Nanos National Poll - Economy slides as an issue of concern - no political dividend for Conservatives, yet.

As I have commented before, Harper is most predictably unpredictable. I am sure in an election Harper will not be without a platform of significance to a sizeable national electorate. The economy may not be the keystone for the Conservative platform but neither is it a winner for the Liberals. I believe the Liberals have allowed the Unimployment Insurance issue to sleep (not a spelling error) by. We know what the Liberals oppose---or do we ???---- but do we know how they differ to the Conservatives ?

Health care moves up and down in the election priority list but it never drops off the short list. The environment today does the same thing. Try to introduce a nice little carbon tax and the environment will move quickly up in the priority list.

Regional issues always tend to be entwined with national elections and possibly more so when there has been a weak national government with a fractured opposition. In British Columbia we have Campbell's carbon tax with the latest bombshell of a "Harmonized" GST. These are pocket book issues for BC and are a disguised revenue gain for the provincial government to pay an Olympic Games bill that the BC government, thus far, has managed to obscure. The federal "carrot" to BC of a $1.4 billion payoff to "Harmonize" the tax is not without significance. BC, similar to Montreal in the past, is likely to be in the debtor's prison for the next 25 years for the two week Olympic party costs that got out of hand. How about a federal bailout---Ho,Ho. BC is already cutting "service programmes" for the electorate and that will have a "spill over" effect for a federal election.

Personally, I see no advantage for the Conservatives nor the Liberals for a Fall election despite the rhetoric. Now, if Harper puts his foot in it with his White House meeting with Obama in a couple of weeks-------say the Afghanistan War and being there for the next 40 years as the British suggest------then we have a new dynamic. I will be surprised if we have an election before the Spring 2010 Budget.

[updated Mon Aug 10 02:49:11 EDT 2009]

It would have been interesting had Nik done a second choice on party voting intentions. There is clearly a downtrend for Harpo as time goes by, his party has peaked it appears and numbers on the left are still quite pliable.

I think the key for Iggy is to work at gaining the soft NDP and Bloc votes that appear to be there for the taking. There are probably some progressive votes on the right to gain as harpo will certainly work hard to maintain his rabid right wing voters thus leaving the progressive votes open to lose. I think I see this trend developing in Ontario.

[updated Mon Aug 10 05:37:40 EDT 2009]

I am not surprised to see healthcare a strong #2 concern. With all the press it is getting in the States, it should of been expected. Baby-boomers don't want complicated healthcare (and like the idea of their kids paying for it). Harper would be wise to define his Tories message on it before the Libs, Bloc and Dippers define it for him (hello official opposition if so). He should be announcing some big healthcare infrastructure spending.

[updated Mon Aug 10 07:20:50 EDT 2009]

It doesn't appear that the political scene has changed much for the last while. If an election were held now I think the Conservatives would receive a minority. Much as I'm reluctant to admit that. While the Liberals have gained and are gaining support, to overturn a 60+ seat deficit would be difficult without some new, attention grabbing, issue.
Nothing that Harper has said or done changed my position that he is the worst PM ever.
Ignatieff, while not that bad, has not given me anything positive that would garner my vote. We can pretend we can make that judgement by looking at his past record and his time as opposition leader, but that's seldom an accurate judgement.

Unfortunately most Canadians don't feel confident or secure enough to think outside the box and demand a much different and better system. It's so easy for Canada to become a beacon for the rest of the world but we are not prepared to make the necessary effort to achieve that.

Harper is the worst PM. Ignatieff has never been so we can't place the judgement on him as PM.

Canadians won`t try something else, so we cannot expect any other party leader will become PM.
So until the situation changes, I will be planning to vote Green.

[updated Mon Aug 10 09:06:11 EDT 2009]

Momentum. Harper is sinking as best PM faster than Ignatieff. When will the CPC realize Harper is a dud and is a disgrace as PM.

"Of note, in the past, the Best PM measure has consistently been an advantage for Stephen Harper. However, over the last few waves of Nanos tracking, the Harper advantage has diminished." -Nik Nanos

This was all he had and now it is gone. He has squandered what little he had to offer Canadians. Those ads sure have backfired. Creepy and nasty just is not working and it is costing my party. We need to dump this failure Harper before he drives the party into the ground. Enough of following him blindly off the cliff.

[updated Mon Aug 10 10:40:46 EDT 2009]

Most interesting thing in this poll is that both Libs and PC lost support while the NDP and Greens both made significant gains. This indicates to me that the public is becoming increasingly impatient with the lack of leadership by both the Libs and Cons. Also as has been noted elsewhere, The economic bogeyman has lost some of it's fear factor and the good old Canadian reaction to economic fear (Hunker down and support the government whoever they may be and no matter how ineffective their policies might be) is fading while concerns about social issues like health care, normally an NDP strength, reassert themselves.

[updated Mon Aug 10 11:02:42 EDT 2009]

More Bad News for the Liberals.

Another Polls shows the Liberal Party of Canada picked Waldo and we can't find him or his platform. The Great Russian has been busy attending $ 500 per plate dinner in Montreal/Toronto. Being a Liberal Paul Zed has benefitted from the deep pockets of lawyers, ad executives for fundraising with Waldo making an appearence.

The worst recession since WWII and the Party of Waldo can't produce or hold a double digit lead against the less lovable PM?

What are those reasons why the Liberals are terrified in sharing their Vision, Platform promised for June 2009 from the Sienfield Convention?

1) CPC will destroy it like Green Shift?
2) CPC will steal it?
3) The CPC called an unwanted election so we can too?
4) The CPC hid released their Platform slowly so we will too?
5) Harper muzzled his MP so we can too?
6) Harper controls the media so we will too?

Canadians have held 2 General Elections that have judged the Liberal Party unfit to govern.

"The only people talking about an election are some self-interested opposition politicians. It defies logic that there should be an election in the fall. The average person who lives outside the Parliament Hill precinct wants their elected officials to focus on the economy and the battles we still have. Political stability is arguably more vital now then it was in June the last time we had this shadow election dance. As we slowly creep out of this recession we don't need to waste 300 million on an election," said Mr. Powers.
==================
You heard it here first: no fall election-Waterloo Record-August 10, 2009
The polls are no consolation to Ignatieff either. He’s lost the bit of momentum that he had a few months ago and the party is flat in the polls. The Liberals may have enough money to fight an election this fall, but they aren’t generating any excitement, and they don’t have an issue to take to the people.

Ignatieff talks tough, sort of, about defeating the Conservatives over employment insurance. He’ll get a chance to do just that in a non-confidence vote in late September. If he’s serious, which I doubt, he’d better have a more potent issue up his sleeve because employment insurance is one of those issues — like the Tories’ wage and price freeze in 1974 and the Liberals’ Green Shift in 2008 — that simply won’t play in a general election.

Employment insurance is too complicated. It’s a dog’s breakfast, a bureaucratic nightmare. Eligibility for benefits varies according to local unemployment rates. There are 58 different thresholds across the country, ranging from 420 to 700 hours of employment in the previous 12 months. The Liberals would make it a uniform 360 hours across Canada, at an annual cost of between $1 and $1.5 billion.

Ignatieff’s challenge would be, first, to explain why his 360-hour proposal is a good idea and, second, to convince the 90 per cent of Canadians in the labour force who are employed that it is worth spending an extra $1 billion-plus on the 10 per cent who aren’t — especially at a time when the economy seems to be coming out of recession.

The issue is wrong and the timing is wrong. Ignatieff’s dilemma is to avoid defeating the Conservatives without being Stéphane Dion redux. He’s a smart fellow. He’ll find a way. No election.

[updated Mon Aug 10 12:34:00 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) During the 2006 election Stephen Harper pledged to clean up government polling, having repeatedly criticized the Liberals for spending $18 million on polls he pledged a Conservative government would not take its position based on public opinion polls.
After having spent $31.2 million in its first year on 546 polls or nearly double the amount the Liberals spent, the failure to clean up polling, in fact doing the opposite makes it to the list again.

2) and 3) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to;
*Ensure that party nomination and leadership races are conducted in a fair, transparent, and democratic manner.
* Prevent party leaders from appointing candidates without the democratic consent of local electoral district associations.
Former federal Conservative candidate Mark Warner was pushed aside by the party despite being acclaimed by their riding associations for the next election.
His crime was going off message and addressing such issues as education, affordable housing and AIDS.
Brent Barr had won the party's nomination in March, but was told on Oct. 19 that party headquarters had rejected him without any warning, brass told him he was being dropped because he wasn't campaigning hard enough to build up the party locally, something he strongly denies, Barr said he suspected the party has pushed him aside in favour of a star candidate.
Harper announced that Bill Casey will not permitted to run as the party's candidate in the next election, despite being acclaimed by his riding association and having been elected as MP 5 times.

[updated Mon Aug 10 12:45:45 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) In June, the Prime Minister promised all provinces that he would not treat some differently than others, and that they would all operate on a level playing field.
In October he flip-flopped on this promise that he would never sign side deals on the Atlantic Accord by signing one with Nova Scotia.
Or more correctly claiming that the was a deal, so far no one has seen it.

2) 35 Billion Reasons to break this Promise.
In the conservative election platform one of their promises was:-
"To enact legislation to ensure that full, just and timely compensation will be paid to all persons who are deprived of personal or private property as a result of any federal government initiative, policy, process, regulation, or legislation.”
Millions of Canadian investors that have lost Billion of dollars due to Harpers Income Trust Debacle would love to hear the cheque is in the mail.

[updated Mon Aug 10 12:46:06 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) During the 2006 Election campaign Steven Harper promised 2000 new RCMP constables would be on the streets, now it turns out he meant IF the provinces agreed to pay half the cost. This surprised the provinces so far none have taken up his offer.

2) In the election campaign Stephen Harper promised to increase Canada’s presence in the Artic by.
By building three heavy armoured Icebreakers capable of carrying troops. Building a year round combined military civilian deep water docking facility in the Iqaluit region. Establishing a new unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV squadrons in CFB Comox and CFB Goose Bay.
Instead he delivered a commitment to build.
Six to eight Canadian made patrol ships capable of operating in ice up to a meter thick and certain other conditions. These vessels will be able to capable of traveling in summer ice and be at the mercy of the Artic weather much of the time. I guess he should have checked the price tag before opening his mouth.

[updated Mon Aug 10 12:46:34 EDT 2009]

Deceitful CPC and Harper using our money for lies to Canadians.

John Mraz: Taxpayer-funded political propaganda has no place in Canada
Posted: August 10, 2009, 10:50 AM by NP Editor
Full Comment, John Mraz
This month in Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens rightly reminds us that “the true definition of corruption . . . is the diversion of public resources to politicized ends.” Hitchens bemoans the venality of his once-beloved Labour Party under Gordon Brown, but his premise is sound no matter the polity or party in question.

Over the last few years, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have made a practice of sending highly partisan flyers, known as “ten percenters” — printed on our Parliament’s press, delivered by Canada Post, and paid for by the people of Canada — around the country. The Liberal and New Democratic parties, though not the Bloc Québécois, have now followed suit, most probably to compete.

Members of Parliament are entitled to send quarterly reports to their constituents. Fair enough. Voters should know what their elected officials are up to. MPs can also legally send flyers to the equivalent of 10 per cent of the households in their riding to any riding in the country, as often as they want, paid for by you and me. The spirit of that entitlement is to provide an opportunity to communicate with voters represented by other parties' MPs.

Unfortunately, the practice has devolved into a growth industry of agitprop and partisan rhetoric. Attack advertisements, prejudicial extracts and baseless insinuations are now regular fare in these communiques,

Political parties that win at least 2% of the votes in a federal election already receive another significant subsidy from voters — $1.95 per vote, per year. This allows parties new and old, large and small, to compete in the political arena regardless of their supporters' ability to contribute financially to their cause. How a party spends that money is its own affair. But no party should be able to use state infrastructure for purely political ends.

Propaganda is powerful stuff. A cursory examination of dozens of authoritarian regimes proves that even more powerful than the gun is the use of inculcation to control populations and collectively persuade them of hateful, false and even absurd “truths”. North Korea comes to mind. But it works in democracies as well. In 2006, a Harris poll found more than half of Americans surveyed believed that weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. None had. The “birther” movement — a bizarre Republican group currently trying to prove that Barack Obama was not born in the US — understands the power of political disinformation as well. Simply, if you say something often enough, some people will think it is true.

Here in Canada, if “ten percenters” were audited by a neutral authority that prohibited partisan bias and demanded a strict accounting of the facts, they might serve a useful purpose. No such arbiter is likely to emerge, and even it did, the task of laundering the language would be difficult, if not impossible — as one man’s objectivity is another woman’s fraud, and vice versa.

Last year, Stephen Harper proposed to eliminate the $1.95 per vote subsidy. Harper claimed the majority of Canadians did not want to pay that piper. Flush as the Conservatives were with capital, it would also have put his party at an immediate advantage, hampered other parties’ abilities to compete, and made it almost impossible for new parties to emerge. Canadians would have suffered a diminished political landscape ruled by parties that managed to find favour with the monied classes. But electoral brinksmanship ensued, and the subsidy remains.

If Harper is indeed serious about eliminating public funding for partisan purposes, he might begin by eliminating the “ten percenters.” And if the Liberals and New Democrats are serious about democratic principles, they should support him. Canadians would never even notice, nor would our political forum be weakened. In any case, all parties should desist from using the parliamentary press to political advantage. It is there to inform, not persuade. And “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” is no principle to live by in an ethical discourse.

As a mature democracy, Canada should hold itself to the highest political standards — not just to set an example on the global stage, but to preserve the function, integrity and justice of our political system. Anything less is regression towards a tyranny of the state.

National Post

[updated Mon Aug 10 14:08:00 EDT 2009]

Liberals hold slight lead over Tories: poll
Posted: August 10, 2009, 11:53 AM by Jeremy Barker
Conservatives, Liberals, polls, Canadian Politics

By David Ljunggren/Reuters

OTTAWA — The opposition Liberals are still ahead in public opinion but their lead over the ruling Conservatives has shrunk since June, according to a poll released Monday.

A string of polls in recent weeks show the Liberals and the Conservatives virtually tied, with neither able to reach the 36.5% mark needed to form a minority government.

