Affordable Housing

Building more affordable housing
All Canadians should have a fair chance to own or rent their own home.
The plan

A Conservative government will:

• Work with the provinces and municipalities to develop tax incentives for private-sector builders so that low-income city dwellers will have improved access to affordable housing. Specifically, on an experimental basis to supplement existing programs we will establish a low-income housing tax credit program. Beginning in 2007-08, we will set aside $200 million annually in the form of federal tax credits to encourage developers to build or refurbish affordable rental units in which at least 40 percent of the occupants earn less than 60 percent of the local median income. pg 37, Conservative Party platform

I have yet to see any examples of how much housing this tax credit is supposed to deliver? Do provincial governments have to match the proposal? Will the provinces be providing rent subsidies on top of the Conservative federal government's tax credit to builders? If so how have we gained anything?

I am not against rental subsidies and see them as part of any affordable housing plan. They do provide many people with the ability to choose where they want to be. The trouble comes when housing markets are tight. Rents go up and housing subsidies don't always follow upward trends.
Another alternative might be co-op housing. I know some are poorly run, but many are not. They allow people to have security, the buildings are paid for from rents, not government. They have a mix of subsidised and market rates.

One of the better aspects to Co-ops is that if something happens you have a better chance to remain in your housing as subsidies can be made available to those that lose their job or cannot work.

As an individual I like them both, my question is how many units will the Conservative program provide? Hhow much will it cost us to per unit and is the criteria set too low to qualify for the tax credit? It suggests that 40% of the unit occupants must earn less than 60% of the median income in the area. Here in Kelowna a family income is over $50,000. If you are earning 8 to 10 dollars an hour that is still only 15 to $20,000. What would the rent be? The building owner would have to provide 20 of 50 units to people earning less than 30,000 approximately.

Would these units be significantly cheaper to rent? Likely the local market would dictate the monthly rent unless there were rent controls. So we may do a better job of making housing cheaper for those earning $15/hour which is important but what about the family earning half that.

Which way you going Canada (Billy)

Can I go too?



Now I know why Canadian voters acted as they did on Election day.

Who ordered all those signs anyway?

Its a wonder sometimes that we get anywhere!

The New Parliament will sit later this spring and the Conservatives will try to steer their way through a pretty interesting and likely different road than the one they set out to take.

You can expect them to steer to the middle of the road during most of their first year or so. It is the the sweetener they will add to your gruel. "see we are not a monster under the bed"

Its safe to come out and play. Just remember, the Harper government is on a leash right now and they will not want to stay on it so they will do whatever it is to reassure us they will be a good puppy so we take it off.

Want to put a permanent leash on government, look at some of these reform proposals

End abuses in the appointment of other public officials by:
Converting more Governor-in-Council (GIC) appointments to normal public service positions.
Establishing an independent advisory committee to develop criteria for GIC appointments and to act as a central clearing house for appointment recommendations to the Prime Minister and responsible Ministers. Requiring approval by Parliamentary Committees of appointments of senior officers and board members of government agencies and Crown Corporations.

Freedom-of-information legislation by:
Extending the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to Crown Corporations and agencies now excluded, including incorporated not-for-profit organizations that receive at least two-thirds of their funding from the federal government.

• Making cabinet ministers and their staff subject to the Act.
  Removing unreasonable financial and time barriers to access.
  Specifying which cabinet records must be disclosed or not disclosed.
  Improving public access to third-party contracts and free access to public opinion polling.

Pass a new Protection of Whistleblowers Act, applicable to both the private and public sectors that:

Provides legal protection from reprisal for those who disclose wrongdoing internally or externally, including imposing fines and jail sentences against individuals who engage in reprisals.

Establishes a whistleblower officer selected by, and reporting to Parliament who has broad powers of investigation and reporting.

Pass a new Accountability to the Electorate Act

This makes MPs accountable to their electors when they switch parties. This will require MPs to resign their seats and seek election again if they want to switch parties, or to join a party after being elected as independents. Members would, however, be permitted to leave their parties and sit as independents without triggering a by-election.

Pass a new Fixed Elections Act
End the power of the governing party to control election timing by establishing fixed election dates.

Pass a new Leadership Accountability Act
to shed the bright light of accountability onto party leadership contests. Pass laws to put strict spending caps on party leadership contests to keep them fair, democratic and free of corruption.

Introduce an Every Vote Counts Act
Change Canada's federal electoral system to a mixed electoral system that combines constituency-based MPs with proportional representation.

You can see the whole package here.

Poppy Family - Which way you going Billy?

Canada, Politics

(s)Harper Index

(s)Harper Index 001

Percentage of the conservative party delegates voting to change abortion laws – 46

Percentage voting to change marriage to being between a man and a woman – 75

Number of Conservative candidates that could be facing charges of assault in the election – 1

Number of times George Bush has seen Brokeback Mountain – 0

Chances Stephen Harper has seen the same movie – 0

Canadians that voted for Stephen Harper's Conservatives – 5,370,903

And Canadians that voted for someone other than Conservative – 9,444,777

Time my Brother spent with the NDP candidate at the door – 2 minutes

Time he spent with the Liberal Candidate – 35 minutes (think about that!)

Number of Conservative votes divided by number of seats in the House of Commons - 43,313

Number of NDP votes divided by number of seats in the House of Commons - 89,338

Hours it took Canadian Ambassador to the USA to resign after Liberal Leader Paul Martin resigned - 12

* If you have an interesting fact or point email me and I may include it in the next index.

inspired by the original Harper's Index.

Canada, Politics

Harper did not get endorsed by Canadians

This is what's wrong with the system we have to elect our leadership in this country. Canada continues to make use of a system that was created in the 12th century. Yes the Parliamentry system dates back to King John.

The Senate is another part of the problem, yet I hear Stephen Harper saying it is one of the checks and balances to our system. I will say from a partisan perspective it will be a good thing this time, as we could have some of the more controversial issues of the Conservative agenda stalled or amended. That's not because the Senate will do the "right thing" its because it is stacked to the alter of Liberal Prime Ministers and they like their place, they will support the Liberal party. In this game of politics in Canada, its more about rigging the system to work for you rather than to do what we Canadians want.

Change is needed. Destroy the Senate, or at the very least start electing them. Even though I relish the thought of Harper being held in check by the Senate, it can be argued that the unelected Senate should not stand in the way of an elected House of Commons.

We do have a way out of this big mess. We can start with the the House of Commons. Stephen Harper has the most seats, yet his party received the support of only 36% of voters. The BLOC received 9% of voter support and have 50 seats. The NDP with a million more votes than the BLOC have 29.

