A CAW Worker's Voice Of Reason

NDP Version Of "In-And-Out". Is It Legal?

2012-01-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

"NDP leadership candidate Thomas Mulcair says he was never told of an internal NDP policy requiring MPs to contribute at least $1,000 a year to federal NDP coffers.

Moreover, Mulcair says he never told any of the candidates he recruited in Quebec that minimum annual donations to the federal NDP were part of the deal if they were elected."

"
Candidates who run for the NDP in elections are required to sign an agreement with the party acknowledging their responsibilities should they win a seat in the House of Commons.

“I understand that all New Democrat Members of Parliament are required to contribute $1,000.00 annually to the Federal Office of the New Democratic Party,” one clause of the agreement says, according to the 2006 version of the agreement form.

The amount of the mandatory donation has since increased to reflect changes to the maximum allowable contribution, rising to $1,100 in 2007."

Interesting. So the NDP is basically stating that the party is entitled to at least $1000 per year from NDP candidates who are successful running in an election. So those 100+ NDP MP's are now required to pony up minimum $4000 over the next four years to the party. So MP's get a salary paid through taxpayers, the NDP siphons off $1000 per year from each MP, and the MP gets a tax-writeoff, again on the backs of Canadian taxpayers.

My question is, does Elections Canada feel this is legal, people being forced to donate? Seems a little extreme to me. MP's donate (funds go in), MP's get a tax-break (monies go out).

Despair Turns Into Hope

2012-01-29T13:06:00.001-08:00

With reports now coming out that the earth's temperature hasn't risen in 15 years, and the possibility of a mini-ice age in the future, I'm sure David Suzuki and the other doomsayers despair must surely be turning to hope:

It's not just crazy people with the sandwich boards anymore: a lot of level-headed professionals believe the end of our world is nigh. Some top scientists see global warming making much of the planet barely habitable within a few generations. Or sooner.

How then do experts who believe such dire findings, yet plug away at eco-sustainable practices, still find purpose in their work? What keeps them from succumbing to climate despair? Especially after yesterday's much panned announcement by the Conservatives that Canada will wait at least 13 years before imposing "hard caps" on global warming emissions, and won't see significant cuts before 2050?

"We've overshot," sighs William Rees into the receiver at the other end of the line. "We've overshot the long-term carrying capacity of the planet to support human life."

Rees is the father of the "ecological footprint" and a world famous professor at UBC. We've been talking about new studies that suggest that because of global warming, methane gas previously frozen under the Arctic permafrost is bubbling up and escaping into the atmosphere, forcing us into the arms of global meltdown faster than you can say the Book of Revelations. As a greenhouse gas, methane is 20 times more powerful than carbon.

Climatologists call it an example of a positive feedback loop, which are like vicious ecological circles on crack. The more temperatures rise, the more permafrost melts, contributing more methane into the atmosphere, which in turn causes the earth's temperature to climb again, melting more permafrost, and on and on. We're already seeing the results.

"This year is the first time in tens of thousands of years you could take a kayak to the North Pole," Rees continues, his voice rising and his tone taking on a harder edge. "That's the evidence. So don't give me optimism about technology moving us forward, because it isn't."

Rees says he gets very tired sometimes, when it seems people aren't interested in saving even themselves.

"Are you despairing these days?" I ask.

"Yes, sometimes I am."

"What do you do about it?"

"Um, keep working," he responds quietly. "Pace up and down. Read a good book. Listen to some fine music. Sometimes I have a bottle of wine. But you've got to...you know. What are the options? I just keep on plugging away; I don't think there is really anything else you can do."

'Nice technical problems'

Things got bleaker in the ecological trenches after James Lovelock, guru of the Gaia hypothesis, published The Revenge of Gaia, where he says there's nothing to stop the earth from slouching towards "a coma" now, taking billions of us into that good night along with her.

I called up Dr. Daniel Pauly, director of the Fisheries Centre at UBC and a principal investigator of the organization The Sea Around Us, who told me some mornings he has trouble getting out of bed. How does he cope with the prospect of a dying future on those days?

"I concentrate on some technical problem instead," he says, which takes me by surprise a little, even though it shouldn't.

"We have nice technical problems, as scientists, that you resolve. Most of us who are discouraged do end up doing that: looking at nice technical problems."

I rang up Patrick Condon, who holds the UBC James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments and designs sustainable cities, to gauge his level of depression.

"I'm personally pretty discouraged often," he admitted. "Not a single week goes by without some new, extremely credible group coming to the same conclusion, and that conclusion is always that it's happening faster than even the most pessimistic scientist would have predicted, those who were scoffed at years ago."

I listened to Karen Campbell, environmental lawyer with western Canada's Pembina Institute, admitting she gets so distraught over current events, she purposefully avoids reading the news for weeks sometimes. And that there have been times where governmental repeals of hard-won environmental legislation have left her feeling crushed.

"I've had days where I've left my office in tears. I've had days where I've just said, 'That's it! I can't handle this, it's just too depressing. I'm leaving.'"

David Suzuki sent an email admitting "plenty of reason to despair" but calling it "a crime against future generations to refrain from acting."

Suzuki was boiling mad at Canada's official state of denial, noting that many other countries aim for far deeper cuts, up to "90 per cent reductions by 2050. I have no idea whether that will be enough to keep the planet (from) spinning out of control."

Last of all, I chatted with Kevin Millsip, director of the youth-directed Check Your Head, over a coffee in Gastown, where he revealed that on days when the unopened mail and crammed day planner don't seem to have the slightest impact, he ducks out for a matinée. That, or flips through the pages of a glossy magazine very, very slowly. Or stares at pictures.

"And then I kick myself and ask, 'Is this really the answer?'" he says with a laugh.

Depleted fish stocks, species extinction, SUV and oil obsessions, Kyoto rejections, disenfranchized youth, the Alberta tar sands and deadly methane gas: Condon says "an emerging consensus" is setting in among his colleagues; "Every hour of [our] work is in the context of 'Can the madness be stopped?'" he relates. "And when you're looking critically at the information, and using your critical functions, you often conclude that it can't be."

Which is a bitter pill to swallow, when the conclusions you draw from your professional life spell a disastrous future for your own children. When she's at her lowest, Campbell has moments where she looks at her son and second guesses the wisdom of having brought a child into the world.

"There's a really good chance there's not going to be any more polar bears when he's 30."

'Climate porn'

Back in August, a Labour-friendly British think-tank released a damning report that accused the media of splashing images of "climate porn" across the newspapers and TV screens of Britons. Terrifying images of melting ice caps and freak storms sell copy, the report stated, because people get a strange satisfaction from the steady stream of horror-show global meltdown pictures paraded before their eyes.

But the effect, according to the think-tank, is public paralysis -- a mélange of impotence and dread -- since the end result is readers and viewers left feeling any action on their part is pointless in the face of global warming. Shocking and awing the citizenry bad for the environment? Who knew?

No one I talked to for this article, including David Suzuki, agreed with this conclusion, and were in fact left feeling both anger and despair at the media's botched job of handling climate change.

"I think we need more of that pornography -- quite frankly -- and you can quote me on that," spat Condon. "Pornography in the sense of something that has direct impact and hits you pretty hard -- I'm for anything that gets the point across these days."

"I don't think we have time left to try to do this with six more scholarly publications in peer journals."

Rees agreed. "I think the media has an obligation to tell the truth. Frankly, I think the porn is the denial that appears in most of the media."

The maddening part is that the overwhelming burden of proof shouts that climate change is happening, most notably the assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Of 750 scientific papers published on the topic of climate change, not one of them disputes that climate change is ongoing and that it's probably human induced, according to Rees.

But that isn't reflected in the press, he says, which puts coverage at a "45/55 split" between naysayers and yea-sayers.

People like Tim Ball clouding the issue are not appreciated.

"Even though [someone] is a paid person in industry, they get equal time with the thousands of independent climatologists pulled together by the UN," seethes Condon.

"Quite frankly, we should have the shit scared out of us if we want to move forward on this," says Rees.

Ah, to be young

In the scientific and intellectual community, the end-times types tend to be white men with wrinkles and grey hair. Lovelock, Farley Mowat, Kurt Vonnegut, David Suzuki and Al Gore spring immediately to mind. If the tendency to eulogize Mother Earth is a function of age, how are the young and innocent faring?

Professor Pauly says not so well.

"The students are quite upset because they get that feeling of doom, and this is not compatible with their age," he says. "The bounty that they assumed was going to be theirs is not there."

Condon says many of his students are "largely unaware" of things like positive feedback loops and recent NASA reports that say we'll only lose one-quarter of the planet's species to global warming if we make severe changes to society right now.

"And these are students that have chosen an environmental career," Condon adds.

Talking about how youth are grappling with climate change with Millsip, the discussion turns to a virtual reality game called Second Life, where almost a million people log on to create an exciting alternate reality far removed from the rising mercury of this one.

"Some people are engaging in these communities because they feel they can actually affect the outcome of this universe," says Millsip, who thinks there's "an uncomfortable discussion about power to be had" between the high school kids he works with and the power brokers running the show today. Unresponsive political systems, he says, will never encourage kids to rally around the flag to tackle solutions for global warming.

The end

So what might it take to get people to really change their ways? What should the average person do to stave off the coming cataclysm?

"Extra-powerful air conditioners for Phoenix, Arizona might be a big sell," Condon observes with dark irony.

"Some days I'm not so sanguine about the capacity of people to actually change," worries Condon, who completes the thought adding that he thinks it would be "immoral" for him to stand back and do nothing.

Rees gets philosophical: "I suppose I'm an existentialist: you have to decide what you're going to do," he says. "I mean I could go and shoot myself, I'm wealthy enough to put my feet up, go out and buy myself a boat and a case of rum and enjoy the remaining days of my life."

But, like the others, Rees has resolved to continue the fight, and to see global warming through, in whatever shape or form life on earth takes in the coming decades. Just because this is the grimmest thing we've ever faced as a species doesn't mean they're throwing in the towel. Far from it.

But it's going to take some work.

"The very tendencies that gave such us a leg up in the competition with the other species 50,000 years ago are maladaptive today," Rees concludes.

"Now, if we are intelligent enough to recognize that, at least in theory we should be able to over-ride our biological predispositions. If we don't, we're doomed

How Paul Martin Really Saved CPP

2012-01-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

Lots of banter going on after the PM mentioned in his speech in Davos about pension reform being necessary. Th media is rife with speculation and reaction that the age of eligibility for OAS will be raised from its current threshold of 65 to 67. While the government hasn't announced that change the usual Harper-bashing media are working non-stop with outrage. Fair enough. I guess when the PM opened the door the media decided to barge in without a proper invite, but what's new, right? But what really pisses me off is almost every journalist mentions Paul Martin's CPP reforms as some kind of super-human feat. Really?

This is the effect Paul Martin's so-called reforms have had on me. At the age of 36 in 1996, my maximum payroll contribution to CPP was $893.20. In 1997, Martin increased that amount to $944.78. $50 roughly no big deal, right? in 2011 the maximum contribution was $2,217.60. That's an increase of $1324.40 per year over the last 15 years. Martin's reforms basically amount to me paying roughly an additional $20,000 from 2011 forward, into CPP above the 1996 rate,until I reach 65, matched by my employer for a total of $40,000 in additional premiums. This doesn't take into account my CPP contributions for the previous 19 years nor the 1996 rate of $893.20 until I retire in 2025 (14 years X $893.20=$12504.80.)

To put it into easy terms, Paul Martin's CPP reforms basically amounted to Canadians having their premiums jacked up well above double the previous amounts. So what Martin was basically saying was if you want to collect CPP, you have to pay an amount great enough to cover the costs of benefits. Hmmm, kind of what the PM is hinting about with pension reforms, no?

Boston Bruins Goalie Shows Why He Is An All-Star

2012-01-23T15:47:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama saluted the NHL’s Boston Bruins for their 2011 Stanley Cup championship on Monday — at least some of them.

Conspicuous by his absence was Tim Thomas, who is known best for being the Bruins’ goaltender but is also a right-winger. Thomas, who lists ultra-conservative commentator Glenn Beck among his heroes, had told the team some time ago that he wouldn’t attend because he objects to Obama’s policies.

The Actual EMD Contract Offer

2012-01-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.emcupdate.ca/wp-content/uploads/Employee-Letter-and-Summary-Dec-27-2011.pdf

Thanks to an anonymous comment in a previous thread for the link. Yes, it appears they do want a huge wage cut. But many of the other things, including benefits and pension, appear to mirror what GM, Ford, and Chrysler workers gave up in their last round of contract negotiations. I don't know the current pay levels of the classifications listed, so possibly an EMD worker might give me the right figures, rather than the "average $35 wage" Lewenza keeps referring to, which most likely includes skilled trades, skewing the average wage number.

As stated previously, the CAW could show some leadership by lowering the rate of union dues to help offset wage cuts. As for the SCCF, give it up. It's the CAW that benefits from that plan, not the guy working the line.

If I Was An EMD Worker, I'd Be Very Afraid!

2012-01-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

Q: Is it true that the union suggested closing the plant instead of instead of discussing concessions?

A: Despite the fact that EMC has tabled economic proposals since May, the union has not addressed any of the market competitive issues faced by EMC, despite a six-month extension of the current collective agreement designed to provide the union with the time to do so. In fact, there has been no counter proposal from the union, but for the suggestion that the parties negotiate a closure agreement, one that EMC has rejected outright.

Some Friendly Advice For Electro-Motive Diesel CAW Workers

2012-01-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

You are about to suffer the same fate as those workers who lost their jobs at the Oshawa GM truck plant. Remember that? Lewenza claimed victory against two-tier wages, only to see 2400 truck plant jobs moved south. The end result was Lewenza had to agree to two-tier wages just months later? CAW head Ken Lewenza is about to sell your jobs out all in the name of the union still thinking things haven't changed from the '60s, and refusing to change with the times. Lewenza and his predecessor Buzz Hargrove have caused job losses in the past, by refusing to present contract offers to it's members containing concessions and allowing a free vote. Kind of ironic when the union claims to be the voice of democracy.

So here is what you should do. Tell Lewenza that you want the last contract offer from the company presented in full, and be allowed a free vote on it. If the offer is what is claimed to be stated, then you all have a serious decision to make. I agree the offer as reported by the company is deplorable, especially the wage cuts. I also agree Caterpillar is one of those companies that run rough-shod over it's blue-collar workforce.

But the workers need to make a decision. If the offer is unacceptable, vote against it and let the CAW reps know what you are willing to take. The sad part is I think it's pretty much a given that your jobs will be moved stateside without an agreement close to what the company has supposedly offered.

Be creative. Read the entire offer page by page. Make sure you are being given the entire story on what is being offered. A wage concession looks inevitable. Has profit sharing been offered? Co-pay benefits? Can the pension plan be saved by having employees contribute as well as the company. Ask Lewenza for a reduction in your union dues to help offset wage losses. Those reps working on your behalf are making 6-figure salaries as well.

There's no guarantee this will resolve your problem. But as it stands right now all you have is uncertainty, and a couple of hundred a month in strike pay. Standing outside the gates at $16 an hour is costing you $640 a week in lost wages, or more than $2400 a month.

p.s. It's not just wage costs that decides whether production is left at your plant. Other costs factor into the decision as well. You are about to pay for Dalton McGuinty's failed electricty policies with your jobs, not to mention employer costs he has added as well.

A Hot Rumour For Glen McGregor Of The The Ottawa Citizen

2012-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

An anonymous source, only known as raelvr1, has informed me that he has established a direct link between the Blogging Tories and the Conservative Party of PM Stephen Harper. My source, considered as reliable as a Toronto 911 dispatcher, tells me that bloggers who are part of the Blogging Tories have also made donations to the Conservative party and their candidates.

If this is true, it shows a direct link that the Blogging Tories are in fact a partisan group.

p.s. If McGregor had even a shred of journalistic integrity he might have seen fit to make even passing mention of the Ontario Working Families Coalition. Then again, there is quite a difference between the two groups. The NCC rely on donations that are not eligible for a tax credit. Of course McGregor and O'Malley don't seem to bat an eye the the Working Families group uses union dues to fund attack videos against Tim Hudak. And those teachers make quite a nice salary, so those dues qualify them for quite the tax reduction.

Kady O'Malley's Sudden Fixation On Donations As A Definite Link To A Party??

