Anxiety about Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan (Nanos Policy Options Poll)

I not to worried, I will collecting old age in few months and collecting Canada Pension since age 60. Lotto Max win would help though.

[updated Mon Mar 01 00:39:50 -0500 2010]

The discussion of future federal pension issues is very dificult because governments do not seem to care about long term planning beyond three months or to the next election. Pensions and core government services will be a major pocket book issue, if they are not already. In the last few years we have constantly heard from this government there will be no tax increases to pay down the deficit so WHY would the pension / government core services be an issue ?????-----Possibly an eye on the election is a motive.

I believe most of the electorate understands within their own homes that if monies going out do not equal monies coming in, you are in trouble and they will resent governments that do the same. As in our home finances, government will have to be very sensible, which will be unusual, and practice economies. Who can pay or will pay will be a major issue.
Can we afford foreign wars?
Can we afford $6 billion for Olympic parties?
Can we afford inflated and dysfuctional government at all levels of municipal, provincial and federal?
Can we afford foreign control of our natural resources?
Can we afford to be "spooked" by our neighbour's economic policies and be obliged to follow them ?
Can we afford not to see cooperation between the provinces and their federal government ?
Can we afford the latest medical miracles or is there a limit to leading a natural life and experiencing a natural death ?
Can we afford all the wonderful public buildings etc at the municipal level which are beyond maintaining the infrastructure ?
Flaherty"s projected $56 billion deficit should scare the devil out of most BUT, miraculously, there will be no increased taxes in la-la-land-----my foot ! ! !

We have heard about baby boomers retiring for years and both the shrinking workforce plus increased immigration having to look after expected core government services. We cannot be deaf to the failure of the private sector pension plans to deliver expectations as there has been the T Eaton Co failure, the Enron failure and now thw auto sector.

Political futurists do not seem to have much stock with government NOR with our federal political parties. When Kevin Page dared project 50 or so years ahead, Flaherty was not amused.

Actually there may be a secret government plan to adopt Haiti, transport the 3 million souls here to expand the labour force, while, at the same time allowing Canada a nice winter destination for the well heeled snow birds and politicians who wish to prorogue parliament over the winter months !! ! !

[updated Mon Mar 01 05:01:23 -0500 2010]

Of the choices given I would have to name reducing the debt as the number one issue. Strengthening pensions would be second.
I am somewhat confident the government will deliver on pension payments in the immediate future as long as they have the revenues to do so. If they didn't, with today's and future demographics, they would surely lose the next election. Farther down the road it may be difficult to receive the revenues to support it.
I have no faith in private company pensions. I don't have an opinion on what they may do. It's like asking will we have an earthquake.

I just read Tom Good's piece. He said everything I would like to say, only better. His last paragraph is an interesting proposition.

[updated Mon Mar 01 07:48:46 -0500 2010]

I have been bouncing back and forth for sometime now as to whether or not I should post this and I will understand because of the nature of the post if it is removed.

I was reading a piece in the G&M by Adam Radwanski on election talk and as RonaldODowd and I have been fencing on the who, what, when and where of the next election.

The Radwanski piece redirects you to another piece in the Ottawa Times where Frank Graves was being interviewed about the timing of the next election and that piece outlines the following comments.

"Libs would be 'crazy' not to force spring election, says pollster Ekos pollster Frank Graves calls it Grits' best chance to 'get rid of this guy."

" A leading pollster says the Liberal Party would be "crazy" not to force an election this spring as Prime Minister Stephen Harper attempts to recover from his decision to suspend Parliament and other unpopular moves. "

I do understand that we all share strong views on many issues and have differing opinions, but I cannot understand just how can any individual can now consider the Ekos polls as being unbiased after reading his comments.

One has to question why, Graves is making those types of statements and where is the balance to be seen in such comments and how can one present their views on the results of their polls when it is clearly becoming apparent that the views are being viewed as being biased and that the manner in which the polls are presented is seriously being challenged as being neutral.

