More indepth, probing political analysis is here.
Day three of the Harper Guys’ big anti-Green Shift campaign, and the carcass couldn’t attract fleas. No media did interviews, shot tape or cared. Lib MPs spent all day imitating talking grease spots. Angry Con bloggers fomented and frothed, and saw their hits leave town. And the governing party was reduced to having a backbencher question his own government about comments I made on TV and running out-of-context words on its comedy web site. I mean, sheesh, get a life.
Actually the wheels seem to be coming off the giant unstoppable, retail political Harper bandwagon. The anti-Dion attacks are getting more over-the-top and less newsworthy. Four-fifths of the cabinet aren’t allowed to speak. Cadman, Julie, the RCMP, gas prices, income trusts, the recession, GM and climate change won’t go away. The Libs haven’t even been voting much lately, unwilling to put this bunch out of its misery just yet. And yet the polls just keep getting worse.
There’s a sense among the Liberal rabble that nothing short of the Second Coming will save the Conservatives. Maybe that’s bravado, but I like the smell.
Word has it Parliament will collapse a day or two short of the sessions’ end next Friday. Word’s also out that a cabinet shuffle will happen almost immediately afterwards as PMSH tries to repair the damage Max blew in the hull. And the word is Mr. Harper will likely prorogue Parliament come September, trading the mid-month return date for something closer to Christmas. After all, he hates Parliament, Question Period and the accountability it brings. He also wants time to hide from the scandals and travails that have plagued his government for weeks.
Meanwhile the moment Stephane Dion has been waiting for, the launch of his plan to heal both the economy and the environment, draws near. In speaking with him in private, I got the sense this is his time. Despite the waverings of some around him, despite the opposition attacks, the scrambling of staff and the impress-me attitude of the media, he’s convinced this is what his leadership is about. If there was a reason a back-of-the-backer emerged in a green burst to claim power, this is it. Destiny may not be the right word in his mind. But it’s not far off.
It has taken a toll on everyone to eschew key votes and keep an undeserving government alive. The trolls are vicious, workers and loyalists dismayed, reporters dismissive, donors turned off and troops restive. Dion knows that, of course, but he has soldiered on to a moment of his choosing. First he wants to tell the nation what his ideas are for a better life. Then he wants to lead us there. Alors, not complicated.
I know some people find this hopelessly naïve. Others, looking across at the Harper Hummer, call it plain suicidal. But I’m starting to think, both are wrong.
Meanwhile I find comfort in one small fact: I’ll be in Ottawa longer than he who tried to cast me out.
200 comments ↓
So, has Giorno come to town yet? Maybe Brodie is going to hang around?
Don’t forget to get a picture of the back of * he who tried to cast you out* as he walks away sulking after another tantrum. It will look good in your memoirs. You can call it *a grease spot in the history of Canada*.
What a loser, thought he could run a country when he can’t even run his own ministers – needs a bush to lean on.
Perhaps Stephane Dion is thinking about this: http://tinyurl.com/29cztp
Apparently, the next line is “Then, fire low.”
Can the press get any worse for the Conservatives?
The wheels are coming off the Conservative Government.
‘The Libs haven’t even been voting much lately, unwilling to put this bunch out of its misery just yet. And yet the polls just keep getting worse.’
The sad part is when these dogbone smokers are gone this blog will loose most of its appeal. Dont put these dogs in the de-compression chamber just yet. The material is still fresh. And I am having a blast. Woof woof. Who knows, maybe some one will drop a dime and call PETA to rescue these inbred mongrels. Hey look! I see the Dim going through his change….
he’s going to heal both the economy and the environment? Why stop there miracle man? Bring on the healin! Hahaha!
hopelessly naïve Garth? no. just.plain.stupid.
BY ESTHER SHAYE ON 06.10.08 10:19 PM:
Yesterday, June 9th was the second day of the mother of all conservative attack ads. One of the prongs of the attack ad campaign was to mobilize a legion of kiddie cons decked out in yellow t shirts tasked to pass out little yellow attack ad cards to unsuspecting fellow Canadians.
Rumour has it that these quasi squeegee kids come kiddie cons are actually – taxpayer dollar paid parliament hill staffers. If in fact this is true, as a taxpayer dollar paid constituency office staffer, I am outraged!!
If this is true (and my sources say it is); then this is exploitation of epic banana republic proportion! Competition for hill staff positions is fierce! At the very least, most of these kids have a BA in political science, countless hours of volunteer activism along with staggering student loans. And that’s just for an entry-level parliamentary assistant position. Legislative assistants (those are the suits with the blackberries) have MA’s, connections and years of “internships” behind them.
All this just for the privilege of standing out on the street handing out attack ad propaganda like modern day Hanoi Hannahs. Shame on Stephen Harper, for his under estimation of the Canadian electorate. Shame on the Conservative bench for your exploitation of staff, intern, and volunteers. Shame on Tom Flanagan, Doug Finley, Ryan Sparrow, and whom ever else that is part of the conbot brain trust that allowed this to happen.
On a person level, I thumb my nose at the cpoc cyber bullies, on the anonymous hate-site that have slung false accusation at the work ethic of this constituency office. And at the same time, my heart goes out to those ill-fated staffers/interns/volunteers forced to grovel in the street in an act of conbot desperation. Harry! Catherine! Leasa! Janice! Are you folks walking proud tonight? Do you condone tax payers’ dollar paid staff forced to stand out in the street when they should be doing constituency work?
Or maybe you’re just yellow.
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
Esther,
I am in awe.
Very clever of Dion: to choose a moment when party workers, loyalists, donors and troops have all turned their backs to pull the trigger. How do they say … Crazy like a fox.
More Harper tactics:
- Use MPs as pawns, to rattle up reactionary votes, like this move by Poilievre – - part of a greater Harper strategy?
http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=1&STORY_ID=4869&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=7
A quote from the article, “..the onslaught leaves us shell shocked sometimes, and that we spend too much energy pushing back against the haters”
Canadians are very good at pushing back against hate, and we take that job very seriously.
Perhaps Mr. Harper underestimates the fairness and spiritedness of Canadians?
Based on the lead-in pic, I would venture to say that Dion will be naming Garth as Minister of Finance, and you should be overjoyed at having made the front-page of a CRAP report with Dion.
For hell’s sake, don’t pull anuvver dimdumbimbojimbo on us — he WAS one of a kind, but he and CRAP have followed the dodo bird into loonie tunes land! Extinctus Horriblus, non?
“. . . on its comedy web site. I mean, sheesh, get a life. . . . the Harper Hummer, . . . Meanwhile I find comfort in one small fact: I’ll be in Ottawa longer than he who tried to cast me out.”
CRAP has become a worthless, pathetic joke; they are constantly laughed at. harpo’s Hummer? Ain’t no gas in the tank, so t’ain’t goin’ nowhere.
Indeed, revenge is sweeter than honey or wine, so now that’s over with, Libs., Greens, Blok, Rhinos with a smidgen of Dippers have to get us out of an enormous hole CRAP put us in.
To work!
*******************************************
Yet another lumber mill in BC bites the dust, this one in Mackenzie.
The economy is really charging, errr, grinding to a halt out here.
http://tinyurl.com/48ljp7
So, has Giorno come to town yet? Maybe Brodie is going to hang around?
By Out Brodie on 06.10.08 10:50 pm
Can’t wait! This will go down great in Ontario won’t it?
Giorno, Guy – To be Conservative campaign “script-writer”
Former Mike Harris heavyweight helped organize anti-Kyoto front group supported by John Baird in 2002.
OTTAWA, November 19, 2007: Last week the Ottawa weekly newspaper Hill Times reported that Guy Giorno, one of the architects and top commanders of Ontario’s radically right-wing “Common Sense Revolution” government under Mike Harris is writing the campaign script for Stephen Harper’s next election campaign.
Giorno, a corporate lawyer and lobbyist, was one of the hard-liners in the Harris years, along with with prominent Conservatives like Tom Long, Leslie Noble and Deb Hutton. Giorno’s and Hutton’s names came up prominently in the inquiry into the death of Dudley George in Ipperwash, Ontario in 1995 in connection with a native protest that was brutally suppressed by politically-driven police action.
Giorno works with the law firm Fasken Martineu, which says he is “widely recognized as Canada’s leading expert on lobbying legislation and lobbyist registration law” on its website.
In 2002, Toronto’s NOW Magazine reported on a meeting in that city by a what proved to be a short-lived industry front group called the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Environmental Solutions (CCRES). This organization was formed to oppose the Kyoto agreement on climate change. Giorno worked with lobbying firm National Public Relations, which set up the organization. The CCRES folded less than a year later.
“There were speeches by coalition organizers, and a particularly passionate Ontario energy minister, John Baird, made his anti-Kyoto rallying cry,” reported Greenpeace campaigner John Matlow. “Needless to say, the audience was very receptive.” Baird went on to get elected federally and to become Stephen Harper’s environment minister.
Matlow reported that two days later, Giorno exposed his hand “by sending every MPP at Queen’s Park an e-mail suggesting what they might say in op-ed news pieces or letters to their constituents about Kyoto. Then Liberal and NDP members, for whom the missive was obviously not intended, were sent a second e-mail that read, ‘Unfortunately, materials from the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Environmental Solutions were sent to your office in error in a previous e-mail. I do apologize for any inconvenience.’”
YES!!!!!
I helped choose Dion on the fourth ballot because I wanted a return to the grassroots and principled policies. We saw all the Liberal power cabal except the leadership candidates on the left gather round Ignatieff and it appeared the fix was in. So the word spread through the line to choose Dion to get a return to sensible policies, principles and grassroots involvement. I might have started that rumour.
He was our best hope then and he is now. Stephane Dion is understandable. He’s not about power; he’s about principle. That’s what I supported.
Eventually I hope he’s going to get to work on the grassroots part of the puzzle too. Maybe that’s what the summer is about!
I’m happy to see the failure of the Harper’s media machine this week. It sort of imploded on itself.
Splot Sparrow is now my hero! In two planned events, he’s nearly destroyed the credibility of the entire Reform Conservative movement – the invitation only media event at the hotel in Ottawa about the RCMP raid and now Splot!
The Harper Hummer , eh —-sure sounds like an American Republican bandwagon vehicle to me!!!!
This is certainly the image portrayed by this government all right—Big , noisy , shiny & ready to run over anything in it`s path—namely , you & me.
Like the tank in Tiananmen Square in China & the image of the one lone sole standing in defiance , we now have a geeky looking (not unlike myself) bookish professor ready to take on the “New” Conservative party on an issue that to some seems indefensible at times.
This is perhaps the most maligned politician of all time , yet he is still standing & ready to take on the Big Oil Party of Canada on his own if need be—for this my hat is off to the guy—more power to him—any lesser man would have packed it in long ago because they thought the price was to steep to pay.
As an old Progressive Conservative supporter who has lost faith with this “new” crew who in no way represents old time Conservative ideals , I say thanks to Mr Dion for attempting to do what most of us would not—his sacrifice has not gone unnoticed.
Garth , you are not bad either!!
Dr Mike Popovich–former life-long Conservative.
For as much as I would have loved an election earlier, I have to grudgingly admit that Dion was probably right. This is a time for vision, big ideas, and a sound, INTEGRATED plan…something that the Conservatives cannot possibly deliver since they are devoid of creativity, innovation and REAL leadership.
The new Conservative ad campaign is incredibly childish and assumes that all Canadians are incapable of independent thought. The mistake here is to treat all Canadians like hard-core neo-Cons (who actually are not capable of independent thought).
Garth’s correct…the polls are worsening for the Conservatives. They have no answers for the challenges facing Canada. And, when faced with a stark choice between a Conservative or Liberal government after the next election, 44% of Canadians now favour a Liberal government, compared to only 37% who want a Conservative one.
The die is being cast… a hardcore Conservative lump of voters that is not, and will not grow beyond what Harper got in the last election… and a slowly growing preference for the Liberals.
Harry S. will no doubt become more panicked…LMAO. Especially when Dion has a chance throughout the summer to actually talk to Canadians about ideas, about innovation, about social justice, about a real environmental plan…about hope.
One thing noted over the past couple of days, those who supposedly support the CPC also appear to be against any environmental plan and GHG deniers. At least here we appear to have a marked difference between the partys.
Instead of the “Anti-Green Shift” plan you should probably refer to the Cons campaign as the “Anti-Do nothing but tax us” plan, since that what it really is.
Garth and friends………it appears that the more rope M.Dion hangs out the larger the pendulum swings for Harper & Co…..from the latest news it appears it truly is the economy and ???? government interference within the RCMP???? Perhaps our government should rethink taking a summer vacation and work day and night on the new 2 E’s
The Economy and the Environment….our lives very many well depend on them sooner than we think!
Do the Conservatives honestly think that proroguing Parliament – again – is a godd strategy that will endear them to the electorate? In effect, paying MPs a full year salary but not have to show up to the office for work for a large chunk of that time. No, I think voters will see it for what it is: a government who is devoid of plans for long-term governing and has to regroup yet again.
Another bullet for your ammo belt.
Tony Clement is in for a rough ride in Parry Sound Muskoka Due to the fact that we have lost 1200 manufacturing jobs since his arrival. Cottage prices are sliding according to Royal Lapage in the Star yesterday. Lets face it we are in a depression up here. the tourist are off by 35% so far.I was in at Nofrills Monday mourning and got a freezer full of meat that was on for less than 1/2 price and they still had piles of it there.The manager said I have a truck load here now it was a very slow weekend I mean dead.By OPP stats the weekend traffic is down 35%. And were is that snake oil salesman TONY not here but busy at the supreme court condemning drug addicts
harper looks like he lost a lot of weight; stress? fear? trying to get in shape for a campaign? or has his ego just shriveled, a bit allowing his bloated complexion to settle somewhat…
At least we can all smile that history will remark on harper in the same air as bush; in the dying days of the oil era, there were those to stubborn (or perhaps to stupid) to accept the inevitable.
