On the Harper election win (Nanos Sun Column)

I completely agree that the voters opted for a steady hand on the economy and voted for Harper; he is clearly the best leader given our uncertain times. Dion's Green Shift was a political loser from the start.
The Conservatives made a serious political blunder when they cut funding for the arts and subsequently took a big hit in Quebec which may have cost them a majority government.

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:02:17 EST 2008]

Harper had solid support from firearms owners. The CPC are the only party that have listened to the concerns of the firearms community and have responded in a reasonable way about firearms crime.
Harper has made it clear that he believes there is no relationship between lawfully owned firearms and thugs and criminals misusing firearms in a criminal way on the streets.

Unlike Ann MCcLelland, when in power, Stockwell Day has taken a reasoned approach to a handgun ban and has refused to parrot the canned responses that McClellan did when she was minister.

For that, Harper gained some pretty solid vote as well as financial support.

He now must deliver on his promise to dismantle the long gun registry and begin a move to re-write the Firearms Act. If he doesn't. he could see the loss of a couple of million votes next time.

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:12:31 EST 2008]

Very nice analysis, and quite interesting about the Sunday spike. I'm curious about Green support - one might have thought that it should have dropped more as voters moved to the safer economic management of the Conservatives...?

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:29:01 EST 2008]

I agree. As a centrist I was most disappointed in the hearing acuity of the Liberal leadership and said so in my letters (note the plural) to Dion over the past year but, understandably, received narry a reply. The Harper Conservatives are not perfect, but what political party is, and they are the best bet for Canada considering the alternatives. No party stays in power forever so the Conservatives do not have a stranglehold on the levers of government and a minority situation makes it imperative the the new government tries to govern closer to the centre where most Canadians feel reasonably comfortable politically. If the Conservatives do manage to stake claim closer to the centre, then they are almost assured a majority the next time around as the Canadian electorate would likely support an encumbent government that is fair and just no matter what the opposition would offer-----and let's hope the opposition would have a well presented platform the next time around.

The Liberals have to clean house in the thinking and policy department and buy new batteries for their hearing aids. Dion is not helping this process of "renewal" by clinging to leadership and living in his fantasy land while blaming the Conservatives for his self imposed misfortunes. Dion is delaying the process of "renewal". Martin knew when to quit but, unfortunately, most political "leaders" have to wait for the Order of the Boot to be conferred.

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:32:36 EST 2008]

The sad part of this whole exercise is that fewer people took the time to vote. We have to figure out a way to get people interested in who runs our country. I still believe if people were not told what the results will be before they go out to vote the turnout would have been higher.The result could have been the same but we will never know. In the next campaign I would like to see more people show up and if they are not happy with the options they have , they should reject their ballot. Instead of voting against a party as the ABC campaign told people to do they would show their rejection of all parties without actually cost us more money from E.C. for each vote cast. Ten million people did not vote and that adds up to about 18 million we saved in funding any political party, Next time I hope 20 million show up and reject their ballots saving us 35 million . The results will be the same but we won't be giving them more money to fund an unnecessary election campaign. Let's start the RYB campaign now and maybe they will think twice about calling another unnecessary election if they know they won't get any more of our money.
REJECT YOUR BALLOT. RYB.

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:53:36 EST 2008]

Hi Nik,

Your analysis seems all well and good.

But with all due respect, on the face of it it appears to be mere speculation.

You do not set out the basis for your conclusions:

“My sense is “

“By the closing weekend a number of factors helped the Conservatives regain the economic high-ground….”.

“ . . . likely rang true for many Canadians”.

“…minimized strategic voting”

“…Canadians heard…”

“The other outcome of the holiday weekend political chat…”

“…the holiday chatter rendered a negative judgment …”

Was this based on some survey you conducted, either at the end of the campaign or on the compilation of surveys conducted during the campaign? Is this based on anecdotal evidence? Was it a Vulcan mind meld on your TV set while watching the results? If it is some kind of educated guess, what are you basing it on? And more importantly, to what extend can one give it weight in making their decisions?

“Conservatives can rightly claim victory…”

Many people in Canada would hardly refer to the results of the election as being a victor either for Harper or the Conservative. It certainly wasn’t a victory for the people of Canada. Harper’s rational for the election was that he could not run the country because he had a minority. He cost the Canadian purse over $320,000,000 to ends up with another minority. Many people in Canada would be hard pressed to point to a winner. (See, speculation is easy)

Lloyd MacIlquham

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:57:54 EST 2008]

I think that the Conservatives had the strongest support that was most likely to go & vote. In fact I think Nik had survey results that showed this as well. One of the reasons in my opinion was the advertising. The Conservatives continually plugged away at Dion & his 'carbon tax' proposal & as much as Jack Layton wanted to be PM, in reality that will never happen. With the amount of money raised by the Conservatives and to an extent the NDP, both bashing Dion & the LPC platform, it makes sense that the CPC increased their support at the expense of the LPC. And with the Liberals dragging out their old baggage of Jean Chretien & doing their last minute appeals & fear-mongering to the new Canadians, I think it reminded some Canadians that there is an alternative to "the natural governing party" & that we were heading in the right direction with Harper.

[updated Tue Nov 04 16:59:01 EST 2008]

Nik: First, thanks very much for hosting this forum. Although I didn't post very often I really enjoyed it.

Interesting last three days numbers. I think you are probably right that there was much discussion over the turkey and a significant number of people made up their minds at the last minute.

I do wonder however, if Harper's missed opportunity in Quebec about culture and crime was really an error or deliberate. Harper strikes me as a very astute politician and I am very supprised that he would make such a fundamental misjudgement of how his remarks would be taken in Quebec - a Quebec that he was expecting to give him a majority. Could it be that the CPC is setting up to play hardball with Quebec?

As a CPC supporter, I am obviously pleased with the results. Harper will be able to govern as though he had a majority for a significant period of time. I don't see either the Liberals or the NDP wanting another election within the next 2 to 3 years. We may in fact go the full 4 years before another election.

My expectation is that the Liberals will be more afraid of an election than the NDP and so we will see a repeat of the last parliament where the Liberals will either support the government or abstain while the NDP will cry crocidile tears about how the CPC is hurting the poor "average Canadian around his dinner table".

The real concern I have is rebuilding of the LPC.

