Interesting post over at Alberta Aardvark's blog. Seems journalist(?) Glen McGregor has tweeted mocking Conservative MP Ed Fast for having the audacity to wear a poppy so early. Now McGregor ties to dismiss his pathetic tweet, stating he would have done the same had any NDP or Liberal MP been the first person he saw wearing a poppy. McGregor has a picture of Fast wearing the poppy taken from CTV's Question Period on October 28th.
I guess McGregor missed question period on Friday, October 26th,when many MP's of all parties had poppies on their lapel.
http://www.cpac.ca/eng/videos/79541
I patiently await your tweet mocking Megan Leslie of the NDP for wearing a poppy on October 26th. And by the way Glen, the reason the Legion puts the poppies out now is because poppies are the main revenue the Legion has for assisting and supporting our veterans. Ya think they might not have quite the same fundraising numbers if they put them out for the one day?
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
One Robocall Riding Bites The Dust-Is This Riding Next?
Nice to see that one of the seven ridings being contested by the Council of Canadians over alleged robocalls has been DROPPED. You might remember I did a blog post about a woman in the riding of Nippissing and what seemed to be a conflict between her sworn affadavit about receiving a robocall and something she had posted on her FACEBOOK page. Tonight I sent off a link to my previous post to the Conservative Party of Canada. I have no idea whether this persons sworn affadavit is legitimate or false, and make no allegations whatsoever. It is interesting however that cell phone records, including the one sent from her Blackberry while in Quebec should be quite easy to produce and either verify or dismiss whether she was in fact at her home when she alleges to have received a misleading robocall.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Stephen Harper's Integrity Versus Jean Chretien's: YOU BE THE JUDGE
Jean Chretien: "Only seven months after winning his third term, the Canadian prime minister, Jean Chrétien, is planning to vote himself a 42% pay increase, as well as a 20% boost for all members of parliament."
"The bill has a considerable impact on the pensions of MPs and Senators as well. Under the current system, Prime Minister Chrétien would have received a pension of about $96,000 a year. Under the new system, the Prime Minister will receive a pension of about $140,000 a year. MPs‘ pensions will also increase – to about $31,500 a year after 8 years of service"
Stephen Harper:"Stephen Harper tightened his own belt this week, voluntarily — and quietly — accepting a pension cut that will likely cost him more than a million dollars.
The prime minister doesn’t need our sympathy. He’ll still have a very comfortable pension, but he deserves credit for showing leadership and finally scraping some of the gold off of MPs’ gilded pension plan. MPs passed a bill on Friday that will see all of them start to pay more for their own retirements, ending a system where they paid just $11,000 a year and could look forward to an average pension of $54,693 a year beginning at age 55".
It's also worth noting, even though not one journalist nor media source I've seen has mentioned it, is by giving himself that 42% pay increase Chretien's pension also increased by $44,000 per year. By voting himself that raise, Chretien has already collected roughly $352,000 more just in the increase in his pension.
"The bill has a considerable impact on the pensions of MPs and Senators as well. Under the current system, Prime Minister Chrétien would have received a pension of about $96,000 a year. Under the new system, the Prime Minister will receive a pension of about $140,000 a year. MPs‘ pensions will also increase – to about $31,500 a year after 8 years of service"
Stephen Harper:"Stephen Harper tightened his own belt this week, voluntarily — and quietly — accepting a pension cut that will likely cost him more than a million dollars.
The prime minister doesn’t need our sympathy. He’ll still have a very comfortable pension, but he deserves credit for showing leadership and finally scraping some of the gold off of MPs’ gilded pension plan. MPs passed a bill on Friday that will see all of them start to pay more for their own retirements, ending a system where they paid just $11,000 a year and could look forward to an average pension of $54,693 a year beginning at age 55".
It's also worth noting, even though not one journalist nor media source I've seen has mentioned it, is by giving himself that 42% pay increase Chretien's pension also increased by $44,000 per year. By voting himself that raise, Chretien has already collected roughly $352,000 more just in the increase in his pension.
