And he wants it bad…
“If there was any doubt in Dion’s mind before about what Harper meant, it should now be clear, said Harper’s director of communication Kory Teneycke. Nothing in the law passed by the Conservative government to set a fixed date – October 2009 – for the next federal election prevents Harper from seeking the dissolution of Parliament if he deems it not to be working, Teneycke noted.” – News Report, 15 August 2008
Related: House values sinking into red
‘Hundreds of millions’ at risk in Calgary
Imagine you bought a house two years ago for $330,000, need to sell, and yet the real estate agent tells you to list at $275,000 if you hope to find a buyer. Finally, one comes along, but offers just $170,000. You agonize over accepting it, then learn the potential buyer’s bank balked at financing the deal, saying the price was too high.
This is a true story, from Riverside, California. Here’s another, from Cape Coral, Florida, where a guy who paid $147,000 for a home in 2003, then renovated it, received an appraisal of $279,000 two years ago. Recently, as he came to sell, he received another appraisal, for $140,000. It’s listed now for $129,900, and he can’t unload it.
This is one reason Stephen Harper is desperate to have an election. He’s got smart people around him. They know what’s coming.
In the last 12 months, for the first time ever, 25% of all the people in the US who sold their houses got less than they paid for them. Not less than they were worth during the bubble – not a loss of inflated paper, greedy profits – but an actual sucking off of their net worth. In some communities, more than 60% of all sellers are taking an absolute loss. In fact in one town, a suburb of San Francisco, of those people who bought a home two years ago, the average unsupported mortgage debt is $171,00 – that’s $171,000 more than their houses are worth.
Can’t happen here, you say?
Well, I’ve heard that before. When I published my cautionary book on the subject five months ago I was told it was impossible for housing sales in Canada to crash in 2008. They have. And when that happened, the experts and economists said, okay, but prices will hold. But they haven’t.
This week’s numbers show that for the first time in a decade, home prices are going down – first in Calgary and Edmonton, then in Vancouver and by this time next month, in Toronto. Coming later this year will be Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Regina. In fact, prices on average in every community will be falling between 5% and 20%, according to several bank economists. The trouble is, those same guys said six months ago price declines were not in the cards. Period.
This leads me and a couple of others brave enough to say it (like David Wolf, of Merrill Lynch Canada), that home values will be lower next year by between 15% and 50%, depending on the community.
Thousands of buyers who got into real estate since about 2005 will be under water. Those young couples who took forty-year mortgages and made zero downpayments will be financially screwed, unable to sell their houses without a loss of tens of thousands of dollars and at the mercy of a rapidly slowing economy, higher energy costs and dwindling job prospects.
This is the nightmare Conservative scenario.
A real estate meltdown and industrial desertification of Ontario (especially) and Quebec, where all the votes are. Citizens pissed that Jim Flaherty told them last year the economy was “solid as the Canadian Shield,” refusing to lower their income taxes, spending all the budget surplus, doing nothing effective to help the auto sector, and encouraging consumer debt with a 2% GST cut and those damned 40-year mortgages which walked so many young kids into so much debt on houses which are now fast deflating.
You may think I am an alarmist to say once again: Look south and see the future. But I’m not the only one who knows that a version of this will be unfolding in Canada next year. Mr. Harper knows it, too.
He’s desperate for an election now, while the Canadian middle class largely believes the myth his finance minister has woven.
And, for precisely the same reason, he should get it.
305 comments ↓
Garth. What has happened to Parissa Aujia in the riding of Pitt Medows-Maple Ridge B.C.? Did she get cold feet? It can’t be good to loose a female candidate. Especially now.
Never met her. — Garth
“Why he wants it . . . Stephen Harper is desperate to have an election. He’s got smart people around him. They know what’s coming.”
Click on the link below — that gives another side this nationwide mess, but don’t ever let him get away with what he and CRAP have done to Canada.
Here, resales of houses are now sliding, people are losing their jobs so hold him accountable — now is absolutely NOT the time.
****************************************
Remember Garth’s post when a Detroit home was selling for US$625? Now, try ONE DOLLAR!
http://tinyurl.com/5cv75a
A real estate meltdown and industrial desertification of Ontario (especially) and Quebec, where all the votes are.
Both these provinces are run by Liberals so lets put the Liberals in charge of the whole country and let them bring the whole country down. Yeah that sounds like a great idea. A parallel is the democrats took over both houses in the States in 2006 and the economy has since gone in the tank. If you want that type of scenario in Canada then vote Liberal. On a side note I was watching some of the Election hearings this evening and I have to tell you I am so glad I am on the side of good after watching that bumbling idiot Szabo try to rein in the hard charging conservatives. He is so far over his head it is embarassing to watch.
On a serious note. What is Mr. Dions view of what Russia is doing? I have not heard any Liberal candidate speak of it either.
http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/extremely-rare-occurence-court-moves-rehear-case-canadian-rendition-victim-m
Garth, I’m sorry, but this is OLD news. We already know how contemptible the Cons are at being cons. As for Ontario and auto industry, the writing was on the wall for all to see BEFORE harpoCo came to be.
Yes we know the reasons harpoCo. want an election, they are so desperate they can’t even take a decent whizz without their gums sizzling up. We know they are corrupt, we know all they want is Power and small gov’t and and and……Old News.
How does that gums thing work? — Garth
Garth, If a couple were to buy into the market last year near the top of the price, and sell this year or next for less then they paid, had 0% down and now owe more then their house is worth, what happens about the owed balance? Do they have to finance to pay off the debt? Depending on the loss is it cheaper to go though bankruptcy?
You borrow it, you owe it. Bankruptcy may be cheaper, but it’s a tough stain to erase. — Garth
ouch
hadn’t thought of that. thanks.
I have a solid retirement plan based on winning the lottery. However, I did ask my friend John Baird about my plan, because of something his friend Jim Flaherty said, and John said I had a ”concrete” retirement plan – so I don’t need to worry about all of this. Next topic please.
BY BRIAN WILSON 08.14.08 10:13 PM
Brian Wilson is a pro. Go back and read the Cons Bash Break Borrow series of attack-ticks. The Borrow part – being too big to explain in a note, is all about the Cons, yes, basically making sure that they hold all the purse strings eventually. Pretty good trick. Economic blackmail. Stomp it now.
Their plan has befuddled even them – because it was only a theory. It’s not gonna work because at some point, people with their finger on the economic triggers know they will get caught. It’s a bust.
Harper would loooooove to have an election before the fan hits the.. uh.. hits the fan..
Fearmongering might help you sell your book, but there will be no housing bust in Canada.
Harper wants an election becasue he is at 43% support, and Dion is at 22%.
D’uh.
More wisdom from the guy who predicted I’d be thrown out of caucus by now. Keep it up. — Garth
can’t even take a decent whizz without their gums sizzling up
Dude..what?
No housing bust? Too late. — Garth
Small correction in localized overheated markets. Doesn’t count. US problem is way more systemic.
Liberal Green Shift is ‘green shaft,’ says Harper
August 14, 2008
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Harper is the self appointed expert on “shafts”.
Take the income trust shaft for starters
More wisdom from the guy who predicted I’d be thrown out of caucus by now. Keep it up. — Garth
This from the guy who thought we’d have had an election by now.
Didn’t you? And I liked your last 12 anonymous names better. — Garth
A parallel is the democrats took over both houses in the States in 2006 and the economy has since gone in the tank. If you want that type of scenario in Canada then vote Liberal.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
Geez, how do you get your crowd into that phone booth?
You’ve just told everybody here what Dubya has done in the world and at home have nothing to do with the crisis the US suffers currently.
Does the Death Star actually pay you for that kind of “take?”
Income Trust Redux…but with housing.
Is there no group of Canadians Harper & Flaherty won’t SCREW???
Brian Wilson, let me get this straight. You acknowledge that Goldstein was causing a ruckus (you say “hard charging, but it’s a stretch, my friend) in a parliamentary committee, and blame the resulting disorder on the Chair? That’s like blaming the robbery of a convenience store on the clerk who wasn’t willing to defend himself with a baseball bat against the gun-toting thug. Szabo can only function as well as the system is structured, and the committee system is based on the assumption that people will behave in a relatively civilized fashion. Barging in and demanding to be put on the agenda when you’re not scheduled isn’t “hard charging”, it’s behaving like a petulant child. What’s your next trick? Are you going to throw a rock through your neighbour’s window and then chide him for calling the police instead of throwing a rock right back at you?
Small correction in localized overheated markets. Doesn’t count. US problem is way more systemic.
By Man with Asshat on 08.14.08 10:46 pm
If your hat is on your ass I can only imagine where your head is.
Actually I did hear a group of ex Nortel accountants say the same thing, systematic.
Brian Wilson: Dean, Gary and Pierre looked pathetic this week. They are so desperate to stop any testimony on their in/out scheme that it is often comical to watch them bluster, lie, guffaw, snort, ad nauseum.
Poor Rick Dykstra got tossed in today and he faired no better.
They look like deer caught in the headlights. Money in—money out—-
I especially like the witnesses who had no idea what the money was being used for–never saw an ad—one guy even said he didn’t care what the money was spent on, as long as he could claim the 60% rebate!!! He sure didn’t help the Con cause.
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
BrianWilson: Next time you make a doctors appointment I want you to show up a day late—demand to be seen–and see the reaction.
That is exactly what Finley and Goldstein tried to pull. I’m here and I’m important and screw your committee agenda.
And you think these guys are decent??
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm
————————————-
Isn’t that the same Church that…awe…you know…with kids?
Someone needs to tell me what the harm would be in showing up, answering the questions that you can, and then finishing. Even the people with something to hide could simply say “I won’t answer that question”, take a drubbing from the Chair, and move on. Apparently this is too difficult for people stomach. Even when Cretien behaved like a buffoon at the Gomery inquiry, he at least showed up when he was told, and put forth some kind of answer.
On a side note I was watching some of the Election hearings this evening and I have to tell you I am so glad I am on the side of good after watching that bumbling idiot Szabo try to rein in the hard charging conservatives. He is so far over his head it is embarassing to watch.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
Take to rose coloured glasses off when you watch – it’s distorting your view.
Hard hitting? LOL – the looked like blithering idiots and liars. I have to say Szabo showed extreme patience – that’s not bumbling. He was very careful and could throw the TRUTH back at them.
Classy eh – Tilson, man in permanent menopause acting so attack like – then smirking, uh huh. Wallace was reading, as he said, an affidavit – it was a “letter” – how stupid can you get. I guess sucking on his earphones, ewww, distorted his view. Oh here’s a good one – Goodyear says “identical similarity”? Huh? You can’t have both idiot – either it’s identical or it’s similar.
Unbelievable.
You borrow it, you owe it. Bankruptcy may be cheaper, but it’s a tough stain to erase. — Garth
Ouch, hopefully these people with 40 year 0% really like their digs, as it would be wise of them to stay put for about 30 years or so until they can get back what they paid. Anyone who got a 40 year mortgage recently and might be taking a loss on the resale, I really feel for them as one or both must have lost their job to force them to take such a bath.
I have a solid retirement plan based on winning the lottery. However, I did ask my friend John Baird about my plan, because of something his friend Jim Flaherty said, and John said I had a ”concrete” retirement plan – so I don’t need to worry about all of this. Next topic please.
By barb the proofreader on 08.14.08 10:33 p
Barb, Have you been struck by lightening twice yet? You know those odds, too!
The conservatives are in quicksand.
Their organizers have got their leader believing he can win.
The leader has the organizers believing they can win.
Garbage in; garbage out.
All of them know they are toast as this economy gets much worse.
They know they have to go soon.
The only thing is Canadians also know they have to go, and soon!
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm
I do believe the future for pre-owned vehicles will be a grim one … allowing for the fact the US is currently flooding Canada with off-lease vehicles. What’s his rallying cry?
Mazda?
He’s desperate for an election now, while the Canadian middle class largely believes the myth his finance minister has woven.
And, for precisely the same reason, he should get it.
posted by Garth Turner on 08.14.08 @ 9:57 pm
…………………………………………………………
Based on those statements of yours, I take it you will be urging Dion to lead the entire Liberal party to defeat the Harper government on the very next confidence vote after Parliament reconvenes on September 15th.
Thank you.
He is so far over his head it is embarassing to watch.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
Surfs up ! Water head .
How does that gums thing work? — Garth
By Molly on 08.14.08 10:23 pm
Checked my gums . Thank God they weren’t sizzeling .
ROTFLMAO
Let the electioneering begin! we as Canadians are starting to realize that we have let this band of junior lawyers get together and form a government with a party they hi-jacked to get there with. I had made a comment on a blog the other day which in turn started a dialog with a conservative troll. He had made a comment to the fact that he would rather have a country led by business/marketing/consulting type rather than educated professor/administrator/lawyer type.
My response was as follows:
Do not get me wrong “Old School” (A.K.A Old Fool), I was merely suggesting that it was odd that the level of education from the Liberal M.P.’s is much more extensive then that of the Conservative M.P.’s. You have given me a new project to work on tonight though, and yes I have found the results to be extremely interesting. The type of previous profession from some of the higher educated conservatives seems freakishly common to be of Law/ Lawyer background. Some of these previous Lawyers, and as you stated “who are lower than used car dealers”, seem to be holding some pretty important offices for Canada. These former “used car dealers are as follows: Maxime Bernier, Vic Toews, Peter Van Loan, Peter McKay, Garry Lunn, Jim Flaherty, Jim Prentice. So I guess for once and I’m quite sure only once, I will have to agree with you that having a bunch of used car dealers running the country makes for a capricious situation. Incidentally does anyone know how many Pulitzer prizes Steven Harper has, as he has economist, lecturer, and writer on his resume? Thanks for the enlightenment “Old Fool” have a great day!
Yes I think Canadians want a change but not these people for that change! Incidentally I attended a open forum town hall meeting with Michael Ignatieff tonight in Kelowna and wow that was great! Mr. Ignatieff is an intelligent, straightforward, conscientious, and passionate man, who is obviously dedicated to his ethical obligations that leave this country and world a better place the future generations. The Liberal “Green Shift Plan” offers prudent, sensible, pragmatic methods, while assisting and offering incentives for responsible stewardship behaviour. Thank you Michael for the wonderful discussion group, and I look forward to the up coming meeting with Bob Ray next week.
Terry McDonald is removed by police from an event attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn and Avalon MP Fabian Manning in Cupids N.L. on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. McDonald was protesting the federal government’s changes to equalization payments.
http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20080814/450_cp_harper2_080814.jpg
Something WRONG with this picture. The young man was there as part of a legitimate protest against the Harper government. He, quite obviously, posed no threat to civic order, yet he’s escorted away by an RCMP constable.
I’ll just bet Loy(OIL)a Hearn asked the constable to take the young man away because he was spoiling Harper’s photo op.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080814/election_talk_080814/20080814?hub=TopStories
The best hit to come out of the cmt today was when Pat Martin was questioning Mr.Maynard,he waves his hand across at the 5 CONs and refers to the as “Darwin’s Waiting Room” i near pissed my pants. Than there was Kady’s Dean El Porko bringing up another” Pout of Order”.What a breath of Freash air it is to read Kady’s blog view of Ottawa.
Dean refered to Pat Martin as “The Cussin’Cowboy”.
no worries mate, enjoy the rest of the summer — got rope?, 10:32 pm
None at all. I’m too old to worry anymore!
BTW, see the home in Detroit selling for a buck? Prices sure have dropped in Motown!
How does that gums thing work? — Garth
By Molly on 08.14.08 10:23 pm
I don’t know actually, something a guy said to me once, long ago. A guy thing I guess. Isn’t the whole political culture in Canada a ‘guy thing’? It’s a cry for help.
Oh dear I just got some clarification from my friend. It is not ’sizzled’ it is ‘ache’.
Here’s a good opportunity. Kindly observe please, what this character BRIAN WILSON stated:
“so lets put the Liberals in charge of the whole country and let them bring the whole country down. Yeah that sounds like a great idea. A parallel is the democrats took over both houses in the States in 2006 and the economy has since gone in the tank. If you want that type of scenario in Canada then vote Liberal.
BY BRIAN WILSON 08.14.08 10:13 PM
So first of all there’s no parallel.
The Democrats won in 2006 but the senate majority doesn’t matter, they still need 60 votes.. in other words, they still need 9 more votes for a majority. Since the Republicans have been voting as a rubber stamp, they have been abdicating their role of Article 1 by ONLY voting with the President. BTW no president should have the power that this president has, as stated by Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi.. “With a powerful president, Congress is obsolete”
So what Brian should have said is that the Republicans still basically have full control — until the presidency changes.
So, who tanked the economy and why? Just asking. Seems quite a long term plan. Oh, yes that’s right. It is.
I see Pyotr caught that conflagration too at
PYOTR PETROBITCH 08.14.08 10:56 PM
Hmm. Brian knows. Sorrrrry Brian, crossing the border with your scare tactic is against Canadian feelings.
Brian.. bummer. Really backfired, eh? It must be embarrassing to have premature obfuscation.
What Brian’s sort has “accomplished” in the U.S. could have been used as a great scare tactic to hold us.. (and U.S. voters they hope(d).. hostage against ever voting for anyone but the right wing.. well, except the theory failed, boo hoo. (I hope)
Think of it as a political Enron. It’s just not good. Brian’s sort of misinformation only works for awhile. Brian… try to think up a new scare attack-tick.
And on the lighter side, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a fun appearance on the Jon Stewart Show:
Worth watching:
Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House on Jon Stewart July 28, 2008 7 min.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20031021/dailyshow-default/
Click on: Watch it now
In the middle: scroll to July 28
On right scroll menu: look for freeze frame of Nancy Pelosi
Man with hat on his ass 10:46
How do you think the “systematic U.S. housing collapse start. Oh yah, bursting local housing bubbles!
Robert Gibbs 10:56
Is there no group of Canadians Harper and Flaherty won’t SCREW???
………….
I hope they practice safe sex!
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm
Now if that Dean what’s his name ain’t a hypocrite,I’ll eat my hat. Some Catholic. It takes a person with a conscious to be a good person & a true Christen & it’s plain to see he has missed the boat on both counts. He’s nothing but a joke pure & simple.
Best Regards,
By Brian Wilson 08.14.08 10:13
Geez, how do you get your crowd into that phone booth?
You’ve just told everybody here what Dubya has done in the world and at home have nothing to do with the crisis the US suffers currently.
Does the Death Star actually pay you for that kind of “take?”
BY PYOTR PETROBITCH 08.14.08 10:56
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pyotr,
You are too fun.
You’ve reminded me of simpler times. Remember? Young, naive, before the Spermatophobia set in..
http://tinyurl.com/5b34wv
Slightly off-subject: A little present for you, Mr. Turner:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/misc/zoom.pbs&Site=CP&Date=20080814&Category=CPACTUALITES&ArtNo=80814288&Ref=AR&Profile=6488&show=CPACTUALITES§ioncat=CPACTUALITES&cr=Photo%20Janine%20Krieber.&relart=%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D%2F20080814%2FCPACTUALITES%2F80814288%2F6488%2FCPACTUALITES
Mrs. Krieber’s photograph is now on my desktop.
By Man with Asshat Comments:
Another person who should have their meds increased…or is it the full moon on Saturday having an early effect???
