.
Doorknocking Wednesday afternoon in Oakville. The truth tour.
Day four of the federal election began in Halton with news that 500 more jobs are disappearing at the Ford plant in Oakville. This is bitter, indeed. It comes on the heels of 350 more lost positions there just a month ago. There’s no doubt the car business is entering a kind of death spiral which will take a huge effort to pull out of.
But it’s not just cars. As I pound street after street in Milton, Oakville and Burlington, For Sale signs dominate the landscape, many of them plastered with “NEW PRICE” stickers. The confidence to invest in a home, or buy a new car seems to be fading as quickly as summer. As in most communities, house prices here have actually started to fall, which means the burden of mortgage debt is rising.
Of course, it’s not just Halton. This week Scotiabank economists warned Ontario’s growth rate will be zero this year. If we’re lucky. CIBC economist Jeff Rubin says the global recession is only starting to be felt. The TSX, despite a rally Wednesday, has shed more than 10% of this value this month alone – robbing RRSPs, pensions and investment accounts.
My middle class constituents (89% of families in Halton own homes) are feeling the squeeze, as energy costs gallop, taxes stay stuck on extreme, real estate wobbles and one of the largest employers in the area sheds more good-paying jobs every few weeks.
Without a doubt, the thirty-odd days to come will focus increasingly on who has the best plan to deal with turbulent times. But they should also serve as a sharp reminder for people of what the Harper-Flaherty tag team has done wrong, from talking up the buck, to those disastrous 40-year mortgages, to refusing income tax cuts, to trashing seniors’ income trusts to unbridled and reckless government spending.
Sadly, my opponent has decided to prey on the financial fears families suffer, rather than work to ease them. She’s now endorsed a series of Conservative attack ads which will run on family-oriented television programs aimed at young mothers, including “Crash Test Mommy” and “Nanny911”. The ads state flatly that the Dion Libs will wipe away the child tax benefit when, it’s clear to everyone who can read, this is a lie.
At the same time, her boss is telling Canadians Liberals will raise the GST – a statement without a shred of evidence to back it. Every time Dion says this is false, Harper repeats it. When this happens enough times, voters throw up their hands in despair – which is exactly the result the Tory war room is hoping for.
So while the Conservatives spend their millions scaring moms, depressing consumer confidence, frightening off car and house buyers and giving laid-off workers scant notice, it’s the job of people like me to try and spread some truth, doorstep to doorstep.
And I relish it. With my growing army of volunteers, we are hitting thousands of homes. Most street corners in this sprawling area are planted with my signs, directing people to garthturner.com, and to our campaign office. More and more disillusioned Conservatives are joining in, turned off by the negativity of their party’s culture, and disappointed that my own experience with Stephen Harper has now played out again for them. The party of bully organizers and goon executives, where citizens are no longer valued, is now also the party of giving up.
What a contrast with what we see to the south where, in tough times, Americans are being told to lift up their eyes in hope.
My message, simply, is that we can all do better together. Ford can be building the cars people want to buy, with the right encouragement. People can afford to drive them, with the right incentives. The economy can regain its footing, with the right tax policy. Families can improve their finances, with the right programs. There is no reason to fear the future, or to vote for fearful politicians.
—
This is my message, as I ask people to demand the truth. My Conservative opponent may have few workers, but her campaign is flush with head-office cash. I expect many expensive mailings to every home, newspaper advertising, high-profile events and a media barrage as the Harper forces try their best to finish me off.
I can resist this all-out attack. I can win. I can remain a hope for those who wish MPs to be independent and influential, working for the people instead of parties. But to do so will take more resources than I now have. It will take money, since a single mailing costs almost $15,000, and we need to do at least two in order to counter the Conservative lies.
Will you assist me? If you can part with ten or twenty bucks, please consider it. In return, you have my promise. The truth will prevail.
181 comments ↓
Give you 20 bucks and the truth will prevail? Why not ask the people that own that giant house in that picture for a few dollars dude ?
And I hope you chided them for their extra large carbon footprint. Who needs a house that big ?
That’s a series of attached townhouses. — Garth
You want ten or twenty bucks?
I say, since you are demanding the truth
we truth seekers need to send more.
Best wishes Garth.
I drink to your health.
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/speeches/2008/Premier_Board_of_Trade_September_10.htm
For anyone interested, this is the Danny Williams speech.
(I don’t think he likes mr. harper any more)
Garth,
In case you didn’t see it, Angus Reid conducted a poll that you may be able to capitalize on:
You can read this and link to the full poll results on my blog:
http://www.stopsendingmecrap.ca/2008/09/half-of-canadians-decry-conservative-flyers/
Hey Garth long time no me.Caught up in the American soap opera election.
I,ll send ya $20 or $30 bucks.Good as done.
I see the media is making a bit of a deal over Harper saying 2011 is the end in Afghan,well almost,just gonna leave a few troops.
This is a BS no statement.The last time,you guys voted for this extension,it was until 2011.So what’s the big deal here.
Bigger deal is who believes him.Not me.These Crap-Reform liars remind me of the McCain-Palin circus in the US.Scary stuff.Just keep lying and hope enough believe them.
A few links for people interested.
This husband if off Harpers Xmas list and maybe his wife’s as well.
http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41006&Itemid=41
and this one.
http://election.rabble.ca/post/49551778/beyond-the-puffin-poop-what-is-the-harper-agenda
There you go Garth, I just sent you my FIRST ever political donation.
(I once held a membership in the provincial NDP but they disappointed me badly by turning out to be a “union only” party. They actually had a choice candidate that could have won in a walk but they chose a union rep. instead and lost.)(It is a local thing)
In my riding it is a two horse race between the NDP and the C.R.A.P.ers.
Our Liberal candidate has left the area for good.(A high paying job)
I will be decorating my truck as I said in a long ago post in signs that say ” John Duncan wants you to support the liar stephan harper are you going to?
I noted that Mr dion is saying he will double the $1200.00 child care payment to parents.
If my mind serves me correctly. The Liberals were against this form of child care payment. Is this an error or is it a flip flop. Is this now a part of their election platform.
how are the conservatives frightening off car and home buyers? They tried to get more people to buy houses with the 40 year mortgage and you criticize it. What is the proper method to stimulate the economy and prevent job loss?
What is the encouragement you will give Ford to build cars people want to buy?
What are the incentives yoy will provide for people to buy the new cars?
What is the right tax policy that will help the economy regain it’s footing?
How much will these incentives cost and where is the money coming from?
What is the right profram for a family to improve their finances?
Since you’re on the truth tour please provide the truth to this voter in your area. If you come to my house I will ask you the same question.
All questions have been addressed on this blog. But I look forward to repeating the answers on your doorstep. — Garth
At the same time, her boss is telling Canadians Liberals will raise the GST – a statement without a shred of evidence to back it. Every time Dion says this is false, Harper repeats it.-Garth
The federal Liberals would consider rescinding the Conservative government’s GST cuts if they come into power in the next election, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said on Wednesday.
Dion told reporters he would open a debate on the idea during an election campaign.
When asked by reporters whether he would reverse the tax cuts, Dion responded: “We will consider that.”
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/31/mini-budget.html
Mr. Dion wanted the debate in the election, and seems to have got his wish. What did Mr. Dion mean when he said we will consider that? Can you blame the Conservatives for making Mr. Dions poorly timed words to be used against him?
Perhaps if lieing is illegal, Sukh Daliwal can write a letter of recomondation for Mr. Harper? He did for a convicted drug trafficker and known gangster. I guess we need people who try to smuggle 200 kgs of herion back into Canada?
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=8dff3883-35f1-4236-be12-41f4b46f0123
Dion may have considered it, but he rejected it. The GST will not be increased. Nice smear on Sukh, BTW. — Garth
Conservatives enticed me to purchase a gas sipper Honda Fit with a 1G rebate. Too bad they cancelled the rebate program, but I have got my cheque cashed already, and it only took nearly 6 of the estimated 3 month wait, and 3 phone calls to service Canada to find out what was taking so long.
Why not just answer my question here since this is where I asked it?
Already done. — Garth
Off topic. Is it accurate that Harper and Layton made an agreement a year ago that they would refuse to participate in a debate if Elizabeth May was included?
I have become a huge fan of Danny William’s. He has actually had to deal with Harper and has found him lacking, severely lacking. Harper is a fraudster–not to be trusted-a man of poor character. I agree with Danny.
Do not trust the Conservatives or you will get the Big Blue Shaft.
The filter must have grabbed this one from the previous thread.
Community Court in Vancouver BC
Just under moderate inspection the successes and failures are fairly easily noted.
As all government programs they will bring the crime rate down simply because offenders will receive services such as drug addiction services rather than a sentence. Unfortunately it puts the current crop of offenders into the programs while putting the already long lineup on hold.
“Not a lot of people turn down an offer of help,” said Gove, a provincial court judge for the past 18 years.”
If think it`s a safe assumption that the delayed waiting list will become more criminal until they too qualify.
Rather than arrests and jail the offenders will replaced the waiting list and the`re back to square one.
By my calculations taking offenders off the street with jail or programs is a wash with the waiting list taking up the slack.
I conclude that while it`s a terrific idea if it didn`t displace the waiting list, under the circumstances it will not reduce crime, only the crime rate, but I suspect the motivation is the over crowded jails.
Besides all that they still have not said what they plan on doing about the highest number of parent denied children in Canadian history. That generation is just now turning of age to prowl the streets. Mischief in Vancouver was up 39% last year alone. All the studies done by professionals and experts are correct, the results are now evident in Vancouver.
“The advantage is we will now have proper assessments,” said Gove, referring to the “triage” teams”
The success side with productivity gains in leaving more resources for services. The success will be determined on the productivity increase,,, providing the government leaves the budget in place, or cuts services, in which case we can conclude the purpose is only to hide the amount of crime from the public with more cooked numbers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=334c6325-c952-4069-8b44-92b026a730a7
Judge hopes community court will change system for better
New tribunal to hear first case this morning
Andy Ivens, The Province
Published: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Nice smear on Sukh, BTW. — Garth
I apoligize for smearing Sukh. If Ranjit Cheema is a person who a M.P. should be writing on House of Commons stationary supporting a known gangster and drugs smuggler, I apologize.
Would you go to bat for a person such as Ranjit Cheema, Garth? He doesn’t need to be your constituent as he was not Sukhs either. I know that Liberal and Conservative parties have differing views on Insite and such, but I would hope both parties would focus on trying to keep the drugs and people who try to smuggle out of Canada. If the person is Canadian and wanted by the U.S. I would hope that both Liberal and Conservative parties would want to have said person extradited to face maximum penalties for their actions. Read the article, Sukh was out of line to go to bat for a person as Mr. Cheemas charcter.
will double the $1200.00 child care payment to parents…. I was wondering the same thing. More money for beer and popcorn…
garth, write something about harper’s about face on afghanistan.
i expect you will say he is lying, probably true, but aren’t all politicians basically liars? and quite often l(yer)awyers as well?
because he announced it in such an unusual manner i tend to believe him.
he will have hell to pay from the media. that brief statement may have resurrected the phony libs! right now the libs are figuring out which way to go. if they were real canadians, rather than globalists, they would have made a stance a long time ago.
harper may have nailed the libs, i hope so. i hate phonies.
CIMS — Redux
Everyone has their hot-button issues, privacy happens to be one of mine.
Some think posters should not use aliases as handles, but having witnessed negative repercussions, I think there are very valid and pragmatic reasons to do so. (Recall Harry S’s absolute obsession with Bill Muskoka as he tried to determine his real identity — what would the consequences have been if he found out? Or consider the very troubling targetting of Garth wherein the whereabouts of a refuge that should be sacrosanct, his home, was publically broadcast on a Conservative website, followed subsequently by attempts to determine his new address after he moved to avoid continued harrassment. Or the vandalism of the homes and vehicles of Liberal supporters in Toronto and Guelph; link a name and address and risk another manifestation of this). As long as one generally tries to be moderate (not expecting saintliness) in his or her postings, the comfort of anonymity should not be an issue; if not moderate, then banning and trackback of the IP address are always remedies.
A few years back when I read about Cheryl Gallant’s harvesting of personal information from constituents who had approached her for assistance with their passports, that chafed me — she had no right to cross that line. When the Conservatives focus-targetted Jewish residents in Toronto with holiday greetings a year or so later, a demographic that they have been blantantly pandering to, that pushed things further (thank you NDP MP Paul Dewar for your work on this). When Garth revealed the extent to which very personal attributes are being collected within the Conservative CIMS database, and how they refuse to reveal exactly what is being collected, who is in the database, make available an itemized list of what has been culled for any particular individual that might ask for it, and agree to have that information erased upon demand, that got things roiling.
Now today, it has happened yet again:
Garth (and Mr. Dion, should you be reading), please make this another prominent and embarassing issue to ask this government during your campaign, now that the electorate is engaged and is paying attention.
Most people don’t even like the incessant evening calls from solicitors who feel they can cold-call intrude into our private lives (hence the cry for no-call legislation). When the state, as represented by a political party as proxy, gathers intimate profile data – including the type of information that cannot even be asked for in a job interview — it should spark outrage. Yet here we have it from a party that is purportedly fighting identity theft on one hand, while on the other is harvesting a treasure trove of enough personal data to make such self-same thieves drool. A Private Member’s Bill and Auditor General scrutiny are in order.
Finally, today Mr. Harper stated:
“I’ve always had some strong opinions about how this country should be run. When this is all over I assure you I will not miss [public life] for one minute.”
Guess what, you’re not alone; we’re not public figures, we’d like to be afforded the courtesy of privacy now.
