Day Twelve
After a day that included a community breakfast, a Dion event in Toronto, door-knocking in a muddy new subdivision, a strategy meeting and a few thousand emails, I felt like whacking things. So, I went with a couple of volunteers to pound in arterial signs in the dark.
Some candidates, I know, think driving stakes into the dirt on the side of a road is beneath them. But those people should not be candidates. What a volunteer is willing to do for a politician should never be dismissed or taken for granted. We only become leaders, after all, when supportive people lend us their shoulders to climb onto.
A minivan pulled up, four-ways flashing, and a couple emerged. They said they recognized me, asked for a sign to be put on their lawn and thanked me for being ‘not a party guy.’
I appreciate that, I said, but I seem to spend half my time getting in trouble. “That,” the middle-aged woman said, “is exactly why we like you.”
So I thought about that for the next hour, as we dragged four-by-fours, six-foot stakes, bags of plastic ties and an obscenely heavy pounder across a swath of Halton. I mean, what is this election about for most people?
I’ve knocked on a hell of a lot of doors in the past while, expecting a slew of questions on the Green Shift, the global economic meltdown, food safety, Stephane Dion, child care or gas prices. And while there have been a few, no barrage. There’s only one topic that comes up with consistency – Stephen Harper, and my relationship with him.
I’ve arrived at the conclusion this election will actually not be about the economy of the environment. Instead, it will be about Harper. A referendum on the guy. The question will be, do you want more or less of him?
Nationally, this means a majority or not. The answer two weeks ago before people really thought about it was, maybe. The answer today is, no. This may change again two weeks from now, but I doubt it. This election campaign is the first chance most people have had in almost three years to really stare hard at Harper, and that scrutiny is moving the polls.
In Halton, voters have a fairly stark choice. Stephen Harper threw their MP out of caucus for being too bold, and then he hand-picked a candidate to run against him. He overrode local citizens, bypassed democracy and imposed his will – twice – decisions which are hugely controversial.
As a result, my opponent was appointed, and answers only to her political boss. On the other hand, I tend to irritate the bosses, and answer to the people. I’m preoccupied with fighting for the middle class, while she’s preoccupied with becoming a cabinet minister. I’m a writer and a small business guy who’s been sued, audited and scared. She’s a Bay Street lawyer and a career civil servant. I represent trouble. She represents Harper.
I think she – and I’ve never met this person – also represents what we need to fix in this country. A prime minister should never be allowed to reach into a constituency and override the wishes of the people, just as he should never betray a promise to them. Political parties should never think they are stronger, wiser or more powerful than the people everywhere who comprise them. A leader should know better than to try and govern without a team. A candidate should know better than stand before a community, without support.
This is arrogance. Elitist.
So the question in Halton, I’d say, is who will fight for you in these extraordinary times? Who will be there to stand up for you, after this election?
As it turns out, this is Canada’s question, too.
160 comments ↓
Not to put words in your mouth here Garth, but did you just concede the election to either a minority or majority con government? Cause that’s how it sounds…
I’m thinking others might read into that the same way as well. Please clarify.
Of course not. There is no such reference. — Garth
A leader should know better than to try and govern without a team.
Thank you Mr. Turner.
We have a parliamentary system of government that requires conversation, a sharing of ideas, compromise and hopefully successful policy.
Mr. Harper’s minority mandate put him in charge of finding consensus and he refused.
He appears ready to refuse again.
That color photo says it all. Harper wants to hitch hike. So give him the chance to go kick stones down the road!
In the steel mills, a white hard hat always means: not a worker, just more jawing and back stabbing, watch out for the unpredictable hazard looking for a place to have an accident, the bosses flunky is out here to spy on the Zoo!
Great blog. My only criticism: Harper represents trouble more than you do. Aside- congratulations for turning out this blog day after day after day. That takes discipline. I support you all the way. I have already done so monetarily.
Does your leader Mr.Dion actually know where surplus money comes from, and why is he banking on it to pay for all of his election promises.
How much more money is he going to throw out during this election in order for some one to like him?
Yes. Fully costed platform will be published here shortly. — Garth
Are you saying the Liberal head office has never dropped in a candidate to run in an election?
SJ: You might be stumbling over what Garth meant when he said he was trouble. I mean, that might be the sentence that makes you think he is conceding defeat to the CPC nationally. I guess he means he’ll be trouble no matter what, to whomever!
On the issue of you “getting into trouble” the issue is whether you actually achieved anything useful as a result or was it just bad judgement.
Garth … thanks for that insightful article on the Halton election scene and your view of national issues – i.e. leadership.
Assuming another Harper minority government and a new Liberal leader replacing Dion, would you concede there will be another election within 6 months, because the Liberal party cannot continue abstaining on confidence votes for much longer than that?
Party finances will become a crucial factor in another election, and it’s speculated that the Liberal party will be badly strapped for funds after this election.
Perhaps it might be advantageous if Harper was elected with a small majority, and in the succeeding 4 years the Liberal party can rebuild itself properly.
I have to agree and disagree- strongly.
I agree wholeheartedly with your analysis Garth. Bang on!
I strongly disagree that you “represent trouble” Sir!
You represent me and him and her, and them, all of Halton actually and all of the people living in it and even the conservatives in this riding, and even those awaiting citizenship, those is jail, those down on their luck and on the streets, those that honk incessantly at me in their Hummers in the Wallmart parking lot. Those with mortgages and those without. Farmers, plummers, waitresses, business folk, rich folk, poor folk and tons in between. You represent a wack of people in one of the fastest growing places in the country.
You ‘are’ Halton’s Member of Parliment.
Halton chose you.
Who is she? A Harper talking voice? And she wants the job representing us because Harper called an election as his own personal strategy to gain more power so he could shut everyone up?
Sorry lady, Garth doesn’t represent trouble. Trouble is…well, Harper is trouble and we want him out! You’ll see, Garth will be back and you can go back to your Bay St. job doing whatever with the Port Authority that you do. No one here knows ‘you’ except the circles you travel and the Ex-PM you speak for.
This is Halton lady. We need an MP to represent us and speak for us and bring our collective vote forward and tell the PM what WE want.
Read the Magna Carta and the BNA again…you’ll get it. Heck I think we even have our own constitution now!
We got Garth and we are keeping him. He represents Halton and if that’s trouble then perhaps Garth is right – again. (sorry Garth)
Tell your boss lady, Harper’s got trouble. Trouble with Halton. What’s he going to do next kick the whole riding out of democracy and the parlimentary system?
Not if our MP has anything to do or say about it.
And definitely not when Halton votes!
I think that what those people said is the core of why you will “win in a walk” over the harpo-bot.
Keep on being the thorn in their side.
Even though I can not vote for you, I want you to win BIG. You represent that which is the best in what I want in my representative.
(won’t happen for me since she is a dipper and so only reps for the unions.)(BUT she’s ABC)
Sad isn’t it that so few really know just what their job really is in parliament. To represent the people and NOT their part.
I agree with the lady that wanted the sign. For the most part I could care less about politicians day to day life. You are interesting, know of what you speak (for the most part), and are not afraid to call it as you see it. That may get you into trouble, but it is what makes you different from all the bobble heads. You stood up to the Liberal party against abstaining and decided to vote for your voters as that is what they put you there to do. How many other M.P.s can say they whipped the party whip? That is why I found you deserving of a donation. My first political donation, and unless you will run again, likely my last donation. If you do run again, I will only donate if you continue your informative blog through out. Vacation time is permitted for reciept of donation as well though, so feel free to travel.
I watched Sharkwater tonight. If any have not seen it, try to if possible, especially on Blu-Ray with HDTV. After this movie I could care less if my taxes go up, down or sideways after this election is over. We have bigger issues at stake.
This is taken from abandonfear.com
10. If there wouldnt’t be any sharks no more. What kind of consequences would that bring for the oceans?
Sharks sit atop oceanic food chains, controlling the populations of animals below them as they have for over 400 million years. Life on earth depends on life in the sea, which sits below sharks in the food chain. Phytoplankton (tiny plants) are the greatest consumer of carbon dioxide (global warming gas) on earth, turning it into oxygen, providing us with 70% of the oxygen we breathe. Removing sharks is cutting off the head of the most important ecosystem for our own survival. The biggest issue in any global warming debate is life in the oceans that allows life on land to exist, yet it’s never spoken of… all we hear about is industry and carbon footprints.
We know relatively little about the removal of large predators from ecosystems as we’ve traditionally eaten animals at lower levels – the herbivores.
One example is the sea otter, which was hunted virtually to extinction off the west coast of North America for the fur trade. The otter’s food population, sea urchins, exploded in numbers. Those urchins ate all the Pacific kelp (huge seaweed that form an underwater forest). Without the kelp, the Pacific herring (sardine like fish) had no breeding grounds, and without the herring, there were no sharks, sea lions, salmon, tuna, dolphins or whales. The ecosystems collapsed all from removing the sea otter, which as a species has only been shaping ecosystems for 7 million years.
What we’re doing with sharks is removing an animal that has been sitting atop of oceanic ecosystems for over 400 million years, and the ecosystems that will be affected include our own – the very air that we breathe.
So, the worst-case scenario – we cause catastrophic consequences through ecosystems that result in a great number of species’ extinction, including our own.
Garth maybe you can answer a question about the green shift plan for me. I ask with all respect.
Mr. Dion said the other day that he was paying in credits for the pollution his aircraft is producing.
My questions.
Who is he paying it to?
How much money is he paying?
What will that money do for the enviornment?
Why is he paying?
Thanks if you can help and thanks even if you can’t.
Adios Amigo
Noim da Woim.
Post Script:- What the heck is MSM. I see it all over the internet and its driving me nuts not knowing. Tanks.
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/09/18/the-crossroads-of-international-trade/
This link scared the hell out of me. (along with how little if anything Andrew Coyne knows about consumer protection and price fixing by large corporate monopolies, not to mention who would benefit if Canada lost the constant assault on Canada’s protected economic sectors from foreign corporations)
Be very careful what you all wish for.
Essentially, if I’m not mistaken, as this wording is what it implies “which has completely open borders between its members but imposes steep trade and investment barriers on outsiders” is the U.S. an “outsider”?
And lets say the U.S. gets “inside”. Lets think about this: “the free movement of skilled people and an open market in government services and procurement – which would require that Canadian governments allow European companies to bid as equals on government contracts for both goods and services and end the favouring of local or national providers of public-sector services.”
Do you know what that means Andrew Coyne and the rest? It means that all government spending will be privatized for “for profit” services.
I don’t know about you all, but that means the entire public sector will be up for tender. It effectively means the privatization of all government services. It means, if you all don’t get it yet, the end of all government crowns, boards, medicare, public spending on education, the works.
Unless I’m mistaken, it would mean all government spending would be turned over to the “for profit” private sector that goes to the highest “international bidder”. It also means the end of the need to train people in trades and that means lost Canadian jobs and a huge blow the strength of unions. Some of you might cheer this on… you know, those who believe that all ESSENTIAL SERVICES should be “pay as you go” and if you can’t, you go without. That life saving operation you can’t afford means you die. Can’t afford to put your children through grade school? Thats too darn bad. Guess you should have worked harder. Got hurt or diseased and lost your job? To bad, you shouldn’t have gotten sick.
Its the difference between exclusion/inclusion of services that people rely on to survive. I’m sorry, but… I believe in the american dream. Y’all remember what that was/is? It means the equal opportunity for anyone born in america to be whatever they want to be if they have the will and potential to do so regardless of race, creed, gender and physicality. Sadly, if we go this route, my fear is that equal opportunity will only come to those born with silver spoons in their mouths.
Not my cup of tea, folks. Give me the removal of trade tariffs without the need to privatize and deregulate everything under the sun and I might be interested. Until then, it smacks of just another National Citizens Coalition/Frasier institute spun Harper nutter plan to let corporations do whatever the hell they want Saw enough of that one with the deregulation of the U.S. banking morgage industry that is now spinning the entire world into a recession because of a belief that greedy corporations will self regulate and know whats best. Bush/Harpers same old same O… count me out.
And one last thing. In case you missed a major part of this story, its not Canadian corporations who want it. Most government contracts given to Canadians would automatically be up for international tender. Think hard about what that would mean to a great many Canadian jobs. The so called evil Thomas D’Aquino and the economic council of Canada doesn’t want it. Unions sure won’t. Anyone in the public sector sure won’t as their wages would likely drop if they actually somehow weren’t replaced permanently by workers and professionals overseas… Anyone relying on public sector services because they can’t afford private sure won’t.
Quite the contrary, they want this “Harper agenda” out in the open before election day.
What private interests would want this? Who does Harper, once again work for? Again, Steve Harper is a U.S. puppet plant corporate lobbyist that never gave up his old job. Time to connect the dots on who Harper is… time is running out.
“That,” the middle-aged woman said, “is exactly why we like you.”
POSTED BY GARTH TURNER
And that’s exactly why this middle-aged Alberta couple likes you too. And we very much agree that Mr. Harper is arrogant and elitist. He just does not resemble Canadian’s way at all. I think we will all pay Harper back for his attitude.
I found this comparison fun on another site:
“Dion on the Environment – Let’s do something now
Harper on the Environment – Let’s do something after I am dead
Dion on taxes – Let’s put more money in the lower income earners pockets
Harper – Let’s take less from people who can afford more
Dion on leadership – I have a great team
Harper on leadership – I am great
Dion on accountability – I am not better at English than Mr Harper but I speak the truth in French and English better than Mr Harper
Harper on accountability – We have the accountability act – just do not ask for any information we do not want to share or we will sue your arse off
Dion on sovereignty – Canada is a whole nation greater than the sum of it’s parts
Harper on sovereignty – We will militarize the Arctic – and buy Quebec’s solidarity
Dion on the future – Richer – Fairer – Greener
Harper on the future – My way or the highway
WTG truth B told, mr. “white hat” shows the people he’s a wanker, never a worker. I bet the construction workers had a good laugh after Harper and photo-op crew left, and Harper will hate them even more because of his own ignorance. Say, doesn’t Harper have advisors and a psychic working for him? Uh oh, someone’s head is gonna roll… lol in a white hat!
Keep on keeping on, Mr. Turner. You’re an inspiration to many.
garth, I keep reading and seeing Reformers pricing the Green Shift and then not pricing the Con plan. It is like they either don’t know a plan exists or don’t think it will be implemented.
Harper’s plan has much the same costs as the Green Shift. Baird pegged it a $8 billion. The costs of it flow down to consumers. The Con document even suggests there will be significant costs increases for energy.
Yet no one ever calculates that cost. The fact is, both plans will cost consumers about the same (unless Harper does nothing).
Only one offers tax breaks. It really is simple.
People can choose between a GHG reducing plan that adds costs and you will pay more for everything or you can choose a GHG reduction plan that adds costs to everything and gives you a huge income tax break.