"Today, Canadians repudiated this radical agenda, opting instead for the sensible, mainstream middle-class values that have been the cornerstone of Canadian society for generations - strong, healthy families, safe communities, personal responsiblity and public accountablility.

"Voters also rejected the vicious campaign of demonization directed by Mr. Martin and his colleagues against Canadians, primarily those of faith, who do not share his views."We look forward to working with Members of Parliament of good sense from all political parties to help respore normalcy to our political and social
institutions." - Institute for Canadian Values

Last night the Institute for Canadian Values, a social conservative activist group, issued this partisan and misleading statement. Many Canadians did not support the Liberals in the last election. The Liberals had less than 40% of support. This time out they received a few points less, yet they had more voter support for their minority government than the Conservatives have with this one.

Making broad statements that Canadians rejected something is in fact an error. Most of us never supported it in the first place, we voted and a few votes changed hands and now we have another Prime Minister with less support in power.

We need to address electoral change. Another example was Kim Campbell's conservative's wipe out in the House of Commons in 1993. The Conservatives had the second most votes across the country yet only 2 seats. In this election the Conservatives in BC increased their vote but lost 5 seats.

Its time for change and if Stephen Harper and his Conservatives really want to embrace ethical and moral positions, let them lead us all to a Parliament that counts all votes cast in Canada.


Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper,

Attention Shoppers is the GST 6 or 7%

I will have more on the election this evening. I am off to work. Just wondering though, will I have to collect the 7% GST today or do I collect only 6%?

A cute item I found over at Creekside ....

Attention shoppers!
The following are not recorded at Elections Canada as protest votes:
1. "I'm really just not into the whole political thing."
2. World of Warcraft addiction
3. sleeping it off - all day - More here

64% voted for others.

The election was bang on from my point of view. It now appears that a party that received less than half the votes as the NDP received 20 more seats in Parliament. The Conservatives received less than double the NDP vote and took home four times the seats.

If electorial reform is not a big part of this next Parliament then our elected representatives have let us down as have the big media. Remember that 64% of Canadians did not vote Conservative.

Harper ran a good election as did Jack Layton. The Liberals did not. Congrats to all that ran for office, it is a tough thing to do.

Sorry for all the typing errors in this article. I was in a real fog when I wrote it. LOL.

Google search "interesting and boring sites"

Now this is one of those funny little search things that happens with google. Someone came to my site today after searching google for "interesting person in British Columbia". I am always interested in how people find me so I clicked on the search meyself to see what google found. Moi, me at number one. It just goes to show me I may be more interesting than my friends think I am.

Of course its not really that, its the way search engines work. A quirk nevertheless, I will take it!

Now having seen that I thought why not search for "boring person in British Columbia".

I was dreading my site would come up again. It did not to my relief.

Now many regular visitors will get the irony of who did come up. Check it out for yourself here!

I have to say that is the second best thing I found on the Internet today!

Try it for yourself, see what you get!

Election results tonight

One blogger says - Election Gag Law Non Applicable To Moi
"Living where I do --- They ain't got no jurisdiction. So - as soon as the results come pouring in... I will be live blogging --Promise...Stay Tuned"

Other sites that say they will may have the election results as they happen include...

http://www.theinfozone.net/#krystal,
http://www.urbanrefugee.ca/
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/

Thanks to Liberal for Life. I expect he wants the bad news early!

Only the Captain seems to have info here.

Social media in election 2006

Rob Cottingham points us to an excellent resource on the use of social media in the election in 2006.

"If you want the low-down on how the parties used social media (such as blogs, tagging and newsfeeds) in the campaign that culminates in Monday’s vote, then drop by Kate Trgovac’s site.

She has links to five articles she wrote for the One Degree internet marketing web site, analyzing each of the parties and their approach to the blogospheriverse. As befits the manager of web evolution for PetroCanada, she clearly understands what’s changed with the advent of blogging and its social kin, and she has some superb suggestions that party webmasters would be well-advised to heed." - Rob Cottingham

Wrap Up: Election 2006 and Social Media
This week, I wrapped up my series on the Canadian political parties' use of Social Media over at One Degree. Links to the articles:

Social Media and the Conservative Party
Social Media and the Bloc Quebecois
Social Media and the NDP
Social Media and the Green Party
Social Media and the Liberal Party - read more of her post here


Canada, Politics, Election

Conservative spokesperson says no position on gay marriage

Richard Bell a Conservative Party spokesperson says Stephen Harper's party "doesn't have a stance for, or against, same-sex marriage."

"All that Stephen Harper has promised is that the House of Commons will have a free vote on the issue," Bell told CBC and posted on lifesite.net.

Elsie Wayne says she is surprised by Bell's comments. She said the party has a position on same-sex marriage. "Our position is that marriage is between a man and a woman," she said. "I don't know where Richard Bell's coming from."

Bell was commenting on the Conservative party position after Elise Wayne, Atlantic Co-Chair of Vote Marriage Canada was quoted saying, "the (Conservative) party shared her views. She added gays shouldn't have the right to marry, and that they "choose" to live that lifestyle.
"God does not endorse that and we do not. You have to straighten people out."

Its news to me that they don't have a policy. Elise Wayne is right in affirming the Conservative Party has a position on gay marriage. The party voted at it's convention 74% in favour of traditional marriage.

I suggest Richard Bell look at this again. maybe all the duct tape issued by the central campaign to Conservative candidates has led him to forget.

These are just a few of them he should talk to, there's plenty more David Sweet, David Chatters, Darrel Reid, Art Hanger, Cindy Silver, and Rob Anders .

For more on Stephen Harper and the Conservative party use the technorati search box in the side bar here and at Queer Thoughts.

Canada, Marriage equality, Gay, Gay Marriage, Politics, Evangelical, Christian Right, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, Election,

Ontario Conservative faces possible Assault charge

According to Lifesite news, Conservative candidate for Scarborough South West ,Vincent Veerasuntharam or one of his supporters shoved a man handing out leaflets endorsing the Liberal candidate Tom Wappel, knocking him back into his wife who then fell to the ground. A 16 year old male rushed in to help but he too was pushed back. Steve Jalsevac, the man pushed plans to lay charges of assault against the Conservative candidate.

Lifesite.net is a Right Wing Christian news service in Canada.

Jalsevac who also happens to be Director of Lifesite.net was handing out leaflets in front of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Catholic Church in Scarborough on Sunday, January 22 at about 11:30 am. The leaflets asked Catholics to vote for Tom Wappel, the Liberal MP with a record of voting against gay rights including being against hate crimes legislation and opposed to abortion rights.