[updated Mon Mar 01 14:10:55 -0500 2010]

Wake up call for the Liberal Party of Canada and their coalition partners.

From The National Post

A new Ipsos Reid poll for Canwest News makes grim reading for the Liberal leader.

Not only has the political time-out offered by the Vancouver Olympics worked in the favour of the Conservative Party, the data suggests that voters don't think Mr. Ignatieff has what it takes to lead Canada.

Mr. Ignatieff said yesterday he doesn't think the anger with the Prime Minister has gone away but it is a fair bet that after this week's Throne Speech and Budget, prorogation will become as dormant an issue as H1N1 vaccine.

1) The Conservative were the main beneficiaries of this shift, with support rising three points to 37% since last month,

2) Compared to a two point fall for the Liberals, who were down to 29%.

3) The NDP were down one point to 16%,

4) While the Greens were also down one point at 7%.

5) Nearly half of Canadians (46%) believe Mr. Harper would make the best Prime Minister, an increase of three points since this question was last asked a year ago.

6) Mr. Layton rose 10 points, with one in three Canadians (33%) believing he would make the best Prime Minister.

7) Wwhile Mr. Ignatieff recorded a dramatic drop of 12 points since last year, with only one in five voters believing he is the best man for the job or 20%

8) Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives would coast to an easy victory -- but not necessarily a majority -- if a federal election were held today, according to a new poll done exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National.

[updated Mon Mar 01 21:39:38 -0500 2010]

As I said before there should be no unions in the civil service, most are overpaid and do little work, most are Liberals that had no qualifications in the first place. Get rid of Billingualism in the Civil Service, this is the reason the best are not being hired. This applies to the Parlamentary staff also, You can start by getting rid of the Pork Dinners.

[updated Wed Mar 03 01:58:55 -0500 2010]

What Worry About The CPP...

Come on folks, chill. Don't be a bunch of nervous Nellies as Chrétien used to say. The CPP is in as good a shape as your average diamond...after all, if things were somewhat amiss -- our economist Prime Minister would never allow the next round of corporate tax cuts to go through.

And so, they will take effect as scheduled. Jack is expending a lot of air reminding us how rich the banks and oil companies already are. Poor guy, talk about barking up the wrong tree: no doubt, Canadians WANT government largesse to continue to move in the direction of Corporate Canada. If that was not the case, they would not be supporting the Abdication Government.

Let the Throne Speech drone on, the Budget insufficently address the pressing priorities of the nation -- remember, everything is finally on its way to being right in a Conservative world!!!

[updated Wed Mar 03 10:00:17 -0500 2010]

Dear Industry Canada,

I'm still waiting for a reply to my letter, sent to the Minister's Office. An update in short order might be a good idea. Thanks.

I know how it's a priority for this government to give good service to the taxpayer. That's why I expect things will be straightened out in a timely manner.

[updated Wed Mar 03 10:18:49 -0500 2010]

Very disappointed with Federal Budget, they did not restrict travel on Senators, Harper we voted for you to abolish this bloody place get on with it now, insulting British Columbians by speaking French first in opening of thrown, get rid of this Governor General along with her husband, 25 Billion only from Corporations what a g.d. joke it should be more like 75 billion and most coming from the Banks, banks are like the Ally ads on TV. Offer a little boy a big red truck and then give him a paper cut out, just like the banks on mortgages. You Ontarians are just lap dogs for Quebec you cannot stand on your own two feet and speak up.

[updated Thu Mar 04 23:08:27 -0500 2010]

It's Called Leadership.

Quite evidently, in light of yesterday's events in Ottawa, this concept has escaped the upper ranks of both the Liberal and New Democratic parties. Just so you know, when it's effective, it's generally known for winning elections and forming government...

It took four years for these parties to finally find fundamental common ground with this government: how they must be pleased to join the Conservatives as gutless cardboard cutouts! And then they wonder why a potential breakout in the polls, past the Conservatives, is not in the cards...well, hello!

