, welcome to this century.
Actually, my husband reads this blog and thinks my exchanges with your are hilarious.
Pucker…relax…pucker…relax. Repeat 10 X per day. Honestly, you’ll feel better.
Actually, my husband reads this blog and thinks my exchanges with your are hilarious.By Leasa on 03.10.08 7:04 am
Your husband may be the only person in the universe who is enjoying your exchanges with Gord. Why not spend your energy and time on something worthwhile, like contacting your friend Helen, and other Conservative MPs who you constantly defend. Tell them people are watching the Brenda Martin file closely.
This stuff between you and Gord is petty and if you want to continue, why not get a room? Or exchange email addresses where you can really go at it. You are wasting space on here.
I have posted many ways to help Brenda..it is in the War on Families. You have the inside track with the Conservative Party–why not do something useful with that?
Harper is impulsive…Harper is not a leader.
By Johnny on 03.09.08 10:16 am
Harper is a manager not a leader. A manager adopts a certain set of rigid principles for his actions. The problem with managers is that they are helpless when an issue arises to which management principles do not apply. You lead to be creative and quick thinking to be a good leader and Harper does not have those qualities.
The Conservatives are not bottom up, they are top down as the ‘cookie cutter’ approach reveals.
By Johnny on 03.09.08 3:48 pm
What surprises me a bit it that populism was dumped when the Reform Party transformed itself into the Canadian Alliance. The new Conservative Party is an anti-populist party.
It is surprising that the old populist Reformers have not been watching what Harper has been saying to figure out that he is radically opposed to any form of populism. I understand that this was the major disagreement between Harper and Manning.
This is what I mean. The Conservatives are not bottom up, they are top down as the ‘cookie cutter’ approach reveals.
By Johnny on 03.09.08 3:48 pm 1
You are in for a rude shock if you think the Liberals are any different.
You are in for a rude shock if you think the Liberals are any different.
By Van on 03.10.08 4:34 pm
You are partly right and partly wrong. The Liberals tend to be more bottom up when in opposition but once in power they become top down.
Micheal,
That makes two like you, I don’t know you well enough to imply that you should be fitted with a dunce cap. I also apologize.
But I am frankly worried for a great number of Canadians and I just think people should be aware of the coming real estate collapse. It is only my opinion, but I am certain this will be the largest bubble in recent memory.
I do not respond to idiots. You are a worthy exception. — Garth
By Harry S on 03.09.08 10:33 am
………………………………….
Then kindly respond instead of just offering your cryptic one-liner blurts.
Harry:
You blame the Liberals and especially Dion for the mud slinging in HoC? I guess you haven’t been around very long, have you.
You say that at the time of Gomery, the Libs. did it all to themselves and “opposition parties just played along”.
Listen, as soon as there was the first inkling of anything wrong, the CPC attack dogs were hurling vindictive accusations against anyone they could for the least reason they could find. The young pups, Peter McKay, Rahim Jaffer, Jason Kenny, John Baird et al snarled accusations daily at all Liberals, as though they were all implicated in the schemes of a handful of Quebec party workers and ad men.
When they knew they could get away, without being sued, with such attacks in the HoC, they sharpened their incisors on anyone at any time during any parliamentary discussion.
The TV attacks on Dion are classic Harper and fiends. Yet you don’t expect Mr. Dion to throw a little mud back over the fence? Get real, Harry, or get gone!
Michael:
“…O.K. …manufacturing jobs are down but they are down world wide”.
Gee, Michael, that’s not what Flaherty says. He says it’s all McGuinty’s fault.
There’s more to critique, but I’m missing the news and it’s my bed time.
It is only my opinion, but I am certain this will be the largest bubble in recent memory.
By Glen on 03.10.08 7:50 pm
Might as well flesh the issue out with current circumstances, trying to keep it short.
Cdns owe as much as Americans while savings are slightly lower and mortgages, (asset over liability), including sub-prime are about equal.
On credit cards and personal loans Cdns are just a few billion short of owing equal to the national debt.
Canada gets most of its revenue from commodities to fuel government. Global consumers are tapped out reducing demand and then prices or the worst case scenario, global conflict.
Housing has already started down but I`m still asking the question, will it be housing or collapsing commodities that will get us.
The American consumer will eventually be in a position to grow their economy while Canada will have to wait for global consumer recovery to return to positive growth.
This is based on what David Dodge said after 9/11. “The Cdn economy will return as the American economy recovers”. This didn`t happen and only global demand for commodities kept us afloat and is currently responsible for our current situation. The same thing will happen again only the global economy has pretty much run out of gas which means it could be as long as 20 years before we see any negligible Cdn growth.
The green budget BC announced is as brown as used hay and smells like it. It is a pre-emptive bank bailout on ABCP which is a big part of global derivative assets of which sub-prime mimics in many areas.
While Sovereign Wealth Funds are bailing out a lot of financial institutions Canada is on it`s own which is why BC consumers are doing the bank bailing.
I tried to emphasize the magnitude of our governments failure to restore international investor confidence (no SWF) so I hope what BC has done lights up a few lights.
What`s your opinion on a change of ad agencies helping?
For more opinion forming global facts visit.
http://www.rgemonitor.com/
Nouriel Roubini;
“Roubini: Based on the events of first week in March we are already close to steps 10 through 12 of my systemic financial meltdown scenario”
Then kindly respond instead of just offering your cryptic one-liner blurts.
By Harry S on 03.10.08 8:26 pm
Garth’s cryptic one-liners make my day! Especially in response to your continued baiting. Everyone needs a straight man, and you are Garth’s.
As much as I hate hearing “I told you so”, I’ve stated several times of late that the crap is about to hit the fan.
Garth has implied as much also, but being in politics he’s sort of obligated to keep such doom and gloom under wraps.
We’re in deep folks. Hold onto you assets, because this one is gonna hurt.
Flaherty had the chance to put some precautionary measures in place and missed the boat.
We need an election so we can get competent people in place to deal with the financial ugliness we are sure to face. The sooner we get it done, the better.
Garth, you said –
Your quote is almost 20 years old, and back then Conservatives were called Progressive Conservatives. Today they’re Reformers in drag. — Garth
Mind if I quote you on that? I love the ring of it. All one needs do is look at how how McKay sold out the PC’s to Harper and the Reform Party to know just how true it really is. How soon some forget, eh?
Hooray for oil rich Alberta and damn the rest of the country. Although there was a point in time that Reformers stood for grain producers, the sentiment remains the same. If people of this mindset had been in control during the second world war, we’d all be saying hail to The Furer.