FOREIGN BANKING INTERESTS GONE WILD…
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08102008/photos/biz033a.jpg
“A staggering 750,000 abandoned homes are now begging for buyers nationwide — a clear sign that prices will continue to plummet and that ever-increasing numbers of homeowners will walk away in the months ahead.
Plus, Moody’s has now warned that a mind-blowing 2.8 million MORE defaults are now in the pipeline!”
Garth, I used to read your column years ago when you were writing for the Sun (I think it was the Sun – I read so many columns of this sort that I can’t keep track of all of them). When I began my search for a house in 1997, I used parts of your columns when considering what and where to buy. It took me two years to finally sign on the dotted line because I was saving up the 25% down payment plus the cash for upgrades and things I’d need once I took possession (blinds, some new furniture, fence, etc.). I never bought your book but I did read your column. This is your area of expertise. It’s too bad that demand rose to a level which drove up the prices of houses and it’s really too bad that people bought at inflated prices.
I took some of your advice and I made sure that I didn’t overextend myself and I made sure that I didn’t buy at a time when prices were inflated. I was tempted many times to buy more house than I could afford but I always stopped myself. Sure, I’d like a bungalow but the selling price and the property taxes (many people don’t consider them) made it too risky for me. The end result is that I bought a home which I can afford in an area that is as low a risk as possible in the unfortunate event that I have to sell. I also considered the possibility of needing to replace my car. All sorts of factors must be considered when purchasing a home; not just the purchase price. I also made sure that I bought a home in which I’d be happy for at least 20 years. As I said, it took me two years to sign on the dotted line and all the research and analysis; plus some of your advice; really paid off.
So, we now have a situation of declining housing prices and there will be people who will be forced to sell there homes for less than what they paid. Given this, what is the solution to this situation?
The housing crunch hasn’t hit hear in Saint John, NB area yet, and I somehow doubt it will. Not because I disagree with the problems stated for most of the US and Canada, but because we are a small area being flooded with multiple multi-billion dollar energy projects. New oil refinery to add to the one we already have, refurbishment of the nuclear reactor and talk of building a second one, new LNG terminal and pipeline to the US being built, and then all of the construction and other jobs being created as spinoffs. The economy in Saint John is better than it has ever been.
My house for instance is up over 100K in 2 years… not that I would ever think of selling.
That being said, the election and effective communication of the Green Shift is essential here in Saint John. If Harper’s fear tactics and propoganda is to be believed, the Green Shift will endanger these projects which no one in this area wants.
Garth, not that I haven’t asked before, but you gotta get down here with Dion and do some public events!
This web site appears to confirm most of what Garth Turner has been saying, then again one would have to living on another planet to not understand debt let alone a staggering near $10,000,000,000,000 (10 Trillion) that the US is holding with no good news in sight!
http://www.economicnews.ca/cepnews/wire/home
Have a look at Detroit real estate you can buy houses starting at $1. If you do a search there 1000s of homes under $10000. But it wont happen here cause of the 200000 immagrants coming every year. Supply and demand Garth. In michigan population is decreasing thats the main problem.
Wrong. — Garth
Both these provinces are run by Liberals so lets put the Liberals in charge of the whole country and let them bring the whole country down.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
Brian Wilson, another trip to the troll-patrol talking-points vault, I see. Try to tear down Liberal Provincial governments while linking them to the Federal Libs. But if you did your thinking and observing for yourself, you might have noticed that Charest hasn’t changed. He was and still is conservative. PROGRESSIVE Conservative, that is. Oh but maybe like your party’s ultimate puppet master, George Bush once said “you’re either with us or against us.” There can’t be any degrees of Liberalism or Conservatism in Harper’ World, nor would he want there to be. That would have made it less convincing to try to hijack the Conservative brand while still a Reformer. By the same token, Charest becoming a Liberal in Quebec doesn’t mean he’s no longer Progressive Conservative in his leanings, just like our host Garth Turner likely still is.
If you actually thought about it, you might realize that the Liberals are closer to what the Conservatives USED to be than the CRAPpers are. And unlike CRAPpers, Liberals aren’t likely to see a variation of where one lands on the conservative/liberal scale as a flaw in their ideology. On the contrary, this diversity only enriches the party, allows and encourages the free flow of ideas and helps ensure they’ll get it right. Better, I think, than functioning in a bubble like the CONs do.
______________________________
He is so far over his head it is embarassing to watch.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
You must be referring to Harper as he desperately goes around decrying the disfunctional state that Parliament is in, when he’s the one who literally wrote the book (or at least decreed that it be written) on how to obstruct Parliament. He looks like an absolute fool on television saying that.
I can’t wait to get my chance to kick Harper to the curb. It’ll feel better than when we did it to Mulroney’s Conservatives. And Brian Wilson, before try pointing out that it was Kim Campbell who was kicked to the curb, don’t bother. It was all Mulroney stood for that was denounced. Campbell was only put there to take the fall.
By barb the proofreader on 08.14.08 10:33 pm
Hi Barb, good for you hope it’s true if not you living in lu lu land.
What Garth has mentioned has effected America’s ability to do anything and they are the so called leaders of the free world. No money also means “NO MONEY TO LOOK AFTER THE HOMEFRONT” it is all good and fine to be house proud but now there is no food in the refrigerator and you can not sell your one sellable asset to start over. The mighty US has now got many millions with no food in their refrigerators and no money in the bank! Here in Canada Harper spent all our reserve funds and soon their our refrigerators will be empty. Russian has been putting billions away due to the high oil prices caused by the Winds of War and now can do as they please, along of course with China who owns the US lock stock and piggy bank. The Saudis well let just say they love oil prices. Living and making money from oil may provide big wages but soon inflation coupled with deflation of assets will make going to work painful, and it will all be our fault here in the East! Go for it blame the East, but that will not do one dam thing to correct the problem….you could lock more people up at a cost 80-120K a year, give more guns to border guards, very costly especially if they shoot some innocent person, have an elected senate, now there is another 300M down the drain, oh forgot, more inside defence contracts and money for a Quebec Pemiere to lower taxes! Yup all that will fill the good ode refrigerator….but heck you shafted the East.
Seriously I think this country is becoming polarized the West hate Liberals and the East hate Reformer/CONs but the fact is really they hate each other and that will not build a future for our country. Harper & Co want to more Canada into the image of Washington’s Republicans and the East smells it. Look for an all out frontal attack in the next election where the issues that concern Canadians will be set aside and the MSM feeds them free of charge with disrespect to the people to which they owe the most. Who knows the outcome but I fear it will not be good Barb, you may will, but to winner goes the spoils in this case.
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm
I can appreciate your confusion Judy.
DUBYA Bush had a problem with a pretzel
Benedict moves the problem to sacrament
http://www.flyingserpent.net/betweenthelines/pretzel.html
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/39551523_26d13d5509.jpg
Finally…
The biggest question now of all questions that may be discussed by the Liberals in their caucus is this: Are we ready for this election?
As sure as autumn will come, there is no stopping election now. For the Conservatives, it is their best chance to win again even with another minority. For the Liberals, the timing could not be any better.
Good luck to you Garth and all other candidates. And if you and your party win, be magnanimous in winning. After all, you are now a Liberal.
“They know what’s coming.”
And if it is as bad as you say its going to be, then the LPC is in a heap of trouble. Canadians prefer the CPC 40% to 22% to deal with the economy. (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080814/decima_poll_080814/20080814?hub=Canada)
Bring it on Libs…..let’s go.
Are we still renting helicopters from these naughty “Soviets”
I feel like a jerk for asking, but if one happens to be of the vast majority of Canadians who didn’t put money into real estate in the last five years… isn’t this a good thing?
“Didn’t you? And I liked your last 12 anonymous names better. — Garth
By Man with Asshat on 08.14.08 10:48 pm”
Garth, when these neoCon trolls make numerous posts under different names it would be very helpful for readers of your blog if you could identify all of the alias for us.
“A parallel is the democrats took over both houses in the States in 2006 and the economy has since gone in the tank. If you want that type of scenario in Canada then vote Liberal.
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm”
The US economy has been in the tank for at least 5 years… it is only the housing market that is the latest sector to crash. The US economy under Clinton had one of the longest periods of sustained growth in US history.
He’s got smart people around him – Garth
What? who?
Also, wouldn’t this only affect people who are trying to sell their house? As long as I keep my job and make my payments I don’t really care about the value of my house since I’m just living there and not trying to turn a profit.
Canadian families, on average, have more than 80% of their net worth in their houses. Did somebody give you yours? — Garth
I feel like a jerk for asking, but if one happens to be of the vast majority of Canadians who didn’t put money into real estate in the last five years… isn’t this a good thing?
By 300baud on 08.15.08 8:03 am
That depends, if you are a senior, and you are stuggling to keep up with the cost of living, and the value of your house is decreasing, that affects the CPI figure on which you pension indexing is based. So for seniors, it is not a great thing. It might be okay if municipality base their taxes on the lower figure but where I live, they are exacting about 7% average increase oer annum…so it doesn’t offset. However, if you are looking for a home, it would be good if the prices decrease.
Bring it on Libs…..let’s go.
By Liblooking on 08.15.08 7:22 am
By the time the election gets here, do not be surprised if those figures get reversed.
I watched some of the Commons committee on the Elections Canada investigation yesterday. All of the Conservatives looked like buffoons obviously trying to derail the proceedings rather than answer questions. The chair did a great job trying to keep the Conservative circus under control.
My guess is that Harpo will try and pull the plug on parliament before it reconvenes in September. The last thing this chickensh*t wants is to have members of his party held in contempt of parliament for ignoring the summons they received.
Let’s remember that over the past year, every time parliament reconvenes Conservative support erodes as more people come to understand the unethical, stupid behaviour of Harpo and his cronies.
He’ll pull the plug before the session reconvenes – he doesn’t have the guts to face the opposition parties and face contempt of parliament charges against the Conservatives. Three words come to mind… liar, bully, coward.
Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club that always seemed out of place in the mainstream—much like most Liberals on this blog.
“And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm”
Dean exemplifies the worst traits of what being a right wing “Christian”. It is little wonder that the number of people leaving organized religions is increasing in North America.
Another “stupid” by Gary Goodyear – he doesn’t know the difference between identical and similar….but he also questioned Szabo’s expertise on what a hard invoice is. Hmmm….Goodyear is a chiropractor – Szabo is:SZABO, Paul John Mark, B.Sc., M.B.A., C.A
Oh it just keeps on going doesn’t it?
I had a terrible realization yesterday. It was, Harper can achieve his personal ambitions by being a bad PM. By being destructive, throwing clogs into works and wrenches into gears. An ineffective, impotent parliament is exactly what he wants. I think he wants the machine to grind itself to pieces. How can you fight that?
slg on 08.14.08 11:15 pm,
If you put all partisanship aside these committee meetings are worthless. Instead of asking questions most of the time is spent with the politicians making speeches, especially when they are televised. They are not there to examine the issues but to make political points.
It is unfortunate that there is no non-partisan venue that has the authority to get answers for the public when it comes to the political class. Everything from committees to public inquiries and even some court proceedings have become nothing more than partisan political forums.
It is totally frustrating for those in the public who actually care about what is going on but too many Canadians simply don’t care until it affects them personally.
Garth: Seeing as Dean Del M. abhors cursing, cussing, profanity etc. and even had to call the committee’s attention to the fact that he was a Roman Catholic and did not swear, I would have to assume that all Conservative caucus meetings, etc. that Dean attends are free from bad language?
Did you ever hear a Conservative M.P. swear when Mr. Dean was in attendance? And if so, did Dean berate the offending Conservative M.P. in front of everyone?
If he didn’t, then Dean is a hypocrite.
Bring it on Libs…..let’s go.
By Liblooking on 08.15.08 7:22 am
Hey, BODDY, your link didn’t work. That’s nothing new to C.R.A.P./S.H.I.T.
How many failed self-administered nocturnal emissions do you have daily?
“Harper’s comments come on the heels of a poll that shows the Conservatives to be neck-and-neck with the Liberals, with the Grits actually slightly ahead — 33 per cent to 32 per cent in support.”
“However, there was a small consolation prize for Harper in The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey. Almost twice as many Canadians said they preferred Harper to Dion as a leader.”
OLD NEWS … BLOODY OLD NEWS!
1. The Ethics Committee is out of business until mid-Sep, but promises to come back then with teeth, compelling reluctant CPC witnesses to attend through Speaker’s Warrants. The CPC will be further tarnished by new evidence as well as its continued performance at hearings.
2. The 8 Sep by-elections may not turn out in the CPC’s favour. They would be a pointless preliminary if a general election were to be called soon after. Cancelling them would save the CPC embarrassment as well as allow it to take bows for avoiding unnecessary election expenses.
3. The economic news quickly will get a lot worse before it gets better years down the road.
Therefore, it would be the part of wisdom, intelligence and low cunning for Harper to arrange to the dissolution of Parliament before September 8, 2008.
Hope the Liberals are ready.
it is laughably ironic that Harper decries an unworkable parliament when, if you recall, when the Martin minority gov’t was in power, the conservatives voted against EVERY bill without fail.
Harper needs to be ousted and FAST. Dion, bring on the election at first opportunity. PLEASE.
This post is nothing but a bunch of partisan crap. Harper wants an election because YOUR leader keeps thumping his chest and running back into the weeds. YOUR party stalls parliament, makes a mockery out of our institutions and uses Ethics Committees for partisan witchhunts. 43% of Canadians want Harper as Prime Minister, and they’ll get that, whether you, Dion, Jennings or Goodale like it or not.
Hope the Liberals are ready.
By Herb on 08.15.08 9:14 am
Toujours prêts—Va de bon cœur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMBgSfQI49E
The Cold, Hard Numbers on the Credit Crunch
Mike Larson MONEY MARKETS 08-15-08
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/Issues.aspx?NewsletterEntryId=2089
“}Last week, I gave you several real-world examples of lenders who were refusing to take the Federal Reserve’s “bait.”
A quick recap: The Fed has been driving the cost of money down in an effort to spur more lending. But many banks have instead reduced their exposure to various business lines — and eliminated some loan products altogether.
Now, I have some fresh, just-released numbers to share with you. They come straight from the Fed itself — and they tell a stunning tale about just how severe this credit crunch is.
By 300baud on 08.15.08 8:57 am
Easy…throw the bum out of office…
“Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canada will send five soldiers to Kosovo to help a NATO-led peacekeeping force.
They will be deployed for 12 months to NATO’s peacekeeping headquarters in Pristina, capital of the former Serbian province.
MacKay made the announcement today at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, south of Fredericton.”
DESPERATE FOR NEWS CONFERENCES – 5 SOLDIERS
much like most Liberals on this blog.
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
Now that you have pulled the wings off all of the flies in your house and kicked your dog while you were taking that BIG drink of the blue morning kool aid- you wanna come over here and drop your CRAP load of delusions on us.
Thanks a lot but save the empty rhetoric for the election. We have facts and figures to support our opinions and long memories that remember all the betrayals of your Herr Harpo – your supreme commander!
By The Trusty Tory on 08.15.08 9:36
G’WAN WI’ YA! … COW-PIE EYES.
We’ll beat you both ways — out & back.
New housing starts and sales of new homes are expected to fall in 2008 and 2009. It would appear that the folks at CMHC have not taken Economics 101… they are predicting that a decline in demand will still produce an increase in prices…. that is simply not logical.
It is logical to assume that as the economy continues to soften and unemployment increases that home owners will be under more financial pressure, pushing more resale homes onto the market. As supply increases home prices will fall further… should be an interesting 18 months or so.
Housing starts set to ease in 2008: report
Reuters
August 15, 2008
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian housing starts will moderate in 2008 and then slide further in 2009, as demand sags and the costs of carrying a mortgage rise, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said on Friday.
The agency forecast housing starts of 215,475 units in 2008, down from 228,343 in 2007. And the 2009 figure would be even lower — it forecast 194,000 starts.
CMHC also said it expected an 11.9 percent drop in existing home sales to 459,300 units in 2008, with a further drop to 446,900 units in 2009. But it expected housing prices on the realtors’ multiple listing service to rise around 3 percent in both in 2008 and 2009, outpacing likely inflation rates.
“Increased competition from the existing home market, coupled with the elimination of the pent-up demand that built up during the 1990s, will exert downward pressure on housing starts,” CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan said in a statement.
But new home construction still remains high by historical standards, the agency said.
(c) Reuters 2008
Nothing says elect me like kissing your own paper tiger. Looks to me like his strategists are a little overworked.
Something to do with Corsi’s new book?
every four years, eh?
GARTH; DAVID ORCHARD won the Liberal nomination in a Saskatchewan riding yesterday defeating the Dion appointee.Should be interesting days ahead…stay tuned!!!! Orchard will certainly give you some unsolicited competition.GO DAVID GO
Just received a Breaking News Report that our so called Prime Minister (King Stephen Harper) has just about lost it with the Senate`s In and Out hearing and will now demand an election. There may be more than just not wanting the truth out to which he can not handle. Perhaps he could not come up with plan on how to govern this country and provide a good economic plan forward.
Now for the In and Out Hearings, these clown who disrupt and fail to show up when summoned should have warrants issued for their arrest. I am 100% sure if the table was turned the CONs would do even more, then again the big show as yet to have been placed on our plate with the multi million dollar Republican style full out frontal attack on Canada to discredit M. Dion and all past Liberals.
Patrick Muttart speaks!
Patrick Muttart ain’t cuttin’ the MUSTARD … by lying, counselling support for his lies (corroboration … without a WHETSTONE).
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/08/15/patrick-muttart-speaks/#more-5075
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hsqJSDiMbOborV2uBAS2F21vdG7g
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2590050/stephentaylorcawarrant?query2=Patrick%20Muttart%20Ottawa%20May%2012%202008
Are we still renting helicopters from these naughty “Soviets”
By Margaret Bedore on 08.15.08 7:33 am
________________________________________
You will find this interesting.
http://www.casr.ca/ft-mackay-hooked-1.htm
Hi PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.15.08 12:18 am,
If Harper was not just in a minority,
Terry McDonald is removed by police,
He may have suffered the same fate as
legitimate protest and questioners
in Harpers buddies Bushes USA and been tassed and locked up!!!
Have you been paying attention?
What kind of world do you and your family want to try and survive in?
What are you going to do to protect/ keep form loosing your freedoms and human rights?
Focus on Liberal wins in the by-elections.
This is a bit of sabre rattling on the Prime Minister’s part.
When the PM gets yappy, that’s when the Conservative make the real mistakes.
Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club that always seemed out of place in the mainstream—much like most Liberals on this blog.
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
By any definition, the mainstream are mediocre, average, unexceptional. They are the sheep who follow along consuming resources. The only thing they produce is fertilizer. They are not leaders.
The only poll to watch prior to the election, and DURING the election (whenever it is called) is Nanos Research. No other polling company in Canada comes even close to matching the accuracy of Nanos. They have called the last two elections within 0.1% for each party.
The Liberals would be smart to keep the rest of their platform close to their chests until the writ is dropped. The Conservatives obviously have no idea how to run the country, and no idea how to get the country out of the mess that they have created. They are intellectually moribund – and have proven to be more-than-happy to steal ideas and rebrand them as their own when it suits them.