So choose.
I’m disappointed. Uninspired actually by the candidates that are opposing my Conservative MP Rob Moore. I’m a firm member of the ABC following, wanting nothing more than to see the Conservatives out of power. Yet in my riding, it seems a sure bet that Moore will be re-elected.
The Liberal candidate, a 20-something no one has heard of hasn’t got a single sign up that I have seen. His website has the Liberal brand look and feel, but the content is about as lacking as honesty is in the Harper campaign. The ‘daily blog’ is updated once or twice a week with simply a recap of his going door to door, and the ‘issues’ link is empty. Judging from what I’ve seen, the Liberals will likely come in a solid third in my riding.
As for the NDP, the website is slightly better, and the candidate did run last time around and got somewhere around 7000 votes, so he might have a slight chance this time. The website again says very little, and I’ve only seen 2 signs out on the streets.
Damn it Garth, thanks to you I’ve come to expect more from candidates trying to get elected. Why’d you have to set the bar so high!
If you get time, do us staunch anti-Harperites a favor and give my Liberal candidate Mike Wright a call and offer him a few tips, and perhaps some stories about Rob Moore.
Cheers,
joe
Harper is not your friend nor does he want to be.
He has no desire to come to your home with his sweater vest for eats & conversation. He does not want to talk to your children or pet your animals.
His only desire is to have your vote.
Once that is in his pocket , your use to him is finished for now he has drained you of your only source of power.
Mr Harper wants to become king & to hell with the rest of us.
Just ask his MPs.
Hang in there Garth , you are a constant source of inspiration to old time Progressive Conservatives like myself who have been cast adrift by the only party we have known.
Dr Mike Popovich–former life-long Conservative.
By Barb the proofreader on 09.19.08 2:38 am
Hi Barb! I always find your posts informative and well documented. I especially liked this latest one. It does a wonderful job of quickly articulating the differences between Dion and Harper. Thanks for the post! I hope someone in Liberal land also reads it and your comparisons find their way into the mouths of Liberal candidates.
Hello from maynooth bancroft area. I have tried to connect with the liberal candidate for this riding,no signs no office no way of getting in touch, the same goes for the greens, ndp…only conservative signs for mr. Kramp. I know many of us would love to help out but we can’t. So Garth if you know this guy tell him to make his presence known. Bancroft and Maynooth may be small towns but we have the same concerns as the bigger centers. Joyce from Maynooth.
I’ll answer the easiest question first. MSM= Main Stream Media. The other questions are tougher and most of the answers depend largely on your beliefs and personal needs. Some people say because of the mistakes of party members that makes Harper a bad leader. I guess Adscam, sponsorship have slipped their minds. I guess the billions of dollars Dion has promised to get elected should come from Halton, as there seems to be a lot of support for the red flag there. And the fact that Harper is not trying to buy votes is lost on those same people because thats all they can
remember. They are not used to a Leader who doesn’t bribe them, or steal from them. Change is difficult. But it is time for the clouds to clear and with Mr. Harper blue skies ahead.
More than ever!
I want my Canada Back! I love those words, yes Ladies and Gentlemen, the Canada that we grew grew up in, the Canada I was raised in with all it faults, the Canada I was proud of, the Canada where we had leadership not “Dictatorship” not where the Bully on the Hill is more concerned about the “White House” rather than “Our House”". I want my children and grandchildren to have at minimum the standard of living I enjoyed. A Canada where I turned on a TV and the PM of Canada was talking to Canadians, not talking down to Canadians. My Canada is unique not in the image of George “Dubya” Bush but in the memories of gallant men and women who came to-gether from coast to coast to coast and fought for freedom of speech and for the right to be heard via there elected representative in Ottawa. Not a controller, who has trained his sheep to sit and listen, spells out rules of what to say, where to say it and to whom to talk to. Dam it I want my Canada back, the question is do you?
By Norm Ouston in Armstrong.BC on 09.19.08 2:16 am,
I saw a piece on television that indicated that Dion’s campaign is paying a senior’s home, that is being made more energy efficient, for his carbon credits. This is helping pay for the renovations.
And the fact that Harper is not trying to buy votes is lost on those same people because thats all they can
remember. They are not used to a Leader who doesn’t bribe them, or steal from them. Change is difficult. But it is time for the clouds to clear and with Mr. Harper blue skies ahead.
By Sean McAllister on 09.19.08 7:17 am
WHAT ? Your guy is the master of vote-buying.Plus he has put Canada on the brink of a recession.
I guess the butt-kicking the cons have taken this week is starting to make the war room pretty desperate.
http://www.taxpayer.com/main/news.php?news_id=2958
Taxpayers Federation Updates Conservative’s Pre-Election Spending to $19.2-billion
Harper a threat to democracy: independent
Bitter former conservative candidate. Self-published book speaks of ‘muzzled’ MPs, financial trickery and PM obsessed with control
ELIZABETH THOMPSON, The Gazette
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=98087913-92a0-458e-9dad-9a905e6a5f6c
Union: Tories to curb meat inspections
By CHINTA PUXLEY The Canadian Press
Fri. Sep 19 – 5:55 AM
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1079767.html
David – you allude to Stephen Harper as being in the pocket of “George “Dubya” Bush”, yet you give no examples to back up that claim. I am curious as to why you think that.
I am also interested as to what you base your comment about Harper “who has trained his sheep to sit and listen, spells out rules of what to say, where to say it and to whom to talk to.”
I await your explanation.
One million Cadman dollars says otherwise. Nineteen billion pre-election announcements says otherwise:
The In-out scheme to bilk the taxpayer out of real tax credit dollars for virtual campaign expense dollars says otherwise. Boasting of a huge war-chest while using the taxpayer account to fund election material in the form of ten-percenters says otherwise. Flooding the mail system with the self-same campaign material on the verge of an election to again ride the taxpayer coat-tails. Leader? Whose his deputy leader? Where’s the depth? No confidence in the staff because it’s a one man show. So much more to say, but I’ll let others carry the torch as I must be off to work.
My last word to you on this:
Blind.
An interesting comment from Lisa Lumley, the CPC candidate for Windsor West, when asked if she saw herself as the sacrificial lamb. (Hell will freeze over before the CPC wins that seat!)
After the “pregnant pause” she gave the platitudes of having the ear of government, someone who can work with the government etc….
But the one part of her answer that stood out the most, “someone who will honour the government.”
Honour goes along with respect. The latter is earned. Honour goes to those who have respect and do the right thing. The follow up question should have asked her to explain further.
But as Garth know all too well, and the maverick provincial conservative MP kicked out of caucus for saying John Tory must go, promising unconditional honour is double dumb!
Does your leader Mr.Dion actually know where surplus money comes from, and why is he banking on it to pay for all of his election promises.
How much more money is he going to throw out during this election in order for some one to like him?
Yes. Fully costed platform will be published here shortly. — Garth
By biker on 09.19.08 12:14 am
Biker, does your leader Harper actually know where surplus money comes from, and why is he banking on it to pay for all of his election promises.
How much more money is he going to throw out during this election? I was so impressed (NOT) that his latest promise gives seniors an extra $150.00 a year in their pocket. Wowsers!
Having said that, all parties should realize that the boomers (now called zoomers) represent a lot of voters. Do the Liberals have any plans to help seniors?
She’s a Bay Street lawyer and a career civil servant. I represent trouble. She represents Harper.
I think she – and I’ve never met this person – also represents what we need to fix in this country. A prime minister should never be allowed to reach into a constituency and override the wishes of the people, just as he should never betray a promise to them. Political parties should never think they are stronger, wiser or more powerful than the people everywhere who comprise them. A leader should know better than to try and govern without a team. A candidate should know better than stand before a community, without support.
This is arrogance. Elitist.
Garth,
The TRUE CRUX of the election. MP’s are there to represent their constituents, not the PARTY, and NOT the Party Leader.
Otherwise we have absolutely no need to waste our money supporting 308 MP’s, their offices and staff.
As to your opponent, we need another Bay Street lawyer in Parliament like a zit. They are NOT leaders, they are religious fanatics who believe only in their own world, not Canada, and not Canadians. They ARE the PROBLEM causing economic chaos.
Wow! No mention of Dion. No mention that the Liberals might form a government. This reads like a concession speech. Or Garth’s de facto candidature as an independent, despite the red colour of his election signs.
Take the blinders off. I find that improves comprehension. — Garth
I await your explanation.
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
Hi-Lo Alberta GGGGRRRRRLLLL.
Have you received your invite over t’Ritz’s place yet? He’s apparently offering a seminar on senseless, insensitively stupid jokes.
I don’t think Harperer got a invite to “throw frisbee” with Condi and Dubya.
Interesting that Bill Murdock, a Conservative MPP, got kicked out of caucus for speaking his mind. Even more interesting that only a handful of caucus members were allowed to vote to kick him out. I know Bill, and he is similar to Garth–he speaks for his constituents, not his party. He will be re-elected no matter what party he represents, or even if he stays as an independent.
Most critical thinkers want honesty and independent thought in their politicians. Not being a “team player” is a problem for the parties, not for the voters, imho.
I am also interested as to what you base your comment about Harper “who has trained his sheep to sit and listen, spells out rules of what to say, where to say it and to whom to talk to.”
I await your explanation.
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
Try expanding your world, and do some reading and research in papers and online…did you click on the link provided by a previous poster? If not, I suggest you go here, and read the entire article….
Harper a threat to democracy: independent
Bitter former conservative candidate. Self-published book speaks of ‘muzzled’ MPs, financial trickery and PM obsessed with control
ELIZABETH THOMPSON, The Gazette
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=98087913-92a0-458e-9dad-9a905e6a5f6c
… Harper is not trying to buy votes …
Er, Sean, what election campaign have you been following?
… Stephen Harper as being in the pocket of “George ‘Dubya’ Bush” …
“Alberta Girl”,
maybe you should pay attention to Canadian politics, or perhaps just read this blog on a regular basis.
By keith phibbs on 09.19.08 7:32 am
BINGO!
Any truth in the rumour Gerry Ritz is holding a celebratory [C.R.A.P] for himself at the RITZ?
Apologies and payment forwarded to Bill Gates for use of “in” “the” “a” “for” and “at.”
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am,
The Bush Administration and Stephen Harper shares a worldview. They both pay lip service to the concept of “free enterprise, free markets and free trade.” They both believe that this ideology should be spread through military action if other strategies fail. They share the same ideology and for that reason Harper at least appears to be following the Bush Administration.
The current economic situation in the U.S. must be causing major problems for Harper because his ideology dictates that government should not interfere with the financial meltdown. I have not seem him, although I may have missed it, deal directly with the issue and the actions of the U.S. government.
For example, when it came to the invasion of Iraq he told the House of Commons he was quite adamant that Canada should have provided unconditional support for the invasion of Iraq. At that time he made it clear that he would have stood “unequivocally with our allies.”
On the second issue you can compare Harper’s concept of leadership with how his party members behave. He divides the party into two groups: the general membership that has a “fair degree of freedom of speech and action” and the professional wing. In reference to what he called the “professional wing of the party” (party officials and elected representatives) he said “They’re expected to act as a disciplined, professional, hierarchical organization.” This type of structure places the power at the top of the organizational pyramid.
It is not surprising that a leader opposed to consensus building would adopt that kind of leadership.
Harper has put this concept of top down leadership into practice both in governing and in the campaign. The focus is entirely on the peak of the pyramid (the leader). The problem is that the leader must be both responsible and accountable for everything his government or his party does.
There is no doubt that the media reacts positively to that kind of autocratic leadership but it does not necessarily appeal to the general public.
THe liberals are finally getting some traction out there, garth. but we still need more talk from you guys about jobs, jobs, jobs. Talk less about the green shift deatails and talk more about how it will help the economy and how it will produce jobs, good jobs, green jobs, sustainable jobs.
Also, having third parties vouch fore the liberals is good too. Having chretien remind canadians that it was the liberals who raised canada out of the diastrous mulroney years is good. Let third parties talk about the libs strong record of managing the economy and let dion and candidates talk about today and the future.
Canadians need to be reminded that liberals are far better poised to manage the economy than are the conservatives, through good and bad times. Libberals value a cooperative economy that is regulated in a way that balances the freedom to do whatever business you want (within reason) with the responsibility to do it in ways that isn’t dangerous to public safety and the sustainability of our natural resources.
Natives insulted to core
Cannon staffer told protesters to behave, be sober
By TERRI SAUNDERS, SUN MEDIA
Stephen Harper reacts to comments made by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz yesterday. (PAUL CHIASSON/The Canadian Press)
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Facebook Digg Del.icio.us Google Stumble Upon Furl Newsvine Reddit Technorati Blinklist Feed Me Yahoo Socializer Ma.gnolia Raw Sugar Simpy Squidoo Spurl Blink Bits Rojo Blogmarks Shadows Netvouz Scuttle Co.mments Bloglines Tailrank Sitejot + Help The strained relationship between residents of a Quebec native community and a Conservative MP took another hit this week.
Lawrence Cannon, MP for Pontiac and federal transportation minister, was speaking during a campaign stop in Maniwaki Wednesday when a group of Native protesters attempted to talk to him.
After Cannon left the area, Norman Matchewan, a Barriere Lake Algonquin youth spokesman, got into a conversation with Cannon’s constituency assistant, Darlene Lannigan.
The exchange was caught on video and broadcast during a news program Wednesday on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Lannigan appeared to have been setting out the ground rules for any future meeting between the group and Cannon.
“If you behave and you’re sober and there’s no problems and if you don’t do a sit-down and whatever, I don’t care,” Lannigan said. “One of them showed up the other day and was drinking.”
“Are you calling me an alcoholic?” asked Matchewan.
“I’m not calling you an alcoholic, no,” Lannigan said. “It was just to say that you’re in a federal office. If you’re coming in to negotiate, I expect, there’s decorum that has to be respected.”
In June, six people who staged a sit-in protest at Cannon’s Buckingham, Que., office were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
Reached at his home in Barriere Lake yesterday afternoon, Matchewan said he’s not the only person upset by Lannigan’s comments.
“Our whole community feels insulted,” he said. “We went there to try to talk to Mr. Cannon about issues we feel are important and he totally ignored us. And then to hear what Ms. Lannigan said, well, that was very insulting to me.”
Calls for comment from Cannon’s office were not returned yesterday afternoon but a statement issued by officials from Cannon’s office expressed regret.
“We would like to take this opportunity to apologize for any offence given,” communications director Catherine Loubier said in the statement. “We also understand these comments were made in a difficult context. That is regrettable.”
This incident is the latest gaffe in the Conservative camp since Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the election Sept. 7.
A federal minister apologized after making jokes about the listeriosis outbreak, while a candidate in Halifax with a criminal record withdrew from the race.