2012-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

I see Kady has herself all worked up about the NCC video, based on facts,(sorry, Kady and Rae can't rewrite history),now trying to show links between the NCC and the Conservative Party, and using donations made by NCC members as proof.

Soooo,remember this? (h/t Joanne at Blue Like You)

"An EKOS poll should be presented with a reminder that Frank Graves of EKOS has donated over $11,000 to the Liberal Party of Canada since 2001"

If I remember right, Kady and her CBC freeloaders, as well as the usual msm suspects, dismissed these donations as nothing, saying they never proved any link between Graves and the Liberal Party, or Graves and the CBC's Liberal bias.

Please explain Kady?

Blogging Tory Challenge- Who Guergis Should Be Suing...

2011-12-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

I find both quite amusing, and completely pathetic that former MP Helena Guergis has filed a defamation lawsuit against PM Stephen Harper and some others in the Conservative Party, while seeming to ignore those that did the real damage to her reputation, members of the NDP, Liberals, and Bloc. So, to that end, I think it would be a fun Blogging Tory challenge to post some of the most extreme comments regarding the allegations that were made against Guergis.

The goal of this challenge is two-fold. #1 is to show how Guergis sour grapes and inability to accept her fate is more about partisan hate than any real damage to her reputation. #2 is the more important part of the challenge. Let's show Guergis what she seems to have overlooked, that being the smear job by the opposition parties against her, as well as some of the usual suspects in the msm. By doing so, the defence in the lawsuit will have plenty of ammunition in it's defence, showing Guergis lawsuit is more about attempted paybacks than any real defamation.

Of course Guergis could amend or file suit against those making said comments. If not, she might need to explain why. So, to kick things off, I thought I would quote one Pat Martin, NDP MP and one of the worst offenders regarding Guergis:

"New Democrat MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) said the allegations must be serious.

“This is huge. There has got be something really serious under foot here ... for Harper to distance himself in an extreme and extraordinary way," Martin said Friday. “This is not just a resignation it's political hari-kiri. Falling on your sword is one thing but when you disembowel yourself it's something else.”

Bob Rae Couldn't Do Math As Ontario Premier,

2011-12-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

and apparently still can't. Rae today came out and blamed PM Stephen Harper and his government for the troubles plaguing Attawapiskat. The problem with Rae's thinking is the problems have been ongoing for years. Happened under Mulroney, continued under Chretien/Martin, and still are ongoing. By appointing a third-party the PM is actually the first leader to address the problems facing Attawapiskat, political correctness be damned.

But there is one major flaw in Rae's reasoning. You see, it wasn't till May of this year that Conservative's won a majority and control of the House. At any time from 2006 until May of 2011, Rae's Liberal's could have teamed up with the other looney left socialists, the Bloc and NDP, and either brought down the government or forced changes in the funding of Aboriginals simply by exercising their own majority in the House.

Then again, Rae is the same guy who thought 1+1 = 2 as Ontario Premier, yet somehow changed that formula to 1+1= -$40 billion. To put it in a better perspective, Bob Rae's credibility equals the sum of 0.

Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan Scores On Own Net!

2011-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Loved watching Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan squirm on Power and Politics today, trying to dismiss the Liberal's abysmal record of ghg emissions under Chretien/Martin. When pressed about the numbers, Duncan claimed the Liberals never did anything because Kyoto was signed in 1997 but not ratified until 2004.

But wait, so the position of the Liberal Party was they would do nothing about emissions unless other countries agreed to? Wait, isn't that the exact position of the Conservative government? No agreement unless countries like the U.S, China, and India also agree to ghg emission cuts?

She shoots, she scores five hole on Bob Rae.

And some fun facts: Canada's greenhouse-gas emissions rose 25 per cent between 1990 and 2005, the biggest percentage increase among G8 countries over the same time period, according to new Statistics Canada figures released Tuesday.

Two NDP MPs need to read off paper to sing the National Anthem?

2011-11-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

To quote NDP MP Pat Martin, it's a fuckin disgrace!

Sid Ryan Is A Disgrace To Everyone Who Has Ever Been A Union Member

2011-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

#.Ts03YpC-DBo.facebook#.Ts03YpC-DBo.facebook

National Newswatch Censors Story Critical Of Michael Moore

2011-11-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

I admit to being a bit surprised to see National Newswatch actually having a link to an editorial critical of lefty Michael Moore, the guy who rallies against capitalism while counting his millions in his 10,000 square foot lakefront (summer) home. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see NNW pull the link to the story a short time after. For those who missed it here is a link to the actual story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060704/Occupy-protests-Michael-Moores-mansion-luxury-99-Americans-dream-of.html

That's one monster of a home for a guy who thinks of himself as one of the little guys. Then again, it makes sense that someone with that big an ego would need that much space to put it in. Of course he might even be the biggest hypocrite on the planet. Wonder if his pal Al Gore drops by to roast marshmallows on the fire every now and then.

Update: NNW now has the story on the right hand bar. Well worth reading. The taxes on that summer home are almost $16000 for the summer season. To put it in perspective, that's slightly less than someone earning minimum wage in Ontario.

Pipelines Pollute, But Apparently Limousine's Don't

2011-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

If there's a limousine outside your door, you got the part. If not, go back to sleep That limousine was there." Actor Mark Ruffalo

33,908,000 Canadians Don't Support This Hour Has 22 Minutes...

2011-10-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

A crap show with crap talentless comedians. To put it in perspective how absolutely pathetic and what a waste of money Walsh's salary really is to Canadian taxpayers, one needs only look at viewership numbers. In a country with a population estimated at 34,629,000 million people, 22 minutes manages to get 721,000 to stomach them. That's even more pathetic when one factors in CBC is on almost all cable and satellite carriers from cost to coast to coast.

To borrow a phrase commonly used by the usual suspects at the CBC whenever they think they need it to bash PM Stephen Harper, you know, the one that 60% of Canadians never voted for him, let's take that same lefty math formula and apply it to This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

22 Minutes isn't supported by roughly 97% of Canadians. It's amusing to see the comments at the CBC and Toronto Star, the ones asking how Rob Ford could not know who the Retarded Princess of Sag is. Well, judging by the numbers, there are roughly 33,908,000 Canadians in the same boat.

I for one would love to see what the salaries of Walsh and the other regulars on the show are. I'm guessing we aren't getting real bang for the buck. As for the incident with Mayor Rob Ford, if Rob is serious about getting rid of the wasted gravy dollars spent by governments, he might want to also push for the CBC to open his books. I'm guessing Toronto, as well as the other Canadian cities would welcome that $1.1 billion wasted on the CBC every year.

I mean really, you can be the biggest lefty socialist in Toronto, say Adam Vaughan. Could you really make an argument for spending on crap shows like 22 minutes over improving roads, parks, policing, etc?

Flashback: Same-Sex Marriage Under A Chretien Majority

2011-10-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

So it seems like the usual twits in the media have taken a great anti-bullying video by some Conservative cabinet ministers and MP's and still managed to turn it into some pathetic anti-Conservative editorial. The Star's Tim Harper is the latest pathetic moron to write a similar story. First, kudos for all those involved in the videos. Now let's take a look at the mindlessly numbing left-wing partisans who saw fit to criticize what should be a positive story:

Dan Savage "“But it’s going to take more than a video to undo the damage done by Vic Toews and Canada’s conservatives. This was, quite literally, the least Vic and his fellow conservatives could do. The very least.”

NDP'er Randall Garrison "“You can’t do these [videos] if you’re not an out, gay person.”

Both should hang their heads in shame for making such appalling comments. Does Garrison also feel the same way about all those professional athletes making similar videos? Sorry, straight professional athletes?

But for me, the real icing on the cake was comments from gay Liberal MP Scott Brison."Liberal Scott Brison charged the Conservatives “have fought and voted against every advancement of gay rights in Canada, from pension benefits to marriage to transgender rights.’’

To put things into perspective, Brison might want to look at the history of his own party. The Liberals, who enjoyed three majority governments from 1993 until 2004, could have simply passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the house regardless of how the other parties voted.

"In 1999, the House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a resolution to re-affirm the definition of marriage as "the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others".[41] The following year this definition of marriage was included in the revised Bill C-23, the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act 2000, which continued to bar same-sex couples from full marriage rights."

Wonder how Brison or these trash journalists feel about a Chretien majority voting down same-sex marriage. Also noteworthy is the fact 32 Liberal MP's voted against Bill C-38, with 3 more being absent to try and save their asses in the next election. Of course Chretien never even voted on Bill C-38, instead choosing to place it on Paul Martin's lap alongside Adscam.

CAW Workers Endorse Tim Hudak...

2011-10-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

And Ken Lewenza should just shut the fuck up! Seems Lewenza is sticking his nose in the Ontario election today and endorsing Dalton McGuinty. Good for you Ken. But I've got news for you. The CAW workers, the ones that actually work on the lines and in the parts manufacturing facilities don't support McGuinty. Your first clue might have been when Sid Ryan was a repeat loser in the federal Oshawa riding. Or I thought you might finally get it when Chris Buckley, head of Oshawa Local 222 was also defeated in the May election. Hey, who won those Brampton ridings in the past election?

Lewenza is a gleaming example of what is commonly referred to as a hypocrite. Seems he is endorsing McGuinty because of the auto bailouts. But yet he never endorsed Stephen Harper who put much more taxpayer money into those bailouts than McGuinty. Why is that Ken?

If Lewenza wants to know who the rank and file CAW members really support in an election he should make the rounds to different plants and ask the workers whose union dues pay his six-figure salary. And I'm not talking about union reps, the ones who still think it's 1962. I'm talking about the ones who go home sore at the end of every shift. The ones whose electricity bills have skyrocketed under McGuinty. The ones who have lost or who have family and friends who lost jobs because of McGuinty's fiscal incompetence.

The ones who had eye exams, physio and chirporactic care de-listed under McGuinty. Workers with elderly low-income parents who have been crushed by McGuinty's tax grabs, the ones who got slammed with the hst. The ones you represent, the ones you fought for saying how co-pay benefits wasn't fair. Yet you kept your mouth shut when McGuinty applied a new tax on that same co-payment amount starting in January of this year.

You praise McGuinty and Frank Stronach. Stronach, the guy who was paying himself $40 million a year without paying Canadian income taxes as he had a castle in Switzerland registered as his address. Your predecessor Buzz Hargrove saw nothing wrong in giving a leather jacket to then Liberal PM Paul Martin, just after CAW workers learned of the illegal kickback scheme perpetrated using our tax dollars.

Time to accept reality Ken. Workers want a Premier who treats them with respect and not as some cash-cow piggy bank slush fund used to reward party loyalists, friends and family. They want a Premier who doesn't waste their hard-earned tax dollars. They want someone like Tim Hudak as Premier of Ontario.

Dalton McGuinty may very well be victorious in the October 6th election. But remember Ken, you speak for CAW members when dealing with thier employer. In contract negotiations. In workplace safety. In charity fundraising.

But when it comes to politics, and more importantly, elections, speak for yourself. The rank and file can and will make our own decisions come voting day.

Judgement Day For Frank Graves And Ekos Polling October 6th

2011-10-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I guess Frank Graves and Ekos Polling really has it all on the line in the Ontario election. Either Graves looks like a genius at polling or he will once and for ever put to rest any doubt how much of a Liberal CBC hack many accuse him of being. Graves seems to be bucking the trend from the other pollsters, giving McGuinty's Liberals a roughly 7% lead over Hudak's PC Party. Interesting. Let's look back at Graves track record in the 2011 federal election, shall we?

"These seat projections are based on EKOS’ opinion polling. The projections are based on national, regional, and, in some cases, sub-regional polling projected onto the results of the last election. They do not pretend to predict individual ridings.

[OTTAWA – May 1, 2011] As we conclude Campaign 41 and await the public judgement, a few final comments are in order. Despite a bewildering array of contradictory evidence from the earlier polls it now appears that what was previously thought unimaginable has now become a point of consensus. The final estimates of party support including today’s final sample are 33.9 points for the Conservatives, 31.2 for the NDP, 21.0 for the Liberals, 6.4 for the Bloc, and 6.0 for the Green Party.

When we adjust this based on an index which predicts the most likely to vote we arrive at 34.0 points for the Conservatives, 31.6 for the NDP, 20.8 for the Liberals, 6.4 for the Bloc, and 5.9 for the Green Party.

As shocking as those numbers would have seemed just a few weeks ago, they are now more or less stable and undoubtedly accurate. The only real question remaining, and frankly this is more a matter of anecdotal curiosity at this stage, is how these translate into the new seat distribution in Canada’s next parliament. Recognising the vagaries of sampling error, vote splitting and other factors, we are going to provide an estimate at the national level which is couched around a somewhat arbitrary band of uncertainty.

After the ballots are counted tomorrow, we expect to see the following:
1) CPC: 130 to 146 seats
2) NDP: 103 to 123 seats
3) LPC: 36 to 46 seats
4) BQ: 10 to 20 seats
5) GP: 1 seat

Wow! Missed the actual Conservative by almost 6%, and seat count by quite a bit as well.

McGuinty Commits First Major Gaffe Of Campaign

2011-09-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

You know McGuinty is in real trouble when comments on a Toronto Star story are almost unanimous in condemning the latest Liberal campaign announcement. Through the first seven pages of comments only a few seemed onside with McGuinty's latest attempt at pandering and vote buying:

"Just ahead of the provincial election, the Ontario Liberals have announced they will halt construction of a controversial gas-fired power plant being built on the Toronto-Mississauga border if they are re-elected."

With the media and pollsters calling the election a dead heat, my reply would be Bullshit. We were told over the course of the 2011 federal election the Conservative's couldn't win a majority. The media told us how great Ignatieff was doing campaigning and how poorly the Conservative campaign was.

Then we were subjected to groundhog day, only this time the media and pollsters telling us Smitherman and Mayor Ford were in a dead heat. The result was Ford getting almost 100,000 more votes than Smitherman.

And now the pollsters tell us how the voters of Ontario don't want change, things are just ducky with McDud as Premier. The funny thing is over the course of a workday I talk with quite a few people from different areas of the province. It's pretty rare to find someone who is voting Liberal.

Scandals, patronage, taxes, electricity rates, hst, attempts at vote buying like mentioned here at the top. People have had enough of McGuinty's waste and sleaze.

As far as I'm concerned October 6th can't come soon enough.

McGuinty's Real Health Care Record; Cuts, Layoffs and The Sunshine Club

2011-09-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Seems McGuinty wants to keep bringing up the name of Mike Harris and painting himself as the health care Premier. Really Dalton? We all know McGuinty is a liar who can't be trusted. Below is a list that barely scratches the surface of health care cuts initiated by McGuinty's government. Hudak and Horvath should be reminding Ontario voters of this every day.Let's take a look at some of McGuinty's actual record on health care, not that make-believe world he wants to delude us with:

-$1.2 billion E-Health Scandal Wasted

-$300,000 severance for the E-Health head when the scandal was uncovered.

- Delisted eye exams, physiotherapy, and chiropractic care, sighting the fact it was unaffordable.

-made sex-change operations OHIP paid (yet the above unaffordable?)

- between 1995 and 2003 the PC government had created 20,000 new long term care beds and refurbished 16,000 more. Health Minister Deb Matthews said the McGuinty government has opened almost 8,000 new long term care beds, and is committed to adding another 2,000 beds in 10 communities this year. (which record is better?)

-NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused the government of announcing $14 million in new funding to “plug a hole in the Niagara Health System’s budget” to divert attention from closing emergency rooms in Fort Erie and Port Colborne. She also raised the byelection bailout in Toronto of the Grace Hospital. “Will this minister continue to play cynical politics with Ontario hospital funding?” The Minister said they were working with the LHINs to determine where additional funding was needed.

-The Ottawa Hospital is the latest to announce positions are being cut to balance its budget. Assuming a two per cent funding increase for this coming year, the Ottawa Hospital has to trim its budget by almost $19 million. More than 100 positions are being eliminated at the hospital, including 4.35 FTEs from among OPSEU represented positions.

-The Sudbury Regional Hospital is cutting 41,000 cleaning hours at the hospital and expanding contracting out. The affected members belong to CUPE

-WHITBY – Ontario Shores is eliminating 55 positions at the former Whitby Mental Health Centre in order to cope with underfunding from the Ministry of Health.