Food for our trolls -
Here is an absolutely great analysis of the political styles and substance of Dion and Harper by an astute journalist, Dan Gardner, in to-day’s Ottawa Citizen: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=7550649a-c316-4445-91a1-dced72474909
Gardner takes the CPC attack ads apart, then zeros in on the “Conservative” approach as “pseudo-populism” – “populism as pose”, in which “every politician but the pseudo-populist is a liar, every expert a fool, every tax unfair. …
“There are no complex problems, no need for nuanced responses. Every prejudice is the golden stuff known as common sense and a scoff blows away the intellectuals, phonies and fat cats. …
“Pseudo-populism assumes that most people are ignorant, selfish and cynical. But rather than regretting this reality and seeking to correct it, the pseudo-populist promotes and exploits it. …”
And the conclusion:
“Stéphane Dion is a bit of a Polyanna. Stephen Harper is Richard Nixon on a bad day.
It will be interesting to see how such polarized visions fare in an election campaign.”
Sheer poetry, as in “What has oft been thought but ne’er so well expressed.”
Off topic, but interesting to some of you, I hope…
Paul Stamets is a mycologist (fungi researcher). During his presentation he presented that we’re more closely related to fungi than any other kingdom. The sequence of microbes on rotting mushrooms are essential to the forests of the world.
A very interesting solution which he developed consisted of infused burlap bags filled with natural material and mycelium. These would then be placed in drainage areas near or on farms to reduce presence of E. coli in runoff.
The research hasn’t ended and now we are seeing treatments for viruses using rare fungi only found in old growth forest.
He’s even using mycelium as pest control which is pretty cool.
Even better he believes generating cellulose from mycelium to create a fuel known as ECONOL
(Check out the Video — http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/258
Which politician talked about perceived health problems and so called green house gases?
How sad is this, that because of lack of volunteers, Meals on Wheels will not be able to afford to deliver to seniors.
Why aren’t the younger generation volunteering at the same rate? Does this generation shirk their community responsibilities, preferring instead to sit in front of a TV or be at their computers instead of being part of the community?
Should there be compulsory classes in civics in high school to counter lack of participation?
Well, well – where are the MSM about our taxpayer monies paying for the staffers for this CRAP – greasy spot stuff???
We’ll have to use environmentally friendly grease spot remover.
“Meanwhile the moment Stephane Dion has been waiting for, the launch of his plan to heal both the economy and the environment, draws near. In speaking with him in private, I got the sense this is his time.”
posted by Garth Turner on 06.10.08 @ 10:39 pm
Wow, Garth, do you guys ever know how to create suspense. This is getting to be as exciting as the introduction of the Chevette. We all know how that turned out.
He’s even using mycelium as pest control which is pretty cool.
Even better he believes generating cellulose from mycelium to create a fuel known as ECONOL
(Check out the Video — http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/258
By Lana on 06.11.08 7:18 am
Thanks for posting this video Lana. Interesting stuff to we who believe in saving the environment. Don’t the Harperites believe the planet is only 5K years old?
You see GArth the lack of media attention just confirm that the Lib left tree hugging media is bias against us.
I suppose we shall have to redouble our efforts and shout twice as hard at the rain. LOL
…they have a need to make fun of Dion….hmmmmm….they should look at themselves:
The minister of spilling
NOAH NEMOY
June 9, 2008
Toronto — Jane Taber (Ottawa Notebook – June 7) alleges that Peter Van Loan spilled water on the Prime Minister due to fatigue. I beg to differ.
I have sat beside Peter Van Loan for a decade at Toronto Argonaut football games, where we are both season-ticket holders, and I have had ketchup, barbecue sauce, gravy, poutine and every soft drink known to man spilled on me.
Could Martha Hall Findlay MP send me a rain poncho, too? Preferably in Argo Blue.
….Peter Van Clutz
An election would have ruined all the fun.
Thanks Dion, you are insightful and honorable.
We still don’t need an election, let’s just enjoy the summer without Harper’s campaign hit bites.
According to Taber in Globe todaty, the carbon tax plan is dead.
Weasel woman strikes again. Fiction-writer of the year. — Garth
You see GArth the lack of media attention just confirm that the Lib left tree hugging media is bias against us.
Yea Stephen Smith – I guess you’d call Chantal Hebert a Lib, Sun Media, CanWest & 3/4 of the MSM all biased in favour of the Libs. Funny how cons are silent when the con media writes articles against the Libs, but when they write articles against the cons, they are all biased in favour of the Libs.
Tory partisanship attains toxic levels
Jun 09, 2008 04:30 AM
Chantal Hébert
OTTAWA — Crafting a bipartisan consensus on the future of the Canadian mission in Kandahar was Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s finest hour this spring. On an issue whose resolution required finesse rather than brute strength, Harper rose to the challenge and obtained the result he sought.
That glimpse into Conservative statesmanship was a glaring exception in a session that saw the government insist on fighting opposition fire with partisan fuel. When Parliament winds down for the summer next week, few of its members will be sorry to leave its toxic environment for a few months.
Since last fall’s Speech from the Throne, the pattern on Parliament Hill has been that the issues that mattered the most have rarely been those that mobilized the energies of the House of Commons.
The decision to go ahead with a second cut to the GST generated a fraction of the fiery debate on the out-of-office business dealings of Brian Mulroney. Yet the decision to sacrifice billions of present and future federal dollars on the altar of Conservative election optics stands to haunt successive federal governments long after the political ghost of the former Tory prime minister has been put to rest.
Overall, the passage of time continued to be unkind to the Harper cabinet. Too often, mediocrity seemed to be its common denominator. But two Conservative ministers would stand out in any lineup. Jim Prentice in the industry portfolio continued to exhibit the same sure hand that tided the government over at Indian affairs over its first year in office.
The widespread approval that greeted the appointment of David Emerson as interim foreign affairs minister was a timely reminder that, so far, he has been worth every penny of political capital that the Prime Minister expended on plucking him out of the Liberal caucus.
When it comes to cabinet miscasting, former foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier was in a class of his own. But in his absence and in a field where there is too much competition for the good of the government and the country, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty takes the top of the spring list of cabinet disappointments.
In lieu of a post-budget campaign, Flaherty needlessly polarized his government’s relations with Queen’s Park.
In the same fashion, House Leader Peter Van Loan has consistently set an overly partisan tone in the Commons.
Among Harper’s ministers, Van Loan suffers from the most acute case of overexposure. Since January, no member of the government except perhaps the Prime Minister has spent as much time on his feet in question period. Over the same period, the image of the government has steadily deteriorated.
On the electoral front, the Conservatives had a roller-coaster year, scoring upset victories in two sets of by-elections, but also enduring the humiliation of having Elections Canada show up at their party headquarters armed with warrants.
This was also the season when Harper’s PMO seemed to lose its sea legs by proving more adept at landing itself in the news than at managing it. Twice, Canada made headlines abroad for the wrong reasons. The Bernier-Couillard affair got the most international attention, but it is the NAFTA-related leak that briefly rocked the campaign of Democrat nominee Barack Obama that could turn out to be the most troublesome.
To make a long story short, its ingredients suggest that the relationship between a Conservative Ottawa and a Democrat White House could be a poisonous mix.
Garth:
Ritz is totally lying about the results regarding the Wheat Board – why doesn’t the Liberal party – or you, put up the actual results for all to see.
Larry Miller is sending out messages about Dion’s election funds – yet, Susan Delacourt has pointed out how many HUGE cheques he’s given out to buy his riding. You should put up his website with a bunch of photos of Miller giving out big cheques of OUR taxpayer money for his people.
I think the caption for the picture above should read “I don’t know who the hell this guy is behind me but do I look like I am ready to lead this country?” I think most reasonable people know the answer.
As usual, pale covers my feelings. I don’t buy any of Dion’s excuses, except he may just be a very stubborn man and believes he can ’see’ a majority sometime next year. He may be right, he may be wrong, but we’ve been let down anyway. “My post yesterday called “Ballz” was my flippant off the cuff response to the Liberals latest non vote in the house, their capitulation to the cons and abandonment of Immigrants to Canada.
Here’s the longer and drawn out explanation……
For the record.
I am not a highly paid adviser, I don’t pretend to read the will of the little guy whilst sitting secluded in an office somewhere crunching numbers and coming up with scenarios on the public sentiment.
I am the little guy, I am here in the trenches looking at the news, and gasping in disbelief at what has been allowed to pass, all because the Liberal party abstains from anything that may force an election.
The reasons the Liberals give are curious. The leadership debt, polls say Canadians don’t want an election now, polls don’t show the Libs making any headway….etc…
Polls show Canadians don’t want an election? Why?
What bizarre reasons for that have they cooked up in the meeting rooms where they slurp coffee and donuts?
Polls show that Canadians trust Harper about as much as they do a used car or snake oil salesman. Polls also show that the Cons numbers haven’t changed much from 2006? Polls…..also show whatever you want them to show.
Here would be my take on it:
The leadership debt: Could be covered easily by party members and MP’s contributing small amounts. It says a lot about their confidence in their own leader that they won’t chip in. Nuff said on that one.
We know that there isn’t a viable alternative. Because the Liberals haven’t even presented a real opposition. Because under Dion the Liberals have abandoned women, immigrants, the environment in every vote thus far. Confidence votes are there so that odious evil legislation is not passed. As it stands right now, it is a de-facto majority for the Cons. Why would anyone think they would do things differently if they formed a Government?
So this is the chicken and the egg, isn’t it? If people have no reason to think the Libs can do better, why should they have the support of the voters? Because they say so? Being in the opposition is an opportunity to represent your constituents and to prove your mettle. But the Liberals seem to think its the other way around, and that people should just accept them on promises and then they can prove themselves later. We just have to believe.
The tooth fairy has more veracity at this time.
The Liberal party site sayz it wants input from us peons. HAH!
Even emails, no matter how politely worded and sincere are never responded to. (Or it’s an insulting form letter response) It tells us all exactly! How much they value opinions that don’t fit in with the party line. Does anyone really feel that the Liberal party gives a flying fuck what the voters want? Truly?
Here is a tip to the Librul party advisers: Listen. “Noble lies” and ramrodding stuff down our throats are what we expect from those guys.
Garth Turner had a great idea last year. Travel, talk, and listen. Explain. Have a conversation. With REAL people!
The Canadian public are the bosses. WHOA! Ya. Those tax dollars and the hiring process called an election mean The. MP’s. are. our. EMPLOYEES.
Yet many Canadians are not involved with this process. Why is that?
Why is apathy growing?
See what is happening in the south with the Obama Campaign? (No I would never suggest that we have the same circus here) But that campaign is being run by volunteers and real people. That is people powered politics, and that is what the Canadian Republicans understand in certain ways. We can see that in the way they play up to the wingnut contingent. (Which, is a smaller segment of the population in Canada than it is in the US.)
We need to feel connected to someone. Trudeau was an Intellectual, but when you look at the energy, and the connection that people felt…..We shall probably not see that kind of excitement again, because there are no politicians who can elicit that response from people. Young people, simply do not care on the whole. Because they don’t feel that anyone cares about them. ( Even just appearing warmer than Harper wouldn’t be a monumental task, for cying out loud)
You may need to talk to the people around the country and respond. Get over it. In the meanwhile, it’s not just me. Many of us think Dion has proven that he isn’t quite up to this job. Despite what some of the apologists are saying even on some of the blogs…….(Ill let you all guess who) And do be aware, that in the beginning I wasn’t at all slamming Dion. I was waiting to form an opinion.
This is all my opinion, made from my observations of the goings on, and from reading and talking to people.
We have no reason to support the Liberals. None. Zip. Zilch. Nadda. Why would anyone want to invest the time and the energy (money) in working for a party that abandons them when they hear the E word?
And, that, is how the real world works.
It takes courage to do the right thing. Will Dion find that courage? I fear at this point, it would be too little too late for Canadian voters. Dion is the leader. And its all egg on his face now.”
http://www.acreativerevolution.ca/node/1030
Off Topic… but…
For those CPC trollies who thought Quebec was “in the bag”…
Ottawa assailed for changes to subsidies
snip
“This is a direct attack on the way we conduct economic development in Quebec and the way it is done intelligently in the world,” Mr. Bachand said yesterday.
Last week, Mr. Bachand compared the federal minister’s decision to the type of pork-barrel politics practised by Quebec premier Maurice Duplessis in the 1950s. “Duplessis would say: ‘Come and see me in my office and I’ll write you a cheque,’ whenever you asked for subsidies,” Mr. Bachand said, suggesting Mr. Blackburn wanted to do the same.
The confrontation got ugly after Mr. Blackburn called the non-profit organizations “local bureaucracies” who sit around a table dreaming about what to offer next. “Then they would send us the bill,” the federal minister said last week.
Yesterday, business leaders responded by accusing Mr. Blackburn of deconstructing an innovative economic strategy. They expressed anger at the contempt being shown by Ottawa toward what they’ve achieved in recent years.
“In 2007, with $1.3-million in federal funds, we were able to attract $180-million in investments in the [Quebec City] region,” said Paul-Arthur Huot, president of Pôle Quebec Chaudère-Appalaches, one of the 58 non-profit economic development organizations in the province whose federal funding has been slashed. ”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.wquebec11/BNStory/National/home
for sale on Ebay….a green cape with a big D on it, never used
think the caption for the picture above should read “I don’t know who the hell this guy is behind me but do I look like I am ready to lead this country?” I think most reasonable people know the answer.
By Brian Wilson on 06.11.08 8:48 am
….ah, save this stuff for the experts – because you just aren’t good at it – this is really pretty bad (dumb bad that is).