Harper backpedalled on his suggestion that Green Party Leader Elizabeth May should not take part in national debates and a party spokesman was suspended from the campaign for suggesting remarks made by the father of a fallen Canadian soldier were politically motivated.
http://www.ottawasun.com/canadavotes/news/2008/09/19/6810236-sun.html
You can view the video at Red Tory’s blog site at http://redtory.wordpress.com/
George W. and Harper have the same economic policies – look how that turned out in the US.
George W. and Harper have the same crime package – look how that’s turned out in the US.
George W. and Harper have the same leadership, decisive demeanor – look how that’s turned out in the US.
George W. and Harper have the same attitude on cut backs on social issues – look at how that’s turned out in the US (i.e. Katrina, Listeriosis).
George W. and Harper have the same ideology – look how that’s turned out in the US.
- shall we go on?
Chretien jogs Harper’s memory: Liberals not Tories balanced the books
OTTAWA – Jean Chretien says Prime Minister Stephen Harper is conveniently ignoring the fact that Liberals – not Conservatives – did all the heavy lifting required to eliminate the federal deficit.
18/09/2008 10:22:00 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
“We balanced the books . . . and they forget to mention that,” the former Liberal prime minister said in a brief interview Thursday.
Through the opening two weeks of the federal election campaign, Harper has repeatedly warned that the Liberals would drive the country back into a deficit with billions in unaffordable, reckless spending promises. He reiterated the theme Thursday in response to Liberal Leader Stephane Dion’s promise to invest $70 billion over 10 years in infrastructure.
By contrast, Harper has painted himself and the Conservatives as models of fiscal rectitude.
But Chretien suggested Harper has got it backwards.
“We balanced the books, we took the heat for that and we were admired by a lot of people around the globe for that,” he said on his way into a closed-door speech to a francophone business group.
“Now, some think the good old days might disappear – but don’t blame me, I’m not there anymore.”
When Chretien took office in 1993, he inherited a $43-billion deficit left by the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. By the time he retired in 2003, the deficit had been eliminated and the federal government was awash in huge annual surpluses.
After less than three years in office, Liberals contend, Harper has squandered the surpluses and left the country teetering on the brink of deficit. Moreover, Dion has repeatedly charged that Harper has presided over the slowest economic growth since 1990, when Mulroney was still in charge.
Although he said he’s trying to stay out of the election debate, Chretien left no doubt about his personal preference in the Oct. 14 vote.
“I’m a good Liberal and I will vote Liberal. I think it’s the best party. We were doing very well when we were the government and (now) there’s all sorts of problems that did not exist when we were the government.”
http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Chretien+jogs+Harpers+memory+Liberals+not+Tories+balanced+the+books/Election_08/ContentPosting?isfa=1&newsitemid=89363039&feedname=CP_EN_ELECTION&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True
By keith phibbs on 09.19.08 7:32 am
Harper a threat to democracy: independent
Bitter former conservative candidate. Self-published book speaks of ‘muzzled’ MPs, financial trickery and PM obsessed with control
ELIZABETH THOMPSON, The Gazette
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=98087913-92a0-458e-9dad-9a905e6a5f6c
Thanks for that one. Reminds me of what’s going to happen to Gerry Labelle when Harper’s goons come down on him. SPEAKING NOT ALLOWED. I’m still shaking my head and wondering how this guy slipped through the HARPER-BOBBLEHEAD FILTER.
http://www.liberal.ca/story_14712_e.aspx
On another note, Harper in a hardhat looks about as genuine as Harper in a blue sweater vest. I have a feeling that sweater vest shtick is going to come back to haunt Harper. I heard a clip of a new ad on CBC radio this morning with Harper talking about “soft on crime” He was using the sweater-vest voice while soft piano music plays in the background. I had to see this one for myself. Sure enough, the sweater vest again. A wolf in sheep’s clothing (Is it 100% pure virgin wool) This ad just highlights how phony Harper really is, and to what lengths he’s willing to go to CON the voting public. It’s just plain slimey.
You know as a card holding conservative, eventho i don’t really care for the Liberal platform or Mr Dion, i may just vote Liberal for the 1st time in my life on the 14th. I truly believe that you, Mr Turner, have Halton’s best interest as your main priority when you’re in Ottawa & to me, that’s the most important thing.
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
Let me give you mu thoughts:
Harper in Bush’s pocket: how about the softwood lumber deal which restricted our produces access to the US and paid them for the priviledge.
As for his sheep: this one really gets me. Why did Stephen Harper call this election? His reason was parliament was disfunctional. Given that his MP’s were given the black book of how to disrupt parliament, HE made parliament disfunctional and his sheep, instead of doing their jobs of representing their constituants and making parliament work, followed along.
But of course, he doesn’t have sheep dogs herding his MP sheep. No, Stephen Harper uses the rotweiller’s in his PMO!
By Simon on 09.19.08 12:18 am
Are you saying the Liberal head office has never dropped in a candidate to run in an election?
Comprehension issues? The need to read something in to a dialogue that isn’t there?
Clearly, he is not saying that the Liberals haven’t done it. It would be a pretty stupid thing to say, wouldn’t it?
What Garth does appear to be saying is that he personally does not approve of a process that subverts the will of the people in a riding to choose their own candidate.
How you get anything else out of what was written is beyond me.
Garth, you have my vote, no worries.
Garth, you have my vote, no worries.
But I feel that giving money to anyones campaign helps fuel the negative propaganda that every party produces, which is something I really despise
I would wager it is also a referendum on Garth Turner as the MP in our riding.
By the way, many of you know my concerns about the superficiality of voters. These ads with Mr. Harper as sweaterman with the soft music playing, are fascinating.
I’d really like to get inside Mr. Harper’s head as he is recording these spots. I mean really, based on the last two years, he would clearly rather rip your head off and go for the jugular, wouldn’t he? “Nice” isn’t really his style to date.
For the Conservatives, is this the Jekyll and Hyde campaign?
It might be interesting to see some ads with the two Mr. Harpers in juxtaposition.
Prof. Errol Mendes does another number on Harper. In an article titled “Decisiveness isn’t always a virtue in a politician” in to-day’s Citizen, Mendes explores the concept of “catastrophic decisiveness” in the case of George W. Bush – and Stephen Harper.
Mendes notes that
As to Harper:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=e9149168-6fbf-4762-9072-31fbee879e8d&p=1
(Mendes’s dissection of Harper’s dissolution of Parliament appeared 28 August at http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=d24396f8-fb42-4856-a01e-03eb128d1dcf )
I see the walking poster/list people are out in full force again lately. I also notice how the free flow of potentially constructive thoughts tends to dry up considerably once they consume the bandwith with their endlessly repetitious posts.
I guess they haven’t learned that many are not impressed by the same old hoo-rah. You can only say the same thing in so many different ways.
Hollow accusations of troll for everyone who represents challenging thoughts or criticism is even less impressive. A representation of those suffering from challenged independent thought process. Sheepherders anonymous.
If this election proves little else, it should at least prove that arrogantly ignoring the thoughts of those who are somewhat politically astute and are connected to peoples sentiments, is Grand Folly.
Posters who are repeatedly criticized for their myopic views and coloring of the truth, should also take note. As is the case with arrogance, these tend to achieve the opposite of what is hoped for.
Sadly for many, the polls indicate confirmation of the above.
One more thing for now. This campaign has taken on an air which reminds me of daytime TV. Too much about personalities and too little about issues as the soap opera overshadows the issues largely due to the interest level of the audience and Media pandering. Kudos for yesterday’s piece Garth, and yes Democracy and free debate of issues must be defended. Even if some of it is a little wild eyed.
I don’t really think appointing a candidate is anti-democratic, the people still get to vote for who they want in office… if they are dumb enough to vote for someone hand-picked by the prime minister then that is their choice.
Of course there’s a crap load of people who are loyal to a party regardless of what it stands for, I call these people sheep. It doesn’t matter what party you are loyal to, see what they stand for and check if it matches your beliefs before voting.
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
One of your questions could be answered in -By keith phibbs on 09.19.08 7:32 am
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=98087913-92a0-458e-9dad-9a905e6a5f6c
Garth, there are many reasons why I will be voting to re-elect you as MP for Halton, one of which is the way you actually respond and help your constituents. A few months back, I had a question. After spending several hours trying to get an answer via official government websites and trying various telephone numbers, I gave up, and decided to e-mail you. You responded via your Blackberry within 10 minutes, and less than an hour later, your office phoned me. That impressed the heck out of me. As for the government, they eventually responded to my e-mail inquiry, exactly one month the day I hit the send button.
Anticipated: Comrades, due to stock market turmoil and financial security, all trading will be suspended. Trading is getting in the way of government intervention and has been found to be the root cause of our problems. Paulson will set a price each morning to establish the true worth of your investment and the price of your house.
Garth you’re more than welcome to come and knock on our door – Braeswood Lane in Burlington – any time you like.
This country needs more candidates like you. So far as I can tell being a “party guy” generally involves lobotomization and we wind up with leaders with zilch for leadership qualities – and it’s demoralizing. For the most part I find Canadian politicians uninspiring, which is sad given the alternative.
Keep up the good work Garth!
David – you allude to Stephen Harper as being in the pocket of “George “Dubya” Bush”, yet you give no examples to back up that claim. I am curious as to why you think that.
I am also interested as to what you base your comment about Harper “who has trained his sheep to sit and listen, spells out rules of what to say, where to say it and to whom to talk to.”
I await your explanation.
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
Alberta Girl – I guess you only read articles in the paper that are favourable to Harper. I’ve seen your posts on various other blogs and would say you’re a die-heart Harper fan. Why should anyone spend the time finding articles for you. Do some research on your own. You’re only here to taunt, a la Leasa. Stick to Small Dead Animals where you’ll feel right at home.
And the fact that Harper is not trying to buy votes is lost on those same people because that’s all they can
remember. They are not used to a Leader who doesn’t bribe them, or steal from them. Change is difficult. But it is time for the clouds to clear and with Mr. Harper blue skies ahead.
By Sean McAllister on 09.19.08 7:17 am
What kind of stupid statement is that? Are you for real? Canada is already experiencing the damage Harper has done to Canadians & have lost the respect we once had from the rest of the world. It took a measly 3 years for your idol to throw it all away. Just a kind reminder Sean! You are talking about Harper the KING of LIARS & BROKEN PROMISES who gave free rein to Dim JIM Flaherthy to spend the cupboard bare paying for all the vote buying he has done in the this campaign & the past 3 or 4 years. Has he got you fooled by trying to be the nice warm fuzzy family guy? I think so because warm & fuzzy his not in his gene’s.
Tell me honestly Sean, why is it that whenever Harper makes a promise to spend during an election campaign ,you ignore it & brush it aside & when Mr. Dion tells the people what he will do as Prime Minister for Canada & its Canadians, you have the nerve to call it bribing & stealing? Have you even considered in that small mind of your that Canadians want to know what the other parties intend to do for them & what the cost will be in order to do achieve that?
Are you one of those MP’s that are so scared to death of their jobs that they will resort to telling lies by making such stupid accusations that make no sense at all? Are part of those that has had to sit on their hands with duct tape over their mouths in case they make a slip & say something their dictator leader hasn’t given them permission to say? You really don’t think that will work in keeping your job or do you since you’ve been obviously brain washed.
You can’t have it both ways Sean so my advice to you is grow up & smell the coffee instead of drinking that tainted Kool Aid you are continually being served.
Well Sean, I think you are out to lunch & I’d be very worried if I were you. Anyone who follows a Dictator like Harper is suffering from brain drain & destined to failure. Either that or you are still a misguided child & have not grown enough to developed the brain to its full potential into adulthood.
Cheers
I can’t remember if there is only one debate on Oct. 2 or there will be a French debate. Just watching Harper speak in French. And the cons put Dion’s English down. !!!
Just caught Ralph Goodale on CBC’s Newsworld and part of his barn-burner of an election speech in which he skewered the Harper record and reviewed Dion’s Liberal “pedigree”.
It was about time the Liberal election campaign started. Too bad the CBC cut to Harper’s meek handicapped-assistance announcement photo op – quite an ironic contrast.
To the ABC (anything but conservative)folks outside of Halton who are having difficulty accessing their Liberal candidates and asking Garth for help.
Why don’t you call or e-mail the Liberal HQ, get the candidates contact info and hit the pavement to help out?
You can send donations to help buy signs (what you thought those things are free?), help with a phone bank a few hours here and there, deliver signs enroute to and from your grocery shopping, assist the candidate to become visible, accessable and on top of the game, talk to people and tell them to get off the couch and vote. Like Garth mentioned he doesn’t run a campaign and provide leadership in a vacuum. He has people like you that support him, on their sweat, their time, their money, whatever they have to offer. If you can’t get out and help Maynooth, talk to people, neighbours, friends, family. Spread the word and join the party. Party it is and for Liberals it’s welcoming and inclusive and ALL voices matter. For the Harperites, it’s elitist and dictatorial.
Get involved. Get out the vote. Drive people on election day. Get them to agree that their vote ‘does’ matter. Do something!
Garth has his own campaign to run and needs help here too.
Some big shot lawyer has been hand picked by Harper to do battle against the ordinary middle class of Halton and guess what?, she has conservative HQ money and staff behind her. Garth has ground troops (one never has enough when up against the big money machine)
Do something, do anything, every little bit helps.
Stop the Harper machine. Become part of the solution. Part of change, part of a new future for Canada.
Got $30 bucks? Pay for your own lawn sign, one for Garth and one more wherever you think it will help? That’s the very least you can do.
Us Liberals don’t complain about problems – we WORK constructively with ‘all’ on solutions. Let’s work ‘together’ people.
Let’s show the elitist wealthy dictatorial Harerites that Lil ordinary Libs can come together, speak together, put money together, and get Harper out of office and out of power. I don’t have much but I can scrape up $30 bucks and I’m sending it right now and I volunteer to help out whenever I can. Who’s gonna match my challenge?
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
I’ll address your second question, thank you.
Have you not noticed that the only one talking throughout the campaign is Mr. Harper? Have you not noticed that the only exceptions lead to Mr. Harper having to make an apology?
Our warm, fuzzy, open PM !!!
Not all chummy chummy
Posted in Political Bytes
Posted on September 18, 2008 09:03 PM | Permalink
Ever wonder how often Stephen Harper comes to the back of the campaign plane to hang with reporters, trade war stories and just chat?
Or conversely, how often reporters bump into him behind the scenes at the various campaign events and exchange pleasantries?
(eg., “So what IS your favourite Beatles song, anyway?”)
For the record, so far with Harper, adding up all the instances in both examples and the grand total, including everything, is: once.
And that was when he came to the back of the plane before the first flight on the first day of the campaign.
It lasted about three minutes.
That was 12 days ago.
FYI.