Forty of the positions will receive layoff notices, while 15 workers will be redeployed following contracting-out of their work.

-In addition to eliminating 55 positions, Ontario Shores has announced that it is closing one of two Beacon House sites. The Oshawa site will now be closed permanently. Beacon House is a residential treatment program serving individuals with complex personality problems that have resulted in psychiatric hospitalizations and frequent involvement with community services.

Ontario Shores has also closed Challenging Directions Enterprises, a Whitby-based outpatient workshop that provides work experience to 75-80 clients each day. The sheltered workshop closed its doors February 23rd.

OPSEU believe the layoffs are a partial response to a growing legion of managers being employed at Ontario Shores. This expanding list of managers is beginning to displace programming space for clients as Ontario Shores seeks to find new office space to accommodate them.

-LHINs were not included in new rules prohibiting sole-source contracting. Tory Leader Tim Hudak raised a sole-sourced $80,000 contract between the Toronto Central LHIN and the Courtyard Group, a Liberal-friendly consulting firm. The contract was to help implement a diabetes strategy. Hudak linked a number of those in the contract with the e-health scandal. Hudak said that after e-health, the same consultants were coming back for “second helpings” from the LHINs.

-PC health critic Christine Elliott raised questions about the qualifications of LHIN board members who happened to also be significant financial contributors to the McGuinty Liberals. That list included Juanita Gledhill, Chair of the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN, the same LHIN that approved closure of the ERs at Port Colborne and Fort Erie.

-cutting services, including the Toronto St. Joseph’s pain clinic, one of several services recently scheduled for closure by the cash-strapped hospital. “They’ve left hospitals and clinics across the province making random cuts to front-line services

-$15 million bailout of the Toronto Grace Hospital during a by-election with cuts to hospitals in other communities

-layoffs at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton and at Hamilton Health Sciences

- the number of LHIN positions on the sunshine list (those earning more than $100k per year) had grown by 150 per cent, from 40 to 95 in three years. Executive salaries at the LHIN were also up by 213 per cent.

- Hamilton Health Sciences: “Even though we’re recognized as one of the most efficient hospitals in the province, we have been forced to make some changes that will impact patient care… In 2010/11 we will do 1,200 fewer surgical procedures.”

-, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is cutting services that will limit access to outpatient lab testing, increase waits for diagnostic imaging, and impact jobs in the community.

Six positions are expected to be eliminated from the lab and diagnostic imaging – this at a time when the Ontario government is spending to stimulate new jobs in the economy.

- The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is calling on the McGuinty government to take steps to protect mental health services after a minimum of 10 layoffs was announced last week at Providence Care hospital

-Rouge Valley Health System gave notice of layoff to CUPE, OPSEU and ONA. Cuts to OPSEU included 14 positions affecting cardiac care, rehab, mental health, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory. Meanwhile Toronto East General hospital is closing its physiotherapy clinic later this year and St. Michael’s has already announced it is postponing elective surgery and reducing office cleaning to save money.

The Dalton McGuinty Legacy.....Pass It On

2011-09-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

PLEASE READ, PASS ON AND REMEMBER NEXT ELECTION....
Here is what our Premier has done for Ontario in the past seven years.
Remember...he had a no tax increaseelection message/campaign.
He has increased all the licensing fees from your car to your boat including fishing and hunting.
He introduced the health care premium (not called a tax) and some couples pay as much as $1,500.00 a year.
He has put an ECO tax on many containers such as paint cans and window washer fluid. And people still don't realize it until they see the bill - he kept that one real quiet.
He put a disposal tax on all electronics..when you purchase new ones...so true..
He put the disposal tax back on tires.
And now he has passed the HST tax - the largest tax on the province ever and the only other tax in Ontario that ever came close to this in the past was the health care premium. He passed this bill even though 76% of the people in Ontario were against it.
This HST will provide the Province with an additional THREE BILLION dollars a year.
Then on July 15th, we all got our S.M.A.R.T. Meters on which we have to pay perpetual rent and will end up doing our laundry in the middle of the night. We are also going to pay big time for air conditioning from now on because when we need it the most it will be in the prime time of usage.
Let us not forget the E-health scandal with 1.2 billion dollars wasted and paid out to friends and relatives. What was Mr. McGuinty's answer to this? ?Well, if the people of Ontario don't like it, they can show it in the next election.? Nice attitude. This after he fired the CEO and then gave her a severance package of $300,000 - not bad for only being on the job for seven months.
And what about the SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS windmill power plant contract that he awarded to KOREA ? One would think there was some place in Canada orNorth America that could have built these.
He also closed the emergency rooms in Port Colbourne and Fort Erie because there is not enough money. There have been two deaths since then because by the time they got to St. Catharine's it was too late.
But he then awards a hospital in Torontothree million dollars - of course, that was in the riding where there just happens to be a by-election to replace George Smitherman!
He has taken the richest most prosperous province in Canada down to one of the 'Have-Nots' and, over the past six & one half years, has increased the budget deficit from $5.6 Billion dollars to TWENTY SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS and he still has a half to go.
And don’t forget his nice little salaryincrease of $40,000.00 a year - millions of people in the province don't earn even half of that.
Have we forgotten all the MP'S who also got a 14% increase? And now that they've had their increases he comes out with a new budget to freeze all provincial employees wages for two years - a bit late don't you think.
He increased the hydro tax by 10% in April of 2010.
He has increased the tax on liquor and wine by 10% in May of 2010.
Also, do not forget that Dalton wanted to built a 900MW Gas Fired power plant less than 1km from homes and schools inOakville. After wasting millions to try and push this through and blaming it all on his policy of defeating NIMBY attitudes, the power plant was suddenly cancelled. By a miracle yet to be properly explained,Ontario suddenly had an energy surplus and no longer needed the plant.

Dalton is a dolt and a fake and needs to go down heaped with shame for a job very badly done.

I hope this gets passed around the province ofOntario and everybody remembers the way we got screwed by Mr. McGuinty and the Liberal party and - remember - not one Liberal MPP had enough guts to vote against any of the above.

Wake up Ontario!!

And all pensioners got no raise at all over the past 18 months!!!!!

PS// He also is going to award companies $10,000.00 tax credits to hire immigrants..PLUS..consider the $30 million program to subsidize tuition for foreign students.

ps.ps. McGuinty tried to close the emergency room at the Ajax-Pickering hospital a few years ago, forcing residents to drive to Scarborough. The only thing that changed his mind was public backlash, which he construed as lost votes.

www.DumpDalton.Ca

2011-09-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Came across this website. Not sure who's running it but contains tons of great info.

www.dumpdalton.ca

McGuinty Another $200 Million Wasted

2011-09-21T17:59:00.001-07:00

McGuinty thinks he's the health care Premier, right?

"As part of its Emergency Room Wait Time Strategy, the Ontario government is investing more than $82 million in 2009/10 to reduce the amount of time people spend in hospital emergency rooms (ERs). This is the second year that the government is investing in this comprehensive strategy. The strategy helps hospitals improve emergency room (ER) performance in a number of ways".

So how did Premier Dud do spending $200 million of your taxpayer dollars?

"Provincial Auditor General Jim McCarter revealed in his annual report Monday that despite an extra $200 million being pumped into driving emergency room wait times down in the last two years, significant Ontario-wide progress “has not yet been made.”

The auditor found patients with serious conditions sometimes waited in emergency 12 hours or more — far greater than the province’s eight-hour wait time target.

McCarter also discovered emergency patients who need a bed waited on average for about 10 hours but some waited 26 hours or more.

On Saturday, Marlene Stephens, a 41-year-old daycare worker and mother of two, died at William Osler Health Centre’s Etobicoke campus emergency room after waiting for nearly two hours to be seen by a physician, her family claims.

“This is terrible,” said Marlene’s mother, Thelma Lee.

“Nobody should go through this type of situation.”

Stephens was taken to hospital with breathing problems and languished without being attended to, Lee says."

So how was that $200 million doled out? "The program, known as Pay for Results, rewards hospitals for meeting specific ER wait time reduction targets. It also provides them with opportunities and funding to meet these targets". So do we really know what the actual wait times are? Or would hospitals exaggerate the numbers to get more taxpayer money for themselves? I'm guessing yes.

$200 million with next to no results. $1 billion for E-Health for absolutely nothing. Premier Dud decided that eye exams and physio should be de-listed as the province couldn't afford it (see $1.2 billion wasted above). Of course he did feel that taxpayers should pay for sex-change operations. Question: How many eye exams could be covered for the cost of one sex change? Someone should ask McGuinty that.

If I Was In The Ontario PC War Room I Would......

2011-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

...be taking a long look into companies such as Eclipsall Energy Corp., and check to see if the companies employees have filed EI claims in the last year. I would do the same with employees of Bruce Power. That's one of those companies McGuinty signed inflated electricity price contracts with whether they are running or not.

Why would I do this? Well, if McGuinty thinks it's fair for the voters of Ontario to pay massive increases for their hydro use, he also might want to explain to those same voters why taxpayers dollars go to said companies, who then temporarily lay off those same employees for low demand, and who then get funds from taxpayer funded EI. I would also look for links between companies like Eclipsall Energy Corp., and the companies they have signed contracts with, particularly ones with ties to members of the Liberal Party or their families.

I'm not alleging any wrongdoing, but in this case doing due diligence just might be a worthy endeavour.

Dalton McGuinty- FAIL!!!

2011-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Under Construction

2011-05-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

With the results of the 2011 election now firmly behind us, and that still stuck-on grin I have from the Conservative majority, my blog posting has been AWOL. Truth being, I'm a little worn out from 5 years of a minority government, and far behind on current projects (see pictures). With that in mind, this blog will be on hiatus for the next few months, as I catch up on time with family, friends, and my '68 Camaro. Come September I will be posting every day, hoping to see the same results achieved with the Ontario election.

What Will The Next Election Hold For The Liberals?

2011-05-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

2000 election-liberal majority 172 seats
2004 election-Liberal minority 135 seats
2006 election-Conservative minority-Liberals 103 seats
2008 election-enhanced Conservative minority- Liberals 77 seats
2011 election-Conservative majority-Liberals 34 Seats (third party status)

Liberals have now lost 138 seats total over the course of the last 5 elections, with their lowest ever total now at 34. Forget about the skies the limit, looks more like a race to the bottom of the barrel. Today, tears are flowing behind the scenes at the CBC. Susan Delacourt is in the arms of Don Burroughs seeking comfort, and Terry Milewski now realizes how pathetically irrelevant he and his fellow media journalists have become.

It's a great day to be Canadian.

CAW Workers Seat Projection 2011 Federal Election

2011-05-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

With most of the final polling numbers in, here is my seat projection. Nanos will release his final poll tonight using a larger sample base. If 2008 polling by Nanos repeats itself, Nanos will show a Conservative uptick on the final day, which will still be 2-3% below what the Conservatives score in the popular vote.

Conservative-159 seats
Liberals-74
NDP-56
Bloc-18 seats
Indy-1(Arthurs)

Please add your own seat projections in the comments section. Commenter closet to final total will recieve one free massage at Jack Layton's favorite community clinic.

Best Little Whorehouse In Texas Being Renamed Best Little Community Clinic In Texas

2011-04-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

(H/T SDA For Picture) Absolutely mind boggling Layton would call that place a community clinic. Even worse is the fact the media let's him get away with it. For anyone not a fan of Jack Layton and wondering where he gets off, wellllllllll.

Rob Ford Was Convicted Of DUI, Jack Layton Got Off...

2011-04-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Socialists are up in arms over a Sun TV story about Jack Layton being found in a bawdy house 16 years ago. Layton was never charged but notes were taken by the attending officers. Dippers, led by Layton's wife, Olivia Chow, call this a pathetic smear.

And yet when the Toronto mayor's race continually involved smears against Rob Ford socialists applauded with glee. Hypocrisy?

Metroland Media Group Endorses Conservative Majority

2011-04-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

"Durham Region residents head to the federal election polls next Monday for the fourth time in seven years.

Like other Canadians, they are tired of being pulled back to the ballot box after seven years of political uncertainty. Starting with Paul Martin's minority Liberal government in 2004, Canadians have since elected two more successive minorities, this time with the Conservatives led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

It's time for Durham Region -- and voters across the nation -- to choose stability and provide Mr. Harper's Conservatives with the coveted majority they have been patiently building towards since 2006.

Under a Conservative government, Canadians can expect continued and competent fiscal management, sharp focus on the recession-induced deficit, a business climate that will lure investment and, perhaps most importantly, a period of political stability and freedom in which a majority government can develop and implement its agenda.

The jockeying and pure political partisanship that has been the hallmark of the last two minority governments has left Canada without traction on the economy, on new policies, on progress. The election of a majority government will also finally break the coalition culture in Ottawa that has overtaken the business of the day.

Stephen Harper has proven himself here at home and abroad as an able, knowledgeable and hard-working prime minister. He leads by example, keeps a keen focus on the Conservative agenda, and has consistently projected an assuring image as a quiet, competent prime minister even as his agenda is hobbled by his government's minority status. But, Canadians are confident that when he says his government will eliminate the deficit by 2014-2015, it will be done.

It is precisely this sort of assuredness, this clear sense of purpose and direction for the nation, that Durham residents must consider when they head to the ballot box on May 2.

Do they want another shortened term of government where politics drives the agenda, or one driven by ideas and achievement? Do they want a government limited by the ambitions of political insiders, or a government that can carry out the business of the day? Finally, do they want a government that could fall at any time -- once again -- so that they are forced to choose for the fifth time in eight years? Nine years?

It's time for majority rule in Ottawa. The party best suited with experience, a clear agenda and the ambition to see it through is the Conservatives.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Metroland Durham Region Media Group

CAW Workers DO NOT Endorse The Liberals

2011-04-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

H/T To Joanne at Blue Like You. Seems the CAW, sorry, make that the dictators at the CAW are running around endorsing the Liberal candidates in roughly 50 ridings. A story appeared in the record, drawing this rebuttal from a CAW member:

"CAW disappoints

Re:
I was very disappointed when I read the article in today’s record indicating that the CAW is supporting the Liberal Party in the election. I feel this is undemocratic.

I feel that as a member of the CAW union, I should be able to choose for myself which party my union dues support. We intend to support the Conservatives.

Linda Toenders

Waterloo"

Ken Lewenza, you don't speak for me, a 33-year member of the CAW. Nor do you speak for the majority of workers in Brampton Assembly Plant or Windsor van plant. You want to endorse Liberal candidates? Make it clear that it's you and a select few in the CAW National that do, not the rank and file. And spare me the BS about the Conservatives being anti-democratic. One needs only look at your election as CAW head as an example of dirty tricks and an undemocratic process. I wonder how many people are aware that the CAW National is where many former union reps get appointed to upon being turfed by in-plant elections for doing a poor job.

You know, it must be nice when someone like Peggy Nash, making a six-figure salary from the National, a salary paid for from the union dues of workers like myself, can lose an election after leaving the National for two years, and be welcomed back into that cushy job, again, no questions asked.

There's a reason Colin Carrie won the past election in the riding of Oshawa, the support of CAW workers, who will again give him their own endorsement by voting to re-elect him to Parliament. It's also laughable that the NDP is running CAW Local 222 chair Chris Buckley in the Oshawa riding, with Buckley crying that the Conservatives never did anything for Oshawa. I'm guessing Mr. Buckley, much like yourself, is so far distanced from reality that he doesn't realize not one of those GM assembly plants would be open if not for the federal Conservative government issuing billions in loans to save those same workers jobs Buckley professes to represent.

Perhaps it's time the CAW National started focusing on what it is supposed to be doing, focusing on the workers who pay 2 1/2 hours pay per month for supposed union representation.

This CAW member supports and endorses the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper, and openly endorses the Conservative candidate for Ajax-Pickering, Chris Alexander. I, like every CAW member, no, make that every Canadian, has the right to endorse and vote for the candidate and party of their own choice.

That's what makes Canada the greatest country on the planet, and something those in the CAW National want to ignore.

Ignatieff Gets Booed By Hockey Fans!

2011-04-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

H/T commenter Dirt on Joanne's blog. Funny only Sun TV ran this story.

Violations Of Elections Canada Laws In Ajax-Pickering?