Our job as opposition parties is precisely that, to oppose this government on principle. This isn't a high school beauty contest where one dare not offend potential judges. This is the future of our country we're talking about. Failure to lead by our opposition leaders can only lead to one inevitable outcome: a frozen political stalemate that does nothing but entrench the Harper government in power. Is that what Liberals and New Democrats really want for Canada???

For my part, I've lost confidence in the way my party is being managed. It's time for me to move to the sidelines. As far as I'm concerned, Donolo hasn't got the right stuff to engineer our return to government. As of now, my repeated donations to the Laurier Club are suspended. The party won't get one red cent out of me until they prove that the leadership has what it takes to seriously wrestle this government for power and the intellectual capacity to win. Unfortunately, something tells me that fellow Liberals are in for a very long wait...

[updated Fri Mar 05 08:54:52 -0500 2010]

Watching QP this AM,

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc are all squirming like worms on a sidewalk after a rainfall as the Conservatives have cut the legs off the coalition with this appointment.

It is funny to watch as the Liberals, NDP and Bloc as the Conservative thrown back into the Coalition faces, all their own arguments that they tried to use against the Government.

And what is really interesting is who it is who they appointed and where this individual came from and where he has gotten the background require to handle this file.

"The Justice Minister said the review will be conducted by Mr. Justice Frank Iacobucci who in recent years conducted an inquiry into the role that Canadian officials played in the detention and torture of three men held in prisons in the Middle East."

Gloria Galloway, Ottawa — Globe and Mail,Published on Friday, Mar. 05, 2010 10:23AM EST

Headline; Conservatives turn to ex-SCOC justice on Afghan detainee affair,

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has asked a former Supreme Court justice to determine whether the documents related to Afghan detainees must be released as ordered by Parliament.

“Members will understand that there are matters must keep confidential in order to keep the public interest,” Mr. Nicholson said Friday in the House of Commons. “At the same time recognizing the legitimate interest that we all have in the protection of the men and women who serve us in Afghanistan and who serve the public interest in this country.”

None-the-less, said Mr. Nicholson, “the government acknowledges that it is appropriate that the decision made by officials on the disclosure of information in these circumstances be reviewed independently from government.”

[updated Fri Mar 05 11:38:21 -0500 2010]

Time To Outflank The Flanker!

This Prime Minister is prouder than a peacock -- he believes that he has finally found containment on the Afghan detainee issue and whether prisoners transferred from Canadian custody were utimately tortured by Afghan jailers.

To that end, former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci will determine whether the controversial documents surrounding the torture allegations will have to be released as demanded by the House of Commons.

It's my hope that Mr. Justice Iacobucci once he has reviewed the documents will come to the same conclusion that yours truly did some time back namely, that Liberal Privy Councillors presently sitting in the Commons should be given complete unfeathered access to the documents.

This Prime Minister quite conveniently, chooses to forget that these same PC members are still bound by their oath, taken when they were previously sworn into cabinet.

How am I doing at one-upping the PM?

[updated Fri Mar 05 16:55:54 -0500 2010]

Prominent Female Symbols: Opaque In Ottawa Under Harper.

O Canada, our home and native land...ah forget it, that's one just didn't do the trick. What to do next to win women finally and completely to the Conservative side? Quite obviously, this Prime Minister needs a refresher course -- simple gimmicks aren't the way to go, as he quickly discovered...

And then there's the touchy matter of the representative of the head of state of Canada. The Harper government would rather play with that stick of dynamite on a rather low key basis. By now, only Canadians allergic to the televisions and radios are unaware that this Prime Minister's feminine side has gone AWOL -- that "The Plan" calls for not renewing the Governor General's term when it expires in the fall.

What does that say about Michaëlle Jean's performance in the job, and more importantly, about a possible prime ministerial reaction to it? Put another way, the perennially popular Jean is widely seen as having done a bang up job since being appointed by the Martin government in 2005. Is Harper really ready to risk the wrath of women if an attempt is clumsily made to sidetrack one of the most representative and visible symbols of the progress made by women at large in our society?