I haven't seen any sign yet that they will turn inward and look at what is wrong with their party. Until they are willing to admit that they actually lost the confidence and support of Canadians, they will not take the time to rebuild.

Canada needs two parties that can be government - right now we have only one.

The NDP will never be an acceptable alternative for the vast majority of Canadians. They know this and so have the luxury of taking any position they want without ever being held accountable.

The only real alternative to the CPC is the LPC and they will not be an alternative again until the put their house in order.

The one party who might want an election in the near future (2-3 years) is the CPC. If the LPC doesn't get its house in order and learn to fundraise under the new rules it may will be that the CPC will manufacture a reason for an early election to finish crushing the Libs.

[updated Tue Nov 04 17:04:10 EST 2008]

We are not worried about Quebec in the first place, We can have a Minority forever under Harper, to keep these clones of Trudeau, Chretien,Martin,and other Liberals out of Power. We in Western Canada do like the Liberals period they give everything to these whinning Quebecers.

[updated Tue Nov 04 17:05:56 EST 2008]

the economy was indeed the big hit in the election and it was no surprise that dion was rejected. taxation is a big issue to people in this country who believe (rightly so) that we are over taxed. what i do not know is whether dion could have sold this idea in better economic times or whether someone with better communication skills could have sold that plan irregardless of the economy. canadians made the right choice in my mind, with now not being the time to experiment.
as far as the voter turnout goes, not to begrudge this blogs host but i think the constant inundation of polling turned many off. conservatives stayed home, content in the knowledge that conservatives would win. liberal voters stayed home convinced of their own defeat. when you look at the polls compared to the actual ballot count, the election provides the largest sample size a pollster could ask for and it was accurate (congrats nik!!!!). i think if you want to draw people out to the polls, polling has to be limited. either that or enforce laws similar to that in australia.
as far as losing the majority, quebec is a province that should be very thankful that it contains a third of the seats in parliament. conservatives simply cannot win such a socialist province and still be able to keep its base out west (see brian mulroney and the rise of reform). i for one do not like the pandering that goes on for that province. give them 50 less seats and see which party gives a damn for them.

[updated Tue Nov 04 18:11:56 EST 2008]

I think Harper is a very good leader - capable, steady and focused, with a plan for where he wants to take the country. He's not flashy. He's not a "rock star". He just gets the job done.

The "scary" moniker of Chretien, Martin and Dion has at last been proven completely false. The only "scary" thing in this election was watching the man who fancied himself as PM, Stephane Dion, self-destruct in one of the poorest run, self-dillusional campaigns I've seen in my lifetime. The Liberals clearly have no plan, no vision and no leaders (plural) that I can discern. They are bereft of any sense of identity or brand. When I hear the word "Liberal" today, I see a cynical, arrogant, entitled politician seeking only power for power's sake, with his finger in the wind to see which way the polls are blowing to make his promise-of-the-day. They will spin like a weather vane if it will get them votes.

Harper is a good leader, and I believe, given another term in office with the possibility of a future majority freeing him from the necessity of politiking, he could become a truly great prime minister. I think in these times of uncertainty, people sensed this, and voted for the steady, capable hand on the wheel, rather than a mad experiment with an unproven tax grab from a testy professor who proved unable to communicate in the language of 76% of the population.

[updated Tue Nov 04 18:41:18 EST 2008]

Great job Nik!!! I never miss you and trust your analysis and polling more than anyone else.

[updated Tue Nov 04 20:22:21 EST 2008]

Harper's decision to freeze funding to Provinces is about the worst thing you can do given a US economic contraction. Provinces host two of the most employment intensive sectors: education and health. Planned corporate tax cuts help oil and banks. Neither are employment intensive. Oil earns 36% of all profits but employs a much smaller percentage of Canadians, maybe 3.6%. Oil is 1/4 as employment intensive as are wind turbines. Banks make money by keeping investors dumb, just like Canada's media.

This is analogous to funding increases for First Nations being capped at 2% annually. Not good given young demographics if you want a low crime rate and high education rate here. Flaherty has corporate tax rates set to lower precisely when health care costs will rise sharply as boomers start to require expensive end-of-life care, all the while exacerbating AGW for boomer children and all subsequent generations. Canada is no longer a post-modern country. No longer a positive influence on our species.

[updated Tue Nov 04 20:59:54 EST 2008]

Nik, yours is a sensible, reasonable analysis of the election results. Early in the campaign when the Conservative support was nearing 40% I said that Harper was getting close to a Majority. Later on when the gap became much narrower I was beginning to hope that maybe Harper was headed for a defeat. Then the last weekend it shifted back in Harpers favour again.

Fear produces caution and fear of an economic downturn, especially in Ontario, caused many voters to decide not to rock the boat. I disagree with "prudent economist" He may be prudent but he is a poor economist. He still believes in discredited concepts like trickle down economics, like cutting taxes stimulates the economy and other outdated theories.
In fact only two days after Bush said he was concerned about inflation, Harper said the same. Whereas anyone who knows anything about economics would be fearing deflation now, not inflation.
He should read Tobin, Spence, Stiglitz Krugman or Sachs. They are all Nobel prize winners. Maybe Sachs didn't but he should have . He's probably the best of them.
Also Harper didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the economic situation until the last minute. He should have known over a year ago. several leading US economists were prediting this. Roubini spelled it out in detail.
But I guess Harper was able to convince voters, so that's all that required.

"Second, his closing message that Canadians were likely to face another minority government minimized strategic voting." Yes, true. They figure that a minority can't go too far astray.

The fact that nearly 80% of eligible voters didn't wish to vote for him must have dampened his spirit somewhat. Even among those who did vote nearly twice as many voted against him. That's not a confidence booster. But he got more than anyone else, so that's what it's all about. It's Canadians want.
I don't mind being a minority, I usually am, in a majority. But I don't feel happy when my country is run by a minority, which is the situation we have now. I wish Canadians would demand a more democratic way of selecting our ruling class.

P. S. One positive I took from the election was this. The people of Toronto and Newfoundland are more politically intelligent than other Canadians. :-)

[updated Wed Nov 05 07:40:51 EST 2008]

After watching ABC coverage of the US election, I was impressed they had polls by state, by county, by region of each city. They had exit polls too. They had dynamic maps to display the data. I wish we Canadians had the money for that degree of pulse measuring.