No growth potential for the CPC and growth potential for the Liberals means the CPC is in trouble of losing a ton of seats. They are running scared and are trying to avoid the will of the people who want them diminished in a big way.

[updated Mon Aug 10 14:12:28 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) Child Tax Benefit Stephen Harper had been campaigning to have the child tax benefit increased to $5100 per child. Instead he increased the Child Tax Credit which will do absolutely nothing for the poorest children whose families have no taxable income.

2) Prime Minister Harper had pledged to boost aid spending beyond Liberal government's planned 8% annual increases to achieve the average aid donor country performance by 2010. While the 2007 Budget reported that $315 million would be added to Official Development Assistance for this current year, 2006/07, it promised no new funding initiatives for 2007/08.

[updated Mon Aug 10 15:21:28 EDT 2009]

Who is on Prohabation now? June 22, 2009 Angelo Persichilli
THE HILL TIMES

Ignatieff inherited a party that was highly divided, without an organization, financially broke and without policies. He and his team are moving quickly to fill the gap with the Conservatives, but this still requires a lot of time. I'm only pointing at one mistake they made in January and repeated last week. The request of probation for the Harper government is turning also into probation of the Liberal leadership.

It seems to me that more Canadians were interested in how Ignatieff handled the crisis, than Prime Minister Harper.

As in January, last week they avoided taking a position and deferred the crisis to the end of September. At the end of the day, I don't know who gained more points last week, Harper or Ignatieff.

We are going to repeat the same exercise in the fall and I'm not sure if Ignatieff will benefit more from this.
==========================
This will be one more error made by Waldo if he threatens to topple the government over EI and hide again.(Since May he has refused to offer a credible plan regarding his 360 1971 Trudeau/NDP plan)

The CPC have warned him as they did DION over the ACCORD. Looks like some Kinsella Liberals need to pull the plug without a platform or an alternative before Canadians.

Why? Adscam trials this Fall? Economy is improving?

[updated Mon Aug 10 15:57:27 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1), 2), 3), 4) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
• Oblige public officials to create the records necessary to document their actions and decisions.
• Provide a general public interest override for all exemptions, so that the public interest is put before the secrecy of the government.
• Ensure that all exemptions from the disclosure of government information are justified only on the basis of the harm or injury that would result from disclosure, not blanket exemption rules.
• Ensure that the disclosure requirements of the Access to Information Act cannot be circumvented by secrecy provisions in other federal acts, while respecting the confidentiality of national security and the privacy of personal information.
All the above promises were broken when the government refused to release the information it used to reverse its promise not to tax income trust (no.23), freedom of information requests have produced nothing but blacked out pages.
The government has repeatedly put secrecy before the public interest.

[updated Mon Aug 10 16:45:08 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Require ministers and senior government officials to record their contacts with lobbyists.
They still are not required to keep these records or make them available to the public, all that is required is a simple policy directive.
There have been numerous suspected cases of lobbying that have resulted in favourable results for corporate Canada, several companies represented by Brian Mulruney have received favourable treatment. According to the Globe and Mail several corporate leaders lobbied the government against Income Trusts, there is no record of these meetings or of the corporate leaders registering as lobbyists, another legal requirement. The new accountable government was supposed to keep a record of these sort of meetings.
2) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Work with the provinces in order to achieve a long-term agreement which would address the issue of fiscal imbalance in a permanent fashion.
They unilaterally broke the Atlantic accord without consulting anyone and started disputes with several provinces. After nearly 2 years there still hasn’t been a first minister’s conference despite repeated requests.

[updated Mon Aug 10 16:45:54 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Make all votes in Parliament, except the budget and main estimates, “free votes” for ordinary Members of Parliament.
Not only has the government completely failed to deliver but now everything is suddenly a confidence vote. What happened to the democratic reforms?
2) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Increase the power of Parliament and parliamentary committees to review the spending estimates of departments and hold ministers to account.
Instead the government produces a manual of dirty tricks for Conservative committee members and attempts to shut down these committees and ignores their recommendations if not happy with the results.

[updated Mon Aug 10 16:46:34 EDT 2009]

more Harper sleeze and dishonesty.

The Hill Times, August 10, 2009

Federal political parties charge taxpayer money being 'abused' for partisan gains
Public per-vote subsidies to political parties should be eliminated, says Democratic Reform Minister of State Steven Fletcher
By Harris MacLeod
Canadians outside of Quebec find it galling that the Bloc Québécois, whose raison d'être is Quebec sovereignty, receives 86 per cent of its funding from the federal government, said Democratic Reform Minister of State Steven Fletcher, who is calling for an end to political party subsidies.

"Virtually every Canadian is forced to make involuntary contributions based on parties' results. I know a lot of people in other parts of the country are not pleased that ... the vast majority of the funding that one particular party [the Bloc] gets is from this voter subsidy," he told The Hill Times last week.

[updated Mon Aug 10 17:03:14 EDT 2009]

That Big Goose Egg Is Called...

Buy American.

Yes folks, our Prime Minister struck out at bat at the North American Summit...as I predicted, Casey got nowhere. President Obama even had the audacity to say that Buy American does not violate free trade agreements! As we say in French: faut le faire.

Stephen Harper plans further intensive discussions when he visits the White House next month. What's my response you may wonder? Well, good luck with that.

[updated Mon Aug 10 19:36:55 EDT 2009]

"You would think Harper could have at least cleared up the lies in the healthcare ad..." - Harper heads the Conservative Party, Canada's version of our Republicans. Of course he is not going to say anything good about their health system. But their national health plan is hugely popular in Canada, kind of like Social Security here. They are ideologically opposed to Social Security, can you imagine a Republican president promoting it to a foriegn correspondant? It would be a politcal suicide in their ideologically narrow base."

-An American blogger commenting on Harper's interview on ABC news.

Why would he clear up radical right wing bashing of Canada's public healthcare? He wants to make it like the American system just like his Republican mentors.

[updated Mon Aug 10 21:34:26 EDT 2009]

I think the internaln against Harpo is underway:

Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Blue Network Leadership Emerges, Retreats
From the blogging Tory forums, last afternoon, a comment from Matt Altheim re "The Blue Network", a clandestine group of Tory rebs:
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1395175#1395175
Thank you for all your comments. Just try not and put too much emphasis on a word or two. We do not mean 'moderate' as in ideological beliefs, rather that we are not looking at reforming the party through any radical or undemocratic means. Our brand of Conservatism needs to return to strong right wing principles and policy. Our party has become a very top-down organization that ignores the membership base which has seen true right wing policy practically vanish.

We support the core values of old Reformers and PCs. We are against this 'Liberal Lite' form of Conservatism we have been given.

We are not a secret society, but at the initial stages we would like to prevent party hacks from influencing the organization. That is why we choose to use a referal system or go through and contact each applicant individually. That is why our network is closed; we have a full slate of information, greivances, and workshops for members to be involved in.

I hope this clarified things.

This morning, however, the comment has revised so as to bear the name of "Mr. Blue", the fellow whose been spreading word of the network throughout the blogosphere, and Mr. Altheim is merely recorded as having said:

This is interesting... The webmaster should post more info on the homepage.

[updated Tue Aug 11 10:56:26 EDT 2009]

Harper the disaster PM on the international stage. Even Consrvatives like Spector realize this.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 08:31 AM

Harper's bad day
Norman Spector

The good news is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed up on time to the Three Amigos press conference and did not keep the others waiting. The bad news is that, once on camera, he appeared ill at ease and off his game — in comparison to President Barack Obama (no surprise), but also to Mexican President Felipe Calderón.

On Buy America, the Prime Minister may have been let down easily by the U.S. President, but the kiss-off was no less a kiss-off for being delivered so smoothly. On health care reform — a question he knew he would be asked and had obviously prepared —he ducked instead of helping the President counter Republican disinformation by seconding Mr. Obama’s observation that the Canadian model is not on the table. Most gratingly, with an insipid smile on his face, Mr. Harper referred to provincial jurisdiction over health care — a half-truth, at best, given the constraints set out in federal legislation.

On Honduras, by way of contrast, Mr. Harper felt it appropriate to answer a question that was not directed to him in support of President Obama; while his answer may have appealed to his political base, how Latin Americans view the U.S. role in their region is none of his business. Meanwhile, on Afghanistan, Mr. Harper confused NATO and NAFTA, and had nothing to offer —even after repeating his old, and odd, refrain about Canadians’ concern for the security of the United States. In a later interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper, the contradictions in his, and Canada’s, position were even more apparent. As was Mr. Harper’s slipping, sliding and ducking on the question of health care.

No doubt Mr. Harper is hoping for greater success at his one-on-one meeting with President Obama in Washington in mid-September. However, after a rough couple of months, the President appeared yesterday to be husbanding his political capital on controversial issues — most notably on immigration reform. In this frame of mind, he’s unlikely to want to spend much of it on Buy America — particularly for a Prime Minister who seems disinclined to spend any political capital on his behalf.

[updated Tue Aug 11 12:14:11 EDT 2009]

Older vote-Conservative-Majority Canadians who killed repeatedly a few billion for daycare, who demonized a carbon tax 1/18th the size of present deficit, who have mess up my 20s personal life with prohibition platform and now mandatory sentencing (for oil employees?)....who subsidized cars $10B but not T.O. transit $600M, who had surpluses in place to cushion the impending $80B/yr healthcare deficit but spent them on consumer bubble crap (not hospitals not companies like Kane who need years to solve nosocomial infections using medical facilities in Winnipeg the Chretein government paid for instead of cutting top income tax rates and GST).

I wanted to study healthcare, made demographic sense. Then Baird's April 2007 environmental platform came out. Then I realized I'd be spending much of my next decade trying to undo mistakes that the already Gini greedy Canadian establishment is making in trying to bring about a future Holocaust. I would've bought that Social Contract in 2008 for a bargain $4B/yr shifting to $15B/yr. Now I'm thinking you start off with $80B/yr in cap revenues and shift down to $0 as the Himalayas are secured.

I could grow a seed for a twoonie or fund my consumption out of $150 welfare. Told me: go to Labor Ready. That's fine (demographic profiling goes against my Charter Rights but Harper cancelled the challenge programme). But now actors who flattened tax rates too much to fund boomer aging want an $80B/yr welfare stipend because they buy homes and Chryslers instead of hospitals and nursing homes and homeless shelters (lower cost beds) and incomes taxes to pay for corporate tax cuts to Staph-fighting Canadian actors like Kane and Medonyx??
If the goal is a fair social contract, I suggest take the curve of a rising and decades later falling future demographic healthcare deficit, and adding cash to it based on aggregate Green spending and brown taxes. Rich powerful actors now still think they will push the poor around when they are lying in their Chrysler car palliative care parking lots? If it is an underground lot, it saves funeral costs.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:02:30 EDT 2009]

10 reasons to vote against Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, there are numerous more reasons but here are 10 more.

Above all, do not support the Conservatives in this election!

1. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives gave tax cuts to the rich:
Since its election, the Harper government has been particularly generous to large corporations, which have seen their taxes reduced to the point that Canada will have the lowest corporate tax rate in the G7 by 2012. In addition, the TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) of the 2008 budget created a new tax shelter for the well-off.

2. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives adopted policies that are disastrous for the environment. The Harper government refuses to have Canada do its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. After a spectacular about-face, Canada no long respects the obligations it undertook when it joined the Kyoto Protocol and remains one of the worst polluters on the planet.

3. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives brought its foreign policy in line with the US administration of George W. Bush and intensified Canadian involvement in the offensive war in Afghanistan. The militaristic policies of the Harper government have not brought peace to Afghanistan, and resistance, resentment of the population, and support for the Taliban are increasing. This pointless war has brought a drastic increase in military spending at the expensive of funding public services, social programs and the international development aid that would actually help those in need.

4. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives limits access to information and undermines democracy. The Harper government exerts unprecedented control over the media. Journalists encounter many obstacles when trying to do their job: they have difficulty getting interviews with ministers, information is hidden from them, and opportunities for questions are restricted. Freedom of the press in Canada is seriously at risk. Civil servants and the agencies of parliament are also increasingly being muzzled.

5. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives has made indefensible cuts to the arts and cultural sector. The Harper government has made cuts estimated at $45 million. This amount, insignificant when compared to the total Canadian budget, are nevertheless essential to the existence and expansion of the arts in our country and to a rich and vibrant cultural life. This decision of the Harper government should be seen as a deliberate act of censorship.

6. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives has set back the cause of women. With Bill C484, the foetus could have gained legal status, which would open the door to recriminatlizing abortion. The Harper government reduced the budget for the Status of Women by 43%. And the Women’s Program will no longer finance research into and defence of the rights of women.

7. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives has set back the cause of aboriginal people. The Harper government refused to sign the UN Declaration of the Rights United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was adopted by 144 other countries. It also decided not to respect the Kelowna Accord that was intended to improve the lives of aboriginal people.

8. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives promotes a repressive and merciless justice system. The Harper government wants harsher penalties for young offenders instead of programs aimed at social reinsertion, even though the latter is more effective in combating delinquency. Stephen Harper refuses to repatriate Omar Khadr, the child solider who is imprisoned at Guantanamo. He has not asked for clemency for Ronald Allen Smith, a Canadian citizen condemned to death in the US, thereby giving his tacit support for the death penalty.

9. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives promotes the Security and
Prosperity Partnership (SPP) that puts Canada’s autonomy at risk. Following along with the previous Liberal government, Harper supports the development of the SPP, an agreement negotiated in secret that accelerates the economic integration of North America. In addition, this government is completely in support of free trade, even though this puts large corporations above the law and creates an ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor.

10. The government of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives has not respected electoral law. According to Elections Canada, during the last election the Conservative Party exceeded the $1.2 million ceiling set on election expenses set by the law through a system of phony invoices. It has attacked the process designed to investigate this corruption, demonstrating a lack of basic respect for democracy.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:02:39 EDT 2009]

“Among Canadian voters under 25 years of age, the Greens would not only have a chance of electing an MP, they would seriously vie for power. The university educated would send a massive Liberal majority to Ottawa; the rest of Canada would generate a Tory landslide.”EKOS Poll Aug 6,2009

Both Major Parties took a hit that benefited the NDP and Green as the Environment and Healthcare issues increased in mindshare of the populace.