Liberal candidate and current MP Wappel was endorsed in the riding, where as the Conservative Vincent Veerasuntharam did not respond to a survey on the issues of same sex marriage or abortion. Many Conservative candidates did not respond hoping to be able to play both sides of the issue and as part of the central Conservative campaign to avoid saying anything on gay marriage or abortion.

The whole thing was caught on tape. The Lifesite director had his trusty digital recorder, being the smart news guy, with him. The recording can be found at Lifesite.net and I have put the links here as well.

The Conservative candidate comes off as a bully, though what we hear is only that which pro-life and anti-gay activist Jalsevac has chosen to make available. What's not here could be interesting as well.

Again according to Jalsevac, Veerasuntharam objected to the pro-life leaflet evaluation of himself. Apparently indicating he was against abortion and for traditional marriage. When that did not convince Jalsevac to leave with his leaflets the Conservative candidate then according to Jalsevac swung at him but missed.

On the tape during the physical threat, the candidate can be heard at the time saying, "what are you finding so funny, you want me to, you want me to f..ah, go into jail, I don't mind, because you are sucking up to Tom Wappel. You know Tom Wappel is the biggest, cunning bastard. Tom Wappel is the biggest bastard in the planet."

Listen to the clip here: Quicktime mp3 format- Lifesite.net

Lifesite.net provides what it says is further proof that the Conservative supporters then attempted to take the recording device...

However, later in the incident VV's campaign workers can be heard on the tape forcibly attempting to take the recorder away from Jalsevac. As the workers attempted to physically remove the recorder one can be clearly heard on the tape saying, "Take this recorder off his hands." (Listen to the clip:Real Media format or Quicktime format)

See the rest at Lifesite.net

Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada

"Who's your Leader, Baby!"

Gotta love some of these stories ....

The results are in. When GATE readers were asked to name the sexiest candidate on Canada's campaign trail (in a survey we dubbed "Who's Your Leader, Baby?"), 21% of those polled said that the NDP's Jack Layton is the man who makes them think of more than just their next possible leader.

MOre bloggers on Harper

The Conservative Cover-Up

"They’re lying I tell you, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. If the Conservatives seem more palatable to you these last few months it’s only because they are intentionally hiding their core beliefs to get votes. These guys haven’t changed their fundamental ideals, they just aren’t telling you what they are anymore. Do you really want to be reminded of it after you vote for them?" - Bruce MacDonald - Canuck Attitude


Peter and the pussycat

"But in one hour of programming the CBC couldn't even come up with ONE question. One question about the issues Harper doesn't want to talk about. The issues that could make the difference between a Conservative minority, and a Conservative majority with its crazy plans for a right-wing revolution." - Montreal Simon on Peter Mansbridge's lack of tough questions

Will Johnny Get His Guns?*

"Last night we noted that the Conservative Party of Canada's National Campaign Co-Chair, John Reynolds, told the Moonies that it was time to patch things up with the armed and dangerous Elephant next door:" - The Gazetter

Washinton Times: Mr. Reynolds said the first practical step in improving security cooperation between Canada and the United States would be to restart discussions about joining the anti-ballistic missile program. "We've got to sit down and discuss this. There is a quid pro quo for everything," he said.


Heterosexual Marriage is a Gamble

compare the BC Lottery page with the page on Vote Marriage Canada, - Bouquets of Gray

Harper has some good friend's in the USA

The Cato Institute is very much a right wing Conservative think tank. Here we have some references in their support of Stephen Harper.

The Cato Institute, a libertarian Washington, D.C., research group, has described Harper as "pro-Iraqi war, anti-Kyoto, socially conservative ... [President] Bush's new best friend." - Seattle Times, January 21, 2006

"A Harper victory may prove to be the exception to the international rule -- a rare foreign event that manages to put a smile on President George W. Bush's face." - December 7, 2005 Patrick Basham, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

What Americans read in The Washinton Post about Harpers's common ground with George Bush ...

On social issues, however, "there is much more common ground" between Harper and Bush than between the U.S. president and Martin, Welch (David Welch, an expert on U.S.-Canadian relations) said, citing their shared opposition to same-sex marriage. Washington Post, January 21, 2006


Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper,

Joyce Murray - More Paul Martin Values

Joyce Murray is the Liberal Candidate in New Westminster -Coquitlam, while Minister responsible for environmental protection in Premier Gordon Campbell's BC Liberal government slashed hundreds of jobs and supported all of the the cuts to environment programs, a refusal to hand over data the government held on grizzly bear hunting despite a court ruling to do so, eventually supplied the data in a manner that was virtually useless.

Murray was also part of the government decision to allow the expansion of Fish Farming and the return of and or cancellation of fines levied (over a million dollars) against those same fish farms for violations of BC Law. Murray also supported the BC Liberal government's efforts to lift the moritorium on off shore drilling.

As Paul Martin attempts to convince us we share his values, Liberal candidate after candidate show us they have as much in common with Stephen Harper and the conservatives. The question then becomes, are Paul Martin's values the same as Stephen Harper's?


Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics

Mary Pynenburg - More Paul Martin Values

Mary Pynenburg is a Paul Martin Liberal candidate running in Burnaby-New Westminster. It appears she shares some Liberal values ...,

"It must be noted that the malice was that of the defendant's employee, Ms. {Mary}Pynenburg, and that members of City Council were innocent of malice."

"Her testimony in this regard strains credulity and is belied by other circumstances." - Supreme Court Case, January 1999. - Justice K. Smith in BC Supreme Court . He found Mary Pynenburg guilty of deliberately libeling a business person in
New Westminister while employed by the City.

Add to the fact she worked to elect Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals in Surrey during the May 2005 election, a matter of her own ethical conduct surfaced while seeking the Liberal nomination. You can read all about her use of her City of New Westminister email address and as City planner sought out personally, donations from local developers and architects, persons very reliant of favourable reviews of proposals sent to her office. Details here at Burnaby Politics.


Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics

Bigger Banks coming with Harper

Are you ready for BIG BIG BIG BANKS

The Conservatives are looking to change this, permit the big banks in Canada to merge. Already one of the most profitable banks in the world, the banks want to team up, become bigger and that of course will mean fewer banks over all. It will mean fewer branches, fewer choices and guess what, the bank mergers will be financed with our service fees.

"Harper called this week for action on bank mergers. "I don't think banks should be in the dark forever," he said.