On the other hand, I waited no time at all to vote, where Americans could wait up to 8 hours.

[updated Wed Nov 05 07:51:37 EST 2008]

I think the main reason the Conservatives won is they lied repeatedly and consistently to confuse the public about the platforms of the NDP and Liberals. The media conspired with them by remaining silent, never once even raising an eyebrow. If were on a jury, I would aquit Mr. Dion if he went postal on them. Conservative mendacity was the worst I have seen in Canadian politics in my 60 years.

[updated Wed Nov 05 07:58:08 EST 2008]

The main reason the Conservatives won, is because they know how to do things right, the Liberals can never be trusted, they will always find away to fill the pockets of their families and relatives. Just look at the Civil Service!

[updated Wed Nov 05 17:44:13 EST 2008]

The Question of the Day? Why are the Liberals looking for a Leader?

[updated Wed Nov 05 17:45:23 EST 2008]

I'm thinking of forming a Anti China Party in Canada, the time is right and only those born in Canada can be members! What do you think Bloggers and is it time to have internet voting, I was a DRO in the last 3 Federal Elections and it is time for the Paper Ballots to go, we need some type of touch vote system or what they use in the Municipal Elections here in BC, In my riding the party scrutoneers came to blows over ballot count with the DRO, I only heard the noise. Elections Canada has to get up to date!

[updated Wed Nov 05 18:24:57 EST 2008]

The main problem for the Liberals! Is the people that attend Liberal Convention and Who Vote for the Leader. Forget about Delegates, Vote over the Internet by Grass Roots people not these party hacks. Who may not be any brighter than the door knob on your door!

[updated Thu Nov 06 01:11:17 EST 2008]

Policy Number One For Harper: No Trade With China Period, If they do not stop NO Party will get a majority in this country again. Increase import taxes immediately!

Taiwan must remain Independent and Have membership in the UN and World Trade,(My girl friend was from Taiwan this is how they feel! Who cares about the Chinese in China not me I have seen their mess first hand) China must be dropped they have not earned the right to be there, it is g.d. Russians fault.

[updated Thu Nov 06 11:57:05 EST 2008]

Did you see all the whipped puppies (Liberals) coming into a Caucas Meeting on Parliament Hill it was a site to behold! I just loved it! They Deserve it!

[updated Thu Nov 06 13:54:14 EST 2008]

Is there a scientific way to prove it was a Liberal loss and not really a CPC win? What kind of poll question could we ask to find out if voters voted against the Green Shift and Dion or did they really vote for the lesser of two evils as I did? I only wish I had the money to hire a polling company like Nanos to prove it one way or the other. The right seems to believe we are swinging to the right when in reality we simply chose to vote against the perceived danger of a tax grab. History shows most elections are lost by the incumbent party because voters are P.Oed. about something. Martin lost because of adscam. Mulroney went down in flames because of the GST. Turner lost because of patronage appointments.Harper will lose when we get angry at him. The left leaning electorate makes a mistake every few years and elects the right wing party but it will and always has come back to the party that is in the middle or at least just left of center.

[updated Thu Nov 06 15:56:48 EST 2008]

Liberals lose $250,000 in deposits as 36 Liberal candidates fail to garner at least 10% of the vote.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/06/liberal-caucus.html

It's a drop in the bucket compared to their other revenue problems, but it does add insult to injury.

[updated Thu Nov 06 20:10:27 EST 2008]

PM moves fast to build bridges with Obama
Relationship with president-elect seen as giving Harper a more centrist image

This will drive the screaming left absolutely crazy as they try to find way to demonize Harper/Obama on a shared environmental plan.

They won't be able to demonize and attack Americans openly as they have been doing for the last few years.

OBAMA is not a left leaning Liberal, in fact his positions are clearly inline with Harper on several key areas. This should be fun watching Bloc,Dion, Layton try to refer to Harper as the Obama sidekick.

[updated Fri Nov 07 08:34:55 EST 2008]

Ontario is going to be the big winner in the next 24 months by the Harper gov't as Quebec failed to convert more seats or popular support. "Aways pick the low lying fruit."
-------------------------------------------------
....The clear directive from the Conservative hierarchy is for all Quebec supporters to put their federal allegiances first and foremost. Conservative officials said that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's new Quebec lieutenant, Public Works Minister Christian Paradis, is an example of someone whose top priorities are in Ottawa.

"Both sides with a certain affiliation provincially have to get over it," a Tory official said.

"It's a matter of when the leader [Mr. Harper] is not in the province, how do we make sure that we dominate the news cycle or respond quickly ... ," a Tory official said.

Conservative organizers are being urged to focus their energies on governing, and to limit their contribution to the current Quebec campaign.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081107.wharper07/BNStory/National/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp
-------------------------------------------------

The CPC will work with increasing popular vote and seats in Ontario.
Where is the next Liberal Leader suspected to come from?
The CPC will not give a free hand to the newly annointed Liberal leader to rebuild the base in Ontario.
Voters will see the CPC focus on Ontario.

The CPC have put the strongest Cabinet Ministers to address the economic challenges we will encounter with the global recession.

[updated Fri Nov 07 08:51:44 EST 2008]

Canada adds 9,500 jobs, defies expectations

In Canada, Statistics Canada reported that an increase in full-time work was mostly offset by a decline in part-time work.

“The labour market surprises once again,” said Toronto-Dominion Bank economist Charmaine Buskas, noting that the addition of 47,500 full-time jobs “bodes well for income growth.”

On the goods-producing side of the economy, however, there was broad-based weakness, Ms. Buskas noted.

The number of jobs in Alberta increased by 15,000, pushing the province's employment rate to a record high of 72.5 per cent. However, British Columbia lost 8,300 jobs in October and saw its unemployment rate increase to 5.3 per cent. There was little change in the employment levels in other provinces.
http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081107.wjobs1107/BNStory/Business/home?cid=al_gam_mostview
---------------------------------------------
Looks like the opposition will continue to be shooting blanks when the house resumes.
Housing market bubble is not happening in Canada. Only a few cities based on greedy speculators are getting into trouble.
Our banks are holding up fine.
Anti-american bashing is over and calling Harper a Bush side kick.