By A.R.Wainwright on 09.10.08 9:19 pm
Hi A.R., thank you so much for posting Danny Willisms speech! EVERY Canadian voter should read his speech in its entirety. It clearly spells out the lack of character and lack of ethics of our ‘Pinocchio Prime Minister’.
Harper has today made it quite clear once again to Canadians that if his neo-con party is re-elected to govern this country, then Canadians who lose their jobs through no fault of their own are on their own.
theStar.com
Can’t guarantee jobs, PM says
Sep 10, 2008 01:52 PM
Richard Brennan
Bruce Campion-Smith
OTTAWA BUREAU
http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/496573
BTW, I think the pic of Harper with his couldn’t-care-less look that accompanies this story, along with the headline, would be an effective message for a Liberal campaign ad.
I noted that Mr dion is saying he will double the $1200.00 child care payment to parents.
If my mind serves me correctly. The Liberals were against this form of child care payment. Is this an error or is it a flip flop. Is this now a part of their election platform.
By David Halfkenny on 09.10.08 9:44 pm
David, part of The Green Shift talks specifically about making Canada taxes fairer for low income Canadians. Page 23 outlines how the most disadvantaged in Canada will receive additional supports to help lift them out of poverty and encourage them to work. This is part of Dion’s plan to reduce Canada’s poverty rate by 30%. Our ‘Pinocchio Prime Minister’ has NO plan whatsoever to address the needs of the poorest Canadians.
By Marc on 09.10.08 10:00 pm
What is the point of posting things that are 11 months old and are NOT part of the Liberal platform? The Liberals have been crystal clear about their stance on the GST…it will not be raised.
Unlike our ‘Pinocchio Prime Minister’ who has entire web sites dedicated to his countless lies, the Liberals are led by a man of impeccable ethics and principles. Dion IS a leader. Harper is, well…. Pinocchio.
“When this is all over I assure you I will not miss [public life] for one minute.”
Yet another joke coming out of the mouth of our ‘Pinocchio Prime Minister’. For someone who claims he won’t miss public life he certainly appears to have taken cheap shots, smears, and lies to new heights in order to hold onto his job. Hmmmmm… perhaps this is because he has never held a real job in the public sector.
AM on 09.10.08 11:39 pm
“”Our plan is the only plan on offer this election that will allow Canada to weather the effects of global economic uncertainty and emerge stronger than ever before,” Harper said.”
Plan,,, what plan?
Tales from inside the war room, day four ……. Hectic day it was today, here at the Garth Turner campaign office. But in an election campaign, hectic is a good thing. Thankfully I have a young, upcoming political dynamo named Ellen to help buffer the blow. We sent out an email blast tonight offering lawn signs and I just about fell off my chair when 40 requests came thru, just like that!
Campaigning in warp speed.
At 400 pm we headed up to the far north corner of Halton to the new returning office (aka Bingo World). Garth met with the Returning Officer to confirm his candidacy. I was there as the witness. Garth asked if I would attend this meeting to review the paperwork and act as his witness. As I looked down at the papers and signed my name, the pen weighed heavy in my hand. Few Canadians would ever know the process a candidate must complete just to get their name on the ballot. Fewer Canadians indeed, would ever have the opportunity to experience the pride I felt this afternoon. In this riding of 160,000 people, my MP asked me to witness his application. The voices of those who had come before me, loomed in the background. Hope for our future shone ahead. For you see, the campaign is the great leveling playing field. And it is NOT for the feight of heart.
That’s why it drives me to my inner core.
Every day, of this campaign, I feel the pulse of democracy beat through my veins. And I like it. I like what I do. I believe in it. I hold my head high with no regrets. There are no incontinent birds for us, no dirty tricks, no lies, no teleprompter scripted talking points, no motorcades, no draconian ploys. Just one outspoken, honest to goodness candidate. What you see is what you get.
Every day allows us to touch the sensitivity of honest to goodness Canadians. And as the truth unfolds, one constant remains…..
Garth Turner, you’re the real deal. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of witnessing your candidacy. I am truly honoured.
Garth,
I made my first ever political donation the other day to the Liberal Party. I’m in Bob Raes riding. It was considerably more than twenty bucks.
Go get ‘em Garth!
Liberals bought carbon credits to go towards a heating system in a nursing home in Montreal, the money & jobs stayed here in Canada.
I heard the NDP bought carbon credits and the money was going to replacing a diesel generator for a wind turbine but didn’t catch where it was going??
The Greens didn’t hire a plane.
I already know what the Conservatives have done. Blow more gas.
Sent in a few dollars to pay for stakes. Gotta keep Esther armed!
Garth, want to get many new voters out???
Get ALL of the Liberal candidates to post your web address.
Young people LIVE on the net.
This site could be the Liberals best outlet to youth.(And some of us “old fogies” too)
Hey, tomorrow 9/11 is my BIG day (65) I”M GOLDEN! (There, I’ve told the world!) LOL
“Is it accurate that Harper and Layton made an agreement a year ago that they would refuse to participate in a debate if Elizabeth May was included?”
BY C. B. INNES ON 09.10.08 10:22 PM
Yes it’s true, Harper said on the news today that he and Jack Layton cooked a deal a year ago that they would both boycott the debate together if Elizabeth was included. They had an agreement.
This of course is about as UN-democratic as it gets.
JackLayton said the protests today around him were drowning out his campaign, and that he was tired of debating the debate, so he decided to flip flop and give up on banning the Greens’ May from the debate.
Harper then came out saying that since Layton has gone back on his word in the secret deal, then he will too.
Yes, they cooked a deal a year ago to stop Elizabeth May from being in the debate.
WILL THE “”SO-CALLED MEDIA”" FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
harper may have nailed the libs, i hope so. i hate phonies.
By warren f on 09.10.08 10:52 pm
So do I Warren. But it appears to me that the phony you speak about is Harper himself. As for you, turn off the PC, bush your teeth, get your pj’s on & go to bed before your mom catches you
Nite, Nite.
Former CBC News chief: The election debate process is a sham
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080910.wburman0910/BNStory/politics
TONY BURMAN
Globe and Mail Update
September 10, 2008
Prime Minister Harper’s refusal to allow the Green Party leader to participate in the Federal Election Debates is cynical and self-serving, but at least it exposes the sham that Canada’s election debate process has become.
After 40 years of relying on Canada’s television networks to organize this important event, I believe it is time for Canadians – through the CRTC – to pull the plug on the networks and entrust this vital mission to an independent, non-partisan ‘commission’ similar to how it is done in the U.S.
This certainly is a change of position for me. Between 2000 and 2007, as editor-in-chief of CBC News, I was the chair of the fabled “network consortium” that organized the election debates for Canada’s last three elections – 2000, 2004 and 2006 – and wrestled with a multitude of issues to make these debates more effective.
In 2006, we discussed the issue of whether the Green Party leader – Jim Harris at the time – should be allowed in the debate, and we decided against it. Although the rules have shifted over time since Canada’s first election debate in 1968, the most accepted criteria requires that a political party needs to have representation in the House of Commons as well as proven popular support in the country – which we interpreted to be at least 5 per cent of popular vote reflected in the polls. The Green Party of 2006 had neither.
Early last year, as Canada’s new Conservative minority government was under attack in the Commons, I called the networks together to quietly discuss the format of the next debates in case a sudden election became necessary. We invited Ms. May and her senior colleagues to make their case to us.
After they left, the networks privately debated the issue. We never actually reached an agreement that day, although all of the networks were sympathetic to the ‘public service’ dimension of the Greens’ case. Some networks worried that adding a fifth leader would make the debate “unwatchable” but we all knew that the elephant in the room was actually living at 24 Sussex Drive. And he – the Prime Minister – would effectively have veto power. Within days of the meeting, we were privately told by the Conservative Party representative that Prime Minister Harper would not participate in the debates if the Green Party leader was there.
That was in early 2007. So it’s not surprising how it has turned out for this 2008 election – even though the Green Party now has a member in the House of Commons and is averaging between 7 and 10 per cent in national opinion polls.
And therein lies the fatal flaw in Canada’s election debate process.
The CRTC and federal courts have reaffirmed the networks’ right to ‘produce’ this broadcast on their own, without any outside interference. And this is certainly the claim of the networks – including by me when I chaired the ‘consortium’ for those seven years. But in reality, the government in power has a veto, and without the Prime Minister’s participation, the debate won’t happen.
In this instance, I wish the networks had made all of this public by threatening to walk away as a means of mobilizing public pressure.
Furthermore, what makes this year’s pattern even worse is that the networks and parties have abandoned the change I introduced in 2006 of adding a second debate (or two extra, if you include French and English.) Like many people, I felt it was absurd that the complexity of a federal election in Canada was reduced to two hours of debating time. In addition, as if to ensure that Canada’s debate this time is truly irrelevant, they have scheduled the English-language event for October 2, the same evening as the U.S. vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.
This is serious business. An election is intended to protect the heartbeat of a democracy, and a televised leaders’ debate is the only opportunity to see them together on the same stage. I think it’s high time for an independent, non-partisan commission to step in and urgently provide remedial action.
In the U.S., the “Commission on Presidential Debates”, created in 1987, has come up with a far more illuminating model. The two presidential candidates appear for six hours in three debates, including one devoted solely to world affairs. And this is all accomplished within 29 days, which is a week less than the Canadian election campaign.
Political experts in the United States and Canada are uncertain about how their elections will turn out this autumn, except for two things.
It is more than likely that voter turnout in the U.S. will be a record high, and the turnout in Canada will be a record low.
Does this actually surprise anyone?
Tony Burman is Managing Director of Al Jazeera’s English-language news channel based in Doha, Qatar – where he reports it is 45 degrees Celsius and sunny.
Esther, great post as always.
- Chris
Is it just me or do some CON voters really have no brains?
~ JONNAY 10.08 11:15
Studies show they do have a more rigid thinking process. That doesn’t imply lower IQ I don’t think, it just means they are less prone to allow that not everything is black and white.
The core of the human still possesses it’s primitive beginnings, and the area is called the primitive brain. It’s responsible for fight or flight. We evolved further mammalian brain that allows us to work out whether a situation calls for fear, etc. But my theory is that some people are more prone to, for whatever reason, reacting with their initial primitive trigger, and sticking with it, or something like that. There is something different going on. The process of dealing with “ambiguity”, for whatever reason, is not generally handled as well in the so-nicknamed ‘conservative brain.’ It’s a tendency and that’s why the population is skewed that way. As with everything else, it’s a bell curve, so there’s a big similar mix of people in the middle, but then there are a few at the extremes. That’s your ultra-right. That’s the problem right now. They snuck into power. And they did it in a well-planned, and contrived way, over decades.. see U.S.A.
And don’t forget there’s leaders and there’s followers. I give zero credit to the very right wing type leader, like Harper or Bush or other world leaders of their ilk, who justify these things they are up to. To them they are just fulfilling their agendas. They live in a different world than the majority. Harper knows it, and that’s why his type have figured out that by lying, and lying, cleverly, he can garner just enough favour to dupe a lot of people. Oh, it helps that they didn’t leave any doors unlocked. The media ownership chipped in – for quite awhile now. We just didn’t notice until the doors started blowing off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beyond the Puffin Poop: What is the Harper Agenda ?
By James Laxer
On Sunday, Stephen Harper described the Conservative Party of Canada as “centrist.” For a man who ran the National Citizens Coalition, and energized the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance, this is a curious label to pin on the party he now leads. Harper has devoted his entire political life to the honing of a disciplined political instrument that will drive Canada to the hard right. Unlike George W. Bush, who is a frat boy, Stephen Harper is a true ideologue. His goal, which extends far beyond holding office for its own sake, is to transform Canada from a country he can’t stand to a lean satrap of America. He won’t be ready to hang up his skates until the word “Canada” has acquired a muscular meaning around the world. He won’t be content until this country’s tolerant, fuzzy, secular humanism has been expunged.
This is not a hidden agenda. But in the mainstream media, it’s regarded as bad form to talk about anything Harper said, did, or wrote before he took up residence at 24 Sussex Drive.
Harper’s waiting for a majority he would use to:
-Negotiate a much closer economic, national security and military union with the United States.
-Decimate the Canadian social state, with medicare shredded by the emergence of a patchwork system that varies from province to province with a growing role everywhere for the private sector.
-Cut taxes for the rich.
-Open the doors to a much larger role for “faith based” initiatives and the assault on secular values.
-Push ahead with oil sands development, condemning Canada to the role of the first world’s greatest per capita polluter.
-Privatize the CBC.
-Complete the militarization of Canada.
Under a Harper majority, the role of the opposition would be worth about as much as a warm pitcher of spit.
http://tinyurl.com/5ackzx
Put pressure on the MSM to report properly.
Harper is, well…. Pinocchio.
~ by TS 10.08 11:49PM
Yes! Pinocchio:
http://trustbreaker.freehostia.com/
I see the media is making a bit of a deal over Harper saying 2011 is the end in Afghan, well almost, just gonna leave a few troops.
BY TED BROWNE ON 09.10.08 9:33 PM
Ted, thanks for those great links you posted.
By the way:
News coverage earlier in the day showed Dion firmly saying, before Harper did, that Dion wants the troops out by 2011, and that Canada has other assignments in other countries that need attending to. He was absolutely firm about it.
Harper must have been improvising in reaction to Dion.
Dion has become the Leader of leaders. Just watch him.
Garth,
We know you are going to wipe the floor with your conservative and NDP candidates. Further, it would be silly for voters to kick out an MP that allows voters access to democracy on a daily basis.
I’m worried about that national campaign. I even gave money to the national party for the first time in years.
This is Dion’s time, does he realise that?
Daryn
Off topic. Is it accurate that Harper and Layton made an agreement a year ago that they would refuse to participate in a debate if Elizabeth May was included?