…sigh….I guess they do try but are becoming more and more trying….silly little CPC trolls.
that picture is so apropos, now that you have become Dion’s number one fart catcher.
You’d know. — Garth
Wow, Garth, do you guys ever know how to create suspense. This is getting to be as exciting as the introduction of the Chevette. We all know how that turned out.
By Janice on 06.11.08 7:55 am
Judging by the astute skills you have displayed on here, you probably bought one!
Should there be compulsory classes in civics in high school to counter lack of participation?
By canuck on 06.11.08 7:46 am
I think you will find it is the high price opf gasoline that has risen by 44% since Jan 1/2008, under the watchful eye of the CPC, that has present volunteers unable to continue. I might add young people are very interested in getting involved in volunteer activities. They just need some leadership and encouragement, they are more than willing.
Garth, if you don’t want to be quoted then you had better stop talking.
Why on earth would I want that? — Garth
I’m all for the Liberal tax-shifting plan (as it was a Green Party plan to begin with) but I’m skeptical the tax cuts will make it to the general population.
What’s to stop the government from dishing out less than what they take in or nothing at all?
Don’t say “trust us” because we all know how well politicians keep their word once they get drunk on power.
This one is particularly for Leasa. Please note the countries that opposed supporting small farmers.
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/06/10/small-is-bountiful/
Garth,
As the Chinese proverb says ‘I sit on the bank of the river and wait for the body of my enemy to float by!’ I haven’t seen it fail yet.
Pecked: Is that Harper’s Denier cape???
your ‘probing analysis’ link has a nice typo to emphasize their professionalism:
“Liberals Suggest Dion Tax Trick Will Effect Gas Prices”
LOL
Off topic but: Julie takes down another Con. Fortier’s aide forced to quit when it is revealed he dated her while she was tendering for contracts. Conflict of interest??? You bet—Fortier off the hook??? Wanna bet??
Now another CPC member Michael Fortier’s chief ass’t fired!
Dating Julie!
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/11/couillard-cote.html?ref=rss
Link for the latest CPC scandal…
I’m no Nazi, says mom of 7-year-old with swastika
Who are the real Nazis in this story? Seems to me the Manitoba CAS is far worse than the mother and wacko husbands. For those who are unaware, the Swastika is an ancient symbol, but Hitler adopted it for his Third Reich, which, of course, in this knee jerk world of ignorance and arrogance, makes it no longer a historically significant symbol which knowledge can come from, but an evil symbol to be used by those too lazy to grasp its true meaning.
Not saying I support such a blatant display of stupidity, but where is the line between government and freedom of expression in Canada?
The overzealous and ignorant are always looking for evil in others when it is in themselves.
Garth, if you don’t want to be quoted then you had better stop talking.
Why on earth would I want that? — Garth
By Janice on 06.11.08 10:10 am
No, her point is she would like it!
Since you don’t agree with her, your points are not valid, in her own little mind.
Oil prices soar to near $137 a barrel after Energy Department reports falling supplies
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are soaring in response to a government report that the nation’s oil inventories fell more than expected last week.
Light, sweet crude for July delivery is up $4.50 at $135.81 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, prices approached $137.
The Energy Department said oil inventories fell by 4.6 million barrels last week. Analysts had expected a much smaller decline of about 1.4 million barrels.
Good to see the Cons talking about a strategy for the future.
This link is for the CPC supporters, we know how uptight they get when CBC breaks a story:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080610/Couillard_affair_080611/20080611?hub=TopStories
Dion is perfectly qualified to communicate his great Green Plan … and for impact maybe he should use green Kermit the Frog as a puppet prop touting the benefits of his Carbon-Income Tax Shift and it’s ‘revenue neutral’ impact on the Treasury of the country.
Also he should take this opportunity to explain why we desperately need his Green Plan to mitigate our 30% GHG excess over our Kyoto target, as neglectfully provided to us by the Chretien-Martin govt in which he was a minister.
What is most important is that Dion clearly enunciates his short and long term objectives for his Green Plan, and tell Canadians what we must achieve and by when .. like perhaps 2012 when the Kyoto treaty kicks in.
Dion must do the full monty sales pitch to convince Canadians that he is the real thing when it comes to climate change global warming. I hope the Liberals will back up Dion’s cross-Canada Green Plan summer tour with an accompanying knock-out media blitz to bring all Canadians on side for a greening Carbon Tax.
Green is GOOD GOOD GOOD …!!!!
Have you had someone who understands sign language see if your signing somthing rude with your hands yet?
Hey Garth, please mention this to Mr.Dion.
” Federal apology will ring hollow: Labrador Inuit”(Wednesday, June 10th,2008-CBC News)
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/06/11/labrador-apology.html
——————————-
Below is the comment I put in response to this article, and on my own blog…
‘In order for the Labrador Inuit to get healing, the Roman Catholic Church of Canada will need to apologize. Why? Because the Provincial Gov’t under Joey Smallwood gave the Roman Catholic Church permission to open up schools not only in Central Labrador, but also Davis Inlet. Sounds like it’s time to demand Premier Williams set up his own “Truth and Reconcilation Commission”, but on a provincial level!’
Seems the small minds of Conservatives cannot grasp a great plan when they see one. Cut programs and cut taxes is all they know. Ask Mike Harris or his finance minister at the time how well this works.
Dion will triumph, Canadians are ready for a change back to sensible government.
Dion must do the full monty sales pitch to convince Canadians that he is the real thing when it comes to climate change global warming. I hope the Liberals will back up Dion’s cross-Canada Green Plan summer tour with an accompanying knock-out media blitz to bring all Canadians on side for a greening Carbon Tax.
Green is GOOD GOOD GOOD …!!!!
By Harry S on 06.11.08 11:01 am
The CPC is disintegrating so badly before our eyes, Dion needs to just show up! period….the CPC is dying!
Spotted this today:
Charges dropped against soldier over alleged ‘quick draw’
“The Canadian military has abruptly ended court martial proceedings against a soldier from CFB Trenton, Ont., who was charged with playing “quick draw” while serving in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Sterling Strong was charged in 2007 with three counts under the National Defence Act after allegedly refusing to stop playing “quick draw” in his sleeping quarters at the Kandahar airfield.
…The military hasn’t given a reason for why the charges against Strong were dropped.”
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terror/2008/06/11/5840826-cp.html
Playing “quick draw”? What the hell are they? Kindergarteners?
And then my grab-bag mind reminded me of this case.
Dear god. If they are related, they can’t just let this drop.
—–
Canadian soldier’s body on its way home
“The body of a soldier [Kevin Megeney] from Nova Scotia began its trip home from Afghanistan on Wednesday, while investigators continue to probe how his death occurred at Kandahar Airfield.”
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/07/megeney-kandahar.html
—-
A doctor serving in Afghanistan wrote about it without disguising the soldier’s identity and in detail. Completely thoughtless.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/08/5096_canadian_controversy_over_mother_jones_article_of_a_doctors_account_of_cpl_megeneys_death.html
Canadian Controversy Over Mother Jones’ Article of a Doctor’s Account of Cpl. Megeney’s Death: The Editors Respond
“This 7,000 word diary of Dr. Patterson’s time serving at the military hospital at Kandahar Air Field culminates with a scene in which Dr. Patterson (a Canadian) is on call when Canadian Cpl. Kevin Megeney, who’d just been accidentally shot by another soldier in his own tent, was brought in to the ER. Cpl. Megeney arrived unconscious, his pupils fixed and dilated. Dr. Patterson and the other doctors at hand tried to do what they could—including opening his chest with a “clamshell incision”—but the bullet had entered his heart.
“…The controversy started when the The News—a community paper that serves Pictou County, Nova Scotia, where parts of the Megeney family live—reported that George Megeney, Cpl. Megeney’s uncle, was upset that Dr. Patterson described the methods used to try to save his nephew, and did not disguise his identity…”
Go Esther Go!
Keep Garth out of trouble this summer.
Daryn
Garth
Why Dion Won’t Tax Fuel
In order to introduce a green shift one needs to consider how easy is it to substitute cleaner alternatives. Gasoline, diesel, coal fired electricity, heating oil are not easy to substitute.
Gasoline & Diesel
With the volatile price of gasoline at the pump, Canadians will look at their current habits and try to adjust. For urban dwellers this is an easier transition as mass transit exists in our major cities. Rural centres have no transit and rely on vehicle travel to their jobs and to buy groceries. Seniors, most of them on a fixed income are hardest hit by pump prices.
Transport trucks represent a distribution corridor essential to our vast country. Farm equipment, trains, ferries, fishing vessels run on diesel fuel. Diesel, more expensive than regular gas, should be the first policy of any government to develop alternatives. So far, our current government is mute on the subject of diesel.
There is simply no reason to add a further tax to fuel as there is no easy substitute. As the price continues to rise, consumers create the demand for hybrids, electric cars and fuel efficient choices.
I suspect M. Dion will take the 10 cent a litre excise tax and shift that revenue to cut payroll taxes for middle and lower income Canadians.
So how will the federal government replace this revenue?
They will have to create a carbon tax on polluter profits and a green trust. The critical part of a carbon tax is that industry and not the consumer pays for the pollution in the first phase of green shifting. As substitutes become more readily available to households behaviour will change but this will take time: 10 years.
. . . Lets face it we are in a depression up here. . . .
tim pellett, 6:44 am
. . . will not be able to afford to deliver to seniors. Why aren’t the younger generation volunteering . . .
By canuck on 06.11.08 7:46 am
From my view, both excellent posts run simultaneously, as one is a reflection of the other. Other than Sask. and parts of Alta., the rest of the economy is clearly drowning.
With canuck’s post, it is a double-edged sword — not enough young people volunteering because more is being expected of them while at school and post-secondary levels re: “achieving”, plus peer and different societal pressures, etc.; hence, seniors are not able to pay for, and receive good, nutritious meals, which leads to a quicker demise than normal.
Eventually, those who are supposed to take over and run the country’s business, trades, agriculture and politics, plus many other things simply give up in despair, as there is nothing for them to look forward to.
This leads to tim pellet’s post of being in a recession or depression. NAFTA has been a major boon for the US; with the link I gave last night, most of the lumber mills here have now gone for good, as it is not economically viable for companies to keep operating, either at break-even or loss levels.
Were it not for the false economy of the 2010 Winter Olympics, most — if not all of B.C. — would now be in a major downturn, so it remains to be seen what happens after all is said and done with said two-week Olympics.
Those looking for a pronouncement from on high that recession has finally gripped the U.S. economy got the best they could hope for Friday.
“My personal opinion is that the economy is now in a recession,” said Martin Feldstein, president and chief executive of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), in a speech in Boca Raton, Fla.
Feldstein was speaking only for himself, but his comments are as official–and as unpoliticized–as anyone’s likely to get about the state of the economy. NBER, an esteemed non-profit group, is considered by many to be the final word on business cycles in the U.S.
Feldstein predicts the recession will “last longer and be deeper” than the last two recessions earlier this decade. And it could possibly be worse than the 16-month recession of the early 1980s.
The NBER usually won’t even identify a recession until it is over. The group measures peaks and troughs in the business cycle; once it becomes obvious the economy’s growth is no longer trending downward, the group will then label the downturn as a recession.
Morgan Stanley has issued a full recession alert for the US economy, warning of a sharp slowdown in business investment and a “perfect storm” for consumers as the housing slump spreads.
Three-month dollar Libor spreads have jumped by 60 to 80 basis points over the last month. High yield spreads have widened even more significantly. The absolute cost of borrowing is higher than in June.”
“As delinquencies and defaults soar, lenders are tightening credit for commercial, credit card and auto lending, as well as for all mortgage borrowers,” said the report, written by the bank’s chief US economist Dick Berner. He said the foreclosure rate on residential mortgages had reached a 19-year high of 5.59pc in the third quarter while the glut of unsold properties would lead to a 40pc crash in housing construction.
“We think overall housing starts will run below one million units in each of the next two years — a level not seen in the history of the modern data since 1959,” he said.
The partial freeze on subprime mortgage rates announced last week by US treasury secretary Hank Paulson may help cushion the blow for some banks, but it could equally backfire by adding a “risk premium” that drives even more lenders out of the mortgage market.
ke Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers, the bank no longer believes Asia and Europe will come to the rescue as America slows.
It has slashed its 2008 growth forecast for Japan from 1.9pc to 0.9pc, and warned that credit stress will weigh heavily on the eurozone.
Mr Berner said US demand is likely to contract by 1pc each quarter for the first nine months of 2008, but the picture could be far worse if the Federal Reserve fails to slash rates fast enough. It is betting on a quarter point cut this week, with three more cuts by the middle of next year. “We expect the Fed to insure against the worst outcome,” he said.
Morgan Stanley is the first major Wall Street bank to warn that it is may now be too late to stop a recession, though most have shifted to an ultra-cautious stance in recent weeks.
The bank at first treated the August crunch as a “mid-cycle correction”, much like the financial storm after Russia’s default in 1998. But the collapse of the US commercial paper market has now continued for seventeen weeks, suggesting a “fundamental deleveraging of the banking system.”
Mr Berner – known at Morgan Stanley as the “resident bull”- is one of the most closely watched analysts on Wall Street. While he began to turn bearish last April as the credit markets turned nasty, the latest report is written in tones that may is rattle the fast-diminishing band of optimists.
So there you have it . Recession has arrived and isn’t going away any time time soon .
The US gets the sniffles we get pneumonia .
How sad is this, that because of lack of volunteers, Meals on Wheels will not be able to afford to deliver to seniors.
Why aren’t the younger generation volunteering at the same rate? Does this generation shirk their community responsibilities, preferring instead to sit in front of a TV or be at their computers instead of being part of the community?
Should there be compulsory classes in civics in high school to counter lack of participation?