—Paul Hunter
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/politicalbytes/2008/09/not_all_chummy_chummy.html
Harper “who has trained his sheep to sit and listen, spells out rules of what to say, where to say it and to whom to talk to.”
It’s no wonder that every time a Conservative candidate opens their mouth, Mr. Harper has to apologise.
That order from him to keep their mouths shut leads inevitably to constipation of the brain. Even then, something has to eventually leak out…
Garth,
The reason I return here is because you are REAL. I respond well to honest debate, calling things as they actually are, and apologies well meant.
I have met perhaps too many policiticans, both provincial and federal, while in education, and Chambers of Commerce, and way too many of them are all facade, no structure. You definitely go against that stereotype.
As a manager, I have always found it best to worry about those who do not make mistakes. The reason? Simple. Everyone makes mistakes, and those who “don’t” have only found ways to cover their ass.
We have become way too concerned about “political correctness”, and forget that our representatives should be allowed to be human. John A. was too inclined to alcohol, but that did not affect his ability to lead and govern. Trudeau had perhaps too much a playboy lifestyle, but was arguably one of the best leaders of Canada. Hatfield smoked pot, and got busted on a visit to the Queen, but was still one of the best politicians in N.B.
The present Ritz crack-up is perhaps given too much weight, and is symbolic of the problem. He has apologised, and has shown bad judgement that is not appropriate for a Minister. However, he is also human, and while I think he should not be Minister, he should also not be crucified. Same thing goes for Bernier. Typical male, he let his gonads rule his brains, but looking at it askance, he also showed he is human.
Stay human, Garth. So far nothing you have said or done that I have seen is worth of more than passing mention.
Re my previous post from Paul Hunter’s Political Bytes.
Maybe Harper & Findley are too busy drafting responses to their incompetent Mins’ gaffes. No wonder Harper is afraid to showcase his team.
Garth, I don’t generally agree with your political beliefs, but if I was still in Halton I would vote for you.
I would rather vote for someone who speaks what he believes, and whom I believe will do what he says (even if I don’t agree with it), than someone who tells me what I want to hear then sells me out.
Keep up the good fight.
Mr. Dion was absolutely SUPERB in last nights interview with Pakin (tvo). WOW! He is a testament to what “The Liberal Team” represents.
Harper HAS no team! None of them have ANY solutions to the problems, not only because THEY created them but because they DO NOT represent the values and laws that were carved into Canada’s Constitution, with the blood, sweat and tears of current and past generations.
They have NO respect for, SHOW no respect for and have legislated with NO RESPECT FOR, ANY Canadian citizen; whether sick, old, aboriginal, immigrant, employed, unemployed, man, woman, child, soldier, taxpayer, investor etc. etc. etc.
They will bribe, lie, cheat, steal, ridicule, debase and obstruct. They will NOT succeed again.
There has been something about the Gerry Ritz issue that has been bothering since it emerged. The focus on the “black humour” comments have effectively hid the real issue and I can understand why the families are so upset.
A French language reporter in the recent news conference asked a question that brought the issue to the forefront. Ritz was far more concerned about political fallout than the human impact.
This is why the problems with the self-regulation system were kept secret until so many were affected that Ritz could no longer manage the issue and keep it a secret. Harper is defending Ritz because he was trying to do exactly what Harper wanted: trying to protect the political principle. To Harper that was the priority and people likely died because of it.
The whole concept of government by ideological principles, such as corporate self-regulation, is that it puts ideology before the welfare of the public.
By David Bakody on 09.19.08 7:19 am
I want my Canada back too. Harper is selling off the entire country bit by bit – industry, energy, real estate, health services, education.
This country was given to him in trust for the duration of his tenure. He has set up battles between regions, voiced contempt for just about every region, group, and nationality, and has continually favoured business and extranational interests above Canadian citizens and their stated important goals – U.N. sanctioned peacekeeping, ehtical international treaties, good health care, good, affordable education and decent, well-paying jobs.
He has abused this trust. He has chipped away the foundations of this country. The world wonders, after we abandon treaties and fail to support important international agreements, what the hell has happened to this place?
While there is still something left to salvage, he has to go.
And he can take that sweater-vest advert with him. It’s polluting the airwaves.
Let me see if I can get to-day’s economic news right –
Capitalism is built on “the invisible hand” (or the Great God Marketplace) making all the right decisions. The role of government, if any, is to ensure that there is no interference with this process by such as would limit the maximization of profit or capital, or protect non-players from being hurt unduly in the process. The most ardent protectors of the free market are known as “Conservatives” or “Republicans.” The greatest threat to it arises from “socialists” or “progressives”, otherwise known as “Liberals” or “Democrats.”
So the Great God Marketplace has done screwed up. It has accumulated bad debt in an effort to maximize profit, and finds itself the possessor of worthless paper instead of capital. So now what happens? The Great God Marketplace begs the government to step in and protect it from – the consequences of its own operations. Does a free-marketeer/free-enterpriser blush in the process? Of course not. Does a Republican Government let “the invisible hand” continue the free-market play? Of course not; it buys up all the bad debt so that the Great God Marketplace does not implode, has the capital to carry on, and the people who have made the money can keep it. It’s beautiful – the people who have been suckered get to pay the bill for the game that broke them too. And it’s done for their own protection!
Is that what some describe as “privatize profits, socialize risk”?
And Jesus wept.Great post Herb about our free enterprise Confidence system. Bush says that governments must interfere only when necessary. It seems to me that there have been government interventions every month this year and every day during the past two weeks.
Does anyone have a date list for these interventions and the total taxpayer bagholder of last resort bill so far?
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:34 am
Just for openers………
Canadians Stand With You
By STEPHEN HARPER and STOCKWELL DAY
Today, the world is at war. A coalition of countries under the leadership of the U.K. and the U.S. is leading a military intervention to disarm Saddam Hussein. Yet Prime Minister Jean Chretien has left Canada outside this multilateral coalition of nations.
This is a serious mistake. For the first time in history, the Canadian government has not stood beside its key British and American allies in their time of need. The Canadian Alliance — the official opposition in parliament — supports the American and British position because we share their concerns, their worries about the future if Iraq is left unattended to, and their fundamental vision of civilization and human values. Disarming Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the world, and for the collective interests of our key historic allies and therefore manifestly in the national interest of Canada. Make no mistake, as our allies work to end the reign of Saddam and the brutality and aggression that are the foundations of his regime, Canada’s largest opposition party, the Canadian Alliance will not be neutral. In our hearts and minds, we will be with our allies and friends. And Canadians will be overwhelmingly with us.
But we will not be with the Canadian government.
Modern Canada was forged in large part by war — not because it was easy but because it was right. In the great wars of the last century — against authoritarianism, fascism, and communism — Canada did not merely stand with the Americans, more often than not we led the way. We did so for freedom, for democracy, for civilization itself. These values continue to be embodied in our allies and their leaders, and scorned by the forces of evil, including Saddam Hussein and the perpetrators of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That is why we will stand — and I believe most Canadians will stand with us — for these higher values which shaped our past, and which we will need in an uncertain future.
Messrs. Harper and Day are the leader and shadow foreign minister, respectively, of the Canadian Alliance.
I wonder if Susan Ormiston of the CBC will be as quick to criticize an ad by the Conservatives that merely attacks Dion and never shows the Conservative leader as she was of a similar Liberal attack ad? She did appear to admit this week that she “has a crush on Harper.”
A great article on Inside the Queensway today.
The First Meeting of the ITQ In and Out Book Club starts now!
Harper a threat to democracy: independent
Bitter former conservative candidate. Self-published book speaks of ‘muzzled’ MPs, financial trickery and PM obsessed with control
ELIZABETH THOMPSON
The Gazette
Friday, September 19, 2008
Lawyer David Marler, running as an independent candidate in Brome-Missisquoi, fears a majority Conservative government would allow Prime Minister Stephen Harper to be “an absolute ruler without any constraint from members of his party,” who would mutely follow him.
A former Conservative candidate who was sidelined by the party after he refused to participate in a controversial in-and-out financial transfer in the last election, is warning that a Conservative majority government could pose a threat to democracy in Canada.
In a sharply critical attack on the party he once supported, David Marler, says he has come to realize that candidates who stand up for their ideas and speak their mind are not welcome in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s party.
“The pattern emerging from the Harper Conservatives’ control of the selection of the candidates makes one wonder if Mr. Harper would not prefer to be the top guy in a presidential republic,” Marler writes in a book he has self-published on his website.
“If the Conservatives were to wind up with a majority government, then Mr. Harper would be an absolute ruler so long as his party were in power and without any constraint from the members of his party who would have been carefully selected to mutely follow him wherever he might lead.”
In “Sixty-Six Said Yes; a Personal Account of a Campaign and a Scandal,” Marler, who practised international law in Montreal for 37 years, outlines the experiences with the Conservative Party that have left him bitter and disillusioned, his concerns about the power unelected backroom party operatives wield and why he is standing for election this time as an independent candidate in the Eastern Townships riding of Brome-Missisquoi.
For example, at the same time Harper was telling the country he was going to clean up political financing by limiting donations to $1,000 per year, party officials were pressuring ridings to hold $5,000-a-head fundraisers, Marler reveals.
When the riding organized a cocktail party in the spring of 2006 and asked the party for a cabinet minister to attend, party organizer Nelson Bouffard insisted the entrance fee should be $5,000 a person.
“He said we must ask for $5,000 because, as everyone knew, Mr. Harper was going to limit donations to $1,000 per annum and so we should take advantage of $5,000 donations while the legal window was still open.”
The riding refused to bow to Bouffard’s pressure, he said.
Marler said Bouffard also tried to pressure him to be a part of the in-and-out financial transfer during the 2005/2006 election campaign. Elections Canada is investigating allegations that the Conservatives used the transfers to spend more than they were legally allowed on their national campaign.
“Mr. Bouffard explained to me that he was telephoning to tell me that the party was about to deposit $30,000 into my campaign account, but that I did not need to concern myself because it would be immediately withdrawn. A little startled, I asked him what this was about and what it entailed. He told me that it had only to do with the party and had nothing to do with me.”
When Marler refused, “He said that the party would not be happy with me and hung up.”
Marler said he then got a phone call from Conservative organizer Michel Rivard, who told him that the transfer was to allow the party to conduct a publicity campaign featuring the Eastern Townships ridings.
While other Conservative candidates in the Eastern Townships agreed to participate, Marler said he never saw any sign of a local ad campaign.
But the final straw came when after delaying the nomination meeting in Brome-Missisquoi for months, Marler was told that even if he won the nomination, the party would not sign his papers.
Marler said the Conservatives never told him why he was being sidelined to make way for Mark Quinlan, but he can only guess that it was because he was too independent of spirit and refused to take part in the in-and-out scheme.
Marler reserves his most scathing criticism for the way that Harper has “muzzled” MPs, sidelined those who question his actions, reduced the role of candidates and MPs and accepted things like David Emerson crossing the floor to remain in cabinet.
“I was almost physically sick when, shortly after the election, Mr. Harper persuaded David Emerson, who was voted in as a Liberal from a riding in Vancouver, to cross the floor of the House so that he could continue the work he had been doing in the previous government … I felt deceived and foolish that I might have so blindly suggested that Mr. Harper would bring dignity to the democratic process.”
Dan Dugas, spokesperson for the Conservative Party, dismissed as “nonsense” Marler’s suggestion that the party was
only allowing candidates who were willing to mutely follow Harper’s instructions.
Marler’s book can be downloaded at http://www.votedavidmar ler.ca
ethompson@thegazette.canwest.com
Garth Turner concedes the election?
http://stevejanke.com/archives/273810.php
………………………
I think you should clarify your position because this blog article is a direct attack on you and your candidacy based on your statements in your article.
Also this Janke article seems to corroborate my posting here at:
By HARRY S on 09.19.08 12:31 am
Your comments, Garth …..
I hear Janke’s written about me six times in the last week. The man should get a life. — Garth
Dear Napoleon with a Beard,
How about a policy or two? Standing against Stephen Harper (who eats your lunch everytime you open your mouth) doesn’t count.
Face it — you’re a has-been. Your career highlight was as a cabinet minister in a doomed government. You’ve alienated every leader you’ve tried to work with, and soon, your boy Dion is going down in flames.
Reading between the lines, all you’re doing in this post is distancing yourself from this sinking ship. Not going to work.
The whole concept of government by ideological principles, such as corporate self-regulation, is that it puts ideology before the welfare of the public.
By C. B. Innes on 09.19.08 11:26 am
Beautiful words, c.b.
hence my comparison to Bush`s “Heck of a job Brownie” statement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2xi0uLnj8
To that I would say listeriosis is just the beginning. Conservatism compromises the safety of Canadian food making everything you eat and drink more dangerous for you and your family.
Because of the Harper conservatives, the food safety workload has increased, while its food safety staff and funding have not kept pace.
Because of the Harper conservatives, we have conflicting government agency oversight, inefficient food inspections and lax food safety standards.
Because of the Harper conservatives, food safety programs are being deregulated and spun down into obscurity
Because of the Harper conservatives, were reducing our ability to ensure the safety and quality of these foreign foods.
Canada, this is your government on conservatism.
Garth….. A great book here…. all about the in/out scandal
http://www.votedavidmarler.ca
PYOTR PETROBITCH on 09.19.08 11:45 am
Buying commodities was also a hedge but against the falling US dollar until most of the suckers realized global demand for raw resources is falling in time with the spending power of broke consumers.
What was it I wasn`t supposed to see or did you just want to point out to everyone why I said last month the melt is on?
The whole concept of government by ideological principles, such as corporate self-regulation, is that it puts ideology before the welfare of the public.
By C. B. Innes on 09.19.08 11:26 am
The whole concept of government controlling and changing the structure of our society on the whim of a few corrupt and greedy individuals seeking wealth and power puts corruption ahead of the welfare of the public.
Chretien, government corruption is good for the country
They are not used to a Leader who doesn’t bribe them, or steal from them. Change is difficult. But it is time for the clouds to clear and with Mr. Harper blue skies ahead.
By Sean McAllister on 09.19.08 7:17 am
C’mon….your just being partisan here. Surely, you can’t be that naive. Have you not paid attention to our deceiptful Harper? You know, people who don’t check out the facts shouldn’t vote – they’re dangerous.
You dont have to post this but this is what I am referring to:
I’ve arrived at the conclusion this election will actually not be about the economy of the environment. Instead, it will be about Harper. A referendum on the guy. The question will be, do you want more or less of him?
Nationally, this means a majority or not. The answer two weeks ago before people really thought about it was, maybe. The answer today is, no.
It just sounds like you are saying a referendum on giving harper a minority or a majority government. I dunno. Whatever. I hope you don’t think that. Cause if you are, well then we really are screwed.