By C. B. Innes on 09.10.08 10:22 pm
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Conservatives Admit Harper and Layton Colluded to Omit Greens from Debate -RICHARD MAHONEY
Just like they colluded regarding the income trust fraud.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Conservatives Admit Harper and Layton Colluded to Omit Greens from Debate
As Cherniak on Politics blogs tonight, and as Keith Boag’s story on the CBC National news reveals, representatives of the NDP and the Conservatives had a deal. They agreed some time ago that they would both block the inclusion of the Green Party in the debates. And they stuck with the deal until Jack Layton “turned turtle”.
Which is interesting. First, when the news first broke that May would not be allowed in to the debates, I happened to be on the air on the Ottawa radio station, CFRA, doing a weekly panel on Afternoon Edition with host Rob Snow. When I suggested that the Conservatives and NDP had colluded to keep the Green Party out, the NDP’s official campaign spokesperson, Brad Lavigne, denied it vehemently. As it turns out, that was exactly what happened.
This brings us to the second point. In past elections, I had the privilege of talking to many thousands of people in Ottawa Centre, many of them (too many!) who voted for the NDP. In the six month campaign that Ed Broadbent and I ran together in, I knocked on well over 60,000 doors before our campaign stopped counting. I write this to say that, during that wonderful experience, I gained some appreciation for what these good people looked to the NDP to do for them. Working with Stephen Harper was not high on their priority list. They did not expect or want Jack Layton to work with Stephen Harper to defeat a national child care program. They did not expect their representatives to vote to end the Kelowna Accord, and to spend all their energy defeating a Liberal government that had just secured an international agreement to further the Kyoto objectives and deal with climate change. They did not want the party they voted for to work with Stephen Harper to force an election which achieved Layton’s objective: a Stephen Harper minority government.
No, that is not what NDP supporters elect their Members of Parliament to do. They don’t see politics the way Jack Layton does: the Liberals are the ultimate enemy and it doesn’t matter what tactic you use, what progressive policy you bring down as long as you defeat the enemy.
So the challenge for Layton is that this new deal with Harper just underlines to his potential supporters the sometimes symbiotic relationship between these two unlikely partners. They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Jack’s problem is his potential voters don’t share his definition of who the ultimate enemy is. For them, on most days, it is not the Liberals. It is not the Green Party. It’s the guy who stands most against what they believe: Stephen Harper.
Posted by Richard Mahoney at 8:10 PM
By Judy on 09.10.08 10:41 pm.
Williams also went after Paul Martin – you may have forgotten the oil revenue deal that was a huge and long-running issue. He’s an equal opportunity scrapper, that’s for sure. He stands up for his province and will fight tooth and nail for it. I wish our premier were the same. But, do not forget that he also nailed Martin.
Harper’ Afghanistan pull out appears to hold as much water as: Accountability or Income Trust, or Atlantic Accord, or Kelowna Accord, or Fixed Election Date, or Working for you, or Leadership or host of many others. For what it is worth here in the East the word on the street was out his next move on Afghanistan would be to 2014! Now 2011….hmmmm do you believe anything this dictator says?
The Tory message to it`s members has been “say it often & they will believe” — the truth be damned.
Cover it in a message which hides the true nature of the beast — we all lose.
As an old time PC member who was pounded by the Tax fairness plan & it`s promise of fairness to all in the land , I have been hit hard with disillusionment & sadness for my old party. Tactics such as this belong somewhere else , not in Canada.
Why are these people allowed to lie their way to even more power. It was bad enough they crucified small investors for believing their promise not to tax income trusts , now they lie to the public about Liberal policy.
Say it often enough & they will believe—this is the mantra of Stephen Harper–this is a man of little principle & what principle he has is based solely on his need for more power & his desire to remove the Liberal movement from the political landscape in this country.
We cannot let this happen.
We need to support independent honest men like Garth Turner & Brent Fullard in their personal quest to stop the tyrant Harper who would be king.
Dr Mike Popovich–former life-long Conservative.
“When this is all over I assure you I will not miss [public life] for one minute.”
Yet another joke coming out of the mouth of our ‘Pinocchio Prime Minister’. For someone who claims he won’t miss public life he certainly appears to have taken cheap shots, smears, and lies to new heights in order to hold onto his job. Hmmmmm… perhaps this is because he has never held a real job in the public sector.
By TS on 09.10.08 11:52 pm
TS I really think he means that when he has accomplished his goals according to Tom Flanagan. At the same time, he’s trying to lull opposition volunteers & voters into believing that don’t worry, we’re not expecting a majority. JMO
Hey, tomorrow 9/11 is my BIG day (65) I”M GOLDEN! (There, I’ve told the world!) LOL
By A.R.Wainwright on 09.11.08 1:17 am
Wishing you a very happy birthday today. The best is yet to come!
Morning Garth — I just took a call at home from one of our sign volunteers. He’s just reported that your signs are all down along Derry Road. Vandalized, trashed and thrown in the ditch. Every one of the signs cost the campaign $5.00 and the stakes to hold them up were $1.50 each. Paid for by contributions from supporters. They were installed by volunteers who took time away from their jobs, their families, their down time because they are a symbol of democracy. Like Garth Turner those signs stand for something. And now they are all in the ditch. This is a sad day indeed, when ignorant punks have little else to do than interfere with the democratic proccess. Let this be a lesson to you punks, you can trash our signs but our candidate remains standing.
If this statement by Harper is true for a little paper town like Grand Falls NF why would it not be true for anyone who may lose their job.I believe Danny is more right than he’s wrong on Harper.
Humber-St.Barbe-Baie Verte Liberal incumbent Gerry Byrne is calling for an apology from the prime minister. This Week the national president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union said he was told by Stephen Harper during a meeting on the paper industry that there would be no bail-out. Dave Coles also said the PM suggested that mill workers who lose their job can go to Fort McMurray. Byrne says it’s not surprising given the Prime Minister’s earlier “culture of defeat” reference of Atlantic Canada
My riding in Toronto is solidly Liberal so I have sent both you and Brent Fullard donations.
It was interesting to learn that Jumpin’ Jack and Scheming Stevie colluded on excluding Elizabeth May from the debates. Expected behaviour from Harper BUT a disaster for Layton’s image!
It should be illegal to lie in paid ads…truth in advertising…is that just a U.S. law?
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By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 1:59 am
Thanks for that post, Barb. It was very illuminating. IMO, there should be at least 2 debates–one without the Bloc, and in English–the other one with the Bloc and in French.
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I listened to Duceppe last night, and one thing he said struck me–if Harper had had a majority last time, we would be in Iraq. Scary.
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Hey, tomorrow 9/11 is my BIG day (65) I”M GOLDEN! (There, I’ve told the world!) LOL
By A.R.Wainwright on 09.11.08 1:17 am
Happy birthday, A.R.!
The Con-Reform say Ms. May is in bed with the Liberals especially when referring to McKays riding.
Looks as if the same is true for the Con-Reform with Andre Arthur’s riding in Quebec.But Arthur is a big fan of Harper and votes with them on most issues.
From CTV
Only three weeks ago, a Conservative organizer had said the party planned to run someone against Arthur despite the fact the independent MP’s regularly voted with the Tories in the Commons and has openly praised Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
“I think Harper has given us something that we haven’t seen in Canada in the last 50 years,” Arthur said. “For the first time we’ve had a government that says what it does and does what it says.”
He’s right about the 50 years comment and I hold out hope that most voters have seen enough to vote this guy out NOW along with Arthur.Obviously Arthur is still as misguided as ever.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 1:59 am
This whole episode has been ridiculous. The media has the power in this situation. They could have, and should have, invited all 5 leaders to debate on a specific date and time.
If Mr. Harper, or any other leader, did not feel it necessary to attend they could be represented by an empty chair. Whoever did show up would get 2 hours of free prime time coverage to make their case.
Yeah, I really believe Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton would have let that happen.
Part of Danny Williams speech can be heard on video at this link. I saw his complete speech yesterday and I think his attack on Harper was longer.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080910.wfnelxnlede0910/BNStory/National/home
Danny Williams is now being interviewed on the National.
By Don Bool on 09.11.08 3:59 am,
I wonder how many other backroom deals have been made between Harper and Layton?
He looks left, then right. Yup the coast appears to be clear. The list people who appear in the night seem to have retired to their Transylvanian estates. The coast seems clear for the Okie Puckhead Hoser to take to the ice.
Now that I have your attention, well some of you anyway…I wish to say;
Yesterday was a good day for Democracy. It was a good day for the People of Canada.
The Nation rose up and spoke. The many spoke to the few. The many exercised their voice, logic, passion, anger and pursued their thirst for Justice and Truth. People from coast to coast came together with one voice. One purpose.
We the People used every means at our disposal to carry the message. We struck at the heart of the powerful at the one time they open their ears to us. The one time they acknowledge our rights. Election time.
We the People, working together carried the day in the name of Democracy. It was a day I was proud to be a Canadian.
I am Comrade Okie, and I endorse the foregoing political message.
News in the this mornings Halifax CH, states Tories are writing off Nova Scotia, of course this is along with NFLD but they do have CTV and watanabe Senator Duffy. Steve (ex-PMSH) remember ladies and gentlemen he dissolved the government so until he wins his own seat and his party wins he is just another candidate to which many people seem to forget the race is still on. So I would say many people remember more than he cares to, or will mention along with our MSM……But Danny Williams remembers everything even words spoken by the Reformer Steve to which he told a full house yesterday amidst thundering applause.
Will the Main Stream Media ever cut the balderdash?
Time to ask Harper to explain his environmental plan.
ABC
Carbon Shift.
The ode analogy about death and taxes is true. So what M. Dion is saying is tax big spenders and pass the savings on by lowering taxes. That idea under any circumstance is a good plan. Why? because it is fair and gives people real choices, single winners for those for whatever reason will not conserve, and double for those who do, and when the light comes on for single winners they can become double winners, Think life is all about supply and demand the more you use the more it costs the less we use the better bargains….works with just about everything eh.
So do I Warren. But it appears to me that the phony you speak about is Harper himself. As for you, turn off the PC, bush your teeth, get your pj’s on & go to bed before your mom catches you
Nite, Nite.
By Irene on 09.11.08 1:58 am warren f
i’ll just go crawl under my rock.
the libs or ndp still have not responded after a day?
the msm appears to be playing it down?
i guess the libs and ndp are still in the tank?
Garth, I have been a long time reader of your Blog. You have continually taken “bad news” stories and attributed them to the present government. I would like to send a donation but I am unclear what you or the Liberals are proposing for fixes to all the doom and gloom. For each bad news headline you mention in your blog, please provide the Garth Turner solution. I am sure positive ideas would generate far more donations than tedious repetion of news headlines.
Hey, tomorrow 9/11 is my BIG day (65) I”M GOLDEN! (There, I’ve told the world!) LOL
By A.R.Wainwright on 09.11.08 1:17 am
Happy 65th ARW. Now you can at least get some of those taxes back.
Tony Burman is Managing Director of Al Jazeera’s English-language news channel based in Doha, Qatar – where he reports it is 45 degrees Celsius and sunny.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 1:59 am
Thanks Barb for that great post.
Let this be a lesson to you punks, you can trash our signs but our candidate remains standing.
By Esther Shaye on 09.11.08 7:46 am
Now I wonder whose supporters were responsible?
Esther & Garth – this has clinched it for me. I’ll be making a donation. I hope others will do likewise.
I would like to give my impression on how the leaders are presenting themselves so far. I do this because one party is spending so much effort to make this an election about leaders.
I watched Mr. Dion speak twice recently and my first comment is about his English language skills. In the two speeches there was only one word I didn’t understand. Probably because my attention drifted momentarily. Overall he presented himself well and with a sense of sincerity. I found no fault in how he presented himself and he did not step on his own feet.
Mr. Harper I find to be a relatively charming man who considers his words and can think on his feet. As such I am left to ponder the glaring errors in his parties campaign to date. I hope Mr. Harper can come to understand that to thinking Canadians (even hosers), there is more to a campaign than talking points and glib one liners.
Ms. May is beginning to show some traits common to the modern political landscape and needs to choose wisely which of these traits she employs as her target audience does not always enjoy the “big show”. The People just handed her a victory. I hope she remembers that.
Mr Duceppe made the right move on the Green Party debate issue. He seems to be astute politically and it would be a good thing if he would apply his considerable ability for the betterment of our Country.
Jack Layton. Kinsella used the term, “folded like a cheap suit”. In my humble opinion, Ed Broadbent would never have put himself in the position that Layton did. Can Jack wash the egg off his face before election day??
In closing, an election isn’t just about leaders. They are no doubt important but a lot of people make up a party. Personally, I won’t vote for one person. My vote will be based on platform and past performance.
Canada’s trade surplus falls
boom
took long enough
employment numbers are skewed by Federal hiring. snap like Global Warming?
Sorry Barb, but that was one of the most ridiculous posts I have seen you make. To suggest that a third of Canadians have right leaning political views because “they are less prone to allow that not everything is black and white.” or “The process of dealing with “ambiguity”, for whatever reason, is not generally handled as well in the so-nicknamed ‘conservative brain.’ It’s a tendency and that’s why the population is skewed that way” is beyond ridiculous. Perhaps there are several different paths one can take in their life, and not all are the same. Your comment that those right of you is because of the way their brain is wired shows that you are “less prone to allow that not everything is black and white.” People vote differently because everything is not black and white. If it were, one party would get in with 100% of the vote. I’m no more wrong or less intelligent than you because I vote Conservative, its just might be that for now they offer more to me (not everything, just more)in my way of life than the other parties do. Nor are you any less intelligent than me for not voting the same as me.