So when speaking of integrity, you decide, Chretien or Harper.
Toronto Star On Top Of Allegations Against Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Joe Fontana
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
CAW Head Lewenza Set To Strike For Jobs That Don't Exist.....
and never will. I've predicted this was going to happen for the past few years, both here and on other blogs, as well as media sources.
"The union is refusing to back down from several cost-cutting proposals, including a new pay scale which would prevent newly-hired workers from ever reaching what is currently the top pay amount for more senior workers.
"We are opposed to that proposal because it doesn't make any sense in the long run," Kennedy said. "We believe people working side-by-side, doing the same job should at least have the opportunity to have the same pay."
"However, the auto-makers argue Canada has become too expensive to build vehicles and have hinted about moving production south as a way to save money."
The stance held by Lewenza and the CAW leadership is so obviously flawed only Lewenza himself fails to see it. Gone are the days of the Auto Pact. Gone are the days of the Big 3 owning the North American market. Gone are the days of a secular economy, one that now has transformed to a global economy. Manufacturing, not just in Canada but in all of North America has and will continue to face a labour market from countries like China and Korea with wages that are a quarter of minimum wage in most North American jurisdictions. Then there is that other pesky reality Lewenza refuses to acknowledge, many of the lower 48 U.S. states with double digit unemployment. Governors and a U.S. president more than willing to bring those Canadian auto plants and their jobs south of the border, with the UAW already agreeing to the demands now facing Lewenza and the CAW years earlier.
All of this in itself should be a wake-up call for the CAW National leadership, Lewenza included. This isn't just a matter of the CAW and UAW fighting over assembly plants and the jobs that go with them. This is about letting the Big 3 compete globally with the import manufacturers. The current pension packages enjoyed by current workers, myself included, cannot be included for new hires with the companies having any chance for financial sustainability or cost competitiveness. Nor can the wages of any newly hired workers.
All this in and of itself should give Lewenza pause to reconsider his hard line stance. But there is something of even greater importance here, that being the CAW giving proper representation to current workers, ones who have been paying union dues for years. Should Lewenza's negotiating tactics result in the closure of Canadian plants, the consequences will be felt by the workers on the line, not Lewenza or his cohorts in the National. And what would those consequences be?
1) Any current workers with less than 10 years of service would lose any pension entitlement, as 10 years is the minimum threshold for having one's pension become vested.
2) Any current worker with more than 10 years and less than 30 would have to wait until age 65 to begin drawing their pension, rather than their 30-year service date.
3) Any current worker with more than 10 years and less than 30 would have their pension benefit reduced to the number of years of credited service at the time of plant closure, a significant cut.
4) As per the current agreement, workers laid off as a result of plant closure would have their benefits terminated at the time specified in the current agreement.
5) Current workers would lose their job, now paying roughly $30 per hour. Does anyone, Lewenza included, think these workers will ever land another job close to that wage?
6) Spin off jobs will be lost. The automakers utilize parts vendors close to the assembly plants to save on shipping costs and storage, using just-in-time delivery. Many of these workers at the parts vendors are CAW members.
The job of the CAW is to represent it's current workers in their best interest. That's not happening here. Should the CAW agree to the demands for newly hired workers and their wages, there would be no shortage of people willing to take those jobs. And years down the road, the CAW could negotiate from a position of strength, rather than one drawn from union boardrooms in the '60's.
The jobs of thousands of Canadian workers hinge on Lewenza and his ability to accept today's reality. Do the right thing Ken.
"The union is refusing to back down from several cost-cutting proposals, including a new pay scale which would prevent newly-hired workers from ever reaching what is currently the top pay amount for more senior workers.
"We are opposed to that proposal because it doesn't make any sense in the long run," Kennedy said. "We believe people working side-by-side, doing the same job should at least have the opportunity to have the same pay."
"However, the auto-makers argue Canada has become too expensive to build vehicles and have hinted about moving production south as a way to save money."