The only inference I made was he that he will not get a majority. I said nothing abut the coming Liberal government. I want it to be a surprise. — Garth
Marler’s book can be downloaded at http://www.votedavidmar ler.ca
ethompson@thegazette.canwest.com
By DHG on 09.19.08 12:15 pm
Was he originally a ghostie appearing opposite Allistair Simm and Harry S [as in this ratsh*t country] with Tiny Tim as best supporting on Bob Cratchit’s shoulder?
I DO WANT to get the names right ‘cos when I examined the file and searched for the term ‘money,’ it appeared numerous times as a thoughtful solicitation. He was particularly accurate in the ‘White admonition’ not to spend his own money on his campaign.
Tell him we’re pledged out, willya?
Cold cuts with your Ritz?
Apparently, Ritz is “…[a] failed ostrich farmer and former newspaper publisher”.
Ostriches, eh? Must have learned those “bury your head in the sand” tactics from his former livestock.
“…Terry Pugh, Executive Secretary of the National Farmers Union (NFU), says Ritz is a “a yes-man” for Stephen Harper and “one of the most vociferous opponents of the Canadian Wheat Board.” He is also closely tied to the ethanol lobby.”
Must be best buddies with Korn Kob Kory Ten-acre (good one, PYOTR PETROBITCH on 09.19.08 9:50 am)
“…[A]s chair of the House agriculture committee, Ritz maneuvered to prevent meat processors being forced to open their books during the BSE crisis, Pugh says. “He always fought to protect the interests of the companies.”
“…[R]itz’ “stamp is push and bully your way in,” says Pugh. “But he’s a ding-a-ling, he doesn’t know when to shut his mouth. To make jokes like that during a conference call is the height of stupidity. The fact that some courageous person would report it is amazing. Retribution will come hard and swift,” he predicts.
More appetizers here:
http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=00158
I miss Mike Harris. Although unpopular with some, you could at least count on him to keep his promises and follow his policy book. Harris never would have reversed on the income trust promise. Dalton McGuinty on the other hand never keeps a promise. Harper can’t seem to stay on track with his promises either.
It would be great to have more politicians who say what they mean and mean what they say.
Hey Garth,
is it true that the Liberals have a hidden agenda to deficit finance all of their spending promises.
I haven’t been keeping exact track, but they seem to be adding up quickly.
In addition, Mr Dion said this morning in Manitoba that he would not raise taxes to pay for his election promises, nor would he cut existing programming.
Where will the money come from? What are we not being told?
No deficit. Platform costing to come shortly. Don’t change the channel. — Garth
What? I can’t short U.S. financials no more???!?
Thats it, I’m not buying their U.S. dollar no more to short their financials, I’ve had it. Their dollar can crumble to pennies for all I care.
This one is interesting. Harper must think Canadians have a 6 year old mentality now. Harper says Canadian banks are fine because… Canadian banks are fine!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/19/harper-quebec.html
But Canadian banks won’t be fine once Harper is finished with them. His plan is to deregulate the entire banking industry. He plans to open the door wide to M & A’s and relax all the banking regs that make our banking institutions strong.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/12/harper-ownership.html
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/06/26/tech-competition.html
The bottom link says it best. If Harper gets a majority, we’ll lose our airlines, banks and telecoms and whatever else that is privately protected to large degree’s to M & A’s.
A clip:
“The report called for the easing of foreign-ownership restrictions in a number of sectors. In telecommunications and broadcasting, foreign firms are currently limited to owning 20 per cent of voting shares of an operating company and 33.3 per cent of a holding company.”
Currently, foreign ownership of Canada’s chartered bank shares is at a peak of 10%. This will also be removed paving the way for M & A buyouts of our protected institutions. Once that happens, we can kiss our economic sovreignty goodbye.
Another clip:
“The report cited Canada’s woeful record when it comes to cellphone usage, where it ranks at the bottom of the developed world in terms of subscribers per capita. That situation resulted in the government having to entice new entrants into the market with special rules for an auction of wireless airwaves, currently underway.”
Yes, whats currently underway and its recieved very little airtime, is the deregulation of the telecom sector and anyone paying attention to it has to be shaking their heads.
Maxime Bernier, the guy who reeks of incompetance? Harper told Max to find some corporate lobbyists that could come up with the proposal to speed up the sale of Canada. There isn’t one member of the 5 who won’t benefit majorly from running off with major commissions and the intial share value pop (with the shorts to follow) on the sale of Canada through foreign M & A’s. The fix is in.
Scott Brison missed the broad implications of such proposals, by the way… but a Brent Fullard, Garth Turner or a Ralph Goodale wouldn’t. The reason why M & A’s have been allowed to flow through the Canadian liberal governments all these years seemingly unabated is because specific sectors:
- banking
- telecoms
- airlines
not to mention all of the public sector spending that virtually shuts out foreign investment and competition of any kind has been mostly if not totally off limits to foreign corporate ownership/control:
- primary education
- public healthcare
- penal system
- RCMP/CSIS
- courts of law
- wardens/border guards
- military
- CWB/agricultural boards
- Crown corps (CBC, atomic energy)
- government administration
- and others (just look at all the government agency services provided from parks and recreation to public works, oh god, its huge)
The Harper agenda is to privatize all government public services and remove all barriers and restrictions to foreign ownership of Canada’s economic sectors. If he can’t do it within the federal system, Harper will try with a FTA with Europe that is really targeted for the U.S..
Essentially, folks, its the sale of Canada. It was Harpers job at the National Citizens Coaltion as president there for 5 years from late ’97 to ’01 to do whatever could be done on the behalf of U.S. corporations to penatrate economic sectors that couldn’t be accessed by any means possible and nothing has changed in terms of his agenda in being the PM of this nation. If anyone thought this isn’t Harper’s agenda, they’d best think again.
What am I saying? He’s still a corporate lobbyist!! Nothing has changed!!!!! Canadian citizens are the last people Harper serves.
What will happen if Harper succeeds? The cost of going from non profit public services to “for profit” services would be dramatically increased for the consumer. Anyone who has looked at comparing the cost of health insurance/care in the U.S. to Canada or Europe specifically would wonder why the consumer would ever go for such a thing. The cost of essential services would explode and hundreds of thousands of civil servants and public employee’s would be out of work.
Why would the consumer go for it? Because the consumer isn’t being made aware. “What, my Husqavarna chainsaw will cost 20% less? Whoopie!!” followed by “Oh no, my job is gone. I sure hope I don’t get sick… how am I going to make my house payments…”
This issue has been glazed over by the media just as the NAU and SPP has been. Relaxed government regulations in M & A’s and trade is THEE election issue in my book.
Flarehty’s sub prime 40/0′s, deregulated telecoms, CRTC rulings in favor of foreign media concentration and monopoly control is just a teaser. Everything Harper wants to do, abolish/elect the senate, decentralize federal powers, increase or get rid of campaign spending limits, remove election gag laws, recognizing Quebec as a nation, is to weaken the strength of this federal government to stay strong and united in a bid to open the door to economic takeover of all of Canada’s sectors because a strong federal government stands in the way of his goal.
Don’t elect this dangerous Harper government into power again. If Canadians do, this nation will experience hard times like never before and I’m not fearmongering here. I’m not a stupid man, just someone shooting it straight. Consumer protection from price gouging, unsafe product consumer protection, health and safety, environment, individual property rights trumping corporate rights, employment, ownership and control over our service sectors and ability to sell our own commodities and raising of Capital that is made in Canada… all that will be gone and in the wake will be record unemployment the likes of which Canada has not seen.
Canadian corps and unions are lining up against Harper? So should the consumer and parents if they know whats good for their children. Harper wanted in the worst way to join Bush in another lie based resource war on Iraq. Next time, it will be Iran and if that happens, we’ll automatically be on the wrong side of a world war.
Canada, just stop electing corporate lobbyists into power and all will be well. Look at what the corporate lobbyists Bush/Cheney has done to the U.S./world economy. We can learn from bad examples as well as good… can’t we? Please? For the love of your neighbors and children, do whats right.
Barb thanks for the Bit on Tony Baloney that’s now out on the streets in Parry Sound. I got 14 more votes for him today. He is NOW the laughing stock of downtown due to his actions.
No deficit. Platform costing to come shortly. Don’t change the channel. — Garth
thanks for the quick reply. Are you able to shed some light?
As you know, close to 75% of all federal government spending is statutory.
I believe that the total federal budget as costed through Budget 2008 was approx $310 Billion (if i am wrong, please feel free to correct me).
Given that 75% of that is statutory (approx $232.5 Billion in 2008), that leaves approx $77.5 Billion to more or less freely spend. However, given that most budget measures are committed in 4 or 5 year cycles, it would stand to assume that there would only be no more than approx $19.3 Billion in fiscal room in any given year.
As a taxpayer this concerns me.
Change is difficult. But it is time for the clouds to clear and with Mr. Harper blue skies ahead.
By Sean McAllister on 09.19.08 7:17 am
Sean, you do not know how to spell.
It is not spelled “sky” it is “lie”
The line as you probably mean it;
“But it is time for the clouds to clear and with mr.harper, blue LIES ahead.”
I don’t usually pay much attention to the “Big Shew” in the US, but this is interesting.
Troopergate;
“ANCHORAGE (AFP) – The husband of the Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is refusing to comply with a subpoena issued in an abuse-of-power probe of his wife, the family’s lawyer has said. ”
I won’t provide a link as they seem to get swallowed a lot recently. If interested just google, it’s all over the news.
Don’t always know how they do things exactly, but here, even in Provincial Court they issue a bench warrant if you are a no show for a subpoena. I thought these guys were big on rule of law and all that.
Justice?
Lot’s of IOU’s for Freddie or Fannie and the rest. Po’ folk and big spenders are on their own.
Maybe they got Ms. Palin cause she’s homey and can teach the People how to bake cake.
I miss Mike Harris.
By Paully on 09.19.08 12:51 pm
A very prominent business man in this country once told me that he had his employees to thank for his success. “I looked after my employees and listened to them. If it weren’t for them and their loyalty, I would never have been able to achieve my goals.”
Who was it that said “In order to be a good leader one must be a good follower”?
Go Garth!! You rock!!
Harper’s plans for all Canadians and our ‘Canadian’ Democracy can be heard, so clearly, by the sarcasm and irony of the statements made by his agriculture minister Gerry Ritz when he called the food scare ” a death by a thousand cuts – or should I say cold cuts “.
The “death by a thousand cuts … cold cuts” reveals their cold and cunning strategy of engineering the demise of our democracy, only, we’re not supposed to notice. The Americans are also seeing the demise of ‘their’ democracy, at the same time.
According to breaking news http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080919.wshortscanada0919/GIStory/ a ban on short selling in Canada is a possibility.
Bush and Harper are destroying the “free market economy” which, in turn, will destroy all tenets of freedom and security within both democracies – aided and abetted by the main stream media and the banks.
By unintended consequences on 09.19.08 12:31 pm
“The whole concept of government controlling and changing the structure of our society on the whim of a few corrupt and greedy individuals seeking wealth and power puts corruption ahead of the welfare of the public.”
That is correct because the members of the corporate hierarchy is perceived as being entitled to promote their private self-interest irrespective of the interests of the general public.
“Chretien, government corruption is good for the country”
I never supported the Chretien government because I understood that he put the welfare of the Liberal Party before the good of Canadians. He what was good for the Liberal Party as being identical to the public good.
What he did not do was put ideological principles ahead of the life and well being of Canadians because to have done that he would have seen it as threatening the Liberal Party.
That is why the Reform and Canadian Alliance were constantly able to attack the Liberals on their lack of (ideological) principles and quite successfully push the party more towards a neo-liberal viewpoint but not far enough right to make them close to being acceptable to the hard right ideologue.
So Garth, any comment on Dion’s retreat from the Green Shift albatross?
http://tinyurl.com/3l5g5v
I thought you said “this was a bold vision from a guy with guts?”
Nothing to see here folks. Move along.
I suggested Dion should greatly downplay the Green Shift, I wrote hom a letter to that effect and he listened.
It’s basically gone; see the TO Star.
No deficit. Platform costing to come shortly. Don’t change the channel. — Garth
By Adam on 09.19.08 12:51 pm
apparently it doesn’t include that very benefitial Green Shaft anymore.
Of course it does. — Garth
Again, thanks for the detail, Ron.
By brain on 09.18.08 8:30 pm
I meant to comment on your observation of AIG’s role of providing deposit insurance, but then I got carried away with it’s role in the unregulated CDS’s.
With respect to deposit insurance, here’s what I found out this morning.
The relationship between AIG , the Fed Reserve and the US Gov’t is now clearly defined as a result of this weeks bailout package. The most disturbing detail in that package has not been widely revealed as yet. As Jim Willie of Kitco writes,
” Hidden inside the AIG bailout funding package, surely hastily cobbled together, but carefully enough to include a totally corrupt clause, was a handy dandy clause that permits raids. The conglomerate financial firms are permitted at this point to use private individual brokerage account funds to relieve their own liquidity pressures. This represents unauthorized loans of your stock account assets. So next, if the conglomerate fails, your stock account is part of the bankruptcy process”.
I am presently trying to confirm his claim, but if this is true, this is proof that the US gov’t is in cahoots with the Fed Reserve to help bankers steal the money. IMO, this smells like a Fascist Business Model, the merger of state with business, where the syndicate facilitates fraud in deep collusion.
For anyone who may not realize this, the US Fed Reserve is not a gov’t agency. In simple terms, it is the US Banker’s Bank.
By Ron p on 09.19.08 11:22 am
Sitting in the backyard, enjoying one last warm day of summer and contemplating nothing in particular (my mind is full of emptiness), something strange happened,
Fleeting thoughts crept up silently and knocked me for seven. Fortunately, there was no physical damage to report, and my mind still remains as useless as ever.
The thoughts were:
(1) CTV (CRAP’s propaganda machine) reported yesterday that CRAP’s advantage in 20 parts of Ontario was being eroded;
(2) The political quote (buzzword) on the front page of today’s KDC reads as follows: “For sure I was a Tory. Now this is going to change me.” — Dennis Schroft, whose mother died after being infected with listeria, commenting on remarks by Ag. Min. Gerry Ritz
(3) The headline at the top of the page — “Revenge of the bureaucrats . . . Difficult relations between Harper and civil servants haunting campaign”
CRAP’s campaign is faltering — I would love to be a fly on the wall during their meetings! — so now is the time for Libs. to take advantage of their cockups.
The self-destructing economy (see below) is what must take priority for right here and now, then the Green Shift along with other stuff.
One thing that Libs. can do is to gather up and channel the anger and frustration from laid-off workers, business owners who have lost a bundle and apathetic folk who are finally seeing harpo for what he truly is — a wanna-be dictator.
Combined with the IT investors who lost a bundle and want to get their point across, encourage as many people to vote strategically (as TS says) and for this election only, have then vote Libs.