If it is genetic, hopefully research can help find a cure for this genetic flaw that afflicts a third of Canadians.
Kerry
Harper’s opportunistic nature is showing itself again. Does anyone believe his words anymore?
Father of slain soldier upset over Harper’s comments
My vote will be based on platform and past performance.
By Comrade Okie on 09.11.08 9:07 am
welcome to the none of the above crew
Why not just answer my question here since this is where I asked it?
Already done. — Garth
I don’t know where these answers are posted. How about repeating yourself. Do you tell the person at the door to look on the blog for answers? I hope you do come to my house so I can tell you in person that you are a pompous jerk and will not be getting my vote. I was willing to give you a chance but you’d rather be an idiot so that tells me all I need to know. I don’t know who I will vote for but I do know who I won’t vote for. Thank you for narrowing my choices down.
No, but I tell this to people who come to the blog. I’m kinda busy at the moment, so we’ll chat at your door. — Garth
employment numbers are skewed by Federal hiring.
By Geiseric the Lame on 09.11.08 9:08 am
I`ve been reporting on that for the last year. Hope you didn`t buy a house on the 40/0 based on employment numbers.
The numbers now coming in from small business, especially self employed will really rock the boat.
Last spring, inflation will take down our economy.
Last summer, the economy is on thin ice.
Last fall, cash is good.
Last month, the melt is on, the August numbers will get crushed.
Throw in a liberal sprinkling of a system broken by corruption, the highest number of parent denied children and the total lack of international investor confidence in Canada and we`ve got the makings of a failed system of governance. The country will follow the government down till it too is broken.
no justice, no investment
Andrew M on 09.11.08 9:53 am
Garth did answer them and I replied with my answers.
The first, restore the rule of law. For the rest, nothing, 0, zip, without the first, although cutting self employed small business tax to 0 for the first $50,000 is critical as a parachute, Garth responded with a question, how`s things on your planet?
the melt is on
Father of slain soldier upset over Harper’s comments
By Transcanada on 09.11.08 9:36 am
The father was quoted as saying…”I would never want to see another soldier go in harm’s way so I can justify my son’s death,” said Davis. “But at the same time if we pull up stakes and come home when we’re not ready to — when the mission is not complete — if we did that then my son died in vain.”
What exactly is the mission? What are the indications that the mission will have been completed? I wish all 5 parties would decide to get out now, but just don’t announce it…just do it! The Taliban say they are killing more Canadians because of our election, so all parties have to say we will stay in until 2011 (or did the Taliban really say that?….)
Folks, we need to be looking over our shoulders. The NDP are catching up!
This is a trend we need to watch, and may need to decide who the real enemy is.
Garth:
So you KNOW it was your opponent’s “forces” who vandalized your signs? I guess by that same logic I can assume it’s the Liberal opponent of Harper who’s vandalizing/stealing Haper signs here in Calgary.
Thanks for clearing that mystery up for me. I’ll call the Calgary cops and let them know.
when ignorant punks have little else to do than interfere with the democratic proccess. Let this be a lesson to you punks, you can trash our signs but our candidate remains standing.
By Esther Shaye on 09.11.08 7:46 am
If I may.
You and the posse here make no notice of a few hundred thousand parent denied children but call vandalism undemocratic?
I`ll bet the candidates will still be standing even if it`s just on top of the pile of rubble the`ve created, well perhaps a few might need the help of a stake or two.
no justice, no investment
I’ve tried twice to give you a donation even though I don’t even live in your province. As a low vision low income widow I daren’t try again because I can not afford to triple my donation.If it hasn’t gone through maybe you can let me know and I will try again. BTW I have already donated to the party.
It always sucks when people lose their jobs. But, do we want those kinds of jobs? Do we want people’s livelihoods dependent on putting an ever greater number of cars on the road? I thought our goal was fewer cars. It seems like propping up the auto industry (despite the number of people they employ in SWO) is a regressive strategy.
Gee Esther…
Your post today sounds just like my big sister the way you deliver it.
And that is a good thing!
TTFN
Angus Reid poll – CPC 38 L 24 NDP 21
The Liberals and NDP are statistically tied now with the Liberals nosediving and the NDP and Conservatives rising.
With the Dion Liberals in election freefall, it is now evident that strategic voters will go to the NDP to stop a Harper majority govt.
Layton is promoting himself as a candidate for PM, whereas nobody believes Dion will ever be PM. The soft lefty Liberal voter is now drifting over to Layton and the NDP.
Awesome Aislin comic on M. Dion!
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/aislin/index.html
And another good one for those addicted to polls…
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/aislin/index.html?pubdate=9%2f9%2f2008
propping up the auto industry is a regressive strategy.
By 300baud on 09.11.08 11:01 am
More of the same is regressive, no doubt.
First we prop them up by `shifting` the manufacturer tax paid by international customers to Cdn consumers with the GST. When tax dollars including loans and subsidies were not enough to prop up manufacturers the dollar was devalued so Cdn consumers could prop them up with 30% of their spending power.
As we see there has been a 0 return on any source of `propping`, furthermore productivity gains through investment would have had the same effect.
The loss of investor confidence cannot be overcome without a restoration of the rule of law, no political gimmicks of another prop will change that.
A system broken by corruption will not fix itself, investors know it.
no justice, no investment
employment numbers are skewed by Federal hiring.
By Geiseric the Lame on 09.11.08 9:08 am
Not only that, instead of good paying jobs, many new hires are for low paying MacD type jobs.
By Esther Shaye on 09.11.08 7:46 am
Wow, in reading this blog for the last couple of years, that if the first post condemning vandalism, crime in any fashion. Good on you Esther for finally mentioning something in a round about way that really matters to people! So, do you advocate a tougher stance on crime?
Why 2011 is too late:
Tomgram: Slaughter, Lies, and Video in Afghanistan
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174975/slaughter_lies_and_video_in_afghanistan
Dion’s carbon-tax will bring recession: Harper
Updated Thu. Sep. 11 2008 11:02 AM ET
http://tinyurl.com/62t8pr
This liar, deceiver, manipulator has got to go. A recession is probably coming anyway and he has done nothing to help. All the money is gone.
I need to go for a very long walk in the woods and cool off a bit. The stench arising from Harper and all his MPs is revolting. Any neocon MP who stays with Harper is just as bad as he is in my mind. No guts to stand up for common decency, ethics, truth or integrity.
Hey, tomorrow 9/11 is my BIG day (65) I”M GOLDEN! (There, I’ve told the world!) LOL
By A.R.Wainwright on 09.11.08 1:17 am
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Have a great one A.R, I too have my golden one coming a month from tomorrow. Yippee! I can’t wait for the pay raise. Too bad it’s not this month as I would have sent my entire first check to the Liberals to help defeat the Dictator. I believe it would have been monies well spent. WELL, maybe I would have kept a little for a bottle of wine for the celebration I expect when Dion kicks Harpoon right out of the game.
***
I wonder how many other backroom deals have been made between Harper and Layton?
By C. B. Innes on 09.11.08 8:29 am
I can image quite a few C.B. I suspect having May in the upcoming debate will wipe that fake grin right off Layton’s face. His new image just took a nose dive by the news coming out that he & Harper are sidekicks and joined at the hips. Hmmmmm! I wonder what Laytons supporters hear this. I fully expect as well that Harper will soon be losing his carefully portrayed Mr. Nice Guy image he’s been working so hard to portray. NEWS FLASH HARPER! IT AIN”T WORKING. so go ahead & be your natural self.
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By Irene on 09.11.08 1:58 am
i’ll just go crawl under my rock. (Please do. Seeing the light doesn’t seem to work for you)
the libs or ndp still have not responded after a day? ( (To what?) )
the msm appears to be playing it down? (They have been very good at doing that in the past. Did you just notice?)
i guess the libs and ndp are still in the tank? ( Fishing for more Con lies I suspect & it seems to be working)
By warren f on 09.11.08 8:47 am
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Garth, I have been a long time reader of your Blog. You have continually taken “bad news” stories and attributed them to the present government. I would like to send a donation but I am unclear what you or the Liberals are proposing for fixes to all the doom and gloom. For each bad news headline you mention in your blog, please provide the Garth Turner solution. I am sure positive ideas would generate far more donations than tedious repetion of news headlines.
By LEC on 09.11.08 8:53 am
“You have continually taken “bad news” stories and attributed them to the present government” line you used is very suspect & makes you appear to be a Harper supporter. If I’ve read you wrong, my apologies but if I didn’t…..did your leader send you here to go fishing? Btw, the bait you’re using is just plain worn out. Won’t work LEC Ask your bogus leader what his plan is to fix the doom & gloom he created. Btw LEC. Where are all your helpers? Taking down Liberal signs I suspect. Btw, you sound just like Leasa. Any relation?
***
Tony Burman is Managing Director of Al Jazeera’s English-language news channel based in Doha, Qatar – where he reports it is 45 degrees Celsius and sunny.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 1:59 am
***
Great posts as usual Barb. Keep on digging. Its’ amazing what one can find under all that dirt.
Cheers
welcome to the none of the above crew
By unintended consequences on 09.11.08 9:42 am
You tink its Izzy to vote?
The Revolution isn’t here yet, but in the next few weeks we have choices to make and an opportunity to be heard. Even the smokers and tokers get their chance to raise their issue. (Marijuana Party) I think they have points to be considered and now is the time to bring them forward.
Give the Greens credit for having the political nads to address the subject. Personally I don’t agree with smoking dope but my view won’t influence its use outside of my own home. I see little difference between alcohol use, sales and taxation and marijuana. Realistically, I think it would be a much better use of tax dollars to legalize and control it. Imagine the revenue generated and saved. Use that advantage to keep it out of schools and for public education campaigns, research etc. Question is, how would that fit with the legal community and enforcement? What would it mean to Lawyers, the legal aid system, court officers and employees and the ever growing Police agencies?
I also believe we should look seriously at prostitution. It’s not like we have been able to stop it or likely ever will. Maybe they can start a party too. Wouldn’t it be fun picking a name for that?? Wanna Party?
$10 or $20? Okay people, listen up!! If you give Garth $100 you get $75 back on your tax return. Net Cost, $25 or a latte per month. Nothing to you, tons to him.
$300 and get $225 back … 3 lattes a month.
Come on, I’m at my contribution limit, so some of you others need to get out your Visa and help Garth out!
Another reason why 2011 is too late, from the esteemed Mr. Fish:
http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/20080910_is_there_a_doctor_in_the_house_or_senate/
employment numbers are skewed by Federal hiring.
By Geiseric the Lame on 09.11.08 9:08 am
Not only that, instead of good paying jobs, many new hires are for low paying MacD type jobs.
By Go Green on 09.11.08 11:31 am
This is a bigger poroblem than many know.
- Run our of EI? No ;longer unemployed.
- On welfare? Not unemployed.
- Unable to find work so register your self for independent worker to do small contract work and live on poverty income and you have just “created a job statistically”.
I have been trying to get the definition on how employment figures are calculated, but so far have not been able to find the guidelines. The reality is understated by ALL governments. Anyone know where I can look for documentation?
One thing I assure you, here in Montreal, the well paying jobs are really tough to get and rare, but there are lots of positions open for $15/hr or $30k. Even those are hard to get for someone with a university degree, powerful resume and great references. My experience shows that all too often, over qualified means no job – too much of a threat.
Time to go collect cans – “self employed”… right…
How can we get the public to know that the Green Shift Plan is really The Green Shift Gift”? It is a tax neutral plan with the Auditor General overseeing it to make sure it is revenue neutral. It is really a gift to Canadians. It helps the environment to keep our planet habitable for our children and grandchildren and encourages innovation in the green products and technology, will provide jobs for Canadians along with increasing wealth. A true gift from Dion and his team.
How do we get the general public to know what Harper is doing and how much of a liar, deceiver, dictator and manipulator he is? He is taking Canada down the tubes in my opinion. I belong to no party at the moment and did belong to the Greens for a couple of years. Now I am voting with the “Get rid of Harper” party.
By 300baud on 09.11.08 11:01 am
snip
“It seems like propping up the auto industry (despite the number of people they employ in SWO) is a regressive strategy.”
snip
No slight intended, but your choice of words highlights a problem with outdated perspective.
To me, it is not about the “auto industry” per se. It is about the Transportation Industry. “Automobiles” need to be brought into the 21st century, so investments in new, clean technology alternatives, applied to “cars” is needed. Not propping up technology that dates back to 1878. To do that, we need industry and governments to partner in order to address the needs of the future.
Right now, present government focus appears to be maintaining and optimizing the status quo. It is acting to maximize oil industry profits in the short term, at the cost to the environment (long term) and our social economy (long term).
If you can give subsidy to oil, why cannot you do the same for new technology.
This is what I believe begins to get addressed in the Green Shift. It is NOT the final answer, but certainly gets the ball rolling.
Ryan Sparrow buh-bye!
CLOWNservative meltdown continues
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Senior Conservative official Sparrow suspended from campaign: report
Posted: September 11, 2008, 12:14 PM by Chris Boutet
Canadian Election, Conservatives
A senior Conservative official has been suspended from the campaign, CTV News reported Thursday.
CTV said Ryan Sparrow, the party’s director of communications, was suspended for suggesting that the father of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan was a partisan Liberal supporter when that father, Jim Davis, appeared on television and criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent discussions about Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.
Ryan Sparrow buh-bye!
CLOWNservative meltdown continues
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Senior Conservative official Sparrow suspended from campaign: report
Senior Conservative official Sparrow suspended from campaign: report
Posted: September 11, 2008, 12:40 PM by Chris Boutet
Canadian Election, Conservatives
Canwest News Service
A senior Conservative official has been suspended from the campaign for remarks he made about the father of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Ryan Sparrow, the party’s director of communications, was suspended for suggesting that Jim Davis was a partisan Liberal supporter after Davis appeared on television and criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent discussions about Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.
Davis said his son will have died in vain if Canada pulls its troops out of the country before the mission is complete.
Cpl. Paul Davis died when his light armoured vehicle rolled over during a patrol in Kandahar in March 2006.
“I couldn’t believe (Harper) would say something so irresponsible as that,” Davis told CTV’s Canada AM.
Davis said it would be ideal to have Canadian soldiers home by 2011, but setting a deadline “undermines the work our soldiers are doing and it undermines the mission.”
“I would never want to see another soldier go in harm’s way so I can justify my son’s death,” said Davis, “but at the same time if we pull up stakes and come home when we’re not ready to — when the mission is not complete — if we did that then my son died in vain.”
Sparrow later sent a one-line e-mail message to a television producer pointing out that Davis was a partisan Liberal supporter.
Davis, a resident of Bridgewater, N.S., has worked for the provincial wing of the federal Liberal party. In 2006, he criticized the Tories when the party considered banning media coverage of the return of Canada’s war dead.
KERRY 11.08 9:15 AM
Shoot the messenger, eh? You’ve never bothered to read the studies so of course you made a choice to make a lot of incorrect assumptions and assertions about the scientific study. Perhaps you don’t like science. I do.
And obviously you’ve never heard of a bell curve before either. Try reading up on that too, it might give you a little more flexibility. Maybe not:
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-politics10sep10,0,5982337.story?coll=la-home-center
Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain
Even in humdrum nonpolitical decisions, liberals and conservatives literally think differently, researchers show.
Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.
In a simple experiment reported todayin the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists at New York University and UCLA show that political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information.
Previous psychological studies have found that conservatives tend to be more structured and persistent in their judgments whereas liberals are more open to new experiences. The latest study found those traits are not confined to political situations but also influence everyday decisions.
The results show “there are two cognitive styles — a liberal style and a conservative style.” said UCLA neurologist Dr. Marco Iacoboni, who was not connected to the latest research.
Participants were college students whose politics ranged from “very liberal” to “very conservative.”
Liberals had more brain activity and made fewer mistakes than conservatives in some aspects, researchers said. Liberals and conservatives were equally accurate in recognizing other items.
Frank J. Sulloway, a researcher at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Personality and Social Research who was not connected to the study, said the results “provided an elegant demonstration that individual differences on a conservative-liberal dimension are strongly related to brain activity.”
Analyzing the data, Sulloway said liberals were 4.9 times as likely as conservatives to show activity in the brain circuits that deal with conflicts, and 2.2 times as likely to score in the top half of the distribution for accuracy.
Sulloway said the results could explain why President Bush demonstrated a single-minded commitment to the Iraq war and why some people perceived Sen. John F. Kerry, the liberal Massachusetts Democrat who opposed Bush in the 2004 presidential race, as a “flip-flopper” for changing his mind about the conflict.
Based on the results, he said, liberals could be expected to more readily accept new social, scientific or religious ideas.
“There is ample data from the history of science showing that social and political liberals indeed do tend to support major revolutions in science,” said Sulloway, who has written about the history of science and has studied behavioral differences between conservatives and liberals.
Political orientation, he noted, occurs along a spectrum, and positions on specific issues, such as taxes, are influenced by many factors, including education and wealth. Some liberals oppose higher taxes and some conservatives favor abortion rights.
Still, he acknowledged that a meeting of the minds between conservatives and liberals looked difficult given the study results.
“Does this mean liberals and conservatives are never going to agree?” Amodio asked. “Maybe it suggests one reason why they tend not to get along.”
Garth
I think the Libs put out an ad that counters Stevie’s latest comments that the Green Shift would screw the country, put it into recession & create a unity crisis. If possible, the Libs should compare his Turning the Corner non-plan to the Green Shift plan in a short point by point comparison chart. The Libs should go on the offensive re the cons intensity based plan & the $1.1 billion annual subsidy to the oil & gas sector. We know that Cdns detest the humungous profits they’re making and the ecological disaster they’re creating in the Tar Sands. I hate to say it, and I personally dislike negative attack ads like those of Harper and his goon squad, but they appear to work according to political strategists.
Tories suspend key aide over remarks on soldier’s dad – CTV
Dion’s Green Shift threatens national unity: Harper – CBC
Senior Tory spokesman suspended – Globe and mail
Tory official suspended for criticizing… – Global National
All of these were headlines on the noted web news pages. The timing changed the message from Dion’s green plan to the conservative being removed on some of the site. The key here is the Conservatives are front page every day. The next highly profiled leader is Jack Layton. Where’s Dion,
The conservative war machine is in full swing. A positive conservative message every day. Where are the Liberals. Too busy being nice guys.
At this rate the conservatives will end up with a majority. Time for the Liberals to s— or get off the pot.
from a party that is purportedly fighting identity theft on one hand, while on the other is harvesting a treasure trove of enough personal data to make such self-same thieves drool.
~ by DUBE 10.08 10:55pm
Dube,
There’s no low too low for Harper, and no law that he feels applies to him. If Harper doesn’t end up in jail, I’ll eat MWH’s hats!
That’s interesting what you said about HS — I missed all that. I’m sure Bill-M handled it with grit & grace.
Thanks for that post, and yesterday’s too.
Hi Garth, Keep up the good work. I am beginning to wonder where are all the “BIG GUNS” of the Liberal Party at the moment. I did not hear a word from any of them. It seems to me that they are relying to former Progressive Conservative; e.g. yourself, present Progressive Conservative; Mr. Danny Williams to fight against Harper and his CONservatives. Yes, where are all those Liberals? This is the time to help your party to fight off Harper’s majority. I know it is only day 4, when it’s too late and Harper’s CONservatives secured a majority, it would be the saddest day in Canadian history. I fully agree with one great Canadian of our time who said that in his speech yesterday. He is no other than Mr. Danny Williams the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
If it is genetic, hopefully research can help find a cure for this genetic flaw that afflicts a third of Canadians.
Kerry
By Kerry on 09.11.08 9:15 am
SPOKEN BY DION TODAY – Globe, Star etc
Dion argues that, while the Green Shift will drive up the cost of fuels (with the exception of gasoline) because of increased federal taxes, the resulting tax windfall will benefit all Canadians. It will be used to slash personal and corporate income taxes, fund more generous social programs and provide a range of financial incentives to help manufacturers and other businesses become more energy-efficient and engage in the kind of research and development needed to create a modern, cutting-edge economy.
Am I to understand this is more than an environmental issue? To fund more generous social programs?? Plus all the other initiatives how much will go back directly to the taxpayer??
I think this proposal at this time is less politically appealing than John Tory’s funding of private schools.
If the election stays focussed on Green Shift there will be a massive Liberal Shift!!
Just heard Bob Fife (no video) talking to the CTV newsdesk as he was being hustled away from Harper by the RCMP in a Quebec vineyard. He said that he was being kept from asking Harper about the comment by Harper’s communications director that the father of the fallen soldier who criticized Harper’s announcement yesterday about pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011 is a Liberal supporter.
Fife said that it’s his job as a journalist to get answers from the PM. He sounded more than a little ticked off.
Doubtless, we’ll hear more of this as the day goes on – Fife says he will try again later.
stay tuned…
Hey Garth,
Have you seen this? Just wondering what your thoughts are as you have pointed out in the past that Canadians do not have enough savings.
http://tinyurl.com/5j6vhj
We need to support independent honest men like Garth Turner & Brent Fullard in their personal quest to stop the tyrant Harper who would be king.
Dr Mike Popovich–former life-long Conservative.
~ by DR MIKE FROM RODNEY 11.08 6:09am
Dr. Mike,
My husband was a card-carrying PC. Now he absolutely can not stand Harper. (Nor could we ever though.) Harper was never a conservative. Alert Albertans know who Harper is. The general public is finding out, and hopefully grassroots organizations and respected citizens will loudly and proudly speak out and lead the march against harpo the lying dictator who is trying to facilitate the division of our country.
Here you go Garth, I too just donated to your campaign, my first EVER political donation. Funny enough, I don’t even live in your riding, but your blog transcends artificial riding lines.
What incented me to do this? We’re only 4 days into this election campaign.
From the Conservatives, I continue to hear nothing but fear, deceit and lies, the like of which I’ve never heard before in Canada. And it shames me to draw the obvious parallels to the GOP south of the border.
From Layton I see unbridled opportunism. A man with no plan, who is selling himself with strength of conviction, yet lacking a firm sense of what is right, and what is wrong.
From Elizabeth (why do we all call her by her first name?) I see fierce determination based on a deep-rooted sense of environmental activism. I can’t decide if they’ve got more than one handle on the various issues.
And from Dion, I see integrity. No lies, no cheap shots, no name calling. A real belief of what is best for Canada, even if it’s not popular. Calling Canada to task on our atrocious environmental track record, but coming up with what sounds like a good plan.
I’m impressed by the Greens; by their enthusiasm, as they have yet to encounter the chasm of cynicism that comes with elected representation.
But I’ll be voting Liberal, mainly because I think a Harper majority is DANGEROUS for Canada, and I dare not split the left.
The KDC has one quote per day, which stands above the rest from any of the parties.
Call it as one sees it, but this is straight to the point, oh-so-true and comes from Danny Williams . . .
“A majority govt. for Stephen Harper would be one of the most negative political events in Cdn. history.”
Another report which gives voters here a much clearer picture of the type of control-freak personality harpo holds over CRAP, is:
“Tory campaign photo leaves shop owner, moms feeling duped . . . Owner said she thought Rona Ambrose was going to reveal new daycare details, but there were none”
Some CRAP ministers are good and deserve their place in the HoC, but they are few and far between; the majority of CRAP’s ministers being re-elected would be detrimental to Canada.
The best thing that Dion and Libs. can do during this very short election call, is to promote positive alternatives to what CRAP is offering — don’t get involved in “he said / she said” arguments, as that takes up too much time and detracts from what Libs. will do when elected.
As mentioned before, harpo and CRAP are Dion’s best advertising material, and it is free. Focus on positives, ignore negatives, have a really good TV debate where Dion and May will win a lot of support, all taken away from CRAP.
Garth
Well, I knew the acting lessons could not last the entire election but Day 5? The Perry Como image is now replaced by the real Stephen Harper smirking his way through a speech in Quebec today and playing the Unity card.
Apparently, doing anything on the environment and the economy will cause another national unity crisis and a massive recession.
Did a sitting Prime Minister of Canada just try and stir up the separatist issue as a political ploy to win votes in Quebec? Yes and a wink-wink to that fringe element in Alberta.
I am simply appalled. This man will do and say anything to get his majority.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 12:52 pm,
I would question this kind of study because it is appears to be biased by the researchers conception of the meaning of liberal and conservative based on the current U.S. political situation. It seems to me that they defined their terms based on a specific form of conservative ideology. How does the study define liberal and conservative? Do they use the left-right concept?
I would define Harper economically as a classical liberal and he defines himself in the same way. Can you translate the same definitions used at UCLA into the Canadian political context? Can you equate a conservative such as Robert Stanfield or Joe Clark with a Stephen Harper or a Mike Harris?
Certainly these kinds of studies make fodder for political spin but I don’t consider them of much real value.
By Bill R on 09.11.08 1:16 pm,
I take it you are from the school that believes that any publicity, even if it is bad, is good.
Am I to understand this is more than an environmental issue? To fund more generous social programs?? Plus all the other initiatives how much will go back directly to the taxpayer??
Ken – I’ve seen your posts on this blog before. So many people as well as Garth have posted here about the Green Shift and that the revenues collected will provide tax returns to Cdns the program will audited by the Auditor General annually. Visit the Green Shift site.
We’ve yet to really see what Stevie’s Turn the Corner plan will provide Canadians, other than intensity based targets. If they’re going to eventually put a $65 ton charge on GHG’s do you not think these costs won’t be dowloaded to the consumer. No big deal for the richest in society, but Stevie’s policy will hit the poorest in our society. Come clean Stevie. He avoided answering the true cost of his policy this am, just saying read the details on our site, and the MSM wouldn’t press him on his non answer.
Ok, I am SO disgusted that I have to leave another comment. Never left one before, and today I am driven to leave two.
What on Earth are Canadian Politics coming to when parties start using intimidation tactics to individuals?
First, we have homeowners in Guelph, with Liberal lawn signs targeted for vandalism, by having their houses spray-painted with anti-Liberal slogans.
Anti-Liberal intimidation tactics
Then, several Liberal supporters have their lives threatened when their brake lines on their cars are cut.
Then we have candidate signs being mass-destroyed.
At this rate, if the Conservatives get a majority, we can expect to see a “protection tax” imposed, so that they can “protect” us from…..themselves?
I think the Libs put out an ad that counters Stevie’s latest comments that the Green Shift would screw the country, put it into recession & create a unity crisis.
Oops – should have said I think the Libs ’should’ put out an ad …
By Transcanada on 09.11.08 12:39 pm,
The problem is that partisans see this issue from only a partisan spin and not from the perspective of the families. I know families who support the Conservatives who feel the same way.
Military families that have suffered as a result of the war believe that ending the mission before its objectives are achieved means their sacrifice was for nothing.
People need to be sensitive to their feelings and not use it as a partisan political issue.
I also believe we should look seriously at prostitution. Maybe they can start a party too. Wouldn’t it be fun picking a name for that?? Wanna Party?
By Comrade Okie on 09.11.08 11:43 am
Too late, that`s how we ran up the national debt. The screwing we`ve been getting from Ottawa isn`t cheap.
