Canadian government to fall

[Ben Kenobi]

Thanks for the info, Ben.

I won't make any decision on who to vote for until I go to an all-candidates meeting. I typically place more emphasis on the candidate than most people.

And you would find good company. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for from the candidates.

[Richelieu]

Why i vote Liberal

Just received this from a co-worker and i thought i'd share.

>Because I believe in the extent to which the Official Languages Act is
>carried out and enforced; that every public servant even in the most
>remote part of B.C. should be fluent in the French language, but that
>government business in Quebec should be in unilingual French.
>
>Because I believe that only lawyers from the province of Quebec are
>qualified to be prime minister of Canada.
>
>Because I believe that the federal government should be completely
>controlled by the province of Quebec.
>
>Because I believe that all criminals are just poor misunderstood
>victims of society and can all be easily rehabilitated in a very short
>period of time; and that only they have "rights"; not the victims of
>their crimes.
>
>Because I believe that hardened criminals like Karla Homolka should be
>pampered by living in a "cottage" with her own key and be allowed to
>have pyjama parties and go out on shopping trips; and that killers in
>prison "resorts" on the Pacific coast should eat filet mignon, have
>barbecues, go whale watching and have their own golf course, while our
>senior citizens have to eat left over Kraft Dinner.
>
>Because I believe that mass murderers under that age of 18 should be
>protected by the Young Offenders Act and the rest of us law-abiding
>citizens do not have the right to know who they are.
>
>Because I believe in bringing hundreds of thousands of unskilled people
>into Canada from third world countries every year so we can support
>them on welfare and so that they will vote Liberal; and that this
>number should be increased every year.
>
>Because I believe that it is fair that the province of Quebec is the
>sole province allowed to be in charge of its immigration policy; that
>they receive 5 times the amount of federal immigration money than does
>Ontario, even though Ontario has to teach those people how to speak
>English whereas Quebec only allows immigrants to enter who already know
>the French language.
>
>Because I believe that we do not have a right to own land in Canada, as
>it is under Liberal law.
>
>Because I believe it is only fair that Liberals steal as much tax money
>as they can from us; through every conceivable means from the HRDC
>boondoggle to the 2 billion dollar gun registry that does not work.
>
>Because I believe that if my family is the victim of a home invasion I
>should not have the right to protect them in our own home.
>
>Because I believe in huge government bureaucracy and extremely high
>taxes, as I believe that the government knows how to spend my money
>better than I do.
>
>Because I believe in having essentially no military because everyone
>loves us and we will never be called upon to protect our country.
>
>Because Jack Layton is not a lawyer from Quebec so he is not qualified
>to be prime minister; besides, he smiles too much.
>
>Because Stephen Harper is not a lawyer from Quebec and he and the
>Conservative Party of Canada have a hidden agenda and they are very
>scary people.
>
>Because I believe that we should alienate our neighbours to the south
>because all Americans are morons and know nothing about Canada; and
>that we should continue to align ourselves more closely with our true
>friends, France, China and Russia.
>
>Because I believe everything that the Liberal controlled media tells
>me, especially the CBC.
>
>Because I believe that no one should ever be held responsible or
>accountable for their own actions in today's society. It is always
>someone else's fault.
>
>Because I believe that we should not expect newcomers to our country to
>accept or adapt to our culture and traditions and customs; and that we
>should not wish each other "Merry Christmas" in case it might be
>offensive to some.
>
>Because I have the IQ of a doorknob and am easily sucked in by Liberal
>scare tactics and propaganda; and am easily bought off with my own tax
>money.
>
>later...

[November Adam]

Originally posted by Tingkai


The problem with this approach, for the Conservatives and the NDP, is that it is a cop out. If either party wants to win, they need to look at what they're doing wrong rather than effectively complaining, as you are, that the Liberals are winning because of their tactics. It's a bit like a general saying his army won't win the next battle because the other general is smarter.

I sure hope that the parties don't consider this to be a war where making one region hate another region, is considered good tactics. Especially if one party is campaigning as the "savior" of Canada.

I am hardly representative of the Conservative party, I don't speak for them, but I am allowed to post my views on the subject. And yes, I'm voting Conservative because the Libs are just THAT bad. I have very few problems with many of their policies, they are pretty centerist. It has more to do with the fact that they routinely break "promises", and have no sense of moral objection to any of their hypocrisy. Many people say they are voting Lib, because they don't trust the Conservatives, yet the Conservatives have done nothing for them to distrust. Maybe people need to see that their politicians have been proven to be crooked, because the ones that haven't must be "hiding" something.

[Asher]

As a side note...Klein just announced $1B of the surplus is going to fight cancer.

[RedFred]

@ Richeleiu's post.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher
As a side note...Klein just announced $1B of the surplus is going to fight cancer.

heard that-- apparently much of the money will go to a major expansion at the children's hospital

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
As a side note...Klein just announced $1B of the surplus is going to fight cancer.

Remember where you heard it first...

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Harper's campaign of promising tax cut after tax cut is getting boring quick...

He'd better come up with a new schtick.

OK. Your point is recognised.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2005/12/12/elxn-tory-sports.html

Harper offers tax credit for young athletes
Last Updated Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:06:16 EST
CBC News
Canadians who sign their kids up for organized hockey and other sports would be eligible for a tax credit under a Conservative government, Tory Leader Stephen Harper said on Monday.

The tax credit, aimed at parents with children under 16, would allow them to claim $500 in registration fees per child, to "provide modest tax assistance for families who have kids in sports and fitness activities," Harper said.

It's another part of the Conservatives' effort to appeal to ordinary Canadian families. They have already announced a child-care allowance of $1,200 a year per child under six as well as a cut in the GST.