An ad agency change will accomplish one positive thing — move away from the far right and more to the centre.
Gandhi used the principle of non-violence, and India was rewarded with it’s independence.
A few letters to the ed. (including mine) have pointed out CRAP’s twists on the reality of life to most voters here, and I have a second letter with them.
Keep up hounding CRAP by pointing out lies and mistruths, and they will exit stage left. Forever.
Further . . .
****************************************
From Money and Markets, this little trinket of joy:
“. . . can still not pay their mortgages. The value of millions of homes is still falling. The nation’s $47 trillion debt market is still in deep trouble, and so are the countless companies, consumers and governments that depend on it.”
A debt of $47 trillion, which climbs by two or three billion daily. Who does the US govt. owe that debt to? Mostly taxpayers.
This fiscal meltdown, when viewed through slightly different eyes, is nothing more than a charade. One country, with a certain number of taxpayers in would not ever be able to ay that size of ddebt off; add to that an enormous deficit.
It is reasonable to assume that there will be a world war before long, as they have nothing financially to stand on, and therefore nothing to lose at all.
Let the chips fall where they may, as we’re only gonna be here for a short and great time!
Brain:
Great post and now I think I know your name! Do you have a sister named Linda?
Keith Phibbs:
Thank you for the excellent links.
Time flies relentlessly by and I have to stop reading so don’t know what I’ll be missing. Good people here.
It just sounds like you are saying a referendum on giving harper a minority or a majority government.
The only inference I made was he that he will not get a majority. I said nothing abut the coming Liberal government. I want it to be a surprise. — Garth
By SJ on 09.19.08 12:42 pm
I wonder if this election is more about Layton or Dion as the official opposition leader.
A lot of people expect the Green Party to support the Liberals days before the election. That could be the surprise Garth is talking about but it`ll be more of a surprise to Dion when half the Green vote goes to the NDP while 25% goes to the CPC.
….miss Mike Harris? I can’t believer what I’ve read, I really can’t.
Preston Manning and Mike Harris written a book and their whole mantra is to totally remove any social programs and services….uh, huh.
Did someone mention the In and Out CONservative Scam-er-ru?
British Columbia
Burnaby-Douglas, George Drazenovic
Burnaby-New Westminster, Marc Dalton
Cariboo-Prince George, Dick Harris
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, Troy DeSouza
Kelowna-Lake Country, Ron Cannan
Kootenay-Columbia, Jim Abbott
Nanaimo-Cowichan, Norm Sowden
Okanagan-Coquihalla, Stockwell Day
Okanagan-Shuswap, Colin Mayes
Prince George-Peace River, Jay Hill
Vancouver East, Elizabeth M. Pagtakhan
Vancouver Kingsway, Kanman Wong
Saskatchewan
Cypress Hills-Grasslands, David Anderson
Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, Jeremy Harrison
Manitoba
Winnipeg Centre, Helen Sterzer
Ontario
Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, Ian West
Davenport, Theresa Rodrigues
Kitchener Centre, Steven Cage
London-Fanshawe, Dan Mailer
Parkdale-High Park, Jurij Klufas
Sarnia-Lambton, Patricia Davidson
Scarborough Centre, Roxanne James
Thunder Bay-Rainy River, David Leskowski
Timmins-James Bay, Ken Graham
Toronto Danforth, Kren Clausen
Trinity-Spadina, Sam Goldstein
Vaughan, Richard Majkot
Windsor West, Al Teshuba
York-South Weston, Steve Halicki
Quebec
Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel, Suzanne Courville
Beauce, Maxime Bernier
Beauport-Limoilou, Sylvie Boucher
Bas-Richelieu-Nicolet-Becancour, Marie-Eve Helie-Lambert
Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Daniel Petit
Compton-Stanstead, Gary Caldwell
Drummond, Jean-Marie Pineault
Gatineau, Patrick Robert
Hull-Aylmer, Gilles Poirier
Lac-Saint-Louis, Andrea Paine
Laurentides-Labelle, Jean-Sarge Beauregard
Levis-Bellechasse, Steven Blaney
Lotbiniere-Chutes-de-la-Chaudiere, Jacques Gourde
Louis-Hebert, Luc Harvey
Louis-Saint-Laurent, Josee Verner
Megantic-L’Erable, Christian Paradis
Montmorency-Charlevoix, Yves Laberge
Mount Royal, Neil Martin Drabkin
Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Lachine, Allen F. Mackenzie
Pierrefonds-Dollard, Don Rae
Pontiac, Lawrence Cannon
Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, Howard M. Bruce
Quebec, Frederik Boisvert
Richmond-Arthabaska, Jean Landry
Saint-Laurent-Cartierville, Ishrat Alam
Shefford, Jean Lambert
Sherbrooke, Marc Nadeau
New Brunswick
Beausejour, Omer Leger
Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, Charles Doucet
Nova Scotia
Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Robert A. Campbell
Halifax, Andrew House
Halifax West, Rakesh Khosla
Prince Edward Island
Malpeque, George Noble
Newfoundland and Labrador
Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor, Aaron Hynes
Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, Cyril Pelley Jr.
Labrador, Joe Goudie
Random-Burin-St. George’s, Cynthia Downey
___________________________________________________
OTTAWA _ A primer on the alleged misconduct of the federal Conservative party in the last federal election, courtesy of Canadian Press:
WHAT _ Elections Canada alleges that the Conservative party organized a program to allow it to spend more on election ads than allowed under the rules through an “in-and-out” scheme. This program shifted $1.3 million in expenses to 67 local candidates who had room under election
spending limits to pay for advertising, but didn’t have the cash.
WHO _ The elections watchdog says the party sent the money to these individual campaigns, which then sent it right back, supposedly as a payment for regional ads. But the money actually was spent by the party on national ads, Elections Canada alleges.
HOW _ The agency says the party transferred money to 67 campaign bank accounts “and within a very short span of time, these funds or funds closely approximating the amounts deposited, were transferred back out of these accounts.”
WHY _ The elections watchdog says this plan allowed the national party to overspend its legal limits by about $1.1 million. And 65 of the 67 the individual campaigns involved got to claim 60 per cent reimbursement from the government for the phantom ad money that just passed through their bank accounts. The other two campaigns didn’t get enough votes to qualify for reimbursements.
PENALTIES _ Elections Canada alleges that the program violated a number of sections of the Elections Act. Convictions could bring a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine for the financial agents involved and a $25,000 fine for the party. Most violations of the act bring fines, usually $2,000 or less.
So this beggs the question what are they up to this time around thinking they just might get power once again? A
The whole concept of government by ideological principles, such as corporate self-regulation, is that it puts ideology before the welfare of the public.
By C. B. Innes on 09.19.08 11:26 am
I couldn’t agree with you more CBI.
“…[R]itz’ “stamp is push and bully your way in,” says Pugh. “But he’s a ding-a-ling, he doesn’t know when to shut his mouth. To make jokes like that during a conference call is the height of stupidity. The fact that some courageous person would report it is amazing. Retribution will come hard and swift,” he predicts.
More appetizers here:
http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=00158
By CM on 09.19.08 12:48 pm
We know why Harper is a one man show. His Mins are incompetent and many are racists & bigots, and he’s afraid to allow them to speak to the media.
I miss Mike Harris. Although unpopular with some, you could at least count on him to keep his promises and follow his policy book. Harris never would have reversed on the income trust promise. Dalton McGuinty on the other hand never keeps a promise. Harper can’t seem to stay on track with his promises either.
It would be great to have more politicians who say what they mean and mean what they say.
By Paully on 09.19.08 12:51 pm
Hi Paully – does that include the $5+ Billion deficit he left Ontario tho saying the financial house was in order.
“The pattern emerging from the Harper Conservatives’ control of the selection of the candidates makes one wonder if Mr. Harper would not prefer to be the top guy in a presidential republic,” Marler writes in a book he has self-published on his website.
I was thining just the same thing when I last saw one of Harper’s out of focus, doft spoken fireside drivel.
In fact, his whole campaign is vote for me, just like a presidential campaign.
No Mr. Harper, we don’t vote for a PM, we vote for a candidate or party. We don’t have an electoral college; each riding is one vote for which ever canditate’s party. And we don’t have a presidential monopoly… maybe you need to play “Test the Nation,” and the GG is HM the Queen’s rep. not yours.
Based on the low intelligence of the Harper supporters I would bet Steve would do anything to have an ARROW pointing to his choice of candidate on all the ballots?
The Green Shift was introduced with much fanfare and enthusiasm at the end of this past June. We were told right here on this blog that Dion had hit a home run!
Wither the Green Shift now? Is it actually getting the shaft?
CTV’s Craig Oliver said this was the second day in a row that Dion avoided talking directly about his controversial “Green Shift” carbon tax plan. Oliver said the plan has been demoted and is no longer at the centre of the Liberals’ election platform.
He said Dion only talked about the plan when reporters asked about it specifically.
“The fact is the carbon tax has been dragging this campaign down very badly and here in Western Canada especially there is a lot of opposition to it,” Oliver told CTV Newsnet.
Harper also jumped on the Green Shift’s apparent new standing in the back seat, said CTV’s Roger Smith, travelling with Harper.
“Harper said the Liberals are backing away from the plan one candidate at a time and now the leader seems to be doing the same — changing his policy in mid-stream and that’s proof the Liberal party isn’t ready to lead,” Smith said.
If we can change the centre-piece of our platform in mid-stream, what is there left that we can count upon? Where are those commentators who so strongly supported the Green Shift just two months ago? Where are those who put down and lambasted those who criticized the plan as untenable? Where are they?
Whom can we trust?
Not you. You are impersonating a Liberal yet again. Just go have a dump on SDA. — Garth
So far the highest level NDP resonse to the issue of multi party cooperation on vote splitting to a Harper majority:
I am a green trying to promote inter party cooperation to avoid Harper vote splitting his way into a majority.
I raised the subject in an email to the NDP candidate in Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill, where 73 votes made the difference in the last general election.In an email I asked if the NDP candidate would consider pulling their candidacy. With his lunatic response that not only will he beat Orchard, but by a “landslide”. He said it was HIS campaign and will do what is best for “him”.
Canada as far as he is concerned, is a non issue. Is that what NDP values are about?
Constantine
Harper’s post-election trade agenda a threat to health care
September 18, 2008 / Ottawa – Prime Minister Stephen Harper must make public the draft text of a new “deep economic integration” trade deal with the European Union that rivals NAFTA in scope before voters go to the polls on October 14, says the Council of Canadians.
“The Prime Minister should be accountable to the public and release the text immediately so that voters can make an informed decision on a deal that will be further negotiated in Montreal just three days after the federal election,” says Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “Stephen Harper ran on a campaign of accountability in the 2006 election, promising to bring significant international treaties to Parliament. He must keep his word, be accountable, and release the draft text of this sweeping new trade deal immediately.”
While the text has not been released, it reportedly includes the unrestricted trade in goods, services and investment, the removal of tariffs, and an open market in government services and procurement – which would require the Canadian government to allow European companies to bid as equals on government contracts for both goods and services, and to not give preference to local or national providers of public-sector services.
“All public services and resources – from health care and pensions to water and energy – could be at risk of legal challenges from European-based corporations, as is the case with Chapter 11 of NAFTA. Mr. Harper must release the text for public scrutiny,” says Barlow.
Canada is already facing its first NAFTA challenge from a group of US investors for $155 million for violations they claim have prevented the opening of more private health care clinics in British Columbia. Given that most EU countries have a public-private mix of health care delivery, a new and even wider international agreement with similar or greater powers would only worsen the current threat to Canada’s public health care system.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians: Tel.: 1-800-387-7177 ext. 249; dpenner@canadians.org
No comprehension trouble here.
I just enjoy watching Garth forever claiming how outrageous and undemocratic the concept of a party appointing a candidate is while he knows the Liberals have done the same thing.
It adds a certain balance to Garth’s position on the issue.
Try harder. Parties are the problem. Wise people need to influence them for the better. — Garth
From the Tor Star today. As Liberal as it gets media wise. This surprising admission form the “dear Leader” of the Fiberal Party of Canada. And I quote:
“WINNIPEG–Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said today that his Green Shift plan featuring a controversial carbon tax is not a major part of his election platform.
“You have said it was but never me,” Dion told reporters.
How can you support this Garth. Are you so blind as this? Talk about being forced to “tow the Line” as an MP. You have nothing to say or offer us Canadians anymore. Bloody liars the whole lot of you!
Why are your short in a twist? The Green Shift was always one element of a comprehensive platform. — Garth
Where will the money come from? What are we not being told?
No deficit. Platform costing to come shortly. Don’t change the channel. — Garth
By Adam on 09.19.08 12:51 pm
Where’s Harper’s $20 B election promises coming from Adam. Check out the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation. Didn’t Harper put us into a ‘technical’ (LOL) deficit this year. As they say ‘Tory times are hard times’. But Harper & his cons aren’t fiscally conservative. They believe in the society that Bush has created. Now we see what that has produced – a world wide economic crisis and guess who ends up paying for his policies – yep, the lower & middle class citizens. Harper & Bush are all about increasing the wealth of the richest in our society.
How anyone can believe that Harper actually cares about the average citizen is beyond me. WAKE UP AVERAGE CANADIANS BEFORE YOU’LL BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.
Garth, “Always part of a comprehensive platform” sounds a whole lot better than
“not a major plank”.
Ouch.
Exactly!
When the Liberals engage in the same behaviour there’s absolutely no point to claiming one is inherently better or worse on the issue.
It appears “wise people” in either party aren’t changing much on the matter you keep raising.
It is cool watching the incredible shrinking Green Shift thing play out. What was the centrepiece of the Liberal campaign is quietly being shifted off to the sidelines. The really interesting issue is how what was meant to fund so much of what the Liberals wanted to do is being downgraded.
I think any regulars here at Garth.ca know the Green Shift was meant to be the jewel in the crown for the Liberals.
I thought that was me. — Garth
Everything you want to know about Harper but were afraid to ask
A girl from Alberta wondered about how Harper is of the same school as George Bush. Glad she asked, because here’s all the proof she needs, compliments of other commenter’s posters:
“A lot of what the Conservative Government is throwing at the Canadian people are red herrings so that if they get elected with a majority they can start to fully implement their agenda:
(links thanks to ~ by GEOFFREY L. 14.08 11:31pm)
Harperstein:
?http://tinyurl.com/5osabj
The Man Behind Stephen Harper:?
http://tinyurl.com/b26ra
(same, but original article on Flanagan at The Walrus):
http://tinyurl.com/6rhhp5
?What would PM do with majority:
?http://tinyurl.com/6yzqwe?
Full text of Stephen Harper’s 1997 speech:
?http://tinyurl.com/dvtm4?