Looks to me that Harper has lost control of his people.
Perhaps its the bully again.
Garth you have been right about Harper’s control.
His own people are turning on him.
I just heard from a buddy that seen Finley kicked a garbage can across the War Room when he heard that.
With his heavy Scottish brogue.
Whaaaaattttthhhhh next.
That’s what happens when you hire a boy to dooooooooo a Man’ssssssssssss Jobbbbbb.
Just heard Bob Fife (no video) talking to the CTV newsdesk as he was being hustled away from Harper by the RCMP in a Quebec vineyard. He said that he was being kept from asking Harper about the comment by Harper’s communications director that the father of the fallen soldier who criticized Harper’s announcement…….
By AM on 09.11.08 1:51 pm
Whose vineyard? Surely it was not Alphonso Galiano’s! What was Harper doing in a vineyard anyway? Testing grapes, maybe? Or just trying to duck the Sparrow poop?
Not that anyone is keeping score or anything…
Conservative blunders
OTTAWA – After just four days on the 2008 election trail, Stephen Harper’s series of flip-flops, gaffes and misinformed attacks have left his campaign team in disarray.
…
http://www.liberal.ca/story_14488_e.aspx
Add to that, today’s colossal blunder about the fallen soldier’s father.
It all seems to add up to a carbon copy of the last session of Parliament, only now it’s on full public view.
This is what I believe begins to get addressed in the Green Shift.
By maybe Rhino? on 09.11.08 12:22 pm
Your right but there are a couple of snags that need addressing.
There is no mention of where the investment monies will come from nor how to sell new and improved,,, and more expensive products to an already broke consumer that will be paying out much more than any promised tax rebates will cover.
Barb,
thanks for the link, took a quick look at it. Then took a quick look at other sites on google regarding that study, and quickly found several psych sites refuting some or all of their conclusions. So not discounting it yet, I would need more time to search, but still skeptical as to the conclusions they came up with. My biggest reason for not buying it would be the voter change I hear people talking about during elections. “this time i’m voting …” Mulroney’s voters all left him, decimating the tory party. They should have been more unwilling to change.
Kerry
stay tuned…
BY AM ON 09.11.08 1:51 PM
Robert Fife is reporting that Harper’s team told the RCMP to keep the reporters away from Harper and moved them away.. Fife followed up by saying that it is not within the prime ministers authority to order the RCMP to that. He said their job is protect against imminent threat but they are not authorized to keep reporters from asking a question by moving them out.
The more unscripted questions Harper gets, the more he shows his true nature. Since when do Canadians have to shut up and not ask legitimate questions about the country’s policies and directions? Who died and made him king?
The 2011 date was a direct reaction to the polling numbers about Canadians’ feelings about the Afghanistan “mission”, somewhere around 60% against at last count. Who the hell does he think he is to impose such a thing on this country?
On a recent panel discussion with Pastor Mansbridge and a few pundits on CBC, the pollster Alan Gregg said that since both the Libs and Cons had supported the extension of the mission, the question was effectively off the table and wouldn’t make any difference in the election. For a pollster, that was one huge mistake. I think he kind of forgets how he makes his living.
If Bush is busy provoking war in Pakistan, if Obama wants to send more troops into Afghanistan, if things are getting worse and worse there, it is completely irresponsible to commit soldiers to three more years in that county when they could be in even more terrible danger than they already are.
Doesn’t a soldier’s father have a right to question that? Don’t we all?
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” – Keynes
We know that Afghanistan and Iraq are not how they have been presented. We’re destroying lives there, wasting money. More lives lost are not going to justify those that have already been lost.
Interesting….however it’s their website so I’d say they have the right to allow what they want on here.
…they are a symbol of democracy. Like Garth Turner those signs stand for something. And now they are all in the ditch. This is a sad day indeed, when ignorant punks have little else to do than interfere with the democratic proccess. Let this be a lesson to you punks, you can trash our signs but our candidate remains standing.
By Esther Shaye on 09.11.08 7:46 am
I hope that you can re-erect all the signage and as well get a few of them in view of some sort of electronic surveillance. It is usual that this type of vandalism gets repeated. These perpetrators need to be displayed in living color online and in the media. Hopefully they will get caught and interviewed twice. First by the finest in blue and Second by the media to try to get an explanation of their actions. I would be interested in hearing what they think they accomplished! Do they really think that by destroying posters and signage that the election will go away? Or, is this a pent up frustration with the political posturing and pollution that is being perpetrated [in their view]? Regardless, their reactions are a childish, ill thought out response to their emotional problems. If they have serious issue(s) to express, then why don’t they stand up and testify?!!!
Boys oh boys has Danny Williams ever hit the nail on the good ode head, G&M is reporting yet another Tory suspended what is going on? Steve the Dictator has big problems running the show in country in these time zones: NFLD Atlantic, Central, Prairie, Mountain and Pacific. Garth has told millions including the MSM he (PMSH) and selected clones run everything, no appointed MP’s are allowed to grow and all words to the media are vetted…and y’all want to give him full control to do the same with your life and the future of children and grandchildren….really? Not me, I taught my children to speak up and live life and pick themselves up dust themselves off and try again just like my WW II RCN C/ERA father taught me and many others.
By Comrade Okie on 09.11.08 11:43 am
Marijuana will never be legalized in Canada, as long as our largest trading partner keeps it illegal. Cretien promised to legalize small amounts, but the D.E.A. let it be known that their borders would tighten to our goods. The D.E.A. has 2 offices in Canada, 1 in Ottawa and 1 in Vancouver. Their officers have no power to arrest, but help with investigations on suspected traffickers and gorwers. I believe the most likely reason it is kept illegal is it would be nearly impossible to control if it were legalized. Alcohol is harder for the average person to make, but most people could grow pot plants easily. Marijuana is illegal in Vancouver, yet downtown, 5$ and a bag of weed will allow 1 hours smoking in a comfortable lounge, PST/GST included. Just don’t think of smoking tobacco in the lounge or withen 6 metres of the doorway, there are provincial laws banning those carcinogins from being smoked.
Well, very interesting day to be sure.
First we see Elizabeth May, thanks to Canadians for real democracy, has overcome the bias and FUD of the CRAP, BLOC and NDP, and MSM.
Red-faced over Greens
Maybe, just maybe, the Power Brokers in the Back Rooms will grasp the concept that elections are NOT about THEM, but about Canada, Canadians and above all democratic debate? If they fail then they can go stare in the nearest mirror after the elections and ask ‘What happened? The polls told us we were right!’
Then we see the CRAP trolls are also busy in the media regarding the U.S. election. Even when the WORLD stands up and speaks they are deaf. Guess the science is correct…Criticial thinking is not their strongest attribute.
Obama sweeps global poll
Yes, the social neaderthals are experiencing their Moment of Zen, also commonly referred to as EXTINCTION! Long, long overdue in the 21st Century and New Millenium.
Here is a link to when DUffy was trying to be a journalist and Bob Fife was being a prophet about HArper and his “environment”plan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA_bOnFKP7A
Got another 10% er yesterday and was quite surprised. The Conservative party wants to take voting rights away from prisoners. I am surprised they would give up on the whole prison populations potential votes. Hopefully with no Conservative majority, prisoners will keep their democratic right to vote. Maybe the Liberal party can run ads in prisons, saying Harper will take your vote away?
Garth, have been trying to send you money i should say to you, Dion and my friend Kirt in Nunavut, $400 is all i can afford right now, God Bless you keep up the good fight.
? With regards to the mailers, can they do this??
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/11/flyer-kenney-election.html
When would it have been sent?
By AM on 09.11.08 1:51 pm
update: Here’s a transcript of Fife’s phone call to the CTV newsdesk earlier:
“…Ordering the R.C.M.P. To keep me and –
particularly me and the camera crew away from the prime minister.
>> Kate: Is that because you broke the story, bob?
>> No. Because I’m insisting that we get a reaction from the prime
minister. This is an election campaign. An election campaign — in
election campaigns we don’t go soft on any political party. And the
prime minister’s office seems to think that we should just forget this
issue. Well, we have an obligation as journalists to get reaction from
the prime minister, given the fact that their campaign worker made a
serious allegation and was suspended for it.
…”
http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41086&Itemid=41
Well done, Bob.
It, really, doesn’t matter if the Con-bots are on the front page everyday as long as they keep blowing their feet off with negative stories .
Blam! Blam ! Both barrels two more feet disintegrate .
Sparrow suspended .
Fife manhandled by Harpo’s goon squad .
This is more entertaining than a Laurel and Hardy movie and just as stupid .
Strategic Council continues to spin the bad news numbers into golden territory for the CRAP-ists .
We are on to you .Quit ‘yer lyin’ .
In Nova Scotia, Tories are having difficulty fielding candidates Two are questionable parachuted and appointed: (Rosemary Segado and Conservative staffer from Ottawa running against Bill Casey), the third, Rosamond Luke, resigned yesterday.
Things aren’t going well for the Tories in Nova Scotia.
By the way, I e-mailed the Liberal party asking for a sign — no reply. My village is plastered with Conservative signs…nary a Liberal one. When are the Liberals planning to put them up and deliver the one I requested? Are they waiting for the election to end before erecting them? The Conservative that won this riding in 2006 did it on name recognition. It isn’t helpful in my riding that that no Liberal candidate’s name is visible! They’ll need more than 100 to match the number of Conservatives signs that are currently in position.
In 2006 Liberal signs used to mysteriously disappear or fall over and it wasn’t teens that were causing it.
Sigh. Got 2 of those darned 10%ers here at my office in Oakville, one from Colin Carrie and one from Peter Van Loan.
Paul Zed has admitted to a Dion Shift Side Deal. Dion said “no side deals”. Guess he lied. Makes one wonder what Danny got, must have been BIG!
http://stevejanke.com/archives/273203.php
Dear Mr Turner,
If you don’t mind a suggestion:
The Green shift is being portrayed by your adversaries as a Carbon TAX.
Isn’t it way past time for YOUR PARTY to start calling it a Carbon REBATE?
The Green shift IS a Carbon Rebate for consumers after all, in the form of lower taxes.
Seriously consider the optics. Frame the Green shift as a REBATE, not a tax. Repeat at every opportunity.
Just a thought.
http://nbcdipper.ca/2008/09/11/carbon-tax-letting-the-polluters-get-away-while-the-middle-class-pays/
If Liberal MP Paul Zed is correct, the Federal Liberal Carbon Tax will exclude oil refineries:
According to Zed, the refinery’s emissions won’t be taxed.
“The Conservatives are alleging that the Green Shift taxes (emissions). That’s not true. That’s the lie and the falsehood,” Zed said.
“There is no tax on emissions. The Green Shift plan is not a detriment to the refinery “¦ I wouldn’t be supporting this if, for a moment, I thought the refinery was in jeopardy.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that oil refineries produce tons of carbon.
It’s seem that the Federal Liberal Carbon is quickly become yet another yet to place unneeded economic pressure on Canada’s middle class. It’s becoming more and more like the BC Liberal Carbon Tax, where the big polluters, the smelting and oil industries, among others, are exempt.
Sadly, this is something I predicted.
Will Dion and the Liberals come out and admit Zed is incorrect? Or is he actually correct?
Is this true Garth?
Just another look at the disgusting GOP tactics in the US
Lose your house, lose your vote
By Eartha Jane Melzer 9/10/08 6:42 AM
Michigan Republicans plan to foreclose African American voters
The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.
“We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,” party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.
State election rules allow parties to assign “election challengers” to polls to monitor the election. In addition to observing the poll workers, these volunteers can challenge the eligibility of any voter provided they “have a good reason to believe” that the person is not eligible to vote. One allowable reason is that the person is not a “true resident of the city or township.”
The Michigan Republicans’ planned use of foreclosure lists is apparently an attempt to challenge ineligible voters as not being “true residents.”
http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote
? With regards to the mailers, can they do this??
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/11/flyer-kenney-election.html
When would it have been sent?
By Dee on 09.11.08 3:54 pm
Dee
I received one yesterday from PVL. I would say if we get them next week take it to the Post office and talk to the Postmaster and find out when they received them. Get him/her to date it and sign off the 10%er and fire it off to the Chief Electoral officer and file a complaint. One of these idiots got careless and issued the expense after the writ was dropped.
They are so arrogant and they think we’re so stupid. One of these poop-a-grams is going to bite someone’s arse.
Pardon the poor pun…
By canuxk on 09.11.08 4:13 pm
I was wondering when the Liberal signs were going to appear in our riding as well. N.D.P. and Conservatives have had theirs up since Sunday, but not a Liberal sign in site. The Liberal party were ready for an election last Sept. so it must be their strategy to not put up any signs. They could have got 2 in the spots of the Conservative candidates that were destroyed, but she has had new ones put up in place. Damn punks, thinking they can wreck democracy by destroying campaign signs.
By canuxk on 09.11.08 4:13 pm
Strange not a Tory sign in sight here in Dartmouth West yet? Perhaps there is something at play here? News from NB is good in so much the Green Shift is getting positive debate over Harper lies. Think if we can tap into the young minds of Canadian talent to build cleaner manufacturing jobs…..why not?
Well, Garth — like some other people here, I’ve also made my first ever political contribution. I may not always see eye to eye with you, but you’re a hell of a lot better than the average politician. Night and day.
People need to be sensitive to their feelings and not use it as a partisan political issue.
By C. B. Innes on 09.11.08 2:24 pm
While I agree with you to an extent, getting our soldiers home now would be my preference.
We know that Afghanistan and Iraq are not how they have been presented. We’re destroying lives there, wasting money. More lives lost are not going to justify those that have already been lost.By CM on 09.11.08 2:46 pm
Bang on, CM. While none of us want to play into the Taliban’s hands, I would sure like to see no more Canadians (or anybody for that matter) die for a cause that can’t be won.