"Government needs to give working families a break. We need to help families so that cost is not a barrier to help keeping children active," Harper said at a campaign stop at a hockey rink in Buckingham, Que., just south of Ottawa.

Harper said the idea would encourage families to keep their children are active.

Liberal Leader Paul Martin was quick to respond to the announcement, telling reporters in Ancaster, Ont., that a tax credit of this sort is "a good idea."

"It's exactly the kind of thing that [Minister of State for Public Health] Carolyn Bennett has been talking about in terms of healthy living," Martin said.

"With respect to tax credits ... we also believe the principal way you get money into people's pockets is to cut personal income taxes for the middle class, and that is where our focus is going to be."

Harper saddened by Liberal attack

Harper also took aim at the Liberals for an aide's comment that parents could spend the Tory child-care allowance on beer and popcorn.

"I feel a certain sadness when I see these kinds of comments," he said.

Martin's director of communications, Scott Reid, said on the weekend that parents might spend child-care money promised by the Tories inappropriately.

RELATED STORY: Liberal apologizes for saying Harper day-care bucks may buy beer, popcorn

Reid later apologized, but Harper said these kinds of remarks were in fact the "bulk of the Liberal response" to the Conservatives' announcement.

"The apology only withdrew the words," Harper said. "It didn't actually withdraw the point he said he was trying to make."

But you gotta admit, a tax cut for hockey is pretty sweet.

[notyoueither]

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/analysiscommentary/campaignconfidential.html#dec12

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2005

The upcoming leaders' debates loom large over the election this week.

This is a fright-filled time for campaigners. Restless tour movements are suspended, buses and planes are parked. The leaders and their inner circles retreat into bunkers, with fake TV studios, where the nervous scripting and de-scripting of debate lines can take place in secret.

Paranoid campaign teams spend days prepping their leaders for these performances. The dream that their guy will delight and trumph with an unexpected line is juggled against the paralyzing fear that their guy could crater with an unexpected gaffe…

In the panic-prone environment of the inner core of most campaigns, fear outweighs greed, so risk avoidance and damage control carry the day.

Surprises, the leaders are schooled, must be avoided. Which is why these things can become so dull…

Speaking of surprises, a Sunday pundits' panel which should have been an irrelevant sideshow ballooned into a damaging glimpse into the problems bedevilling the prime ministership of one Right Honourable Paul Martin.

Yet again, Martin's overly warlike team got him into unnecessary trouble, this time with an ill-considered remark to the effect that, left to themselves, parents would spend child care money on beer and popcorn rather than looking after their kids.

Despite a hasty backtrack, the sideswipe shows the overly-partisan hubris which has long enveloped Martin and his inner staff. Instead of opposition politicians and journalists smarting from a back-handed smack, it is parents at large – voters you might call them – who get the treatment. Good move.

Even worse, that "Brother Knows Best" comment provides a welcome segue for opposition parties to get back into talking about that alleged Liberal "culture of entitlement and corruption," the thought that launched this campaign.

The thought that – should it ever prevail as a so-called "ballot question" – most deeply frightens the Liberal campaign.

[Flubber]

The debate might actually be fun. There should be some real shots that can be taken at Martin if anyone is willing to put up their dukes

[JimmyCracksCorn]

The debate might actually be fun.

The debate should be awesome

[Flubber]

It seems that this time that the conservatives are running a better campaign and the gaffes have been on the Liberals.

Today's papers indicated that Martin had re-raised gay marriage as an issue and harper's potential use of the notwithstanding clause. My take is that he is getting thoroughly out maneuvered on policies like taxes. His reps comments on "beer and pop" allow Harper to get a lot of mileage out of the idea that Liberals think they know what to do with people's money better than the people do.


The question is whether anyone is listening in Ontario

[notyoueither]

Why do Liberals suck? Let us count the ways.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/12/13/20051213-nolicence.html

Ontario to deny driver's licences to dropouts
Last Updated Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:54:07 EST
CBC News
Ontario high school students who drop out won't be allowed to get their driver's licences under proposed new legislation.

The aim is to keep students in school until they're 18 so they can graduate. Roughly 45,000 Ontario high school students, or 30 per cent, leave each year before graduating.


(courtesy Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
The province hopes to cut that number in half by 2010.

Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said students applying for their licences would have to show a document to the Ministry of Transportation that proves they're an active student.

Kennedy says the penalty will come into effect once schools establish a wider choice of courses and add more co-op and apprenticeship programs to keep at-risk students in school.

"The licence provision is a proactive way of setting the bar, the marker, that avoids the courts, allows us to deal with it as something people will come to accept - that it's a privilege to have a driver's license and one of the corresponding obligations is to be serious about taking your learning as far as possible," said Kennedy.

But NDP education critic Rosario Marchese calls the plan a bad idea. "In my view if a student needs to leave for economic, academic, emotional or social reasons they will find it a punitive way to hold students in school."

Marchese says more supports for troubled students should be put in place instead.

This isn't the first time such a strategy has been used. There are nine U.S. states that require high school attendance to receive a driver's licence and 10 that suspend licences for truancy and academic problems.

Not federal, granted, but it's pretty bad when the NDP is sounding more reasonable than a party that is supposed to occupy the middle ground.

Oh wait, Liberals know better than the rest of us what is good for us. Parents are too fond of beer and popcorn to be trusted, and young adults can't be trusted to drive unless they jump through the hoops of the nanny state.

They'll get away with this one too, as those affected can't vote... until the next election. Dumb asses!

[notyoueither]

Oh, and he's full of **** if he thinks this 'avoids the courts'. It is an outrageous intrusion by the government in the lives of its citizens. Something like this is just begging a court to say that drivers' licenses are more than a priviledge.

[Kuciwalker]

You have a 30% dropout rate?*

*I have no clue what it is in normal schools in the States, but 30% seems awfully high.