?Deep Integration Plan, Secret Conference Ignored by the Media
?http://tinyurl.com/5eve2v
?You have to sort through the names, text and you get the gist
“We can safely say that a majority Harper government would:
- Decentralize (weaken) federal powers to such a degree that trade protection of Canada’s economic sectors is no longer an option. Such decentralization includes the balkanizatio of Canada and weakening MP powers of elected officials in the House of Commons.?
- Destroy the CWB?
- End medicare
?- privatize all federal crowns (CBC etc.)?
- Phase out EI?
- Join the next U.S. resource war as Harper wanted to go into Iraq and stay in Afghan as long as possible to spend money on defense. This is in keeping with U.S. corp motives to go to war for resources, as well as defense kickbacks by way of directorships, brown bags of cash and overseas bank accounts.
?- Anti union laws
?- Relax any regs in favor of Foreign M & A’s of Canadian corps?
- Remove protective barriers that keep our Canadian banks from being swallowed by foreign (U.S.) financials. This one alone, I think would end Canada’s economic sovreignty as we know it and risk crashing Mutual funds that are heavily laiden with Canada’s financials.
?- Deregulate media to encourage media concentration by CTV* and Can West Global (and its really worth knowing why they are so bias towards Conservatives now with January’s CRTC rulings this year in favor of monopoly media concentration and further market share of both oligarchy/monopolies)?
- Deregulate telecoms to insure further U.S. corporate market share in the telecom sector
We can stop right there. This IS the Harper plan. Increase U.S. corporate ownership and control of ALL of Canada’s economic sectors. Stripe Canada of any protection through deregulation and get government out of providing any essential services so that U.S. multinationals can increase market share.
U.S. ownership/control/expansion of Canada’s economic market share is the Harper agenda. It can easily be found here:
?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Citizens_Coalition
Harper’s agenda?
It is blatantly pandered at the NCC where Harper was president for five years just before becoming the con Conservative leader in 2002.
Note the above campaigns that the NCC took on for decades before, during and after Stephen Harper:
- Canada Health Act. A law passed through the commons that guarantee’s nurses and hospitals as publicly financed and run. Why oppose? To privatize, and with it, consumer pricing will skyrocket as it has in the U.S.
Essentially, the NCC is U.S. corporate multinationals who want the feds to loosen all regulations, destroy all boards and remove all trade barriers (especially in M & A’s) that ensures U.S. corporate access and takeover of Canada’s economic sectors to increase and/or outright own market share.
- Canada Wheat Board (with the destruction of the Wheatboard, U.S. grainhandlers/sellers will own the Canadian market overnight)?
- closed shop unions (they are union busters all the way)
?- Campaigned against Vietnamese boat refugee’s (racist, bigotted, hardly the kind of organization that should be trusted with immigration laws). Read the wiki link above is telling in itself.
What is the NCC doing now? The same thing. Lobbying for U.S. corporate expansion into Canadian markets.
http://tinyurl.com/3hlpuh
National Citizens Coalition + Fraser Institute = evil twins with a dire plot for Canada and their puppet plant Harper at the helm.
http://tinyurl.com/3ldq5d
BY BRAIN 15.08 12:49pm
Thanks Brain for putting that together so well. Quite informative to send around. There’s also this one about NCC if you don’t mind me adding:
http://tinyurl.com/5psh3m
And don’t forget they financed $50,000 of Harper’s 1993 leadership. NCC’s modus operandi is to advertise pro their mutual agendas, falsely play up their corporate causes with what is termed soft money that does not get included in Harper’s election campaign ceiling either. The In & Out Scam isn’t the only source of immoral/illegal money. The surface has only been scratched. The money is.. huge.
*And I’ll just a detail about the media, as it’s no minor affair. In fact, historically proven the neoconservatives colluded to have their minority neocon voice have a bigger “effect than the majority”, by just pandering to populace politics by misinforming the uninformed general population ..and you’ll note Harper mentioned the “uninformed” in his memo with a link to it below. For further proof just look to the decades of media empire building in the U.S. by the neoconservative lobby and in recent years just one of our “Canadian” examples. This also happened worldwide, but the Australians smartened up and kicked out their guy after he used the methods through 3 elections. He was a neoconservative and Harper had them advise on his campaigns, using their same methodology to fool the populace. They play to certain groups, but when do they ever really help them. It’s all their long-term tactics of fear-mongering and disinformation campaigns. Anyway:
“CTV is owned by the Woodbridge Corp. a subsidiary of Thompson-Reuters, one of the world’s largest companies.” Thomson Reuters was created by the purchase of Reuters by The Thomson Corp. April 2008
“if you think the baseless drivel being drudged up CTV is any less biased than any of the other baseless drivel drudged up on CNN or Fox, you are sadly mistaken.”
http://tinyurl.com/5tg339
Thomson prior to its 2008 merger with Reuters:
The Thomson family controlled Thomson Corp via family-owned entity The Woodbridge Co., Toronto.
(Along with 70% of Thomson Corp, Woodbridge also owns a 40% stake in:
CTVglobemedia owns The Globe & Mail, and CTV, Canada’s largest commercial TV network.)
http://tinyurl.com/5ffmnh
Currently, Thomson Reuters:
http://tinyurl.com/6owh5d
”a dual-listed co. of Thomson Reuters Corp. a Canadian company, and Thomson Reuters PLC, a UK company. The Woodbridge Co. a holding company for the Thomson family, owns 53% of Thomson Reuters.
Following? Well here’s another important point:
Historically, no single individual has ever been permitted to own more than 15% of Reuters, under the “First of the Reuters Principles”, which states:
“Reuters shall at no time pass into the hands of any one interest, group or faction.”
However, that restriction was waived in “an unusual concession to allow 53% ownership”
A business editor at BBC News stated this has worried Reuters journalists.
http://tinyurl.com/3la4qh
“… if the November election puts a Democrat in the White House, that administration may be more prone to file a lawsuit to block mergers in highly-concentrated industries, antitrust experts said.”
Don’t even get me started on the soft money advertising that was never declared to Elections Canada by his friends Barry’s Cooper’s group The Friends of Science, and their investigation is ongoing:
Important LINKS:
http://www.desmogblog.com/oil-companies-funding-friends-of-science
Barry Cooper, Flanagan’s close pal:
http://tinyurl.com/5dlad8
Conservative link to anti-Kyoto group:
http://tinyurl.com/5jf883
University of Calgary letter concerning FOS [PDF]:
http://tinyurl.com/4ceepc
And of course, FOS funding compliments of the Republicans
http://tinyurl.com/53anzm
NOTE: Harper himself gave away what Canadians need to do, in order to defeat his cause — he wrote it into an internal party memo, his version of “how to win friends and influence voters”. Harper’s memo instructed Party members that “most voters are uninformed and apathetic” …so we’ll just have to reverse that! [pdf document]
?http://tinyurl.com/6bzehw
At least here in Canada we have a chance of stopping Harper and his affiliates, now that we have an election, by becoming informed and gutsy, talking to friends and relatives, acquaintances and neighbours. Vote for an honest leader, one who actually cares about people, as we have one chance to escape Harper’s agenda.
Hope that helps. All the best.
The Green Shift was always one element of a comprehensive platform. — Garth
The Green Shift is/was a comprehensive plan of itself. With The Green Shift not being discussed by Mr. Dion, will he not be discussing the tax cuts that come because of it? Will he not discuss the childcare increase that comes out of it? The corporate tax cuts? It is/was a foundation to the Liberal party platform with planks coming out of it I would have thought. To not discuss it more, will leave at least this voter confused on what direction the Liberal party is intending to go.
The universe is unfolding as it should – or “irrational exuberance” redefined:
It has been determined that the meek shall inherit the debt, and stock markets are soaring in consequence.
Heck, it’s business as usual. Wot crisis? Couldn’t have been much of a problem to begin with.
You are the jewel in the crown to all of us here, Garth.
(Well, that’s enough shameless fawning for now; I’ll be confusing some of the regs)
That could be the surprise Garth is talking about but it`ll be more of a surprise to Dion when half the Green vote goes to the NDP while 25% goes to the CPC.
By unintended consequences on 09.19.08 3:47 pm
I think your dreaming on that last part. Although the greens may vote NDP instead of Liberal. A green voting con…I just can’t see it. There is NOTHING green about the con party, I doubt anyone that says they would vote Green, could stomach voting con.
Oh and Garth, times ticking away here. You guys really need to be pulling out all the stops now. Whatever you might be hiding in that Liberal bag. It needs to come out.
If the cons some how pull a majority out of their ass. This country will deserve whatever it gets from that down fall. Like america deserved the crap they got from electing a fool (TWICE!!) So shall we deserve whatever we get for giving the man a majority. And in no way is this a positive comment towards that sad undecided fate.
Hi Barb – From what I’ve seen of Alberta Girl’s posts on other blogs you won’t convince her. She’s a dyed in the wool Harper supporter. She’s another Leasa. Comes to Garth’s blog, as she does to other progressive blogs, and asks people to prove their points. She’s only taking up our energy and nothing more. She’s an ‘Alberta Girl’ and nothing anyone says will change her mind. All I can say to everyone is not to waste their time responding to her. She is just a troll.
Here’s those links without the kinks (hopefully):
Harperstein:
http://tinyurl.com/5osabj
The Man Behind Stephen Harper:
http://tinyurl.com/b26ra
(same, but original article on Flanagan at The Walrus):
http://tinyurl.com/6rhhp5
What would PM do with majority:
http://tinyurl.com/6yzqwe?
Full text of Stephen Harper’s 1997 speech:
http://tinyurl.com/dvtm4?
Deep Integration Plan, Secret Conference Ignored by the Media
http://tinyurl.com/5eve2v
You have to sort through the names, text and you get the gist
Harper’s NCC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Citizens_Coalition
It is cool watching the incredible shrinking Green Shift thing play out. What was the centrepiece of the Liberal campaign is quietly being shifted off to the sidelines. The really interesting issue is how what was meant to fund so much of what the Liberals wanted to do is being downgraded.
I think any regulars here at Garth.ca know the Green Shift was meant to be the jewel in the crown for the Liberals.
I thought that was me. — Garth
By Simon on 09.19.08 6:14 pm
Hi Simon – care to explain Stevie’s Turning the Corner Plan?
That is correct because the members of the corporate hierarchy is perceived as being entitled to promote their private self-interest irrespective of the interests of the general public.
C. B.on 09.19.08 2:11 pm
I think you`ve really lost it this time CB.
The `corporate hierarchy` quit investing in Canada totally 3 years ago because our corrupt judicial system has all but destroyed the next generation. The forecasted results created the cascading economic conditions in Ontario with the actual results of government policy already blazingly obvious in Vancouver.
I somehow think that you are happy about the lack of corporate influence in Ontario and spreading across Canada. As a firm opponent to globalism you`ll be soon getting what you want, a complete avoidance of anything Cdn by these `corporate elitists`.
Nite all. Hope all will remmeber how our NEW guberment has caused the death of 17 Canadians with their policy of ‘let the industry police themselves’. Wonder how a Harper supporter would feel if it happened to one of their relatives? Oops I think it did. I’ve a depressed immune system & just waiting to see if this listeria might hit me. Thanks Stevie for your new ‘industry self-regulated, American system’. We appreciate the $300 M your govt. saved we taxpayers.
Just doing some day dreaming at the moment. But all of a sudden – an unwanted thought popped in. Is the ‘financial’ fix, that is currently going on worldwide, the fix that they have figured out to be, the most expedient and ‘cheapest-for-them’ way to position themselves, should a pandemic occur?
So you pull a bunch of articles written by left wing journalists.
I wanted examples from you of something Stephen Harper has done that is George Bush like.
But as usual you all went off on a tangent trying to out link each other.
Hell I can find those articles myself by googling; I wanted your ideas, your opinions.
But I guess you just take what you read and suck it into your brains and spew it out.
What about critical thinking, people.
Oh – and how about that green shift huh. Or “green shift, what green shift”
Hope that helps. All the best.
Barb the proofreader on 09.19.08 6:20 pm
It gets worse, under a Liberal government the agenda does not change with the leader.
It`s a lot more difficult to hold a Party accountable vs one person.
This I found confusing.
“Such decentralization includes the balkanizatio of Canada and weakening MP powers of elected officials in the House of Commons.?”
Not the question mark, any law student knows why.
You are aware that the centralization of power has gone beyond anything in the agreements to confederation. It has gone so far as to make our government illegitimate. Any return to legitimacy by relinquishing powers taken illegally would conform to how confederation was set up by our forefathers.
There is no doubt the power illegally grabbed has hastened the demise of our elected federal government. Once you put any institution not only above the law but puts the law as totally irrelevant it sinks into corruption. I agree we should, as you suggest, be mindful of what our forefathers intention as recorded where and bring back the rule of law.
I know you agree as you wrote this on the previous thread.
http://www.garth.ca/weblog/2008/09/17/no-other-story/#comments
Barb the proofreader on 09.18.08 4:09 pm
“Why do you think our forefathers had the insight to implement consumer protectionism?”
I agree we should, as you suggest, be mindful of what our forefathers intention as recorded where and bring back the rule of law.
BY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES 19.08 7:42p
Your quote of my quote about balkanization was actually Brain’s post which I quoted, and by the way, the question marks come up when you copy and paste someone’s post.. gremlins in the html or something. Not my doing.
The solution is in simple logic and baby steps. We know Harper’s loyalty his whole adult life has been to the corporate agenda that is destructive of individual prosperity, and ends up hobbling the middle class. He is in simple terms, terminally misguided.
WE need someone intelligent and determined to help the citizens of Canada get this mess straightened out. In other words, we need an honest and forthright leader. There is no argument, either sit and complain and do nothing and allow the ignorance that could re-elect a con man whom we know plans to destroy Canada, or trust Dion who has proven himself to be an honest and intelligent leader determined to fight for Canada’s citizens.
“But I guess you just take what you read and suck it into your brains and spew it out.”
BY ALBERTA GIRL 19.08 7:26p
That’s funny. Because when people think critically as many of the independent thinkers commenting here do, they all come up with the same conclusion about Mr. Harper, with proof. So what part do you have a problem with? That Harper was president of the NCC?
Maybe continue reading, I’m sure you didn’t have enough time to go through it all. Hey, you’re from Alberta, do you know Harper?
As for the cause of this fiasco in the United States…it has little to do with politics and everything to do with greed at a level that would stun even Gordon Gekko. Let me spell it out for you Barb —>
It’s not the governments fault. It’s the lenders and it’s the borrowers fault.
The difference between you and I is that I can see things clearly.