By canuck on 06.11.08 7:46 am
Canuck…I assume you are out there delivering meals? If not why not? Why try to stick it to someone else if you are not volunteering your own time?
BY BILL-MUSKOKA ON 06.11.08 10:54 AM
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=577881
Hi Bill.
I agree with your point; anyone can be a parent, and regardless of suitability or intelligence CFS (Child and Family Services) exists to protect the lives of children, not make character assessments of parents.
However, something about writing racially motivated slogans on the legs of a small child (not just swastikas) and sending them to school that way seems sickening to me, and suggests mental instability of the parent. If the child is with this person they are at risk.As well, that parent is creating risk for the child in the community among his/her peers, at least, nevermind long term effects.
These actions do have an affect of the well being of the child. Evidence of neglect was also present in this case. CFS acted within the regulations of their mandate, and those children’s lives will have improved as a result of this intervention.
By CM on 06.11.08 11:16 am
Personally, I wish such details were standard. Maybe people would lose their video game mentality and Hoorah for war after they see, as I have personally, the real results and horrid perosnal devastation that is war.
Hi there, Garth,
I really hope that Dion has made the right choice about waiting because it seems to me that this is as good a time as any to bring down the Cons–not sure we’ll see another string of scandals and gaffes like in the last few months. And since Harper has set the next election for Oct. 2009 won’t waiting for that date become a stronger and stronger argument for not bringing down the government at all. That would mean almost 4 years of the Cons and possibly a record for a minority government in Canada. Unfortunately, them lasting that long won’t be because they’re able to compromise, but rather because the Liberals haven’t been able to get their act together. Whenever the next election comes, I just hope the Libs can win a minority–I know that most of the caucus is doing their best to make that happen–I just hope that that will be enough.
Good luck, and please remember how much is at stake.
By Lana on 06.11.08 7:18 am
The world of mushrooms is just barely beginning to be explored, but holds great promise particularly within the realm of heavy metal cleanup of contaminated sites.
People have always believed that mushrooms hold very little in the way of nutritional value. But then, people have failed to acknowledge the 40 plus essential minerals needed for human health and survival. Mushrooms, in short, are an important dot to connect for the environment from the human body to the earth sustaining environments as a whole.
Enjoyed your post!
By kpn on 06.11.08 8:39 am
Interesting post, KPN. Perhaps I should send Chantal Hebert an email telling her of Emersons exploitations for self gain from his past provincial positions as an MLA. Emersons stepping down from being a Deputy Treasurer to merge two banks with poor leadership but strong balance sheets for millions in shares was one thing…
But Emersons direct role played in the privatization of the BC crown corp BC gas to Teresen and the directorship Teresen gave him (for shares) after briefly doing the Harper party “in and out” of public to private life, simply does not pass the smell test.
Folks, this one is a bribe, all legal like, and paid in full.
Emersons history of using Government intelligence (he was a researcher for the Economic Council of Canada in the 70’s, had privy knowledge few had with his MLA roles in the 80’s and 90’s) put Emerson in a position to profit for self gain at the tax payers expense.
Emerson has not done this once (the mergers of Pacific and Great Western Banks as a CEO after stepping down from the position of provincial deputy treasurer), twice (as CEO of Canfor in which he issued himself and his directors close to 12% of the companies total market in board member stock options which made him millions more… again, extremes that are almost virutally unparelleled in the corporate world) but three times with his directorship for shares paid for his major role in the selloff of BC gas to Teresen.
In short, David Emerson is a crook and the stuff he’s pulled isn’t legal in any other province except BC to boot, mainly due to the province not experiencing someone like David Emerson before.
I will say this, and its a promise. If David Emerson runs again (and my guess is he won’t, he’s got more directorships for stock options/bribes paid in full to pick up for his “services” in public life), I’ll be emailing every friendly newspaper out west, Vancouver if he runs there or interior media if he runs anywhere else in BC the Cons consider “safe” and explain to the public in full EXACTLY what this so called honorable MP has done to rip off this nation. In other words, I’ve got an axe to grind with a real ugly jagged edge and its going to hurt wherever it hits. If the Harper party thinks this man is electable, they’d better think again because the dirt, believe me, is there and will be there for all to see if he runs for office one more time.
Have a look WILDSWEETORANGE and Garth’s readers. Want to explain the huge price of energy and the carnage in Afghanistan and Iraq? Expose this:-
http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtRfhUezbKLw
By Bill-Muskoka on 06.11.08 10:54 am
The Nazis took a symbol that I believe is a Hindu symbol and reversed it. From what I found out from some Balinee locals was the sign is to ward off evil spirits. The reason I can see the Nazis reversing the sign was to invite evil spirits in. Our guest house in the mountains of Bali had a proper symbol over top of every front door to every room. I took no offence to it seen as it is part of their culture that was stolen from them.
I thought the following on Susan Delacourt’s blog rather amusing.
June 10, 2008
ET … Call Finley
Justin Trudeau, who’s hoping to be the future MP for the Papineau riding in Quebec, is already learning that politicians get weird questions. On his website (thanks to the Montreal Gazette’s Liz Thompson for drawing this to our attention), the oldest son of Pierre Trudeau has a section for questions and answers.
Here’s a recent Q &A.
Q: Even though many doubt that aliens exist, do you feel that any consideration should be give to the idea that extraterrestrials do exist? Mainly in the way of rights and protections should they exist/appear, or do you believe that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms would still cover non-earth humanoids? Is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms inclusive/applicable in such a case? Kimberley
A: First of all, I’m always bemused by the fact that people think that we humans would be interesting enough in the grand scheme of the universe that alien life forms, if they existed, would even be bothered to come visit this little blue-green planet in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy.
However, if they did come, and managed to wend their way through our increasingly dysfunctional immigration system and become Canadians, then yes, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms would apply to them, as it does to all Canadian citizens, regardless of the country (or planet) of their birth. Which is something that the Harper Administration would do well to remember, particularly in regards to Omar Khadr (although for the record, he was born in Toronto).
This little exchange happened before last night’s vote in the Commons, which enshrined the new powers of the minister over immigration.
So I guess the question now is: If a creature came here from outer space and wanted to stay in Canada, would it first have to have a meeting with Diane Finley?
“He was our best hope then and he is now. Stephane Dion is understandable. He’s not about power; he’s about principle. That’s what I supported.” – Deb Prothero
Would this be the same Dion that doesn’t allow his party to vote against policies that they oppose on principle because they are waiting for the right moment so they can get back to power?
If Dion was, as you say, about principle and not power he would have voted against any number of bills that he claims he opposes, instead of continuing to support the government. He is, as is the Liberal party, all about “returning to power”.
While our Finance Minister touts the benefits of our high dollar, Canadians are paying 18% higher for goods in relationship to the U.S. Guess we need a lot more GST cuts, in fact, even if they scrap it altogether, we would still be 13 % higher. But, as long as the oil sector is protected, and big business flourishes, the CPC will be happy.
Please review the link below when deciding to support the Prime Minister in his address to the Native Population today.
Watch the video that appears one hand-span
down the right side. Keep Kleenex handy.
http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/
The US gets the sniffles we get pneumonia.
Men With Hats, 11:47 am
Indeed — timely, relevant and good post.
The US already has a severe cold, leading to flu; we’re next, but most Cdns. don’t even realize it, or what is actually happening on this continent.
Then again, maybe it’s part of the trolls plan to deny the reality of present life down here, in finding other non-essential items to find fault with, so sheeple get caught up with other trivial nonsense.
NAFTA / SPP / Amero / NAU / pre-planned fiscal meltdown, with the US sliding greenback and many other ideas of The Thought Police are close to taking hold.
Canada can’t leave Afghanistan by dealine:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=b2eb7a08-5946-4896-97dc-b531471457a4
Then And Now: Carbon Tax ‘Bad Policy’
Dan Cook – G&M Blogolitics – today at 12:22 PM EDT
Stephane Dion:
2006: “A carbon tax is less effective than a carbon market at reducing emissions. Some of my opponents for the Liberal leadership have suggested that a carbon tax would be the most effective measure to curb climate pollution. This is simply bad policy, for the following reasons:
1. A carbon tax is almost always implemented as a direct tax on fossil fuels. Given the current price of these fuels, however, it is difficult to argue that a further price signal will dampen consumption or shift demand.
2. A carbon tax is a flat tax – it costs each polluter a fixed amount per tonne of emissions. Such a tax will not inflate with a bull market or recede in times of difficulty. In the energy market, in particular, soaring prices make anything but a prohibitively high tax a mere nuisance for large producers.
3. Finally, and most significantly, valuing reductions in emissions equally across all sectors and industries eliminates the potential benefits to be had by maximizing reductions where the cost is lowest. In a carbon market, those areas that produce the least expensive real reductions will experience the highest level of interest and investment, maximizing the level of reductions per dollar spent.”
2008: Dion says Canadians willing to accept carbon tax.
…………………………………………………….
Garth .. I hope that Dion will explain to Canadians why his thinking has changed on a carbon tax by refuting what he said in 2006. What has caused his to change his mind in two short years .. and why are Canadians now willing to accept a carbon tax..???
By Cheryl on 06.11.08 11:55 am
I agree with you, but I think we all need to consider maintaining the line between zealots and genuine need for actions. Note how the MSM reported the event…with the usual selective details that fail to tell the full story, but promotes their agenda. Where is Paul Harvey with ‘The rest of the story’ when we need him? LOL
If I did that in my professional work I would be liable for damages and deemed unacceptable in my profession. Full disclosure is mandated for full integrity and honesty. It is too bad the lawyers don’t have to play by the same rules. Our Courts would move cases through like wildfire compared to the snail’s space they do now. The old saying ‘How can you tell when a lawyer is lieing? Hi/her lips are moving!’ Seems that is the norm for politicians as well. We won’t even talk about used car salespersons.
Seems quite a few have ‘Found their thrill on ‘Blue-Berry’ Julie’s Hill?’ Poor Louis Armstrong would run away from that tune.
Couillard affair trips top Tory aide
Meals on Wheels victim of economics .
Food prices have doubled as has the price of petrol .
Something had to give .
VERY important to read this!
http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/06/05/SlushFund/
Canada Poured Millions into US Timber Biz ‘Slush Fund’
Group sues to find out how recipients of softwood deal’s $450 million were chosen
Prime Minister Harper, Trade Minister David Emerson and B.C. Forest Minister Rich Coleman were among those who took credit in 2006 for ending the softwood lumber dispute with the U.S.
Now it turns out much of the $1 billion the Canadian negotiators relinquished to the U.S. has been used to reward the American lumber industry and other friends of George Bush’s administration. Concerns the money would be used for a slush fund may well have been fulfilled
“We don’t like where the money went,” said Peter Goldman, the director and managing attorney of the Washington Forest Law Center. “I personally would not call it a political slush fund; I’d call it a timber industry slush fund”
He said, Canada’s role disbursing the money could be viewed as a favour to President Bush. “That’s very much part of the Bush administration’s M.O., taking care of your friends in the industry”
Where the money went:
see: http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/06/05/SlushFund/
‘Meritorious initiatives’
The softwood lumber agreement earmarked the money for the CFLI and the Bi-national Council, but it also said $450 million would be spent on “meritorious initiatives” to be identified later by the U.S. in consultation with Canada. Those initiatives were to include “educational and charitable” causes
Instead:
Instead, as part of the deal, the U.S. returned the $5.4 billion it had accumulated in tariffs and interest to Canada. Canada then turned around and sent the $1 billion worth of cheques directly to groups identified by the Bush administration, he said.
‘Money laundering’
“It was very sophisticated money laundering,” Goldman said. “Canada was willing to participate with money laundering. Part of the deal was Canada would help the U.S. launder this money”
Or as the WFLC’s spokeperson Kenan Block put it, “We believe Canada was either a willing or an unwitting partner in creating what’s become a pro-timber industry slush fund in the U.S.”
A spokesperson for MP David Emerson, took questions, but the minister was unavailable.
Nor was B.C. Forest Minister Rich Coleman. Coleman has been under fire from the NDP for his failure to act while the provincial forest industry goes through a downturn, including numerous mill closures. In recent weeks Premier Gordon Campbell pointed to the softwood lumber agreement as one of Coleman’s successes as minister… etc.
Top doctors cost too much: Tories
Jason Fekete and Archie McLean, Calgary Herald and The Edmonton Journal
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
On the heels of approving wage hikes of up to 34 per cent for the cabinet and premier, the Stelmach government said Tuesday it can’t afford to pay senior public health physicians the salaries they’re looking for.
The Alberta Medical Association, which is negotiating a new contract for its doctors with the province, is worried the exit of four senior public health officials will leave a “gap” in care for Albertans.
But, as long as the oil sector is protected, and big business flourishes, the CPC will be happy.
By jwp on 06.11.08 1:04 pm
Opps more bad news for the CPC…Industrial utilization lowest in 15 years…..
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.WBwblogolitics20080611122241/WBStory/WBwblogolitics/
Garth! Here is yet another picture of you standing behind Dion! You look very different without your glasses.
Pets unintended victims of US housing crash .
Family pets are being abandoned at an escalating rate as people walk away from their homes and drop of keys at banks . Leaving the pets to fend for themselves with no food or water they expire in a matter of days .
Some believe it is better for a pet to starve to death than be turned over to an animal shelter for possible
adoption .
Traumatized by losing their homes people give little thought to the vulnerable .
Sad .
Charles, thanks for that article
Final Mackenzie mill closes
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/06/10/bc-mill-closure-mackenzie-canfor.html#socialcomments
“Across B.C. the story is much the same: a drop in the demand for lumber caused by a slowdown in the U.S. housing market has closed dozens of other mills and related forestry operations, leaving more than 10,000 forestry workers without jobs”
~ Hubby recalls that the quick Harper Softwood Lumber Scam, er, deal had a clause that all bets were off if lumber prices fell below a certain amount
~ from 2006:
“a lousy deal, doomed to fail, and Canada has to slap on some kind of export tax anyway if prices fall below $355 per thousand board feet”
ANOTHER CON caught with his zipper down and forced to resign huh?