What will the speechwriters for the opposition do now?

[updated Fri Nov 07 09:10:22 EST 2008]

Great move by Harper to cancel the Photo Gallery, should send a message to Quebec Artist's to find real jobs for once in their lives like other Canadians have to. And stop being continual parasites on the public purse which Bombardier has been doing for years. It also says we do not need your Votes to Win.

[updated Fri Nov 07 23:40:45 EST 2008]

IS THIS THE START OF THE CONS DEMISE?:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081108.wtories1108/BNStory/politics/home

OTTAWA — Grassroots Conservatives are urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to act on long-standing demands of the Canadian right, such as less government and more health-care privatization, as they head into the party's second-ever policy convention next weekend in Winnipeg.

Resolutions from Conservatives across the country have been whittled down to a few dozen that will be up for debate on the convention floor.

The final list includes demands that, if adopted, could challenge Mr. Harper's efforts to soften the party's image among those who aren't traditional Conservatives.

"I think people are becoming impatient and they want to see some action. They want to see this government deliver a real, small c, conservative agenda," said Gerry Nicholls, a conservative commentator with the Democracy Institute.
...............................

The small c conservatives are the major source of Harper's revenues for the party. He can't afford to isolate them and he can't afford to swing to the right where he also wants to be.
The liberals will definitely be moving their brand back to the exact political center with a new leader which will bring back the traditional Liberal voters who abstained in huge numbers the last election.

[updated Sat Nov 08 05:36:55 EST 2008]

Liberals are Toast For Ever!

[updated Sat Nov 08 14:46:20 EST 2008]

Thanks for the analysis Nik.

I cannot regard the minority result as a victory because of the mendacious machinations used to justify an unnecessary election. Harper was a bit frugal with the facts when he said that the government needed a majority to move ahead with its agenda. In reality, there had been 65 bills passed by the House of Commons since the Conservatives were elected on January/06, a legislative track record. Time and again, a vote was deemed as a “vote of confidence” in an attempt to lure the opposition into bringing down the government but the opponents didn’t bite. Much to the government’s chagrin, they survived the mock votes.

The height of hypocrisy was when Harper claimed that the opposition had created a Parliament that had become so dysfunctional that it couldn’t continue to function. This came from a government that wrote a 200-page handbook on how to obstruct and disrupt the democratic process to the point of shutting it down. The Conservatives were as much or more to blame for the toxic atmosphere that had paralyzed Parliament.

In his disingenuous musings about the pressing need for an election, an important fact missing was that the economy “was going south”. I think there was an erroneous calculation that the election would be over before the onset of the economic downturn,

When his plots and ploys came to naught, the disregarded his own fixed-election-date law and called the election! The stars will never be better aligned, especially in terms of an inexperienced Liberal leader, not to mention running with an incomprehensible unsaleable carbon tax as a key policy. And before the election, there was the constant barrage of offensive personal attack ads. Yet the Conservatives still couldn’t marshal a majority. This happens to political parties that are unable to gain voters’ trust.

The lowest voter turnout in history showed that Canadians didn’t want or see the need for an election so they stayed home. It was a non-event because the country ended up with the same result – another minority government. It wasn’t worth the price tag of the added seats.

History will show that this was a stable and successful minority government regardless of the cock-and-bull stories bandied about to rationalize an election. Canadians will wonder how anyone could possess the hubris to call an election at a cost of $300+ million that was nothing more than an opportunistic power grab. In fact, it should go down in history as the most pointless election since 1867!

I am not a member of any political party. And I vote.

[updated Sun Nov 09 00:15:01 EST 2008]

I am a Conservative supporter but I have concern that the electorate is still wary of Harper and his Conservative government as a result of the demonization of Harper by the Liberals over the years. Regardless of the results in Quebec Harper should have been able to convince a great many more Canadians to vote for him considering what was on offer.

Also the failure of the government to articulate its positions clearly to the electorate in its first term often times allowing the opposition to frame the debate had an impact on Canadians. Failing to hear a defense the electorate assumed the opposition parties must be right. The communications strategy sucked big time but I am encouraged to see hopeful signs there will be a more effective communications strategy this time out.

Having said that I agree the turnout was dismal and I am not sure how we can turn it around. If people do not want to become engaged in the political process, no matter the reason, there is little that can be done. Expecting a charismatic leader to appear on the stage anytime soon is not in the cards and really is superficiality at its best. Frankly I think Canadians by their nature would be suspicious of any smooth talker trying to convince them they have the answer to all that ails the country.

Many people blame Harper's position on arts cuts and youth criminal justice changes as a reason why Quebecers abandoned the party. I do not believe this for a minute. I do believe that Duceppe was allowed to say anything he wanted without an adequate rebuttal by the party. If we had had a stronger presence in Quebec with our own troops versus the ADQ we could have counteracted Duceppe's distortions. The bottom line Quebecers feel that they have the government by the short ones by having a party in the House of Commons that speaks primarily for their interests. Otherwise there would have been no reason for Quebec to support Harper because of his positions on Afghanistan etc in the first place. I believe they were toying with the Conservative party.

[updated Sun Nov 09 00:42:18 EST 2008]

Message to the Liberals: Your so called Leadership Convention is not welcomed in BC, this Conservative country, if you do hold it, make sure it is in Hedy Fry's area or take a look at the new Political Map, it is not your (416) area. Just in case you are Confused!

[updated Sun Nov 09 14:26:50 EST 2008]

Harper and Obama.

Call me stupid but I don't see it. Can somehow please explain to me precisely how these two gentlemen will work together on the Environment? Last time I checked, they weren't exactly on the same page, much less reading from the same hymn book.

Understand, I'm looking for the nitty gritty -- the red meat of political co-operation and consensus that will work wonders for our environment. In short, show me the road map. Show me the plan. Kindly explain to me exactly what Obama is willing to negotiate based on the present state of the government's environmental policies and record.

This should be an eye opener for me. I must really have missed something so far.

[updated Sun Nov 09 18:54:49 EST 2008]

Ronald O Dowd are you the Liberal Fool of the Month????

[updated Mon Nov 10 00:08:39 EST 2008]

The Hidden Agenda ooooh scary stuff....rofl

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081108.wtories1108/BNStory/politics/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp

Resolutions up for debate

Supreme Court judges Supreme Court of Canada judges should serve 10-year renewable terms.