2011-04-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

There have been some (unproven) allegations of violations of EC laws in Ajax-Pickering. There have been allegations of partisan campaign advertising at polling stations, most notably the Nottingham polling station as well as the Ajax Community Center. In both cases the allegations, again unproven, concern partisan material, mainly campaign signs from Liberal incumbent Mark Holland being on polling property.

I checked out Nottingham school late last night and saw no partisan material, so either there was none or it had been already removed. An anonymous commenter on a previous thread had tipped me off and stated he/she had already complaimed to the EC DRO at the school. I just learned of the allegations at the ACC this morning.

If anyone in my riding of Ajax-Pickering sees any of this occuring, please send me pictures to paulsblues45@hotmail.com I'm interested in seeing violations by any party and how EC handles it.

So There Was Liberal Campaign Literature At U of Guelph

2011-04-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

But wait, didn't the students deny there was any Liberal campaign literature? "Students also said a complaint that partisan materials were allowed near the voting station in violation of the rules was false." The problem is the two pictures here are taken from a website,and by saving the picture and then zooming in to the pamphlet, you can easily see it is from the Guelph Liberal candidate, Frank Valeriote. The second picture shows someone with a handfull of the pamphlets at the door handing them out.

So students who were quick to denounce the Conservative complaint regarding the special ballot might want to explain the seeming lack of credibility they have on the issue, seeing as how the pictures confirm what the Conservative candidate was occuring and against EC rules.

Will Elections Canada Investgate Liberals For "In and Out" This Election?

2011-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

With just over a week to go until the May 2nd vote, it looks like desperation has really ramped up for Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party. Given Jack Layton's rise in polls, with some polls showing a Lib-Dipper statistical tie, one must wonder what the current mindset is in the Liberal war room.

Something announced this week really piqued my interest. Liberal leader will be doing a half hour stump speech on both Global TV as well as CTV. I'm guessing a half hour of tv time on either network doesn't come cheap. With the Liberals seeming to have more campaign ads than the other parties already airing, I wonder just how much room is left in Liberal campaign spending.

More direct to the point, I wonder how these half hour tv segments will be accounted for with Elections Canada. That's a lot of cash to spend on one day of advertising. I won't debate whether this is good use of campaign funds, but rather wonder if the full amount of the half hour infomercials will be fully charged to the National Liberal campaign.

Will EC allow any prtion of these amounts to be declared as expenses incurred by the local campaign? If so, I would think that flies in the face of the basis for in and out accounting practices.

Here's hoping the Conservative and NDP camps closely follow what occurs in this instance.

It.s Not An NDP Surge, Or Just A Continuation Of A Liberal Trend

2011-04-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

With political journalists and junkies all chattering about an NDP surge, it's worth pointing out that an 11 year trend might be a more reasonable explanation. Let's take a look at election results for the Liberals, starting with the 2000 election.

2000 election-liberal majority 172 seats
2004 election-Liberal minority 135 seats
2006 election-Conservative minority Liberals 103 seats
2008 election-enhanced Conservative minority Liberals 77 seats
2011 election-Conservative majority/minority? Liberal seats estimated to be 55-83 seats.

So looking at the Liberal trendline, between the 2000 and 2008 election, Liberals saw a net loss of 95 seats over 3 elections. With Layton and the NDP surging, and polls such as Nanos putting the Lib/Dippers in a dead heat, could this not just be a continuation of the Liberal vote over the last 11 years?

My opinion is it is a result of both Layton doing well in the campaign and more voters on the left becoming more disenfranchised with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Jack Layton Gets His Facts Wrong, Blames Conservatives For Things Liberals Did

2011-04-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

Today's Globe and Mail headline-"Layton Blames Harper For Ontario Factory Shutdowns".(of course the Globe was to lazy to actually verify the facts before running that headline)

Pretty strong headline. The problem is Layton has his facts wrong.

"And the Bick’s Pickle in Dunnville, Ont., will shut down later this year, ending 240 jobs, because its owner, the J.M. Smucker Co. of Orrville, Ohio, decided to move the operation to the United States.

These factories are being “shut down because of a foreign takeover approved by the Harper government,” Mr. Layton said. “This is irresponsible economic policy.”

The problem is the purchase was done in 2004, under the Liberal government!

"In 1966, they sold the business to the Robin Hood Canada flour company (which in turn was later bought by International Multifoods of Wayzata, Minnesota), land and everything. The Bick family said the business had just got too big for them to handle.

In 2004, International Multifoods was purchased by the American company, J.M. Smucker. Smucker's sold off most of the other products, such as the flours, but kept Bick's.

Ok, so Layton got that wrong. No big deal, right? Wrong. Layton also blamed Harper for the closing of the Cangro canning plant in St. David's, near Welland-

"Nearly 150 employees lost their jobs when the CanGro canning plan in St. David’s, near Welland, closed its doors after more than a century of operation because Kraft Canada determined that it is cheaper to can fruit in China. A CanGro plant in Exeter near London was closed at the same time.

Uh oh! Layton got it wrong again. The sale of Cangro was actually done in December 2005, again under the Liberal government. And it was Layton's support of the Liberal budget that kept Paul Martin in office.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005 | 11:04 AM ET CBC News Kraft Foods' Canadian division is selling some of its Canadian brands and factories to two U.S. buyout firms for an undisclosed price.
Kraft announced Wednesday that Florida-based Sun Capital Partners and New York-based EG Capital Group will buy several product lines and five factories in Canada. EG Capital recently bought Laura Secord, the largest boxed chocolate retailer in Canada.

The product lines being acquired from Kraft include Aylmer, Primo pasta and soups, Ideal vegetables, Roma pasta, and the Canadian licensing rights for a number of Del Monte products, including canned fruits and vegetables.

The two buyout firms have formed a new company, CanGro Foods, to operate the grocery assets. About 800 Kraft Canada employees in Ontario and Quebec will transfer to CanGro.

So Layton is open to forming a coalition with the Liberals. One would think he might get his facts straight on who it is he wants to jump into bed with. Blaming Harper for something the Liberals did shows he might need to do some more studying before letting Ignatieff have his way with him.

Media Refuses To Report On Non-Compete Agreement Between Opposition Parties

2011-04-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

One would think this would be a major story. Talk of a coalition has been one of the major talking points since Day 1 of the campaign. All across the country we see the Conservative candidate campaigning hard every day. Lawn signs, door knocking, rallies, Conservative candidates are all out in public.

But what of the candidates for the opposition parties? Depending on the riding, you will most likely only see two candidates campaigning hard, the conservative and whichever opposition candidate has the best chance of winning the riding. Here in Ajax-Pickering, the NDP candidate did no campaigning, choosing to tan on a beach in the Caribbean instead. Sightings of NDP signs, or Green Party signs for that matter, number less than Bigfoot sightings.

Over in Oshawa, Liberals never even named a candidate till weeks after the campaign began. Again, while Conservative incumbent Colin Carrie is out campaigning hard, the only rival candidate seen is Dipper Chris Buckley. This riding is between the Conservatives and NDP.

There are reports of Quebec riding's where the same thing is going on. In some of these Quebec riding's, it appears that the non-compete agreement includes the Bloc. So why isn't this newsworthy? Why does the media not even make passing mention? Could it be the media themselves are complicit?

One could never prove it, but it looks painfully obvious that the coalition is alive and well, and that only a Conservative majority will put an end to it.

(if it appears there is a non-compete agreement in your riding, or you know of other riding's using a similar strategy, please leave info in comments, as I would like to do a future post on this with more riding's listed)

Globe And Mail Rewriting History For Ignatieff

2011-04-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

Another example of quality journalism from the Globe and Mail. Seems Ignatieff wants no part of talking about Quebec separation, on the heels of Gilles Duceppe stating they needed to stop a Conservative majority to make it easier for Quebec to separate. As pointed out by someone posting under the name Local_Voter, it seems the Globe is again guilty of having it's facts skewed. In it's haste to show Liberals were champions of the federalist cause the Globe included this gem about Jean Chretien:

"Jean Chrétien carried on the mantle, working with his unity minister Stéphane Dion to lead the federalist side during the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty."

As noted by the poster, there is something that doesn't make any sense whatsoever about that statement. You see, at the time of the 1995 referendum, Dion wasn't unity minister. The referendum took place in Quebec on October 30, 1995. To make it even worse, Dion was neither an elected MP or cabinet minister. Dion was appointed to cabinet on January 25th, 1996, in anticipation of a by-election that would be called later in the year.

So will the Globe and Mail see fit to update the column? I highly doubt it. With Conservative numbers steady in polling, and Jack Layton making a surprising surge, the G&M, CBC, Toronto Star, etc., will continue to do whatever they can to help the visiting professor.

The hell with facts!

About that Hansard quote highlighted in the latest Liberal ad ...Will Kady O'Malley Set The Record Straight?

2011-04-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Remember the media, led by CBC's Kady O'Malley, running to Michael Ignatieff's defence with multiple editorials that the Conservatives Attack ad took Ignatieff out of context? Let's see if Kady, or any journalist for that matter, holds their position with enough integrity to actually show the PM's words the new Liberal attack ad takes wildly out of context.

This post is a direct quote from comment left by Gabby in QC in a previous thread..

About that Hansard quote highlighted in the latest Liberal ad ...

Actual Stephen Harper quotes from speech in Hansard:
http://bit.ly/f9KNVF
“... The key is that necessary health care must be available to every Canadian regardless of ability to pay. ...

... the federal government must work with the provinces ...

... the Liberals opposed provincial efforts to broaden health care delivery within publicly paid health systems by not just fighting plans for private facilities in various provinces but by demonizing the provinces pursuing these reforms. This was wrong. ...

A government monopoly is not the only way to deliver health care to Canadians. Monopolies in the public sector are just as objectionable as monopolies in the private sector. It should not matter who delivers health care, whether it is private, for profit, not for profit or public institutions, as long as Canadians have access to it regardless of their financial means.

We must become innovative in how we deliver care while holding fast to the principle of universal care regardless of ability to pay. ...”

To thus whittle down Stephen Harper's lengthy speech to "private, for profit" in that Liberal ad is an outright lie.

Canadians Should Rise Up and Elect A Conservative Majority

2011-04-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ignatieff looks more and more desperate every passing day. He's tried to emulate the Obama campaign ad with his own, talking about the passing of his mother. He's tried copying Obama's mannerism's when speaking. He's tried mimicking Obama rallies. All with little success.

So now he wants Canadians to rise up, another take-off of Obama. Here's a tip Mikey. Nobody likes a copycat. Makes you look weak and desperate. Try acting like yourself. Oh, wait. That dog didn't hunt either. Never mind.

To all Canadians,on May 2nd, rise up and elect a majority Conservative government.

New Liberal Attack Ad Will Back Ignatieff Into Corner

2011-04-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Nice to see Kinsella thinks the new Liberal attack ad is great. I guess the high ground got washed away under Ignatieff, but I digress. I actually really like the ad, but for a completely different reason. Liberals are looking at getting walloped in Quebec, according to Chantel Hebert in her column in the Star. So when one looks at the ad, it claims quotes from Stephen Harper show him as one who would undermine Canadian health care. The one quote that stands out is this:

"Private, for profit health care (Hansard 10/01/2002)

The problem Ignatieff now faces goes by the name of Gilles Duceppe, who's main claim to fame is having the federal government keep it's nose out of what Quebecer's feel is provincial jurisdiction. So one would surmise from the quote in the Liberal ad that Ignatieff is against private, for profit health care, right? Well, coming on the same day the Liberal Party announced Paul Martin would be joining the campaign, it looks as though Donolo might have just set up some land mines for Ignatieff. Why? Read this:

"Many provinces are following Alberta’s lead. Ontario announced in June 2005 a $30 billion public-private-partnership fund for new schools and hospitals. All this money will go to for-profit corporations. The Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver boasts that it is Canada’s “most advanced private surgical centre in Canada” with “more operating capacity than most BC hospitals.” It is proud of its record servicing “famous athletes and celebrities” and known for the outspoken private-sector advocacy of its founder, Dr. Brian Day – or “Dr. Profit,” as he is often referred to. British Columbia has 14 private clinics, which looked after 50,000 paying customers in 2004.

Montreal was labelled the “private health care capital of Canada” by the Montreal Gazette, which conducted an investigation in February 2005. There is a “parallel system for the wealthy” in that city, said the newspaper, which reported that 90 doctors in Quebec have opted out of medicare, more than in all other provinces combined. One of them, Dr. Sheldon Elmer, is Prime Minister Paul Martin’s doctor. There are at least a dozen private medical imaging clinics and a number of knee and hip replacement clinics. The going rate for hip replacement is between $14,000 and $18,000. Montreal also has the first private emergency clinic and was, not surprisingly, the launching pad for the Supreme Court challenge.

So will Michael Ignatieff denounce the private. for profit health care in Quebec? Will he close private providers in Quebec? Will he tell Dalton McGuinty that Ontario cannot go ahead with the $30 billion private public-partnership? What about BC? Alberta?

More importantly, will any journalist question the contradiction of the Liberal attack ad and their 13 years in office? And will Ignatieff stand up for full public health care, risking backlash from Quebec voters?

I sure would like to know.

Laying Waste To The New Liberal Attack Ad In Record Time

2011-04-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

So Ignatieff's desperation, or should that be Donolo/Chretien's desperation revealed itself today? Apparently yes. The Liberals have released a new attack ad, falsely claiming the Conservative government would gut health care if given a majority. As already pointed out by many Blogging Tories, it appears Liberals have already resigned themselves to an election loss, and hope to keep the Conservatives from getting a majority, as they believe a Conservative minority government is inevitable.

So what about that new Liberal attack ad? The one that claims Stephen Harper will cut $11 billion in spending, most of it being health care. The ad appears to have been hastily created, with no thought given to blow back or facts of the matter. So let's take a look at some of the easiest talking points Conservatives can use regarding the ad.

1. The current health accord, a contract signed by all provincial and federal government, doesn't expire until the end of fiscal year 2013-2014. If the Conservative government wins a majority, the longest they would remain in power is 2015, leaving only one year to make those supposed health care cuts.

2. Liberals are back to that hidden agenda thing again. Pathetic. So Mr. Ignatieff, your party never campaigned in 1993 on a platform that included health care cuts in the billions. That was a real hidden agenda. So what guarantee do we have Liberals won't slash health care and transfer payments again? Your word Mr. Ignatieff? Sorry. Got burned by Chretien/Martin before. Won't happen again.

3. Canada is predicted to lead the G7 in growth for the foreseeable future, according to the OCED and IMF. A growing economy means rising government revenues, lessening the need for budgetary cuts.

4. The Conservatives have already pledged to keep the 6% yearly increase past the year 2014, as have the Liberals and Dippers. In fact, over the past five years Conservatives have maintained that increase, as well as injecting health care money into various causes, such as health care amongst aboriginals. So we have seen the track record of the Conservatives, and the record of the Liberals. Liberals lose this comparison badly. Sorry Mr. Donolo, but you can't rewrite history.

5. As pointed out by the PM, there are 80,000 public sector employees who will be retiring in the next few years. Using attrition and cutting a bloated bureaucracy is solid financial and economic policy. Money saved that can be used for things like health care. Hmmm. That seems to fit in nicely with the Conservative platform of focusing on the economy.

6. As was pointed out to Ignatieff during the debates, the first expenditure of fighter jets doesn't occur for another five years. That blows the coalitions whole argument about jets we supposedly can't afford. Even the PBO predicts balanced budgets within five years. So no health care cuts to finance jets. There goes a pretty big plank of Ignatieff's platform.

7. To this day, the Liberals make no apologies for slashing billions from health care for Canadians. They blame Mike Harris for health care cuts in Ontario. The problem is the Liberals have a new leader ready for a coronation when Ignatieff falls on his own sword. A guy named Bob Rae. Scary. The fact is Harris increased health care spending, despite the fact the federal government of Chretien?Martin cut the federal share. And anyone who survived the "Rae years" already knows the challenges faced due to Rae's absolute incompetence as Ontario Premier. ( think of this point as a two-fer. Ignatieff and Rae)

I'm sure many others also have excellent points. Please post in the comments section.

Conservative Candidate Trails by 700 Votes In Guelph Riding.....Election Three Weeks Away

2011-04-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

So I did the obligatory post on Elections Canada U of G decision featuring sarcasm, and now it's time to give this situation a serious look. With Elections Canada already deeming the cast ballots to be counted, a decision in record time I might add, the decision made, is to be blunt, complete bullshit.