Think again Prime Minister. Take a deep breath, hold it if necessary and then back away from the worst laid plans of Conservative mice and MEN!

Yours truly predicted a 180 degree turn on this one. Sit back and enjoy the ride as this government moves in the coming weeks to wipe away another layer of egg from its collective face.

[updated Sat Mar 06 18:41:08 -0500 2010]

10 reasons as to why the Liberals should force an election.

Persichilli: Tory budget confirms seismic political shift, Published On Sun Mar 7 2010, Toronto Star.

1) I've been told that retired Liberal senator Jerry Grafstein on Thursday bought four red ties and sent them to Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

"Can you believe it!" the concerned Liberal told me. "Harper's tie at the throne speech was red! The only thing missing now is a red rose in his lapel."

2) This political turf invasion comes at a time when the Liberals are still dealing with a persistent lack of leadership and a policy vacuum.

3) This political turf invasion comes at a time when the Liberals are still dealing with a persistent lack of leadership and a policy vacuum.

4) Just like Stéphane Dion, Ignatieff has had to swallow his pride, telling voters that the budget is awful but the Liberals will not defeat it because "Canadians are not ready" for an election.

5) The fact of the matter is that he is not ready, and people are already asking themselves why this is the case after he has had more than a year as leader – and at a time when Canadians are reeling from a devastating recession and double-digit unemployment.

6) However, according to sources close to the Conservative leadership, the Tories believe that with Ignatieff as leader the Liberals will never be ready. And considering the results to date of his four years in politics, who can blame them for thinking that way?

7) Some Liberals seem to agree. For this reason, they believe that the best course of action would be to trigger an election now.

8) Of course they would lose, but two opportunities would arise: the Conservatives would still be far from a majority and the Liberals would have an opportunity to get rid of Ignatieff and elect a more effective leader.

9) It is no secret that the Conservatives fear Bob Rae much more than any other Liberal, not to mention other names such as Frank McKenna and Martin Cauchon.

10) But this is not going to happen. The Liberals around Ignatieff, while not good at fighting against Harper, are very good at fighting against fellow Liberals who might try to offer something better than their boss.

[updated Sun Mar 07 19:42:17 -0500 2010]

8 reasons as to why the Liberals will not force an election.

From the ottawa Citizen, By TIM NAUMETZ Published March 8, 2010
Headline:Tories in control of own destiny, Liberals need scandal to trigger election: Nanos

It would be interesting to hear from some of the Ignatieff and Liberal supporters out there have to say about Mr. Nanos comments.

1) "You can imagine what type of psychological impact it has if you're the opposition party, the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition, knowing that there's a government that's going to survive for at least another six months because the political opportunity doesn't really exist to trigger an election," Mr. Nanos told The Hill Times.

2) "The only thing that could really potentially trigger an election is some kind of scandal or major mistake," he added. "The Liberals basically need the Conservatives to make some kind of massive mistake to create the atmosphere that maybe there would be, what I will say, a political smash and grab."

3) The Conservatives are "in control of their destiny" over the next year, Mr. Nanos said, adding that Mr. Harper has likely learned a lesson from his unpopular decision to suspend Parliament for strategic reasons.

4) "The one lesson in the last 60 days that the Conservatives have learned is that even when you're sitting on a 10-point lead, it can change very quickly just from one political move," he said. "I expect that the Conservatives will be more circumspect."

5) He said the only issue now on the horizon with the potential for major damage to the government—the treatment of Afghan detainees transferred by Canadian troops in Kandahar—has not yet attained proportions that could change the balance.

6) "There's just not a lot there," Mr. Nanos said. "It would need some kind of new twist in the story to have some kind of legs."

7) Mr. Lapierre and Mr. Nanos both said the Liberals know they can do nothing as long as they hover at or below 30 per cent in opinion polls—despite Prime Minister Harper's blunder over prorogation—and so long as Mr. Ignatieff's personal ratings remain well below Prime Minister Harper's.