Health care Provinces should be encouraged "to further experiment with different means of delivering universal health care utilizing both the public and private health sectors."

Auto emissions Canada should match California's more stringent standards.

Military parents If they die while serving Canada, their children should be given free tuition to postsecondary institutions.

Human Rights Commission The Canadian commission's authority to investigate complaints related to hate messages should be removed.

Streamlining The government should "streamline government services and eliminate waste, unnecessary overlap and duplication between the levels of government."

Free votes Replace current party policy that all votes, other than the budget and main estimates, are free votes, with the policy that a Conservative government will make "most votes free."

Conservative Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow played down the potential impact of the convention resolutions on government decisions.

"They're just like any other consultation you would have with any stakeholder group," he said, confirming the government will not be bound by the Winnipeg decisions.
========================================

Rofl the sky is falling!

[updated Mon Nov 10 09:23:26 EST 2008]

Ignatieff set to declare candidacy, insider says

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081109.wliberals1110/BNStory/politics/

Mr. Ignatieff is already picking up caucus support from Gerard Kennedy, the insider says. Mr. Kennedy ran for the leadership in 2006 but has not announced plans to run this time. Mr. Rae has announced his intention to run, as has New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc. Mr. LeBlanc, who remained neutral in 2006, has many of former prime minister Paul Martin's top strategists on his team, including communications director Scott Reid and chief of staff Tim Murphy.

Party president Doug Ferguson announced Sunday that leadership candidates will pay a non-refundable $90,000 entry fee. As well, 10 per cent of what they raise will go to the party and there is a spending cap of $1.5-million. In 2006, the entry fee, which was eventually refunded, was $50,000 and the spending limit was $3.4-million.

Candidates have until Feb. 6, 2009, to sign up new members; delegates will be chosen in their ridings between March 6 and March 10. Each riding is allowed to send 22 delegates, up from 14 in 2006.

There are about 8,800 eligible delegates, up 40 per cent from the 2006 leadership. With media, officials and alternates it is expected there could be as many as 10,000 at the May convention.

===========================

[updated Mon Nov 10 09:41:14 EST 2008]

Obama sets example for Canada

http://www.stephentaylor.ca/2008/11/obama-sets-example-for-canada/

The election of Barack Obama is historic in many ways, most significantly in the progression along the troubled history of race in the United States. On Tuesday, Americans turned out in record numbers to give Obama a decisive win and vault the first African-American into the highest office in that country. The Obama team also set new records along the fundraising front and may indeed set a precedent for the financing of elections in the future.
According to opensecrets.org, a website on money in politics run by the Centre for Responsive Politics, Senator Obama raised $639 million during the 2008 Presidential election cycle with 91% of that sum coming from individual donations. Comparatively, Senator McCain raised $360 million, 54% coming from the same type; the majority of the dollars from each candidate’s campaign came from people making personal donations to their favourite candidate. A striking difference between campaigns was Obama’s refusal of public funding. The Illinois senator took $0 of public financing while his Republican counterpart from Arizona took over $84 million to make up 23% of his campaign’s spending power.
We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
— President-elect Barack Obama, Chicago November 4th, 2008
In Canada, the Reform Party under Preston Manning started a tradition of passing the hat in church basements and legion halls during rallies, speeches or simple administrative meetings. A donation of $5, $20 or $100 was passed on to bring change to Ottawa. The tradition continues today under Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party, though in a much more sophisticated way and one that is buoyed by databases and telemarketing. Conservatives have historically raised an average individual donation of about $100 while Liberals used to depend on fewer but larger sums. Jean Chretien –perhaps to kneecap his long-coveting Prime Ministerial successor — changed the way election financing was done in Canada by banning corporate and union donations. Chretien replaced the private financing of political parties by special interests with public financing by government. For each vote that a party earns during an election, that party receives $1.75 per year from the federal treasury.
On the surface, this reconfiguration of campaign financing seems to rebalance the funding equation from powerful institutions to those that ought to have the first and last word in any democracy. Indeed, voters are empowered not only when they give campaigns their vote but also when they do so with the knowledge that instead of corporate or union backing, there is a small financial sum that comes with each ballot cast that sustains parties instead. However, while Chretien’s system solves one problem, it creates another.
In Quebec where a province defaults to the inert rather than the principled, a problem exists with Chretien’s model of campaign financing. The Bloc Quebecois, doing all it could to supress its core principle of sovereignty for that province, rather stood against — indeed, as a block to — Conservative ideas in the 2008 general election and against Liberal corruption in 2006. In the first half of this year, the Bloc raised just over $70,000 but received $1.5 million in public financing. Donations are a result of direct support whereas that larger windfall comes from standing against something rather than offering something better. The Bloc Quebecois would not exist if it had to rely upon direct non-governmental financing from supporters.....Part 1

[updated Mon Nov 10 10:29:33 EST 2008]

Protect pensions, Manitoba premier urges
"If we don't get it right on pension plan flexibility, we could have the market just whack a lot of people close to age 71 and they may take a huge hit. These are very, very important issues."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081110/national/first_ministers_meeting

[updated Mon Nov 10 12:24:01 EST 2008]

Why I Voted Conservative and a former Reform member: I do not like Art and do not care about the Quebec Culture, I only care about the Canadian Culture, I'm totally against Multiculturalism and Billingualism, I cannot stand the Senate, We do not need a Governor General, I want all Civil Servants who abused their Government Credit Cards to be fired and noted on their resume for other employment, None of this paying it back business. You only need half a brain to know what a government card can be used for, it is grade 1 elementary. Too many French Canadian working in the Civil Service it must be balanced 70% mainstream 30% french canadian based on the total population. Did I miss anything, If you do not like the comments to bad! These are my Views.

[updated Mon Nov 10 13:35:15 EST 2008]

You guys are more fun than the Comedy Network!

[updated Mon Nov 10 16:34:45 EST 2008]

Forces to improve services for wounded
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081111.wmajor11/BNStory/National/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp

Not since the Korean War have the Canadian Forces and federal government had to deal with so many injured soldiers. However, many have encountered red tape and lengthy delays in getting necessary services and items such as wheelchair stairlifts for their homes.