Dear Ms. Couillard,
We would greatly appreciate it if you would hold your nose and do Flaherty next.
Thank you.
Ben
~Keeping track? 2007 update 2008:
“…perhaps auto manufacturers benefited, but you should ask the Softwood Lumber Industry how NAFTA benefitted them? It didn’t.. (the US is suing Canada over that, again, it turns out a few days ago).
We are at the US’s and its corporations’ whims, here”
BY CHRIS ON 08.17.07 6:41 PM
~May 2008,
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=bfea154a-ddee-4dbc-b371-f920849a841b
Canada blindsided by U.S. law
‘Don’t underestimate’ effect of new legislation on lumber exports, B.C.’s forest minister warns
Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, May 16, 2008
Ottawa is expressing concern to the Bush administration over new American legislation that one B.C. politician called “a poke in the eye” for Canada.
The legislation, a farm bill, contains a last-minute addition on softwood lumber that Canadians fear will wrap lumber exports in red tape.
“It’s a small poke in the eye that we are going to have to deal with,” said B.C. Forests Minister Rich Coleman of the new legislation, which he said likely violates the 2006 softwood lumber treaty. “I don’t underestimate this. We have to watch it.”
It may be virtually veto-proof
“But there may be little that the Bush administration can do. President George W. Bush has said he will veto the farm bill, but because it passed through Congress with an 85-15 Senate majority and a 318-106 majority in the House of Representatives, it may be virtually veto-proof. A 65-per-cent majority is all that is required to override Bush’s veto.”
2006 revisited -
[Editor's note: On August 21, 2006 in Ottawa, the Standing Committee on International Trade heard a U.S. trade lawyer damn the proposed softwood lumber agreement as a terrible deal for Canadians. Elliot J. Feldman of Baker & Hostetler LLP argued that Canada caved at a moment of strength, given that international rulings continued to land firmly on our side.
Instead, "this deal will kill the NAFTA process which has favoured Canada's position, and forfeit at least a billion dollars plus hundreds of millions of dollars more in interest that would have come our way had our negotiators hung tough."
Feldman, who is based in Washington, D.C., offered one more bit of startling analysis, excerpted below.
The deal, he said, will funnel nearly half a billion dollars directly to George Bush's White House, creating a political "slush fund" available to the Republicans and the U.S. timber industry for waging future campaigns.]
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2006/08/29/SlushFund/
By Ben on 06.11.08 2:06 pm
ha ha ha ha ha…
“The bottle went ’round
Like a woman down south
Passed on from hand to hand”
“Elderberry Wine” – Elton John
No slight to ladies or southerners intended.
So, it looks like Julie will go to great lengths to get ahead, and make best use of her ASSets…
Msybe the problem is she spends too much time lying down on the job!
“Poor little Julie”…NOT!!!
By Jim on 06.11.08 1:49 pm
Thanks for opening to door to personal insults on the PM….
It takes courage to do the right thing. Will Dion..
BY MOLLY ON 06.11.08 9:02 AM
Molly,
Mr. Stephane Dion has been showing courage all along. Sometimes courage is quiet, not as fancy as garrish yellow T-shirts and yellow cards of debris in the streets. Sometimes it takes courage to credit courage.
“Impatience kills progress.”
[I just made that one up. You may quote me if you like.]
~Barb E.
Thanks for opening to door to personal insults on the PM….
By jwp on 06.11.08 2:28 pm
Garth kicked that door wide open many months ago.
Thanks for opening to door to personal insults on the PM….
By jwp on 06.11.08 2:28 pm
Oh please. Do you even read this blog? It is defined by comments insulting to the PM.
By Bill-Muskoka on 06.11.08 12:23 pm
and
By Closely Watching on 06.11.08 11:53 am
Can’t let this one go by with out strong agreement and endorsement of the sentiment.
We no longer cultivate “sense of community” in our children, educational institutions, sporting organisations, or similar.
Our culture is “success rewarding”, and win at all costs is what is killing our society, culture and planet. “I’m okay so to hell with the others” cannot be sustained.
Sure, I played “Army” or Cowboys and Indians as a kid, and had a toy gun, and went bang bang you are dead. But without the gore, blood and dramatic visuals, at least this play-acting was not desensitizing, and once old enough to see ‘Nam on TV and understand the guts flying around, and executions on roadside, well, I realized war in any form is not “fun”.
Now, listen to kids describing the latest action flick, or video games and the special effects and graphics. “Wow, I just blew his head off and look at all the blood flying everywhere” is a typical example. Violence has no reality to them.
So, when do parents start actually spending time with their kids instead of having someone else do it? When do our institutions reward participation in sports and events rather than just recognising the “winners”. When are coaches going to bench the good player with the bad attitude and let the kid who just wants to play on the field? When will the parents LET HIM DO IT??!!
We have got to look at where we want our society to go. When we were pioneers opening up this vast land, you had to pay attention to your neighbour, as good relations might make the difference between life and death. Now that “society” provides us with all the safety nets, our “neighbour” holds less importance.
So, less volunteering, more isolation attitudes, less consideration, and more “win at all costs”.
Just to tie into politics, it is the “win at all costs” that makes the CPC such a disgusting and despicable group of a-holes. They epitomize most of what is truly wrong with our society:
- to hell with the oppressed
- to hell with the weak or sick or disadvantaged
- to hell with ethics if I can smear someone else.
- to hell with the environment as making money is all that counts
etc., etc., etc.
Time for change folks, and that change needs to start at the REAL “grassroots”; those grassroots that grow in your own backyards.
By barb the proof-reader on 06.11.08 1:43 pm
Good points. i don’t really think the soft wood lumber deal is responsible for all the mills closing. I think it has more to do with the increase in raw logs being sent out for value added work to be done elsewhere. Are we losing as many tree fallers as we are mills?
Totally off-topic, here, Garth, but I just wanted to publicly thank you, Esther and Helen from your office yesterday for the extremely speedy reply to my e-mail enquiry. It’s good to know that I have an MP as responsive as you.
You have a point Barb, my dear sweet mother who died on Grey Cup day past at 99 always told me: All good things come to those who have the time patience to wait, the older I get the more I understand. The truth is PMSH & Co have neither!
Thanks Barb….
Bring on the election!!!
Garth .. I hope that Dion will explain to Canadians why his thinking has changed on a carbon tax by refuting what he said in 2006. What has caused his to change his mind in two short years .. and why are Canadians now willing to accept a carbon tax..???
By Harry S on 06.11.08 1:28 pm
————
Garth, I think you owe HarryS a response for this relevant question on Dion’s flip-flop on carbon taxes. Your silence will denote your failure to back up your leader. What do you say?
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
Oh please. Do you even read this blog? It is defined by comments insulting to the PM.
By Jim on 06.11.08 2:43 pm
And well deserved I might add….he does lie, is anything but accountable and ethical…..
BY BILL-MUSKOKA ON 06.11.08 1:35 PM
Yes, the story issued by the CP was weak, almost completely without substance/facts. I am surprised the Star ran it, and I speculate they may not quality of journalism.
It is advisable to maintain an awareness of political and business associations and leanings of any media outlet, and factor that in to what is being read.
To add to your point, on the zealots, information credible and otherwise will always be there. I think the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the individual receiving the information to keep their critical minds engaged in what they are choosing to receive.
Have a good afternoon.
Time for change folks, and that change needs to start at the REAL “grassroots”; those grassroots that grow in your own backyards.
By maybe Rhino? on 06.11.08 2:44 pm
My experience with young people has been the exact opposite, I am talking teenagers here, they are considerate, caring and given some direction will be more than willing to give back and then some. Our high schools in Ontario mandate 40 hours of public service, most kids at first find that a lot but once they find a placement, they well exceed that amount usually in one year. I can cite two examples, one 256 hours at the Hospital as a volunteer, another already over 120 hours at a community center and she is only in grade 9.
Teens generally are great, I think we sell them short, I agree we should spend more time with them…
BY BILL-MUSKOKA ON 06.11.08 1:35 PM
Hmmm.
That last post didn’t repeat as I wrote it….I’ll try again…
Yes the story was issued by the CP was weak,almost completely without substance/fact. I am surprised the Star ran it and I speculate the may not subscribe to CNS. That story (despite my opinions of Canwest) suggest a different quality of journalism.
It is advisable to maintain an awareness of political and business associations and leanings of any media outlet,and factor that in to what is being read.
To add to your point, on the zealots, the information credible and otherwise will always be there.I think the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the individual receiving the information to their critical minds engaged in what they are choosing to receive.
Have a good afternoon.
Cheryl
Residential School Apology
I don’t know what others think but Mr. Harper seemed sincere but uncomfortable.
I think that M. Dion gave the best speech I have ever heard him give. It was honest, sincere and he acknowledged the future that we need to reconcile for First Nations, Metis and Inuit. He resisted criticizing the current government and focused on the road forward.
I thought M. Duceppe was very partisan and I was disappointed.
So Mr. Layton was almost touching until he evoked the UN declaration and criticized the government on water and housing. While I agree, an apology should not be about the government but respect for the elders and the suffering of the children of the residential schools.
“I reach out to all Canadians today to reconcile” Chief Fontaine.
So what was the P.M. trying to do by praising Jack Layton? Politics?
I think the caption for the picture above should read “I don’t know who the hell this guy is behind me but do I look like I am ready to lead this country?” I think most reasonable people know the answer.
By Brian Wilson on 06.11.08 8:48 am
Surfs up ! Water head .
BY BILL-MUSKOKA ON 06.11.08 1:35 PM
Hmmm…..Speaking of medium. My post didn’t display as I wrote it. One more try…
Yes, the story issued by the CP was weak, almost completely without substance/facts. I am surprised the Star ran it, and I speculate they may not subscribe to the CNS. The CNS story reflects a different quality of journalism.
It is advisable to maintain an awareness of political and business associations and leanings of any media outlet, and factor that in to what is being read.
To add to your point, on the zealots, information credible and otherwise will always be there. I think the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the individual receiving the information to keep their critical minds engaged in what they are choosing to receive.
Have a good afternoon.
By barb 06.11.08 1:43 pm
Good points. i don’t really think the soft wood lumber deal is..
BY MARC ON 06.11.08 3:10 PM
Thanks Marc,
But point of the above links are that Harper did a phony quick ‘deal’ in 2006 as soon as he got into office… just so he could say “Look at me! I sealed a deal! Aren’t I great?!”
It was malarky, start to finish. It was a very lousy deal for Canada – needlessly leaving a billion of our money – that was owed to us anyway – on the table!
Canada WAS doing well in the negotiations, and could have struck a good deal – after all the work and patience. But it was the Bush/Harper deal that ensured Canada got shafted. Dribbly Mr. Harper jumped onboard with Mr. Bush on a deal that was doomed — it was all over anyway as soon as lumber prices fell to a certain amount, roughly speaking.
And Marc, to add INSULT to injury, not to mention funny business, illegality? ..the money, OUR money, roughly speaking again, as per the above posts, is pointed out by experts to have been literally “laundered” back into the U.S. How about that hot potato?
Oh, and to your point, Canada’s mill workers were never thought about, as per usual. Big corporations SCARE us into supporting them, oh, because of “JOBS”. Yeah right. Ask auto about these deals, too. It’s all to support corporate elite — and that’s my point. THAT should be the lens that we look at everything through. There’s no reason to believe anything Harper and his corporate friends say, on either side of the border. It’s all a pretty good game they play. Cronyism works well for all of them, but not the rest of us schmucks who let it happen.
Too funny!
ANOTHER CON caught with his zipper down and forced to resign huh?
Dear Ms. Couillard,
We would greatly appreciate it if you would hold your nose and do Flaherty next.
Thank you.
Ben
By Ben on 06.11.08 2:06 pm
What a great heartfelt speech by Dion today.It made Harper look like a robot reading a script.
By Lana on 06.11.08 7:18 am
The world of mushrooms is just barely beginning to be explored, but holds great promise particularly within the realm of heavy metal cleanup of contaminated sites.
People have always believed that mushrooms hold very little in the way of nutritional value. But then, people have failed to acknowledge the 40 plus essential minerals needed for human health and survival. Mushrooms, in short, are an important dot to connect for the environment from the human body to the earth sustaining environments as a whole.
Enjoyed your post!
By kpn on 06.11.08 8:39 am
Interesting post, KPN. Perhaps I should send Chantal Hebert an email telling her of Emersons exploitations for self gain from his past provincial positions as an MLA. Emersons stepping down from being a Deputy Treasurer to merge two banks with poor leadership but strong balance sheets for millions in shares was one thing…
But Emersons direct role played in the privatization of the BC crown corp BC gas to Teresen and the directorship Teresen gave him (for shares) after briefly doing the Harper party “in and out” of public to private life, simply does not pass the smell test.
Folks, this one is a bribe, all legal like, and paid in full.
Emersons history of using Government intelligence (he was a researcher for the Economic Council of Canada in the 70’s, had privy knowledge few had with his MLA roles in the 80’s and 90’s) put Emerson in a position to profit for self gain at the tax payers expense.
Emerson has not done this once (the mergers of Pacific and Great Western Banks as a CEO after stepping down from the position of provincial deputy treasurer), twice (as CEO of Canfor in which he issued himself and his directors close to 12% of the companies total market in board member stock options which made him millions more… again, extremes that are almost virutally unparelleled in the corporate world) but three times with his directorship for shares paid for his major role in the selloff of BC gas to Teresen.