And Alberta MP and Tory finance critic Monte Solberg, mooted along with Ontario's Jim Flaherty as the likely finance minister in a Harper cabinet, pointed out earlier this month that Martin himself said the merger issue must be resolved in the next parliament.

While the optics of bank mergers still work against government encouragement of Big Five combinations, the Tories have opened the door to the prospect by calling for a "public interest" test on the implications, to be conducted by an independent body." Toronto Star January 21, 2006

Martin is Puddle jumping

"We're going to be on the job next Tuesday, no matter what the election result. Unlike the Liberal party that's going to be out of business until it cleans itself up."

(Jack) Layton said that the only thing after the election will be, "the smoking hulk of a defeated Liberal party."

"That's why we're working flat out in British Columbia and across the country to defeat Conservatives while Mr. Martin puddle jumps from Liberal riding to Liberal riding trying to save the furniture." CBC

Thanks Reuben J. Laframboise

Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, NDP, Green Party

Moore - Don't elect a guy who could win Utah too!

In case you needed another reason to get out and vote ... This comes from Michael Moore via a link from pinkocanuck.

Now I risk a bit here, My sister over at Maureen's Garden doesn't like Michael and she might just decide if he is for something she's against it. If you could do me a favour, go over to her blog and tell her nicely that Michael is a little opininated but really, he's right this time. We don't need a guy that could be elected Governor of Utah as Prime Minister of Canada. Washington State, Michigan (hey isn't a Canadian already Governor of Michigan!) maybe, Montana thats cool, but not Utah.

"...But seriously, I know you're not going to elect a guy who should really be running for governor of Utah. Whew! I knew it! You almost had me there. Very funny. Don't do that again. God, I love you, you crazy cold wonderful neighbors to my north. Don't ever change." - Read the whole article here

When Irish Eyes are Smilin - Remember

Stop this from Happening.

In BC that means voting NDP. Its so close, we need to be sure we don't have a repeat of Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling".

Ok I could take it but you have to do this ...

Bush and Harper:When Irish eyes are smiling,

Harper: Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
Bush: In the lilt of Irish laughter
Harper: You can hear the angels sing.
Bush and Harper:When Irish hearts are happy,
Harper: All the world seems bright and gay
Bush: And when Irish eyes are smiling
Harper: Sure, they steal your heart away.

In fact, you know what, I would pay to hear this if Harper is our next PM.

Your job out there is to keep him from a Majority. In BC the NDP are the only ones that can do this.

Sinking ship

Ok this is funny, someone will likely fix it soon, but you do have to laugh here.

Bad Red Apple pointed me to this and he got it from Andrew Coyne! Go to Liberal Party of Canada on wikipedia!


Also check out The Daily Show and their suggestion for negative ads to Canadians

National Review - Harper to ease us into Conservatism

Whoops someone in the US did not get Paul Weyrich's memo.

"Canadian voters have been led to believe that American conservatives are scary and if the Conservative party can be linked with us, they perhaps can diminish a Conservative victory. Chipeur asks that if Canadian media calls, please do not be interviewed until Monday evening at which point hopefully there will be reason to celebrate." - See the email at the Gazzetter. Wenyrich of course is one of if not the leading strategist for the right wing in the USA

Seems US conservatives are less diciplined that Harper's team right now. What's curious here is the last bit of the article...,

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay

"Harper’s moderation is a recognition that the Canadians have become accustomed to the easy chair of subsidies and regulation. He knows that massive change would be rejected. So he is inviting modern Canada to take the first small steps back to economic independence, self-reliance, and national pride — perhaps with more to follow as the patient grows stronger.
But is there still a lumberjack under all that mascara?" National Review


Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper

Not this Canadian's Values

"Who is really going to balance Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in the next Parliament? A broken, defeated Liberal party? Many of whose MPs agree with Stephen Harper’s agenda? Or a strong, effective NDP?”

That’s a good question. The Liberal party is at it again. If they had focused and done the job they were elected to do we would not be looking at the prospect of Stephen Harper moving into 24 Sussex Drive. Paul Martin should be packed by now, ready to take his stuff back to Montreal. No need for him to move into the residence of the official opposition, he isn't going to be there long enough.

We have a government that when elected to a minority position said it would govern like a majority. Their actions were not those of a party that heard Canadians in the last election. They were the actions of people that felt entitled to govern. A government led with a visionless leader.

Paul Martin does not know why he wants the job of Prime Minister other than to it is the completion of a family project. His father came close so Paul Martin set out to do it. He and his faction muscled their way through the Liberal party ranks to make it to the top. The values or should I suggest the lack of values in his takeover were painstakingly clear. How many millions of dollars were spent to do this? Who coughed up all the dollars to do this?

Federal Liberals got on the Martin bus in 1993 and began the methodical take over of the Liberal party apparatus. When Jean Chrétien was not willing to leave right away, Paul Martin set off the fuse. A metaphorical bomb was ignited. One of those bombs the US uses that destroys the people but not the structures they are in.

Martin’s brutalization of any opposition on the way to the top was largely accepted and thus ignored by the Canadian media. In Government they set an agenda seemingly like that of a government in the majority. When the opposition called him on it he ignored them, when he said he would open up Parliament, he ignored the opportunity.

A good example of the Liberal Government’s values has played out here in Kelowna BC. We had a successful local drug treatment centre for youth, it was operating on a three year funding contract from Ottawa. That was the good effort of the Liberal government but it has ended for now. The Liberals refused to extend the funding.

The success of the Centre is widely known locally and within the Ministry of Health. Now in the middle of the election, almost eight months after the centre had to close, Kelowna gets a visit from Ujjal Dosnajh, Minister of Health, he implies if the Liberals win the election the money will be found for the Centre.

Today young people in the Okanagan are going without treatment because the federal Liberal government was too focused on its own problems like adsacm and Income trusts to be involved in real governing.

A bigger example would be the Liberals election announcement of new funding and a strategy for research and development. There is one major problem with the strategy. The only resemblance to a strategy was the word strategy. Surely this kind of announcement would have been accompanied by a detailed document, worked out over the last year within the government and stakeholders.

It appears the strategy was similar to the AIDS announcement made by Martin to allow for the making of generic HIV medications for the third world. This announcement bought the high profile support of popular world singer and activist, Bono.

Martin passed legislation to allow the making of the medication but the conditions put in place made it unworkable for a generic manufacturer to do it. Not one pill, not one has been made yet Martin was able to convince many that he stood for with Canadian values. Those Martin values turn out to be, “ sound compassionate while everyone is in the room, then go back and make it impossible to do what you said you wanted done."