Only the Green Party led by Elizabeth May has the young demographic and if they actually showed up seats could be won?

The sad fact repeated in another Poll shows the major parties are unwilling to tackle the Environment/Healthcare debate in a serious manner.

We had the Liberals for 13 years run CBC commercials and pretend to care about those issues and download Billions that cut funding in Healthcare, Education from transfers to provinces. Dion and Iggy admitted the environment was never a top priority although they signed Kyoto.

The CPC have increased transfers to provinces for Healthcare, Education but have been unwilling to play the Environmental shell game like the Liberal did Canada put into an economic disadvantage.

After the meeting in Italy it appears the Canadian position has won more support by including developing countries that have resisted.

“Other Group of 8 leaders emphasized that any solution to climate change depended on the developing world’s joining the battle. Without China and India, said Arkady Dvorkovich, the chief Russian negotiator, any further discussions would not lead anywhere….Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, the meeting’s host, said it made little sense for Group of 8 countries to take on onerous commitments if “five billion people continue to behave as they have always behaved.”-Harper's G8 hat trick Thursday, July 9, 2009 Norman Spector

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:21:39 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1), 2), 3), 4) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
• Oblige public officials to create the records necessary to document their actions and decisions.
• Provide a general public interest override for all exemptions, so that the public interest is put before the secrecy of the government.
• Ensure that all exemptions from the disclosure of government information are justified only on the basis of the harm or injury that would result from disclosure, not blanket exemption rules.
• Ensure that the disclosure requirements of the Access to Information Act cannot be circumvented by secrecy provisions in other federal acts, while respecting the confidentiality of national security and the privacy of personal information.
All the above promises were broken when the government refused to release the information it used to reverse its promise not to tax income trust (no.23), freedom of information requests have produced nothing but blacked out pages.
The government has repeatedly put secrecy before the public interest.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:26:56 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Require ministers and senior government officials to record their contacts with lobbyists.
They still are not required to keep these records or make them available to the public, all that is required is a simple policy directive.
There have been numerous suspected cases of lobbying that have resulted in favourable results for corporate Canada, several companies represented by Brian Mulruney have received favourable treatment. According to the Globe and Mail several corporate leaders lobbied the government against Income Trusts, there is no record of these meetings or of the corporate leaders registering as lobbyists, another legal requirement. The new accountable government was supposed to keep a record of these sort of meetings.

2) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Work with the provinces in order to achieve a long-term agreement which would address the issue of fiscal imbalance in a permanent fashion.
They unilaterally broke the Atlantic accord without consulting anyone and started disputes with several provinces. After nearly 2 years there still hasn’t been a first minister’s conference despite repeated requests.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:27:22 EDT 2009]

Stephen Harpers Broken Promises

1) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Make all votes in Parliament, except the budget and main estimates, “free votes” for ordinary Members of Parliament.
Not only has the government completely failed to deliver but now everything is suddenly a confidence vote. What happened to the democratic reforms?

2) In the 2006 Election Platform the conservatives promised to
•Increase the power of Parliament and parliamentary committees to review the spending estimates of departments and hold ministers to account.
Instead the government produces a manual of dirty tricks for Conservative committee members and attempts to shut down these committees and ignores their recommendations if not happy with the results.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:27:48 EDT 2009]

More proof of Harper's incompetence as PM

Stephen Harper wants to cut taxes AND dramatically increase military funding. How? By drastically cutting your social services, running up the national debt, and privatizing your health care. His platform is to appeal to fear, and greed, and resentment. Canada deserves better.

Harper's appointment of incompetents
Harper appointed Gary Goodyear, a fundamentalist chiropractor to be the secretary of state for science and technology. Mr Goodyear's comments indicate that, quite apart from the question of whether or not he believes the theory of evolution to be accurate, he doesn't even have a clue what evolution means, as he seems to think that choosing to wear high heels rather than sneakers is a form of evolution. Thank you, Mr Harper, for placing Canadian science and technology in the hands of a nitwit.

[updated Tue Aug 11 20:32:14 EDT 2009]

Greetings,

It is with great excitement that I make the first announcement for the Blue Network. We are an organization that has been developing over the past few months We are a group of party members, MPs, volunteers, and Canadian Citizens determined to take back our Conservative party through democracy and allow for internal party resolution of policy. We want to take GRASSROOTS democracy back for the party members who make up the party.

Our Mission: To form an independent network, whose purpose is to bring reforms within the Conservative Party of Canada. We believe in a party built and run from the membership base. We believe the party principles, the constitution, the leaders, and the policy should all be chosen within a framework democratically elected by the membership base. Without the membership, the party does not exist; therefore, we wish to encourage a return to a responsible grassroots party.

The Blue Network: Will be a tool used to develop a national network of Conservatives, determined on bringing in moderate reforms to the Conservative Party of Canada. By having specific constitution and policy amendments with more binding resolution, our party can progress in a direction which is acceptable to the party membership. The Blue Network will develop the necessary by-laws and amendments needed to take our party away from the direction we are headed and back to a formidable grassroots entity. The next available time to implement party reforms will be at the National Convention in 2011. The Blue Network will help prepare members, EDAs, and delegates for voting strategies to implement the amendments and conscious-driven national councilors.

MEMBERSHIPS are currently open on an application-only or referral basis.

To apply for a membership visit http://www.bluenetwork.ca and click on the application link and help us put our party back on track!

Cheers

[updated Wed Aug 12 00:39:26 EDT 2009]

here's a piece from WK that fits our Ad_nothing character here:

EXCLUSIVE! MUST CREDIT WK.COM!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 08:45 AM
...here, exclusively, are some leaked numbers from the Strategy Consultants, Inc. Don't ask me how I got them - suffice to say they are going to have tongues wagging up in Ottawa!

1. Do you care about mid-Summer polls about political leaders? Have you read, seen or heard anything about that kind of stuff?

99.9 per cent: No and no. I couldn't give a rat's ass, either.
0.1 per cent: Yes, because I wear jammies all day, live in my Mom's basement, and am paid a stipend by the Conservative Party to blog about it.

2. Do you agree that that the massive increase in unemployment since Stephen Harper got re-elected is the number that counts? The historically-high number of bankruptcies? The massive $156 billion deficit that awaits, with little or no jobs to show for it?

99.9 per cent: Yes, yes and yes. To real people, out here in the real world, those are the numbers that count the most. Harper and his crew don't give a shit about me, or what is happening in my life.
0.1 per cent: No. I've been a Reform/Alliance/Harper Con and living in Mom's basement for a decade or so. I don't get too fussed about the real world.

[updated Wed Aug 12 09:17:32 EDT 2009]

More Bad News for Liberals

Bush’s Useful Idiots
Tony Judt on the Strange Death of Liberal America

Why have American liberals acquiesced in President Bush’s catastrophic foreign policy? Why have they so little to say about Iraq, about Lebanon, or about reports of a planned attack on Iran? Why has the administration’s sustained attack on civil liberties and international law aroused so little opposition or anger from those who used to care most about these things? Why, in short, has the liberal intelligentsia of the United States in recent years kept its head safely below the parapet?
.................
But like Christopher Hitchens and other former left-liberal pundits now expert in ‘Islamo-fascism’, Beinart and Berman and their kind really are conversant – and comfortable – with a binary division of the world along ideological lines. In some cases they can even look back to their own youthful Trotskyism when seeking a template and thesaurus for world-historical antagonisms. In order for today’s ‘fight’ (note the recycled Leninist lexicon of conflicts, clashes, struggles and wars) to make political sense, it too must have a single universal enemy whose ideas we can study, theorise and combat; and the new confrontation must be reducible, like its 20th-century predecessor, to a familiar juxtaposition that eliminates exotic complexity and confusion: Democracy v. Totalitarianism, Freedom v. Fascism, Them v. Us.

To be sure, Bush’s liberal supporters have been disappointed by his efforts. Every newspaper I have listed and many others besides have carried editorials criticising Bush’s policy on imprisonment, his use of torture and above all the sheer ineptitude of the president’s war. But here, too, the Cold War offers a revealing analogy. Like Stalin’s Western admirers who, in the wake of Khrushchev’s revelations, resented the Soviet dictator not so much for his crimes as for discrediting their Marxism, so intellectual supporters of the Iraq War – among them Michael Ignatieff, Leon Wieseltier, David Remnick and other prominent figures in the North American liberal establishment – have focused their regrets not on the catastrophic invasion itself (which they all supported) but on its incompetent execution. They are irritated with Bush for giving ‘preventive war’ a bad name.

In a similar vein, those centrist voices that bayed most insistently for blood in the prelude to the Iraq War – the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman demanded that France be voted ‘Off the Island’ (i.e. out of the Security Council) for its presumption in opposing America’s drive to war – are today the most confident when asserting their monopoly of insight into world affairs.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n18/judt01_.html

[updated Wed Aug 12 10:39:20 EDT 2009]

Ignatieff earns same rating as Dion? (DOH!)
Advisers fear Liberal Leader hasn't offer voters sense of who he is, how he diverges from Harper-Campbell Clark- Globe and Mail Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009

Look where Michael Ignatieff is now – right where Stéphane Dion was just over a year ago.

Two points behind the Tories in the polls, perhaps just a few months from an election, and so far unable to convert the groups of potential supporters – young, female, and urban – that Liberals typically need to win.

Mr. Dion's election debacle was followed by a further slide in the polls, to 24 per cent.

Mr. Ignatieff, as the new opposition leader, took the Liberals up to 35 per cent in May, and has drifted slightly down since.

His party now trails Stephen Harper's Conservatives by two percentage points, 32 to 34, according to a Strategic Counsel poll published in The Globe and Mail Tuesday .

But in June, 2008, the same pollster found Mr. Dion only two points behind .

The rest of the article is just repeating what Canadians have been stating for 3 years. Some of us who left the Liberal Party have witnessed the "trainwreck" for years.

We can also admit the current government is NOT perfect and makes mistakes. We can offer constructive criticism and not AGREE with everything that our party supports.

But we don't blame the current government for silly OBC (Ottawa Bubble Crap) or Inside Navel Gazing that the Liberals and Opposition parties have asked us to repeatedly judge the current government by.

Again (Cadman, puffins, Hidden Agenda, Right wing conspiracy from Christians in church basements, income trust flip flop, tasteles jokes, plagerism, unsexy comments, blame for an Aging 52 facility that was to be replaced in 2000, Global Recession, Pandemic and wafers....) Many of those had been repeated today.

Where's the Beef? Instead of attacking the CPC and blaming them for everything and propping them up: Craft you own unique Vision and give Canadians a reason to vote for the Liberal Party again.

Chretien may have broken several promises and ultimately been pushed out through internal fighting he SOLD his party to the voters.

Dion tried but had very little support and in my opinion was fighting the same internal wars who denied Iggy the Montreal coronation in 2006.

What does the Liberal Party stand for?

Blame the current minority government for agreeing with the experts and auditor General in their findings regarding Maple Reactors?

What did Iggy do today?

"There’s also a need for some really good market promotion here. . . . If these fishers can get fewer fishermen out here, reduce the number of licences . . . this industry’s got a good future."

He said Canadians need to hear "we can do better for the workers in Central Canada who are losing their jobs (and that) we can do better on the international stage."

"We just had the Three Amigos summit and we had Mr. Harper . . . apologizing for Canadian policy in front of the whole world, and that’s not what Canadians want."

Mr. Ignatieff said Tuesday that his party has a strong appeal to younger people.

"One of the worse things about Stephen Harper’s record in government is the youth unemployment rate," he said. "The unemployment rate among young people is completely unacceptable. We will be bringing proposals (to Parliament) in the fall to do something about it."

He also says Harper’s government has failed to address the shortage of medical isotopes, and has no plan to address it.

"This government has been in office for 3 1/2 years and there’s been two shutdowns of supply of medical isotopes on their watch."

"They had two cracks to get it right. . . . They’re failing cancer patients who are scared and worried, who want diagnosis quick to know if they’ve got cancer and this government has no plan to get the medical isotope supply up.

[updated Wed Aug 12 11:13:59 EDT 2009]

"We just had the Three Amigos summit and we had Mr. Harper . . . apologizing for Canadian policy in front of the whole world, and that’s not what Canadians want." Iggy By TERA CAMUS Cape Breton Bureau Aug 12,2009

Ignatieff wrong to blame our military
Speaking in Ireland, Liberal leader should have rapped his own party
By Lorne Gunter, The Edmonton JournalJuly 19, 2009

In all, at least 114 Canadians have been killed while on peacekeeping duty around the world in the past half-century. To call that sacrifice "entirely bogus" does a great disservice both to those who died and those who served without incident.

It takes a special kind of bravery and dedication to one's country to go knowingly into hostile territory with one hand tied behind your back by politicians who only care when you foul up, who respect you very little and who always promise new equipment and resources but seldom follow through.

Having said all that, then, you'd expect I would be furious with Ignatieff over his remarks four years ago at the University of Dublin's Trinity College, and I am, in a way.

It was not the Canadian legacy of peacekeeping that was "entirely bogus," it was the Liberal misuse of that legacy that was. What was "disgusting" was the way the Chretien government and then the Paul Martin government hid behind peacekeeping's skirts to avoid having to take sides in the world's hot spots.

It was a Liberal tendency, not a Canadian one, to, as Ignatieff added, rather "bitch about their rich neighbour to the south than actually pay" the price for a military that could intervene where needed to prevent humanitarian disasters.

Ignatieff's error in Ireland was to claim most Canadians were equally guilty of the irresponsibility and arrogance that were hallmarks of Liberal foreign policy for 40 years.

He should have blamed his own party--not Canadians as a whole --for the timidity whitewashed with moral boastfulness that was Canadian foreign policy from the late 1960s onward. And he should never, ever have said anything that could even remotely have been misconstrued as a slam on our peacekeepers.

The sole bright spot in Canadian foreign affairs during the Liberal era was the competence of our military despite the stresses the Liberals put them under.

Ignatieff also added, "If you are a human rights defender and you want something done to stop [a] massacre, you have to go to the Pentagon, because no one else is serious."