In short, David Emerson is a crook and the stuff he’s pulled isn’t legal in any other province except BC to boot, mainly due to the province not experiencing someone like David Emerson before.
I will say this, and its a promise. If David Emerson runs again (and my guess is he won’t, he’s got more directorships for stock options/bribes paid in full to pick up for his “services” in public life), I’ll be emailing every friendly newspaper out west, Vancouver if he runs there or interior media if he runs anywhere else in BC the Cons consider “safe” and explain to the public in full EXACTLY what this so called honorable MP has done to rip off this nation. In other words, I’ve got an axe to grind with a real ugly jagged edge and its going to hurt wherever it hits. If the Harper party thinks this man is electable, they’d better think again because the dirt, believe me, is there and will be there for all to see if he runs for office one more time.
By brain on 06.11.08 12:49 pm
Brain
I was only responding to Lana’s post about mushrooms.
Re Chantal Hebert – I’m not sure to what you’re alluding. I thought her`article was less biased towards`the cons than she usually is. Actually, in the last few weeks, both in print on CBC she, I find, is not totally pro con.
isolation, less consideration, more “win at all costs” makes the CPC such a disgusting and despicable group, they epitomize what is truly wrong?- to hell with the oppressed?- to hell with the weak or sick or disadvantaged?- to hell with ethics if I can smear someone else?- to hell with the environment as making money is all that counts. ?Time for change folks
BY MAYBE RHINO? 06.11.08 2:44 PM
Rhino,
To add to that, in human to human relationships, if you find something is dangerous, you warn the people of your town.
But if Big Business, known as “corporate citizens”, have a dangerous product, they do not warn the rest of us. Not until they are forced to.
We have to stop giving big business the benefit of the doubt – or any breaks. Jobs? Lies. They don’t deserve our trust, nor do ‘their’ politicians. Harper thinks free enterprise includes clearing the path for these corporate hulks. Harper does not know what he’s doing. Or does he? The NCC, or National Citizens Coalition which Harper was president of, and affiliated with since the early 90’s, and who helped him get elected, is simply a front for big business lobby. Go figure.
This is getting embarrasing. Please get the bums thrown out and put us all out of our misery!
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
So when its policy one likes it’s “changing positions – decisions that changing times demand” if its policy one dislikes its a “lie!”
Kerry
What do you say?
BY NOLA 3:45 PM
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand.
— Garth
Yeah, Nola, get with the program.
“Flexibility is mankind’s strength.”
[you may use my newest quote if you like]
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 4:08 pm
Residential School Apology
I don’t know what others think but Mr. Harper seemed sincere but uncomfortable.
…….
So what was the P.M. trying to do by praising Jack Layton? Politics?
……………………………………..
Prime Minister’s apology to the Aboriginals was official and dignified, and had to be on behalf of all Canadians. The apologies of other’s was just their own pov, and were appropriate as follow-up apologies to reinforce what the Prime MInister said.
PM Harper was open and sincere in naming Layton and other members of his government in the preamble to the official apology. Your trying to politicize the apology is despicable and typical of Liberal trolls on this forum .. all to get back to power which is all you covet..!!!
Shame …..!!!!
By kpn on 06.11.08 8:39 am
You betcha. BRING ON THE MUSHROOMS because with this goobernment we have more than enough BULLSHIT to prosper. LOL Interesting comment…Thanks.
A 65-per-cent majority is all that is required to override Bush’s veto.”
By barb the proof-reader on 06.11.08 2:09 pm
Barb,
Actually it is a 2/3 majority which is 67%.
By Bill-Muskoka on 06.11.08 12:23 pm
What I meant by my comments was that the guy who was playing “quick draw” had to be warned several times to stop. Warned? Several times? It’s okay to wave a loaded gun around? I thought it was illegal to have a loaded weapon with you in living quarters.
Then a young man gets shot and later dies. Imagine being the family of this guy man, shot by some yahoo with the brains of a gnat while he was playing games.
Then we have the doctor who writes it all up. I saw him talking about his article and book before all the fuss about it got out. He’s a doctor. The privacy of his patient and the patient’s family was part of his duty. He volunteered to go to Afghanistan for the excitement of it all. Think what THAT would look like on his resumé.
I couldn’t stand him. HE was the one that thought it was just so terribly exciting. He was actually getting off on it, which I found repulsive.
Rick MacInnes-Rae on CBC Disptaches talked about his time as a war correspondent. He found he was getting hardened to what he was seeing. He spoke to a war photographer from one of the Scandanavian countries who was a heroin addict, but only when he wasn’t on assignment. When he was in a war zone, he felt alive, constantly high, and never needed drugs. When he was home, he felt dull and bored, so he turned to drugs.
I suppose some people can get addicted to violence. Maybe the doctor had that problem.
But the last straw was that the young man’s family, not being devastated enough, had to imagine in gory detail what had happened to their relative in the attempt to save his life, and that his name was given without mentioning it to them. Not an ethical move.
And if this is the same case, the charges against the yahoo playing gun games were dropped, with no explanation given.
What the hell is THAT about?
I think the censoring of photographs and video is done so the government is protected. People might actually become disgusted with war otherwise. At least 60% of us already are, but who’s listening?
I agree. People should know the details so they realize what’s really happening, but the dead must have some dignity too.
I’m sorry for the memories you carry with you. I never would have wished it on you either.
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
…..
Thank you for responsing, Garth … but in my posting at: By Harry S on 06.11.08 1:28 pm Dion provided three verbatim quoted reasons why he opposed a Carbon tax. To now say that Dion supports a carbon tax because Canadians purportedly ‘want a carbon tax’, is spurious if not deceptive.
Dion will be criss-crossing Canada to explain his Carbon Tax Shifting Plan … and he will also have to explain why he now supports a carbon tax and his previous position was wrong .. because the three reasons he gives for opposing a carbon tax sound still valid today.
Invoking Mulroney and Chretien is only a straw-man argument …. not worthy of response.
In this instance, Harry, I agree with you: absolutely no room for politicizing the event whatsoever.
I listened to all of the speeches on the radio – no visual distractions from what the words and intonations were saying so the messages were clearly delivered – and thought they were quite good. Harper’s was as decent as one could deliver.
I hadn’t thought too much about it before, but they made me really consider what it would be like to be a parent seeing your child off for months on end, and what it would be like to be a child who, through severely curtailed time spent with his or her own family, essentially would be relegated to becoming a visitor in his or her own home. And that’s just the foundation, even before heaping abuse and cultural cleansing on top of it.
I will say this, and its a promise. If David Emerson runs again (and my guess is he won’t, he’s got more directorships for stock options/bribes paid in full to pick up for his “services” in public life), I’ll be emailing every friendly newspaper out west, Vancouver if he runs there or interior media if he runs anywhere else in BC the Cons consider “safe” and explain to the public in full EXACTLY what this so called honorable MP has done to rip off this nation. In other words, I’ve got an axe to grind with a real ugly jagged edge and its going to hurt wherever it hits. If the Harper party thinks this man is electable, they’d better think again because the dirt, believe me, is there and will be there for all to see if he runs for office one more time.
By brain on 06.11.08 12:49 pm
Brain – you misinterpreted what I said. Agree, Emerson is a ‘turncoat’ & I can’t imagine that people would be so stupid to ever elect him again.
Garth, I think you owe HarryS a response for this relevant question on Dion’s flip-flop on carbon taxes. Your silence will denote your failure to back up your leader. What do you say?
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
By Nola on 06.11.08 3:45 pm
Nola, are you out of your mind, Garth owes this terrorist nothing….he demands answers like Garth is his personal slave and has been doing so for months…he also has threatened the leader of the Opposition with death….and here you are supporting a known terrorist…surely you gest!!!!
By Harry S on 06.11.08 5:01 pm
Oh Harry
I never said the comment was political I just asked a question – I mean seriously other than today everything your fearless leader does in partisan and political – lighten up! I noted his sincerity.
On another topic:
So how many Conservatives do you think Julie nailed?
How Presidential Candidates and Party Leaders, not to mention most high profile politicians, seem to be chosen!
*** Post Turtle
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to presidential candidates bid to be President.
The old rancher said, ‘Well, ya know, they are all a ‘post turtle’.’
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was. The old rancher said, ‘When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle’.’
The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain. ‘You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he is up there, has no idea how to get down, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb a*s put him up there to begin with.’
Shame …..!!!!
By Harry S on 06.11.08 5:01 pm
Here is the pillar of integrity….you are a joke Harry….you of all people!
Shame is your middle name!
BY BILL-MUSKOKA ON 06.11.08 5:04 PM
By barb the proof-reader on 06.11.08 4:45 pm
Interesting, and I agree.
My first job, for a mining country up north, was unionized. My experience was unpleasant enough for me to decide I did not want to work in a unionized environment again. (one warning for working too hard, another for walking too fast, and a third for being too efficient potentially costing older members their jobs…) Due to my experiences in the past 5 years or so, I really wonder if we need another revival of the labour movement – right up to mid level management at the very least.
One thing that is often lost on we poor little worker types, is the power we hold. After all, if the company management cannot produce, they cannot sell and cannot make money. Unfortunately, by politics of fear, they pait one against the other, as we all try to hang on to our jobs to support our families.
So, now the average lower management types, and their staff, are working real 60 hour weeks. Most state they will lose their jobs if they do not. this results in less time for their lives, families, etc. Referring back to my previous posting, the result is passing on parenting to others, typically without civic guidance.
Now, “thanks(??)” to (not)Free Trade and off-shoring, the bastards in the corner offices can simply send our jobs to countries that still use a whip, with workers exploited by the ruling elite.
Somehow, we must lessen the influence of big business on the government we elect that are SUPPOSED TO BE our representatives.
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
So when its policy one likes it’s “changing positions – decisions that changing times demand” if its policy one dislikes its a “lie!”
Kerry
By Kerry on 06.11.08 4:53 pm
Kerry – you seem to be neocon – lost in the last century – like your saviour and his lapdogs who believe the world started 5K years ago and are awaiting the world to soon end. Your living, not in the last century, but in the previous one. Get a life Kerry, life changes and, as much as we who grew up in the 50’s’ & are nostalgic for those times, realize that we’re living in the 21th century. But you neocons are trying to go back to the 20th century re abortion, 19th century penal laws, etc. & you are science deniers. Guess it goes back to your ideology that the world was created 5K years ago.
BTW Kerry – are you from Alberta? Call me ani Alberta and you’re right. They are the Texans of the North – out for themselves. As Klein said years ago, let them (those in eastern CDA) freeze in the dark & as Harper called us ((in the M’times) the ‘defeatists’. What an arrogant bunch they are. Yet, I seem to recall, central Canada helped them out with incentives/subsidies when they had little.
So how many Conservatives do you think Julie nailed?
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 5:41 pm
Hi Bonnie,
I guess this is more your style, you bailed on me on the other thread with regards to Global Warming and I find you over here dishing out the dirt. It becomes you.
Gord.
Harry
Never lecture me again on the Residential School Apology
This is a direct quote from Pierre Poilievre on the Topic on radio today..
(That bigoted pischer)
That gets to the heart of the problem on these reserves where there is too much power concentrated in the hands of the leadership, and it makes you wonder where all of this money is going. We spend $10 billion dollars – $10 billion dollars – in annual spending this year alone … now, that is an exceptional amount of money, and that is on top of all the resource revenue that goes to reserves that sit on petroleum products or sit on uranium mines or other things where companies have to pay them royalties and that’s on top of all that money that they earn on their own reserves. That is an incredible amount of money. Now along with this apology comes another $4 billion in compensation for those who partook in the residential schools over those years. Now, you know, some of us are starting to ask, ‘Are we really getting value for all of this money, and is more money really going to solve the problem?’
My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self reliance. That’s the solution in the long run – more money will not solve it.”
Harry! Catherine! Leasa! Janice! Are you folks walking proud tonight? Do you condone tax payers’ dollar paid staff forced to stand out in the street when they should be doing constituency work?
Or maybe you’re just yellow.
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
ahh! Ester you have learned how to be rude just like your fellow libbers. May I suggest that you get some professional help to overcome your deep anger problem.
Now, Ester, you know that new fellow Libber MPs plan and organize Liberal fund raisers and can’t be bother to show up on vote on behalf of their constituents (of all political stripes). Seems your fellow Libber MPs have some explaining to do.
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
…..
Thank you for responsing, Garth … but in my posting at: By Harry S on 06.11.08 1:28 pm Dion provided three verbatim quoted reasons why he opposed a Carbon tax. To now say that Dion supports a carbon tax because Canadians purportedly ‘want a carbon tax’, is spurious if not deceptive.
Dion will be criss-crossing Canada to explain his Carbon Tax Shifting Plan … and he will also have to explain why he now supports a carbon tax and his previous position was wrong .. because the three reasons he gives for opposing a carbon tax sound still valid today.
Invoking Mulroney and Chretien is only a straw-man argument …. not worthy of response.
By Harry S on 06.11.08 5:27 pm
He didn’t respond to you dipstick, he responded to Nola…you can’t even read!!!
So how many Conservatives do you think Julie nailed?
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 5:41 pm
Short answer. All of them .
Harry! Catherine! Leasa! Janice! Are you folks walking proud tonight? Do you condone tax payers’ dollar paid staff forced to stand out in the street when they should be doing constituency work?
Or maybe you’re just yellow.
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
So Ester, if a known Conservative supporter constituent came into your office – would you lead into one of special “camps”? Or would you act in a professional manner and treat them as a fellow Canadian citizen?
NAFTA / SPP / Amero / NAU / pre-planned fiscal meltdown, with the US sliding greenback and many other ideas of The Thought Police are close to taking hold.
By Charles Oxley on 06.11.08 1:06 pm
Thanks Charles. Agree with all your points .
Thought police indeed .
Gord.