There’s no doubt that the depth of the Liberal caucus far exceeds the dim-witted gaggle of Conservatives (many of these neoCon zealots like Stockwell Day believe in creationism – what a joke – it is even more a joke that people would trust our country to people with these inane beliefs in the first place).
Folks like Dion, Ignatieff, McCallum, Rae, Dryden etc. have tremendous intellects and will be able to create an innovative, integrated plan to get Canada back on track.
We have been subject to backward thinking neoCon knuckle-draggers for too long. It is time for an innovative, progressive agenda that focuses on economic sustainability, the environment, social justice, and equimanity.
Are we still renting helicopters from these naughty “Soviets”
By Margaret Bedore on 08.15.08 7:33 am
Peeder MacKay has got a call in to Condi Rice … under the ‘guise’ of “what would you do, if’n you wuz me, Condi?”
In higher circles … Peeder’s actually on the fringe by virtue of his dedicated subservience … It’s known as ‘calling in the favours.’
http://deadder.net/download/hirez0607/d607291r.jpg
http://deadder.net/download/hirez0609/d609122r.jpg
ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL
Friday, August 15, 2008
Harper’s New Gambit
Stephen Harper has once again indicated a willingness to break a key policy plank. It’s another plank that was supposedly based in his Reform Party roots. Yes, Harper has decided that if he can’t goad Stephane Dion into a fall election, he’ll call one himself. So why the flip-flop? The most obvious reason is that Harper is trying to learn from his predecessor at 24 Sussex and call the election before a massive scandal (namely, “In and Out” – contrary to what the media and the CPC may have you believe money laundering is frowned upon in this country) discredits his party to all Canadians. By dissolving parliament he breaks up that annoying ethics committee and prays that the wheels of justice move slowly so that his lawsuit against Elections Canada lasts through the writ period. In otherwords, namely his own, Mr. Harper is calling a “snap election for short-term political advantage.” Exactly what he said he was putting a stop to when he passed the fixed election date legislation. Well, I guess not all of us are good at keeping promises. Seriously though, what is left of the old Reform agenda? Senate reform? Meet Michael Fortier. No more pandering to Quebec? Nation resolution, UNESCO, the list goes on. Fixed election dates? If he feels like it. Balanced Budgets? Not once they run out of assets to sell. Come on Alberta, how much longer is it going to take before you realize that this guy is more Brian Mulroney than Preston Manning?
So with all signs pointing to a fall election, what is the Tory strategy? Well, radio ads put out by the Tory candidate in the probably never going to be called by-election in Don Valley West may provide a hint. The ads, which are supposedly targeting the people of Don Valley West, talk almost exclusively about M. Dion, his leadership and The Green Shift. The line is clearly that it doesn’t matter if you like your local Liberal candidate, this is about who you want in the Prime Minister’s chair. Mr. Harper et al. are clearly reading the same polls as everyone else and are trying to make this vote about M. Dion’s leadership (where he is weaker) instead of about the Liberal brand and the Liberal team (where we are stronger). Will it work? Who knows, but one can certainly see the wisdom in that line of attack.
Posted by Aaron Ginsberg at 8:20 AM
Hi PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.15.08 5:02 am, Has anyone on MSN news ever mentioned the great depression 2, GD2 ?
Canadians simply don’t care until it affects them personally.
By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 9:12 am
I can think of at least a couple of instances where government went in the opposite direction of what the majority of Cdns want. It`s simply not fair to blame Cdns for an undemocratic, illegitimate and corrupt government whose only claim to power is the Marxist ideology of entitlement.
40 years CB with little or no work done
Hi Margaret Bedore on 08.15.08 7:33 am
I guess it depend on what you choose to see/remember. Or maybe it’s that you still think the corporate run mass media job is to inform us. It is not what there corporate bosses pay them for.
Don’t for get it was the Georgen(sp?), USA backed, presedent that started the shooting/booming. If he was living next door to you, wouldn’t you call in the swat team to stop this murderous criminal now?
But then lieing PMSH is best Buddies with the muderous criminal lieing Bush gang!
Hi TS on 08.15.08 8:32 am,
Maybe it’s the idea the constant growth is even possible on a finite planet.
Have you see this talk yet?
‘mathamatics, population, and energy’
Use link and scroll down to
The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See (part 1 of
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
Don’t worry about it. If the powers that be aren’t in the mood to apply some actual Keynesianism for once, this time WITH the fiscal strength to be relevant, they can always start another war.
Hi Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am,
Which mainstream would you suggest?
Might yours look some think like this place?
Plato’s: Allegory of the Cave 7min.
(with modern images)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ei7LqbYb8M&feature=related
1.What are you going to do to protect/ keep form loosing your freedoms and human rights?
By Greg W., Oakville on 08.15.08 10:11
PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.15.08 5:02 am
2.Has anyone on MSN news ever mentioned the great depression 2, GD2 ?
Greg W., Oakville on 08.15.08 10:27 am
1. I am highly politically active and STRIVE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE to candidates wherever and whenever possible.
2. If the property owners who got REPO’d, are responsible for the “spread” between the ‘old market’ and ‘current value’ but cannot declare bankruptcy, you’re looking at a whole lot of people who’re hurting terribly.
Using current forecasts;
(3.5 MILLION * 2.5 = 8.75 MILLION people)
Population in tent cities and under highway overpasses has doubled. It’ll get worse because you won’t get credit unless you’ve got a spiritual leader as a co-signer.
I know Harper can request that the Governor General disolve parliment, but does the GG HAVE too? Could the GG say no and force parliment to continue? What is the GG powers in this scenario?
How will the U.S. handle this…will Harper support Bush on this?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,404221,00.html
Hi PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.15.08 9:45 am,
Thanks for your posts.
Have you seen the last Federal reserve presedent in the linterview in this move? It says it all!
America: Freedom to Fascism – Director’s Authorized Version – 111 min
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173
The Directors Aaron Russo interview also will inform you about the evil people we are really fighting against to keep our freedoms and human rights to live and be happy.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3254488777215293198&hl=en
This is also an interesting historical why of seeing things.
YouTube – Robert Newman’s History of Oil ( 1 of 9 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhhrzHKMhI
Citizens pissed that Jim Flaherty told them last year the economy was “solid as the Canadian Shield,”
posted by Garth Turner on 08.14.08
Garth it just occured to me that we haven’t seen Dim Jim on the tube lately.
Just think, if the economy was doing well, he’d be calling for all kinds of press conferences so he could get behind that podium that he loves so much and take credit for all our good fortunes.
DIM JIM IS MIA
Liberal forum trools are in a tizzy over the threat of an early election.
The frothing and foaming over inconsequential issues makes one wonder if this is only a collection of neuro-psycho-whackos populating this fine forum.
Come the next election soon, the only thing Canadian voters will want to know is:
1. What have you done for me?
2. What will you do for me?
3. Who is going to be the prime minister?
That’s about it folks, and all your frantic shouting about issues that Canadians don’t care about and don’t want to hear are totally useless. No politician or canvasser is going to explain the ins and outs of some of the rubbish being spouted here by people who have no understanding how an election campaign works.
Harper is giving Dion the opportunity to show some leadership and unequivocally declare the Liberals will vote no confidence in the government at the first opportunity next month. If Dion continues to hide in the bushes, Harper will take control and visit the GG … most likely this month to stop the 3 byelections … and ask her to dissolve Parliament …!!!!
Are ya ready, Garth …??!!!
you’ve identified the problem and what is a Liberal government going to do about it? What are the solutions?
Both the Cons and Libs point fingers and say the other is the problem so who do we vote for?
It isn’t the Politican’s fault if many Canadians want to remain Ignorant of the Facts.With the NET you research for yourself,well that seems to be the only Option for many of us that are Starting to take an Interest in How the Country’s being Run the “FREE” Press sure as hell aren’t doing such a Great Job. The Progressive USA blogs coined the phrase”Lapdog Journalism” and it is so true.When did the “NEWS Hounds “evolve into LAPDOGS” I wish I still didn’t know what side of the Asile the Journalist was on,now it seems they all want to be “Pundits”. That’s the One Good thing to Come Out of the Bush WH he Woke up alot of Us harried Working People in this World.Well at least the Boomers.:>)Garth’s blog was an ENEMY in Harper’s mind,but than that guy was too Stupid to see what a useful tool this blog is.I think like Alaskan Senator Ted “The Indited”Stev”ens it’s the “Internets’ Tubes that confuses the CONS.Oh but the biggest Threat from the NET is the people like myself that are not very Knowledgeible having access to Information that doesn’t have the “PUNDIT SPIN” on it. George Carlin May he be Laughing up a Storm with Bernie MAC has been telling us for years the Government doesn’t want a Educated Public it’s too much of a Threat.With Knowledgw your more Free minded and Harder to Control.
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.15.08 9:36 am
Pyotr
Thanks for the virtual hug..
What a great idea when we are canvassing. Burst the Conservative rankor with a hug.
I may not be able to change your ideology but I can show you I am human.
Wow the C.R.A.P. trolls are out today! (But don’t feed them!) You know they’re in deep C.R.A.P. when that happens. The Australian and American right-wing fallacy tactics are in full swing, and I’m glad a good 68% or so of the people of this country still have the brains to see through it all.
I say bring it on, let’s get rid of this mess! (And let’s limit to 1 comment per day per IP!)
I think Dion should be talking to the BLOC and the NDP Leaders and Pull a fast one on Harper.If Harper can’t Get Parliment to Work than Dion should have an Agreement with Giles and Jack to conduct a Coalition Government until ‘09 when the Fixed Election is Planned Sqaaving the Taxpayer $300 mil. This way they can get to the Guts of All of Harper’s Dirty dealing and Pass some good Bills that are Good for Canadians Not Big Business. It could be a Dry Run on Judging how Dion will Run a minority Gov.I think Liz May is Right give the Libs a Minority with a Good dose of Green Party MPS and Let’s get the Country back on track.
Both the Cons and Libs point fingers and say the other is the problem so who do we vote for?
By Andrew M on 08.15.08 11:15 am
none of the above
On July 24, 2008, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said:
“There is a bubbling appetite among Canadians for a federal election…”
Has anything changed in the last 3 weeks to convince Dion that things have changed, or is he silent because he now fears an election?
If Dion intends to bring down the government, he should make up his mind within the next two weeks because it would be a travesty if he waited until after September 15th and after the September 8th by-elections.
Dion must declare his intentions in the next two weeks so that Harper can ask the GG to dissolve Parliament before the 3 by-elections. That would be the only decent thing to do for the voters in Guelph, Westmount and St.Lambert.
Stand up, Dion … and speak up because Canadians want to know ..!!!!
Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club that always seemed out of place in the mainstream—much like most Liberals on this blog.
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
Interesting observation when you don’t know any of the Liberal bloggers personally. You study everything this way? Besides, you have to be “smart” to be in the science club or play chess.
Garth – perhaps you should keep a running list on your site of those who use different names…don’t have to publish their blog site/email addresses, etc. Just a list of names from the same source.
I think we should know.
Greetings Garth.
If you brought Dr. Roberts to speak to your meeting on 20th. your constituents would see that we have bigger problems that the real-estate meltdown.
If you brought him to a meeting of Liberal MPs you could shift to the more important topic of human survival.
No Canadian would vote for a party that supported the conspirators mentioned below. Expose Ottawa’s co-conspiracy.
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08152008.html
Suddenly the Western Europeans have realized that being allied with the United States is like holding a tiger by the tail. No European country wants to be hurled into war with Russia. Germany, France, and Italy must be thanking God they blocked Georgia’s membership in NATO.
The Ukraine, where a sick nationalism has taken hold funded by the neocon National Endowment for Democracy, will be the next conflict between American pretensions and Russia. Russia is being taught by the neocons that freeing the constituent parts of its empire has not resulted in their independence but in their absorption into the American Empire.
Unless enough Americans can overcome their brainwashed state and the rigged Diebold voting machines, turn out the imbecilic Republicans and hold the neoconservatives accountable for their crimes against humanity, a crazed neocon US government will provoke nuclear war with Russia.
The neoconservatives represent the greatest danger ever faced by the United States and the world. Humanity has no greater enemy.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
Thanks Garth, Thanks Dr. Roberts.
Now we know Canada’s greatest danger.
John Duddy.
Harper is giving Dion the opportunity to show some leadership and unequivocally declare the Liberals will vote no confidence in the government at the first opportunity next month. If Dion continues to hide in the bushes, Harper will take control and visit the GG … most likely this month to stop the 3 byelections … and ask her to dissolve Parliament …!!!!
Are ya ready, Garth …??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 11:12 am
—————-
Jeez didn’t you hear Harry. The opposition parties have already had a talk with the GG and asked her not to grant Harper’s request. They informed her that they were willing to give it a shot at a working coalition Government until 2009. Sounds like a plan eh?
Harper wants an election becasue he is at 43% support, and Dion is at 22%.
D’uh.
More wisdom from the guy who predicted I’d be thrown out of caucus by now. Keep it up. — Garth
By Man with Asshat on 08.14.08 10:42 pm
Gee, so the disfunctionality of Ottawa that Harper is bitching about,…
Has anyone watched the DOC “Peace,Propaganda and the Promised Land”. It really shows how the North American “FREE” Press filter the NEWS we see and Hear. The Comparsion with How the European media and NA MSM reporting on the Same NEWS story really opens your eyes. All NA gets is the Zionist Right Wing View and not much of the Moderate View. Do we ever see Jewish Seniors with Cameras watching the Checkpoints?Do we ever see Jewish and Arab Mothers All dressed in Black Marching togeter for Peace? It’s their Governments Not the people that want War.We the Public in NA supported the Moderate Voice in the M.E an d Stop listen to the Right Wing Propaganda.
Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club that always seemed out of place in the mainstream—much like most Liberals on this blog.
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
Shut up ! You condescending, supercilious
Troll, twerp . You have nothing to offer but snide rhetoric and
stupidity .
Dion must declare his intentions in the next two weeks so that Harper can ask the GG to dissolve Parliament before the 3 by-elections. That would be the only decent thing to do for the voters in Guelph, Westmount and St.Lambert.
Stand up, Dion … and speak up because Canadians want to know ..!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 11:40 am
If I was Dion, I would let Harper twist in the wind…Harper is dead meat…bye Harry
you’ve identified the problem and what is a Liberal government going to do about it? What are the solutions?
Both the Cons and Libs point fingers and say the other is the problem so who do we vote for?
By Andrew M on 08.15.08 11:15 am
The best independent candidate in your riding…
“Nothing in the law passed by the Conservative government to set a fixed date – October 2009 – for the next federal election prevents Harper from seeking the dissolution of Parliament if he deems it not to be working,” Teneycke noted.
Ok that is good that they left a loophole open to allow for dissolution of Parliament. What was the point of the set election dates now, and how much time was wasted passing this obviousley useless piece of legislation?And to think that people don’t trust politicians, I wonder why that would be?
Harper is giving Dion the opportunity to show some leadership and unequivocally declare the Liberals will vote no confidence in the government at the first opportunity next month. If Dion continues to hide in the bushes, Harper will take control and visit the GG … most likely this month to stop the 3 byelections … and ask her to dissolve Parliament …!!!!
Are ya ready, Garth …??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 11:12 am
Let’s hope Harper makes that mistake..although he is in a box, he doesn’t want any more “in & out” information to surface, so he will have to cover it up some how…Dion should just laugh at Harper…and tell him to make his move…LMAO…
What Harper Fails to Understand is it was the “PROGRESSIVE” in the Old PC Party that the Canadian Public Liked,Not the CONservative.Canadians are more Progressive than either Liberal or CONservative.We’re pretty much middle of the Road Boring.I Liked us much Better when we didn’t Care that we were Not a “Force” in the World,but just being seen as a decent Country trying to S3t a Good Example of how Peoples from all over the World could Find Save Haven to live their lives in Peace. That’s How I see Canada.
I can’t wait to hear Harper on the campaign trail explaining his carbon tax without any tax breaks for Canadians, this should be really funny.
Harper’s Reformers talked about recall of dud members by constituents. That didn’t happen.
Harper continues to talk about an elected Senate, I guess we won’t get that one either.
Canadians are going to ruin CRAP and ruun them out on a rail once and for all .
In all likelihood they will sweep every seat in Ontario and pull thirty from Quebec .
Danny Williams has read the riot act to Newfoundlanders and said he doesn’t want even one Con seat in his province .
Seven more Liberal seats .
Out here in Al and Berta land there is a lot of behind the scenes work going on to have several Cons removed .
Lawrie Hawn will most likely lose as will Ambrose and Jaffer . At least they have been identified as being the most vulnerable .
PEI will be a Liberal sweep as it always is .
Unfortuneatly I have no hope of getting rid of Leon Benoit a useless hat stand if there ever was one .
New York court announces plans to revisit Arar case–COLIN FREEZE–G&M–08-15-08
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080815.ARAR15/TPStory/National
REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR MR. ARAR
Contrast that with Harper, Ablonczy, Day–GUILTY UNTIL YOU PROVE YOURSELF INNOCENT!
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070126/arar_quotes_070126/20070126/
Maybe one of the Harper-Bot, Neo-Clown trolls can answer these questions.
Harper pasted a law that fixed the election dates in Federal Elections here in Canada.
1) Why did Harper pass this law?
2) Was it an election promise to pass this law?
3) How can Harper possibly go to the GG and ask for Parliament to be dissolved?
4) What purpose was served by having Fixed Election Dates when Harper can still just ask the GG.
5) If the Liberals win the next election and they decide to Dissolve Parliament, because it would be adventagous to them, because they are riding high in the polls and the CPC are making their lives difficult to run the Country, will you then say “Hey, it’s ok, Harper did the samething”,…
You just wander guys, and I would really like to hear a no-spin, honest answers to these questions.
To me it seems Harpers Blue book of election promises are sounding more and more like Liberal Red of Promises.
1) Income Trusts
2) Fixed Election Dates
3) Transparent and Accountable Government
4) Decrease wait time of medical patients.
5) Creation of childcare spaces
6) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to make all votes in Parliament, except the budget and main estimates, “free votes” for ordinary Members of Parliament.
7) During the 2006 election Stephen Harper pledged to clean up government polling, having repeatedly criticized the Liberals for spending $18 million on polls he pledged a Conservative government would not take its position based on public opinion polls.
After having spent $31.2 million in its first year on 546 polls or nearly double the amount the Liberals spent, the failure to clean up polling, in fact doing the opposite makes it to the list again.
8)As Leader of the Opposition in May 2004, Mr. Harper pledged to Canadians that a Conservative government would eliminate the GST on gas entirely if prices escalated above 85 cents per litre. Mr. Harper called the GST a tax on tax, referring to the federal excise tax which is also charged on fuel.
Sounds like a plan eh?
By Randy on 08.15.08 11:53 am
Put the losers (worst of the worst) of the last election in charge. What do you call that, democracy in action?
————
Harry, take a pill for your hysteria. The Libs will not bring on a fall election and Harper certainly won`t admit he squandered 30 months with a 5 point distraction plan.
Besides, until I see the plan Garth says he has there is 0 possibility that another election will take this country in a different direction that what we`ve followed for 40 years, or save the economy.
the melt is on
Time for us Liberals to load up on horses,guns and money .