When I hear Martin talking about protecting Canadian values, I see the kids on the street here in Kelowna, without treatment because we have an election underway. He could have acted if he was paying attention to their needs. I hear of more people around the world dying because they have no access to HIV medications and a program that would have made it possible, at no cost (maybe there is a cost to Liberal financial support) to taxpayers.

Both Martin and Harper champion a wait-times guarantee for health care. Neither of them have any suggestion as to how to implement it, nor are they being honest about this Trojan horse. It will open up the field to billions of tax dollars going into the for- profit health care industry.

On the west coast we have a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and a provincial government set to start drilling the minute Ottawa says go ahead. Two things have stood between the lifting of the moratorium. Long time Liberal environmentalist David Anderson and NDP leader Jack Layton. The government would have fallen had they tried to lift a moratorium and David Anderson would have voted against them.

Add to this the number of social conservatives Paul Martin has signed nomination papers for. When Paul Martin says he is fighting the extreme right wing agenda of the Harper Conservatives he knows just what they might do, he knows of what he speaks. He has many of the Harper like extremists in his own party. And many Canadians are mad enough at Martin they don’t care anymore.

See The Tyee: A Victory that Sowed Defeat

In BC Vote NDP to defeat the Conservatives, Don't take my word, go to The Tyee.


Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics

US Ratifies New "Revised" North American Free Trade Agreement

Ok it's satire and it is from August 29th, 2005. Still not much has changed. Martin is still tut - tutting though he hasn't said much in the last week about the softwood agreement. Harper wants to go down to Crawford Texas, no not to fill the vacancy left when the Village lost Bush to Washington, but to help clean up the bushes on his buddy's spread.

"The United States' refusal to accept any and all of the legally binding rulings regarding its illegal imposition of tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber imports has raised the ire of many Canadians. While several members of the Martin cabinet and business leaders are calling for retaliatory measures -- such as finger-pointing or a good tut-tutting-against the US for their wanton flouting of the NAFTA appeal panel's ultimate ruling, the Bush administration says it has found a resolution to the dispute, as well as all trade disagreements between the two countries." - read the rest at The Hammer

Alito - "the gospel" of the "unitary executive"

As we draw closer to our election day in Canada, Americans are less than 10 months awy from theirs. An opportunity to reverse the social conservative movement that has swept its government benches.

Still the Republican control of the House, Senate and the Whitehouse are not the biggest threat to Americans or for that matter the rest of us if Judge Alito is confirmed by the Senate.

Today the Washington Post printed some sobering words from Senator Kennedy. Kennedy had this to say ...

"Judge Alito's consistent advocacy of what he called "the gospel" of the "unitary executive" is just as troubling. Professor Steven Calabresi, one of the originators of the unitary executive theory and a co-founder of the Federalist Society, has acknowledged that if the concept is implemented, it would produce a radical change in how the government operates.

As he wrote in the Harvard Law Review in 1992, "The practical consequences of this theory is dramatic: It renders unconstitutional independent agencies and counsels to the extent that they exercise discretionary executive power."

Independent agencies, such as the Federal Election Commission, created to see that our voting laws are properly enforced and interpreted, would be subject to the president's control. "

If the American system changes to that extent, that a President is given huge powers due to a Supreme Court, already Conservative, the Democrats can kiss their collective donkey's good bye. America will will become ever more insular, guided by rich powerful elitist pastors of fame and tyranny bound.

The Democrats will likely make no more important contribution to the freedoms of Americans than the one to stop Alito. If Alito is appointed to the Supreme Court, it will not matter who wins those elections in November or 2008.

Democratic wins will be muted as Republicans that lost at the ballot box line up to file the political agenda at the court house. The executive powers of the President already abused beyond watergate, at least Nixon only bugged the Democrats, Bush is bugging the nation.

How many Americans today are worried that their calls are being monitored? Those with legitmate rights of desent and opinion are being watched, listened too. How many deals will a President make given such new powers? How many lies will he be able to tell and then hide the truth?

It is a sad time in America, many of us outside sit and watch with a grim sense of forboding? Who will he go after next? When he is talking to us, are the CIA or the FBI planning a coup? How much more can he do to destablise this world?

Yes, not only do Americans have a stake in the appointment of Judge Alito. The world does as well.

Bush, Politics, supreme court, Alito, scotus, Current events

Same-sad values

Can you spot a Liberal in a crowd of Social Conservatives ...

Paul Martin has been calling on progressive voters to join his team. We must join together to Keep the scary Social Conservatives of Stephen Harper out...

"Martin, trying to persuade voters that Harper is an extremist who would clamp down on personal freedoms such as gay marriage and abortion, has been by hit the inability of his own legislators and allies to stay on message.

Minutes after he spoke in Oshawa, local Liberal candidate Judi Longfield told reporters she would vote against gay marriage if Parliament decided to reconsider the matter. She also said she disagreed with Martin's promise to alter the constitution to make it impossible for Parliament to overturn decisions by the Supreme Court on freedoms such as gay marriage and abortion." - By David Ljunggren, Dose January 19, 2006

Presumedly so she could vote to use the notwithstanding clause to stop same-sex marriage.

As a gay man I resent Martin suggesting that gay marriage could disappear if Harper becomes Prime Minister, because he has all those "scary dudes" on his team. Martin has signed off on the nomination papers of people that hold the same-sad values he is supposedly campaigning against.

What are the values in the Charter that the Right Honourable Prime Minister Martin stands for? Would he sign off on someone that advocated removing Freedom of Religion from the Charter or the law? We all know he would not and most of us would agree.

Martin is saying to the gay community the Liberal party will protect your rights. He is saying to all Canadians, if you support equality, if you are a progressive, vote for the Liberal candidate to stop the Harper Conservatives.

Who do progressive people in vote for in Oshawa, Liberal Judi Longfield? The same question can be asked in Mississauga Streetsville where Wajid Khan shares the same-sad values as Mr. Harper and Liberal Ms Longfield?

Mr. Martin should tell us very clearly which of his Liberal candidates hold progressive values. How many newly elected and re-elected Liberals will vote the same-sad values of Harper and his team.

How can this man continue to tell the biggest lie of this campaign? Martin is a hypocrite. I can't say it any plainer than that.


Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Marriage equality, Gay, Gay Marriage

The Wheels on the bus go

The Wheels on the bus go ...



they don't on one bus, not anymore, they came off and then
this other guy offers us all a ride and
he is a little wreckless...

By far the best ad of this election by a political party.

Want to "up size" that procedure for just $89.99

If this weren't so serious I would be laughing my head off ...