By Gord G. on 06.11.08 6:25 pm
Sure beats the lies you CPC people are throwing around….like Income Trusts. like Liberal political appointments…then of course, your incompetence when it comes to national security….
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
ahh! Ester you have learned how to be rude just like your fellow libbers. May I suggest that you get some professional help to overcome your deep anger problem.
Now, Ester, you know that new fellow Libber MPs plan and organize Liberal fund raisers and can’t be bother to show up on vote on behalf of their constituents (of all political stripes). Seems your fellow Libber MPs have some explaining to do.
By Catherine on 06.11.08 6:38 pm
Just ignore Cathy. She is brain dead .
So Ester, if a known Conservative supporter constituent came into your office – would you lead into one of special “camps”? Or would you act in a professional manner and treat them as a fellow Canadian citizen?
By Catherine on 06.11.08 6:53 pm
Well I doubt she would do as your comrade Harry suggests and bomb them!
Short answer. All of them .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 6:47 pm
Actually that is very profound!
http://tinyurl.com/43wl6z
http://tinyurl.com/454myg
The first link is Cdn., the second US.
On CBC-TV this afternoon, it was announced that Canada will spend $50 mln. (I think) in aid to Af’stan, which is all fine and well.
‘Owzabout spending the same amount on laid-off forestry workers in BC, along with auto workers who have seen their jobs go down the drain in Oshawa?
Then again, WHY is aid to Af’stan being pushed ahead so quickly, when our people have to go through the rigmaroll of EI, when a lot of the EI, and other federal staff were laid off prior to all this happening, seemingly within a very short time frame?
Af’stan was never meant to be a combat mission, so obviously, if someone hadn’t changed it around, there would be no need to spend $XX mln. there.
Sure we could have sent soldiers to help rebuild that nation, but this is entirely dubya’s “War On error” — no one else’s.
So why don’t the “Coalition of the Willing” let the US sort it’s own problems out?
dubya is remembered for being “The Lying War President” — that IS his legacy, and brother, has he earned it.
Phone call Osama bin someone or other!
By Gord G. on 06.11.08 6:25 pm
Gord
I never abandoned you. You never provided your sources.
Still waiting….
Yes, my comment about Julie was a low blow but Harry seems to bring that out in me. I should know better than to answer him.
So what was the P.M. trying to do by praising Jack Layton? Politics?
BY BONNIE N BC ON 06.11.08 4:08 PM
Bonnie, hubby and I noticed the same thing! We’ve said for 2 1/2 years: what motivated Jack to help Harper get that election? Now it seems we might have some hints.
In any event, Jack obviously struck up a mutual dealthey’d make each other look good, but needed full credit.
Harper seemed monotonous, like the sound of someone failing to start a lawnmower over and over. But at that moment, the moment when he thanked Jack Layton.. I have NEVER seen Harper more beaming when he turned to Jack Layton to settle credit. These guys even politicked on this! How low down…
Esther,
Just wanted to let you know, and I think I speak on behalf of many who visit this site and email, I have a ton of respect for you and the great work you do. And your posts are.. awesome! You go girl, your insight is very appreciated.
KPN
Wow, you got all that out of my post. What I said is if you agree with the policy, changing one’s mind is “Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand”, but if you disagree with it, ie. income trusts he’s a bald faced liar.
How you came to your conclusions regarding my religious beliefs, or lack thereof, my position on abortion, and positions on science(assuming global warming) from just that is spectacular.
kerry
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
ahh! Ester you have learned how to be rude just like your fellow libbers. May I suggest that you get some professional help to overcome your deep anger problem.
Now, Ester, you know that new fellow Libber MPs plan and organize Liberal fund raisers and can’t be bother to show up on vote on behalf of their constituents (of all political stripes). Seems your fellow Libber MPs have some explaining to do.
By Catherine on 06.11.08 6:38 pm
Just ignore Cathy. She is brain dead .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 6:58 pm
BY ESTHER SHAYE 06.10.08 10:19PM
ahh! Ester you have learned how to be rude just like your fellow libbers. May I suggest that you get some professional help to overcome your deep anger problem.
Now, Ester, you know that new fellow Libber MPs plan and organize Liberal fund raisers and can’t be bother to show up on vote on behalf of their constituents (of all political stripes). Seems your fellow Libber MPs have some explaining to do.
By Catherine on 06.11.08 6:38 pm
Just ignore Cathy. She is brain dead .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 6:58 pm
Hey Catherine, can you pls provide us with a link of one of your neocon MPS that hosts an open forum? Thought not.
Also, Caterine, besides being toxic, could you at least learn how to spell. We can at least try to sympathize with those little twerp interns in the PMO’s office in those yellow (as in COWARD)shirts the other day. I understand your DESPERATION !!!
In light of the lies that were used to start a war which has gone on longer than WWII, the link is very interesting.
Especially that the same verbiage is now circulating about Iran. The single reason is, of course . . . well, I’ll let you figure that out for yourselves.
http://tinyurl.com/673ax
****************************************
From an insider’s point of view, this will upset the applecart, as it flies in the face of the mainstream!
http://tinyurl.com/5p6xez
Harry: It doesn’t really matter what you thought of Harper’s presentation—unless you are one of the victims.
I heard differing opinions from various native leaders and representatives. All had slightly different takes on the impact of todays apology.
One woman favoured Dion’s apology as she felt it was from the heart, not scripted. She thought Harper’s apology was not heart-felt or sincere.
Others were just glad that the former governing Liberals inclusion of the
apology was delivered.
Larry Miller is sending out messages about Dion’s election funds – yet, Susan Delacourt has pointed out how many HUGE cheques he’s given out to buy his riding. You should put up his website with a bunch of photos of Miller giving out big cheques of OUR taxpayer money for his people.
By slg on 06.11.08 8:41 am
I have spoken to Mr Miller just twice since he became my MP, on both occasions he could only repeat the party line verbatim in answer to my questions. It is clear to me that the commentary on Mr Dion’s financial troubles has been a direct result of direction from his masters. Perhaps Garth can tell us exactly what the rules dictate and where Mr Dion stands in this regard. The truth is always better than rumor and innuendo, something we rarely get from ANY of our political party’s and Few of our MPs. I would be interested in learning about those huge cheques Mr Miller has “bought his riding with” as I have not heard or seen any of this cash!!
http://jasoncherniak.blogspot.com/
The politics of disgust
Harper’s strategic sense and understanding of “the three sisters” is going to corner Dion’s plan. Evangelizing anything short of the greatest green plan will not stir up support in Quebec, and instead continue to create a new base for Harper.
If there is merit or ‘up take’ on the green plan, the Conservatives will outflank it by stealing a key piece. In the meanwhile, Harper will continue to sell to Quebec where the Liberals, with Dion, are going absolutely nowhere.
Btw, the blog entry sounds a lot like you were told you needed to publish some unconditional support. Doesn’t sound like you.
Catgty,
what’s with your fixation on re-education and special camps? You tried that on me a couple of threads ago too.
Got news for you, lady (using the word loosely). Libbers and non-partisans are not fascists – you neandercons with your total subjugation to partisan expediency are.
You do need re-education, Catty, but only in the basic humanities.
Automaton Harpo gives emotionless speech .
First Nations people were less than overwhelmed by the con-bot speech in Parliament today .
Coady Running Bear ” Well the words were there but delivered with no emotion ”
Frank Ladgomodere was not impressed .
“This is a statesman ? This is a leader?
No wonder the whole world is laughing at us “
fusspot!
By barb the proof-reader on 06.11.08 6:00 pm
You betcha. BTW, that is in the House, the senate requires (as best this old fart brain recalls) a 51% vote to overturn a Presidential veto.
By Harry S on 06.11.08 5:27 pm
He didn’t respond to you dipstick, he responded to Nola…you can’t even read!!!
By jwp on 06.11.08 6:45 pm
Hey,moron .Can you not read ? Garth responded to NOLA not you,you brain addled twerp .
Short answer. All of them .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 6:47 pm
Actually that is very profound!
By jwp on 06.11.08 7:07 pm
Even blind squirrels find a nut once in awhile .
Btw, the blog entry sounds a lot like you were told you needed to publish some unconditional support. Doesn’t sound like you.
By Wasa Liberal on 06.11.08 8:10 pm
Yea, it was written by a $120,000,dollar speech writer .
Could you be more stupid ?
Typical con-bot always flailing around in the dark .
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 6:25 pm
This is a direct quote from Pierre Poilievre on the Topic on radio today..
“That gets to the heart of the problem on these reserves where there is too much power concentrated in the hands of the leadership, and it makes you wonder where all of this money is going. We spend $10 billion dollars – $10 billion dollars – in annual spending this year alone … now, that is an exceptional amount of money, and that is on top of all the resource revenue that goes to reserves that sit on petroleum products or sit on uranium mines or other things where companies have to pay them royalties and that’s on top of all that money that they earn on their own reserves. That is an incredible amount of money. Now along with this apology comes another $4 billion in compensation for those who partook in the residential schools over those years. Now, you know, some of us are starting to ask, ‘Are we really getting value for all of this money, and is more money really going to solve the problem?’
“My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self reliance. That’s the solution in the long run – more money will not solve it.”
……………………………………………………………..
So, BonnieN BC …. what is it you disagree about in Poilievre’s statement about the cost of aboriginals to the Canadian taxpayer?? Are we getting value for money wasted on people who are mired in their native existence??
Where are all those Billion$$$$$$$ being dished out to aboriginals going besides swiss bank accounts and buying mansions and ferarris for the chiefs and then giving themselves $250,000 p.a. salaries .. while there is abject poverty on the reserve as the kids sniff glue, booze and shoot drugs…??? Maybe we should devise some kind of program to rescue the poor aboriginal children from their self-destructive and wasteful existences on reserves … like a free first-class education somewhere maybe ..???
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
OH you mean like that little ‘Income Trust’ thingy? Leasa
How did the times change between January and October, 2006? — Garth
Has it been said before, that the focus of everything must always remain on the failures of the Harper Conservative Government and the faltering economy.
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
By Nola on 06.11.08 3:45 pm
—
You forgot to mention Harper, his IT reversal and the demand of changing times.
Dion had better be prepared to account for his flip-flop on carbon taxes because Canadians will be demanding answers before they accept new taxes, regardless of any income tax shift.
Where are all those Billion$$$$$$$ being dished out . . .
Harry S, 8:59 pm
Aaashentshunn! HemmorhoidFairyHairy — I are a being of superior belligerence, compared to thou.
Where are all those Billion$$$$$$$ in ITs gone, who were the people who stole them, what perks have CRAPpists (such as yourself) spent them on and how have they been used to help other Cdns.?
It will be mighty fine when you publicly answer these kweschuns, so your attention to detail is greatly appreciated!
Mr. Turner,
maybe you could help.
The automobile allowance rate for 2005 was 39¢. For 2008, while the gas prices more then doubled, the allowance is 46¢.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/topics/payroll/benefits/automobile/allowance/rates-e.html
Maybe the Liberal party can make a difference and ask for an increase in that rate that would better reflect the increase in gas prices and maintenance expenses.
Regards,
Solitario from Oakville
Automaton Harpo gives emotionless speech. Coady Running Bear ”words were there but delivered with no emotion.” Frank Ladgomodere: “This is a statesman? This is a leader? No wonder the whole world is laughing at us“
BY MEN WITH HATS 8:32 PM
Men,
Doesn’t the emotionless trait complete the definition of sociopath?
Oh Harry
You expect me to get mad over those awful statements. No sir, I am saddened by your remarks because it proves that bigotry and racism is alive and well in Canada.
On this day, you sir, treat me like a non person because you hate anyone who supports the right to be a human being.
I fear that you cannot grasp the concept of love or compassion.
I will turn the other cheek because it is the human thing to do.
To quote Dan George “This is a good day.”
What? Did I see Garth today sganding on his feet, joining a standing ovation for Prime Minister Harper’s speech?
As Grand Chief Fontain said, “I never thought I would live to see that day!”
Which was the greater miracle? The apology itrself, or Garth applauding the Prime Minister?
Since Esther’s post is still making ripples, I’ll toss another stone in the pond because her discussion of using Parliamentary staffers – bedecked in yellow shirts as what else, yet another Conservative human prop – vaguely reminded of an article I read about 2 weeks ago with regards to Conservatives and staff impropriety. But first a preamble:
Several years ago, the Liberal government closed a loophole used by private corporations to extract capital out of the business to reward immediate family members, at reduced tax rates when compared to paying straight wages. This was accomplished by registering family members as shareholders, then paying those shareholders dividends with low taxation rates, thereby keeping the funds “in the family” with minimal losses. The regulations were changed such that family members could still be shareholders and could still be paid dividends, but without an arms-length relationship, the tax on those payments would be levied at the highest rate. It thereby effectively eliminated the incentive to withdraw the capital this way.
Well it appears that the Conservatives have found another loophole to exploit that circumvents the spirit of the regulations where family-hiring practices are concerned:
Dear Catherine:
Anyone who has ever worked in a constituency office with honour and integrity knows that the political affiliation of a constituent in need is not even on the radar. Indeed, as is the case in Halton, the many of these folks are not yet Canadian citizens, nor eligible to vote in the next election.
As a proud Canadian, my work in the constituency provides me, along side the rest our team the opportunity to give something back to our country, day in and day out. We are a busy office, our challenges are many, and we work long hours and are happy to do so. To suggest that we first assess a constituent’s political affiliation is both presumptuous and insulting. Yet somehow I would expect no less from someone who’s view is as parochial as yours. Further you mistake outrage with rudeness, solely because my opinion differs from yours. How truly undemocratic yet at the same time predictable.
I suggest you give your head a shake.
Oh and Catherine, … my name is not Ester. It is Esther with an h. The h is silent the other 5 letters are not.