1. EC admits it wasn't an authorized advanced ballot.
2. Rules were not followed, EC rules at that, in regards to scrutineers.
3. Partisan material was within the ballot box, another EC no-no.
4. Two seals were affixed to one ballot box, the top seal bearing #1030701 and the bottom seal bearing #1030702?

So what exactly is the reason to even have Elections Canada rules? When something occurs outside the bounds of said rules, Elections Canada say it's OK anyway? And we don't even know if those who cast votes at the University of Guelph even met EC's rules for being eligible to vote at that riding's unauthorized poll.

Oops, never mind. Elections Canada. The new Adscam. Where every rule in the book is broken, with Marc Mayrand and his underlings held unaccountable.

Only in Canada. Pity.

Advance Poll At My House This Weekend...

2011-04-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up I'm holding an advance poll at my house Saturday and Sunday. While it's not actually a poll approved by Elections Canada, I'm sure they will follow the precedent set at the University of Guelph, who held an advance poll earlier this week. While not approved, Elections Canada say hey, what the hell, the votes count anyways.

I want to let Elections Canada know they can be 100% rest assured that there will be no NDP partisan campaign literature near the polling station, as I live in Ajax and apparently the NDP candidate is looking to debate and door knock in the Caribbean at the present time.

Luckily I kept the shoebox my Air Jordan's came in. This will be used as the "special ballot box", as it already bears the number of my shoes on it. I've also decided to simplify voting. All ballots will be pre-filled with an "x" beside the Conservative candidates name. I'm not sure if the EC officer is available on the weekend so my trusty dog Sparky will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

Over to you Mr. Mayrand.

Mark Holland Looking To Replace Michael Ignatieff After Election?

2011-04-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

The following is a letter to the editor of the News Advertiser Ajax, concerning Liberal candidate Mark Holland:

"To the editor:

I've never met Mark Holland but by all accounts he appears to be a decent, hard-working politician.

That said, when his canvassers came to my door a couple of days ago I told them that although I liked Mr. Holland, I just could not bring myself to vote Liberal so long as Mr. Ignattief was their leader.

A fellow canvasser overheard my comments while at a neighbour's door and came over to tell me that Mark was thinking of running for leader should things go wrong for them in this election, and that we should vote for him to 'keep him around' should that be the case.

This person introduced himself to me and I have to believe the comment is true. It might be something that Mr. Holland would like to clarify in order that people know just exactly who they are voting for this time and why. Is he an ambitious politician who just wants to hang around for when the leadership is up for grabs, or is he someone who has the best interests of Ajax and Pickering at heart?

Derek XXXXXXX

Ajax

New Liberal Campaign Ad Leaked! After Five Years Of Stephen Harper...

2011-04-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ignatieff Has Now Attended 50% Of The Debates, Surpassing His Record of Voting Attendance In Parliament...

2011-04-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Atta boy Jack. Show Canadians your the second best choice for PM behind Stephen Harper. So I guess Ignatieff was a master at giving lectures at Harvard. Cause he sure didn't look like a master debater.

Ignatieff Scores Knockout On Harper In Debate

2011-04-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

There you have it. The english debate has yet to begin at the time of writing, but I'm guessing this will be the headline in the media tommorrow. Do I think Ignatieff will score a knockout? No. I don't think he will even be declared the winner of the debate by most Canadians.

So why my prediction of that headline? Looking over the first two weeks of the campaign, more importantly, media reporting of the campaign, even if Ignatieff wet himself and rolled up in the fetal position in the corner the regular Liberal lackies will still somehow spin it into a win for Ignatieff.

A Quite Funny Look Into The Mind Of A Liberal Supporter...

2011-04-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

One of the websites I like to check each day is http://www.electionprediction.org/2009_fed/index.php

I like the fact you can look at each individual riding, including current candidates and margins of victory for past elections. What I really like is people can post comments on each riding, including their prediction of who will win that riding in the 2011 federal election. Living in the riding of Ajax-Pickering, I am hoping for Conservative candidate Chris Alexander to unseat Liberal incumbent Mark Holland. And I came across this gem of a comment posted by someone named Diane, a Liberal supporter. Diane seems to think Alexander is unfit to be an MP in Parliament. Fair enough. But read the comment yourself and tell me what person could be inserted in place of Alexander, and still have her comment make some sense. I'm not sure if this person is partisanly blind or ignorant of the facts concerning the person whose name I bet you guess:

" To be now parachuted into Ajax-Pickering with no Canadian political history and no roots or history to the area, he will not be successful. His knowledge of Afghanistan may be extensive, but Canada is NOT the Country of Afghanistan or Russia for that matter. He may have ideas how Afghanistan may improve as he continues on a Canada wide panel to build support for a ‘new mission’ in Afghanistan Post 2011, which I would suggest he continue on that path as he did declare himself a 'Career Diplomat' upon his graduation from university. His recent comment about 'no poverty in Canada', further confirms his living and being employed outside of Canada from 1993 to 2009 is he's clearly out of touch of Canadian reality. Thanks, But No Thanks

This Is Why They Screen People At The PM's Rallies

2011-04-10T17:35:00.001-07:00

So a family member of mine was one of the people handling the registration and sign-in for the PM's appearance in Ajax last week, which by the way was a huge success. A man came up to the registration table wanting to get in. He was asked if he had pre-registered and he stated no. It was pointed out that all the advertising for the event stated you had to be pre-registered to attend. The man became agitated, stating he had just driven from Etobicoke (no, it wasn't Michael Ignatieff), and wanted to get in. The person tried to accomodate him, telling him that the room was already at capacity, but she would get him in, asking for photo id. Said person stated he had no photo-id. Person was asked for a piece of id without a photo, again stating he had none. He was then asked why he would drive all the way from Etobicoke with no drivers license, which he couldn't answer.

He was told he would not be able to attend, and walked away cursing. The security near the registration alerted Durham Regional Police, who stopped the man in the parking lot. Surprisingly, the man was able to provide id to the police when asked. He was then escorted off the property.

So what was this person's motive for wanting to attend? Denying he had id on him when in fact he did? Was he there as a voter or a plant from another party sent to disrupt a high profile event featuring the PM? Guess we will never know.

Mark Holland Accidently Disses Ignatieff On Question Period..

2011-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting exchange between Mark Holland and Chris Alexander on Question Period today. Holland went out of his way to point out that he lived in the Ajax-Pickering riding his entire life, although as Alexander pointed out there is some debate about that (future post to come when info is verified). Conservative candidate Chris Alexander pointed out both he and Holland moved into the riding around the same time in 2004. Again Holland reiterated that he lived his entire life in the riding, implying he was a better candidate for MP because of it.

So what to make of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff then? As has been pointed out recently, Ignatieff doesn't even live in the riding he was elected to represent in Parliament. How does Mark Holland feel about this? Or will he argue about electoral riding boundaries (which will be the subject of above mentioned future post) as a way around Ignatieff's failure to live in his own riding?

It's also worth mentioning Holland has contradicted the Liberal leader the past week on such things as crime bills. The fact is Holland supported Gerard Kennedy for Liberal leader, then switched his support to Stephane Dion when Kennedy dropped out of the race for Liberal leader. Is Holland now loyal to Ignatieff, or some fella named Bob?

Why Is The Media Lying About The Conservative Campaign Events

2011-04-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Since the start of the election, we have seen one thing consistent. The medias reporting of Conservative rally's attended by PM Stephen Harper. Led by the duo of CBC's Terry Milewski and CTV's Roger Smith, we keep hearing how the PM looks angry, they are running a poor campaign, PM lacks energy, understating attendance numbers, blah, blah, blah.

The problem is this is factually untrue, and both Milewski and Smith know it. I attended the Ajax rally on Thursday. Over 1000 people attended, with the official number being closer to 1300. Packed room, lots of energy, PM was fantastic, lauding the Tory platform, as well as tossing some humour into his speech.

Joanne at Blue Like You attended the Kitchener rally, and reported the same thing. PM full of energy, crowd loved the event, etc. Jean Lapierre mentioned a Quebec rally with record numbers, comparing it to the crowds Mulroney drew in 1988. Other posters on various blogs that have attended Conservative rallies have a similar story.

Yet the ongoing narrative in the media, led by CTV and CBC is how bad the Conservative campaign has been. If one looks at any of the polls, Nanos, Ipsos, Ekos, the Conservatives enjoy a comfortable lead of anywhere between 9-15 points. In my previous post I pointed out Global TV taking the latest Ipsos poll showing a 15 point Conservative lead, and painting it as a sign things were going great for the Liberals and bad for the Conservatives.

So why is the msm being so dishonest? Is it because they want a closer race to get more viewers? Is it the fact their left-wing bias is really starting to show? Or is it a sign of the growing desperation of the three coalition parties, the ones all wearing an engagement ring but denying their plans to wed?
I'm guessing if we did a poll it would be all of the above.

Global TV Masters The Art Of Making a 15 Point Conservative Lead Look Good For The Liberals....

2011-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Compare For Yourself.

Ipsos Press Release: http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5192

Global Article: http://www.globalnews.ca/Liberals+gaining+Tories+stay/4584984/story.html

A few examples:

1) Ipsos-"The results represent only a marginal change from the poll released by Ipsos Reid at the outset of the campaign."

Global-"The Liberals have gained ground in the election campaign while the Tories have slipped, but the Tories are still on top by a wide margin, according to a new survey

2) Ipsos-"What continues to drive the high-flying Tories in the overall national support are their numbers in Ontario"

Global-"The Tories remain strong nationally because of their numbers in Ontario"

3)Ipsos-"Two in ten (21%) say their impression of Michael Ignatieff has worsened, roughly equalling the proportion of Canadians who say their impressions have improved (20%), representing a net drop of 1 point. A majority’s (54%) impressions remain unchanged, and 5% don’t know."

Global- Ignatieff turns corner with voters-"The news is better for Ignatieff on that front. It seems he might be turning the corner with Canadians, as the proportion of those whose impressions have worsened (21 per cent) roughly equals the proportion of Canadians who say their impression has improved (20 per cent). A majority’s (54 per cent) impressions remain unchanged, and five per cent don’t know"

4) Ipsos-"But the national vote numbers could yield a ‘ballot box bonus’ for the Conservatives and deliver them their coveted majority if vote certainty turnout holds: currently, 56% of Canadians say that they are ‘absolutely certain’ to go out and vote on Election Day and if this represented the actual vote turnout the adjusted polling numbers suggest Conservative support would rise to 44%(+3),

Global-"If all the Canadians now promising to vote (56 per cent) did, in fact, cast their ballots on election day, Tory support would rise to 44 per cent, while support for the Liberals would be 26 per cent, the NDP vote would yield 18 per cent and the Green Party would receive four per cent"

So lets recap.

1) Marginal change means Liberal gain, Conservative drop (I won't even mention the margin of error is 3.1 percentage points).

2. High flying Tories national numbers means numbers seem strong because of Ontario polling. Forget the fact they lead in almost every region except Quebec, where they are in 2nd or 3rd depending on the pollster.

3. Apparently having Canadians impression of Ignatieff drop one percent is turning the corner.

4) No mention of majority, no mention of the 56% absolutely cetain of voting.

Nuff said.

Just Insert Michael Ignatieff Instead Of Stephane Dion, And It Still Makes Sense.

2011-04-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

So Ignatieff today complaining the Harper government hasn't increased health care spending by one cent above the six-percent agreement signed in 2004. A couple of problems with that argument. Number one is the fact the Conservatives have announced spending for various health-care initiatives over the course of the last five years. Number two federal transfers to the provinces have increased under the federal government, with some of that money being used by the provinces and territories for health care.

But what makes Ignatieff's comments all the more ridiculous is the fact he never learned anything from his predecessor, Stephane Dion. Dion also complained about health care spending, ignoring the fact his party under Paul Martin, and every premier and health minister of each province and territory signed the deal. It was funny to watch the Conservatives pointing this out to Dion, and more importantly, Canadians. So without further ado, here is a 2007 Conservative press release. It's great to see that it still makes sense today, with the only editing necessary is changing Stephane Dion to Michael Ignatieff.

"OTTAWA – Liberal leader Stephane Dion told a town hall meeting in Edmonton last night that Canada's health care system faces a crisis in the next few years (Broadcast News, January 12, 2007). But wait, didn’t Paul Martin and the Liberals claim that they had ‘fixed health care for a generation’ only two years ago?:

"We're finished with the year-to-year scramble for short-term solutions," he said. "We will provide a fix for a generation." – Paul Martin (Ottawa Citizen, April 17, 2004)

"Health care is this government's No. 1 priority. We will come to an agreement with the provinces, because we must. We will implement a long-term plan, because we must. And because we must, we will provide a fix for a generation.'' – Paul Martin (Winnipeg Free Press, April 18, 2004)

“I'm very proud of this reform, and I am going to fight for this reform, and I believe that this is the reform that is going to give us the fix for a generation” – Paul Martin (CBC, The National, May 25, 2004)

"I believe that this reform is going to give us the fix for a generation," – Paul Martin (Ottawa Sun, May 26, 2004)

Is Stephane Dion saying that Paul Martin wasn’t telling Canadians the truth when he claimed that he had fixed health care “for a generation?

Play The Ignatieff Lottery- Be One Of 200,000 Canadians To Lose Your Job...

2011-04-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

"“By raising the (corporate tax) rate we’ll lose $50 billion in capital spending over the long run and we will also lose 200,000 jobs,” Mintz is quoted as saying from a broadcast of the Rutherford Show on April 1, 2011. “It’s just such a bad policy to advocate."

All because Ignatieff and the Liberals can't win the election, so have abandoned their long-standing support of corporate tax cuts as a way of growing the economy, including jobs and tax revenue. All in the name of making Jack and Gilles very happy.

Ignatieff Plagiarized Obama Campaign Ad? You Tell Me...

2011-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

So the Liberals are trying to spin the newest Conservative ad, which is not an attack ad, as being plagiarized from a Tea Party Ad. Seems both ads feature the respective National Flags. Who would think a campaign ad would have a shot of the countries flag. Both feature various shots of scenery from each country, as well as film clips of the countries history. Sure, I guess this is the first time any party in the history of politics thought to use those items in a campaign ad. And of course the media laps it all up.

So following that same storyline, let's compare an Ignatieff ad from 2011 with a Obama ad from the last U.S. election. Wanna bet any of the Canadian media report on it? I doubt it.

Elect Chris Alexander MP For Ajax-Pickering Send Mark Holland Packing...

2011-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

One week into the campaign and Conservative candidate Chris Alexander has had an incredible response to his campaign. Almost all the signs are gone. If you can provide either a small donation or volunteer some of your time for the campaign, please contact Mr. Alexander's office at:

Ajax-Pickering Conservative Association
520 Westney Road South
Ajax Ontario

905-231-1579

The easiest way to get to the campaign office is 401 south on Westney Road. Roughly 4 blocks south.

Donations can also be sent to:

Ajax-Pickering Conservative Association
PO Box 31060
Westney Heights Post Office
Ajax On L1T 3V2

Sunday Night Blues: BB King Thrill Is Gone

2011-04-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've heard and seen hundreds of BB King performances of this song, but this one stands out as the best I've ever heard. This is what music from the soul really sounds like.

Non-Politics Sunday: Are 3D TV's A Worthwhile Investment?

2011-04-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

I'm toying with the idea of buying a 3D television. I've heard both good and bad things about them, and not sure whether it's worth the additional cost compared to a LED TV. I've tried the demo 3D tv's in the store and was pretty impressed, but have to admit I'm not a big fan of wearing the glasses.

My biggest concern is the technology. Is 3D something that is really going to take off and be supported by software? You see, I'm the proud owner of a 1990's $1400 laser disc player, which in reality turned into a $1400 cd player roughly a year after I bought it. It still maintains it's spot in my audio rack as a sore fiscal reminder to research before buying, or rather think before impulse buying.

So does anyone presently own a 3d television or looked into buying one? Would appreciate any advice.

p.s. Laser disc player is for sale for $25, including 4 movies.

CBC News Allows The 30 Day Anti-Harper Facebook Page?

2011-04-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Day-Anti-Harper-Challenge/199706986728555

From the Facebook page:

"Forget the 30 day song, film, football and photo challenges... we only have 30 days to make sure Stephen Harper isn't elected as Prime Minister of Canada!