It does sound to me like a lot of wasted tax dollars, and of course, we must remember that this new "no waiting" deal will guarrantee the private health sector their ever growing piece of pie. This is just a way for us to get used to having these corporations around. Once they get us in the doors they will start
asking if we "want fries with that", or maybe we will want to "up-size". - Gone are the waiting lists

Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, healthcare, medicare

A medical "Skidder" or "How to Profit off of Medicare"

Senator Kirby has recommended Canada adopt wait time guarantees for some treatments. Sounds like a great solution to many at first blush. Stephen Harper wants it and so does Paul Martin. In essence it says if the public system doesn't get it done then you can get it done somewhere else.

So here is the crux of the issue.

Wait time guarantees will serve to undermine the public health system. Private clinics will likely be the provider of care, this will allow some provinces where they have a mind already to go to private care delivery, to set financial limits on public facilities. They do this through closing operating rooms.

Under the Liberal plan $75 million has been allocated for the wait time guarantee. We have no idea where that number came from. It was plucked out of the air I suspect by Martin's team looking for a news bite. Now think about this for a minute. If an operation cannot be done in a public facility its usually because of limits on operating room access. BC has hospitals all over the Province where these facilities are not in use, closed down. Every election the Government gets a few bucks out to open them up and clear a backlog of surgery.

So instead of spending the wait time gurantee money in the public facility, it will be spent I presume to send you to another place, if you have to travel, then travelling costs would be covered plus the cost of the procedure and care at the "other" facility. The procedure will still be paid for from the jurisdiction you come from. Wouldn't it be more efficient to use facilities we already have to do this work?

Does it make sense to spend thousands of dollars to send someone out of province for "routine" surgery or diagnostic services? Currently the government under utilises and under funds public diagnostic services and continue to expand the use of private facilities...

"It reminds me of a time when I started working for the Forest Service in 1978. I had written a report which was used in part to reject a applicant for a timber license. He lost the the bid to another bidder. After this occured I received a call from a Senior BC Cabinet Minister suggesting I change my report. His reasoning was that this guy just bought a brand new skidder. He needed government contracts to to pay for it."

We see provincial governments today expand the use of for profit private diagnostic services. A guy goes out and buys the "medical skidder" and we pay off his loan. It doesn't make sense when we could buy it and provide the services directly through the public system. In fact, our public equipment sits idle while private facilities receives our patronage.

The Wait Time Guarantee is the Trojan horse of the For Profit Health Care industry. The governments choose not to invest in public services to meet the needs, they cry about being unable to cope and then use that to justify using the for profit private facility. Its a run a round the mulberry bush of course.

One of the biggest strains on the public health care sector are hip and joint procedures. It is a problem in every province. So its no solution to pack someone up and send them to another province, we would just be bumping a local person from the wait list.

Again because of a lack of funding for the public system, the government in BC has chosen to shop the work out. To ultilise private for profit facilities. Some of these facilities will do just the one procedure. That is they will do this in an asembly plant manner. Patient on the table, open up, cut, stitch up and out the door, Next! They are likely to do it well and you get your surgery and he makes a profit. A profit that could have been used to provide more care if it had been spent in the public system.

See Maureen's Garden for some satire, Gone is the wait lists

Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, healthcare, medicare

Want some Oil with your Salmon?

Two good reasons for progressive voters to vote for the NDP in BC this time ...

1. Liberal MP David Anderson, the strongest Liberal MP on the issue of maintianing a moritorium on drilling for oil and gas off the BC coast is no longer in the Liberal Caucus. He has retired from politics. Instead David Emerson is BC's leading Liberal Cabinet Minister. The Liberals have no champion in BC to challenge Industry Minister Emerson and he is unlikely to be part of a government after January 23 if he re-elected.

2. The Conservative Party plans to lift the moritorium. See page 24, number 46 for their plan to allow drilling and notice the use of words like "relevant". relevant is of course determined by the government in power.

Conservative candidate Mike Scott promises, that if elected, he would push for offshore oil exploration to determine what's below the ocean floor.

"So that would involve drilling as part of the exploration. That's how you actually prove whether the resource is there or not. You've actually got to get out in the field and determine what's there." - CBC Vancouver, January 19, 2006

Ken Wu of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee tells CBC it's clear a Stephen Harper government would lift the moratorium.

"They don't say it directly like that, but when they say the support oil exploration on the Pacific coast, that means the moratorium would have to be lifted."

The Liberals are caving under pressure from the Gordon Campbell government which wants to have drilling in place before 2010. Another Olympic legacy? The Conservative party is set to open the doors to drilling. Only the Green and NDP are opposed to doing so. The green won't elect anyone in BC this election. If you want to stop oil exporation and drilling off BC's coast, this election you have one choice.

A Harper government, even a minority can change the moritorium. We need to have a strong opposition, that will put the government's feet to the fire everyday in the House of Commons.

Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, NDP, Green Party

Canadians will be doing this!

That's right, that is Avi Lewis in the photo sporting one HOT t-shirt.

Pensions for MPs protected - Why not workers too

Martin can have Hargrove...

Hargrove has always liked the spotlight and today he took it but then it shifted too Paul Martin. The Liberal campaign has been nothing shy of a fear fest. 12 years in Parliament, 12 years and Paul Martin can not point to one thing he has started as a progressive, which makes his pleas to progressive voters (read NDP) even more cynical than the usual Liberal campaign effort.

Hargrove's shallow effort to have folks line up and vote Liberal should be questioned by his members, people that have lost jobs and pension money due to bankruptcy of the employer. I expect he can claim getting Martin onside. Perhaps if the Martin Liberal government had supported the NDP bill on this workers would already have the protection right?

Martin proved today just why its time to go when he said it was wrong that workers would lose out on their pensions when a company declares bankruptcy. How convenient in the middle of an election to take this stand when he could have supported this while in the house. The NDP had a bill before the House of Commons to do just that. Protect workers pensions in the event of a bankruptcy.

Paul Martin and his government rejected the NDP bill and went further ...

"These amendments would represent a radical change to the bankruptcy system. In doing so they would create a number of direct and perhaps unintended adverse consequences on the Canadian economy."We cannot put the engine of economic growth at risk. Bill C-281 would put the brakes on building the 21st century economy as we know it today." (Hansard: May 5, 2005) - Liberal Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry Jerry Pickard

You can read a text of Bill C-281 here. Both the Liberals and Conservatives took the side of Corporate Canada against workers pensions. Bankruptcy laws already favour secured creditors ahead of workers. I would suggest that just in the Liberals and Conservative platforms, both will continue to protect the Corporation, the boss, over working Canadians. Isn't about time that workers be considered secured creditors? I think so but then I am a worker and not one of the big business groups funding the Conservatives and Liberals.


Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, NDP

Nova Scotia Green goes Orange

Some Green's backing NDP in the election. The Green Party leader in Nova Scotia has thrown his support behind the NDP. His motive is clear, a Conservative government will need progressive NDP members to address issues of the Environment and to keep Canada out of US wars.

I expect Jim Harris is fuming now. But as his party slips further to the right, the Green Party is becoming irrelevant to many of its members and supporters. It is not likely the green party will elect a single member in this election. They are not serious contenders here in BC and if they can't win here, where can they win?

In an effort to bring change in Parliament, to hold back a Conservative majority it is likely we will see more Green mambers and supporters vote for Jack Layton and the NDP. Joining them could be a good number of Liberals, especially here in BC.

January 17, 2006

Dear Editor,

As I write, there has been one more death and three more serious Canadian casualties in our undeclared war in Afghanistan and the experts are warning us to expect more to come. And for what reason this suffering, except to support Bush’s so called “war on terrorism”.

In effect our troops serve to free up US troops to go fight in the illegal and immoral war in Iraq. So good for Jack Layton to be the only leader to raise the question of what are we doing there and to call for a halt to further troop deployments. He should go further and call for our withdrawal before we get sucked into a quagmire.

That the Greens, whose values include non-violence, have been silent on this matter speaks volumes about the current direction of the party. So, who to vote for in this election?

Green party Maritime organizer Sharon Labchuk has stated no Green candidate will be elected in Atlantic Canada and with the increasing likelihood of a Harper Government hostile to the environment, the poor and supporting Bush’s military initiatives it will be more necessary than ever to have progressive NDP members in parliament.

Layton’s commitment to the environment, mandatory polluter pay legislation, and electoral reform mean this time I will vote for Alexa McDonough and the NDP.

Hopefully on January 24, the environment and peace will have a voice in Ottawa.

Sincerely,
Michael Oddy
(Leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia)

Election, Canada, Politics, Jack Layton, NDP, Green Party

NDP - Conservatives talk the talk - why don't they walk the walk?

The Liberals were wrong in their ads say the Conservatives, they were attack ads. Now the Conservatives like their ad playing in BC. The trouble with it is its not factual. It looks like to me the Conservatives are trying to stop the NDP rising in BC. They cannot find anything in the NDP Platform to attack so they make it up.

Just another similarity between the Liberals and Conservatives. Deliberately misleading ads and tax cuts for the big oil companies and banks.

The NDP responded this way ...

Conservatives talk the talk - why don't they walk the walk?
Mon 16 Jan 2006

For more than a week the Conservative Party has been complaining about Liberal TV ads they say are factually incorrect.

Now they've released their own.

Today the Conservatives finally posted it on their website - after running it for two days in British Columbia - an incorrect ad about NDP positions.

Will they do the right thing and pull their own misleading ad?

Conservatives say Jack says: "I support legalized drugs". What Jack really says is: We need to give support to the police and to communities to crack down on illegal drugs like crystal meth that are destroying lives and creating the conditions for the growth of crime in our communities.

Conservatives say Jack says: "Who needs tax cuts?" What Jack really says is: Not the profit-making corporations Mr. Harper and the Conservatives wanted to reward with a $4.6 billion tax cut last year. Jack Layton and the NDP think Canadians deserve the personal tax cuts Mr. Harper intends to scrap.

Conservatives say Jack says: "I want higher gas prices." What Jack really says is: The NDP is proposing legislation that would create an independent watchdog to make sure big oil and gas companies don't gouge consumers at the pump.

Conservatives say Jack says: "Please tax my estate." What Jack really says is: The NDP is not proposing any new personal income taxes, and no new taxes on inheritances or estates.

-NDP Press release on Conservative ad

Green Queen Christian

"I have to vote, but who do I vote for. As a christian, they say I need to vote for Harper, because he is the most godly of the three. I say he's not going to change anything to benefit christians. All three candidates profess a belief, each as worthy as the other. Steven Harper gets his picture taken at a prolife rally, but has told canadians that he will not change any law concerning the abortion issue, so why are christians going to vote for him? Is that all he needs to get our vote? If we are so easily led through the wide gate of destruction, then perhaps it is already too late for us."

"I ask you to look at the issues, what are the leaders saying to us, and even more important, what are they not saying to us. Let us pray for a moment, that God will show us what is close to his heart. Has he forgotten the poor, the sick, the homeless, No He has not forgotten, but perhaps we have. All of the three parties support and will not change the abortion laws, nor will they oppose any gay rights." - The Green Queen, January 17, 2006

A new blogger in the Okanagan tells it straight ahead. The abortion law are supported by all three leaders (five counting the BLOC and Green guy), despite what some Conservatives are saying. Gay rights are here to stay too, even if they did change a law the Supreme Court would strike down the change. Remember, Harper said he would not use the "notwithstanding clause", so if you remove gay rights and abortion from the discussion, who would you support. She puts it out there. She's brand new to blogging. I suggest you have a look, but please remember this is a new blogger. Be considerate.

Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, NDP, Marriage equality, Gay, Gay Marriage, Evangelical

Liberals out, Tories and NDP after BC

The race in BC is shaping up between The NDP and the Conservatives and the Liberals are falling away. The Conservatives have seen the trend and they know whats its like here in BC. BC voters, especially like to send someone to Ottawa that is going to give the government hell. They want MPs that will stand up for BC. The NDP and Reform party have been trading these voters for years. Not since 1968 and Trudeaumania have voters in rural BC felt any kinship with the Liberals.

With the advent of the Reform party many of those BC voters supported them where they once elected the NDP. The 2001 election of the BC Liberal party and its ties to the federal Liberal party and Stephen Harper's new melded Alliance and Progressive Conservatives helped the NDP bounce back provincially in a big way, perhaps with one more week they would have won the election here.

The 2004 Federal election saw the NDP regain a foothold in Rural BC and Vancouver Island. They came a close second in many other ridings too. This time out its clear the NDP will take some of those seats away from the Conservatives and the Conservative party is fighting back with what CTV calls a Vicious attack ad.

"With one week remaining before the election, the Conservatives have unleashed their own vicious television ad, but this time the target is Jack Layton and his New Democrat Party." - CTV News, January 17, 2006

See the ad for yourself Conservative attack ad. As CTV also pointed out...