It took our Inuit, First Nations and Metis citizens to bring all of our politicians together on the same page for once? Why can that spirit of humility not prevail in the H of C?
Invoking Mulroney and Chretien is only a straw-man argument …. not worthy of response.
By Harry S on 06.11.08 5:27 pm
Don’t you get it Harry. You are not worthy of any response given your writings/behavior on this blog.
Even blind squirrels find a nut once in awhile .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 8:54 pm
Squirrels and Muskrats UNITED! ROFLMAO!
Man. like you wouldn’t believe the cache I have stored up! Pecan mon ami?
From what I understood of the carbon trading system it seemed like another ‘commodity’ money grab for hedge funds and exchanges. Smoke and mirrors, the illusion of something being done when in reality it’s the same old, same old only difference being a small handful of people were going to get even richer.
The Liberal environment tax shift plan sounds good but I think Canadians want to know more, I know I do.
Garth? Hope you post more about the economy over the summer. CDS haven’t worked through the system.
Peace.
Lovely. Now the CPC wants to make every Canadian who owns an iPod into a criminal.
http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.wcopyright0611/BNStory/Business/home/
Garth: what’s Prentice’s e-mail?
Please say your party will vote against this if it becomes a confidence measure. This bill has no value to Canada.
By Gord G. on 06.11.08 6:25 pm
Gord
I never abandoned you. You never provided your sources.
Still waiting….
Yes, my comment about Julie was a low blow but Harry seems to bring that out in me. I should know better than to answer him.
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 7:18 pm
The link below shows that only 13% of the temperature gathering stations fall within standards. There is lots of stuff over there including pictures of weather stations in the middle of parking loits, right next to air conditioners, next to power transformers and that sort of thing. And then you expect me to believe the results of the measurements in which all of the science is based on. You get that, only 13% of the stations fall within standards they themselves established.
Here is the link,
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/over-500-ushcn-stations-now-surveyed/
Ignore it if you will, your choice, after all you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.
Gord.
Ask Mulroney why he changed his position on free trade or Chretien on the GST. Smart guys make the decisions that changing times demand. — Garth
OH you mean like that little ‘Income Trust’ thingy? Leasa
How did the times change between January and October, 2006? — Garth
By Leasa on 06.11.08 9:06 pm
On Leasa’s planet they didn’t .Like ‘Groundhog Day’ she keeps reliving the same day over and over and…
Sheila: And were you equally impressed when Harper applauded Paul Martin when Fontaine said it was Martin who stood with him in the early days of this process?
Meanwhile I find comfort in one small fact: I’ll be in Ottawa longer than he who tried to cast me out.
posted by Garth Turner on 06.10.08 @ 10:39 pm
You pampas and arrogant ass small fact my ass. It is the electorate who will decide your fate and and you are so cock sure that you will not be defeated in the next election that you arrogantly make such a stupid prediction. Only an another election will determine whether you are right or wrong. It seems most of the pundits feel Harper will be re elected with another minority.
My advice to you Garth is that you get out of the prediction business because so far you batting average is less the 50.
Sure beats the lies you CPC people are throwing around….like Income Trusts. like Liberal political appointments…then of course, your incompetence when it comes to national security….
By jwp on 06.11.08 6:58 pm
Oh, where to begin, let’s pick national security; I am not in in any way responsible for the national security of this country, I own and operate a small consulting company and wanted to discuss Global Warming, I suggest you contact CSIS as they may be able to help you in that regard.
Gord.
Squirrels and Muskrats UNITED! ROFLMAO!
Man. like you wouldn’t believe the cache I have stored up! Pecan mon ami?
By Bill-Muskoka on 06.11.08 9:59 pm
Nice of you to offer .ROTFLMAO .
Doesn’t the emotionless trait complete the definition of sociopath?
By barb the proof-reader on 06.11.08 9:47 pm
Absolutely Barb . It is frightening how many CEO’s have psychopathic / socio-pathic tendencies .
I can’t remember the statistic off the top of my head . I’ll do some research .
I’ll do some research.
BY MEN WITH HATS ON 06.11.08 10:51 PM
Thanks, Men. ?
***
“The Thought Police are close to taking hold.
BY CHARLES OXLEY ON 06.11.08 1:06 PM
Charles,
They already have taken h .
.
.
.
.
.
.
?
Just ignore Cathy. She is brain dead .
By Men With Hats on 06.11.08 6:58 pm
Why thank you. This remark coming only re-affirms the Liberal’s attitude.
Yes, my comment about Julie was a low blow but Harry seems to bring that out in me. I should know better than to answer him.
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 7:18 pm
Bonnie, I have fallen into that trap too…answering Harry or Catherine’s posts. They are baiting us, and trying to change the channel.
Take Catherine for instance, who tried to bait Esther.
Yes, they are master baiters, but Esther sure put Catherine in her place! (Please note, Harry…only one exclamation mark is necessary at the end of a sentence).
Oh, where to begin, let’s pick national security; I am not in in any way responsible for the national security of this country, I own and operate a small consulting company and wanted to discuss Global Warming, I suggest you contact CSIS as they may be able to help you in that regard.
Gord.
By Gord G. on 06.11.08 10:37 pm
I am not interested in discussing Global warming sorry….only interested in seeing this government gone and replaced by an independent government.
Which was the greater miracle? The apology itrself, or Garth applauding the Prime Minister?
By sheila on 06.11.08 9:54 pm
The greatest miracle of all was Stephen Harper being sincere!
Dion had better be prepared to account for his flip-flop on carbon taxes because Canadians will be demanding answers before they accept new taxes, regardless of any income tax shift.
By Nola on 06.11.08 9:16 pm
Wrong again…60% of voters have decided how they will vote regardless of what Harper or Dion have to say, of the 40% of voters left, many will go to the Bloc, the majority of what is left to the NDP &/or Greenies….then about 5-10% will actually listen to what Dion & Harper bring forth….so very few Canadian voters care about whether Dion was for or against it two years ago…also it is generally the case in Canada that parties don’t get voted in but rather out!
Now a thinking person might want to consider whether he/she would be better served by an independent government.
By Harry S on 06.11.08 8:59 pm
Loosely translated, we apologize, but intend to do nothing about your deplorable living conditions. Better known as our apology in action!
By kpn on 06.11.08 5:38 pm
lol, I think you might have mis-understood where I was coming from, no worries. I wasn’t commenting on what you said KPN, but the information that you provided on Chantal’s story and I intended to direct my comments to readers, not yourself with my earlier post. And with Emerson, it hits a nerve with me and is beyond an axe to grind. Its already sharp and ready for some deadwood.
But your point is taken, KPN. Chantal tries to be objective and unbiased and tries to praise Harper when she can, but its not easy and a journalist would have to be misinformed to do it. I like her views for the the most part and its difficult to know the background history on every MP and politician. (even though journalists, the best ones, make it their need to know) If she knew Emersons background and its high profile all the way, she wouldn’t have used David Emerson as an example of “strength” in the Harper party. He is in every way, a liability.
Emerson has been on my radar for some time now, having lived in BC for, lets see… 15 years and working in the forest industry during that time?
Emersons immediate stock options to himself in becoming a CEO to Canfor and his directors amounting to 12% of Canfors total market cap for example is virtually unparrelleled and should be considered obscene within the world of investors. (I once looked it up doing a profile on him and I believe the information is still available to the public) Emerson took 18 mil in stock options between himself and his directors with a cap of 160 million, and nearly doubled the cap over the next two years, with shareholders seeing a 30% rise only, due to dilution. Part of it was an acquisition of another logging company, and part of it was nearly doubled logging production in areas that couldn’t sustain the record logging in the area’s where they had Tfals. Just so everyone is clear here,
And what Deputy Treasurer exploits information a handful of people are privy to, to make millions overnight?
And Teresen Gas? What politician is offered a directorship less than 6 months after stepping down from public office for being so directly involved in the sale of the crown corp BC gas… which is now owned by Morgan Kindle which is now privately owned by Goldman Sachs and Bush’s nest egg, Carlyle.
Keep in mind that deals like this are often brokered years ahead with boardroom plans for expansion drawn out for expansion and takeover perhaps a decade old and all corps like Morgan Kindle/Teresen/Carlyle look for is a dirty politician like Emerson to get it done.
All directions point back to Bush with the softwood trade deal as well.
There’s only one way to say it, polite or no. Emerson is a crook and the only defense anyone has to say he is otherwise, is that he hasn’t broken any laws but as a politican but this doesn’t change the fact that Emerson’s made 10’s of millions from being an elected official and there’s no denying this. Not by Libs when he was a former Liberal provincially and federally, and not by the Harper party who was only to glad to have him facilitate a billion dollar givaway that saw GWB/Republicans benefit most.
Its scandalous and just another ugly reason of many as to why this sorry assed Harper party needed to go years ago, never mind today and thanks, Barb, for adding some extra’s on Emersons exploits!
My guess is he won’t run anyways, too many directorships for him to lap up, what, with all that directorship stock option bribe money waiting for him once he goes back to private life.
I am not interested in discussing Global warming sorry….only interested in seeing this government gone and replaced by an independent government.
By jwp on 06.12.08 6:04 am
Uh, you might as well give up on that goal as you seem to be the only one here that know how it would work. How would that independant government work anyway?
Gord.
By jwp on 06.12.08 6:04 am
I am not interested in discussing Global warming sorry….only interested in seeing this government gone and replaced by an independent government.
………………………………….
You should read and study this G&M editorial article by arch-Liberal Lawrence Martin where he excoriates Dion on his reticence and recalcitrance on an election and the opposition in the Liberal caucus to Dion’s leadership decisions. It’s quite damning and reveals Dion’s stubborn dictatorial attitude towards the advice of senior Liberals.
http://tinyurl.com/4djq3j
Seems as if Dion is diametrically opposed to your desires … on global warming .. on next election .. on a new government. Dion has isolated himself from the Liberal party and is sailing on his own now.
Do you still support hapless Dion as Liberal leader ..??!!!
Those disgraceful comments by Pierre Poioievre are shameful. Imagine requiring bang for your buck when giving compensation for sexual abuse. He should resign. He does not represent the new dawn for aboriginal people but the old paternalism and racism.
By Harry S on 06.11.08 8:59 pm
Oh no Harry
Perhaps we need to recap your comments on this subject in the last 24 hours before we have a dialogue. This is a fight to save our hopes and dreams and our Canadian soul. You remember the pitch “True north, strong and free.’ Here’s the kicker I believe in those five words, do you?
By Bonnie N BC on 06.11.08 6:25 pm
This is a direct quote from Pierre Poilievre on the Topic on radio today..
“That gets to the heart of the problem on these reserves where there is too much power concentrated in the hands of the leadership, and it makes you wonder where all of this money is going. We spend $10 billion dollars – $10 billion dollars – in annual spending this year alone … now, that is an exceptional amount of money, and that is on top of all the resource revenue that goes to reserves that sit on petroleum products or sit on uranium mines or other things where companies have to pay them royalties and that’s on top of all that money that they earn on their own reserves. That is an incredible amount of money. Now along with this apology comes another $4 billion in compensation for those who partook in the residential schools over those years. Now, you know, some of us are starting to ask, ‘Are we really getting value for all of this money, and is more money really going to solve the problem?’
“My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self reliance. That’s the solution in the long run – more money will not solve it.”
……………………………………………………………..
So, BonnieN BC …. what is it you disagree about in Poilievre’s statement about the cost of aboriginals to the Canadian taxpayer?? Are we getting value for money wasted on people who are mired in their native existence??
Where are all those Billion$$$$$$$ being dished out to aboriginals going besides swiss bank accounts and buying mansions and ferarris for the chiefs and then giving themselves $250,000 p.a. salaries .. while there is abject poverty on the reserve as the kids sniff glue, booze and shoot drugs…??? Maybe we should devise some kind of program to rescue the poor aboriginal children from their self-destructive and wasteful existences on reserves … like a free first-class education somewhere maybe ..???
A long time ago Garth preached sensible, prudent economic policies, including lower taxation, modest government spending, and growth through the levers of free enterprise.
Now he claims that the road to increased productivity and GDP growth in the economy is through a large scale introduction of new taxes.
Garth knows better and used to be principled and shrewd, now he’s just another sleezy politician, a very bitter one in fact, saying anything to score a few points politically.
Wrong. I propose a large-scale drop in income and corporate taxes. — Garth
I found something interisting today. I found one of there own NEO CON websites all in a neat file of all the times I print the name Tony Clement on the internet a link to that website i printed the name Tony Clement shows up.
There is several links that saw tim pellett Tuner Report
Garth … you do realize that your entire political life hangs on a thread … and that thread is Dion being able to ’sell’ his Carbon Tax Green Plan to Canadians this summer.
If he fails, there can be no doubt that he is out … and you will have to find another patron within the Liberal party and it’s new leader … Ignatieff or Rae maybe ..??!!
Do you think Dion has the charisma to ’sell’ a complex taxation scheme to Canadians, or will you be asked to accompany him on his summer tour as backup?? Somehow I doubt Iggy or Rae will be lifting a finger to rescue Dion from his self-appointed task for which he is eminently unsuited … i.e. communication.
Wrong. I propose a large-scale drop in income and corporate taxes. — Garth
And how do you propose to pay for the things that these taxes now pay for. Are you going to pull a Martin and down load all the costs to the provinces?
Keep in mind that Garth isn’t the only MP advocating things that are at odds; less government spending and more government spending simultaneously, using the same pool of funds to pay for various programs, etc. MPs of all stripes make all sorts of pronouncements when convenient, without even the tiniest ability to explain how it’d actually work. The point is to get the sound bite and move on before the details have to be explained. They all do it.
I think Garth Turner is a very intelligent person. I very much think that Harper put him in the basement and then hung him out to advocate for Canadian Taxpayers.
What was Harper thinking anyways?