8) "All that discussion about policy, it's all very nice, it helps the internal dynamic, but frankly the first question people ask themselves about the leader is 'Do I like this guy, do I trust this guy?'" said Mr. Lapierre. "Nobody has any doubt of the fact that Michael Ignatieff is intelligent, this is not the question mark. It's nice to do policy, but it won't solve much. If you don't trust the salesman, then the product is less important."

[updated Mon Mar 08 09:35:15 -0500 2010]

http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/2010.03.08_Throne_CAN.pdf

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/strong-majority-backs-freezing-mp-salaries/article1493949/

There is a recent poll on the Conservative most recent Budget and here are some of the high lights and I must admit that the numbers look to be to ggod to be true for the Conservatives and that if these numbers are true and hold - the Liberals are in poor poistion going into the next election.

There is one number in the poll that I do find rather distrubing and it is the last one - Building a national Holocaust memorial - 49% support, 35% oppose and 16% not sure.

Throne Speech

Here are a few ideas that were outlined in the latest Speech from the Throne. Do you support or oppose each one of them?

Freezing wages for MPs, cabinet ministers and senators
92% Support
4% Oppose
3% Not sure

Freezing the overall budgets for the offices of ministers, as well as departmental operating budgets
81%
10%
9%

Issuing passports with biometric information (such as an iris scan, fingerprints, or facial recognition data)
72%
21%
7%

Acting to create a Canadian securities regulator
71%
10%
19%

Implementing a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)
67%
14%
19%

Establishing a national Seniors Day
65%
24%
11%

Endorsing the United Nations (UN) declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
59%
22%
19%

Establishing Pier 21 in Halifax as Canada's National Museum of Immigration
55%
20%
25%

Implementing a free trade agreement with Peru
50%
22%
28%

Allowing foreign investment in the satellite and telecommunications industries
50%
31%
19%

[updated Mon Mar 08 17:30:50 -0500 2010]

Did you know China has no copper, now we can screw with high prices for low grade copper, they deserve it these assh_les!

[updated Mon Mar 08 23:28:05 -0500 2010]

Afghan Detainees: Expect The Public Inquiry Announcement Within Days.

Quite frankly, I'm shocked to see how quickly this situation is spiraling out of control: that's two nights in a row that I tune into The National only to discover, much to my astonishment, that it's open season on this Conservative government.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out where the material is coming from -- and more importantly, the reason behind the leaks. Since I have no proof, I will refrain from identifying the likely source...but you get my drift.

If I know the mind of this Prime Minister at all, it's safe to say that he's boiling mad and not too far from blowing his stack. The PM is being systematically boxed in by specific stakeholders along with a "cavalcade" of more-than-willing accomplices...

Harper must know the process isn't reversible: his government can't afford to be pushed to the wall -- or worse yet, painted into a corner, otherwise they will lose the shred of credibility that they've still managed to retain on this issue.

The end result, rapidly reducing political options. And that's why I expect the PM will go on the offensive and announce a full-fledged public inquiry. The guy is no idiot. If the Conservative government is about to end up on the losing end of the political equation, Harper is bound to make sure that his party does not pay the highest price as a result of these dramatic revelations. Put another way, the Chrétien and Martin governments are about to be thoroughly roasted on the nearest convenient spit. Throw in a few clever shots at Michel Ignatieff for good measure and we'll see how it breaks in the court of public opinion.

Once the cork is out of the bottle, who knows where it will all end. Who would have thought that Prorogation II would turn out to be nothing more than a short intermission between the first and deciding rounds!

[updated Tue Mar 09 22:25:09 -0500 2010]

As Proud As Can Be!

I have to say that I was mightily impressed as I watched coverage of the Governor General's visit to Haiti. The GG put on a brave front as she pointed out all the work that will have to be done as reconstruction moves forward. She also stressed the essential role that will have to be played by women in the society otherwise true progress will not be made.

For my money, those remarks were bang on. Again, I sound like a broken record but the Governor General strikes me as one of the finest role models that we are privileged to have in this great country of ours.

I hope that the Prime Minister will finally come to his senses and realize that this national treasure should continue in office for another five year term. We saw her compassion and humanity as she left Haiti: that my friends was not staged. It was real life played out by a person who cares more about the rest of the world than she could ever possibly care about herself or her own environment.

Job well done! The country is proud of you.

[updated Wed Mar 10 09:58:41 -0500 2010]

Topic of the Day: Too many Civil Servants and less Service, when it should be more Service, unlimited Service, by less Civil Servants that should be doing more for what they are getting paid. Time to abolish Uninions in the Civil Service, To many coffee breaks, to many Lunch breaks, to many meeting breaks, to many seminar breaks, to many holiday breaks. Make Unitions illegal in the Public Service.

Message from Pistol Pete!

[updated Wed Mar 10 17:35:40 -0500 2010]

What A Joke: Ottawa True To Form Once Again.

And then they wonder why politicians are considered by many people as nothing more than laughing stocks...I guess that's because they have such a talent for proving it!

To watch the Ottawa gang chowing down on seal meat was nothing more than ridiculous. Hats off to Senator Mac Harb (and to Lowell Murray) for showing political courage in their attempt to ban the commercial seal hunt.

Senator Harb is bang on: what is needed is viable retraining programs which will insure much greater income for these families than what they could possibly make as a result of the hunt. Too bad Big Brother in Ottawa is reticent to put some money where its mouth is...same old, same old, crass politics 101.

While we're at it what about the health problems exported to the third world courtesy of this government's enthusiastic support for what is left of our asbestos industry. That is nothing short of a crime -- not to mention a national shame. But hey, who cares if desperate Asian parents are dropping like flies as they attempt to sustain their families ...small price to pay to keep the margin of victory up in and around Thetford Mines...

[updated Thu Mar 11 09:30:16 -0500 2010]

A Personal Note For The Prime Minister.

Dear Stephen,

I want to applaud you for going where no prime minister has gone before and agreeing to stream your response to the Throne Speech on YouTube this morning. No doubt, Canadians will give you points for that.

(Now here comes the but!) However, we are reliably informed that you will answer posted questions sometime next week...call me skeptical but how are we to know that you won't still be in the Olympic spirit by then and sporting your fancy skates?

Call me a dyed-in-the-wool cynic, if you must, but the proof will ultimately be in the eating of the pudding. See you later in cyberspace.

[updated Thu Mar 11 18:24:20 -0500 2010]

Here We Go Again...

I think that Nanos readers are doing a tremendous disservice to our political parties by not speaking truth to power, be it on the government side or the opposition.

For the life of me I can't understand why no one except yours truly seems willing to rise to the occasion to remind the parties that they are heading off track and in a big way.

I'm tired of watching my party bending itself into the shape of a pretzel to practice the fine art of negative accommodation -- it makes my blood boil watching my party give this government another in a seemingly ENDLESS SUPPLY of "permission" slips...

Is the braintrust in the OLO completely clueless as to how this resonates with the Canadian people? What a spectacle watching the Liberal Party of Canada implying that we are prepared to give voters a pass and allow them to re-elect this government by default in the next election.

So much for the party's subliminal message. This isn't right and shouldn't make political sense to any knowledgeable sentient political animal. The mind absolutely boggles.

[updated Fri Mar 12 09:47:11 -0500 2010]

it would appear that Harper is going to make Civil servants work more years before being eligible for full pension. Currently most CS's can retire at 58 and I think he will change it to age 62,

This will be another less than stellar move by the current government when in reality they should be making all new hires each have their own plans the government would contribute to. This way those unhappy in the CS can move on and not lose their pension savings.

And then there are the MP's with their very fat pensions.

[updated Sat Mar 13 18:02:09 -0500 2010]

Whistling In The Wind: The Martin and Harper Way!