"I think what this demonstrates is that they (Conservatives) view the NDP as real competition there," said CTV's Rosemary Thompson.

Many voters in B.C. tend to swing between one of the two parties, and with Liberal fortunes slipping, the Conservatives appear to be targeting those NDP votes, said Brian Laghi of The Globe and Mail. "If you recall, a lot of people who vote NDP, when they have a second choice it will be Tory, and vice versa," Laghi told CTV's Mike Duffy Live. In the early 1990s, the now defunct Reform Party received many of those votes, which were cast in order to punish the Liberals, said Laghi." - CTV News New Conservative attack ad takes aim at Layton, January 17, 2006

Election, Jack Layton, NDP, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper

Martin "Jack, won't play smash a tory"

Liberal Leader Paul Martin is mad at NDP Leader Jack Layton.

"Jack Layton has been making some very strange comments during this campaign. He's attacked Liberals, not Conservatives. In fact, he's all but ignored Stephen Harper."

This is just another negative attack from a negative, losing Liberal campaign. It’s pure nonsense and Martin’s only demonstrating why so many former Liberal voters are saying the Liberal Party needs time in the repair shop. Since day one of the campaign, Jack Layton has compared the NDP’s approach with both Conservatives and Liberals. That’s the better choice, and more people are choosing it. That’s why Martin went negative once more.

You heard Jack Layton today criticize the Conservative plans for health and education, environment and equality. Whoops he also criticized Paul Martin and the Liberals. The NDP have consistently gone at the issues instead of producing issue ads so offensive they have to be withdrawn. Paul Martin wants the NDP to do what he's doing. No thanks Paul, its not working for you. Why would the NDP try it?. The NDP doesn't need to use the offensive attack ads to ensure people know the NDP think the Conservatives and Harper are just plain wrong.

The Liberal record on working people, ethics and the environment should be admonished, its atrocious. These guys don’t deserve votes. The Conservative plans for massive tax cuts that hurt people should be attacked, too. That’s why Jack Layton’s done both.

Its a typical Liberal response. Martin is losing the election. But don’t look at 12 years of broken promises and scandal. Don’t accept responsibility for an empty, often offensive campaign that’s driving long-time Liberals away. Blame someone else. Maybe look in the mirror and ask yourself why you did not use your 12 years more wisely.

Dang now Martin is mad at the NDP and Jack Layton and the Conservatives are mad at the NDP, see their new attack ad. Off course, the ad has little substance.

Keep it up Jack, if the Liberals and Conservatives are swinging at you, then they see you as eating into the votes they kind of feel a natural entitlement too.


Election, Liberal Party, Jack Layton, NDP, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper

Liberals, Conservative vie for Springer auditions

Liberals and Conservatives battle it out for "All Canuck Week" on Jerry Springer LIVE.

Andrew Telegdi makes his pitch for the show ...
Andrew Telegdi, an incumbent Liberal is running in Kitchener-Waterloo. Telegdi it seems was President of the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo in 1974. At the time he is reported to have said "students did not vote in a municipal election because, they want to be niggers". Now I don't know the whole story here, in what context the term was meant or used, still I expect this comment will get him in the door for an audition on Jerry Springer. Thanks for the nomination Warren and the good sports in the Conservative party war room that issued the press release.

Now it seems the "word" would get him in the door, Telegdi felt needed something more so he asked his Jewish friends to supply this quote...

"CANADA is acting like a Nazi-style regime if it deports Helmut Oberlander of Waterloo without a right to appeal a court decision against him, says Kitchener-Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi. He derided the law by which "politicians make decisions on citizenship. That's what Hitler used to do."

He went onto add what he hopes will secure his appearance on Springer with this...

"... the current system smacks of a Stalinist or Nazi totalitarian regime and "it has no place in a country that prides itself on its Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

Helping Telegdi along ... "Is that what he said? He should be ashamed of himself," said Bernie Farber, executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress. "Any comparison between an evil monstrosity such as Hitler and a democracy like Canada is a shameful statement." and in an unusual joint effort, the Heritage Front, Canada's largest White Civil Rights group rallied with their support of Telegdi.

In a letter to supporters Paul Fromm, Director of CANADA FIRST IMMIGRATION REFORM COMMITTEE writes...

"...When Canada is riddled with Third World whores, Tamil terrorists and Jamaican gangstas whom the Immigration department seems utterly unable or unwilling to deport, Caplan chooses to make war on German and East European immigrants -- all of them elderly -- who have never committed crimes in Canada. ..."

With people like these rallying to the defense of Telegdi, you have to wonder how many more Liberal MPs appeal to these freedom fighters. You just know Jerry Springer would fill up "All Canuck Week".

Come back soon to see who will receive the next "All Canuck Week" invitation... I am sure the Liberal War Room will be happy to supply names and background in appreciation of the Conservatives War Room's generous spirit did here.

Election, Liberal Party, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper

Harper scored big money

Stephen Harper's leadership takes money from all the folks Liberals take money, but some are more interesting than others. Its funny, my Mom use to tell me about picking my friends... "It reflects on you Rick..."

Credit Suisse First Boston gave Harper $6 ,000. Now I looked on the internet and they have two offices in Canada, one in Toronto and the other in Montreal. Do you suppose the Canadian branch is called First Boston? The Credit Suisse Group is a global financial services provider with operations spanning every continent and in all of the world's major financial centers.

EnCana Corporation $25,000 a major energy player in Canada. The Chair of the board is Mr. O'Brien who happens to be the Chair of the board of the Royal Bank of Canada. Also on the board at EnCana is Gwyn Morgan. Who is this person? He is a member of Accenture Energy Advisory Board of Accenture Ltd. (a global management consulting, technology services and out sourcing company). Accenture came under heat in Ontario in the globe and Mail in 2002.

Ontario Tories wasting hundreds of millions
- DARREN YOURK Globe and Mail 2002-12-05

Community Services Ministry paid almost $250-million for what turned out to be a failed attempt to upgrade its computer systems. A contract with the consulting firm Accenture - previously Andersen Consulting - resulted in a "seriously flawed" system that users considered to be a step backwards from what they had, Mr. Peters (Provincial Auditor of Ontario) said. "I consider the ministry's involvement with Accenture to have been a very expensive lesson in how not to implement a new (information technology)-based service-delivery system," the report says. "Making the system work properly may well take much more time and will certainly take many more taxpayers' dollars."

Check out the list here. A smaller list with the larger donations pulled out can be found at LE REVUE GAUCHE . You don't think a guy like Stephen Harper with these friends would, you know ... Of course he will

Election, Canada, Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper