PMK

A member since November 13, 2006 12:52

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Comment History

Canadians want limits on accommodating minorities - SES Research/Policy Options Survey (2007-09-25)

• To me, this poll raises the much larger question of Canada's coming demographic crisis and our current lack of leadership from our business and political eli...
• Hi blossom, I have always enjoyed reading your comments on this blog and am happy that you've responded to one of mine! I read that you disagree, but I se...
• How do you think that "Canadian first then ethnic roots second-----seems these two are reversed too often" would play in Quebec? I sense that if we demanded ...

Harper Tories Should Tread Carefully on Elections Canada Issue - Nik's Sun Media Column (2007-09-10)

• Would you not agree that the CPC 'caught a break' with the emergence of the 'veil' issue at Elections Canada. I fail to see how a veiled woman is going to ma...

Green Party of Canada - Likely the Political Wildcard in the Next Election (2007-08-30)

• I find it hard to think that Canadians will ever accept your view of Mr. Harper as being able to show leadership on the environmental front. I get the sense ...

New SES Research Poll - Federal Tories and Grits Close - Harper Best PM Advantage Weakens (2007-08-14)

• I would disagree with your sentiment that the numbers are evidence of the fact that Ontario always votes Liberal. I think the Ontario numbers are indication ...

SES National Ballot Tracking (as of May 1) - Liberal-Conservative Dead Heat - Greens Up (2007-05-08)

• This is really interesting and informative. Please, why have the Green's been so ineffective at communicating their economic/libertarian ideas?

New SES Research Poll - BQ supporters would Tilt to Tories and NDP (2007-04-17)

• Please, do you not think that "decentralization" is merely an excuse used by our political classes to avoid making hard decisions. Does anybody think that de...
• While the feds collect the money, it is up to the provinces to deliver the programs. How much money have we poured into health and education without any real...

The Green Party: Political Force or Political Phantom? (2007-03-04)

• While I appreciate your aversion to negative messaging and bad rhetoric, I would suggest that the Greens, not being in the Commons, have had the luxury never...

SES-University at Buffalo Poll of Canadians and Americans - Americans Keen on Co-operation with Canada (2007-02-26)

• Bernie. Are you at all concerned with the extent of American and international ownership of Canada's oil and gas resources? I have many friends who this as a...
• Geoffrey. Thanks for the input. Given you knowledge on the subject, I'd appreciate your thoughts on the subject of US and foreign ownership of Canada's oil a...

Harper Scores on CPAC-SES Leadership Report Card (2007-02-12)

• I would disagree with your thinking on this one. Whether or not you like the Conservatives' agenda, one would have to applaud Mr. Harper's leadership to date...
• While I agree with your thoughts on Mr. Harper's style, I must confess to being surprised by Mr. Harper's strong ratings. Most people I know have an unfavour...
• While I agree with your comment that portraying the Libs under Dion as centralizing is good politics, it spooks me as a Canadian. In my mind the story of fed...
• Thanks for sharing this with me.Your point is well made, however.... I tend to think that a division of powers based on an 1867 world is a major impediment t...

Watch, Rate and Comment on the New Conservative TV Ads which Attack the Liberals (2007-01-31)

• I think this was a mistake for the Tories at this juncture in their mandate. They've been in power for a year and are spending their political capital on bri...
• I agree with your sentiments. To me these aren't really attack ads at all. Although tough to define, to me attack ads focus on a negative aspects person's ch...
• Russell, I don't think he ads will backfire. When I first heard about them, I asked myself "why would the governing party resort to attack ads?" However; whe...

Wajid Khan and Changing Political Stripes (2007-01-16)

• If you're suggesting that we move away from a Westminster system of government - sign me up! I find it troubling that our elected officials are forced to vot...
• If not a legislated answer, then what? Do we have a system whereby a recall petition can force an MP to seek re-election. I like that one. I just find it har...
• If I read your thinking right - Emerson decides to cross the floor, voters in his riding create a recall election, Emerson loses the election and he does not...

Harper Cabinet Recalibration - Will it make a difference? (2007-01-04)

• While I suport your comments on the poor performance of Ambrose and Finley (I am dumfounded as to why a department so criticial to economic development as HR...

Wheat Board President Fired (2006-12-20)

• If I read you correctly, you are suggesting that this decision will cost Mr.Harper politically in the West. I am a central Canadian, and I would be comfortab...

Should RCMP Commissioner Stay or Go? (2006-12-06)

• I don't see the opposition holding it's breath. If memory serves, the RCMP's acknowledgement of an investigation of possible/potential leaks from the Finance...

If you were a Liberal Delegate who would you support? (2006-12-02)

• I favoured Mr. Ignatieff going into this, but there was little in his speech that inspired me. Now that Rae is out, it seems that the fate of the Liberal par...

Impact of new Liberal Leader Stephane Dion (2006-12-02)

• The renewed focus on Quebec and Canada will only be intensified by the leadership of M. Dion. Harper vs. Dion will be very interesting to watch, but most ...
• While I agree with your assessment that people tend to vote with their wallets, where we differ is that I see the environment as an economic issue affecting ...
• Hey: Quebecois are very smart people. I happen to be one of them - or at least half of me does. I have also lived in the West and am happy to see the West gr...
• I agree, but not entirely.

Who has the best chance to defeat Stephen Harper? (2006-12-01)

• Harper has a 10 seat majority in the House and his party is tied with the Liberals in voting intention - and the Liberals don't even have a leader! Harper is...
• There is some truth to the notion that not having a leader, makes it easy for people to project their hopes and dreams onto the party. You could say that rig...
• Please, in your opinion, what is Mr. Ignatieff's baggage? I like him because he stands for what he believes in, so I am trying to come to grips with waht his...

What is the Paul Martin Legacy? (2006-11-30)

• It seems to me that creating the Gomery Commission was an attack type of move aimed at the Chretien legacy. Where the lack of political smarts was aparent wa...
• This is a very interesting point and one that, as consumed as I am by the political media, i have never heard. We need more New Brunswick here in Ottawa.
• Would you ever vote Green? Do you think they could make a difference?
• Frank. Out of curiosity, where was Mr. McKenna when this happened?

Liberals Withdraw 'Quebec as a Nation' Motion (2006-11-29)

• In my opinion leadership is about dealing with hard issues and making difficult decisions. One of the toughest questions facing Canada is the issue of Quebec...
• I get your point about candidates not waiding into controversial issues at this point in the campaign. Although, I get the sense I am being managed (don't yo...
• I am taken with your comment about a country being united not by compromise by ambiguity. I would respond that the Commons motion speaks to Canada's ability ...
• I think that all Prime Ministers have been tasked with working on how Quebec fits it - and it's obviously not an easy job! It will be interesting to see if t...

Changing Liberal Party Governance - Will it make a difference? (2006-11-29)

• I don't think that the Liberal party's governance structure will have much of an influence on Canadians - I doubt few, if any would know, about the current s...

What Canadians like and dislike about the Liberal Party of Canada (2006-11-23)

• I tend to liken the Liberals to General Motors - once great, but now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. I can't recall the last time I looked at a GM car ...
• I don't get Bob Rae either. Having lived in Ontario when he was premier, I just don't see him generating any support in Ontario. I think Bob Rae is where he ...
• I do agree that Canada is looking for new political leadership and a more open approach to Canadians, but I disagree with your sentiments on Martha Hall Find...
• Martin. I disagree with your criticism of the previous comment. Based on what I know, I don't see the points made about using the EI surplus in a way that it...

Quebec as a Nation - Dangerous Ground (2006-11-22)

• I commend Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff for opening up this issue for debate. In doing so, they have responded to an 'accepted' notion in Quebec (as per M. Ch...
• Ron. I agree that nothing will change for the extremists. There's no middle ground with fanatics, whether it be in matters of religion, politics or the treat...
• Oddly enough, I don't hear any politicians in Canada calling for this type of reform. It would be great if SES could do some polling on Canadians desire for ...
• I would agree that we have a unity problem, our differences lie in the solutions. Yours is a centralizing solution, mine is a decentralizing solution. Ir...
• Your point is taken on the dangers of acknowledging "nations" within countries. Nonetheless, it could be that these sentiments in the UK are a function of nu...

Federal Tories-Grits Statistically Tied - Tory Turbulence in Quebec (2006-11-16)

• I would suggest that focussing on electoral reform is needed, but not the most urgent priority. I would argue that we need to focus on constitutional reform ...
• I too think that Ignatieff's willingness to discuss issues will be his undoing, but I think you'd agree with me that he's been a breath of fresh air. I can't...
• John: I tend to think that most Canadians would be open to allowing politicians to speak their minds on issues that matter to them. Call me naive, but I h...
• Ron: I get the sense that Afghanistan is a very complex issue and that Canadians are discussing our country's invlovement in the war without a complete un...
• Given our problems in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have little faith in any pre-emptive air attacks on Iran. They would only seem to bolster domestic support for ...
• There's an interesting article on the BBC website where Tony Blair's Chief Strategy Adviser speaks about how the internet is adding fuel to the fire in the c...
• I don't think that Canadians, informed about what actually happening in Afghanistan, would want us to cut and run. In this way, I agree with your comment abo...