I was saying much the same things at the same time, but Iggy's unpardonable sin was in blaming our peacekeepers, indirectly, rather than placing blame where it belonged, with his own party. Lorne Gunter, The Edmonton JournalJuly 19, 2009

[updated Wed Aug 12 11:22:20 EDT 2009]

Liberals won't come clean?

Top Secret Agenda Platform

GST increase?
Payroll taxes for EI to recover $ 1-4 Billion?

Waldo wants power and won't tell Canadians what he would do differently?

“We are ready to take over and put an end to this deficit spending,” he said.
“When we were elected in the early 1990s, we tackled a $43 billion deficit left by the Tories and eliminated it within a few years. We can do it again if we just spend judiciously and openly.”
But Coderre would not comment on the fact that eliminating the past deficit meant severe cuts to transfer payments and health care grants to the provinces, cuts to employment insurance benefits and the laying off of thousands of federal civil servants.
“We have a plan for how to tackle this new deficit,” was all he would say.

http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/content/view/265371/1/

[updated Wed Aug 12 11:52:01 EDT 2009]

Harper's contempt for the unemployed
"In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel bad about it themselves, as long as they're receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance"

This is representative of the views of right-wing extremists like Harper - their view is that if you're not rich nad powerful, it's your own fault.

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:33:13 EDT 2009]

Harper's Contempt for Democracy
Harper amply proved during the "crisis" in which a coalition almost unseated his government, that he neither understands nor values Canadian democracy, equating opposition on the part of the Opposition to be tantamount to treason. Democracy, Harper-style, means "shut up and do what I tell you."

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:33:53 EDT 2009]

Harper Believes Canadian=Ignorant
Harper's Conservatives (I can't in good conscience call them Tories, as Tories weren't redneck immitators of foreign right-wingers) have adopted US Republican-style anti-intellectualism, trying to smear their Liberal opponent by calling the Liberal leader "professor Dion", as if that were some kind of insult. The real insult is to Canadians.

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:34:44 EDT 2009]

Harper contempt for Atlantic Canadians
"There's unfortunately a view of too many people in Atlantic Canada that it's only through government favours that there's going to be economic progress, or that's what you look to...The kind of can't-do attitude is a problem in this country but it's obviously more serious in regions that have had have-not status for a long time."

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:34:59 EDT 2009]

Harper vs Canada:
his desire to sway elections with money

As President of the right-wing lobby group "the National Citizens Coalition," Harper went to court to overturn limits on election spending and allow his lobby group to use its wealthy members' money to sway elections with third-party advertising. However, the Supreme Court overturned an Alberta Court of Appeal decision in the case of Harper v. Canada, and now Harper's right-wing cronies (and everyone else) are obligated to be accountable to the public in their spending.

The "National Citizens Coalition" - a lobby group for the rich and right-wing that masquerades as a movement of average citizens - was founded as an attempt to oppose public health care. It has gone on to support such noble causes as attacking the Canada Health Act, and keeping Vietnamese refugees out of Canada. Is Stephen Harper, the former president of the "National Citizens Coalition", really someone you'd want as our Prime Minister?

In 1997 Harper gave a speech to the "National Policy Council", an American right-wing lobby group [see news story here or here ]. "your country, and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world" says Harper of right-wing Americans. See here for the text of his speech.

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:35:28 EDT 2009]

Harper's vision of Canada
"Alberta and much of the rest of Canada have embarked on divergent and potentially hostile paths to defining their country...let us build a society on Alberta values. "
- December 8, 2000 National Post

[updated Wed Aug 12 14:35:48 EDT 2009]

Go and check out some neo-CRAPer websites and the long list of Harper's "accomplishments" while in office reads like a list of highway repair projects and sewage-plant upgrades.....how totally shallow and I suppose necessary as the loser has no real policy accomplishments to crow about.

It is despicable, really, that Harper should claim as his own the accumulated accomplishments of the Canadian people....we built the bloody bridge, we pay to pave the roads...our tax dollars fund everything the government does...Canada is sick and the virus is Harper

[updated Wed Aug 12 15:57:12 EDT 2009]

Putting Canadians First.

I feel a rant coming on, so here goes -- call me particular but I believe in putting the interests of Canada first. I'm for busting our ass to help Canadians during difficult economic times. I'm also in favour of doing right by those who take the trouble to go out and vote.

I'm tired of disinterest or apathy. I want to feel good again about what's going on in Ottawa and who is leading the charge.

Now is the time to look to the future and to do something about it:

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I don't know about you but I'd rather be Damned If I Do than Damned If I Don't. Standing pat is easy -- making it happen, a lot harder.

[updated Wed Aug 12 21:18:12 EDT 2009]

Naughty Mr. Blue!

Mr. Blue, of The Blue Network, says Mr. Plett and Mr. Finley are Liberals. Makes me wonder what he's planning to call Mr. Stephen Harper.

If those guys are Liberals, I'm Che Guevara.

[updated Wed Aug 12 22:05:06 EDT 2009]

The Globe and Mail Joins The "Herd"...

It's thinking like this that keeps parties in opposition:

As next month's return of Parliament draws near, speculation about a federal election will again ramp up. Both Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal Leader, and Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister, have good reason to put an end to it. Recent polls suggest neither stands to gain from a campaign, and both have much to prove in this Parliament.

Mr. Ignatieff, who likely has greater control over the next election's timing, has had some successes in the past eight months. Its organization, especially its fundraising, has vastly improved. The Liberals' communications have been professionalized, and their caucus is much more united than under Stéphane Dion. The Liberals have their swagger back.

One might ask why. As yet, they have failed to capture the imagination of Canadians. The Liberals' support seems to have plateaued; they are stuck slightly behind the Conservatives, or at best in a virtual tie. Strikingly, the polls suggest they are in little better shape this summer under Mr. Ignatieff's leadership than last summer under Mr. Dion's.

Polls, particularly during the summer, when many Canadians are paying scant attention to politics, are unreliable barometers. But their recent findings are not counterintuitive. The Liberals have not capitalized on the excitement when Mr. Ignatieff won the leadership, because he has yet to make a convincing case for why he should be prime minister. The overblown dispute about the relatively marginal issue of employment insurance reform, over which Mr. Ignatieff unconvincingly threatened to force a summer election, underscored the lack of serious policy differences between the Liberals and the Conservatives.

The Liberal strategy seems to have revolved around the premise that Canadians are clamouring for an alternative to the Conservatives. But with the economy stabilizing, and the government making fewer mistakes since the debacle of last year's fiscal update, that does not appear to be true. The challenge for Mr. Ignatieff is to begin making a comprehensive case for how the country could be run better, particularly on economic issues – something that may take longer than a couple of months.

Mr. Harper would be equally unwise to pursue a fall election, by provoking the opposition into bringing down the government. The best result he could reasonably hope for would be a probably weakened minority government – a result that many speculate could prompt his resignation as Conservative leader.

Instead, the Prime Minister should focus this fall – and beyond, if he has the opportunity – on developing policies to help rebuild the economy and allow it to emerge from the recession stronger than it entered it.

That, more than the familiar pattern of political gamesmanship, would help Mr. Harper make his case the next time Canadians go to the polls. (It is probably not a coincidence that his polling numbers tend to improve when he is seen to be statesmanlike in his international travels, rather than taking potshots at his opponents in Ottawa.) It may still be that a majority government will always be out of his reach. But if that is the case, Mr. Harper should recognize that his current mandate is his best opportunity to leave his mark on the country.

Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Harper are both fond of insisting they are trying to make the current Parliament work. Given the disadvantages for both in bringing it down this fall, they have strong incentive to make good on their word.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Prime Minister has had enough rope.

[updated Thu Aug 13 09:07:42 EDT 2009]

Is The Blue Network In Search Of "True-Blue" Senators?

What's holding up the show? Shouldn't our Prime Minister have smugly announced the Senate smorgasbord by now? As we've heard, the BN has not exactly taken a liking to at least two of the prospective senators, namely, Plett and Finley. Not very nice calling them of all things -- Liberals. What do those guys think will happen to them once they are comfortably ensconced in those red chairs!

Could the PM be having second thoughts about packing the sardine can? Thoughtful reflection can indeed be a wonderful thing. So let's just keep our nose to the wind in search of that highly distinctive political scent. Something tells me The Blue Network is about to be disappointed -- again.

[updated Thu Aug 13 10:38:40 EDT 2009]

1285 Days Is More Than Enough.

I've got a song that won't stop buzzing in my brain. It goes something like this:

Words & music by paul simon

Slip slidin away
Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away

I know a man
He came from my home town
He wore his passion for his woman
Like a thorny crown
He said delores
I live in fear
My love for yous so overpowering
Im afraid that I will disappear

Slip slidin away
Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away

I know a woman
Became a wife
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Aint got no rain
She said a bad days when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been

Slip slidin away
Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away

And I know a fa-ther
Who had a son
He longed to tell him all the reasons
For the things hed done
He came a long way
Just to explain
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
Then he turned around and headed home again

Slip slidin away
Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away

God only knows
God makes his plan
The informations unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe were gliding down the highway
When in fact were slip slidin away

Slip slidin away
Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away

Slip slidin away
You know the nearer your destination
The more youre slip slidin away
Mmm...

Stephen Harper has cheated fate for far too long. Let's not give him another chance to seriously extend his run. Canada cannot afford that luxury.

[updated Thu Aug 13 11:35:47 EDT 2009]

More BAD NEWS for the Liberals

The EKOS poll, commissioned by the CBC and released Thursday, asked Canadians if they approve or disapprove of the way Harper, Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton are handling their jobs.

Harper received a 36 per cent approval rating, followed by Layton (34 per cent) and Ignatieff (29 per cent). Conversely, 47 per cent said they disapprove of Harper’s job performance, with Ignatieff getting a 38 per cent disapproval rating and Layton 33 per cent.

That means the net positive scores are worse for Harper (-11) than for Ignatieff (-9).

However, Ignatieff’s disapproval rating has gone from 20 per cent in January, to almost 40 per cent in August, basically doubling in seven months.
===============================

Clearly as Canadians get to know the Iggy Liberals and their leader his leadership is sinking like a LEAD BALLOON.

In typical fashion for the Liberals again, an election threat is used to stop the Negative trend for their party and leader.

The Narrative by the MSM has been reinforced by the lack of substance and policy from the Liberals.

The framing of the "opportunist" and Where's waldo has already taken hold. This will only get worse until the Liberal put up some REAL policies that Canadians can find worthwhile.

Until than the Liberals will repeat Groundhog Day and Hamlet will become Dion Deux.

[updated Thu Aug 13 14:15:06 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“We are a country of the Americas,” Prime Minister Harper said. “Re-engagement in our hemisphere is a critical international priority for our Government. Canada is committed to playing a bigger role in the Americas and to doing so for the long term.”
In a speech marking the 10th anniversary of the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement July 17, 2009

"[The new visa requirement for Mexican visitors] is not the fault of the government of Mexico – let me be very clear about this [....] This is a problem in Canadian refugee law which encourages bogus claims."
Speaking at the 'Three Amigos' summit in Guadalajara, August 12, 2009, quoted in the Globe and Mail

THE TRUTH
The only re-engagement Harper has paid attention to with Latin America is mercantile, and even then, he has done so clumsily. According to John Kirk, professor of Latin American Studies at Dalhousie University:

On Mexico
"frustration with the abuse of the system for judging bona fide refugee claims from Mexico has led to a diplomatic blunder. Instead of modernizing the Immigration and Refugee Board and staffing it appropriately, the government reacted by slapping visa regulations on Mexico, and giving just two days notice to Mexicans planning to come to Canada.

"The widespread frustration (noted in Mexican media) is understandable, illustrating this major error in judgment. At a time when the tourism industry in Canada is slumping, the loss of 250,000 Mexican tourists—the fourth largest market for Canadian tourism, generating an estimated $265 million annually—is sad indeed. Since 1993, bilateral trade has grown 390 per cent, and Canadian investment there to a whopping 665 per cent. To treat Mexico with such insensitivity is just bad politics."

"Canada’s Auditor-General, the national ombud, pointed out that the Immigration and Refugee Board has suffered a significant decrease in the number of decisionmakers since the second quarter 2007; at one point, it operated with a 35 percent vacancy rate. Currently, the Toronto Star reports there is an 11 percent vacancy rate with 18 out of 164 positions unfilled. Jason Kenney, minister of Immigration and Citizenship, asked for the appointment process to be slowed down in April to properly assess all of the candidates." [from Blake Lambert's column in the Faster Times]

On Honduras
"While hemispheric leaders (including Barack Obama) have called for the return of the constitutionally elected government, the weakest response has been from Canada. Others have demanded the immediate return of President Zelaya, refusing to recognize the illegal government. Not Canada."

Free Trade in the Americas
"In the case of Peru, where the FTA was enthusiastically supported by the PMO and DFAIT, little has been said about the killing in June by the Peruvian military of some 80 indigenous in rural Bagua province following protests against the displacement of native communities and the despoiling of the Amazon. Both Mr. Kent and Mr. Harper criticize the human rights situation in Cuba, but are strangely silent on massive abuses in countries where they seek commercial advantage. This is most clearly the case in Colombia, where Mr. Harper has pushed hard for another free trade agreement, while praising the Uribe government, which has the worst human rights record in the hemisphere."

On Cuba
"Showing an extraordinary selective indignation over the issue of human rights, in January Minister Kent chided the 600,000 Canadian vacationers to the island, noting that they were 'too willing to accept a candy-coated vision of what life in Cuba really is [...] it is still a dictatorship, any way you package it.' [...] the Harper government [is pursuing] a course towards Cuba that is reminiscent of a failed U.S. policy under Gorge W. Bush—just as the Obama administration is undertaking a dramatically new approach.

"Some of these are petty, such as delaying a visa to the Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment to attend an annual shareholders' meeting and mimicking a Bush proclamation on an anniversary important in Miami but reviled in Havana. Others are damaging to Canada's international standing. In terms of human rights, Canada was outvoted 46-1 on its Cuba policy at the U.N. Human Rights Council in June 2007."

[updated Thu Aug 13 14:20:39 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
During Israel’s widely condemned invasion of the Gaza strip in December 2008 and January 2009, Stephen Harper was largely silent. The Canadian representative to the UN Human Rights Council had the following to say in opposition to a motion condemning Israel’s action—particularly against civilians—and calling for urgent humanitarian aid: “the draft text still failed to clearly recognize that rocket fire on Israel had led to the current crisis.”

Said Harper: “We would like to see a ceasefire, but an efficient and durable ceasefire,” Mr. Harper told reporters in Montreal on Friday. “We have asked for the ceasefire to both parties in this conflict. Our position is clear.”

Martin Grinus comments at the UN HRC on January 12, 2009
Stephen Harper comments on January 9, 2009 in Ottawa quoted in the National Post

THE TRUTH
The UN HRC Resolution was opposed by only one of the 47 nations comprising the Council: Canada. A bilateral ceasefire and the enumeration of hostilities toward civilians were key components of the resolution. In addition to condemning Israel and calling for humanitarian aid, the motion also urged that all parties “refrain from violence against the civilian population” and called for “the immediate cessation of Israeli military attacks throughout the Palestinian Occupied Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, which to date have resulted in the killing of more than nine hundred and injury to more than four thousand Palestinians, including a large number of women and children, and the end to the launching of crude rockets against Israeli civilians, which have resulted in the loss of four civilian lives and some injuries.”

It has also recently come to light that Israeli Defense Force rules of engagement for Operation Cast Lead did not discourage collateral fire on civilians. According to some soldiers interviewed by Breaking the Silence, an organization of Israeli veterans, soldiers were advised not to hesitate before engaging: “If you're not sure – kill.” In a 110-page report released today, Breaking the Silence describes the following as accepted practices:

“destruction of hundreds of houses and mosques for no military purpose, the firing of phosphorous gas in the direction of populated areas, the killing of innocent victims with small arms, the destruction of private property, and most of all, a permissive atmosphere in the command structure that enabled soldiers to act without moral restrictions.”
It is to Israel, and not to principles of justice, sovereignty, democracy, and empathy, to which Stephen Harper pledged his “unshakable support” in May 2008, on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.

[updated Thu Aug 13 14:21:37 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“They’ll never again be able to say that I wrote off Quebec,” Harper said. “Our party and our organization are getting stronger in all parts of Quebec, including Montreal.”
Quoted in Maclean's from Harper's address at a Conservative Montreal fundraiser in May

THE TRUTH
Léger Marketing's polling reveals a completely different story:

The Conservatives were weak at the time of the last election, and have been in freefall since December, now commanding only 11% support and trailing the Liberals, the Bloc, and NDP. There is no rally, no strength, no core of support. In their desperation, Harper's Conservatives accused Bloc MP's of being soft on pedophiles.

Quebec is an essential prize for any party wanting to form a majority government, and the Bloc has effectively obstructed Harper's attempts to do so, to his humiliation. To his horror, the Liberals have made impressive advances in Quebec.

Harper's valiant attempt to doll-up his ugly party fools noone who is paying attention. Fortunately for Harper, people who pay attention to current events do not form the Conservative base. But the Quebec electorate is sensitive and savvy, commensurate with its political clout. Harper's ham-handed repudiation of "separatists" during last December's coalition scare has surrendered half his share of the Quebec electorate and paved the way for the Liberals to pick up ground.

[updated Thu Aug 13 14:22:27 EDT 2009]

More Bad News for the Liberals

Another Liberal Blogger posts more analysis

http://farnwide.blogspot.com/2009/08/ekos-poll.html

The new EKOS poll focuses on the approval/disapproval numbers for the various leaders. The trendline isn't good for Ignatieff, improving for Harper:
The historical context considered, you can still see a decided change in June, further evidence that the Liberals badly handled their strategy prior to the summer break. That isn't news to anyone.

If you look at Harper's numbers, the trend is actually positive, his negatives slowly dropping over time. Combine that with the reverse trend for Ignatieff, and concern is warranted. There's no much available to move the numbers this summer, but the key will be a revamped Liberal approach come the fall, that clearly addresses a growing problem.

If it were up to me, I'd be using some of that new found fundraising wealth to get out some positive leadership ads. People don't know Ignatieff, which means we need to be proactive, rather than leaving this vacuum available. Combined with that, and I really do suspect it's coming, issue specific frames that give voters a sense of the party and what it wants to do. It is so blatantly obvious that Liberals and Ignatieff aren't "drawing" voters, most of the improvement is a default consideration, that by it's nature is very weak and feeble support. If we want to move the numbers upward, we need more "pull" rather than relying on the "push" to date. In fairness, when you're in the midst of a economic meltdown, it's pretty shrewd to adopt a conservative approach. But it's an outdated consideration at this point, a nimble strategy requires a wholesale rethink.

The good news, the problem is easily identified, there is no mystery here, so the response seems straightforward. We don't need a platform, but we need borders, we need a definition, that's the thrust and nothing will change until it's addressed. If a snap election is in the offing, then we can probably wait until the campaign (my suggestion on ads now aside), because you can't do much in the short intermediary anyways. However, that logic still brings a danger- can you define yourself in 6 weeks, particularly when campaigns are fluid and you don't control the ebb and flow?

These numbers don't constitute panic time, but they do demand an urgency. Period.

[updated Thu Aug 13 14:55:27 EDT 2009]

MORE EMBARASSMENT FOR HARPER!!!!!

It appears Linda Keen knew what she was talking about before she got fired by the Conservatives. What an embarassment. I bet he's throwing chairs around the PMO today.

Harper displeased isotope reactor down until 2010
Updated: Thu Aug. 13 2009 2:52:45 PM

CTV.ca News Staff

[updated Thu Aug 13 15:00:44 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“I read that Canadians think the Obama plan is credible, and their targets are virtually identical to ours,” Mr. Harper said after the meeting.
On President Obama's proposal to cut carbon emissions at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, July 9, 2009

THE TRUTH
The G8 leaders pledged to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. Now, that may sound about the same as what Environment Minister Jim Prentice vows Canada will achieve--60-70%--regardless of what the G8 leaders agree to: "Prentice, has said the government does not plan to sway from its commitment to cut greenhouse gases by 60-to-70 per cent by the year 2050, even though the G8 deal mandates an 80-per-cent cut."

Instead of thinking of this as a 10% difference--70 versus 80%--look at the remainder. If we achieve a 60% reduction in carbon emissions, we are left pumping out twice as much carbon as if we achieve an 80% reduction. A one-and-a-half to two-fold difference is not "virtually identical."

Canada is already one of the world's most irresponsible emitters, with per capita levels in the top three emitters in the world, behind only the United States and Luxembourg: "Canada is a dismal 27th out of 29 OECD nations when greenhouse gas emissions are measured on a per capita basis. Canadians produce 16.84 tonnes of carbon dioxide, per person, per year, 48% above the OECD average of 11.41 tonnes and more than four times the global average."

[updated Thu Aug 13 15:08:04 EDT 2009]

“There is an alarming trend line emerging for Michael Ignatieff on the job approval front,” notes Graves. “When we first asked the question in January his scores amounted to a net positive of over 20 points; he now sits at a net negative of about nine points. Essentially, his negatives have doubled over the past 6 months.” Indeed, with an approval rating of just 29%, Ignatieff now trails both Stephen Harper (36% approve) and Jack Layton (34% approve). While Harper still has the highest negatives, his positive ratings have improved modestly over the same timeframe, whereas Ignatieff’s have fallen precipitously.EKOS Survey Aug 13 2009

The Bad News for the Liberal is piling up, pull the plug, roll the dice seems to be the wish of many Liberals who actually support Iggy.

The real question are those other liberals who did not vote for Iggy in 2006, stayed home in October 2008 coming back to save the party?

Those Big Fish are back. Max donations have gone well. How many new members have joined the Liberal Party?

Iggy is 61 years old and will not get another shot if fails to win? At 62-64 years old will Iggy be old to fight another election? Is his concern about age the REASON to go 8 months at the helm? What are those reasons?

The improvement in the economy? The improvement in housing in most areas? The lack of good food he ate during the summer BBQ season?

Or is Iggy bored with Canada?

[updated Thu Aug 13 17:09:56 EDT 2009]

PM right to lash out at 'Buy USA' Aug 13, 2009 James Travers, Toronto Star.

As the University of Lethbridge's trade guru Geoffrey Hale points out, bashing U.S. protectionism sends home the message that the Prime Minister shares the pain of lost jobs and opportunities and is doing something about it. Even if that sounds more like Bill Clinton than Stephen Harper, it's emotionally comforting for Canadians and, with an assist from a U.S. agenda overloaded with debt and health care, might help keep non-tariff trade barriers from rising higher.

Slowing the protectionist trend is even more important to Canada than its trade dependence suggests. This country needs time for two seminal projects. One is using cross-border corporate and political connections, particularly between provincial premiers and state governors, to make the sometimes-weak case that open borders are mutually beneficial. The other is to begin the glacial process of weaning Canada from the U.S.
===============
Wow first time I have read a piece from Jim that did not lash out at Harper. Impressive. Anyone else notice more and more articles from the Toronto Star and not so negative against the CPC?

[updated Thu Aug 13 17:26:47 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER PLEDGE
The Government's commitment, advanced by Hon Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources in December, 2008:
"ensuring that the Canadian medical community receives a consistent and reliable supply of medical isotopes has been of critical importance to me. I have been actively engaged with both my departmental officials, and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), to determine how best to continue meeting this objective. [...]
"In January, at Canada's request, a meeting of governments and industry focused on isotope security of supply will take place in Paris, France. This is a global issue which warrants a global response, and I will ensure that Canada plays a leadership role in the planned discussions. [...]
"Ensuring the conditions for a reliable supply of medical isotopes in Canada continues to be a priority of our Government. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, Canada's medical community, and our global partners to further address this matter."
from a statement issued by the Minister on December 15, 2008

THE HARPER LIE
"For whatever reason, Atomic Energy was not able to make that project work. There was no prospect that it would work. [...]
"Eventually, we anticipate Canada will be out of the business" of making medical isotopes [...]
"we can't spend hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars and never produce an isotope."
from statements by Harper on June 10, 2009, quoted in the Toronto Star

AECL is a "dysfunctional," $30-billion "sinkhole": "The government has put $30 billion into AECL over its history and it's been one of the largest sinkholes of government money probably in the history of the government of Canada. [...] I don't think we're going out on a limb to say it has been a fairly dysfunctional place."
from statements by Harper's communications director, Kory Teneycke, on June 11 to Canadian Press [what is that name, anyway? some hokey spoonerism of Tory Canuck?]

THE TRUTH
The achievements of the Chalk River facility, the National Reactor Unit or NRU, are described on its website as follows:

"Since it began operation in 1957, the NRU reactor has made substantial contributions to the science, technology, energy, health, and economy of Canada. Medical isotopes produced in NRU are used in the treatment of more than 20,000,000 patients around the world each year: a huge contribution to world health, and a significant Canadian export business. Following from the Nobel Prize winning work of Canadian Bert Brockhouse at Chalk River...neutron scattering continues to be a field of excellence in Canadian science. Knowledge gained at test facilities in NRU has been an essential foundation for developing the current fleet of CANDU power stations...an important source of electricity for Canada, and generate no greenhouse gases. This catalogue of achievements makes the NRU reactor the most ambitious and productive science facility in Canada."
AECL employs over 5,000 highly skilled employees delivering a range of nuclear services worldwide and its reactors supply 16% of Canada's electricity. And finally, what we can be most proud of is that "For over 50 years AECL has been safely and passionately developing peaceful and productive applications of nuclear energy."

A panel of experts of the US National Academy of Science is incredulous that Canada has abandoned the MAPLE reactors project. According to the panel's January 2009 report: "The decision to discontinue work on the Maple reactors is not consistent with AECL continuing to produce Mo-99 over the long term. The committee assumes that the worst-case scenario for fixing the Maple reactors involves the replacement of the reactor cores. The cost of such replacements would likely be small (tens of millions of dollars)." Moreover, "AECL could probably contract with another organization to fix the Maple reactors—and, if desired, to convert the NPF [new processing facility] to LEU [low-enriched uranium]-based production—if it does not have the necessary in-house technical expertise or resources to do the work itself."

So instead of directing stimulus spending and infrastructure disbursements to facilities that:

improve the health of Canadians and the world
help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
continue our longstanding leadership in nuclear research
complete a project that Canadian taxpayers have already invested in heavily
stabilize international supplies of medical isotope in a secure facility
hire highly skilled knowledge workers
the Government has instead elected to abandon the project and throw its money into the automakers' coffers, the perfect antithesis for all that AECL achieves. The auto bailout price tag for 2009? $10.8 bln, plus an additional $3.5 bln from Ontario, or roughly enough money to operate the AECL for half of its illustrious five-decade history.

[updated Thu Aug 13 17:29:07 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“Canada's New Government has an ambitious and extensive legislative plan to strengthen accountability in government through democratic reform.

First, we are eliminating the influence of big money in the political process by regulating the financing of political parties.
Second, we've introduced legislation to modernize the Senate to make it more democratic, more accountable, and more effective.
Third, we are enhancing our electoral system to make it more responsive, fair and effective.
While we have accomplished a lot to date, we will continue to move forward with our plan to strengthen accountability through democratic reform.”
Technically, not a Harper quote. Cited from the Ministry of Democratic Reform website

THE TRUTH
We’ve covered some of this already, but to recap:

Harper threatened to remove the Government grant to political parties in December 2008, an action viewed by some as the precipitant to the threat of a coalition between the Liberals and NDP.
Harper crammed the Senate with his appointees in December 2008.
Harper broke his own law and called an early election.

[updated Thu Aug 13 17:32:02 EDT 2009]

Health care defence intentionally vague

Harper attempts to avoid debate over Canadian system because he despises it.

by Eric Mang

WASHINGTON, DC, August 13, 2009: While American debate rages over Canadian-style health care, Canada's prime minister is ducking the debate in order not to reveal his own feelings about a system most voters support wholeheartedly.

On August 10, Stephen Harper was interviewed by ABC News correspondent, Jake Tapper on issues raised at the recent summit between the leaders of Canada, the USA and Mexico, including H1N1, Mexican drug cartels, the coup in Honduras, and Afghanistan.

Given the raging health care reform debate south of the border, the Prime Minister's answers to Mr. Tapper's health care questions were revealing, as much for what they did not say as what they did.

Since the Conservatives were re-elected in 2008, health care seldom receives much attention as a federal issue compared with other portfolios or previous governments. Although social services are not a strong suit for the Conservatives, the government has tried to dodge accusations that they wish greater private involvement in Canada's health care system.

Harper's answers to health care questions were revealing, as much for what they did not say as what they did. However, the Conservatives, who are attempting to learn from their political missteps, are aware that a majority of Canadians support a universal, single-payer health care system. A recent Harris/Decima poll found that 70% of respondents thought our system to be working well and that 82% prefer our system to the American one. Notably, more than half of respondents thought more services should be covered in the public system (e.g. dentists) while only 12% thought more of the system should be private. Further, a Nanos Research poll found that 86% of respondents supported or strongly supported "public solutions to make our public health care stronger".

Wanting to slake the public's thirst for improvements in health care, in 2006 the Conservatives issued five commitments they would act on if elected to government; one of those pledges was a Patient Wait Times Guarantee: "Work with the provinces to develop a Patient Wait Times Guarantee to ensure that all Canadians receive essential medical treatment within clinically acceptable waiting times…" When it appeared that the Conservatives could not meet their wait times commitment, it was quietly replaced by an ambiguous statement of a "strong, united Canada".

The Conservatives are now fully distanced from their 2006 promise of wait times guarantees. When asked by Mr. Tanner whether our wait times are too long, Mr. Harper replied, omitting any reference of a federal partnership with provinces: "Yes, but the responsibility for the health care waits, in our country, are the responsibilities of provincial governments."

In a response to exaggerated claims made by Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal was quick with a rebuttal: "The notion that we have some bureaucrat standing next to every doctor between the patient and that doctor is a complete creation, there is no truth to that at all…What you have[in Canada] is a longer life span, better outcomes and about one-third less costs [compared to the US]. That's what you have."

When Mr. Harper was given an opportunity by Mr. Tapper to correct misconceptions about Canada's health care system, Mr. Harper did not attempt to address the more specious falsehoods. Rather, he downplayed the federal government's role in health care, despite our system being a single national plan through the Canada Health Act, and responded: "In Canada, health care is principally the responsibility of our provincial government. The federal government provides some transfers. We do some of the drug regulation, a number of other activities. But it is principally a system run by our provincial government [sic]. So first of all, I don't feel qualified to intervene in the debate."

Mr. Harper could have taken a cue from his colleague, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal, and been tactful and truthful about Canada's health care system.

Health care consistently rates as one of the top policy issues on the minds of Canadians and polls indicate that a majority support the public system. Although the Conservatives are reticent to involve themselves in health care issues, there were a number of points in his interview with Mr. Tapper where Mr. Harper could have set the record straight in front of an American audience and acknowledged how much Canadians cherish their health care system.

Eric Mang lives in Toronto and was a former political aide in

[updated Thu Aug 13 20:30:06 EDT 2009]

Michael Ignatieff is a magnificent leader. He makes me proud everytime I see him. He is honest and trustworthy. He is a refreshing change to the vitriolics of Harper. He has class, something Harper does not have at all. Ignatieff would be magnificent on the international stage and would make us proud.

What we have now is a horror show and embarassment. Ignatieff would change all that and get the country on track. Election as soon as possiblr to defeat Harper.

[updated Thu Aug 13 21:14:36 EDT 2009]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/canadians-back-public-solutions-to-improve-care-poll-finds/article1248727/

An overwhelming 86 per cent of Canadians favour “public solutions” for bolstering medicare, according to a new poll.

The survey, commissioned by the Canadian Health Coalition, is being released Wednesday as a pre-emptive strike.

That is because the Canadian Medical Association, at its coming general council meeting, plans to stage a high-profile discussion about transforming medicare, and it will release its own poll on support for privately delivered care.

Michael McBane, national co-ordinator of the Canadian Health Coalition, said he has no doubt that poll will show strong support for “privatization schemes” but the “language used in the CMA survey was so vague and misleading that its results cannot possible be interpreted as support for more for-profit medicine.”
....................................

Must be a reformatort commissioned poll when it uses the word vague.

[updated Fri Aug 14 05:18:18 EDT 2009]

Here's the platfrom that shows how the dippers intend to supplant the Liberals as the next NGP:
http://nationalnewswatchplus.com/pdf/ndp.pdf

Jack's ego is clearly at work here!!!

[updated Fri Aug 14 05:49:07 EDT 2009]

Reality vs Perception More Bad News for the Liberal Party

Why are Liberals desperate for an election this Fall?

(We have a winner!) I won't speculate any further why the panic and desperation to fight another election within 10 months of another general election while posting Dion level numbers.

Quebec's top court overturns gag order-TU THANH HA, Globe and Mail Aug 14, 2009

"Quebec's top court has quashed an order that prevented the newspaper La Presse from reporting about talks to recoup federal money paid out in the sponsorship scandal."

"The ruling could give legal ammunition to The Globe and Mail, which is fighting a similar ban."

"In a unanimous ruling, three Quebec Court of Appeal judges lifted restrictions on La Presse writing about settlement talks between Ottawa and Groupe Polygone, a firm that had been sued by the government for $41-million."

.....

"The sponsorship program was supposed to boost Ottawa's visibility in Quebec after the 1995 referendum, but the program was marred by fraud, mismanagement, and dubious payments to firms who donated to the federal Liberals."

"Groupe Polygone and other companies owned by Mr. Lemay obtained $41-million in federal sponsorship funds, then gave $6.7-million in subcontracts to Liberal insider Jacques Corriveau."

[updated Fri Aug 14 09:20:26 EDT 2009]

Do nothing reformatorts still doing nothing;
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/681191

GTA municipalities poised to begin work on roads, sewers and other infrastructure projects have yet to see a cent from the stimulus program that's supposed to pay for them – meaning the recession may well be over by the time shovels are in the ground.

Seven months after the January budget in which federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty promised billions in economic stimulus funding, municipalities still waiting for the cash face a tough choice.

[updated Fri Aug 14 10:21:19 EDT 2009]

More Bad News for the Liberals?

Can the Bloc and NDP equal or improve their bleeding of the Liberal, progressive vote?

Can the CPC equal or improve their bleeding of the Red Tory , dissaffected liberal centrist vote?

Can the Liberals equal or improve bleeding the progressive, Red Tory vote?

Will turnout improve or decrease? Who benefits from a lower turnout for an unwanted election?

Did BC, Quebec voters send back majorities to help deal with the economic problems? Were the other options too risky?

Many revisions of late have been brought forward to blame Dion for the worst showing in 100 years in POP for the Liberal Party.

I have never blamed "solely" Dion for the election loss. Would Iggy's Greenshift been more successful in Quebec or Ontario?

Was it simply a Policy that was too complicated or destroyed by their rivals?

The CPC framed the Policy as a tax grab vs Revenue Neutral.

Will Waldo champion increasing EI payouts, not raising taxes, ending the deficit by invoking the Chretien "record"?

Will voters trust the Liberals to manage the economy? Are the Liberals too risky? Can the Liberals be trusted not to raise taxes and increase spending?

If the Liberals blame the CPC for mismanagement and waste, the track record of Chretien/Martin will be used.

Let's talk cuts to health, education and social services.....$ 25 Billion.

[updated Fri Aug 14 11:35:16 EDT 2009]

Divorce: Harper Style!

Well, well, isn't this just about as predictable at it gets. Our Prime Minister seems to be a bit thin-skinned these days. Can't for the life of me figure out why. So much for the entente cordiale with Queen's Park:

Harper vs. McGuinty
Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, August 14, 2009

Stephen Harper took time out of a press conference in Kitchener, Ont., yesterday to take a swipe at Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

In Kitchener to unveil an economic development agency for Southern Ontario, the Prime Minister was asked to respond to comments by Mr. McGuinty slamming the federal government for its handling of the case of Suaad Haji Mohamud, a Toronto woman who has been stranded in Kenya since May because authorities questioned the photograph on her passport.

But rather than directly responding to Mr. McGuinty's criticism, the Prime Minister hit back by urging the province to deal with the ongoing scandal at its electronic health records agency, eHealth Ontario.

The scandal has dogged the McGuinty government after it was revealed the agency doled out millions of dollars in untendered contracts.

[updated Fri Aug 14 11:50:30 EDT 2009]

It's Either Bye Bye Buy American Or Bye Bye Stephen Harper.

That's it in a nut shell. The Prime Minister will bust his ass trying to get concessions out of the Obama Administration -- not to mention Congress. As a Canadian, I applaud him for that.

But I suspect the PM has a pretty good idea where his efforts are going. Don't throw away those fig leafs:

'Buy American' hard to halt: Harper
Last Updated: Thursday, August 13, 2009 | 6:25 PM ET Comments243Recommend121.
CBC News

Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned Canadians on Thursday that discouraging protectionist trade policies in the United States might not be a straightforward task.

Speaking at a news conference announcing a new economic agency for southern Ontario in Kitchener, Harper touched on the subject of how Canada could best discourage a growing call for trade protectionism by its southern neighbour.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canadians should be aware that discouraging protectionist trade policies in the United States might not be a straightforward task. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Protectionism in the face of moribund local economies featured prominently in discussions in Guadalajara, Mexico earlier this week among Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

There are global fears that the "Buy American" provisions slipped into the $787-billion US stimulus package by the U.S. Congress last February and designed to stimulate job creation in the United States will cut off any nascent economic recovery in Canada at its knees.

Ottawa is confident that an agreement on the issue can be reached, Harper said, but he cautioned that won't simply be a case of getting a pledge from Obama on the issue.

The Buy American provisions are not "strictly a matter of the White House," Harper said.

"The provisions we're talking about apply to procurement by subnational levels of government — by state and municipal governments in the United States," he said.

Under NAFTA and WTO rules, agencies below national governments are not subject to the same procurement restrictions. Provincial and municipal governments in Canada have the same rights to employ protectionist policies, and that too is something to be avoided at all costs, he said.

"[But] President Obama indicated an openness to looking at a range of solutions to this problem," Harper said, so he's optimistic a solution can be reached.

[updated Fri Aug 14 12:00:38 EDT 2009]

Harper afraid of an election and is running scared.

Canada is not out of recession yet: Harper
Reuters
Published: Friday, August 14, 2009

CHELSEA, Que. -- Canada is not yet out of the recession that has gripped the world, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Friday, adding that now is not the time for opposition parties to be contemplating an election.

[updated Fri Aug 14 18:07:08 EDT 2009]

More embarassing losses for Harper.

Ottawa loses Khadr appeal

OTTAWA — Globe and Mail Update
Last updated on Friday, Aug. 14, 2009 05:11PM EDT

[updated Fri Aug 14 18:10:58 EDT 2009]

All things considered, would you say the country is moving in the right direction or the wrong direction? Aug 05,2009.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/ekos-poll-050809.pdf

55% of Liberal voters agreed who voted in 2008.
53.1 leaning of voting intention for Liberals in 2009.

High 40% numbers for Green, NDP, Bloc also agree

Where is the groundswell or anger about the country suffering from the government?

All things considered, would you say the Government of Canada is moving in the right direction or the wrong direction?

CPC 78.9%
Lib 40.5%
NDP 34.5%
GRN 42.0%
BLOC 15.2%

I don't see the ballot question for the CPC, can they find an issue/trigger that will unite the coalition again for their benefit again?

Can the CPC suggest the HOC is dysfunctional and unwilling to cooperate again without taking blame for another election?

Do the CPC need to implement a $ 4 Billion EI proposal by the Liberals to avoid an election?

Will the CPC offer their 2008 campaign platform to extend benefits to the self-employed for maternity benefits?

Will the CPC include the Home Reno TAX rebate first and mini stimulus, Report Card before EI Bill?

[updated Fri Aug 14 18:49:34 EDT 2009]

Nice Liberal gesture, but Merulla will stick with NDP August 14, 2009
Andrew Dreschel The Hamilton Spectator

Looks like another local high profile candidate does not think Liberals are win a Liberal riding back. What riding?

Even though he won't saddle up for the Liberals again, Di Ianni firmly believes Hamilton East-Stoney Creek is a winnable seat.

Formed in 2004, the riding was the scene of the epic nomination battle between Liberals Sheila Copps and Tony Valeri.

I miss Sheila Copps and the Rat Pack!

[updated Fri Aug 14 20:04:43 EDT 2009]

here's another dagger to harpo's spleen (no heart could be found).

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/veteran-bc-tory-eyes-run-for-parliament-with-liberals/article1252735/

Veteran B.C. Tory eyes run for Parliament with Liberals
Fired by Harper government for raising shipping rates for coal companies, Daniel Veniez hints that he has his eye on Tory MP John Weston's riding

[updated Fri Aug 14 22:54:31 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
"We believe that wherever the people of a province or territory by democratic election choose persons qualified to be appointed to the Senate, the government should continue the practice it started in the 39th Parliament of filling any vacancy in the Senate for that province or territory from among those elected persons."
from the Conservative Party of Canada Policy Declaration, November 15, 2008

THE TRUTH
On Monday, December 22, 2008, barely six weeks after the above principle was reaffirmed at a party national convention, Stephen Harper stuffed the Senate with a slate of 18 unelected appointees, including broadcaster Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin.

Duffy has since become infamous for his comment about Premiers Danny Williams (NL) and Robert Ghiz (PEI): "You know what happened, what a grotesque scene that is. You know what happens when two politicians climb into bed together. One of them comes out on top and I'm afraid when you're in bed with Danny Williams, he's going to be on top." He has also been accused of baldfaced partisanship while hosting a show on CTV that featured Stephane Dion false-starting an interview three times during the lead-up to last fall's election. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled that Duffy was not "fair, balanced, or even-handed," and that his rebroadcast of the miscues were in breach of industry code.

[updated Fri Aug 14 23:31:43 EDT 2009]

When will Harper stop wasting taxpayers money shilling his campaign propaganda via those 10 percenters. I have received 6 of them from all across the country. All consisting of attack ad style content.

Harper is using our taxpayer money to spread partisan propaganda across the country. This is a disgrace and shows the hypocrisy of the man when he complains the opposition wastes taxpayers money. He thinks it is only ok for him to waste our money, and not anyone else. This disgusting human being must be removed before he trashes our healthcare next. Lies lies lies and wasting out tax money.

[updated Fri Aug 14 23:43:23 EDT 2009]

We have further evidence of the contempt and entitlement of the Kinsella Liberals.
They are deluded in the belief the majority of Canadians want the Liberal in power. The Liberals have not won a mandate in the last two general elections.
Kinsella Liberals feel cheated by "timing, RCMP, Gomery, Adscam, Negative TV Ads"
A Kinsella Liberal will NEVER stop trying to steal power or destabilize our government. They only crave power and the perks.
The Kinsella Party has lost the Catholic vote, Visible minority vote, Rural vote, Francophone vote.
They recorded the worst POP in over 100 years and blame Dion and Greenshift.
The voters have found the Liberals unfit to govern 2x and are being asked to support a party who installed another professor who provided Report Cards.
Over 65% of Canadians can't indentify a major strength in the Liberal Party -Nik Nanos Poll June 2009
Over 40% of Liberals believe the CPC government are heading in the right direction. Over 55% of Liberals feel the country is heading in right direction-Ekos Aug 2009
This proves AGAIN Kinsella Liberals just want POWER and those PERKS ( Cash stuffed envelopes?)

[updated Sat Aug 15 09:20:45 EDT 2009]

Here's what you get from majority right wing nut bar governments. Harpotort would do the same across Canada if given the opportunity:

Alberta's Bill 44 To Be Implemented This Fall
...over the non-silent objections of teachers, Lindsay Blackett looks to "the silent majority" for support:

"For those people around the country that think that's somehow wrong, we in Alberta believe in family values, because the family's at the core of what makes a great community. . . . We're taking a lead, here."

Bill 44 may allow parents to drag teachers before the AHRC (Alberta Human Rights Commission) if, for example, they talk about religion or sexuality in class without giving advance notice to the parents, who may then ask that their children be pulled from the class in question.

[updated Sat Aug 15 10:12:37 EDT 2009]

Bases on new rpeorts today Iggy is pushing some ridings to get get ready fora fall election while Harpotort is begging people to believe there is no need for a vote. I say Harpo is reading the tea leaves and knows he's toast in an early election.

[updated Sat Aug 15 10:14:31 EDT 2009]

Khadrizing This Prime Minister.

Some people are known as lovable grumps -- others not. If you happen to run into our Prime Minister this weekend, prudence suggests that you give the man a wide berth! To call the guy moody will probably turn out to be an understatement...

Once again, the Harper government has lost in court: the Federal Court of Appeal, in a two to one ruling, upheld the decision of the trial division.

The PM's reaction was classic Harper:

"The Department of Justice will be examining that decision and obviously I won't be commenting until we see their analysis and their recommendations," Harper said.

Please allow me to translate Harperspeak: Stephen Harper will decide that the government will once again appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada and will thus inform Justice.

As I said previously, this is more than a case of political stubbornness. The PM will keep appealing until he shortly runs out of options. This thing reeks of national security implications pertaining to the death of more than one person.

I suspect Omar is but a short chapter in a much longer novel -- one that must remain secret lest we seriously upset certain national intelligence agencies. We need an open bidirectional pipeline. Harper will do all he can not to compromise that.

[updated Sat Aug 15 10:30:28 EDT 2009]

“There are a lot of promises about money, but there is not a lot of fishermen who have seen any,” said Ignatieff.
“We think we can do better and we can offer better representation.”

Harper is RIGHT, Iggy will be the BEST candidate to highlight the Liberal Party of ADSCAM, tax and spend.

More BAD NEWS for Liberals in PEI.

He also warns to hurry up their nominations as no one is interested taking up the Liberal nomination to oppose Gail Shea.

Same for the old Shiela Copps riding.

Why are the "STARS" not aligning or returning for the "Return Of The King"?

Perhaps only hyperpartisans are buying the academic fantasyland?

Every Poll suggests a growing negative trend for the Liberals since June as the economy recovers.
================
Get ready for possible fall vote, Ignatieff tells Egmont Liberals
Party leader makes stop in P.E.I.’s Egmont riding, home to federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea-WAYNE THIBODEAU The Guardian August 15, 2009

[updated Sat Aug 15 11:46:53 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“We promised to take money that was going to lobbyists, researchers and bureaucrats and to give it instead to families, parents, and children. And we have done so. Now every parent of every pre-school child is receiving $100 a month from our government!”
from a speech delivered in Quebec, July 2008

THE TRUTH
The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) program issues a taxable $100 monthly payment to families for each child under the age of six to help cover the cost of child care. After applying a marginal tax rate of 40%, each family—not each parent—gets to keep $720 a year for child care. On average, that amount won't be enough to pay for your child's care beyond February. You're on the hook for the rest of the year.

Oh yeah, and about taking money from greedy "researchers" to put it in the hands of "families, parents, and children": science and technology "spending has increased every year since 2006" and Canada's Economic Action Plan "announced $5.1 billion in new spending in the areas of S&T infrastructure, research, people and commercialization." This is, of course, the right thing to do, but that doesn't prevent Harper from lying about these government grants when it suits his audience.

[updated Sat Aug 15 12:25:51 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“Today, I am here to announce that only 10 weeks into this fiscal year, fully 80 percent of our Plan's funding has been committed and is being implemented across this country!”
from a transcript of Harper's speech of June 11, 2009

THE TRUTH
Though there is federal approval for stimulus spending, it is a lie to describe 80 percent of the stimulus plan’s funding as being implemented. Most shovel-ready projects have yet to break ground. And the ones that aren't shovel ready are still clogged in the planning phase.
One reality check, and another

[updated Sat Aug 15 12:26:50 EDT 2009]

Thank you Warren Kinsella. (over at WK.com)

I saw that squirrel on Canada AM. Now he's (shouldn't presume without a visual inspection but I digress) at the Last Supper. He sure gets around, that cute crasher squirrel.

Makes me wonder if we can predict which politician will act the most squirrelly in the next campaign...

Let's take AD_REM's advice and just think it! We wouldn't want to get overly personal here.

[updated Sat Aug 15 13:45:54 EDT 2009]

In Vancouver We Had Parnel.

I was grateful to Parnel for giving us an assessment of what was happening each day at the convention. Strangely enough, no one has volunteered to give us updates on what has taken place in Halifax.

As someone who is always ready and eager to cross party lines to get the facts, I would be more than willing to travel to debrief one, or even several, of the intelligent and talented female NDP, oops, DP political strategists.

What I won't do to keep everyone out there in cyberspace in the loop.

[updated Sat Aug 15 14:19:07 EDT 2009]

Times have changed and some of are unwilling to accept what those changes mean.

From January to June, several posters were enjoying the weekly Polls that showed FACTS and support for their party's resurgence.

Today those same people no longer are posting or bragging about the POLLS because the evidence and support for their resurgence has diminished greatly.

The double digits leads in Ontario, the lead in Quebec are all gone.

The Polls show the Liberals may have recovered from the General Election where they earned the lowest POP in over 100 years. Where else have the Liberals recovered and appear to be close to winning more seats?

West? Quebec? Ontario?

Are those numbers SOLID and can they be driven down by being blamend for an unwanted election? How many seats/points will the Liberals lose if the voters decide a majority will end the partisan games?

[updated Sat Aug 15 15:23:53 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
"We’re also helping Canadians invest in new homes, through the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit and the new Home Buyers’ Plan. And it’s working, friends; housing starts were up by more than 10,000 last month."
from a speech on the Economic Action Plan, June 11, 2009

THE TRUTH
It sounds as though 10,000 more homes were built in May than April, or than last May. What the CMHC actually reported was that the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of housing starts increased by 10,800. What's the SAAR, you ask? "All starts figures in this release, other than actual starts, are seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) – that is, monthly figures adjusted to remove normal seasonal variation and multiplied by 12 to reflect annual levels." In other words, if you were to take the improvement seen in May, and extrapolate that over an entire year, there would be an increase of 10,800. That represents an estimated increase of 900 housing starts in May.

I should also note that the starts are not distributed evenly throughout Canada. Ontario enjoyed the sharpest improvement in urban starts of 22% (11-figure cash infusions into auto industry and infrastructure), while BC suffered a decline in the SAAR of 5% (zero bridging support for industries like forestry and lumber, mining). Moreover, housing start levels are still well below that estimated by demographic demand, about 27% below it.

[updated Sat Aug 15 15:58:42 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“The Government’s position is clear: we brought in legislation modeled on those of the provinces to set elections every four years to set the next election for October 19, 2009." […] "The Government is clear it will not be seeking an early election. Of course, at any time, Parliament can defeat the Government and provoke an early election if that’s what the Opposition irresponsibly chooses to do.”
In Question Period, May 30, 2006, while speaking on Bill C-16 amending the Canada Elections Act
Hansard entries for first and second statements

THE TRUTH
Harper’s Government set an election for October 14, 2008, at its sole discretion. This is despite the preamble of his Government’s amendment to the Canada Elections Act pointing out that

“fixed election dates would remove an unfair advantage that the government possesses in being able to decide on the date for an election. It would create a level playing field for all participants in the electoral process, by removing the uncertainty and perceived bias in favour of the governing party. This would facilitate planning for election officials, as well as political parties and candidates. It is also argued that, indirectly, fixed election dates would help relax party discipline and allow freer votes, as the Prime Minister and cabinet would no longer be able to use the threat of an election to keep their caucus in line. At the same time, by ensuring that an election could be held earlier in the event that the government clearly did not have the support of the majority of the House of Commons, the concept of confidence that underlies the parliamentary system of government would be preserved.”
As with his position on the elected senate, Harper professes a commitment to democratic mechanisms that he later circumvents.

[updated Sat Aug 15 15:59:17 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
"At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada," Mr. Harper said. "And the opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition with the separatists they promised voters would never happen."
Globe story with the quote

THE TRUTH
The proposed Liberal—NDP coalition did not include the Bloc Quebecois. The BQ could contribute no cabinet ministers and was permitted an independent vote on all matters except confidence votes for 18 months. In a parliamentary democracy, coalition formation is not only a legal and legitimate form of government, but also a desirable one, where elected representatives seek compromise rather than stagnation in the absence of a clear mandate from the electorate. Israel’s numerous recent coalition governments are probably the most prominent recent example.

[updated Sat Aug 15 15:59:51 EDT 2009]

"The results also suggest that even as concern over the economy fades, the Conservatives have not yet realized any political dividend due to their management of the economy."-Nik Nanos (July 30-August 2)

The Hill Times, August 10, 2009
Economy to be next election's ballot box question
Conservatives confident Canadians will give them credit for 'prudent' handling of the recession. By Abbas Rana

Pollster Greg Lyle of Innovative Research said that Conservatives are following the right policy of not declaring that the recession is over and the Canadian economy is back on the path of recovery as people won't accept this until they themselves start to experience the dividends of the economic recovery.

"I don't think people feel it's over. Until jobs start moving up, housing prices start moving up that sort of thing, I don't think the average person is going to believe the Conservatives if they go around saying 'We won, we won'," said Mr. Lyle and later added that Tories are following the right communications strategy by saying more work needs to be done.

Mr. Lyle said the Tories are right in saying, "'We're encouraged that Carney has made this announcement that he has but frankly we see more work to be done.' That's the absolute right position to take."

Conservative strategist Tim Powers in an interview said that Canadians want all parties to work together to fix the economy and an election at this juncture will be counter productive.

"The only people talking about an election are some self-interested opposition politicians. It defies logic that there should be an election in the fall. The average person who lives outside the Parliament Hill precinct wants their elected officials to focus on the economy and the battles we still have. Political stability is arguably more vital now then it was in June the last time we had this shadow election dance. As we slowly creep out of this recession we don't need to waste 300 million on an election," said Mr. Powers.

He criticized Mr. Ignatieff for failing to offer any policies that could give Canadians an opportunity to make up their mind whether they agree with Mr. Ignatieff or not.

"I have no idea what Michael Ignatieff is thinking. He has practically been invisible all summer and has offered no real policy prescriptions. The Liberals have yet to develop a narrative to take to the public other than we are Liberals and we should be back in power. Not sure that will prime the pump of the public."
======================================
End of Canadian recession?
Housing, manufacturing data point to rebound
By KRISTINE OWRAM The Canadian Presst TORONTO Sat. Aug 15
AN ASTOUNDING rebound in the resale housing market and good news out of the manufacturing sector combined Friday to give yet another indication that Canada is slowly but surely digging itself out of recession.

The Canadian Real Estate Association reported that 50,270 homes traded hands on the Multiple Listing Service in July. This is up 18.2 per cent from a year ago and set a record for the month of July.

Meanwhile, manufacturing sales rose 1.9 per cent to $39.7 billion in June, partially reversing the 4.9 per cent decline seen in May, according to Statistics Canada.

Although the economy has a long way to go before it returns to levels of growth seen before the recession, there are many signs that the bottom has been reached, said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld.

"I believe that when history is written, we’ll see that the second quarter was the last quarter of recession, and the third quarter the quarter that marked the beginning of the climb out of the hole," Shenfeld said in an interview.
======================================

More Bad News for the Liberals if the CPC numbers are not CURRENTLY reflected "credit" for handling during the Recession?

In a few more months what will those numbers look like?

30-34 Average in 2009

Add 3% We have a low of 33 to high as 37 this FALL.

[updated Sat Aug 15 17:12:14 EDT 2009]

Harper purposely misleads Canadians again.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper made several misleading statements about EI in the House of Commons yesterday.

“It is simply a proposal... to raise payroll taxes to the roof in perpetuity for workers in small business.”

Fact: There is absolutely no requirement to raise payroll taxes in order to increase EI eligibility. The Liberal plan for EI eligibility does not include any increase in revenue collection. Payroll taxes are frozen and Liberals support leaving them that way.

“The Liberal Leader... is making the proposal that a Canadian could work 45 days and collect employment insurance for a year and that would be the system in every region in perpetuity.”