Join the fun and participate by submitting a daily update from April 3rd to May 2nd. By taking part in these easy activities and status updates, you can help keep Harper's party on its toes spread the 'go out at vote' message to all your friends and family."

So exactly who at CBC operates their facebook pages, and who is clicking "like" on all the anti-Conservative ones. This taxpayer would like to know.

CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos Facebook Page Also Contains Links To Anti-Harper Websites..

2011-04-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

I previously posted today on the Rick Mercer Report Facebook page containing links to Anti-Harper Facebook webpages. Many of those webpages appear to be run by the opposition parties, showing those who "like" the page to include Ignatieff, Layton, Duceppe, as well as a number of MP's from the opposition parties. The problem is these pages can be reached via CBC's own website. By clicking on personalities, you can then look for anyone appearing on CBC's profile, which usually includes a link to the Facebook page for that particular show or personality.

For instance, you can link to the Not Stephen Harper Facebook page via Stroumboulopoulos Facebook page. Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/strombo?ref=ts#!/pages/Not-Stephen-Harper-2011/199235506777501

Interesting looking at those who "like" that page. Among the notables are Duceppe, Layton, May, Trudeau, Mercer, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, various universities, etc.

So does the CBC see any problem in having links from it's website that direct viewers to anti-Conservative parties? If not, they should!

Globe and Mail Thinks BC Provincial Government Is Conservative???

2011-04-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Another example of the G&M's inability to get the facts right. Running a story about Layton's appearance in Nova Scotia today, the article references Layton being asked a question about the NDP provincial government in Nova Scotia also implementing the hst, something Layton has complained about in Ontario and BC but failed to mention until a reporter called him on it. The Globe then goes on to explain the Conservative government in BC implemented the hst there. Really? I had no idea the Conservatives were in government in BC.

"Mr. Layton didn’t mention the HST during his speech here in Nova Scotia where the NDP government has introduced the harmonized tax. Mr. Layton was deeply critical of the Conservative government in British Columbia and the Liberal government in Ontario for signing on to the HST. But NDP Premier Darrell Dexter on Nova Scotia has made sure that it was not applied to home heating, a measure that makes it acceptable, Mr. Layton told reporters."

when you can't get simple facts straight, why would anyone take your paper as being anywhere near credible?

CBC's Rick Mercer Report Facebook Page Links To Anti-Harper Groups? And Allows Disgusting Comments That Bash The PM And Conservatives?

2011-04-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Alberta Girl on Joanne's blog Blue Like You posted a link to this Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/strategicvoting

What's interesting is looking at who has marked that page as like. Ignatieff, Layton, May. Well I guess that makes sense as they are trying to team up to form a coalition government. The name that is surprising is Rick Mercer Report. The facebook page for the Mercer Report show televised on CBC, our national broadcaster that recieves $1 billion a year in taxpayer funds is pretty much a link for numerous anti-Harper websites and comments.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home&#!/pages/Rick-Mercer-Report/28103132195?sk=wall

Is this what CBC thinks is non-partisan advertising? While I'm sure the facebook page is not run by Mercer, but rather CBC employees on paid for with taxpayer funded salaries, does the CBC think it's really appropriate to have such links on comments on a webpage, especially during an election campaign?

I'm guessing the CBC is monitoring the Blogging Tories aggregator page as well as those of the other parties. Care to answer why this is being allowed on a page that links from the CBC.com webpage?

NDP Ads For Oshawa Riding Absolutely Pathetic.

2011-03-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Listening to Oshawa's rock station today 94.9 ( my favorite), I heard for the first time the NDP radio ad attacking the Conservatives from NDP leader Jack Layton. Aside from the fact the NDP candidate is also the head of local 222, which represents GM workers and many of the parts plants in the area, Layton's question was beyond the pale. Layton states Stephen Harper got voted in and then did nothing for the people of Oshawa. Well, let's look at a few examples of what Oshawa has received in the last number of years since the Conservatives took office.

1. Billions to save GM from bankruptcy. If Layton has even half a clue, he must know GM's entire economy relies on the survival of GM.
2. Extension of EI benefits allowed many auto workers to continue receiving benefits until the auto sector took off again.
3. Extensive job retraining for laid off workers. Many of those GM workers with little seniority benefited from federal job retraining programs, which gave extensive extensions to EI as well as covering the cost of courses.
4. Stevenson Road/401 Interchange. A combination of federal/provincial/municipal money resulted in a much needed 401 interchange for the city.
5. A number of infrastructure upgrades from the economic stimulus program.
6. Federal transfers for health care increased. Some of that money made it's way to Oshawa General Hospital.

There are numerous other examples. Conservative incumbent Colin Carrie has been an excellent MP for the area, fighting for the loans to keep GM, and by extension, Oshawa afloat. Layton may want to get his facts straight before making such an idiotic ad.

p.s. Also interesting the Liberals haven't named a candidate for the Oshawa riding. Maybe Dipper turned Liberal supporter Dolby was late, waiting 5 days to throw his support to his coalition partner.

Media Forgets To Mention Man Accusing Former Conservative Campaign Worker Is Ex-Paul Martin Aide

2011-03-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

More stories today about what is supposed to be an embarrassment for the Conservatives regarding a volunteer worker named Giulio Maturi. Allegations were made in 2009 by one Benoit Labonté that Maturi advised him to use campaign workers who were paid by a private company. So I can see why the Conservatives might want to shy away from having this person associated with the party, even though he denied the allegations.

But there is something a little more troubling about this story. It's how the media is handling it, apparently ignorant to the fact who Benoit Labonté is and his recent past. Benoit Labonté was an aide to former Liberal PM Paul Martin. That's right, he's a Liberal. So I guess the media don't think it's worth mentioning. The thing is he seems to have a somewhat shady past himself. The media has run with his allegations, despite the denial from Mr. Maturi that it ever occurred. But what of Benoit Labonté? Well, you would think the media might mention this, no?

"Montreal opposition leader Benoît Labonté is denying allegations he had dealings with the construction entrepreneur at the centre of the city's water-meter scandal.

The allegations were reported Friday by RueFrontenac.com, the online news site written by the locked-out journalists from the French-language daily Journal de Montreal.

Labonté met with Tony Accurso in March 2008 while preparing to launch his bid to lead the Vision Montreal party, the website said, citing anonymous sources.

The website alleges Labonté eventually asked for and received more than $100,000 in donations from Accurso."

Full story here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2009/10/16/mtl-labonte-accurso.html

Update: Doing a little more searching on google produced this. Appears the allegations against Labonte were admitted to:

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091022/mtl_poll_091022/20091022/?hub=MontrealHome

Ignatieff Finally Admits Plan To Take Power From A Conservative Minority...

2011-03-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've done two previous posts this week begging someone in the media to ask Ignatieff if he would support a Conservative minority budget should Stephen Harper win another minority government. I actually left a comment for the National Post's John Ivison on a column he did about the coalition talk being done with and put to rest, asking him to ask Ignatieff that question. Today we got the answer: "

VANCOUVER — Michael Ignatieff has said he would not be able to support a Conservative budget, if it is the same one that was rejected by the three opposition parties last week. In a broad-ranging interview with the National Post, the Liberal leader was asked if he could support the same budget that Jim Flaherty, the Finance Minister, introduced in the House of Commons last week.

“I think we’ve given a clear answer on that question,” he said. If they win, the Conservatives would be obliged to bring down a budget and Mr. Flaherty has already said he intends to re-introduce the same financial plan that the three opposition parties rejected. Indeed, the Conservatives have been campaigning on many of the measures contained in Mr. Flaherty’s plan.

It suggests the country is destined for an endless cycle of elections until one side or another wins a majority government. The Conservatives have accused Mr. Ignatieff of hatching a plan to form a coalition government with the NDP, supported by the Bloc Québécois, and Mr. Ignatieff’s admission that he could not support Mr. Flaherty’s budget will add to suspicions that the opposition parties are planning to act in concert. Mr. Ignatieff ruled out a coalition or a formal agreement with the Bloc on Saturday.

Ignatieff's Election Platform Debunked- Corporate Tax Cuts And CPP

2011-03-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

With Ignatieff releasing another plank in his platform today, changes to supposedly boost CPP, and with Ignatieff continuing to repeat how those bad banks don't deserve corporate tax breaks, it's time to put the two planks of the Liberal platform together, something it seems Ignatieff and the Liberal Party failed to do. The problem for Ignatieff is with today's platform release, it's like the Liberal leader is now going to try and strengthen CPP when in fact his platform to raise corporate taxes damages the strength of the CPP plan. Why? Well, you can start with this:

Who benefits from bank profits?

"Canadians do." At least, that's the line from the bankers. But what actually happens to those billions in profits? It's tempting to think of Daddy Warbucks-like bank CEOs gleefully counting out their bonuses and stock options. But CEOs don't make billions. Only millions. Of the $13.3 billion in profit made by all of Canada's chartered banks in 2004, they paid out $4.5 billion in dividends to their stockholders. You're probably thinking about Daddy Warbucks again.

But some of the biggest shareholders in Canadian banks are the big public and private pension funds and the big mutual funds — in other words, most Canadians. Let's take the Canada Pension Plan, as an example. It owned $2.6 billion in stock of the Big Six banks as of March 31, 2006. That's about $150 in bank stock for every one of its members.

At the $41-billion Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System pension plan, banks occupy four of its top 10 equity holdings. Bank stocks are popular holds in hundreds of equity mutual funds too, because banks are such a big part of the Canadian economy, and because the market performance of the financial sector has been nothing short of sizzling over the last few years. For example, the giant Investors Dividend fund — with $11.8 billion in assets — lists five banks as its top holdings.

After paying out their dividends, banks use the leftovers to invest in their own operations. And they like to point out that they paid $7.6 billion in taxes in 2004. So, if you're so inclined, criticize the big banks for branch closures, or for not paying more interest, or for their service charges, or because you think they're too big and impersonal. But if you're a holder of bank stock (and directly or indirectly, we all are), rising profits have also meant rising dividends and stock prices that have, on average, doubled in the last four years.

Money we can take to the bank.

So there you have it. Much of the strength of the CPP is based on investment returns from corporations such as banks. And banks are only a percentage of corporations the CPP is heavily invested in. Raising corporate taxes results in lower dividends paid to funds such as CPP. Many mutual funds, trusts, and other investments held by seniors make their cash frm divedend payments. Why does Michael Ignatieff want to damage these dividends? One would think when a party puts forth an election campaign platform, each plank would mesh with the others. In the case of corporate tax cuts, make that corporate tax increases, Ignatieff and the Liberal Party are actually hurting the very CPP plan they claim to want to improve.

The Question That Puts Talk Of A Coalition To Rest... And Yet No Journalist Wants To Ask

2011-03-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

All this talk of coalitions is a moot point. If any journalist wants to really put all this to rest, they should ask the right question That being.

1. Mr. Harper, if the Liberals win a minority, will you respect the will of Canadians and support the throne speech and budget, and allow for stable government for a reasonable amount of time ( say 18 months) before seeking a vote of non-confidence?
2. Mr. Ignatieff, if the Conservatives win a minority, will you respect the will of Canadians and support the throne speech and budget, and allow for stable government for a reasonable amount of time ( say 18 months) before seeking a vote of non-confidence?
3. Mr. Layton, if the Conservatives win a minority, will you respect the will of Canadians and support the throne speech and budget, and allow for stable government for a reasonable amount of time ( say 18 months) before seeking a vote of non-confidence?

If journalists really want the coalition done with, they need to have each of the leaders, on camera, reply to the question with either a yes or no answer, with no wiggle room left post election. Canadians deserve this!

p.s. This is quite similar to a recent post I did. Hopefully someone in the media gets the hint this time and asks the question as posted and gets a yes or no answer.

Does Ignatieff Even Know About University Education Programs In The Armed Forces?

2011-03-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

I don't think so. Ignatieff brags today about his $1 billion dollar a year program for anyone attending a university. Of course it probably never dawned on Ignatieff, nor any media journalist that Ignatieff is prepared to give every person who attends a university a minimum of $4000 meaning those mega-buck CEO's children, those high income earning executives working in those large corporatuions Ignatieff likes to bash would also get $4000. Is that the Liberal plan. Raise corporate taxes and then give the rich cash they probably don't need?

"The “Canadian Learning Passport” will offer $4,000 tax-free grants to every high school student who chooses to go to university, college or CEGEP, according to a news release given to reporters covering the Ignatieff campaign."

You know, Ignatieff has been talking for some time about how us Canadians need better access to university educations. You know, all those hard-working factory workers could be doing so much better. Small business owners too. But you know what really shows Ignatieff's ignorance on Canada, the country he spent most of his life away from? While he continues to rail against jets, citing we shouldn't be spending money on such things as new fighter jets, despite the fact our current jets are now 30 years old he never once mentions the fantastic educational programs any Canadian can get by joining our armed forces. Read this and tell me again how the Liberal plan is just so fantastic. Ignatieff offers $1000 a year, and the average university tuition is $6000+. And why doesn't Ignattieff ever mention this info.

PAID UNIVERSITY Enrol in the Canadian Forces through the Regular Force Officer Training Plan (ROTP) and you will receive free university tuition, books and academic equipment in addition to a salary with benefits. You can attend the Royal Military College or an approved Canadian university. Finally, you will have a guaranteed job upon graduation. In return for having your university education paid for, you will have to serve between 36 and 48 months, calculated on the basis of two months' service for each month of subsidized education.

PAID COLLEGE Enrol in the Canadian Forces through the Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Education Plan (NCM SEP), and you will receive free college tuition, books and academic equipment in addition to a salary with benefits. Finally, you will have a guaranteed job upon graduation. In return for having your college education paid for, you will have to serve a number of years calculated on the basis of two months' service for each month of subsidized education. For example, if you receive paid college education over the course of 4 semesters, you will have to serve in the military for at least 32 months upon completing the program (each semester is four months long).

Reserve Force UNIVERSITY REIMBURSEMENT + PART-TIME JOB Enrol as an Officer in the Canadian Forces through the Reserve Entry Training Plan (RETP), and you will attend the Royal Military College. You will receive an officer cadet’s salary when doing military training but you must pay for your own tuition and books. You will be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $2,000 per year to a maximum of $8,000. It is also possible to sign up first as an officer or a non-commissioned member in the Primary Reserve and set up an “Individual Learning Plan” to attend courses leading to a college or university degree related to your trade; upon successful completion of such courses, you will be eligible for a reimbursement of up to 50 per cent of tuition and other mandatory costs. Reservists can leave the Canadian Forces at any time with no obligation. Education fees for successfully completed courses are reimbursed as long as the student was a Reservist during the entire duration of the course.

Ignatieff's Education Plan Will Cost In Excess Of $30 Billion...Or Is It $200 Billion?

2011-03-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Let's see, $1 billion a year. Now multiply by 30 years. That's the mathematical formula the opposition uses for the F-35's. Of course if history is any indication, we should use the gun registry cost formula, which is the Liberal estimated cost X 200%

In 2008 Jack Layton's Price For Corporate Tax Cuts Was Six Cabinet Seats

2011-03-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

What's his price today. John McCallum admits the Liberal plan to raise corporate taxes will cause job losses. Stephane Dion stated corporate tax cuts had to be included in the 2008 coalition agreement. Dion signed it. Layton signed it. Duceppe signed it.

And yes, Michael Ignatieff signed it. And now we are told how bad corporate tax cuts are? But wait. The coalition in 2008 talked of the national daycare plan, that regurgitated dream of the Liberals since 1993. Never happened then. Won't happen now. They planned on introducing said plan along with maintaining the corporate tax cuts. They also boasted of plans for roughly $40 billion in stimulus spending.

Fast forward to March 2011. It's the early days of an election campaign. The coalition rails against the corporate tax cuts, ignoring the fact they were passed by a majority of votes in Parliament in 2007. The Canadian economy has weathered the storm better than most countries on the planet. Why? A major reason is those corporate tax cuts.

For all of Stephane Dion's faults, he realized how important those cuts were to keep the Canadian economy growing. Ignatieff and Layton don't seem to get it. Today Ignatieff again attacked the corporate tax cuts, citing the banks, oil companies, and insurance companies as not needing any more tax cuts. So it's time for a little economics 101.

1. Banks are bringing in large profits. Is that really a bad thing Mr. Ignatieff? When someone wants to start up or expand a small business, where do they go? The banks. If someones business is struggling with the recession, where do they go for funds to get by? The bank. When someone wants to buy a car, where do they go? The bank. Does Ignatieff not realize that the number one reason the auto sector was in such dire straights was the fact the banks cracked down on credit due to lower profits? Lower taxes, bigger profits. More cash to put back into the economy.

2. Oil companies. Ignatieff and Layton, not to forget Duceppe, seem oblivious to the fact the oil industry contributes billions of dollars to government revenues. Revenues for health care and transfer payments Mr. Duceppe. They also provide highly paid jobs and invest heavily in R&D. It's also funny the coalition only mention Alberta's "big oil". Isn't Newfoundland experiencing an economic revival because of oil?

3. Insurance companies? Many insurance companies took a huge hit on investment losses due to the meltdown of the American markets. The coalition themselves point out corporations that don't make a profit don''t pay taxes. Do they realize corporations that make a profit do?

All of this is sound reason for going ahead with the corporate tax reductions. If that's not good enough for Layton, is the price of six cabinet seats and limos still acceptable?

Sunday Night Blues Special...Week 1 Stevie Ray Vaughan

2011-03-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Being a lover and long time guitar player of the Blues, I've decided to post an example of some of the finest blues guitar playing ever seen. To lead off I've slected probably one of Stevie Ray Vaughan's greatest persformaces, filmed at the legendary El Mocambo, Texas Flood.

Liberals Now Admit Coalition Is Still On. Over Too You Andrew Coyne!

2011-03-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

H/T frmgrl at Joanne's blog http://www.bluelikeyou.com/

H/T JDot http://twitter.com/acoyne/status/51679943502999553

The Media Need To Drop The Coalition Issue And Move On....

2011-03-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Way to much time and energy being put into the he-said, she-said, who said-what coalition clamor. What it comes down to is a simple question and a yes or no answer. If any journalist wants to be done with the coalition talk and move onto more important things like the economy and health care there is an easy way to do it. Have Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Layton answer one simple question. Have them do it on camera for all to see. The question is:

1. Mr. Layton, if the Conservative government is again voted in with a minority government, will you and your party, the NDP, allow the Throne Speech and budget to pass and not put forth a motion of non-confidence for a period of at least 18 moths.?

2. Mr. Ignatieff, if the Conservative government is again voted in with a minority government, will you and your party, the Liberal Party of Canada, allow the Throne Speech and budget to pass and not put forth a motion of non-confidence for a period of at least 18 moths?

If the leaders of the respective parties say yes, we can move on. If they fudge the answer, or try and allow for wiggle room, Canadians will know that a coalition of Lib-NDP-Bloc is the most likely scenario in the case of a Conservative minority.

Either way, Canadians know what to expect and can make their voting decision on that.

Layton's Memories Of 2004 Seem To Differ From The Facts

2011-03-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Seems memories change over time. Watch the above youtube video of Jack Layton from today. The Globe and Mail is trotting it out as proof Stephen Harper wanted a coalition in 2004. Then take a listen to that tweet(H/T Joanne at Blue Like You). That's Jack Layton from 2004 when questioned about a coalition including Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc. Today's comments don't seem to jibe with those Mr. Layton made in 2004.

It also suggests that when you listen to Layton's 2004 comments, where he flatly refuses to support a Conservative government, that his 2010 budget demands were nothing more than playing Canadian voters for fools. Layton's claim to fame, at least according to him, is that he wants to make Parliament work. Sure doesn't seem like it from those comments.

I apologize for lack of html. For whatever reason my links won't seem to work.

Make CBC Accountable And Non-Partisan...

2011-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Looking at CBC and their constant Conservative bashing is a disgrace. Take a look at this story here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2011/03/questions-limited-tempers-flair.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Next, read the comments section. Try posting a favorable comment regarding Stephen Harper and the Conservatives and see if it gets posted. When leaving comments please copy and paste a send to my email paulsblues45@hotmail.com in the event CBC won't allow the comment.. Keep your comment clean and on subject so CBC has no reason not to allow. I intend to stockpile a list of comments and ask CBC to explain why they were not allowed. With Sun TV slated to go live in a few weeks this would also make for a wonderful story. You can also reach CBC here to vent your opinion.

Telephone •Toll-free phone (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636
•TTY/Teletypewriter (Hearing impaired Only): 1-866-220-6045
Mail: Audience Relations,
CBC P.O. Box 500 Station A
Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6

E-mail: ombudsman@cbc.ca Mail: Kirk LaPointe Ombudsman CBC
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Toronto, Ontario
M5W 1E6

Liberals Who Should Have Been In Contempt Of Parliament...

2011-03-27T08:48:00.001-07:00

So Ignatieff wants to try and ride on with the government contempt thing. Well, the first point to make is the reason the government even had to deal with such crap is the fact the opposition parties outnumber the Conservatives. If the Chretien/ Martin Liberals had of been in minority, let's take a look at a few of the notables who could be alleged in contempt of Parliament.

1, Jean Chretien. Chretien stood in the house for two years and stated he never talked with the head of BDC regarding a loan for the golf course in Shawinigan. It was only when Frances Bedouin came forth Chretien admitted as much. ( it's also noteworthy Bedouin was victorious in a lawsuit that found he had been systematically attacked emotionally and monetarily as a result of outing Chretien.

2. Paul Martin. Martin told the house his company, CSL had received roughly $2 million in government contracts when the amount was in the hundreds of millions.(Martin later stood in the house and corrected the record, with the amount in the range of $166 million)

3. Art Eggleton. Eggleton was also found to have possibly misled the House by speaker Peter Milliken, who much like the Conservatives had his fate sent to committee. For some reason the Liberal dominated committee never found Eggleton in contempt, despite proof directly from Hansard.

4. Alfonso Gagliano. Gagliano stated all rules were followed in the sponsorship program. When the shiiite hit the fan Chretien named him Ambassador to Denmark, rather than have him answer questions in the house concerning the scam.

5. Lawrence Macauley. Macauley was booted from cabinet after it was learned he had given the university in his provice federal funds. That university just happened to be headed by his brother. Macualey used the O.J. simpson defence, stepping down from cabinet to clear his name. Still waiting Mr. macauley.

6. Judy Sgro. Ms. Sgro got caught up in a situation as a cabinet minister which was turned over to the ethics commissioner. Sgro stood in the House and stated the ethics commissioner had completely exonerated her, when in fact the report found her partly responsible.

7. Any Liberal who stood in the House and stated all rules were followed in regards to the sponsorship program. The AG had in fact notified the Liberal government previously of problems and improprieties with the program.

Obviously there are many more. For example, the Liberals led by Ignatieff claim Bev Oda misled the committee. Well then, what to make of this: "OTTAWA - MPs went behind closed doors Wednesday night to decide whether to pursue perjury charges against half a dozen politicians and bureaucrats who said one thing at the Gomery inquiry and another when they testified before the Commons public accounts committee. "

Feel free to add more into the comments section Just be sure to included the word alleged. Seems someLiberal MP's like to email me threatening legal action.

Would Michael Ignatieff Drive This Car If PM?

2011-03-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

So it appears an election is a done deal. And Michael Ignatieff is going to harp on about buying new fighter jets for our armed forces. But I'm wondering, if Ignatieff thinks it's ok for our armed forces to use 30 year old planes in missions such as what is going on in Libya, is he prepared to apply the same fiscal measures and austerity to himself were he e PM? That car in the picture shares something in common with our CF-18 fighter jets. Both were delivered new in the same year.

So Mr. Ignatieff, will you ride around in this car? After all, Canadians need national daycare. Hey, if you cancel those corporate tax cuts you might be able to get the windows tinted and a personalized plate that reads COLISHN

Ignatieff Overplays His Hand...

2011-03-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

I don't claim to be clairvoyant, but the scenario that unfolded today as budget details were released is exactly what I thought would happen months ago. Ignatieff, sorry, make that Donolo, decided the Liberals could not continue to look like punching bags whenever any vote of confidence occurred and they played peek-a-boo behind the curtains. Liberals were sure Layton would take over that role as Layton also feared an election. So confident were Liberals that Ignatieff declared Liberals would vote against the budget months ago, before it had even been crafted.

Today it looks like Ignatieff/Donolo may have misjudged Layton. Although there appeared to be a slim chance for Layton to support the budget if NDP amendments were made. Jim Flaherty closed the door on that scenario by declaring there would be no amendments. The Conservatives go into an election campaign from a position of strength, both in the polls and in the details of today's budget.

After Layton's poor decision to have the NDP support keeping the gun registry, Dippers were more than a little vulnerable in key rural riding's. By voting against the budget, Layton hopes to reconnect with disenfranchised NDP supporters. Gilles Duceppe sees the Bloc as capable of picking up more seats, and has nothing to lose in an election.

Which appears to leave Michael Ignatieff in a lose-lose situation. Step off the cliff and force the election. If Harper gets a majority Liberals have no chance at power for a minimum 4 years. Harper gets a minority and Liberals are probably looking at 2-3 years before another election. Backtrack into the waiting pack of wolves by having enough Liberals miss the budget vote to allow passage and get eaten for again looking like a patsy.

Globe And Mail Oda Editorial-Facts Don't Matter...

2011-03-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today's editorial in the Globe and Mail is a perfect example of lazy journalism, and the reason why most Canadians have tuned tuned out to all the faux scandals screamed about by the opposition parties and msm. Today's editorial takes Bev Oda to task for the insertion of the word "not" into the now famous Kairos document. The fact the government presented to committee other documents similarly changed to deny funding for other projects seems lost on the Globe. Case in point:

"That Ministers have the prerogative to make funding decisions in their departments is not in dispute. But is this any way to run a department? Couldn’t new forms be printed with a “Do Not Fund” box to avoid confusion? Instead, we have government by handwritten insertion. With such improvisation, poor decision-making is sure to follow, and the potential for abuse is high.

And that is evident when you combine Ms. Oda’s testimony with that of Margaret Biggs, the president of the Canadian International Development Agency (effectively, Ms. Oda’s deputy minister). It is now clear that the Ms. Biggs had signed off on a “Yes” decision to fund Kairos before the “Not” was inserted."

Question for the Globe. Did you even bother to research anything before putting this to print? Apparently not. I notice you mention the head of Cida, Ms. Biggs. Perhaps it might have given your editorial a little more credibility if you had actually taken the time to look into Ms. Biggs testimony before committee previously. Most notably:

"Ms. Margaret Biggs (President of CIDA): Yes, I think as the minister said, the agency did recommend the project to the minister. She has indicated that. But it was her decision, after due consideration, to not accept the department’s advice.

This is quite normal, and I certainly was aware of her decision. The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was, and she has been clear. So that’s quite normal.

I think we have changed the format for these memos so the minister has a much clearer place to put where she doesn’t want to accept the advice, which is her prerogative."

So those few sentences pretty much throw your whole editorial out the window, with not a shred of credibility left to go with it. Adding the word "not" was common practice. That practice has now been changed with a new form to allow for denial by the minister. Ms. Biggs also alluded to the fact she already knew the minister was not going to approve the Kairos funding ahead of the word not being added. The form, according to Biggs, was returned to her with the word "not" inserted, so she was fully aware of the change as well as denial of funding.

You know, I'm not a professional journalist. Nor am I a professional blogger. But I know the value of importance and having my facts straight before putting it out there for others to read. One would hope the Globe sees this, and sees fit to correct the record. It's something any newspaper that considers itself reputable would do. You might also want to check and see when the word "not" was inserted. The testimony is all there for all to see.

Conservative Communications Completely Sucks Again Over Contempt Finding....

2011-03-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Again, it's time to give those Conservative communications gurus, the completely inept ones, talking points. Monte Solberg did a reasonable job on Evan's show, but still lacked that one talking point that Canadians will understand. When you have opposition twits running around how this is unprecedented in Canadian history, only one point is necessary to show the Canadian voter that all it is partisan politics.

Why will the government be found in contempt? Plain and simple. The opposition parties outnumber the Conservatives on the committees. Why weren't the Liberals found in contempt when the speaker made a similar ruling on two MP's be sent to committee? Plain and simple. Liberals had a majority on the committees.

Does anyone really think any political party would find itself in contempt of Parliament? No!

Would any opposition party jump at the chance to find the ruling party in contempt to score partisan points? Absolutely. Especially when the governing party continues to lead polls.

What The Toronto Star Said About A Quebec Arena....

2011-03-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

That is, when it thought it could damge the Conservatives over the issue. Quite amazingly, the Star, the paper of the Liberal Party of Canada, seems not to want to publish Ignatieff's proise for that same Quebec arena. But why won't they? I present to you Exhibit A, an editorial run in the Star on February 2nd, 2011. I have highlighted the seeetest parts in color.:

"The Harper government is sitting in a $101-billion sinkhole—the two-year federal budget deficit—and is going ahead with billions in corporate tax cuts. The economy is unsteady, young people are anxious about their futures and parents are desperate to pay for daycare. Yet, despite the lack of public support outside La Belle Province, the Tories are still toying with investing millions of dollars in Quebec City’s dream of building a professional hockey arena.

What a misguided idea.

Not only can’t taxpayers afford luxuries like a National Hockey League arena in a city that was abandoned by its hockey team 16 years ago, but other provinces are likely to join the queue for a similar hand-out. Saskatchewan is hoping to build an arena for its football team, the Roughriders. Hamilton wants to refurbish the Ivor Wynne Stadium. And Calgary will likely seek help to fix the 28-year old Saddledome. Who would be able to say no to these other worthy projects if Quebec gets its wish?

When Quebec Conservative MPs don Nordique hockey jerseys to promote their support for the arena, as they did last fall, it amounts to a blatant election ploy.

NHL commissioner Garry Bettman insists the league is not planning to expand and he is concerned that fans’ expectations will be shattered if stadiums like the one proposed for Quebec City are built but never receive a pro hockey team. “I get concerned because I don’t want our fans to be led on,” he says. “We don’t want to get involved in the creation of a building in Quebec City or anywhere else.”

The head of the Bloc Québécois, Gilles Duceppe, has been angling for federal money, and Pierre Karl Péladeau, the CEO of Quebecor Inc., has offered financial help for the $400-million stadium, answering the federal request for private-sector involvement. The Liberals have given a gutless nod to the project provided there is a solid business plan and the arena promotes “cultural outreach in the Quebec City region,” whatever that means. This is an old game played by Quebec (even more than others) before every federal election: give us money and we’ll give you votes.

The irony is that when the Liberal government promised financial help in 2000 for the Ottawa Senators and other NHL teams, Harper, then head of the National Citizens Coalition, took umbrage. “Canadians are being forced to subsidize millionaire hockey team owners,” he cried, “and that’s a mistake.”

The Conservatives should get a penalty for high sticking for even considering this idea. They – and the other federal parties – should drop it now.

Note To David McGuinty: Paul Martin Lost The 2006 Election

2011-03-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, more outrage from the usual suspects. The Liberal Party, the party that spent $100 million on a whim for Challenger jets. $350 million for an advertising program that did little advertising and a lot of stolen taxpayer money. The same guys who said the gun registry would cost $2 million, which turned out to be $2 billion. Guess they still struggle with where exactly that decimal point goes. So today, we have Liberal MP David McGuinty telling us how bad the Conservatives are for spending money on advertising. Gotta love this brilliant quote:

"Mr. McGuinty noted that is “way more” – 2.5 times on average – than what Paul Martin’s Liberal government spent on advertising in 2005 and 2006."

2006 eh McGuinty? By my recollection, the vote took place on January 23rd, 2006, meaning Paul Martin would have been considered PM for all of 23 days. Of course those 23 days were spent campaigning, so I doubt much government advertising was done.

So if any journalist has any common sense, one would think they would take a look at money spent on advertising year by year under the Liberals. I think what you would find would be similar to Liberal MP Scott Brison's recent rant about unemployment rates being higher under the Conservatives by years he quoted under Liberal rule. Of course a quick check of StatsCan unemployment numbers show quite a few time periods under Chretien/Martin with a higher unemployment rate. And that was during boom times.

I eagerly await a CBC journalist to let us in on the numbers.

Why Gloria Galloway Fails Miserably At Covering Ignatieff's "Cottin-Pickin" Gaffe

2011-03-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Conservative Senator Don Meredith takes issue with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s use of the term “cotton pickin’ minute” and wants him to apologize. Not to worry. G&M journalist(?) Gloria Galloway is quick to write about it, all the while explaining that it isn't even a racist comment. She tries a number of explanations, even using Bugs Bunny to cover Iggy's gaffe. Here's a quote from Galloway's article:

The Liberal Leader’s quote was, at the very least, insensitive and, certainly offensive to many people, Mr. Meredith said. The reference, he said, hails back to a time when slavery was acceptable and an entire group of people were held to be lesser than others because of the colour of their skin.

But does it?

"According to American essayist Heather Michon, the phrase “cotton picking” arose in the American South in “sometime the 17th Century to describe a nuisance or something troublesome or unpleasant.” At that time, cotton was a garden crop tended by Southerners, black people and white people alike, Ms. Michon says."

I guess Galloway might need someone to educate her on black history and slavery in the southern U.S. Better yet, she might want to talk to Oprah Winfrey on the subject. I'm guessing if she did, or even took a smidgen of her time to look at the reference made by Ignatieff, instead of immediately hitting the keyboard trying to dismiss the gaffe as baseless, she would realize Ignatieff stepped in it and needs to apologize. Better yet, Galloway might want to head down to Blockbuster Video and rent the movie "The Cottin Pickin Truth".

So for you Gloria Galloway, a quick summary of the term Ignatieff referenced, and what memories or meaning it has to many people.

"The Cotton Pickin' Truth... Still On The Plantation" is a documentary about slavery in the United States of America and the harsh living conditions for many African Americans today as a direct result of being forced to live in involuntary servitude. The documentary features human rights activist - Dick Gregory, former slave until the 1960's - Mae Louise Miller, Presidential advisor and Harvard Law Professor - Charles Ogletree, Capitol Hill correspondent - George Wilson, Glendora, Mississippi Mayor - Johnny Thomas, and many more.

Producers of the film, Tobias "Profit" Smith and Timothy Smith, are a father and son film making duo who firmly believe in putting "the mission before the money." They set out to produce a documentary on former slave Mae Louise Miller in July of 2009. In the process of researching slavery in America, they uncovered people still living on present day plantations in Mississippi. They also discovered that the average living conditions for people in the Mississippi delta are far below subsistence level.

"The Cotton Pickin' Truth... Still On The Plantation" is a shocking and compelling documentary about slavery that calls for rewriting of American history as we know it.

Conservative War Room Asleep At The Switch Again...

2011-03-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Why is the Conservative communications so absolutely pathetic? Perhaps it's time to make changes in the personnel and ways the party responds to events. Conservative bloggers have done a better job than anyone working for the party in discussing in and out, including providing obvious examples on in and out done by the opposition parties. Now today, the media are inundating the airwaves, print media, and internet regarding the just released report from Kevin Page on the F-35 costs. Guys and gals, come on. The response has been brutal when answering questions in the House or on tv.

Need some prpoer talking points? Here are a few.

1. As pointed out by Alberta Aardvark, Page' cost estimate is based over 30 years, rather than the 20 of the government. Adding 1/3 to the number of years obviously would result in a much higher final number. Maybe mention that.

2. Liberal MP Domenic LeBlanc has repeatedly said the $30 billion is more than we spend on health care. If you watched Evan's show, you would see him mutter quickly under his breath in a year. Yet the Conservative MP doesn't call him on it, by, I don't know, maybe citing how much the government spends per year on health care and how much that would be over 30 years. (hint: it's a lot more than $30 billion)

3. The current jets in use by the armed forces also have daily, monthly, and yearly operating and maintenance costs. Has anyone pointed that out? Nope. Anyone mentioned the current costs of maintaining those aircraft. Uh Uh. Estimated what maintaining those current jets would cost over the next 30 years, and making the public aware? Nope. Apparently that doesn't make sense.

4. When you have Ignatieff and LeBlanc ranting on about cancelling the new jets if they get into power, start quoting what the Liberals said about buying those aircraft carriers Conservatives bought after the 2006 election. You know, the ones that came in so handy during the earthquake crisis in Haiti. Remind them of how the Canadian government had to go begging to other countries to get Canadian troops to Afghanistan.

5. Start mentioning quotes from different individuals in the Canadian Aircraft Industry, pointing out the number of jobs that will result from the purchase. Might want to calculate how much contracts for the F-35 would add to GDP. Not to mention those contracts would be a boon to Quebec, badly in need of said jobs.

6. Remind Canadians of the $500 million Chretien spent to cancel helicopters. Mention the deaths caused by the aging helicopters we are still using many years later. Pull a LeBlanc. Tell Canadians what that $500 million would have bought.

7. Liberals led by Ignatieff are claiming the jets cost $1000 for every man, women and child. Hey. That's true enough. It's also quite misleading. Dividing that $1000 per person over 30 years works out to $33.33 per person per year. And that's assuming no growth in our population for 30 years. That number would probly be somewhere around $20 per person per year over the 30 years. Whereas McGuinty's health tax takes $300+ directly out of your pocket if you live in Ontario.

8. Ask Ignatieff what the Liberals think is a fair cost for jets, and what that works out to per man, woman and child. Ask him wjhat he thinks reasonable maintenance costs are.

You want a majority next election? Better raise your game a little, no, make that a lot. I'm getting sick of seeing sand thrown in our faces.

Canadian Press Quotes NDP Candidate About National Childcare...

2011-03-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

Yet seems to omit the fact she ran as a federal NDP candidate. She was also a supporter of David Miller and ran for Toronto council. When quoting someone in an article titled "Canadian economy threatened by lack of national childcare plan, group says", one would think the writer might show a little journalistic integrity and state that persons political affiliations and history of running both federally and municipally.

Oh wait. Canadian Press. Ditchburn, Bryden,etc., etc. Never mind.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/canadian-economy-threatened-by-lack-of-national-childcare-plan-group-says-117492078.html

Hey, maybe someone from the Canadian Press can ask John Baird what he thinks of the National childcare plan. Oh no, wait. Even better. Don Burroughs.

Elections Canada And Liberal MP Mark Holland....

2011-03-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

With all the media hoopla over the Conservative Party and Elections Canada, including another lead story on NNW, I have to ask. When one asks Elections Canada about certain candidates and possible violations and complaints filed, EC refuses to give out information citing privacy issues. And yet somehow actions taken by Elections Canada seem to still make there way into the media, albeit only involving Conservative party officials. Think about the media being tipped off to the search of the Conservative Party office.

So perhaps someone in the msm might be able to ask EC if any Liberal MP's or candidates have any current investigations ongoing for campaign transgressions. In the 2008 campaign complaints were filed against various candidates from all parties, which is quite normal.

So what is the status of any complaints that may have arose for my MP, Liberal Mark Holland? I'd like to know before the next campaign, whenever that may be. I'm not alleging Holland did anything to violate Elections Canada rules, nor do I have any proof he did. I heard there were some allegations (unproven as far as I know) made from the rival candidates campaign teams to Elections Canada. One would think that 2 1/2 years is sufficient time to investigate and make a decision on said rulings.

I'm sure those in the media will be quick to investigate. Over to you Kady.

Cancel The Corporate Tax Cuts, Buy Michael Ignatieff His Own Podium...

2011-03-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

See previous post for the latest on the list of things to make Liberals outraged.

If Ignatieff Is Going To Give A Speech, And Only Kady O'Malley Knows About It....

2011-03-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Is he really going to talk? In the latest case of faux outrage with the Liberals and their msm buddies, apparently the Conservatives were supposed to have psychic powers to know that Ignatieff would be delivering remarks once the PM finished. Seems the Conservatives never knew, along with most of those in the media:

"Those at the event Friday tweeted about the the media being "kicked out" after the news conference while others say that reporters and organizers didn't know Ignatieff would be speaking.

Dimitri Soudas, Harper's spokesman, said it was "unclear" to those at the event that Ignatieff would be commenting. A Liberal advisory stated that Ignatieff would attend but didn't suggest he would be making remarks."

And who were the journalists tweeting? Well, CBC's Kady O'Malley was quick to tweet. Which begs the question. Liberals never issued a press release stating Ignatieff would speak. Conservatives were unaware as were apparently most of the media in the room. Yet Kady knew, and was one of a handful of journalists who refused to leave. So how did Kady know Ignatieff was going to speak?

NDP MP Pat Martin- Today's Hypocrite Of The Day....

2011-03-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Dipper blowhard Pat Martin up in arms on Power and Politics today screaming about Jason Kenney's parliamentary email being used for partisan purposes, which is definitely a no-no. Perhaps someone in the media might want to ask Martin his comments on this, or is it just against the rules when a Conservative does it ( kinda like the in-and-out bs).

H/T Alberta Aardvark

http://thealbertaardvark.blogspot.com/2011/02/linda-duncan-call-your-office.html

Ottawa Citizen Latest Example Of Trash Journalism....

2011-02-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Ottawa Citizen headline: "Tories demand money for impending election campaign in ‘confidential’ memo.

First problem . It's a fundraising letter. They aren't demanding money as the Citizen states, they are seeking donations.

Next:"Inside is a note to Gerstein from the Conservatives’ national campaign chair, Guy Giorno. “Irving, here is a little more on the critical pre-election situation,” it begins. The letter goes on to say that “(Liberal leader) Michael Ignatieff is leading a coalition of opposition parties to bring down the government right after the budget is presented next month.”

Although Ignatieff has long denied any tax-hike plans, Giorno writes, “it is well known that he wants higher taxes.”

Is the author of this article not aware Ignatieff has already said he would raise the corporate tax rate back to 18%? At different times Ignatieff has mused about raising the gst. He has also said he wouldn't rule anything out. Not to mention he wants to spend a minimum $5 billion on National Daycare, the Liberal wet-dream since 1993. Also funny the author denies Ignatieff has any plans to raise taxes, yet never denies Ignatieff is leading a coalition to unseat the Conservative's after the next election.

So lets make a quick summary of the article. Misleading headline? Check. Incorrect information on Ignatieff? Check. Comment attributed to an unnamed source (Don Burroughs?). Check.

Pathetic journalism all around.

Either Jack Layton Or The Globe And Mail Is A Big Fat Liar.

2011-02-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. My previous post actually gave laurels to NDP leader Jack Layton for his willingness to make suggestions in the upcoming budget and dropping his objections to corporate tax cuts as a trade-off. From Saturdays Globe and Mail article:

"The NDP is taking the vexed issue of corporate tax cuts off the table, leaving a four-point budget wish list as a way for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to avoid a spring election.

Mr. Harper and Jack Layton met Friday behind closed doors in the Prime Minister’s Langevin Block office. That meeting coincided with the NDP Leader’s decision to abandon the party’s demand that the Conservatives scrap further corporate tax cuts in the March budget.

“For us to not want [corporate tax cuts] taken out in this budget, the balance of the package is going to have to be very good,” the official said. “That’s why there is little or no room to bargain down from our proposal today.”

Funny thing that. From today's Globe and Mail:

"New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton left little doubt Sunday that his party will vote against the upcoming federal budget in March, which could force a spring election.

In his first interview since meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday, Mr. Layton said on the CTV’s Question Period that the NDP was opposed to the corporate tax cuts the Conservatives say will be in the budget."

Political posturing? Most likely. Surely Layton knows there will be no corporate tax cuts in the 2011 budget. Said tax cuts were implemented in the 2007 budget. Finance Minister Flaherty need not even mention the scheduled cuts still to come into effect.

So what's the deal. Is Layton pulling a Jekyll and Hyde act? Layton's official statement and press release never mentioned the tax cuts. Would Layton not have reiterated his opposition to said cuts in the media release? Or has the G&M simple adopted the Susan Delacourt way of writing an article? Perhaps the NDP official quoted in Saturday's article was a guy named Don Burroughs.

Or perhaps Layton has just simply reinforced what many already believe. That he is simple just a snake with no integrity that says what he thinks voters want to here on any given day, whether he believes it or not?

Layton's Budget Demands Make Sense...

2011-02-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

It's no secret I'm not a big fan of NDP leader Jack Layton. Socialist policies tend to be a waste of taxpayer dollars and are never cost efficient. More often than not they punish those that work hard for their money and reward those who blame their troubles or woes on evrybody but themselves.

But Layton's budget demands, or what he calls priorities, seem to make sense and would benefit Canadians from coast to coast. Layton has also thrown the PM a bone by offering to support the budget if some of his demands are met in exchange for not pushing for a stop in the corporate tax cuts. Seems like a win-win for both sides.

"The NDP have asked the Conservatives to take the GST off home heating bills, restore the EcoEnergy Retrofit program and increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. The party also wants changes to the Canada Pension Plan and a plan to increase access to family doctors."

Taking the gst off home heating bills is a no-brainer. Seniors and low-income earners are the ones most affected by changes in hst in Ontario and BC. Other provinces also include the tax. At a time when Ontario voters have finally had enough of Dalton McGuinty, this could also provide the Conservative's with a boost in electoral fortunes.

Increasing the GIS and expanding or making changes to the CPP also are a good idea, particularly because of our aging population. The only criticism I have is Layton's demand to reinstate the EcoEnergy retrofit program. This program was a government albatross, with rougly 50 cents of every dollar spent going to administration costs.

A side benefit of meeting Layton on some of his priorities is the fact the Tories keep rolling out those corporate tax cuts. As much as Ignatieff and his mainstream media sidekicks scream, those cuts are essential to improving and expanding our economy. The corporate tax rate is not the only factor considered when a company or corporation decides where to make investments or expansions. Energy and transportation costs, emplyment costs such as insurance and benefits all factor in. Having a more attractive tax rate will help.

Harper and Layton getting this done in the budget also throws Ignatieff and Duceppe to the sidelines. Imagine Ignatieff and the Liberals voting against a budget that helps seniors. The fact is those corporate tax cuts won't even be in budget 2011, so Ignatieff will look foolish stick with that as his talking point.

And Duceppe? Well, in my opinion he has probably done more to improve the Conservative's chances of getting that majority government. There is no way the PM will meet his demands and pander to Quebec for a handful of seats in the province. Instead, voters outside of Quebec will applaud the PM ignoring a seperatists blackmail demands, boosting our fortunes across the country.

Well played Mr Harper and Mr. Layton.

Former CRTC boss Bertrand Suffering from Lefty Tunnel Vision.

2011-02-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

"OTTAWA - A former chairwoman of the CRTC says she's not holding her tongue any longer after watching the Conservative government demand a reversal of the regulator's decision on usage-based Internet billing.

Francoise Bertrand, now president of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, has remained largely silent over the last decade on telecom issues so that she wouldn't be seen as an armchair quarterback".

So Bertrand is upset the government wants the decision reversed and things they should stay out of it. Problem is nowhere does she mention the fact the Liberals and NDP both demanded the decision be reversed as well. But here is where Bertrand stepped in it, showing her bias:

"Bertrand, who under the Liberal government did not have a single decision overturned by cabinet, said that repeatedly questioning the decisions of the commission will only sow confusion in the telecom and broadcasting industries and potentially hamper investment.

Now we have a minister, or I don't know who, who have not heard all the facts, all the elements, and decides arbitrarily that it's not a good decision and it should be the other way around," said Bertrand

Well, hate to break it to you, but Ignatieff is taking credit for the reversal of the CRTC decision:

"On Tuesday morning, we sided with you against the CRTC’s decision. By the end of the day, Liberal MPs on the Industry Committee had already begun an investigation. Then, yesterday, we kept the pressure on the Conservative government during Question Period in the House of Commons. At tonight’s meeting of the Industry Committee, Liberal MPs will tell CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein to reverse course.

This isn’t the first time that you’ve stared down the Conservatives over an open internet "

Of course I could really rub salt in the wound and point out her hypocrisy in speaking out about the subject, considering she is not a part of the CRTC. But I'm sure if she reads this she'll realize she already made herself look stupid.

Please Send Bev Oda To The Backbench...

2011-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

I realize the tradition is to support a minister at a time like this, but traditions can be broken. The document altering is a joke, something one would see in junior school. The Conservative caucus has a number of bright and well rounded MP's who deserve a shot.

Conspiracy Theories For Dummies; Written By Amir Attaran And Errol Mendes

2011-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

This book is dedicated to Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star, without whose help our complete nutbar ideas and philosophies would never see the light of day. Thanks Susan, your Harper Conservative hating Liberal loving agenda is a godsend in our quest for smears and innuendo to land Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party of Canada back into power.