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, who chairs the Senate committee on national security and defence, said treating a wounded soldier as though he or she were a typical public servant is "a whole lot of BS."

"They should feel that they are being treated in a special way, because they have had something that has totally altered their lives and that no other public servant can even remotely contemplate." he said.

Mr. Kenny said common sense should be used when the government deals with wounded soldiers, and that requests for support and items should be met quickly. "It's not as if we can't anticipate with a fair amount of accuracy what's required," he said. "And it's not as though we are dealing with thousands of people."
============================================
I am in 100% in agreement with the statement of a Liberal Senator. The Civil Servants handling these cases should expedite the request and the Government should address this matter.

[updated Tue Nov 11 10:10:40 EST 2008]

Auto subsidies pouring fuel into a leaky gas tank

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081111.RDECLOET11/TPStory/TPBusiness/

Here's a better idea: If they're going to go into bankruptcy court anyway, just step aside. Ottawa can't prevent it. Let the Detroit Three do the hard stuff - closing plants, cutting workers and wages, getting rid of the incompetent senior managers and wiping out the shareholders. All who created this mess should pay a price.

And then, once they have a viable, post-bankruptcy business plan, if they still want government help, Ottawa should listen. But not before. Because as things stand right now, auto manufacturing in Canada is - just as Mr. Lewenza says - a failing business. Few investors would risk their money on it. Why should the taxpayers?

[updated Tue Nov 11 12:02:02 EST 2008]

I warned you Idiots, About doing business with China, Now BC companies that Export cannot get paid for their goods by Chinese Banks. What Fools we have in this country. The biggest fool Jean Chretien is to blame. I hope they all go broke for being Stupid. Vancouver Sun BC Business Nov 10,2008. Do think the people in the East will ever wake up I doubt it they are stuck in the Liberal (416) area. The Land Of Multicultural Idiots that will never learn!

[updated Tue Nov 11 14:07:20 EST 2008]

I note many economists are now saying that Canada is in a recession with some saying there will be the loss of 100,000 jobs.

Its funny that Harper and his midget FM were standing on their heads denying wee were heading into one when a ll signals pointed in that direction.

They have emptied the cupboard of over $15BB since taking office and will now focus on a deficit that will hamper us even further down the road.............we certainly did get the government we deserve and we will now be screwed for a decade by these irresponsible idiots.

[updated Tue Nov 11 17:20:17 EST 2008]

Somebody by the name of Mary Lou something from the (416) Liberal stronghold and got cold feet to be Leader, well whoever she is, she will not be missed out here. Informed might be he is trying to find a girl friend

[updated Tue Nov 11 23:36:52 EST 2008]

Paul Adams on the Liberals and uniting the 'left'

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081107.wliveadams1111/BNStory/specialComment/home/?pageRequested=2

...Jack F from Canada writes: These unite-the-left calls are not dissimilar to the calls that came after the '88 election where the Liberals and NDP split the left vote and led to a second Mulroney majority. At that time Chrétien and Martin were both considered worthy successors to Turner as they both had long time party affiliations and a history of running large ministries (Chrétien) or successful companies (Martin). This time round the Liberals are left with Bob Rae, a former NDP leader who ruined Ontario's economy in the early 90s and is unlikely to have much success in reviving the success the party had in that province under Chrétien; and Ignatieff, who spent 30 years out of the country as an academic with no real governing experience, as the two front-runners. I don't see either of these individuals having any success in a federal election outside of the usual Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver strongholds. How would either of these two appeal to the right of centre voters in the rest of Ontario and Quebec in order to re-gain power?

Paul Adams: An excellent point. After their financial difficulties, the Liberals' second biggest problem is how to manage generational change without squandering their traditional advantage in terms of the perception of competence. Ex-ministers in the Martin and Chrétien governments have the advantage of experience but the disadvantage of being associated with seeming arrogance and corruption that the Liberals came to represent at the end of their last turn in power. Outsiders lack the federal experience to exploit the party's traditional advantage as capable managers, ready on the first day.

The question that only the next two years will answer, though, is whether the Liberals can overcome their financial and succession issues by exploiting the Harper government's weaknesses in fiscal management, the environment, social and cultural issues, as well as its very own arrogance-issue.

There are plenty of reasons to think the Liberal Party could end up a dead duck within a few years whatever tactics they pursue. And many other reasons to think that they might bob back into power despite their many difficulties.

There are structural forces at work both for and against the Liberals' prospects at the moment. How they fare will depend in part on circumstances outside their control, of course, but may also hinge on tactical judgments and organizational efforts they make in the coming months and years.

[updated Wed Nov 12 10:05:44 EST 2008]

Candidates for Liberal Leadership dropping off like flies, I wonder why Habs and Uniformed the man of many names!

[updated Wed Nov 12 23:03:05 EST 2008]

Gerry McCaughey, chief executive of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, lauded the new programs. "Today's announcement is another example of the federal government's commitment, along with the Bank of Canada and OFSI, to ensure that Canada's financial system remains among the strongest and most competitive in the world," he said.

http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081112.wflaherty1112/BNStory/Business/?cid=al_gam_nletter_maropen

Mr. Layton said the federal government has come to the aid of the banks, while doing nothing for the auto sector, which has also been sideswiped by the global economic crisis.

“The contrast is rather stark,” he said.

Mr. McGuinty made much the same point.

“We need to see the auto sector somewhat in the same light,” he said. “There's no magical difference between banks and the auto industry. They are both indispensable to the generation of wealth and support they provide to our quality of life, including our public services.”

http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081113.wauto13/BNStory/Business/?cid=al_gam_nletter_maropen

When did the automobile industry (GM, Chrysler, Ford) become banks? I know GMAC got into lending and lost millions in the US. If we could not save the lumber mills from the US, what makes us think we can save the big 3 American branch plants in Canada?

Are we going to give money to all automobiles manufacturers? Honda, Zen, what about the parts suppliers like Magna? Where does this end?

[updated Thu Nov 13 11:46:29 EST 2008]

Does anyone know what happened to the Bombardier planes that were financed by the Government of Canada, with Bombardier being a Private Company, then leased back by CIDA (the worst agency in the Canadian Government) the planes are now sitting on a Arizona desert rustying. This was all under the Liberals, Bombardier has been annual parasite on the Public Purse for years, when no BC company could not getting any help at all. Even China did better under the g.d. Liberals! Did you think we would Forget!

[updated Thu Nov 13 14:35:10 EST 2008]

It looks as thought the Cons will give us a Liberal government after all;

So the next step could see the old alliance/reform warriors come alive again some day soon.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/11/13/michael-taube-the-tories-secret-agenda-consists-of-occupying-the-middle-ground.aspx

Are the Harper Conservatives always acting like conservatives?

Sadly, no. The government has disappointed a lot of Canadian conservatives since coming to office. They have supported an increased role for government instead of a reduced role; passed targeted tax credits instead of broad-based tax relief; increased government spending (especially in the second budget) rather than enhancing the role of the private sector; and spent more time apologizing for historical grievances instead of promoting political and financial independence for these same groups. None of these particular positions should make small ”c” conservatives stand up and cheer.

[updated Thu Nov 13 16:18:53 EST 2008]

Where Art Thou Oh Quebec Wing?!

I couldn't help but chuckle with news that the Conservative Party is dragging out an old retread as a possible fix for the woes facing the party in Quebec.

Party President Don Plett says it's going well in Quebec. After all, over 100 of the close to 2000 delegates to the party convention in Winnipeg are from Quebec. Please don't make me puke.

Casting back my mind to the Montreal convention in 2005, one of our aims was to create and promote an aile québécoise, an autonomous party organization to deal exclusively with all political matters pertaining to the province of Quebec. Chief promoters of the idea included Senator Pierre-Claude Nolin and the head of the then proposed aile québécoise, Johanne Sénéchal. At that time, it was made clear to all party members in Quebec that that proposal was dead-on-arrival.

If this is all that the new Quebec team can come up with, God Help Us...I guess that Informed1 has read the tea leaves a lot more correctly than I have. Christian Paradis had better show more initiative than this, otherwise it won't be pretty come the next election.

[updated Thu Nov 13 19:48:22 EST 2008]

The Flaherty stupidity has started once again.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081113.wcntower1113/BNStory/Front/home

He gave away the 407 when he was FM in Ontario and now he wants to sell federal assets in the midst of a recession. brilliant.

The 407 is now worth more than 15 times what he sold it for!!!

[updated Thu Nov 13 21:23:57 EST 2008]

TAKEN FROM A BLOG:
"Harper tells Conservatives to put ideology aside in face of Economic Crisis"

I have never seen a statement more damning of conservative ideology than this one. If their ideology has to be suspended to deal with the economy, doesn't that say something about their ideology?

You heard it from Harper himself.
.................................................

YEP HYPOCRISY UNLIMITED BY HARPER.

[updated Thu Nov 13 22:41:14 EST 2008]

"I think that I'm better now. I think that I have been tested in the House of Commons four days a week. I've stood toe-to-toe with the Prime Minister," he said when asked what has changed since he last ran for the leadership.

Those are the qualifications in running for Leader of the Liberal Party and PM? Another professor, he does not have a economic background but a Human Rights expert. Can you see the Roadkill Ads already?

This guy was a runner-up to Dion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081113.wignatieffdeclares1113/BNStory/National/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp

Rae is positioning himself with economic experience in difficult times.

Either of these two will help the CPC get the 12 seats the next time around in Ontario.

[updated Fri Nov 14 08:51:44 EST 2008]

Obama wins 1 of Nebraska's electoral votes
http://nikonthenumbers.com/topics/show/113/19721#comment_19738

Obama now has 365 electoral votes to McCain's 162.

Missouri, with 11 electoral votes, is still too close to call. Election officials there have until Tuesday to finish counting.

Nice results a clear VICTORY for change

[updated Fri Nov 14 15:40:49 EST 2008]

Conservative delegates discussin policy at convention, Discuss, Liberals just give orders and whips, do not discuss anything, French Canadians push every through to their liking and to hell with everybody else. The Bigot as you claim has spoken, GoHabs you are a continual loser like your hockey team and Bombardier.

[updated Sat Nov 15 22:06:20 EST 2008]

Delegates tilt right at first Tory policy convention since 2005

15/11/2008 6:35:00 PM

Bruce Cheadle, THE CANADIAN PRESS
WINNIPEG - Conservative faithful have elbowed Canada's governing party back to the right, just a month after Stephen Harper won another minority mandate with a campaign that hugged the political centre.

Some 2,000 delegates at the first Tory policy convention since March 2005 adopted resolutions Saturday that would strip human-rights tribunals of some powers and create new charges for the killing of unborn children.

They also strongly endorsed tough-on-crime measures, income splitting for couples with young children and a motion rewriting the party's position on equal pay for work of equal value.

The resolutions are not binding on Prime Minister Harper or his Conservative caucus, but they allowed party faithful to reaffirm their right-of-centre policy leanings.

"While it forms the basis of our policy discussion, it can't hamstring us from addressing the issues as they develop," said MP Jay Hill, the Conservative House leader in the Commons.

That was a polite way of saying the Harper cabinet will very selectively pick and choose when it rolls out a new throne speech Wednesday for the coming session of Parliament.

The party brass made every attempt this weekend to keep the grassroots from rocking the policy boat, including a very public admonition from Harper in a speech to convention delegates that pragmatism - not ideology - must guide the government in these difficult economic times.
=====================

Looking forward to Liberals claiming the sky is falling and the right wing hidden agenda is back on.

MP Jay Hill, the Conservative House leader in the Commons. Says it all. Thanks for the input we will not lose our focus by idealogy. We will govern pragmatically.

Thats exactly why Canadians returned them in greater numbers, the CPC leaders get it.

[updated Sat Nov 15 23:52:53 EST 2008]

Conservatives boast war chest ready for another election
Andrew Mayeda , Canwest News Service
Published: Saturday, November 15, 2008
WINNIPEG - The Conservative Party of Canada has a "gigantic" fundraising lead over the Liberals and is ready to fight another election at any time, says the head of the party's fundraising arm.

Irving Gerstein, chairman of the Conservative Fund, told grassroots supporters that the party spent about $20 million in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election.

Nevertheless, the party will fully pay off its election loans - and even have cash in the bank to spare - when it receives an expected $10 million in election rebates from Elections Canada.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=82a8d832-042c-47dd-b995-619072f74a97

========================

Do you think Iggy and Rae are sitting in the HOC on votes or traveling to build support for BC?