Fact: You can only receive EI if you’ve paid into the system and been laid off through no choice and no fault of your own. EI is not, in Diane Finley’s words, “lucrative for (laid-off Canadians) to stay home and get paid for it.” The government’s EI policy allows for a variable length of eligibility by region – ranging from 19 to 50 weeks – and the Liberal proposal doesn’t change that. Liberals are making proposals that reflect the reality of the recession while Conservatives remain oblivious to the growing crisis.

“The proposal... would do nothing for the economy, for the recession today.”

Fact: Laid-off workers are those most likely to spend 100 percent of their benefits to provide for their immediate day-to-day needs – things like food, rent and transportation – providing direct economic stimulus to some of the hardest-hit regions in the country. For every $1 spent by laid-off workers, local economies benefit from $1.60 in economic spin-offs.

“Over 80 percent of those who are paying into (Employment Insurance) are receiving benefits.”

Fact: Under the current rules, less than 60 percent of unemployed Canadians who have paid into EI receive benefits. 150,000 more people would be eligible for EI under our proposal – which would provide fairness for nearly half of the over 300,000 people laid off under your watch since last October.

“We have an EI system that responds to market needs. When we have difficulties as we have now, the system responds – benefits increase, eligibility increases as well.”

Fact: EI only adjusts after the unemployment rate has risen dramatically – cold comfort for those who lose their job without EI benefits before the unemployment number skyrockets. EI was not designed to react quickly to the massive, nationwide job losses experienced under this Conservative government.

Five misrepresentations in one Question Period exchange leaves us with one question: why is the Prime Minister trying to divide Canadians on fairness for laid-off workers?

[updated Sat Aug 15 17:27:35 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
On June 25, 2009, Stephen Harper was interviewed by CTV’s Steve Murphy who asked about the ballooning deficit projections for 2009, now estimated at $50 billion. “In relative terms our deficit is a quarter of the deficit in the US, the deficit in Great Britain, half the deficit in Europe.”
Tape of the interview

THE TRUTH
According to the OECD Economic Outlook Report dated June 2009, deficit as a proportion of GDP for Canada will be 4.8%. For the other nations Harper mentions and other European G7 countries, the projections are: US, 10.2%; UK, 12.8%; France, 6.7%; Germany, 3.7%; Italy, 5.3%. While Harper is correct that we are in better shape than the US and UK, we do not have one-quarter of their deficit, and we are at about the same level as other European peers.

[updated Sat Aug 15 17:28:02 EDT 2009]

THE HARPER LIE
“Canada's New Government has an ambitious and extensive legislative plan to strengthen accountability in government through democratic reform.

First, we are eliminating the influence of big money in the political process by regulating the financing of political parties.
Second, we've introduced legislation to modernize the Senate to make it more democratic, more accountable, and more effective.
Third, we are enhancing our electoral system to make it more responsive, fair and effective.
While we have accomplished a lot to date, we will continue to move forward with our plan to strengthen accountability through democratic reform.”
Technically, not a Harper quote. Cited from the Ministry of Democratic Reform website

THE TRUTH
We’ve covered some of this already, but to recap:

Harper threatened to remove the Government grant to political parties in December 2008, an action viewed by some as the precipitant to the threat of a coalition between the Liberals and NDP.
Harper crammed the Senate with his appointees in December 2008.
Harper broke his own law and called an early election.

[updated Sat Aug 15 17:28:40 EDT 2009]

LAME HARPER STRATEGY. CAN YOU SAY -DESPERATION -ONE TRICK PONY -NO POLICY.

"Harper chief of staff Guy Giorno was famous at Queen's Park for his “Hell of a guy” (HOAG) strategy in which he would schedule events to try to portray former premier Mike Harris as an ordinary, good guy. For example, he would have the premier fish with his son. The heartwarming picture would then end up in newspapers across the province.

That, according to a former Harris official, was part of the HOAG strategy. “HOAG is pulling the wool over everybody's eyes and it's one of Giorno's favourite ways of communicating,” he said.

Now Mr. Giorno is taking his strategy across the country. With whispers of a possible fall election, watch for HOAG pictures with Stephen Harper – more of Mr. Harper with a drill, playing handyman, or an “impromptu” walk with his kids."

[updated Sat Aug 15 17:53:30 EDT 2009]

Because someone on this site is spreading false polling info, I thought I'd post the real numbers put out by Angus Reid in their August 15, 2009 poll.

"How Canadians See the Liberals: At least two-in-five Canadians used the words arrogant (43%) and out of touch (41%) to describe the Liberal Party. Other mentions included dishonest (38%), secretive (32%), and intelligent (27%).

How Canadians See the Conservatives: A majority of respondents (55%) brand the governing Conservatives as arrogant, and large proportions also deem the party as secretive (48%), out of touch (43%), uncaring (37%) anddishonest (36%).

It is worth noting that one-in-four Tory voters also believe the party is arrogant and secretive—a much higher incidence for these two issues than what supporters of the other political parties show."

[updated Sat Aug 15 19:04:05 EDT 2009]

Celui qui ose récolte les bénéfices.

[updated Sat Aug 15 19:31:51 EDT 2009]

Where Harper Has Me Bested.

I hope the Prime Minister remembers to pat a few penguins for me when he's up there this week. For the life of me, I can't figure out what his macro strategy is. Artic sovereignty? Talk about a yawn, at least in southern Canada. Not many votes in pushing that. Natural resources extraction? Strikes me as providing only partial dividends.

This has to be about more than saving Leona's political bacon.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the Inuit and other First Nations. Their priorities deserve to be seriously and effectively addressed.

But again, what's this Prime Minister's ace in the deck? Got a lot of more serious thinking to do before I get a clue what his real game is.

[updated Sat Aug 15 21:26:45 EDT 2009]

Dear Nik,

You see where this is going...it isn't a pretty picture. You might want to consider shutting down the blog.

Frankly, I'm tired of it all and wouldn't mind if you cut us off.

Thanks for hosting us.

Ron

[updated Sun Aug 16 08:48:22 EDT 2009]

My Last Post.

I want to go out on a high note. What I want to say has nothing to do with politics -- au contraire, it has to do with what is best in the Canadian character -- what makes everyday Canadians rise to the unexpected and difficult challenges and make their mark by being counted.

My mind this weekend is dominated by thoughts of the Hong Kong veterans and the horrible plight they had to endure as prisoners of the then Japanese Empire. Many of them met a cruel fate, others an unbearable existence.

What guts. Those veterans know what it means to be Canadian. They fought for it. They lived it. They prove it every day of their lives.

Perhaps the rest of us have learned nothing from their sacrifice and their bravery. I'm almost ashamed to call myself Canadian when I see how low we've sunk in recent months. Imagine how the Hong Kong and other veterans must feel when they witness our less than impressive display...

This weekend, a memorial was dedicated on Sussex Drive in Ottawa in tribute to the Hong Kong veterans. They deserve much more than that but at least it's a belated start.

I think you all know what we deserve...

[updated Sun Aug 16 09:13:47 EDT 2009]

Dear Nik,

Top Issue Question: What is your most important NATIONAL issue of concern? [unprompted] The numbers in parenthesis denote the change from the last Nanos Omnibus Survey conducted in June 2009.

If Jobs/economy 30.3% (-5.4) is still leading as the TOP Issue but is losing its "ballot question" viabilty what does this mean for the official opposition who have been using it as their major theme for threatening an election since May 2009?

Is the public relations battle that sunk the Green Shift, The Coalition also successful in eliminating the latest Liberal Policy of 360 HRS as DOA?

Scanning the MSM and Polls this Liberal Policy looks like another "vote loser" for the Liberals.

How quickly will the opposition be able to capitalize on the concern/anxiety of the Healthcare to develop a narrative for their benefit?

The emergency meeting of H1N1 was an example of a shift by the opposition to use the camera to take cheap shots and increase hysteria regarding Healthcare.

"Most Canadians, the survey showed, agreed that swine flu was a serious health threat, but also said the media had hyped up the issue. This was especially true among the highly educated and high-income earners. About three-quarters of those with an annual salary above $100,000 felt the issue has been overblown and were the least concerned."-Caroline Alphonso Globe and Mail Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2009

How will this "issue" play with the Liberals key demographic supporters who felt "the issue has been overblown and were the least concerned." *Highly Educated & high income earners)

==============
"Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff must think Canadians are morons if he believes voters will get behind his so-called employment insurance reforms.

It was his party, including many of his current MPs such as Saskatchewan's Ralph Goodale, who gutted the program in the first place in 1996 and started racking up EI surpluses in the tens of billions of dollars.

Maybe Ignatieff, who wasn't living in Canada at the time, doesn't know that.

The Liberals made sweeping changes to the program in the mid-1990s and cut, among other things, the maximum benefits and the length of time one could collect. They also extended the qualifying period, making it more difficult to get benefits.

Most importantly, though, it was Ignatieff's own Liberals who brought in the regional qualifying period he's now complaining about.

Most workers need between 420 and 700 insurable hours in their qualifying period to get benefits, depending on where they live. Essentially, the higher the unemployment rate in your region, the fewer hours you need to qualify.

The Liberals, who brought in the scheme, now say it's unfair and are prepared to go to the polls over it. Give me a break.

They're now claiming to be the great defenders of the little guy by proposing a national, standard qualifying period of 320 hours. Please" -EI scheme is fraud
Iggy takes us for fools with his 'unfair' rhetoric
- TOM BRODBECK 16th August 2009
==========================

[updated Sun Aug 16 13:31:49 EDT 2009]

It looks as though Iggy is starting to reinvigorate his higher profile now that mid August is here. His appearances in the Maritimes seem to be an indication he's not in a mood to back down from an election while Harpo is practically begging people NOT to have an election now. Too bad he didn't follow those instincts last fall.

[updated Sun Aug 16 15:56:57 EDT 2009]

Nik quoted in the Hill times on health care poll:

http://www.hilltimes.com/html/cover_index.php?display=story&full_path=/2009/august/17/health_care_debate/&c=1

"If you're a Liberal, having an election about healthcare would probably be an advantage for you, because Canadians are more likely to trust the Liberals and the New Democrats on issues such as healthcare so I think for the federal Conservatives at this point in time, they're probably looking at healthcare as an issue that they have to manage so that they're not vulnerable on it," said Mr. Nanos. Given the current trend, this could mean that an earlier election date would be more beneficial for Conservatives, Mr. Nanos said.

[updated Mon Aug 17 09:07:12 EDT 2009]

When dirty tricks and negative ads are your trade in stock you tend to get tarred with that brush for anything suspicious that attacks the opposition:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/682256

"Between job losses, record bankruptcies and a spiralling deficit you would think the Conservatives would have more important things to do," spokeswoman Jill Fairbrother said in an email.

The Conservative party did not immediately respond to a media inquiry.

Whoever sent the envelopes had relatively deep pockets for a political prankster – especially considering the same Ignatieff profile can be found online for free. At about $3.30 CDN per mailing, postage alone to reach the full Ottawa press gallery would cost more than $1,000.
..........................................

I would bet money it was someone connected to the reformatorts.

[updated Mon Aug 17 19:04:05 EDT 2009]

More reformatory dirty tricks:

http://bigcitylib.blogspot.com/

Republicans For Iggy = Tory War-Room
At the risk of giving (a weee bit more) publicity where it isn't deserved, in the last couple of days the entire Ottawa press gallery has received "a brown envelope", stuffed with

...a colour reproduction of a critical, four-year-old Ignatieff profile in the British publication New Humanist – complete with particularly damning paragraphs highlighted in yellow...

...and sent from a U.K. address. The article castigates Iggy for his “[his shared] vision of the US government’s vision of the violent and compulsory promotion of democracy."

And people are wondering who is responsible. The inestimable Kadey O'Malley reasons as follows:

As for who might behind it, although she maintains that Republicans for Ignatieff is almost certainly the product of one of Ignatieff’s leftwardly-leaning critics, this seems far more likely to be a bit of mischief making from the other side of the political spectrum

[...]

What can she say — it just feels like a Tory trick to her, whereas R4I has a different style.

Well, I think its a pretty that if this is a Tory trick, so is R4I. For example, here's a screen shot of the google cache of Reps for Iggy, showing the stunt its creators were on about last week:

[updated Tue Aug 18 08:00:55 EDT 2009]

More empty and phoney photo ops. More taxpayer paid election campaigning and tax dollars wasted. That money could have gone to the people of Iqaluit, whose whole Capital City is powered by generators.

PM at centre of military exercise

David Akin, Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, August 20, 2009
Andy Clark, Reuters Prime Minister Stephen Harper dangles his legs outside a Sea King helicopter as it approaches the frigate HMCS Toronto off Baffin Island yesterday.
Stephen Harper was at the centre yesterday of a display of Canada's military capabilities in the North that seemed designed as much to awe his political opponents in Canada as it was to impress other Arctic powers who are contesting some of Canada's claims to undersea oil and gas resources.

Political aides travelling with the Prime Minister were thrilled with the series of photo opportunities they had arranged.
Some told reporters privately that, ahead of a fall political season that could see yet another federal election, they felt the images of Mr. Harper amidst a display of military vigour would help boost his popularity among voters.

[updated Thu Aug 20 07:53:17 EDT 2009]

CPC MP's seem to be sensing a loss of seats coming.

Maria Babbage
The Canadian Press
Last updated on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009 05:13PM EDT

Cracks appear to be forming in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative caucus over a controversial plan to harmonize Ontario's sales tax with the federal GST.

A federal Tory is trying to distance himself and his government from the plan, saying the province is to blame for bringing in a single tax – a move some critics have labelled a giant cash grab.

[updated Thu Aug 20 11:12:41 EDT 2009]

“And I will say over and over again, I have not met a single Canadian, a single real person out there, whose telling me that they think we should be fighting an election right now.” -Stephen Harper

You can say it over and over again, but it does not make it true. Just like all the other misrepresentations and untruths he has repeated over and over again to Canadians.

He hasn't met anyone who wants an election, because he surrounds himself with Con hack yes men and women. There are many Canadians who want an election right now, just to see him defeated or even diminished so he can then be sent packing. That is why he is desperately campaigning so hard against an election. He's going to drop 20-30 seats and the Libs are going to gain 30.

[updated Fri Aug 21 23:49:42 EDT 2009]