Canadians may be surprised to discover that the Liberals of yesterday along with the Conservatives of today were as one on the matter of Afghan detainees. Both governments took the easy way out -- the mindset was, if ignored it might go away. The plan worked great until it started getting too hot in the kitchen in 2007. That's when Defence Minister Peter MacKay modified the game plan for the handling of Afghan detainees and their transfer into the hands of Afghan authorities.

But then, complacency once again set in and with each passing week, another trickle of information flows out to further enlighten us about possible human rights violations. The Star had this to say about the latest twists in the plot:

"This week we found out as well that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, our spy agency, has been questioning detainees since 2006, and recommending who should be surrendered to the Afghan intelligence service, which is notorious for brutality.

And finally, the U.S. State Department has just confirmed that abuse remains a problem to this day. Last year the Afghan police and security forces routinely "tortured and abused detainees" by beating, burning, flogging, shocking and raping them, the U.S. charged in its 2009 survey of human rights worldwide.

So the British, Australians and Dutch all believed detainees were being abused. So did Canadian diplomats. The Americans say they still are. And Afghan rights monitors agree.

But in the Prime Minister's eyes, Canadian officials, troops and spies "always acted responsibly" when they handed over detainees to unknown fates.

That will be a hard sell after what we learned this week. It looks more as if Ottawa just preferred to look the other way."

[updated Sun Mar 14 11:54:33 -0400 2010]

And I Thought Hockey Was The Favourite Sport Of The Harper Government.

I'm confused. (Some will say this is hardly the first time but I digress.) After all that passion shown by the normally sedate Stephen Harper, I thought hockey was the national rush. Call me dumbfounded to find out at least that on Afghan detainees, football is the way to go. Can you say punting the ball a long way down the field?

Awfully nice of the Harper government (not to mention convenient), to allow Mr. Justice Frank Iacobucci to determine the time line for possible release of confidential documents pertaining to the Afghan detainee file. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has said as much publicly.

So much for inquiring minds want to know! I don't need to draw you a picture, you already have a pretty good idea how things are likely to go -- it will be like watching paint dry or grass grow -- so many documents, so many pages to go through since 2001.

You know how these things can get unexpectedly bogged down by the sheer volume of paper...translation: even your most brilliant optimist won't expect anything significant to see the light of day until after the next election cycle.

Big, complex jobs take time. Quite obviously...and to think next Tuesday I could have submitted a YouTube question on this for the Prime Minister! Just between you and me, this must mean that I'm just as lazy as those journalists on the Red River.

[updated Sun Mar 14 13:57:00 -0400 2010]

Zachary,

It's a Monday...I thought I would make your day by telling you that one of my brothers has fallen in love with the Conservatives -- all over again, now that tariffs have been eliminated on machines and goods used in manufacturing.

For the record, I haven't budged. Still a Liberal!

[updated Mon Mar 15 11:37:29 -0400 2010]

Ronald, it does not look as if the Conservatives are hiding anything

Here are the Terms of Reference from http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2010/doc_32488.html

◦all documents referred to in the affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
◦all documents within the Department of Foreign Affairs written in response to the documents referred to in the affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
◦all memoranda for information or memoranda for decision sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning detainees from December 18, 2005 to the present;
◦all documents produced pursuant to all orders of the Federal Court in Amnesty International Canada and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces, Minister of National Defence and Attorney General of Canada;
◦all documents produced to the Military Police Complaints Commission in the Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings;
◦all annual human rights reports by the Department of Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan;
◦all documents referred to by the Chief of the Defence Staff in his December 9, 2009 press conference; and
◦all other relevant documents, including those from the period 2001 to 2005

[updated Mon Mar 15 12:23:06 -0400 2010]

Dear Party Leaders,

Now, perk up your ears! I'm only going to offer this free advice ONCE -- are you ready?

"THINK, TWICE."

No need to thank me. It was my pleasure!

[updated Mon Mar 15 14:57:31 -0400 2010]