Bring it on CRAP heads .You are destined to become a mere footnote in Canadian political history .
I can think of at least a couple of instances where government went in the opposite direction of what the majority of Cdns want. It`s simply not fair to blame Cdns for an undemocratic, illegitimate and corrupt government whose only claim to power is the Marxist ideology of entitlement.
40 years CB with little or no work done
By got rope? on 08.15.08 10:37 am
Sure it is fair to blame Canadians. In a country based on democracy it is the public that is always at fault. They have allowed a small oligarchy, which controls private clubs called political parties, gain control over the system.
Those who belong to parties have become obsessed more with the game of politics than with good government and they have allowed a small group to take over so that the party operates as a dictatorship. The membership gets to elect the leader but who can actually serve in that position is controlled by a small centralized elite who gets to set arbitrary rules before each leader is chosen. That ensures that the choices are strictly limited.
We have all allowed basic democracy to die a slow death by allowing the political parties to become merely top down private clubs run in the interests of a small group of special interests. They have allowed the parties to control who can be a member and have basically allowed them internally to operate without enforceable rules and regulations.
In fact, the legality of the kind of parties we have today may be questionable given the kind of control they have achieved over government.
In a democracy the general public does not have to tolerate this but they do and so are responsible.
Suddenly the Western Europeans have realized that being allied with the United States is like holding a tiger by the tail. No European country wants to be hurled into war with Russia. Germany, France, and Italy must be thanking God they blocked Georgia’s membership in NATO.
If Canada’s neighbour was Russia instead of the US then it too, would be a Russian province rather than a country. Do you think Canadian nationalism would be a tad elevated if the US sent in their tanks accross the border?
What’s that? The great Liberals, defenders of democracy and social fairness, hidding behind the curtains when it’s time to put up or shut up? No news there.
It would be faster to give Russia Eastern Europe back and then we can concentrate on fixing the GHG issue and destroying our own economies distraction free.
Does this mean that that now inflation should be considered a good thing because it contributes to an increase in the GDP?
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5goZ_eXUdJUFd150TqWN1SKTTTmpA
Shut up ! You condescending, supercilious
Troll, twerp . You have nothing to offer but snide rhetoric and
stupidity .
By Men With Hats on 08.15.08 12:03 pm
Hey I bet Paul Szabo couldn’t have said it better. Which club were you in the Chess or the Science?
John Williamson of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation writing in an op-ed today:
“In fact, it is no contest between the Harper government’s spending and that of Mr. Chretien’s government. The Grits exercised greater fiscal discipline.”
OUCH!!! When the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation says the Old Liberals were more fiscally conservative than a Fiscal Conservative Economist like Harper and Spend Happy Jimmy, that’s gotta hurt.
Put the losers (worst of the worst) of the last election in charge. What do you call that, democracy in action?
————
By got rope? on 08.15.08 12:22 pm
Yup sad isn’t it Rope? No less democracy in action than Harper has been showing the past 2 1/2 year.
Tell me Rope. Harper’s enviro plan will raise every day cost of living on the Candian people just as much as the Liberal plan yet not offer a dime in relief to you me or any other poor miserable tax payer. Now that sounds like a plan eh? NOT
Hmmm….Guergis and Jaffer are supposed to be getting married. I guess one will have to give up their riding…I know the Guergis family (nepostism as its worst) are in doo doo there.
Fund raising Idea :
Sell troll (voodoo) dolls .
Every time a stupid Con troll says something stupid you can punch it in the face .
Suggested price $20.00 .
DIM JIM IS MIA
By Ron p on 08.15.08 11:08 am
Not to mention DOA .
Garth
OT but in defence of Mr. Szabo
So I fired off an email yesterday to Mr. Szabo thanking him for remaining cool as Chair of the Ethics Committee with all the Conservative hi-jinks.
To my surprise, Mr. Szabo responded and thanked me for my email. People really forget that MP’s are human beings too. Apparently, he gets a lot of hate mail and my little note was appreciated.
You may not like Paul Szabo or Garth Turner or Stephane Dion but show a shred of human decency. Our Members of Parliament are public servants and work very hard to do the people’s business.
Hit the delete button on hate mail – it is un-Canadian.
In a democracy the general public does not have to tolerate this but they do and so are responsible.
By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 12:26 pm
Cdns don`t have a choice like a provincially nominated federal government.
I have noted you have voiced objections to changing our corrupt system many times in the past.
Are you reconsidering or at least offering an alternative to voting against the worst?
This post is nothing but a bunch of partisan crap. Harper wants an election because YOUR leader keeps thumping his chest and running back into the weeds. YOUR party stalls parliament, makes a mockery out of our institutions and uses Ethics Committees for partisan witchhunts. 43% of Canadians want Harper as Prime Minister, and they’ll get that, whether you, Dion, Jennings or Goodale like it or not.
By The Trusty Tory on 08.15.08 9:36 am
You say something ? My ears are full of CRAP bravado .
You are such a LOSER ! And the party you support are life long losers .
Bu,bye ! Morons .
Gosh, it seems like only last year … oh, wait … it was:
Tories blasted for handbook on paralyzing Parliament
Updated Fri. May. 18 2007 5:16 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Harper government is being accused of a machiavellian plot to wreak parliamentary havoc after a secret Tory handbook on obstructing and manipulating Commons committees was leaked to the press.
Opposition parties pounced on news reports Friday about the 200-page handbook as proof that the Conservatives are to blame for the toxic atmosphere that has paralyzed Parliament this week.
“The government’s deliberate plan is to cause a dysfunctional, chaotic Parliament,” Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale told the House of Commons.
Curiously, then:
Harper hints at triggering election
Prime Minister Stephen Harper hinted strongly Thursday that he may do something to trigger an election because Parliament is not functioning anymore.
In other news, PM Harper viciously murdered his parents, then threw himself on the mercy of the court, claiming he was an orphan.
Yeah, it really is that retarded.
It’s time for the Public to get out of the Politican’s PRIVATE Life and just Care about his PUBLIC Life. I think this is what scares away alot of good People running for Office because if they happened to make a Mistake that affected Only Them and Their family it will be dragged out and Reported on as NEWS when it’s Only fluff Info-tainment.Thankfully Canada isn’t as Bad as the USA in this Area,but I can see the trend swaying to less NEWS and more Infro-tainment in Cdn MSM.
Tell me Rope. Harper’s enviro plan will raise every day cost of living on the Candian people just as much as the Liberal plan yet not offer a dime in relief to you me or any other poor miserable tax payer.
By Randy on 08.15.08 12:39 pm
Neither plan is worth considering. But you seem to favor the green tax shift so I say good luck convincing Cdns that the Dion plan will save the environment, the economy or actually be revenue neutral let alone ever see any promised relief. I don`t think axe the tax, fix health care for a generation, adscam, HRDC, gun registry, the highest number of parent denied children and a few others is far enough behind the Libs.
Both parties are counting on the gullibility of Cdns to hold or regain power. Which category do you find you`re most comfortable in?
Liberaltaxman, thanks for reading my comment.
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08132008.html
Here is another one.
Written by a Republican.
Think my gum’s might be sizzling .
By SUE on 08.15.08 11:16 am
Truer words were never written, lady!
Non Corborundum Illegitimus or how ever you spell it!
Are you reconsidering or at least offering an alternative to voting against the worst?
By got rope? on 08.15.08 1:05 pm
I will…I will
FOR A NEW INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT IN CANADA
Here is the plan…
1. Each Province and/or Territory is allotted one member of parliament based on their percentage of the population of Canada. For example if Alberta has say 18 % of the population, they get 18 seats. (There will be possibly a few more than 100 seats to accommodate those provinces who have .5 % or more or who might have less than 1% of the population)
Each Province or Territory must have at least one seat.
2. Within each Provincial caucus, the members slated to be in the cabinet will be voted in by the elected members.
3. Each Province and Territory will have one member in Cabinet, the four largest Provinces in population two. (Total 16 members)
4. The Prime Minister will be elected by the 16 members of Cabinet and approved by the Parliament as a whole.
5. Funding for elections will be provided by the federal government and will be limited to the minimal amount necessary. (the amount to be determined by Elections Canada)
No individual or corporate donations will be accepted, the penalty for accepting them will be dismissal from Parliament and a by election will be held in that riding within 60 days.
6. Recall from cabinet can be effected by a vote of 75% of Parliament.
7. Recall from Parliament can be effected by a 60% participation in the form of a petition of the MPs riding.
Everyone relax…Jim Dim was just on BNN and everything is fine…
And Dean continues to profess his superior ethical behaviour based on his membership in the Roman Catholic Church!!!
By Judy on 08.14.08 11:03 pm
I thought the Conservatives would have added the definition of ‘ethics’ and ‘morality’ to their mantra?? Perhaps it’s too conceptual?
Intelligent life found within white mould on dog poop = +1
Intelligent life found within Dean–> it’s up for scientific debate
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
What I’m really concerned is the infrastructure bubble that has begun in the U.S. Bridges and roads, they’re selling everything. Public schools have become ‘charter schools’ run by corporations in some States. They’re selling everything. Could that happen here with a Harper majority? Will we become CanCorp?
People would overwhelmingly support an election now if they were a little more confident that they wanted S. D. as their Prime Minister. 15% in the polls is not good enough, and is a drag on the party.
The more he procrastinates, the more the image of weak leadership is established. There should be no more need to hem and haw, Stephane. This time, take Garth’s advice if you know what is good for you!
If Stephane blows the TV debates, at least it will hasten the day we can move on to provide a credible alternative. Garth, that just could be your moment!
Ny advice to Stephane Dion is, “Either lead, follow, or get out of the way!”
This is no time for indecision, vacillation and procrastination. Canadians have had a belly-full of this guessing game and delaying tactic. Enough is enough!
BY DAVID BAKODY 08.15.08 6:38 AM
Gee David, I hope you got my joke about the lottery, I borrowed it from my brother who has always joked that his retirement plan is to win the lottery, we always get a kick out of that. And thanks, if I do win the lottery maybe I’ll be okay.
And can John Bairdy Boo Baird possibly say the word “concrete” more often??!! Has anyone else noticed the over use that Con Buzz Word??!! I was reading some of the government stuff the other day, and right in their legislation even, they repeatedly use the word “concrete” over and over. These guys are nuts with their Talking Points.
If you’ve read my many posts David then you know I agree with you 100% but you should note that it’s only the politicians in Alberta who whip up the east vs west hype. The majority of people never talk that way and could care less. We have a voting system in Alberta that somehow gives double the weight to a rural vote (roughly speaking) so despite a good percentage of Liberal voters, the rural vote sways it. And even they don’t enter into the east vs west fray… they’re just anti-liberal because they hear it from their establishment. So it’s just the politicians, but they get voted in due to our screwy system and lying politicians here. No wonder Harper is such a good liar, he was groomed by the big boy club out here. So please be careful and always note that it’s the Alberta Politicians, the long standing Conservative Party who have lied and manipulated their way, along with their big oil and big corporate buddies, for decades. Albertans are hostage in a sense, and who is going to tell them they are being screwed by ridiculously low royalty deals with corrupt big oil? Not the politicians here. Any way, it’s the politicians, yes elected by deceit, so don’t help them with some imaginary east vs west “wedge” that they want you to believe. It’s the Alberta Conservative’s way of divide and conquer, so don’t fall for it.
By the way, I recall that you as well as I, have commented on Cheney, Rusmsfelt, Wolfowitz, Abrams, Boulton, Perle, Kristol and the rest of the gang, but have you noticed a short while ago that the PNAC website now says: “This Account Has Been Suspended”? I used to refer friends there when they didn’t believe it that on page 51 or page 61 was their note in 1997 about a new Pearl Harbor speeding up the process of what they plan to accomplish. Luckily, all their pages have been saved on other sites.
The Green Shift is still malleable, the frame isn’t completely established, which means its ultimate fate may come down to one simple reality, which side, the advocate or the detractor, works the hardest. This is no time to pat ourselves on the back for a pretty good release, this is the time to kick it into overdrive, every challenge met with a response. No dead air, complete overlap.
It’s the middle of August, and I’m still waiting for anything Liberal in the province of Quebec. Fertile ground for The Green Shift, opportunity for Dion to get some traction. To date, no sense of any gameplan in this key province, if there is one, so under the radar to be irrelevant.
Crap handbook “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
The more he procrastinates, the more the image of weak leadership is established. There should be no more need to hem and haw, Stephane. This time, take Garth’s advice if you know what is good for you!
If Stephane blows the TV debates, at least it will hasten the day we can move on to provide a credible alternative. Garth, that just could be your moment!
By Mel on 08.15.08 1:47 pm
Mel..you sound like a wishy washy Harry…look Dion is there until after the next election, so get used to it. Everyone thought he should have pulled the trigger long ago and he proved his decision to hold off was right. If he blows the debates…well if Harper loses his temper…if…if…if….
You want an alternative….good for you, after the next election…IF..IF…IF HE LOSES, you can go for it…you see parties are run by the leader not the MPs or the people…besides what difference does it make…you have no say regardless of who is elected!!!
If Canada’s neighbour was Russia instead of the US then it too, would be a Russian province rather than a country
By LiberalTaxMan on 08.15.08 12:28 pm
Dear Man
It seems you have never looked at an atlas or a globe of the world. Or do you consider north of 60 part of Alaska?
Our far north is very close to Siberia, a region of Russia. Personally, I don’t want to relive the cold war or the increased threat of a nuclear war.
Chill sir, knee jerk reactions are how our neighbour to the south invaded Iraq.
By Zorpheous on 08.15.08 1:07 pm
snip
“In other news, PM Harper viciously murdered his parents, then threw himself on the mercy of the court, claiming he was an orphan.
In other news, PM Harper viciously murdered his parents, then threw himself on the mercy of the court, claiming he was an orphan.”
snip
Ahhh, yes… the dictionary definition of “Chutzpah”!
No one ever said the Harpo’s Bizarre were lacking in chutzpah! Confirmed by their actions in committee this week, eh?
Garth. What has happened to Parissa Aujia in the riding of Pitt Medows-Maple Ridge B.C.? Did she get cold feet? It can’t be good to loose a female candidate. Especially now. – Bob
Never met her. — Garth
You have a prerequisite that you have to meet someone before you can comment on them? Since when?
Shall I comment on you, Lex? — Garth
Orchard won his nomination? That is wonderful. A lot of people really like Orchard especially former PCs.
By C. B. Innes on 08.14.08 4:28 pm
That is an intersting angle that I did not think of. I just searched and found out that the Liberal party has a Michelle Hassen as their candidate for this riding. At least with 3 female candidates for the big 3 parties, there should be some civility shown during the campaign. Not the pissing contest that has been done priviously.
You are a sexist man-hater. — Garth
By Marc on 08.14.08 5:15 pm
Marc,
But what if Leasa were to run for the CPC, if she hasn’t done so already?
Then your argument falls apart.
By David Bakody on 08.15.08 10:05 am
David, You need to get you facts correct. The hearing you are referring to is not in the Senate, but is a House of Commons sub-Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics.
The warrants for arrest and detention will be sworn out once the properly issued subpeonas to appear are repeatedly ignored (some may not have been correctly served or not served at all). That will be interesting as it requires that the full HoC votes to concur when they return to sitting in Sept., I believe.
Finally, looking forward, if this Parliament does get dissolved for a general election and these Committees then expire, will the In and Out scheme be allowed in this next election or will Elections Canada seek a Court Injunction prohibiting the practice to be repeated as was abused by the Conservatives in the last general election? Then if such an injuction is issued watch how much of a tantrum “Stevie Carper” throws! It might be a criminal event worth capturing on video tape for posterity!
In and Out repeating has several other connotations I can think of:
-the LCBO and the Brewers Retail stores
-the act mentioned by Harper called
“screwing all Canadians” (was he implying kiddy diddling, too?)
-opting intermittently to participate and not participate in programs available for funding
Garth, that just could be your moment!
By Mel on 08.15.08 1:47 pm
Moment for what ?
Have you been struck by lightening twice yet? You know those odds, too!
BY TRUTH B TOLD 08.14.08 11:28 PM
Hey truth,
I’m still waiting for my first lightning strike.
My brother loves that joke about the lottery being his retirement plan.
Is it not crazy how often Baird says “concrete!” I think he repeats that required Harper buzz-word more often than the other Hoc boys combined.
Everyone relax…Jim Dim was just on BNN and everything is fine…
By wjp on 08.15.08 1:27 pm
Watch the interview straight from the horse’s mouth.
http://www.bnn.ca/
FISH OR CUT BAIT!
Love this — check out this link:
http://communities.canada.com/MONTREALGAZETTE/blogs/onthehill/archive/2008/08/15/fish-or-cut-bait.aspx
Politicianitis
IMHO the post by By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 12:26 pm is worth reading at least twice by every Canadian who is frustrated by our past governments and cares about the future of Canada as one Nation. I don’t know if WJP’s plan is workable, but I certainly like the idea of recall from Parliament by voter petition.
Let’s face it folks, we’re getting screwed by both parties. Liberals and Conservatives are complimentary Yin/Yang elements chasing each other’s tail. The sum of these entities equal an infinte hole of failed policies which devours your tax money and is sucking Canada dry. Value received for taxes spent is not being returned to the people. We cannot keep on doing things in the same way – it’s dysfunctional and has made our country vulnerable.
Enough of the baseless rhetoric. Whether you care or not, whether you like it or not, whether you make any difference of not, some people do love this country and work their hardest – within the only system we have – to serve it. I am proud to be an MP, and will fulfill my duties as best I can for the people I represent. When I see you doing a better job, I’ll heed you. Until then, I’ll consider these comments those of a grandiose, verbose, irrelevent ankle-biter. — Garth
“..A parallel is the democrats took over both houses in the States in 2006 and the economy has since gone in the tank. If you want that type of scenario in Canada then vote Liberal…”
By Brian Wilson on 08.14.08 10:13 pm
Well Mr. Beachboy, you must believe your fellow Conservatives are the stupidest people in existence,(ironically it is true) because they are the only ones that just might belive logic like that is well…logical. Even if the start of a Democratic ascendancy in the US in 2006 had any effect on the economy, Bush and the Republicans had already had 5 years to turn a 2 Trillion dollar surplus, left by the Clinton presidency into the 490 Billion annual deficit currently faced by the US. Likewise the Conservative government has taken the surplus left by the Liberals who eliminated the deficit left by the previous Conservative government and taken the country dangerously close to deficit again. Where does this myth that Conservatives are better fiscal manangers come from? Perhaps from the butt end of Conservative/Republican/right wing supporters. You know the bumper sticker “There are only two kinds of Republicans, Millionaires and Suckers”. Substitute Conservative for Repug and you have a ready made Canadian version. Conservatives are a wrecking crew that destroys everthing that they touch, including the economy. How can you run a government when you don’t believe in government. How can you uphold the rules when you bend them at every opportunity. How can you use policy to help people when you don’t believe in helping people. The Liberal Party has made mistakes, has shown arrogance, has shown a sense of entitlement to govern, but will at least enact policies that will be beneficial to more people. That is why they are at the Centre in the polical spectrum. They are better fiscal managers than the Right Wing, they are more realistic about social policy than the Left Wing. They are not perfect by any means but they are the best choice for most Canadians.