[updated Sat Nov 15 23:58:36 EST 2008]

Liberal leader's office sheds staff as budget shrinks
Updated Fri. Nov. 14 2008 4:15 PM ET

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Stephane Dion has laid off 11 staff members in the Opposition leader's office as Liberals continue to feel the ripple effect from last month's electoral drubbing.

Sarah Bain, a spokesperson for Dion, said the layoffs are a direct result of the Oct. 14 election, in which the Liberals won only 77 seats -- down from 103 in 2006.

"Obviously, the reality is that after the election our budget was cut," Bain said.

"When you lose seats, you lose budget."

Parliamentary funding is determined after every election based on the number of seats won by each party.

For the Liberal party, the reduction in seats means it has lost $1 million in funding from the House of Commons for research, staff and other resources.

The leader's office was particularly hard hit. Its budget has dropped to $3.1 million from $3.8 million.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081114/liberal_layoffs_081114/20081114?hub=Politics

[updated Sun Nov 16 00:06:33 EST 2008]

Go Habs is a Reverse Bigot, if you do not agree with the French Canadian Society in Quebec, those outside of Quebec are considered Bigots. China is another joke of Society while they put men in Space, Export crap products and Food, Their Subways collaspe, a dysfunctional Society is there a correlations with the above!

[updated Sun Nov 16 14:38:06 EST 2008]

Rae, Ignatieff spat over candidates' debate reopens old leadership wounds
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081116/national/liberal_leadership

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Old wounds the federal Liberals had hoped to put behind them were pried open Sunday, as leadership hopeful Bob Rae boycotted the party's closed-door, all-candidates' forum because his chief rival Michael Ignatieff wouldn't agree to lift the veil of secrecy.

"I don't think it's right to have a debate that doesn't include the public and doesn't include the media," said Rae, who was surrounded by supporters.

"You can't have a town hall without the town."
===========================================

The Dion train wreck is not complete. ROFL

Leblanc, meanwhile, pounced on the chance to score some early points against the two perceived front-runners.

"Their game hasn't even started, and they're at each other's throats," Leblanc said.

"I think that's unfortunate. I think Liberals are tired of that sort of 'me too' attitude. I think they expect people to be mature and open, and that's why I'm here."
========================================================

My prediction is 40 seats or less in 24 months when economy turns around .....

[updated Sun Nov 16 21:36:51 EST 2008]

I'm counting on those of you in the know to please bring me up to speed.

Who will be the next House of Commons speaker? Will it be the return of Milliken or someone else?

Kindly handicap the race for me. I can't wait to see how it turns out on Tuesday.

[updated Sun Nov 16 22:27:42 EST 2008]

World leaders let Harper off deficit hook

That's because the declaration of the G20 – among many prescriptions agreed to Saturday – announced a commitment by its members to stimulate their economies. That agreement is already being used by the Prime Minister as a shield to pre-empt the attacks of political opponents ready to pounce should Canada be plunged into the red.

“He's got himself a G20 umbrella to protect himself with,” said Peter Woolstencroft, a University of Waterloo political scientist and an expert on the Conservative Party. “When he's attacked or questioned, then that's his rationale. He can look at his opponents and say, ‘Well, what's your better idea?'”

G20 leaders vow to take action on economy Leaders gird for battle over global financial crisis In desperate need of repair

G20: Read the declaration
The weekend declaration is an extensive one that, aside from economic stimulus, calls for new controls on banks, more influence for emerging economies, reform of international institutions and further meetings to hammer out the issues. Mr. Harper also helped push for a new mechanism for a mandatory review of countries' financial systems.

At the domestic level, the real key to the weekend is that the communiqué binds the Conservative government to a multi-country approach that his political opponents will have difficulty attacking.

Were they to try to criticize a deficit, for example, Mr. Harper could shoot back that he's simply fulfilling a deal that has the support of leaders representing 85 per cent of the world's GDP.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081116.wsummitdeficit1117/BNStory/National/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp
=============================

I'm suspect we will see more "idealogical" attacks by the oppostion because the economy/deficit attack against the Harper (US/Bush-lite) won't cut it this time.

I believe the screaming left will be calling for more "protectionist" policies to keep jobs and protect Canada. It will be funny to watch them call for billions to be spent in helping their regional interests but try to attack Harper on his "idealogical priorities".

Looks like the "planets & stars" are lining for Harper, favourable US President, Premiers behaving "nicely" lining up for money, opposition in leadership fight.

As long as the CPC act pragmatically leave the "wingnuts" at the door again, they should be able to move a large number of pieces of legislation tackling the economy/environment/trade within the first 12-24 months.

[updated Mon Nov 17 09:31:16 EST 2008]

Warning to Mainstream Canadians: Do not invest in China, The China Bubble is about to Burst, it is in a worst position than Japan. What is the contributing factor, it is called the "China Price"! Gold will be the only thing China has to sell, so expect Gold to drop by 50%

[updated Mon Nov 17 14:07:16 EST 2008]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081117.wharper1118/BNStory/politics/home

I see that Harper's Cadman lies maybe starting to come to to the forefront.

[updated Tue Nov 18 03:33:38 EST 2008]

What a Fool Chretien is proving to be and his Team Canada trips, unrest has already started in China as I type and it is not going to stop!

[updated Wed Nov 19 00:27:49 EST 2008]

Speaker of the House elected, I cannot believe it took up to 4 balloting periods. I want less decorum in the House, It is more fun to watch when people tell like it really is and swearing should be allowed it is the real part of life. What should not be allowed is the old MP Don Boudria running all over the floor with his stacks of ancient books that was the biggest laugh of all, Where do the Liberals find these people, I can just imagine the next Leader, another Clown Prince like Dion. Did you know the BC and Federal government are spending 22 million dollars for new Immigrants to speak "English" and guess what it is all FREE! Probably 2% will take advantage, LEARN ENGLISH BEFORE YOU GET TO CANADA not after and tell that to the foolish foreigners that work in our Embassies, I been there, you do not care if your Canadian anyhow, that is pathetic our Foreign Service is.

[updated Wed Nov 19 00:55:13 EST 2008]