By Irvine on 09.18.08 7:11 pm
I’ll grant you this, Irvine, you can clearly see but you are only seeing the small picture. I agree with you in one respect; a lot of home buyers ignored the “it’s too good to be true” axiom and plunged themselves into a financial arrangements with bankers who knew damn well that they couldn’t afford the mortgage. Oddly enough if you listen to some of these so called distressed home owners ; you will find that they’ve got this “oh well” attitude as if they have nothing to lose. They’ll look at their situation as if they’re paying rent and if forced they’ll just walk away from their obligation. Unfortunately as is the case in Cleveland, the real victims of this fiasco are the home owners who have no mortgage or debt, they pay their household expenses and maintain their properties and what do they end up with. Their American dream has been crushed. The good citizen is left out to dry which leads me to the BIG picture
I and many others can plainly see the end result when the state merges with business. When our gov’t gets in bed with big business and allows them to operate without any accountability or regulations the inevitable will happen. GREED and POWER. Your argument is based on people’s behaviour, you say they should know better and if they get into trouble so be it. That’s a fair stance. Well , I say it’s a two way street. I can take your point and use it against the Banks and the Gov’t that allowed this disaster to happen. They should know better, actually they do know better and that’s the BIG point .Gov’ts are very good at creating a crisis and this is the mother of all crisis. HUGE wealth has been transferred out of the hands of the middle class. In the end it is indeed the gov’ts and the regulators fault . The Republican and New Canadian Conservative parties are filled with big business lobbyists and our PM is no exception. He’s the biggest PR {Promise and Renege} of them all. That is why I will not trust a word he says and nor should you, but then again you can ignore this and I dare say a day will come when I will say to you, “Irvine, you should have know better”.
WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT but we are losing it to the corporate world. We know better and so should you.
You and I should be screaming at the top of a hill for a gov’t that is of the people and for the people. A parliament that will govern with preventative measures that are designed to protect WE THE PEOPLE.
This is a BIG election and it has little to do with bad home purchase decisions and all to do about a corrupt state of affai
Barb the proofreader on 09.19.08 8:10 pm
I think I get it now. Constitutional issues or the abandonment of the rule of law, blatantly rampant corruption, a generation destroyed or an illegitimate government is not an issue with Dion as the PM.
What happened to your support for our forefathers intentions?
Barb thanks for the Bit on Tony Baloney
BY TIM PELLETT 19.08 1:03p
Hi Tim,
That must be from after Mr. Ritz made that joke about the Listeriosis Crisis, that Tony Clement had made a similar gaffe when he was absent from Canada during the Listeriosis Crisis. It was controversial that he didn’t even bother to come back, and while out of the country at a big swanky dinner, he announces during a speech, something like, I’m Tony Clement and I approve this food.
“Hi Barb – From what I’ve seen of Alberta Girl’s posts on other blogs you won’t convince her. She’s a dyed in the wool Harper supporter. She’s another Leasa. Comes to Garth’s blog, as she does to other progressive blogs, and asks people to prove their points. She’s only taking up our energy and nothing more. She’s an ‘Alberta Girl’ and nothing anyone says will change her mind. All I can say to everyone is not to waste their time responding to her. She is just a troll.”
Well Go Green – from your comment, I would assume that your mind can be changed. Or are you a troll too.
Of course I am a “dyed in the wool Conservative”, I make no secret of that. I just don’t understand why you and your ilk believe in someone who wants to tax you and your families instead of someone who has cut your taxes, given you money in your pocket and reduced the debt of this country.
So go green – good luck with your choice of a political party – hope you see the light someday.
>I think any regulars here at Garth.ca
>know the Green Shift was meant to be
>the jewel in the crown for the
>Liberals.
I thought that was me. — Garth
Garth, you are definitely a diamond in the rough of Canadian politics.
By unintended consequences on 09.19.08 6:57 pm,
There is all kinds of multi-national capital in this country. Who do you think gobbled up the income trusts? Who do you think is telling the Harper government what to do?
This is a BIG election and it has little to do with bad home purchase decisions and all to do about a corrupt state of affai
By Ron p on 09.19.08 8:41 pm
Couldn`t agree more. The Dems had control of the oversight and did nothing even though McCain warned about sub-prime 3 years ago.
Our 40/0 terminator was passed by a minority government with only 1 MP raising concerns, our own re-elect Garth.
Charter, GST, adscam, 40/0,,, they gotto go,,, vote none of the above
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 9:24 pm
It’s amazing you would be so gullible to believe Harper’s lies after everything that has been offered here by Garth and many, many intelligent, caring people. Are you a corporation? I know they have status as a human being of sorts, but I didn’t know they could type, and you’re a pretty good typist.
By the way, Peter Mansbridge used the word Troll, so apparently it’s not a diss, or however you say.
Anyway, I hope you get through the reading, it’s a lot. But then, Harper knew that too.
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow
…………
Hi Go Green!
Is is not true that men/women would pay to see girls fight?
Well, I say we still got it. I’ve learned a lot from you, Irene, the Bonnies, Lana, Deb and others. This is like army camp.. learning to save the country.
Gals with guts + manners. Let’s get Harper.
Hello Alberta Girl,
As you seem to be decrying the lack of critical thought herein, I’d be interested in your shining a bit of light on a puzzle, provide sage illumination with respect to your immediate compatriots because outwardly their behaviour certainly carries the hallmarks of Ovis aries. For all its boasting to the contrary, the numbers and patterns say otherwise when it comes to independent rumination: it would appear that you live in the biggest paddock the country has ever known. ALL provinces regularly cycle the governing party, save one: Alberta. In the past century, the province has only known 4 governing parties, each in power for decades at a stretch. To illustrate:
Ontario
1867-1871 Liberal-Conservative
1871-1905 Liberal
1905-1919 Conservative
1919-1923 United Farmers
1923-1934 Conservative
1934-1943 Liberal
1943-1985 Progressive Conservative
1985-1990 Liberal
1990-1995 NDP
1995-2003 Progressive Conservative
2003- Now Liberal
Quebec
1867-1873 Conservative
1873-1874 Liberal
1874-1878 Conservative
1878-1879 Liberal
1879-1887 Conservative
1887-1891 Liberal
1891-1897 Conservative
1897-1936 Liberal
1936-1939 UN
1939-1944 Liberal
1944-1960 UN
1960-1966 Liberal
1966-1970 UN
1970-1976 Liberal
1976-1985 PQ
1985-1994 Liberal
1994-1998 PQ
1998- Now Liberal
Alberta
1905-1921 Liberal
1921-1935 United Farmers
1935-1971 Social Credit
1971- Now Progressive Conservative
Sources:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=j1ARTj0011864
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011867
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTa0011842
http://www.kids.premier.gov.on.ca/english/history/premiers.asp
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/PREMIERS/index.htm
(Feel free to use the above links to verify the patterns for the rest of the members of Confederation).
Yesterday Nanos Research published its 5 day regional results. Contrast the numbers in the purported Toronto Liberal stronghold versus that of the defacto Alberta Conservative bastion. The numbers don’t lie, there is a higher degree of variability in all parts of the country, save one region, again Alberta. Just as genetic diversity is important to health in biology, so too is political diversity important to the health of democracy. Your province is at risk of democratic anemia caused by political inbreeding and that lack of democratic principle is reflected regularly in the actions of the Prime Minister who hails from your province, and in his mentor Flanagan who wants to plow salt in the grounds of its rival. Your party wants to perpetuate its hold by any means possible, non-democratic and clandestine if it meets the ends, going so far as to be willing to engage in outright cheating as demarcated by the gerrymandering bill, Bill C-22.
NANOS - Canada's Numbers (%) By Region: September 13-17
Atlantic Montreal Rest of QC Toronto SW ON N+E ON MN + SK AB BC
======== ======== ========== ======= ===== ====== ======= == ==
CP 34 21 32 34 32 40 47 63 40
Liberal 38 31 20 45 34 29 23 17 33
NDP 22 14 15 13 19 22 26 13 20
Green 6 11 6 8 15 9 4 7 7
Bloc 0 23 27 0 0 0 0 0 0
Undecided 18 15 20 16 23 18 17 21 15
Source:
http://www.nanosresearch.com/election/CPAC-Nanos-Regional%20September-18E.pdf
Before you decrying the wool you claim see outside the fence — or is that firewall — you should examine the lanolin on your own hands. The bigger question: what are you going to do about it?
Thanks for the chart Dube!
Looks like the Liberals are starting to fade in Toronto as well.
Conservatives at 34% in metro Toronto? unheard of!
What the heck is going on? We need Iggy and Rae front and centre, pronto!
“I suggested Dion should greatly downplay the Green Shift, I wrote him a letter to that effect and he listened.
It’s basically gone; see the TO Star.”
–By R Swenson on 09.19.08 2:23 pm
This proves that the little man’s voice really does count with some leaders. This was a foolhardy policy from day 1, and I am surpized, in spite of the initial balleyhoo and fanfare, that this carbon tax idea was not put to rest much earlier.
At least cooler heads are prevailing. Nary a whimper from the many who so strongly expressed their support for this misguided policy two months ago.
“What the heck is going on? We need Iggy and Rae front and centre, pronto!”
–By Darren Trent on 09.19.08 11:05 pm
Circle the wagons, and strengthen what remains.
There is all kinds of multi-national capital in this country. Who do you think gobbled up the income trusts?
By C. B. Innes on 09.19.08 10:01 pm
I`m not sure if we`re on the same page. I was referring to the kind of investments that increase product or product lines through productivity gains. Investment creates productivity which creates jobs. I think I`ve been very clear.
“Who do you think is telling the Harper government what to do?”
You must be referring to the Cdn power structure and Bay street is currently on the top.
I agree, the system is corrupt. Corporate or government corruption has no chance at fixing itself when the judiciary is the most corrupt of all.
Have you entertainment, scrape over who will win the election. When it`s over we won`t have even more of the same, we`ll have worse, minority or even with a majority by any party.
Never mind me CB, I can see you`re in deep denial and thinking if one were only true to ones ideology everything would work like it`s supposed to. Anytime you want to get real about the out of control corruption on all three points of power I might still be around.
a system broken by corruption will not fix itself
Hell I can find those articles myself by googling; I wanted your ideas, your opinions.
But I guess you just take what you read and suck it into your brains and spew it out.
What about critical thinking, people.
Oh – and how about that green shift huh. Or “green shift, what green shift”
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:26 pm
I too am from Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well! I do not endorse your premises, nor attitudes and certainly do not support your Social Discredit Recycled!
Part of being able to think independently and critically is to be able to conger up alternative possibilities, and situations. Then be able to evaluate all possibilities for validity and workability.
I recall the time in Alberta that a Provincial Election returned zero opposition members to the Legislature. This situation is was and is not a healthy condition for any democracy. Besides the numerous people who did not vote for the majority Conservative ruling party and thus did not have any representation, there is also the very deep vacuum where alternative ideas and programs are not being presented in the legislature. Albertans have this tendency not dare to be different or innovative, they import most of their technology and ideas from American Petroleum States and pay a premium for this privilege. They and Saskatchewan also have a history of poor treatment of the indigenous citizens, which I have witnessed personally. You have much work to do to open your minds to what the realities of this country are. What your leaders have mislead you to believe is that you do not owe anything to any of your fellow citizens of any category and that there is no need to collect taxes to spend on the greater good of society as a whole. You fail to understand that all these resources are no different than a cup of tea or a glass of beer. You never own it, it is just rented for the moment. NONE OF IT GOES TO THE GRAVE WITH YOU AND IF IT DOES SOME ROBBER WILL DIG IT UP AND STEAL IT! WAKE UP!
Hell I can find those articles myself by googling; I wanted your ideas, your opinions.
But I guess you just take what you read and suck it into your brains and spew it out.
What about critical thinking, people.
Oh – and how about that green shift huh. Or “green shift, what green shift”
By Alberta Girl on 09.19.08 7:26 pm
Yeah, don’t let the facts get in the way of forming opinions…a description of Conservative critical thinking.
Hmm look what Wikipedia has to say about Garth’s opponent, Lisa Raitt:
“… She was considered a “star candidate” for several reasons including her high profile bureaucratic post and experience with the City of Toronto which has elected no Conservative MP for 20 years. After an aide to Minister of Transport Lawrence Cannon was caught on camera asking a group of native Canadian to “behave” and be “sober”, Conservative blogger Steve Janke revealed, Raitt’s name rose in consideration for this post.
Lisa Raitt is a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada for the constituency of Halton, Ontario, in the Canadian federal election, 2008 on 14 October 2008.[2]
She does not work in the riding. Despite this, Raitt is advertised as a “star candidate” by bloggers sympathetic to the Conservative cause including Steve Janke who names her as a potential Minister of Transport. During the election, Darlene Lannigan, aide to current Minister Lawrence Cannon, was caught on camera making seemingly-racist comments about Canadian natives, for which Cannon was forced to apologize [1], triggering calls for Cannon’s resignation. A powerful minister with public service experience in Toronto would, according to Janke, solve a number of problems for Harper. However, her work in Toronto has not been without controversy.
[edit] Toronto Port Authority
At Toronto Port Authority, Raitt initiated a rare political libel action against a citizen group, Community Air, that had criticized her. The Globe and Mail described TPA’s multi-million dollar strategic lawsuit against public participation [2], as designed to prevent “the volunteer activists from making any more allegedly defamatory statements about the federal agency — a category of speech, according to the wide-open statement of claim the authority filed in court last week, that would seem to include every public statement any of the activists has ever made in this hotly contested, thoroughly aired, public debate”. The man who appointed Raitt, Stephen Harper, also initiated a similar suit against the Liberal Party for exposing his attempted bribery of Chuck Cadman. Such suits are a strange quirk of Canadian law – public and especially political figures are forbidden from filing such suits in most English speaking countries. See the political libel article for other examples of their rare use..”
A comment to Joe in NB regarding Fundy Royal:
A lot more signs are going up for Rob Moir as the campaign goes on. Having been involved in this stuff before, I can tell you that it is VERY difficult to cover a riding that is 7500 square kms. You may have only seen a couple, but there are certainly a lot more for the NDP than there have ever been before.
Rob Moir is an Economist, a prof, and is certainly a very qualified candidate. He would be a great place to park the counter-Conservative vote in Fundy Royal, because as you say, the Libs are not even trying here. He’s running as hard as he can, its just a lot of land and resources are restricted (the age old economic scarcity problem!).
Hey how dare you say Alberta “and Saskatchewan also have a history of poor treatment of the indigenous citizens”. You better behave and sober up, or the cops will leave you in a snowbank at 40 below.
Couldn`t agree more. The Dems had control of the oversight and did nothing even though McCain warned about sub-prime 3 years ago.
Our 40/0 terminator was passed by a minority government with only 1 MP raising concerns, our own re-elect Garth.
Charter, GST, adscam, 40/0,,, they gotto go,,, vote none of the above
By unintended consequences on 09.19.08 10:07 pm
I suggest you actually understand how the U.S. Congress works before spouting off more of your pro-McCain rhetoric. Bush can VETO anything they pass simply becaiuse the Senate cannot override the veto with less than 67%.