Personally, I don’t want to relive the cold war or the increased threat of a nuclear war.
By Bonnie N BC on 08.15.08 1:59 pm
Sry to tell you the only voice in starting WW3 is the $15T sitting idly in cash accounts and the tens of trillions at stake.
Chilling only gives a mandate for war.
P, We could go head to head on our system of governance. Seems everyone else here likes what they see.
R
Ny advice to Stephane Dion is, “Either lead, follow, or get out of the way!”
This is no time for indecision, vacillation and procrastination. Canadians have had a belly-full of this guessing game and delaying tactic. Enough is enough!
By Mel on 08.15.08 1:53 pm
Right tell Harper to pull the plug and tell the GG he can’t get parliamentary committee to follow his handbook on the subversion of democracy…LMAO…
Ny advice to Stephane Dion is, “Either lead, follow, or get out of the way!”
This is no time for indecision, vacillation and procrastination. Canadians have had a belly-full of this guessing game and delaying tactic. Enough is enough!
BY MEL ON 08.15.08 1:53 PM
Mel,
Your comment didn’t make sense.
Just wondering what you’re talking about? I think you meant to say “Stephen Harper” so then it makes sense.
Hary S. Observant, and Mel. All sound exactly the same. Gotta the love Harry S. puppet sock, astro-turf theatre,…
Hang on,… didn’t Harper cut funding for the arts this week? Where’s Harry getting funding for his Puppet Socks?
Chill sir, knee jerk reactions are how our neighbour to the south invaded Iraq.
By Bonnie N BC on 08.15.08 1:59 pm
The boys want to play with their war toys…
By Gord on 08.15.08 2:06 pm
I would vote for Leasa, most likely. She seems like a strong woman who can stand up for herself, and calls them like she sees them, with no political suger coating, or tap dancing around issues from what I have read.
Welcome To The New Canadian Political Theatre
————————————-
Harper and his henchmen sure failed the “how to act like decent, mature, and respectable human beings” classes.
CON antics at this week’s HOC committee hearings into their “illegal” 2006 CON election financing scheme were truly worthy of “detention.”
CON MPs on the committee constantly interrupted the hearings with crackpot “points of order” and procedural obfuscation and delay.
A total of about 18 CON witnesses, mostly candidates and/or their official agents, intentionally failed to appear, many ignoring summonses. Apparently, the CON party instructed witnesses not to show!
And yesterday, one failed CON candidate who did show up – but again unannounced and two days after he was originally supposed to appear – started screaming in the committee room when he wasn’t allowed to jump the queue of the other scheduled witnesses for that day. He then stomped out of the room and failed to appear later that day.
Yes, a truly respectable performance, worthy of a kiddie’s hissy fit.
Yes, these are the sordid sorts – thugs and criminals – currently in charge of our country. They are “above the law.”
Welcome to the New Canadian political theatre.
Pat Martin was questioning Mr. Maynard, he waves his hand across at the 5 CONs and refers to them as “Darwin’s Waiting Room” I near pissed my pants. Than there was Kady’s
BY SUE 08.15.08 12:24 AM
That’s too funny Sue, thanks for posting that. And thanks for reminding, I’ve been meaning to go and see what Kady’s saying.. very fun to read her stuff.
Barb the Proofreader,I think the Liberals need to Hire You and set up a blog where we can go to for the Real FACTS when in the next campaign the Attack Ads start.If you are not yet being utilized some Smart Politican better grab you. We need more Intellegent Progressive Women either Advicing or Running for office.Always informative comments.
Neither plan is worth considering.
By got rope? on 08.15.08 1:13 pm
That may well be, but chances are, either the Conservatives or the Liberals are going to form the next government, and one of those two “solutions” will be implemented. So your non-answer means nothing.
Out of the two plans – the Liberal one is superior.
How can you fight that?
BY 300BAUD 08.15.08 8:57 AM
Unfortunately Baud, we’ve all been spoiled, AND we’ve been trained to not really stand up for ourselves… in a manner of speaking. I mean, how many people, in mass numbers, actually write letters to the Editor or write to the Speaker, or write to their MP etc.
The Reform Party trainees have taken their notes and they are off and spouting and deceiving at all times. It only seems like a rough road for us to fight because we haven’t had to fight anything quite like this before. In a way the media are complicit, but I do see them doing their best to highlight what’s happening.
But look at it this way.. our fathers and mothers, and many ancestors had to fight physically in battlefields with guns and airplanes and tanks and boats to get rid of guys just like Harper.
All you or I have to do is screw up our courage and write a signed letter to the right people. Or call. Help organize something. Apparently these MPs aren’t too happy either. But send a letter to the Editors of all newspapers and tv. That should get attention. The only control you have is over the person reading this.
Shall I comment on you, Lex? — Garth
Yes, go ahead…
Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club that always seemed out of place in the mainstream—much like most Liberals on this blog.
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
I don’t suppose that you where NOT invited to either club —–due to a need for a brain to get into either???????
A common Neo-Con whine.
Just so you are informed, This IS a LIBERAL blog.
You are allowed to post here because Garth believes in “Free Speach. Something that you Neo-Cons do not. (Just try to debate on ANY of their blog sites.) (And bring up the I.T issue if you really whant to see how fast you can be edited OUT!)
Will Conservative Plan “Screw” Canadians?
Oh, here we go again, this time John Baird with the Green Shift means Canadians get “screwed” rhetoric. Back in the playground, nothing substantive, appealing to the gutter, Baird follows the Conservative mantra. Politically speaking, it’s all good, because there is no evidence to suggest the bombastic language works, in fact we’ve seen criticism when the Conservatives respond like juveniles. All that aside, in reading this piece on Baird’s grave warnings to Nova Scotians, I was struck by this one sentence, in reference to the Conservative plan:
The Conservative document Turning the Corner says there would be higher prices for Canadians.
“Canadians can therefore expect to bear costs under the regulatory framework that are not trivial,” it says.
People will remember, that when the Conservatives released their “plan”, it was met with much criticism. In an effort to project credibility, people like Baird were running around telling reporters that the Conservative plan would come with a “cost” to Canadians. In fact, Baird emphasized the “costs”, because that worked politically, the measure of effectiveness seemed to be how hard the plan bites.
The above quote is where the Conservative argument falls apart like a house of cards. If Canadians can expect an impact for the Conservative plan, which is “not trivial”, then the question becomes- what are the Conservatives doing to offset the “cost”? If Nova Scotians are most reliant on carbon producing sources of energy, does it not make sense, that under the Conservative plan, they would be “screwed”? The Conservative plan will increase the cost of energy, by their own admission, much like The Green Shift.Are there any media types actually working on the liberal team? If not, they need to get them on board right now because the current public strategy is falling beneath the bar.
Here’s the kicker. Unlike The Green Shift, the Conservative plan comes with a “cost”, but does nothing on the “relief” side. So, people in Nova Scotia get higher “costs”, “screwed”, and that’s it, you simply pay more. Let’s say for arguments sake that the Conservative plan “costs” much less than the Liberal plan, which is probably true, because behind all of this bluster, their plan has more holes than Glen Abbey. Even under that scenario, when you factor in the Liberal offsets on the tax side, you are probably worse off under the Conservative plan. Your “screwed” factor is higher.
Bringing it down to soundbites, the Conservative want to apply a “not trivial” cost increase on voters, period. The Liberals want to raise prices, but also offer substantial reduction on the income tax side, as well as credits, to offset any impact. Now, you tell me, who actually gets “screwed”? The Conservatives nonsensical arguments, the entire premise is counter-intuitive. I think they’ve boxed themselves into a irrational corner, it’s now the job of the Liberals to expose it for all to see.
It’s about time the plan was reported accurately.
We don’t hear Liberals pointing that out enough yet though, or at least not in print.
Harper held a news conference this morning in Nfld. He bashed Dion and his plan of course and not 1 reporter countered that their plan would have cost implications.
We really need a simple brochure that provides an honest comparison between the two.
Are there any media types actually working on the liberal team? If not, they need to get them on board right now because the current public strategy is falling beneath the bar. Is Mr. Dion’s communications director, Mark Dunn, doing as good a job as he can or is a better director needed?
By Mel on 08.15.08 1:47 pm
By Mel on 08.15.08 1:53 pm
Mel … the longer Dion procrastinates, we must assume he doesn’t have the support of the Liberal party to force an election. What is Dion waiting for ??
If Dion is waiting for the results of the Sept 8th by-elections that suggests:
a) if Liberals win in Guelph and Westmount, he will force a general election after Parliament reconvenes on Sept 15th, thus voiding the by-election results, or,
b) if Liberals lose in the by-elections, he will hold off and decide if he should continue to lead the Liberals.
In either case, Dion will be depending on the by-election results as a test of his Green Shift Tax and leadership of the Liberal party.
Harper could preempt Dion by going to the GG before the by-elections, asking her to dissolve Parliament … then Dion will not only be forced into an election, he will lose credibility as a leader, again.
Dion must speak up soon on this issue .. and perhaps he will respond on August 20th when he will surface in Halton at Garth’s shindig …!!!!
Canadian Heritage Minister Josée Verner said,
“Culture is an essential element of the identity of a nation and in that sense, will always have its unfailing support,”
In other news,…
The Department of Canadian Heritage has decided to cut five more arts and culture programs. The Stabilization Projects, to be shut down in April, were established in seven cities from Victoria to Charlottetown to provide financial and administrative support to arts organizations. Capacity Building is a companion program to provide similar assistance to organizations with no access to a Stabilization Project. Capacity Building has given aid to 347 arts and 214 heritage organizations since 2002, but will be cut in 2010.
The department also plans to end its annual contributions of $300,000 to the A-V Presentation Trust, $1.5-million to the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund and $2.5-million to the National Training Program in the Film and Video Sector, adding to consternation over last week’s planned elimination of the $9-million Trade Routes – which helps cultural groups such as Hot Docs and the Canadian Independent Record Production Association export and sell products abroad. On the same day, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade cut the $4.7-million PromArt program – which provides travel grants to artists and arts organizations.
Interestingly enough, I have heard from a Ottawa insider that Harper is increasing funding to allow more 10 Percent’er mailing so the CPC can spread more per-election material at the Tax Payers expense. Harper was reported to have said that he had only heard good things about the mailings and that his supporters think it is good idea and valuable use of Canadian Tax Payer Monies, providing it is material from Conservative.ca and it is attacking the liberals.
In other un-related news. Harper is planning on introducing a new bill (C-FU101) to Parliament that will allow him to eat live Kittens and throw old people under the wheels of buses when every he feels like it. Harper said that this would be a confidence vote and is by no means intend to trigger a election this fall.
BY GREG W., OAKVILLE 08.15.08 10:11 AM
Hi Greg,
You ought to re-post the video link with the agent provacateurs. That was a terrible thing Harper did and it shows his intentions. Especially that the police are supposed to protect us, the military are to protect the country, yet the police no longer protect our rights to protest and they were quite complicit in violating citizen’s rights that our country guarantees us.
BTW you missed my question or I missed your answer. Someone posted a really interesting video of a guy doing John Lennon talking about modern politics I think. I can’t find it. He was really good. Did you post that link? I’d love to pass it along to a friend who is a big Beatles fan.
Speaking of MIA – where was Harper when the World AIDS conference was held in Toronto in 2006? That little bit of bigotry cost him a few thousand votes. Remember, remember, sick people are voters too.
I was there. When I was a Conservative. — Garth
Dean Del Mastro, nice, honest Catholic boy – can be underhanded it seems.
Wikipedia edits from House of Commons IP address
During the period of June 23, 2006 to March 22, 2007, edits originating from an IP address belonging to the Canadian House of Commons were made to the Dean Del Mastro article on Wikipedia. The edits included additional details of Del Mastro’s 2006 election victory and passages such as:
Upon taking office, Del Mastro took a keen interest in improving government ethics, and was presented with an award for his “Championship of the Accountability Act” by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and John Baird, President of the Treasury Board.[3]
Jay Walsh, spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation, said in an interview there are tens of thousands of living people with biographies on Wikipedia, “so challenges about information are not uncommon.” Walsh said neutrality of language and guarding against conflicts of interest are two of the central pillars of Wikipedia. He said “The edits which should be trusted would come from people who don’t possess a conflict of interest, in this case, it would be worthwhile saying that if someone is making edits from a computer within the government of Canada … if it was someone within that ministry, that would theoretically constitute a conflict of interest
…boy rules don’t mean much to the Tories….
Are you reconsidering or at least offering an alternative to voting against the worst?
By got rope? on 08.15.08 1:05 pm
One of my solutions is for people to join parties and take them back or create new parties structured so they cannot so easily be taken over by special interests. The party system should never have been allowed to become so corrupt. Unless that happens there is no incentive for them to change.
The merger process was entirely corrupted by a small group at the center who totally ignored the PC constitution and the rules and regulations under the constitution to get what they wanted.
In this case the party elite was placed above the law by both Elections Canada and the Courts. The Chief Elections Officer violated the law by registering the party and invalidating the PC Constitution prior to the required time limits. While the courts determined the law was broken they refused to enforce it. Guess who manipulated this entire corrupt initiative? The same lawyer that convinced Conservative candidates that the in and out scheme was legal.
The chances are that in the in and out scheme the Conservatives will suffer no penalty even if the law was broken based on judicial precedent.
The merger process was corrupt and few people really care, especially those who are members of and support the new party.
“Hi TS on 08.15.08 8:32 am,
Maybe it’s the idea the constant growth is even possible on a finite planet.
Have you see this talk yet?
‘mathamatics, population, and energy’
Use link and scroll down to
The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See (part 1 of
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
By Greg W., Oakville on 08.15.08 10:43 am”
Hello Greg, I do not understand the point you are trying to make in relation to my posting. I never said anything about “constant growth”… here is the part of my posting that I think you are taking issue with: “It is time for an innovative, progressive agenda that focuses on economic sustainability, the environment, social justice, and equimanity.
“Economic sustainability” is NOT “constant growth” as you suggest. Economic sustainability is built around concepts of recycling, the use of renewable resources, and renewable energies such as wind, solar and geothermal…. NOT on the unbridled consumption of finite resources. I hope this has clarified my posting for you.
Out here in Al and Berta land there is a lot of behind the scenes work going on to have several Cons removed .
Lawrie Hawn will most likely lose as will Ambrose and Jaffer . At least they have been identified as being the most vulnerable .
PEI will be a Liberal sweep as it always is .
Unfortuneatly I have no hope of getting rid of Leon Benoit a useless hat stand if there ever was one .
By Men With Hats on 08.15.08 12:20 pm
Hats, can I get some of whatever you a smoking. It seems to work pretty well.
By Truth B Told on 08.15.08 2:08 pm
Thank you for the clarification and I enjoyed your overview of just what might happen. Sir, even if they were all just asked to sit in the grass outside the H of C with a Tim’s and some donuts in hand and explain themselves you would think they would a/ show up and b/ act in professional manner. Goodness knows all other words from their mouths have been vetted or pre-written. Seems like they could have come forward like gentlemen and then spoke in soft voices on nothing, hell Canadians are used to that! Thanks again for setting my facts straight wrt to procedure.
Gee Brian Wilson: all the kids I knew who were in the chess and science clubs were brilliant. They went on to become leaders in the tech field. No doubt, not one of them is Conservative.
Thanks Ron p on 08.15.08 2:21 pm,
And he even keep a straight face.
I wonder were he is getting hi scool-aid from???
For all of the readers on Garth’s blog who are hoping that the Governor General would allow a coalition of opposition parties to form a government without an election if Harper tried to claim that parliament was dysfunctional, the following from http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0543-e.htm#KeyA5 may be of interest:
After the October 1925 general election, the incumbent Liberals (led by Mackenzie King) had 101 Members of Parliament, while the Conservatives (led by Arthur Meighen) had 116 Members. However, the Liberals had the support of the 24 Progressive Party Members, as well as the 4 Labour and Independent Members, and Prime Minister King governed successfully for almost a year.
In June 1926, Prime Minister King lost the support of some Members of the smaller parties. Facing the almost certain loss of a motion of censure, since the government had already been defeated on motions to amend and adjourn, he asked the Governor General, Lord Byng, for a dissolution and a new election.
Lord Byng refused the dissolution on a number of grounds: there appeared to be an alternative government capable of governing Canada, as he was assured by the Progressives that they would support a Meighen government through the period of supply; it was less than a year since the previous election; and there was a pending vote of censure which the government was almost certain to lose. In the face of Lord Byng’s refusal, King’s government resigned and the Governor General asked Meighen to form a government.
At the time, it was mandatory that newly appointed Ministers vacate their seats and run in a by-election (the requirement was repealed in 1931). Since Prime Minister Meighen could not afford even the temporary loss of so many Members, he employed technicalities, such as a “temporary ministry” and “acting Ministers,” to avoid the required by-elections. A motion was brought in the House condemning such devices, and the government lost by one vote. Lord Byng then granted a dissolution to Prime Minister Meighen.
King made the issue a significant factor in the ensuing elections, claiming that it interfered with Canadian independence from the British Empire, and won a majority of the seats.
The matter is still relevant because, even now, senior constitutional experts cannot agree on whether Lord Byng acted properly or prudently. His best-known defender is the late Eugene Forsey. Peter Hogg considers the refusal to dissolve Parliament “at least unwise,” given the requirement that Ministers vacate their seats.
Harper could preempt Dion by going to the GG before the by-elections, asking her to dissolve Parliament … then Dion will not only be forced into an election, he will lose credibility as a leader, again.
Dion must speak up soon on this issue .. and perhaps he will respond on August 20th when he will surface in Halton at Garth’s shindig …!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 3:11 pm
Let Harper go to the GG, he will look like a complete ass to the country when he says I can’t get the opposition parties to abide by the little handbook I had written to subvert the democratic process of the committees….He will look like you Harry, a real smuck!!!
And Further In Entertainment News:
After having seen Dean Del Maestro’s performance as Perry Mason at recent HOC committee hearings, movie executives have taken note.
As the Conservative MP for Peterborough is not expected to be re-elected in the forthcoming federal election, he will be looking for “alternative” employment.
So, Montreal movie-heads are proposing that he take over the roll of well-known, but retiring, movie star Ron Jeremy (aka “The Hedgehog”).
But, as the usual form of financing for these “straight-to-video” films is expected to be tight in the future, “non-traditional” funding is also being sought out.
As a result, friend and fellow Conservative-supporter Charles McVety of the Canada Family Action Coalition has decided to “take action” and personally help with the financing.
The entertainment – and evangelical – world is abuzz!
Hats, can I get some of whatever you a smoking. It seems to work pretty well.
By ST on 08.15.08 3:51 pm
You can try what I am vaporizing on Sunday at the… No charge to inhale, but 5 bucks per person cover to use their machine. GST/PST is included in the price. What a great country we live in with select laws being enforced. Ride a bicycle with no helmet, get a $80 odd dollar fine. Vaporize as much pot as you want in an hour at a local head shop, $5.
Re Man with Asshat by Got Rope:
“If your hat is on your ass I can only imagine where your head is.”
Bravo!
—–
By David Bakody on 08.15.08 6:38 am
“Seriously I think this country is becoming polarized the West hate Liberals and the East hate Reformer/CONs but the fact is really they hate each other and that will not build a future for our country.”
That’s the Con game plan – divide and conquer. Splinter the country in factions warring with each other and they won’t notice who started the wars in the first place.
The U.S. neo-Cons did it beautifully. Now there are red states and blue states, all claiming to be true Americans, all hating each other’s guts.
Let’s look at what affects us all – climate instability, energy costs, economic recession – and try to do something about it as a country, not a bunch of warring regions.
Of course, that type of thing would show the Harpos’ glaring faults for all to see, and they’ll fight it as hard as they can. But there are more of us who are against Harper’s divisive tactics than are for it.
—–
From Garth’s header:
“Nothing in the law passed by the Conservative government to set a fixed date – October 2009 – for the next federal election prevents Harper from seeking the dissolution of Parliament if he deems it not to be working, Teneycke noted.” – News Report, 15 August 2008
Good god, now Korn Kob Kory is an electoral law expert, adding this to his former position as renewable fuels czar. That resumé must be getting mighty long.
—–
By Brian Wilson on 08.15.08 8:41 am
“Szabo looks like one of those guys I remember in High School that belonged to the Chess Club or Science Club…”
Oh – you mean the really, really smart guys?
Tell you what, the next time you need major surgery, book yourself in with the guy who got his M.D. from a diploma mill.
Oh, by the way, I was in the Math Club.
Geeks and nerds rule!
—–
Fertile ground for The Green Shift, opportunity for Dion to get some traction
BY DORYD ON 08.15.08 1:55 PM
Doryd,
I just saw this and remembered your comment. Are you near this place:
“town hall in Gatineau on Monday, August 18″
Stéphane Dion participe à une assemblée publique locale à Gatineau
Le chef libéral Stéphane Dion présentera son Tournant vert lors d’une assemblée publique locale à Gatineau, le lundi 18 août 2008. Tous les libéraux sont invités à y assister pour apprendre comment le Tournant vert aidera l’environnement et l’économie.
Heure : 19 h à 20 h
Endroit : Centre communautaire Tétreau
367, boulevard de Lucerne (secteur Aylmer)
Gatineau, Québec
Hi TS on 08.15.08 3:49 pm,
Sorry about the confusion.
I some times forget to mention that a few links I post are not nessasarally intended for an individual, you.
It’s just that your post reminded me about what is in the link.
I am just hoping, if someone hasn’t seen them yet, they will have a look. Maybe the links will help get a few more people ‘thinking’ and to ask them selfs a few more questions about what and why they believe what they are doing and were we are heading.
Again, I say, sorry to you, for not mentioning that this time.
By DoryD on 08.15.08 3:09 pm
Unfortunately for the Liberals, Dion is now known as the Carbon Tax guy who will tax everything, and few have any faith in Liberal promising a tax cut .. after Harper cut the GST and income taxes too.
In politics it’s first impressions are the lasting impressions and once perception is established that becomes the reality … and the reality is that Dion and the Liberals are the carbon taxers in the minds of Canadians.
There will be no way Liberals will be able to erase that mental image of Dion regardless of any counter explanation. This is the unfortunate reality for Dion and the Liberals.
Can’t you see that too …. and all the explaining in the world will not change that reality … too bad …LOL
Shut up ! You condescending, supercilious
Troll, twerp . You have nothing to offer but snide rhetoric and
stupidity .
By Men With Hats on 08.15.08 12:03 pm
Gee MWH. By reading the rest of your posts today (and, others from previous days), it appears that you do not have much to offer either… Really sad! If I recall correctly, you used to bring much more to the table.
Or buy yourself a disbarred lawyer to run your “energy and environment” school. Is their no depths to which the CRAP’s will not sink?
—–
Liberals slam Harper aide’s plum appointment
“Bruce Carson was named this week as the first executive director of the new Alberta-based Canada School of Energy and the Environment.
The institute recently got $15 million from the Tory government.
Carson, who was disbarred and jailed in the early 1980s for defrauding law clients, will split his time between the Prime Minister’s office and his new post until after the next federal election.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/479507
Hi barb the proofreader on 08.15.08 3:16 pm,
It wasn’t me that posted the,
‘Someone posted a really interesting video of a guy doing John Lennon talking about modern politics I think.’
Hopefully who ever did will repost it for anyone that missed it.
The SPP video of the,
‘agent provacateurs. That was a terrible thing Harper did and it shows his intentions. Especially that the police are supposed to protect us, the military are to protect the country, yet the police no longer protect our rights to protest and they were quite complicit in violating citizen’s rights that our country guarantees us.’
I might be able to find the link for it?
but it’ll take me a lot of time to find it and then just maybe?
Hopefully someone else has the link more readly avalible and will post the link of us all again.
You knoiw the SPP undercover cops that tryed to start the riot!
…boy rules don’t mean much to the Tories….
By slg on 08.15.08 3:27 pm
—————————————-
Not to mention that some “agent” tried to have articles deleted about Mark Carney, the current Bank Of Canada governer, who was previously part of Flaherty’s Dept. Of Finance.
“The wiki user which nominated the article for deletion was deemed to have a single purpose account, the purpose of which was to delete the Carney article.”
Enough of the baseless rhetoric. Whether you care or not, whether you like it or not, whether you make any difference of not, some people do love this country and work their hardest – within the only system we have – to serve it. I am proud to be am MP, and will fulfill my duties as best I can for the people I represent. When I see you doing a better job, I’ll heed you. Until then, you are a grandiose, verbose, irrelevent ankle-biter. — Garth
By PeckedToDeathByDucks on 08.15.08 2:33 pm
That may well be so, and many of us appreciate your service and allowing us the ability to voice our opinions, but you have to know that the leaders of the parties are calling the shots and the peoples voice, for the most part, is left behind the day after the election is over. If we had 200 MPs with your passion for their constituents, you know as well as I do that parliament would be a very different place. I understand why so many are turn off by today’s politics and I am sure you do as well and I believe that is the genesis of this gentlemen’s remarks.
By TS on 08.15.08 4:10 pm
So let’s assume the Liberals and NDP form a coalition government with 125 seats. I doubt the BQ would join in any coalition so that would give the CPC-BQ opposition 175 votes.
I would think a Liberal-NDP coalition government would be instantly defeated, throwing the country into a general election … and the coalition would have no governing record other than a Throne Speech and Budget. Besides a coalition government couldn’t go beyond October 19, 2009 anyway.
If the NDP did join with the Liberals that would be tatamount to uniting the Left, and the only way that would float is if PM Dion gave the Finance Ministry to Jack Layton. Now wouldn’t that please Liberals like Goodale, Rae and Ignatieff. I would think there would be wholesale resignations from the Liberal party … and the first to go would probably be our principled MP Garth.. unless he was offered Minister of Something.
A coalition Liberal-NDP government would spell the end of the NDP, and many NDP party members would also leave the party.
I don’t think that Dion has the leadership capabilities to organize and control a coalition government.
“Blowback from Bear Baiting”
Written by another well-known Republican.
Garth, please explain this to Peter MacKay
and the PM.
http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=13305
A coalition Liberal-NDP government would spell the end of the NDP, and many NDP party members would also leave the party.
I don’t think that Dion has the leadership capabilities to organize and control a coalition government.
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 4:33 pm
It may not be in the Liberals best interest but it would be wise for the Bloc to consider joining the Liberals. For them to be a point behind the Liberals in Quebec is unthinkable and would spell the death knell for them if they lost Quebec…Duceppe must be looking at his options at this point, and it may be the Bloc who props up the CPC in any votes in the House. If Harper go to the GG…he will look like the fool and hypocrite he is!!!
There will be no way Liberals will be able to erase that mental image of Dion regardless of any counter explanation. This is the unfortunate reality for Dion and the Liberals.
Can’t you see that too …. and all the explaining in the world will not change that reality … too bad …LOL
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 4:19 pm
Wrong again Harry..
Afull page add in the Newspaper with this:
Harper Carbon tax…
no tax relief
Dion Carbon tax
income tax relief
DION HAS THE BETTER PLAN FOR YOU!
Carson, who was disbarred and jailed in the early 1980s for defrauding law clients, will split his time between the Prime Minister’s office and his new post until after the next federal election.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/479507
By CM on 08.15.08 4:24 pm
birds of a feather….
Harper could preempt Dion by going to the GG before the by-elections, asking her to dissolve Parliament … then Dion will not only be forced into an election, he will lose credibility as a leader, again.
Dion must speak up soon on this issue .. and perhaps he will respond on August 20th when he will surface in Halton at Garth’s shindig …!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 3:11 pm
Wrong again, Harry. It is Layton who has to make up his mind to support a coalition government of Liberals and NDP long enough to get the Committee work done and the court cases dealt with before going to We the People for re-election. I hope they catch you on video tape when you hear the news that Layton has cut a deal with Dion.
Don’t forget to wear your “DEPENDS”!
but I certainly like the idea of recall from Parliament by voter petition.By PeckedToDeathByDucks on 08.15.08 2:33 pm
B.C. has recall legislation, but I imagine it is very hard to get a sitting M.L.A. recalled. It would take an organized effort. That is the first hurdle. It is required to have signatures from 60% of registered voters from the riding wishing to recall the M.L.A. Garth would probably be better at letting us know the logistics of door knocking neighbourhhods, how many people and how long it would take. I believe it is required to have the petition signed withen 30 days. It is not as simple as setting up a stand in some supermarket, and collecting signatures, as you would need a voters list to confirm the people signing are in fact registered voters for the riding at issue. Sounds good, but if anyone could pull it off, I would congratulate them on a job well done. It has been tried, and either given up, or failed to deliver.
The key is getting involved in selecting candidates, not trying to get them out after they’re elected. Far too few people belong to political parties, go to nomination meetings or support those seeking office. It’s a free country, and most times we have only ourselves to blame. — Garth
BY SUE ON 08.15.08 2:55 PM
Thanks Sue, but I pale in comparison to the very smart people here.
Do you notice that when you know something to be true, it’s easier to keep going.. you stick with it. Along the way, you learn it, and nail it. By that time, you’ve uncovered more.
I think it helps being in Calgary, it was like having a front row seat to seeing it unfold over 30 years. It started long before that though. These oil buggers are a smart bunch.. well connected, influential, they’ve been working away at this power for a long time, and it’s quite a rat’s nest of U.S. and foreign to do’s and gov’ts. And it’s everyday business as usual here.. they have normalized the deception that keeps people from taking that logical thought of “gee, aren’t they practically giving away our resources to foreigners? Hmm..”
I’m originally from the east, so I’ve always kept to myself, thinking the politics here was unimportant, just local business. But when the guy got to be prime minister.. I was shocked and appalled that his tactics worked! I thought: “Didn’t everybody know about these neocons from what happened down south?! Apparently not. It comes down to the voters and Harper and Flanagan feel that have that mastered. It is a game to them, a means to achieve the power so they can get jam their values on us. BTW they lie about their values of course, so that’s the problem with not stopping them. A neocon blogger here plants/brags that Harper’s whole plan to get re-elected just may work. I agree. Here we can all talk and talk, but there’s 10 million others who either don’t care to know the truth or don’t have the time. “Just enough to win”. He’ll be happy with a minority so he can say ‘told you so’.
It’s time we baby boomers grew up and took personal responsibility for Canada like we are supposed to. I have talked to a couple of teens and twenties who are more up on this than the adults.
I don’t want people to just simply trust an anonymous commenter like myself. I want them to look it up for themselves. It’s easier to bring the subject up with friends or family when you know your stuff.
Dear Man
It seems you have never looked at an atlas or a globe of the world. Or do you consider north of 60 part of Alaska?
Our far north is very close to Siberia, a region of Russia. Personally, I don’t want to relive the cold war or the increased threat of a nuclear war.
Well maybe if we keep silent and pretend it didn’t happen then we won’t have to worry about it.
A coalition Liberal-NDP government would spell the end of the NDP, and many NDP party members would also leave the party.
I don’t think that Dion has the leadership capabilities to organize and control a coalition government.
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 4:33 pm
Wrong as usual, Harry. You will never understand the nature and psychology of the various factions in the NDP. Your depth of comprehension of where old CCFers and Union Members are is totally distracted by the starry eyed want-to-be radicals undergrad crowd from some campuses! Many of the roots of the former CCF came from Liberal ranks as have numerous Union Members. They will be right at home in a “redder” Liberal Party!
Now go build yourself another “coffee”!
Fish or Cut Bait
That was the ultimatum that Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a couple of weeks ago to Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, urging him to stop obstructing the Conservative government’s legislation.
Well, it seems that Dion decided to fish. While on holiday in Quebec, he landed a 4.5 kg pike and won a fishing tournament held at Rivière Rouge. He then donated the $100 prize to the fish restocking fund for the Réservoir Kiamika.
“What was Harper doing?” while Dion was fishing and cutting bait, asked Dion aide Jean-François Del Torchio. “He was cutting arts programs.”
….too funny.
Forget Green Shift…CRAP are promoting Skin Shift.
Under the watch of CRAP you will get 50% Canadian Cleavage!
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=725864
A great CRAPTOON!
http://www.wasagasun.ca/wasagasun/article/113942#
By Truth B Told on 08.15.08 4:51 pm
Wrong again, Harry. It is Layton who has to make up his mind to support a coalition government of Liberals and NDP long enough to get the Committee work done and the court cases dealt with before going to We the People for re-election. I hope they catch you on video tape when you hear the news that Layton has cut a deal with Dion.
…………………………………
You are one who is ‘wrong’ … because it would be a Liberal-NDP minority government and it would lose control of the committees .. Szabo would no longer chair the Ethics Committee ….!!!!!
The coalition would have to be Liberal-BQ-NDP to control the committees and Parliament too. Do you think that’s realistic ..??!!!!
Any Liberal coalition with the NDP or BQ would split the Liberal party because Dion is a weak leader.
Only the neoDeviate ABCers want to see a coalition government … not rational Liberals and Dippers.
The U.S. neo-Cons did it beautifully. Now there are red states and blue states, all claiming to be true Americans, all hating each other’s guts.
By CM on 08.15.08 4:17 pm
Correction, CM, much of that you mention has been around much longer than you realize. It is partly a hangover from their Civil War.
What we should wake up and realize here that these kinds of divide and conquer tactics could lead us in Canada to our own Civil War. The Riel Rebellion and the MacKenzie incident might just be distant past skirmishes. And some people wonder why Harper has not repealed the long arms registry, I don’t!
Greg,
Found the important one:
The police agent provocateurs in a video every Canadian really ought to be looking at.
Concerned Canadians were not allowed to protest per their Canadian rights. In it’s entirety, it explains this fundamental right we’ve lost.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1429144751008474466
The police illegally used tear gas and spray, too and it’s the intimidation shown near the end that is very telling about this important loss of rights.
I’ll keep looking for the other one. I hope people watch the above one. It’s very revealing, but especially so if you watch the end.
Le Important Stuff First . . .
****************************************
Who Knew? Buy more vodka!
1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The stuff dissolves adhesive.
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
5. Spray vodka on wine stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.
6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle with vodka and spray bees or wasps to kill them (most of them have disappeared anyway!).
9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water into a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshing ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
13 Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
And silly me! Don’t forget to drink the stuff!
****************************************
WW from the KDC:
“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else.” — Will Rogers
If Libs., Bloc and Dippers all work together — for a change — to keep the HoC running until spring or fall 2009, by then Cdns. will have seen CRAP for what it really is — a thoroughly dysfunctional partisan group, who are desperately trying to break Canada up.
The joke will be on them, and it will be awfully nice to see them sink in their own quagmire.
****************************************
After briefly looking at the comments, one thing is missing, which is:
If CRAP get THEIR way and an election is called, then all of harpo’s and dimdumb’s screw-ups are conveniently forgotten by sheeple, mainly because everyone’s attention is on the six-week campaigning period, so no prior work is done to show what the parties have / haven’t done.
WJP and Bonnie compiled lists (I have both, and are ready to send them to the two papers here), so from now on, it maybe to CRAP’s disadvantage to have all the lies they have done in the last three years, make them all publicly known to as many folk as possible.
This may explain why CRAP want an election ASAP, because when all is said and done no one will ever be held accountable — the cycle begins again, with one side blaming the other and it only repeats the same old, same old rhetoric, so we’re right back where we started. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Most already know know that the economic downturn, gas / electric hikes, the food / credit crunch and many other things are worldwide, not just limited to a few places.
It will be interesting to see how the middle- and low-class adjusts to this; the rich may / may not have a tougher time of it.
I keep reading here about how the housing market is crashing and how some Albertan’s homes have lost up to $42,000 in value. I have never read where you explain how my $88,000 home was valued at $315,000 just before this devaluation. My math says 315,000 – 42,000 = 271,000. Imagine that! After “losing” $42,000 in value my house is still worth $183,000 more than I paid for it. Yes, I have been in my house longer than the 2 years quoted in your example, but how many people do you know that “flip” their house every 2 years? There is always risk in real estate as there is with any investment but I think you have a bit of a myopic view of the whole situation.
Your house is worth what someone will pay for it, no more. Give it a try. Besides, this is not all about you. The economic consequences of tens of thousands of fairly recent buyers being squeezed, and curtailing consumer spending hurts everyone. — Garth
Two things have become quite clear over the past couple years First, Harper and cloned clowns have not a clue how to govern a country and still have there Reform under wear on, and Second, clam cool Stephane Dion (Mr. Cool le chat) can stand in the ring and take a good bunch, not blink and is still on his feet having just strung out more rope for Harper to swing away on in the wind. Gee whiz, Harper really is a angry man and his summer break now appears to have produced no good news for Canadians. Garth please keep all the Neo Con feet in the fire you can, soon their goose(s) will be cooked. We can wait for spring to start our first American style election year Harper was so keen to push upon Canadians with HIS fixed election bill! Careful what you ask for….if he does it himself we will remind him of the years he stood on his soap box yelling fixed election dates, what that tell you about Senate Reform…reform alright Harper Senate “Reform”…get it?
Oh no – our stumbling, bumbling government has done it again…and I’m sure no lady love was involved:
Sensitive government document found on rainy Ottawa street
Papers discovered include risk assessment of Environment Canada database
Last Updated: Friday, August 15, 2008 | 11:28 AM ET
This document, marked ‘Protected B,’ describes ways that intruders could hack into an Environment Canada intelligence and enforcement database called NEMISIS. It was found lying on an Ottawa street corner. (CBC)A sensitive government document detailing a classified computer database has been given to the CBC after it was found lying on an Ottawa street in a rain-stained, tire-marked brown envelope.
The document is a risk assessment of an Environment Canada classified environmental enforcement database. It details a number of the system’s failings and describes exactly how the data could be attacked and corrupted, the CBC’s James Cudmore reported.
The so-called NEMISIS database is used by officers to track and prosecute polluters and environmental law-breakers.
The acronym stood for National Enforcement Management Information System and Intelligence System when it was unveiled in 1999. However, the title page of the mislaid document calls it the National Enforcement and Emergency Management Information System and Intelligence System, adding the words “and Emergency” to the name.
The assessment described in detail exactly how the database could be attacked by industrial hackers and organized crime, as well as environmental activists.
(Baird: No secret material in doc found on street corner)
Ya, right John Boy. What a bunch of inept clutzes.
….yes, our current government – crime and punshment and protect us, security. UNBELIEVABLE!
Garth, we are bailing from our house. Cost me $255,000 to build in 2006 , agent told us we need to be at $190,000 in my area. We are not upside down, but we are out alot of money at the end of the day. Also agent says listings are up 50% from last year, but so far they sold 25 % less homes than this time last year. It’s happening in Manitoba too. We are bailing while we can.
………..WJP and Bonnie compiled lists (I have both, and are ready to send them to the two papers here), so from now on, it maybe to CRAP’s disadvantage to have all the lies they have done in the last three years, make them all publicly known to as many folk as possible………..
By Charles Oxley on 08.15.08 5:27 pm
Hi Charles
Please post both of those lists on this blog so we all have a copy to use when required.
I am making up a little word document of all the negative media articles on the neocons to share with people. I might even print out a few copies to distribute in my neighbourhood.
I have received 14 if those damn
10% ers
I think those of us who are supporters of Stephane Dion and his team need to get out in droves and canvas neighbourhoods and drive people to the polls on voting day. You can rest assured all the far right and fundamentalists will be doing the same. We cannot let apathy keep Harper and his henchman in power any longer.
Prime Minister Harper to visit Kitchener next week
PM Stephen Harper in Kitchener
Come meet the Prime Minister!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 – 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Romanian Cultural Centre
2150 Bleams Road
Kitchener, ON
BBQ event with Prime Minister Stephen Harper this Tuesday August 19 at the Romanian Cultural Centre at 2150 Bleams Road in Kitchener.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are 25$ for adults and 70$ for families. Only pre-registered guests will be admitted. A volunteer will call to confirm your registration.
—————————————————–
Let’s see which leader gets a bigger audience … Harper on the 19th or Dion on the 20th … and maybe on the 21st they could meet in Guelph for a by-election debate …LOL
And will Harper be giving a policy talk, and opening up the floor to all questioners? Or just warming weenies? — Garth
The key is getting involved in selecting candidates, not trying to get them out after they’re elected._Garth
This may be a dumb question, but if a mostly non partisan wanted to see good candidates nominated, is someone allowed to be a member of multiple parties? Could I have membership in Green party, Liberal party, N.D.P. and Conservative party if I choose? Then I could paticipate in nominations of people I felt worthy for each party?
Yes. No law against it. Sounds supremely Canadian. — Garth
it is curious that Harper should be musing about an election while in Cupids,NL.,when his statements could just as easily and more apropriately have been made just up the road in Dildo,NL…a name he appears to be overly familiar with or,at least, the word use..
Harper is familiar with the concept of leadership whereas Dion exudes the essence of leadership. Essence wins every time. The most that Harper can hope for is another minority but he risks even that. His risk reward ratio is not promising. However, if Dion can cut Harpers legs out from under him in Quebec his risk reward scenario is most promising. Quebecers seem ok with the green shift plan and are showing a grudging admiration for their native son.
People tend to vote against a govt for any number of reasons…rational argument seldom one of them.
Any Liberal coalition with the NDP or BQ would split the Liberal party because Dion is a weak leader.
Only the neoDeviate ABCers want to see a coalition government … not rational Liberals and Dippers.
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 5:20 pm
Harry, knock off the Bullshit “because Dion is a weak leader” …only you CPC dishonest smucks are spreading that BS…The Bloc & liberals could form a coaltion until the fixed election date, they would have control over the committees and Harper and his dishonest “in and out” scam to defraud taxpayers would be out in the open for the 2009 election..that would serve everyone well…
Yes election now please. I don’t care how it comes to pass, just make it happen.
We can consider ourselves lucky we only had to endure 3 years of (republican) right wing politics in our country. Can you imagine the kind of Canada we would be after 8 years as they’ve experienced in the U.S.A.?
Indeed, we wouldn’t recognize the place.
Sorry Harry S but you just don’t understand Canadians. Either by choice or by dollars, your posts are an afront to real Canadians and real Canadian values.
Red and Blue Places
I think this talk about blue states and red states is irrelevant to our situation in Canada.
There are rural areas and there are urban areas and a whole lot of space between. We have a distinct cultural experience here nothing like the US – la belle provence for one!
The simple life in rural Canada has gotten very complicated in the last twenty years due to past Liberal government decisions with farmers and ranchers and multinationals such as Monsanto pushing for control of our farms and crops.
No one should blame these rural communities for distrust but Mr. Harper has packaged his entire plan on misdirection and telling people what to believe. In the vacuum of solutions, people will believe in fixes that they think will protect them.
Urban centres are more volatile because they tend to believe in altruistic ideas over unfair treatment to citizens. Both city and rural dwellers have been duped before.
I grew up in the shadow of Camelot – the ideas of JFK to put a man on the moon. Bold ideas lead to innovation and solutions for all of us.
All Canadians will decide whether they dare to dream and make it happen or recede into the woodwork of fear and loathing.
And will Harper be giving a policy talk, and opening up the floor to all questioners? Or just warming weenies? — Garth
………………………………….
I suspect that PM Harper will only be shmoozing and shaking hands with the pre-registered audience.
Will Dion make policy announcements in Oakville and possibly kick off the start of the election campaign by declaring the whole Liberal party will be immediately voting no confidence in the Conservative government when Parliament resumes on September 15th??
Udaman, Garthomania …!!!!
Bonnie L., 5:51 pm
Hello Bonnie.
By all means, edit these and get the most important ones out — newspapers don’t have much space to work with, especially tabloids.
****************************************
STEPHEN HARPER…
HE LIED TO INVESTORS ON INCOME TRUSTS.
(Hurting seniors near or on retirement as they don’t have the time frame to recuperate their losses)
ADMITTED ON TAPE he was aware of a financial offer to Cadman. (looks very much like vote buying)
ADMITTED THE CPC used the “IN & OUT SCHEME” in their campaign financing.
His chief of staff, most likely under instructions from Harper, tried to INTERFERE in another country’s election process.
NAFTAGATE: (Probably doing a favour for his idol Bushie)
He tried to SMEAR Liberal MP Bains in the House of Commons.
(The character of Stevie exposed, like the smear against Martin as favouring child pornography and Liberals supporting the Taliban)
He ran on having an ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT, then immediately appointed an unaccountable minister.
(Hiding Michael Fortier in the Senate, the same senate he opposed as unelected, then appointed Fortier)
HE SAID HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD BE DIFFERENT from the dishonest Liberal government, they are the same if not worse. — (too many scandals to get them on one post, Baird, Day etc. etc.)
He MUZZLES HIS MINISTERS and only allows them to talk in public after the content has been cleared with the PMO. Now he wants to muzzle all government offices by having them clear everything with the PMO before releasing information. Then he has scraped the Co-ordination of Access to Information Requests to deny access to Canadians to millions of pages of once secret documents.
He BROKE HIS WORD on the Atlantic Accord.
He SENDS HIS SMALL MINDED FINANCE MINISTER out to pick a fight with Ontario, the same finance minister that left Ontario with a $5.6 billion deficit and claimed it was balanced.
(Now we will have another problem with small minded Jim, if the federal finances slip into deficit, will we know?)
Note the above word — deficit
And of course, Mr. Flaherty has problems with his untendered contracts….
Meanwhile the CPC is hell bent on TAKING AWAY ONTARIO’S representation based on population. (Obviously the CPC is not interested in Ontario voters)
Remember that poor MILITARY WIDOW in the Maritimes that Harper promised she would get her pension, did she ever get it?
NOW we have the RCMP VISITING the CPC headquarters with a warrant? What illegal action has taken place?
COULD IT BE DEFRAUDING THE TAXPAYERS?
HIDES BEHIND PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE TO LIE ABOUT LIBERAL APPOINTMENTS!
Poor Stevie Harper…seems to be a DISHONEST & UNETHICAL leader!
(He also blew the Kelowna Accord with The First Nations, along with other stuff. More than anything else, accentuate the fact that he wants Canada broken up and given to the US, and has deliberately put Canada into a deficit position.)
By Michael on 08.15.08 6:11 pm
Did you know that Harper also said in Cupid, NF that 59 years ago was 1867?
By Bonnie L on 08.15.08 5:51 pm
Hi Boonie L
Of course we need to be engaged – this is so important.
In fact, I challenge all liberal minded Bonnies’ to volunteer to campaign for Stephane Dion and their local candidate.
This is for our kids, our grand children our nieces and nephews – just don’t sit there do something!
one of those two “solutions” will be implemented.
By Tim N on 08.15.08 3:00 pm
really, when was the last time you saw a plan this big, this complex and this costly to consumers put into action?
Do try to remember we`re talking about a completely dysfunctional system.
If I were you I`d be more afraid either plan would be implemented.
Garth said less than a year ago the government was dysfunctional and now he says he`s proud to be a part of it.
lol, that Garth, what a sense of humour.
I’m not part of the government. — Garth
Re: House values sinking into red
Re: Hundreds of millions’ at risk in Calgary
Flaherty’s calming advice: “Its only a loss if you sell”
One of my solutions is for people to join parties and take them back or create new parties structured so they cannot so easily be taken over by special interests.
C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 3:31 pm
That was the grassroots concept of the Reform Party which took more than a decade to build and where is it now.
What do you think will happen when the country finds out through the Internet that the 40/0 down intentionally sacrificed hundreds of thousands of Cdns financial well being to bail out a handful of developers. Blame a minority government, not likely when you consider how much debt Cdns piled on with the Liberals devalued dollar mantra.
I`d say Canada is on the verge of some big changes so while your solution may have a lot of merit the time factor eliminates everything but some fast and drastic action.
Of course we won`t see anything remotely resembling a workable solution. Seems there are still a lot of people that are proud to be a part of the financial damnation of such a large part of Canada`s population.
Like I said economic conditions will force the changes required and they will be brutal conditions.
Prime Minister Harper to visit Kitchener next week
PM Stephen Harper in Kitchener
Come meet the Prime Minister!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 – 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Romanian Cultural Centre
2150 Bleams Road
Kitchener, ON
BBQ event with Prime Minister Stephen Harper this Tuesday August 19 at the Romanian Cultural Centre at 2150 Bleams Road in Kitchener.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are 25$ for adults and 70$ for families. Only pre-registered guests will be admitted. A volunteer will call to confirm your registration.
—————————————————–
Let’s see which leader gets a bigger audience … Harper on the 19th or Dion on the 20th … and maybe on the 21st they could meet in Guelph for a by-election debate …LOL
And will Harper be giving a policy talk, and opening up the floor to all questioners? Or just warming weenies? — Garth
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 5:54 pm
Harry – Guess unless you are willing to fork out $25. you don’t get in. Does that include a Tim’s double double, or will they charge double double for that & expense it?
And will Harper be giving a policy talk, and opening up the floor to all questioners? Or just warming weenies? — Garth
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 5:54 pm
The weenie will be warming weenies for the great unwashed .
“Imagine you bought a house two years ago for $330,000″.
—————————————
Anybody who pays that much money for a house need their head examined. Certifiable, actually.
Can’t buy a garage in some mid-town Toronto hoods for that. — Garth
so
uh
Is someone going to tell Janke a .ca name takes a while longer to process than .com or is everyone just going to sit there and watch him make a fool of himself?
Could I have membership in Green party, Liberal party, N.D.P. and Conservative party if I choose? Then I could paticipate in nominations of people I felt worthy for each party?
Yes. No law against it. Sounds supremely Canadian. — Garth
By Marc on 08.15.08 5:55 pm
Marc, I wonder if a certain party would tolerate dual or multi-party membership?
I can see this Conservative Party canceling such a member’s ticket and returning their membership fee! Maybe Garth can answer that one!
Depends how truthful you are. Parties do not share membership lists, as you might imagine. — Garth
Whoops Bonnie L.
I am sure you are not Boonie.. but Bonnie
And silly me! Don’t forget to drink the stuff!
By Charles Oxley on 08.15.08 5:27 pm
Tvarysh,……. dobra! (spellings?)
Only thing better than “Wadka” is pure grain alcohol, brand: Everclear source: North Dakota or your local ridge runner!
.net on the 18th
oh look
there’s a greenshift.com in New York.
greenshift.net in Jacksonville
Did you know that Harper also said in Cupid, NF that 59 years ago was 1867?
By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 6:43 pm
That must explain why he hasn’t shuffled Jim Flahrety by now.
I’m not part of the government. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.15.08 7:15 pm
You caught me kind of off guard on that one as a minority party in power does not govern by itself.
Is that why the Liberals walked on the votes, because they believe in Cdns eyes the`re not part of government?
Serious question it is.
Liberals form no part of this government. Liberals abstained on certain votes so as not to provoke an election which would not have resulted in defeat of the government. — Garth
Depends how truthful you are. Parties do not share membership lists, as you might imagine. — Garth
I thought the parties wouldn’t like multiple party members, but figured they had no way to find out unless I told them. I will have to take a look and try to get involved for the next election.
greenshift.co.uk’s been around since 2004.
and she’s arguing some sort of copyright?
Here is a link for those in interested in “draconian copyright legislation”
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9701/Canadian+DMCA+Doomed+if+Government+Follows+Through+and+Triggers+Election
I don’t think…….
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 4:33 pm
You have identified your problem, so go fix it. Technically that might not be possible though until your deprogramming sessions are completed!
of course
someone could always register stevejanke.ca and mount a picture of a horses ass somewhere. maybe then he’ll catch on.
If it were elementary school, the teacher would tell the Conservatives to go stand in the corner
LAWRENCE MARTIN
Globe and Mail Update
August 15, 2008 at 8:02 PM EDT
Oops. Maybe they forgot.
Last year, the governing Conservatives prepared a secret handbook on how to disrupt parliamentary committees and create chaos. No mere pamphlet, the book ran to 200 pages.
It instructed committee chairmen to select blatantly biased witnesses and tutor them in advance. It gave the chairmen pointers on how to obstruct parliamentary business, to storm out of meetings if necessary.
Team Harper never expected its opus to be made public. But the media got hold and the headlines poured forth – “Tories blasted for handbook on paralyzing Parliament” and the like.
Liberal Ralph Goodale noted how it was rather peculiar to see the government getting its knickers in a knot over a dysfunctional, chaotic Parliament when, in fact, “the government’s deliberate plan is to cause a dysfunctional, chaotic Parliament.”
Liberals abstained on certain votes so as not to provoke an election which would not have resulted in defeat of the government. — Garth
Exactly Garth but wouldn`t it have brought the `bailout the developers` 40/0 scam to the attention of the population. That would have greatly increased the odds of a Liberal win and even if not, would it not have been worth it to stop the scam before tens of thousands of Cdns got left holding the bag for a handful of over invested developers? Of course you previously said no one seems to have a handle on the what the results would be, unintentional consequences you said. I think you`ll have a hard time convincing everyone saddled to 40 years of debt with no hope of breaking even for at least ten years, that all the MP`s were simply too confused to see through the scam. Most people, especially the many that are on the losing end that have been duped once won`t be duped again. Cdns are just a little more savvy than `government` gives credit for, they know when billions are at stake there are no unintended consequences.
I believe I`ve previously indicated Dion needs a few new advisors, and Cdns need a government.
Harry, knock off the Bullshit “because Dion is a weak leader” …only you CPC dishonest smucks are spreading that BS…The Bloc & liberals could form a coaltion until the fixed election date, they would have control over the committees and Harper and his dishonest “in and out” scam to defraud taxpayers would be out in the open for the 2009 election..that would serve everyone well…
By wjp on 08.15.08 6:20 pm
Oh, I like that idea, Harper loses control of Government, and then the Liberals can rip him to shreds!
Canadians are going to ruin CRAP and ruun them out on a rail once and for all .
In all likelihood they will sweep every seat in Ontario and pull thirty from Quebec .
Danny Williams has read the riot act to Newfoundlanders and said he doesn’t want even one Con seat in his province .
Seven more Liberal seats .
Out here in Al and Berta land there is a lot of behind the scenes work going on to have several Cons removed .
Lawrie Hawn will most likely lose as will Ambrose and Jaffer . At least they have been identified as being the most vulnerable .
PEI will be a Liberal sweep as it always is .
Unfortuneatly I have no hope of getting rid of Leon Benoit a useless hat stand if there ever was one .
BY MEN WITH HATS ON 08.15.08 12:20 PM
Perhaps I’m being naive but I really don’t think wiping the Cons away from the political sphere is does well for democracy as whole. We need a broad spectrum of political stripes/views, it’s what makes us whole as a country. That’s why I’ve always liked parties such as the NDP and Liberals. They’re not out to annihilate a whole party. I find it unfortunate Mr. Harper does not share the same sentiment.
If my grammar offends anyone please accept my apologies.
It’s always about the economy. Hold the Conservatives responsible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9mibZYpVPY
I was a member of four political parties at one time.
When filling out the application forms I removed the question about membership of other parties. No one seemed to mind; they were glad of the cheque. I answered ‘yes’ to the conservative question about values; I am very conservative(small “c”). I let one membership lapse because I detected little value in being a member even though I met the leader four times. I still get lots of phone-calls, emails and surface mail asking me for funds. I am willing to give a monthly donation to any party that will show leadership in this threatening world situation. I think most voters are unaware of the danger we are in and are worried about local issues. Candidates for election are careful to stay away from the real threat we face, the one described so well by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. Recently I have told all callers that I am giving donations to Garth Turner, the only MP who allows ideas to be well displayed. I lived in Yellowhead with Prime Minister Joe Clark as my MP, later I renewed my membership in Calgary Centre when Joe Clark was again my MP and party leader.
I was very satisfied with Joe and he took good care of me when I had a problem with a Crown Corporation. I got an apology from the corporation thanks to Joe. My MP today is very polite and good to talk to; he will not get my vote while the Prime Minister supports the neo-con war-criminals in Washington.
Will Dion make policy announcements in Oakville and possibly kick off the start of the election campaign by declaring the whole Liberal party will be immediately voting no confidence in the Conservative government when Parliament resumes on September 15th??
Udaman, Garthomania …!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 6:35 pm
Nope Harry, we are going to make posters on one side that reads “Harper is no leader, but he is dishonest”
On the other side,
“Harry is a sh-thead!”
Bigger Question
Why didn’t Canadian Political or Military Intelligence see this coming?
What actions were taken by the Harper before this crisis started?
What did the Harper know and when?
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/08/15/Canada_quits_Russian_US_exercises/UPI-22901218824743/
Or if you want to play in-and-out with it you could always tear up the last one before you vote with the next.
Hello Bonnie, here is the Libs. points — I can post them again anytime anyone wants it.
****************************************
The Liberal Party of Canada
Our Vision
The Liberal Party’s three pillar approach sets a clear path to ensuring Canada’s bright and prosperous future. By weaving together economic prosperity, social justice and environmental sustainability, together we can build a better Canada.
In Summary
Liberals believe in a Canada that is the envy of the world. A country where economic prosperity goes hand in hand with social development and where a healthy sustainable environment is driven by leading edge research and innovation.
Investing in a Stronger Canada
A truly innovative economy is one driven by ideas, invention and technologies, one which leads the way in how it produces goods and delivers them to global markets.
A Healthy Environment
The world is now facing a global environmental threat worse than any we have previously seen. Canadians know that climate change is real; they are witnessing first hand more violent storms, longer heat waves and increasing droughts.
Social Justice for All
Giving families a helping hand, at all stages of life, is an important part of creating a society of which we can all be proud.
Strengthening Our Communities
Canada’s cities are at the centre of our country’s success; driving economic growth, employment and innovation. As our population grows and changes, our cities are facing increasing challenges in dealing with the growing burden placed on municipalities.
Timely and Quality Healthcare
Our national health care system is a legacy that Liberals will never abandon. We will ensure that our health care system will continue to be there when Canadians need it, no matter where they live, and no matter what their income.
Respecting Our Farmers
Our hard-working farmers deserve the unqualified respect and gratitude of their fellow Canadians. Their contribution to the fabric of our nation does not receive the recognition it should.
A Brighter Future for Aboriginal Canadians
The rich cultures of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis people form the foundation of our great country. Aboriginal Canadians represent the largest segment of our young people and the fastest growing segment of our population.
A More Representative Parliament
Women and girls in Canada today enjoy a level of equality and freedom that eluded their mothers and grandmothers. But despite the tremendous progress we have made, Canada’s Parliament still has unacceptably few women.
Canada Will Not Fail the World
Canadians can be proud of our nation’s history of service to the world. Whether it is through international aid, peacekeeping, trade or security, the Liberal team is committed to ensuring Canada’s continued international role of pride and influence.
****************************************
Like I said economic conditions will force the changes required and they will be brutal conditions. — got rope?, 7:43 pm
Hello Robert.
By now, most will already know that Spain’s economy collapsed (link).
http://tinyurl.com/5zfd3x
Italy’s, France’s, Germany’s, UK’s, Belgium’s, Holland’s and other economies are also teetering, and will shortly fall, along with N. America.
Don’t know how Oz’s and N.Z., South Africa and the Middle East are doing, though.
In the UK, some pub drinkers have gone to a bartering system — home-grown veggies and fruits in return for a couple of pints.
So the economic conditions, which have been in place for some time, have come into full bloom and, to quote no one in particular, “You ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!”
****************************************
Truth B Told, 8:33 pm
Hello Truth.
Noted — I do not partake of hooch nowadays — a much simpler, straightforward lifestyle.
Been there, done that, know what the experience is like so now, move forward with life!
That was the grassroots concept of the Reform Party which took more than a decade to build and where is it now.
By got rope? on 08.15.08 7:43 pm,
That was an good example of how the propaganda was quite different from the reality. The party was designed to be a right wing ideological party which means that the so-called “grassroots” had to accept the ideology as defined by the leadership. It gave the membership little real influence in the direction the party would take on any issue. Resolutions presented to the policy conventions, if selected for a vote, were carefully edited to agree with the ideology in the most general terms. They prohibited voting on the more controversial issues that the members wanted to bring to the floor of the conventions.
Manning believed that you could have a populist grassroots party that was still ideologically right wing. Harper did not accept that premise and it created a major split between the two. The result was that Harper left the party and only returned to an active role when he ran for the leadership.
Harper believes in a hierarchical party in which the leader “leads,” or some may say dictates, and the membership follows. He made that clear when he was campaigning for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance and when he was trying to put together the merger.
I agree with Harper that if you want an ideological party that you cannot have a grassroots party. The ideology takes precedence over the will of the membership. In a true grassroots party power is vested in the members and ideological principles take second place.
The Reform Party was doomed to failure because its basic premises were unworkable. It is for the same reason that the NDP as an ideological party of the left has had only limited success federally.
That does not mean that a grassroots party is always doomed to failure. One failure does not mean that the general concept is unworkable.
Depends how truthful you are. Parties do not share membership lists, as you might imagine. — Garth
That may be true in theory but in practice that is not always the case. The Progressive Conservative Party central office shared its party lists with certain members of the Canadian Alliance prior to the merger. That was made possible by having dual memberships and individuals with dual memberships were in such high positions in the party that they had access to the lists.
Harper at the Council on Foreign Relations in September ‘07.
Very interesting!!
http://www.cfr.org/publication/14255/conversation_with_stephen_harper_video.html
Hey, There getting it done with emitters in Australia.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/global-warming/state-begins-slow-squeeze-on-emitters/2008/08/15/1218307227809.html
By Zorpheous on 08.15.08 9:18 pm
By wjp on 08.15.08 9:22 pm
Well, my fellow Canadians …. here is the problem the Liberals will be facing if they try to run their kangaroo committee hearings to some kind of corrupt conclusion.
- Conservatives overspent by $1+ million in the 2006 election.
- Liberals were fined by the courts to return $1+ million of stolen money.
- Gomery reported there is still an additional $40 million Adscam money missing.
Canadians, particularly Quebecers are still sensitive to the corruption and criminality that was endemic during the Chretien-Martin-Dion government. Do you really want to go down that slippery slope and risk falling into your own mire ..??!!!
The party was designed to be a right wing ideological party which means that the so-called “grassroots” had to accept the ideology as defined by the leadership
That does not mean that a grassroots party is always doomed to failure. One failure does not mean that the general concept is unworkable.
By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 9:42 pm
I know a few grassroots reformers and contrary to `the propaganda` no one held a gun to their head. Still the time element eliminate the possibility of forming and growing a party as you suggest. Unless you think you can get one together before the August numbers come out (do you?) and btw don`t expect them to be entirely truthful but the difference between the chrushing reality and used hay won`t be missed by 80% of the population.
the melt is on
grrr. typo.
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 9:58 pm
What page IS that on?
Noted — I do not partake of hooch nowadays — a much simpler, straightforward lifestyle.
Been there, done that, know what the experience is like so now, move forward with life!
By Charles Oxley on 08.15.08 9:32 pm
Being serious for a moment……ditto brudder Smit. Ex-steelmaker, ex-boilermaker, ex-trucker, now diabetic type2…….not on the diet any more!
Now for your info, there are other intoxicants that abusers use in lieu of ethanol. It is a fact that a Univ. of Alta. Chem. Prof. became addicted to freshly brewed formaldehyde. He knew that once it sits around awhile it acquires some phosgene gas from deterioration. He had to be committed to the Belmont Institute out at Oliver, Alta. to be “dried out”. Formaldehyde is enbalming fluid, and phosgene is a nerve gas that was used in WW1 then banned during the Geneva Conventions! Now that is real bad sh*t!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 9:58 pm
What page IS that on?
By Geiseric the Lame on 08.15.08 10:51 pm
Geiseric, don’t waste time trying, because you can never get on the same page as HARRY S. He even asked Garth if he was welcome to come to the event on the 20th, and Garth was too polite to mention that we all know that HARRY S. will never come to! (my Father could have written lines for Hennie Youngman, too!)
I had a terrible realization yesterday. It was, Harper can achieve his personal ambitions by being a bad PM. By being destructive, throwing clogs into works and wrenches into gears. An ineffective, impotent parliament is exactly what he wants. I think he wants the machine to grind itself to pieces. How can you fight that?
By 300baud on 08.15.08 8:57 am
From time immemorial humans have fought against destroyers. It is in our earth-given, star-given, or god-given genes to create. The forces who seek only to destroy have so far been kept at bay by the works of people who would prefer to do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.
Comes a time when destroyers set out to test the limits of life-loving humans, entice them into believing that hurting others will become a benefit to themselves.
This time is now, humans. Look around. Who is truly helping others as themselves?
Certainly not Harper and his income-trust promise, broken on Hallowe’en and no quarter offered to those broken by the worthless promise.
Certainly not Harper and his environmental plan, released to his website but not accorded the million dollar advertising blitz that the laughable Clean Air Act lived and died on. Who got broken on that? Those who believed the government. Health care for increased asthma? That’s a provincial responsibility Harper blithely says while turning away the sick and those likely to become sick because of his inaction.
Destroyers will break the back of a country to allow pockets of their destruction crew to feast on those left undefended and unaccounted.
There is no provision in the destroyers’ handbook of decent administration of those left bereft.
Destroyers will see you dead before they will lend a hand.
There are more examples.
Destroyers cannot hold up their winners and have them applauded by the electorate in majority numbers. Destroyers’ winners are so few and far between and are likely destroyers themselves.
Stephen Harper is a destroyer. Name one thing that Stephen Harper built.
Canadians, particularly Quebecers are still sensitive to the corruption and criminality that was endemic during the Chretien-Martin-Dion government. Do you really want to go down that slippery slope and risk falling into your own mire ..??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 9:58 pm
Harper will still have to explain, maybe from behind bars, why he intentionally set out to defraud the taxpayers of Canada…do you want to go down that slope????
I know a few grassroots reformers and contrary to `the propaganda` no one held a gun to their head. Still the time element eliminate the possibility of forming and growing a party as you suggest. Unless you think you can get one together before the August numbers come out (do you?) and btw don`t expect them to be entirely truthful but the difference between the chrushing reality and used hay won`t be missed by 80% of the population.
the melt is on
By got rope? on 08.15.08 9:59 pm,
You will always have people that are “true believers” in any ideology from all levels of a hierarchical ideological party. I have also meet Reformers who became extremely disillusioned with the disconnect between the reality and the propaganda.
The fact that it takes time to create alternatives should not be the issue. When you give up because the task is difficult you become part of the problem.
We all become frustrated at times in trying to make a difference and too many people believe that the can’t and, as a result, don’t even try.
I find it rather difficult to understand someone like Garth who advocates joining a party to initiate change from the inside. Yet he is the poster boy for illustrating why that does not work.
Stephen Harper tried to change the PC Party from the inside to conform to his right wing vision. He felt that he was prevented by the “progressives” so he left the PC Party and joined Reform. It appears that even Manning was not willing to give him everything he wanted in the Reform Party and he left. Once he became leader of the Canadian Alliance he worked to take over PC Party from the outside and succeeded.
The fact that it takes time to create alternatives should not be the issue. When you give up because the task is difficult you become part of the problem.
C. B. Innes on 08.16.08 6:38 am
Honestly CB I got nothing out of your reply unless you mean you`ve given up because time is short. While it`s true it`ll be a few months before the August number come out and end any hope of change, transformation, or fix, including an election the numbers generated will be generated next month. That`s how much time is left.
The rest of the consumer numbers coming out over the next few days will confirm what I`ve said.
Pointing fingers is no solution when everyone in government is at fault and to blame.
Garth,
Why bother setting rules, such as, “set election dates”, if one intends to break them?
Does Harper think he is above the law?
Daryn
Why he wants it? He said he can’t manage this government………
The party was designed to be a right wing ideological party which means that the so-called “grassroots” had to accept the ideology as defined by the leadership
That does not mean that a grassroots party is always doomed to failure. One failure does not mean that the general concept is unworkable.
By C. B. Innes on 08.15.08 9:42 pm
When you talk about grass roots, it also depends on the species of grass! If it is Quackgrass, then it will always be coarse of course! What is the origin of this word?
Native To: Europe
Date of U.S. Introduction: 1600s
Images: Invasive.org and Google
Means of Introduction: Accidental, probably as a seed contaminant
Impact: Crowds out native species
I wonder if it is a derogatory reference to it being goose and duck feed? Hmmm!
Canadians, particularly Quebecers are still sensitive to the corruption and criminality that was endemic during the Chretien-Martin-Dion government. Do you really want to go down that slippery slope and risk falling into your own mire ..??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.15.08 9:58 pm
Harry S. obviously has tunnel vision that cannot see/remember any of the corruption and criminality of the Mulroney and Harper eras, nor the stupidity of the Diefenbaker, Clarke, Campbell admins. Such selective myopia is inexcusable, and dishonorable in the least, but may rank up there close to treasonous at the worst. Your ingenuousness is exceeded only by your hypocrisy!
By got rope? on 08.16.08 9:40 am,
I am finding you totally incoherent again. Maybe you need to jump on the wagon so you will make more sense.
Stephen Harper is a destroyer. Name one thing that Stephen Harper built.
BY LIZ 08.16.08 2:03 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good one Liz. Harper has built nothing.
Unless you meant to say what has Harper bilked.. and then there’s lots of examples.
I am finding you totally incoherent again. Maybe you need to jump on the wagon so you will make more sense.
By C. B. Innes on 08.16.08 2:10 pm
Distract, dismiss, deny.
Maybe you`d better stop sleeping on the track, the wagon is going to run over you.
To all my fans and detractors:
“And Dion condoned it all by abstaining for almost 2 years and thus allowing Harper to destroy Canada as claimed by the staunch Liberal party supporters.”
Btw … you can quote me on that you bottom-feeding invertebrates ….LOL
“And Dion condoned it all by abstaining for almost 2 years and thus allowing Harper to destroy Canada as claimed by the staunch Liberal party supporters.”
Btw … you can quote me on that you bottom-feeding invertebrates ….LOL
By HARRY S on 08.16.08 3:33 pm
I`m not a fan and could be a detractor if you if you ever stopped the repeat post the same thought.
I see you finally had another, something I`ve mentioned several times.
I don`t think the Libs will need to quote you on it. When the 40/0 guts this country it`ll be on more than a few lips.
The official Opposition as not part of government might keep a few scared Liberals happy but not for most Cdns.
30 million Cdns really pissed with government, including the OF even if they deny the`re part of it.
Too late for an election even called on Sept.15th, the melt is on.
Btw … you can quote me on that you bottom-feeding invertebrates ….LOL
By HARRY S on 08.16.08 3:33 pm
Your the one who sounds as if he is insecure and un-confident. What happened to you that you are so bitter and disillusioned? Did you get your vulgar potty mouth evicted from the party membership ranks for your anti-francophone attitude? Come on make my day and fess up! By the way, how about a wager on the upcoming by-election results? Make it worth my while to ante up! Like put your money where your mouth is or fade into the middle distance!
No, Barb, I really meant to say: Name one thing Stephen Harper built.
I’ve read high and low, and the guy simply has no great thing he himself created to his credit.
If Stephen Harper keeled over dead tomorrow, what would be his legacy?
Sad, really, that Canada could have almost three years of history under a Prime Minister who accomplished nothing great at all. Or even good. Or lasting.
Sad.
Who exactly paid full-price plus TIPS for this mediocrity?
a Prime Minister who accomplished nothing great at all. Or even good. Or lasting.
Sad.
Who exactly paid full-price plus TIPS for this mediocrity?
By Liz on 08.17.08 12:36 am
The sad fact that question applies to the last 40 year.
I`ve received only one answer to the question I asked, what has the federal government done right in the last 40 years? Bill said it keep Cdn comedy shows with script.
lol, mediocrity hardly scratches the surface of a do nothing but wrong totally dysfunctional system.
Hi barb the proofreader on 08.15.08 5:25 pm,
Thanks for the link about the SPP.
This Corporate Orwell plans is not at all good for we human beings.
This is why I am still not sure who will get my vote next. The Green Party is still on my short list.
This next election could be the last free one.
Because PMSH has started the process
to get electronic voting and counting machines. You have heard of hackers and criminals!
The SPP/NAFT, PMSH internet tax by allowing your previder to charge you for every search every time. It will have the same effect as closing done peoples ability to get information.
You will only easily get the information that they want you to know.
They will manufacture concent, they wil also your fear to control the masses.
What kind of world do you and your family want to try and survive in???
Here is that link you gave again.
The police agent provocateurs in a video every Canadian really ought to be looking at.
Concerned Canadians were not allowed to protest per their Canadian rights. In it’s entirety, it explains this fundamental right we’ve lost.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1429144751008474466
The police illegally used tear gas and spray, too and it’s the intimidation shown near the end that is very telling about this important loss of rights.
Who exactly paid full-price plus TIPS for this mediocrity?
BY LIZ ON 08.17.08 12:36 AM
Liz,
Very good line!
And Harper is so far below even mediocrity, his actions are in the category of criminality – vandals are criminals, and Harper is vandalizing our government, our time, honesty, honour..
I hope Harper’s manual gets published for all to see.
Globe and Mail
Oops. Maybe they forgot. Last year, the governing Conservatives prepared a secret handbook on how to disrupt parliamentary committees and create chaos. No mere pamphlet, the book ran to 200 pages. It instructs committee chairmen to select blatantly biased witnesses and tutor them in advance. It gave the chairmen pointers on how to obstruct parliamentary business, to storm out of meetings if necessary. Team Harper never expected its opus to be made public. But the media got hold and the headlines poured forth – “Tories blasted for handbook on paralyzing Parliament”
http://tinyurl.com/5ekqun
I can’t believe some of the ridiculous Lieberal comments on here bashing PM Harper. How soon you idiots forget how corrupt your party was while in power with Dion part of that team. As far as your Dion as PM, OMG PUL–LEASE, that FI FI doesn’t even look like a leader plus he isn’t a Canadian.
You just increased the popular vote for the Liberals. — Garth
Can’t take the truth “EH” so you just delete the facts.
Typical Lieberal TA TA Smackoff
Can take the truth so you just delete “EH” How Lieberal of you
If we are heading to a housing crisis it has more to do with the 12 years of liberal majority rule then 2 years of Conservitive minority rule, but nice try Garth
Try to understand the facts, not just the spin. 0/40 mortgages turned a boom into a bubble, and it was Mr. Flaherty alone who gave us those – and who is now panicking to end them. In the 30 months of Conservative government, there were many opportunities to prevent the US housing contagion from coming here, but no action was taken. As for Libs being responsible for this, would you please explain? — Garth
0/40 mortgages
As for Libs being responsible for this, would you please explain? — Garth
“0/40 mortgages turned a boom into a bubble”
No argument there.
There are more than a few of us are wondering why the Liberals didn`t bring down the government before the 40/0 scam setup such a large portion of the population to be financially gutted. First the over mortgaged under saved and deeper in debt than ever homeowners and then the whole country.
It`s just not reasonable that all the MP`s could miss such an obvious scam when housing was already over priced and the US market put the writing on the wall for the over invested developers. Likewise that the Official Opposition is not part of a minority government.
Well I seriously doubt that Mr.Flaherty’s 0/40 mortgages had anything to do with America’s housing crisis witch is to hold most of the blame for what is happening in Canada. As for the Libs being respnsible, this crisis was looming before Stephen Harper and co. took power. One thing i will give you is it now lies with the Conservitives to try their best to prevent it.
You blamed the Liberals. Cough it up. — Garth
DELETED (Until you provide a link for the Dion quote. — Garth)
This crisis was looming well before the Conservatives took power but unfortunatly the Libs refused to listen to people like Jane Jacobs who was warning about this. And maybe my comment was a little light on Mr.Flaherty for it is his problem to fix now.
What portfolio did Minister Jacobs hold? — Garth
Do you seriously not know who Jane Jacobs was?
Do you seriously not get sarcasm? — Garth
Do you seriously not get sarcasm? — Garth
Let me try my hand at it.
———-
What portfolio did Minister Jacobs hold? — Garth
http://archives.cbc.ca/society/education/clips/6895/
The Minister of Integrity.
Few in government even knew it existed.
The Minister of Integrity.
Few in government even knew it existed.
By got rope? on 08.17.08 9:46 pm
Just heard about it the other day, as a matter of fact, when I met a former colleague/workmate and fishing buddy. He now works for the the government in this dept. He stated that, “It is an oxymoron”! Well I’ll drink to that, Chug-a-lug Chow Lee!