The stance held by Lewenza and the CAW leadership is so obviously flawed only Lewenza himself fails to see it. Gone are the days of the Auto Pact. Gone are the days of the Big 3 owning the North American market. Gone are the days of a secular economy, one that now has transformed to a global economy. Manufacturing, not just in Canada but in all of North America has and will continue to face a labour market from countries like China and Korea with wages that are a quarter of minimum wage in most North American jurisdictions. Then there is that other pesky reality Lewenza refuses to acknowledge, many of the lower 48 U.S. states with double digit unemployment. Governors and a U.S. president more than willing to bring those Canadian auto plants and their jobs south of the border, with the UAW already agreeing to the demands now facing Lewenza and the CAW years earlier.
All of this in itself should be a wake-up call for the CAW National leadership, Lewenza included. This isn't just a matter of the CAW and UAW fighting over assembly plants and the jobs that go with them. This is about letting the Big 3 compete globally with the import manufacturers. The current pension packages enjoyed by current workers, myself included, cannot be included for new hires with the companies having any chance for financial sustainability or cost competitiveness. Nor can the wages of any newly hired workers.
All this in and of itself should give Lewenza pause to reconsider his hard line stance. But there is something of even greater importance here, that being the CAW giving proper representation to current workers, ones who have been paying union dues for years. Should Lewenza's negotiating tactics result in the closure of Canadian plants, the consequences will be felt by the workers on the line, not Lewenza or his cohorts in the National. And what would those consequences be?
1) Any current workers with less than 10 years of service would lose any pension entitlement, as 10 years is the minimum threshold for having one's pension become vested.
2) Any current worker with more than 10 years and less than 30 would have to wait until age 65 to begin drawing their pension, rather than their 30-year service date.
3) Any current worker with more than 10 years and less than 30 would have their pension benefit reduced to the number of years of credited service at the time of plant closure, a significant cut.
4) As per the current agreement, workers laid off as a result of plant closure would have their benefits terminated at the time specified in the current agreement.
5) Current workers would lose their job, now paying roughly $30 per hour. Does anyone, Lewenza included, think these workers will ever land another job close to that wage?
6) Spin off jobs will be lost. The automakers utilize parts vendors close to the assembly plants to save on shipping costs and storage, using just-in-time delivery. Many of these workers at the parts vendors are CAW members.
The job of the CAW is to represent it's current workers in their best interest. That's not happening here. Should the CAW agree to the demands for newly hired workers and their wages, there would be no shortage of people willing to take those jobs. And years down the road, the CAW could negotiate from a position of strength, rather than one drawn from union boardrooms in the '60's.
The jobs of thousands of Canadian workers hinge on Lewenza and his ability to accept today's reality. Do the right thing Ken.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Does Tim Naumetz Know About Elizabeth May's Japanese Secret?
Hard to believe the Hill Times still keeps this guy on the payroll. I guess journalistic integrity isn't high on Naumetz list of priorities.His editorial has since been pulled, apparently because he quoted statements that both NDP MP Megan Leslie and Green MP Elizabeth May claimed they never made. That in itself should tell you all you need to know about the skill level this guy possesses. But it gets better. Seems Timmy tries to infer the PM's message machine blundered by renting Yamaha ATV's instead of Canadian built Bombardier's:
"Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s much-vaunted message machine blundered when they plunked him on a Japanese-made ATV to churn up and down unlikely Yukon sand dunes in one of the rarest ecosystems in North America, say opposition MPs"
So I wonder, if Timmy thinks renting japanese built ATV's for two days is a blunder, then what does that say about Elizabeth May's own personal vehicle, a japanese built Toyota Prius?
"No surprise, the leader who got left out of the debates owns a Toyota Prius. You'd hardly expect the pioneering eco party to roll up to campaign events in a Cadillac Escalade. Come to think of it, she could, given the giant Caddie SUV is offered as a hybrid. Still, the optics wouldn't be great, so she's in an Ed Begley special.
We expect she'd like a Nissan Leaf plug-in electric, or a Chevy Volt. But if she really wants to be remembered on voting day, we'd recommend the Fisker Karma. Its dual electric motors put out a total of 403 hp and it looks nothing like the mainstream crop of electric roller skates out there"
I won't hold my breath waiting for Naumetz to write an editorial about May's blunder.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Nanos Federal Tracking: CP 34 NDP 30 LP 27 GP 4 BQ 4
And not a peep from the media, especially the CBC. Strange that.
The latest Nanos tracking shows the Conservatives with a ballot share of 33.6% nationally, while the NDP have slid to 30.3%. The Liberals remained in third with 26.5%, while the Greens and Bloc were at 4.4% and 4.2%, respectively.
Of note, in Quebec the Liberals were up by nearly 8 percentage points (25.0%). It is too early to say, however, if this is a one-month phenomenon or the start of a longer trend.
Healthcare and jobs remained tied as the top issue of national concern for Canadians (24.5% versus 23.7%). The environment registered the biggest change from the previous wave of tracking (up 3.2%), and was cited as the top issue of national concern by 9.4% of Canadians.
Stephen Harper continued to top the Nanos Leadership Index, some 25 points ahead of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair (72.7 versus 46.8). While Harper was more likely to be considered the most trustworthy leader, the most competent leader and the leader with the best vision for Canada in most regions, in Quebec it was Mulcair who continued to perform best on the Leadership Index.
Methodology
Between July 7th and 12th, 2012, Nanos Research conducted a national random telephone survey of 1,200 Canadians 18 years of age and older. A random telephone survey of 1,200 Canadians is accurate plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For 954 committed voters, it is accurate plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Results for May 31st, 2012 are from a random telephone survey of 1,201 Canadians conducted between May 26th and 31st, 2012. A random telephone survey of 1,201 Canadians is accurate plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
National Ballot: For those parties you would consider voting for federally, could you please rank your top two current local preferences? (Committed voters only - First Preference)
Canada (n=954)
The numbers in parentheses denote the change from May 31st, 2012.
Decided Voters Only
Conservative: 33.6% (+0.1)
NDP: 30.3% (-3.3)
Liberal: 26.5% (+1.6)
Green: 4.4% (+2.0)
BQ: 4.2% (+0.8)
The latest Nanos tracking shows the Conservatives with a ballot share of 33.6% nationally, while the NDP have slid to 30.3%. The Liberals remained in third with 26.5%, while the Greens and Bloc were at 4.4% and 4.2%, respectively.
Of note, in Quebec the Liberals were up by nearly 8 percentage points (25.0%). It is too early to say, however, if this is a one-month phenomenon or the start of a longer trend.
Healthcare and jobs remained tied as the top issue of national concern for Canadians (24.5% versus 23.7%). The environment registered the biggest change from the previous wave of tracking (up 3.2%), and was cited as the top issue of national concern by 9.4% of Canadians.
Stephen Harper continued to top the Nanos Leadership Index, some 25 points ahead of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair (72.7 versus 46.8). While Harper was more likely to be considered the most trustworthy leader, the most competent leader and the leader with the best vision for Canada in most regions, in Quebec it was Mulcair who continued to perform best on the Leadership Index.
Methodology
Between July 7th and 12th, 2012, Nanos Research conducted a national random telephone survey of 1,200 Canadians 18 years of age and older. A random telephone survey of 1,200 Canadians is accurate plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For 954 committed voters, it is accurate plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Results for May 31st, 2012 are from a random telephone survey of 1,201 Canadians conducted between May 26th and 31st, 2012. A random telephone survey of 1,201 Canadians is accurate plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
National Ballot: For those parties you would consider voting for federally, could you please rank your top two current local preferences? (Committed voters only - First Preference)
Canada (n=954)
The numbers in parentheses denote the change from May 31st, 2012.
Decided Voters Only
Conservative: 33.6% (+0.1)
NDP: 30.3% (-3.3)
Liberal: 26.5% (+1.6)
Green: 4.4% (+2.0)
BQ: 4.2% (+0.8)
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