We know that Afghanistan and Iraq are not how they have been presented. We’re destroying lives there, wasting money. More lives lost are not going to justify those that have already been lost.
By CM on 09.11.08 2:46 pm
Agree CM – Have been against our involvement since Day 1.
I just wonder how far off some of these polls are. Late yesterday aft. I rec’d a call with what appeared to ba local call. I picked up the tel and discovered it was an Ekos (?) automated call. I immediately hung up. Its not the first time I’ve hung up on polling cos. So, I wonder how many others hang up & how many cons would want to answer, just to distort the figures. Just a thought.
Puffin, now Sparrow—hopefully the next bird to clip the Cons wings will be an Albatross.
? With regards to the mailers, can they do this??
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/11/flyer-kenney-election.html
When would it have been sent?
By Dee on 09.11.08 3:54 pm
______________________________________
They say on August 27, but they’re probably lying, of course. Sleazy is too light a word to describe this kind of cheating.
Why is the car thief black, anyway? Let’s see. Young people with hoodies are all criminals. Junkies should all be in jail, and black guys are all car theives. This piece of garbage is racist. I don’t want to see them get away with this. They’re crossing a line here.
Human Props – Again!
The audio version of the above report, broadcast on radio news, went on to say that Ambrose pushed a baby carriage around the store during the photo op, and claimed that the Conservatives created 60000 daycare spaces in Ontario (remember, that by following the exact same policy of Mike Harris, it was projected that 125000 new daycare spaces would be created by employers and private industry). The report went on to correct that claim, indicating that it was the province that had done so (Harris’ policy resulted in exactly zero spaces too). Ambrose also stated that the Liberals would cancel the $1200/year tax credit, a claim that has been refuted by Dion several times in the past few days. With respect to the misrepresentation of the ‘new daycare details’ that had been promised and Conservative performance since taking office, the store owner stated: “I’m not a card-carrying Conservative anymore because of a number of things I haven’t been happy with. I’ve been a little unhappy where they’ve been landing on the social side.“
Ford can build cars people want to buy with more encouragement? LOL, OK, um, isn’t “selling cars” encouragement and the reason they’re in business?
I find it amusing that you NEVER once talk about people’s own personality responsibility in their financial matters. It’s always the governments doing. Should I assume people should blame fast food outlets because they’re fat?
BTW, if you need some cash dude, maybe see if any of the hundreds of millions your party bilked from the citizens is available. Former liberals sometimes have “long memories. I do.
Bob Fife hustled away from Harper by the RCMP in a Quebec vineyard
~ by AM
?Whose vineyard? Surely it was not Alphonso Galiano’s!
~ by TRUTH B TOLD
Hey, I had no idea elections were this entertaining. Harper’s next political ad should highlight what a nature boy he is…. have him skipping along in Gagliano’s new $500,000 vineyard courtesy Harper’s gov. loan — with birds on each shoulder (puffin & Sparrow of course) and there’s colourful fruit… he loves fruit you know.. he thinks he is one..
Paul Hunter, CBC, gives a colourful description of what happened today when Harper went to extreme lengths to avoid the press at the winery.
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/
(click on Thursday Watch)
http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1192429
Dear Editor,
Is Mr. Harper a leader or a misleader?
Under Mr. Harper, Canada has lost hundreds of thousands of quality jobs in manufacturing and lumber. On health and safety, ignorance and denial escalated a nuclear safety issue into a world-wide medical crisis. Several Canadians died of Listeriosis because of Harper deregulation. Environmentally, Mr. Harper has become the world’s pariah — excepting the U. S. administration’s approval.
Military deaths in Afghanistan escalated radically. The war is mismanaged.
Rather than governing well, Mr. Harper spent two years and millions in character assassinations and suing his opponents, including Elections Canada. Elections Canada ruled that Mr. Harper, 67 Conservative candidates, plus their financial agents violated election law. Mr. Harper says he is a law-and-order guy, but he did not play legally with our most fundamental institution — democratic elections.
Now, Mr. Harper is spending millions to tell us he is a man that loves his children. However, in public life he has proven he does not love the truth, does not think the law applies to him, and is utterly incompetent at managing a government.
Mr. Harper is a misleader.
Eugene Parks
Yup! me too. Just got the one, “Not on your dime”. Do they not realize that doing this just makes me angrier?
I have said before that I will be out campaigning this election. Like my donation to Garth. Another first.
Ps. I will be going down to Nanaimo to show off my truck as this is the riding that the “Jerk” who has been sending out most of the 19 of these is in.
You know, the one with the LIAR harper signs on it.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080911/national/harper_cadman_lawsuit
Liberals demand papers from Harper in lawsuit over Cadman affair
……………………..In another development, a court transcript of Dona Cadman’s recent cross-examination contains comments from her that could have repercussions in a related court action Harper has filed over his claims that Zytaruk altered the 2005 interview tape to portray Harper as saying things he did not say.
Dona Cadman, under questioning by Paliare, said that Zytaruk, who interviewed Harper outside her Surrey home, played the tape for her immediately after the interview.
She had earlier told Zytaruk about comments her late husband had made about the insurance policy and a list of nine other enticements the Tories allegedly presented to him two days before the confidence vote. Among the enticements was supposedly a spot in the Conservative caucus as deputy justice critic.
Harper has claimed Zytaruk did not begin the interview as portrayed in the tape by asking about the insurance policy. Sound experts he hired for the court case have filled affidavits claiming the tape had been altered, there was inexplicable added noise, and segments were possibly missing.
Donna Cadman testified that Zytaruk played the interviewed for her in her house that day, after telling her he had asked Harper about the insurance policy.
“When you listened to the tape you heard him ask that, and you heard Mr. Harper’s answer,” Paliare said to Cadman.
“Right,” she replied.
“And that was the beginning of the tape that you heard,” the lawyer went on.
“Right,” said Cadman.
Later in the court examination, Cadman listened to a copy of the tape Harper claims has been altered – and told Paliare she believed it was the same tape she heard the day of the interview.
……………………………
It sure seems our present PM behaves as a rather devious, crooked, win-at-any-cost unethical man if you take into account the in and out scheme, calling an election against his own law and more.
I’ll said it before and I’ll repeat it again. Dion is doomed. Check the latest Nano’s poll (and YES! Nanos was the ONLY company that nailed the election numbers last election):
http://www.nanosresearch.com/election/CPAC-Nanos-September-11-2008E.pdf
In Halifax today, Mr. Dion said:
“I love Canada. [remember in the last election when Harper refused to say that]
Stephen Harper has suggested that our [Green Shift] plan threatens the national unity of our country,” Mr. Dion said. “While he was busy talking about building firewalls in the West, I was fighting to keep my country together. . . . I do not need any lessons from Stephen Harper on fighting for the national unity of my country.”
I understood EVERY word, and it gave me shivers to hear him say it with such conviction.
It has been a tough week for the cons, but it is only get alot worse.
Dona Cadman Verifies Authenticity of Zytaruk Tape
http://farnwide.blogspot.com/
Liberals ask court to make PM provide documents
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/497818
I find this a great blog if anyone is interested.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ryan Sparrow is Harper’s guy and this is Harper’s brand of politics
Read the rest of it on the blog.
BY KERRY BUSSE 11.08 2:35pm
Kerry,
It’s not an insult either. There’s benefit to rigid thinking, kept in perspective, and there’s benefits to having patience, tolerance and handling ambiguity with reasoned thinking.
The majority of people average out with both tendencies so they can swing both ways, even if they fall left or right of centre. But as far as people with extremes of these tendencies, the numbers thin out. Those are the ones who are the problem — in this case, the ultra right wing leaders and a few tight supporters. Their tactics are the problem. They severely violate the public trust. People shrug off lies, not realizing that it’s ALL lies being fed to them by the Harper types. Lies, tricks, manipulation, are the methods. And just because someone votes for Harper, doesn’t make them at one with Harper. Few voters ‘know’ him. (The rest will be mortified if he gets his majority.)
His group of neocon leaders are in power in several countries — Australia finally booted their guy after Australians caught on. It’s no coincidence, it’s VERY well known. Harper is simply following the template — how to trick the general population into votes. It’s very cynical of them, but that’s the way it is.
Their common ground is narrow minded ideology — the extreme right wing brain types. Simply put, they aren’t like the majority. And they know it. They wouldn’t stand a chance if they told the truth. They are impatient with a society’s needs. The leaders are the culprits. Sure, other rogue politicians and bureaucrats, can certainly be evil too, but this organization is simply despicable. And their corp. cronies of course have the funds. Oh, and they hide behind the old tory label they hijacked.
Do you remember The Moral Majority — named as the exact opposite of what they are but it fooled enough people into jumping on their bandwagon, Lahaye, Falwell types. They didn’t fade away, they began the neocon movement.
The worst of it is that once people take a side, more instincts kick in… to fear change, so they rigidly stick with the status quo — even when it’s lying it’s face off at them.
I feel bad for old tories, but think it’s pretty neat when a Tory lets down their guard and realizes it’s the leader that counts, not the party, and that the conservative’s party was hijacked. It’s gone. Hopefully they look for honesty in a new leader.
We all have much more in common than different, and the labels that the NeoCons dreamt up.. like tax and spend liberal, or whatever, are all simply the neocon false labeling tactics. As a matter of fact, it’s the neocons who tax and spend.
The old neocons even admit and brag about their tactics. That must be part of the ultra extreme right wing personality too. Fascinating but tragic for our societies if the general population doesn’t wake up to the fact.
Now, on a more depressing note, you could also point out that under Harper’s watch (or should I say debacle) the following “initatives” took place:
Canada Policy Research Networks ELIMINATED
Canada Policy Research Networks ELIMINATED
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation FUNDING REDUCTION
Canada Revenue Agency Visitor Rebate Program ELIMINATED
Canadian Heritage Centre for Research and Information on Canada FUNDING
ELIMINATED
Canadian Heritage Support to Canadian Volunteerism Initiative ELIMINATED
Canadian Labour Business Centre ELIMINATED
Canadian Policy Research Networks FUNDING ELIMINATED
Canadian Volunteerism Initiative ELIMINATED
Community Access Program, internet access for communities at libraries,
post offices, community centers ELIMINATED
Court Challenges Program ELIMINATED
Court Commission of Canada ELIMINATED
Environment: Youth International Internship Program ELIMINATED
First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Program ELIMINATED
Foreign Affairs and Public Diplomacy Program ELIMINATED
Foreign Affairs Youth International Internship Program ELIMINATED
Health Canada $28.1 MILLION REDUCTION
Health Canada Policy Research Program ELIMINATED
Health Canada Medical Marijuana Research Program ELIMINATED
Human Resources and Skills Development SIGNIFICANT FUNDING REDUCTIONS
Got another 10% er yesterday and was quite surprised. The Conservative party wants to take voting rights away from prisoners. I am surprised they would give up on the whole prison populations potential votes. Hopefully with no Conservative majority, prisoners will keep their democratic right to vote. Maybe the Liberal party can run ads in prisons, saying Harper will take your vote away?
By Marc on 09.11.08 3:42 pm
Nothing surprises me with what those yahoo’s are capable of. I also got one today Marc titled; Not on your Dime sent by Chuck Strahl, MP. This is the second one this week for me too. I am so sick & tired of their crap. I was talking with a resident when I picked up my mail & voiced my disgust about it. The person said: we don’t even bother reading them. We just toss them in the garbage. I reminded him that we the tax payers are paying .53 c a piece for each one sent. He was a little taken back by that. He had no idea. Btw Bonnie, I haven’t thrown the last 16 away. I did threaten to roll them up tightly & send them back to the MP’s responsible but …. Well you know how it is. The office staff would be the only ones seeing them & not the guilty MP so I wasn’t about to waste the postage it would take to bundle them up. Btw Garth, should I mail them to you to so you deal with them?
In our complex putting up any signs regardless of what they represent in our yards is strictly prohibited. There is a large sign in the entrance to our complex that states NO Soliciting & it is strictly enforced. I was chatting with the president of our complex this afternoon & she had to have 2 CONS signs removed from 2 different residences. When she asked them to remove them, one of the ladies of the house asked her what sign she was talking about. Her husband didn’t seem to know that it was there either other than he had seen someone in a white van on his street. The candidate in our riding is Rob Zandee.
Harper has to go now. There is absolutely no doubt about it.
Irene
By unintended consequences on 09.11.08 2:29 pm
Well, anyone who thinks energy prices and inflation are going to flat-line are fooling themselves. Even well before talk of carbon taxes, cap and trade programs, etc., we have seen huge increase of transportation costs. These costs are already being transferred on to consumer goods. So, like it or not, our indulgent lifestyles are going to have to be reined in.
The concept of taxing major polluters without also taxing consumers will actually force price increase to us anyway. We need to adjust consumption in order to reduce the “throw-away society” concept, and reduced consumption will also reduce manufacturing.
At least under the Green Shift concept, we begin to see some compensation in the form of tax relief, and if they go through with it, a fund to tax new technology.
Now, before you get all scary on me, consider that moving away from cheaply made goods from low-cost suppliers back to quality made goods with responsible suppliers will also reduce unnecessary over exploitation of raw materials and natural resources. It would be better to actually regain pride in jobs again. Make less, consume less, and even get paid less. However, with things that last, we need less money to buy “cheap replacements” anyway.
As an avid sci-fi fan, it is interesting to note most “advanced societies” presented by dreamers and “visionaries” have done away with currency based societies. Typically these dreamers are ahead of their times. Consider H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and even Isaac Asimov. And, the possibly most well known of all Roddenberry’s Star Trek!
Man maybe, just maybe, human labour can get back to being more than just trained monkeys, and old world craftsmanship can become the norm again. People used to be proud of items passed from generation to generation, and once people bought expensive autos as they would LAST. Now it is for the latest GPS nav system, larger wheels, and MORE POWER under the hood; i.e. bells-and-whistles.
Now, it is the artificial “need” demand created by marketers for the “latest and greatest” that has created much of the overconsumption. Not all marketing is bad, but disposing of something simply because you “must have” today’s new colour, or style, well, that is something else.
By Irene on 09.11.08 8:54 pm
Irene, Not on your dime is the 10%er I recieved. If you read on the back, mine says Committing the crime means serving the real and meaningful time. That means no prisoner tattoo programs, no prisoner voting, and no designated smoking dens. I guess the Conservatives want infectious diseases running rampant through prisons. The right to partake in smoking a completly legal product. And not give them any say by taking their votes away. I can almost see a case for some individuels who have so much time to do, that they will not be out for the next election. Anyone who will be released and expected to rejoin the workforce, before the next election, should get to vote in my opinion.
If you live in a strata condominium, strata by laws can not override the elections act allowing individuels to display an appropriate sized sign in their window. If you want one, get one and if you get fined, appeal it as you have a right to have a sign. Canada elections act has you covered in section 322
Ooops!
I said: “At least under the Green Shift concept, we begin to see some compensation in the form of tax relief, and if they go through with it, a fund to tax new technology.”
I MEANT: To FUND NEW TECHNOLOGY!
Freudian slip? Sigh…
Well the black hats have a five point bulge over the white hats at the
moment .
Their lead is mystifying .
Are Canadians,even, awake ?
This is for all the marbles .
Of course 27 per cent refused to answer who they were supporting .
Not insurmountable but still (?)
Can’t wait for Ms. Julie’s book to hit the stands .
Have the Con-bots created so much white noise that the Liberal plan is failing to penetrate the Consciousness or do Canadians want to be ruled by a filthy dictator ?
By AM on 09.11.08 8:17 pm
Oops, that should have been Saint John, NB, not Halifax. Anyway…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080911.welxndion0911/BNStory/politics/home
Not to make excuses, but so much stuff has been happening this week that it’s hard to keep up – who knew it would be such an ‘eventful’ campaign…
Rejoining Garth’s Army after two days of Bell-imposed telephone and internet silence. (If you have a Bell telephone problem, expect to get an appointment for a technician to come and check no earlier than two days after you report your outage. And don’t be surprised if the technician never appears, but calls on the appointed day on your suddenly-working telephone to tell you that the problem had been at the central switching office and has been resolved. Anyone know a land-line provider who still provides service?)
First things first, congrats A.R.W. on having qualified as a senior citizen. You’ll love the credit-type card you’ll get on which the Government of Canada “requests that this person be extended all possible privileges.” Nice touch.
Then, impressions of the election campaign based only on MSM news and views: half-truths and whole lies on the right, ineptitude in the centre, and insignificance on the left.
Please, parties, get serious. Take politics out of the hands of the young Turk “strategists” who know it all on the basis of poli sci degrees and political volunteering, and ask some people hardened in the School of Hard Knocks and with experience in interpersonal relations what appeals to common sense and might work.
Pity that “none of the above” is not an option.
If it was all boiled down to gravy it is simple. Liberals smart,conservatives stupid .
Rage,rage
against the
lying of
the
right
“I’ll said it before and I’ll repeat it again. Dion is doomed. Check the latest Nano’s poll (and YES! Nanos was the ONLY company that nailed the election numbers last election):
http://www.nanosresearch.com/election/CPAC-Nanos-September-11-2008E.pdf”
I think you may be overreacrting a bit.
John Laforet on his blog has crunched the numbers of latest Nanos poll (Conservatives 37 % Liberals 32 % NDP 13 % Bloc 9 % Green 9 %) and has come up with the following seat projection:
Nanos Poll Results in H & K Seat Projector
Party 2006 Actual 2008 Projected
Conservative 126 125
Liberal 101 122
Bloc 50 45
NDP 30 16
Green 0 0
For more details check out his blog:
http://laforet.ca/2008/09/11/nanos-poll-should-give-liberals-and-canadians-hope/
So, here we go again with the GOUGE by the damn oil companies. Gas prices are going to rise because Hurricane Ike MIGHT damage some oil rigs. Well, that oil has not been lost, nor has it even reached a refinery much less OUR pumps. Which party will Stand Up for Canada and Slam Dunk these greedy bastards?
Any of you have the balls to stand against these criminal profitering speculators? Speak up, do it publically.
Gas prices expected to spike at midnight
Motorists are in for a shock as the price of regular gasoline in the GTA is expected to rise at least 12.9 cents per litre at midnight tonight, according to Liberal MP Dan McTeague
The veteran gas-price watcher says the price hike will bring the average cost of fuelling up in the GTA to an all-time high of $1.36.6 cents per litre.
…
Another gas price watcher, Jason Toews of GasBuddy.com, isn’t making predictions.
But he says fear over the damage that hurricane Ike could cause to refineries in Texas may have a ripple effect in Canada – U.S. gasoline wholesale prices jumped to unprecedented levels today.
Oh, and don’t you even dare use the BS phrase ‘If elected!’ because YOUR HAVE BEEN and have NOT GOTTEN THE JOB DONE! Prove you work for Canadians and not the oil companies. I dare you!
OK, not to keep beating a dead horse, but I’ve just remembered what happened to the last CTV journalist who broke a story on the Harper gov. shenanigans.
When David Akin, then at CTV, broke the story about ‘Naftagate’, he found himself abruptly moved to another network.
Fife may have taken a big risk today by telling us about the vineyard team-tag match between Harper and the RCMP v. the press corps.
http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30980&Itemid=41
The past few days I have talked with many local Conservatives and every one of them is against Dion. Why? My analysis is he is a Quebecer. I saw this coming at the last Liberal convention election, and the rest of Canada has had enough of Quebecers.
God save Canada from stupid politicians who make party decisions.
Personally I think Dion is a very intelligent and honest man, and a potentially good leader. Unfortunately, my unbiased opinion of him as a human being is not the opinion out here in this riding. He has a lot of serious, very serious work to do before the election in this quite Conservative riding. They also do not like Harper very well, but do like the long time local MP who is a leftover PC, a real one.
Interestingly, all agreed that the HoC has been a debacle of childishness beyond the pale. Disgusting has been the feedback I have received.
The biggest threat expressed has been Dion’s Green Shift. They still see it as a NEW TAX.
Just being honest with a real world heads up.
Is this a political thing like Omar Khadr?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080911.wabdelrazik12/BNStory/International/home
He’s got a Canadian passport so what’s the problem? Or Canadian passports only of value when the Americans say it is?
Canada Revenue Agency Visitor Rebate Program ELIMINATED
By Required on 09.11.08 8:35 pm
Now that one I do agree with. No state in the USA, or their Federal Gov’t rebates any of their taxes collected from us Canadian visitors to their country, so why should we be rebating any of our GST or PST to any American visitor to Canada? To rub salt into our wounds, our Cdn. Gov’t attempts to collect GST on items purchased by Canadians while in the USA as well as duty and excise taxes. Do you get the impression our gov’t wants to kick us when we are down?
Well fellow bloggers,
I will be a less than frequent poster here for the duration of the campaign. But if I have the permission of Garth I will give you my insight on what it’s like to work in a satellite campaign office in a riding far removed from the GTA and yes, even Halton.
I could have sent my $100 Gordie bucks to Mr. Turner or M. Dion and complained about why Garth isn’t posting enough or why M. Dion isn’t going negative enough – I will let you armchair quarterbacks analyze that.
Me, I will donate my time put some revenue generating projects on hold and learn how hard it is to get a candidate elected.
I cannot sit in the comfort of my living room and not try because it is inconvenient or too hard or even crazy.
It is because I am a Canadian and love my tiny patch of this vast land we all care about.
I cannot bear to listen to anymore John Baird speak on the environment or the sitting Prime Minister of Canada raise the spectre of separation for Quebec voters.
Enough is enough.
It’s about the future not the past. So I challenge all of you. Get up couch bloggers – out of that chair and volunteer – get involved.
This is the most important election we will experience in our lifetime.
Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country.
Hey, I had no idea elections were this entertaining. Harper’s next political ad should highlight what a nature boy he is…. have him skipping along in Gagliano’s new $500,000 vineyard courtesy Harper’s gov. loan — with birds on each shoulder (puffin & Sparrow of course) and there’s colourful fruit… he loves fruit you know.. he thinks he is one..
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 7:21 pm
Oh, I agree totally. Harper is definitely a fruit…a fruitcake…very colorful, and should be placed in the freezer and forgotten asap!
Do you remember The Moral Majority — named as the exact opposite of what they are but it fooled enough people into jumping on their bandwagon, Lahaye, Falwell types. They didn’t fade away, they began the neocon movement.
The worst of it is that once people take a side, more instincts kick in… to fear change, so they rigidly stick with the status quo — even when it’s lying it’s face off at them.
I feel bad for old tories, but think it’s pretty neat when a Tory lets down their guard and realizes it’s the leader that counts, not the party, and that the conservative’s party was hijacked. It’s gone. Hopefully they look for honesty in a new leader.
We all have much more in common than different, and the labels that the NeoCons dreamt up.. like tax and spend liberal, or whatever, are all simply the neocon false labeling tactics. As a matter of fact, it’s the neocons who tax and spend.
The old neocons even admit and brag about their tactics. That must be part of the ultra extreme right wing personality too. Fascinating but tragic for our societies if the general population doesn’t wake up to the fact.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.11.08 8:33 pm
Barb, down in the States the bumper sticker read ‘The Moral Majority is Neither’. At least that truth was evident to anyone with a functional mind.
And don’t be surprised if the technician never appears, but calls on the appointed day on your suddenly-working telephone to tell you that the problem had been at the central switching office and has been resolved. Anyone know a land-line provider who still provides service?)
By Herb on 09.11.08 10:22
FYI Herb, when we had a problem earlier this Summer and the defect was in the under the lawn and cement driveway cable, Bell ran a tree to tree to TV tower temporary line. During that period I checked out what some other services were offering. One of these wireless providers told me that big portions of Bell’s aging infrastructure is up for bid and that his company was in the auction. It was anticipated that the new owners of Bell Canada and BCE will sell off as much as they can to help pay for the heavily leveraged buyout. I have not heard anything lately but Bell is now offering “bundles” that are more than competitive with Rogers. Stay tuned as they say. [The sub-contractor that laid the replacement line did an end run around the "landing pad"!]
By Bill-Muskoka (not anymore) on 09.11.08 11:17 pm
Where did you move to anyway? I question whether the green shift is a new tax, or a tax shift myself. The Canadian taxpayers federation has the same problem I have. When social programs are announced with the shifting tax, I question how that can be revenue nuetral. Taxes pay for social programs, so we must have a lesser amount shifting back as tax cuts. In B.C. our finance minister tried to defend the revenue nuetral aspect. She said that if the government buys buses and such with the carbon tax, that is revenue nuetral. Seen as taxes already pay for buses and such, I think it is a tax increase, and the environment is the excuse for bringing it.
I think it was brave of Mr. Dion to go into an election with the green shift, but personally I don’t think it was smart politically. Asking voters if they want to vote for a new carbon tax, is kind of foolish in my opinion. Gordon Campbell at least can have over a year to explain his imposed tax, before voters can pass judgement on it. I am still trying to find the list of exemptions for green shift, but no luck on the website.
Pity that “none of the above” is not an option.
By Herb on 09.11.08 10:22 pm
It`s a pity the only choices are to vote against corporate corruption or against judicial corruption.
This election should be to vote against the one which is most responsible for the current situation.
Nanos;
1 in 10 Cdns say none of the above, that`s twice as many as support May. Layton and Dion are supported each with 15 and 14 out of a hundred while none of the above isn`t far behind with 8 out of a hundred, while the leader only has 4 times as many supporters.
Herb, am I being to cynical? I`m not the only one and I think these numbers are low. Wait till the 40/0 unwinds, none of the above could very well have a majority.
They would rather be on a ship without a rudder than steer straight onto the rocks.
http://www.nikonthenumbers.com/topics/show/78
Best PM – Harper 38%, Layton 15%, Dion 14%, May 5%, Duceppe 3%, None 8% and undecided 19%). Significantly, one in four Canadians (28%) answered None/Unsure.
It seems some of your supporters are blaming the Conservatives fro trashing your signs. The fact is there is no proof of who did it.
Garth, I thought the objective of every candidate was to defeat their opponents and since you have been a thorn in the Conservative’s side. It is understandabable that they would pour a lot of money into your riding to try and defeat you. Hell even the liberals are trying to do that in specific ridings. Also don’t forget that Halton was a consevtaive riding before it was a Liberal riding which I remind you was not accomplished by a vote of the people.
Sorry to break it to you Garth as long as you are a memebre of any of the political party’s you are indidenepdnet in your mind because the reality is that as a member of the Loberal partry you must still tow the party line. Sorry my friend that is not indpendent as I see it.
Personally, I wish our federal parlimentray party system was more like the NWT or Yukon wherby they in fact are indpendent and the Premier of the terrortory is elected by the legislature members. Now wouldn’t that be something if this type of parliamentray reform ever came about. Unfortuantely, it will never happen becasue none of the major parties has the guts or interest to put it forward for even discussion.
Nice try. But when my opponent allows her name to be attached to actual quotations in a press release – the same words which are then attributed to another candidate – you know she checked her brain in return for a PM-sanctioned appointment. You compare that with me? You lose. — Garth