In a politics blog that I frequent they had a post about the Tim Horton's Roll Up the Win Contest in Afghanistan. It was the most contreversial post since the Green Party/Liberal non-competition treaty was announced a few weeks ago.
For the record. Supplying our soldiers with a taste of home is a way to boost morale for Soldiers who are willing to give their lives for their country. It is the same as people being able to send pizza to IDF soldiers.
It has nothing to do with exploiting the poor for corporate domination. It has nothing to do with the question of how long our troops should stay in Afghanistan. It has nothing to do with how the Afghanistan government treats prisoners that have been handed over by Canadian soldiers.
Why are people so stuck on pushing their personal agendas and ignoring everything else?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Liberals won't run agianst Peter McKay
On Friday the announcement was made that the Liberal Party of Canada will not field a candidate of in the riding of Central Nova, to make room for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. The ridding is currently held by Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister Peter McKay. In exchange the Green Party will not field a candidate in Liberal Leader Stephan Dion's riding. This also creates a de facto endorsement from the Green Party that they believe Stephan Dion is the best candidate for Prime Minister.
The spin on this story is fairly simple. The environment has emerged in the past year as a very important issue to Canadians. Dion has wrapped himself in the flag as the champion for the environment. An endorsement from the Green Party (who Canadians feel is the true champion of the environment), locks up his credibility to this claim. He is willing to sacrifice the best interests of his party for what is best for Canada. Dion also gets the added protection from a non-existent threat of the Green Party costing him his seat. The Green Party has been climbing in the polls mainly squeezing out support from the NDP. An endorsement from the Liberals that they deserve a voice in the House of Commons gives the legitimacy. This could help further erode support for the NDP, enough for the Liberals to pick up a couple of seats from the split votes.
In November, May finished second behind the Liberal in the by-election for the riding of London North Centre. May was asked why she choose to try to take down one of the highest ranking members of the Conservative Party. This is contrary to the long standing Canadian tradition of party leaders running in safe ridings. May responded that McKay has been singled out because of the governments foreign policy. Did you know that the Green Party had a foreign policy? They want to cut the defence budget by 50%, withdraw from Afghanistan and be a full supporter of all U.N. resolutions. They were also very critical of the governments support for Israel during last year's war in Lebanon. In the last election McKay beat out the 2nd place NDP candidate by 3273 votes. The Green Party candidate managed to beat out the last place Marxist Leninist by only 547 votes. Combining all of the Liberal and Green Party votes from last election would still leave them in 3rd place 2841 votes behind the NDP. May has absolutely no chance of winning this seat. Her decision to try to take down McKay will destroy any opportunity for advancement of her party that this deal could have brought.
It would seem that the Liberals traded an unwinnable ridding for some political clout. There are those out there that feel that this is evidence of a true leader who can put his own personal agenda aside for the good of the nation. Dion has conceded that any environmental policy the Liberal Party puts forward cannot not be as good as that of the Green Party. How is he going to explain to voters? He is going to ask voters to vote for the party that in his opinion has the second best environmental policy. You just can't do that with your number one priority. Taking it one step further in the unlikely event of May winning and Dion becoming the Prime Minister, he would have no choice but to maker her Environment Minister. Would he be as willing to strip her of her post for disagreeing with other Liberal policies as Dion has done to other members of the Liberal Party.
This deal is political suicide for Dion. Once again he has been outsmarted for political points. It is too bad that May has bitten off more than she can chew. She has missed a tremendous oppurtunity to make a political breakthrough for her party.
The spin on this story is fairly simple. The environment has emerged in the past year as a very important issue to Canadians. Dion has wrapped himself in the flag as the champion for the environment. An endorsement from the Green Party (who Canadians feel is the true champion of the environment), locks up his credibility to this claim. He is willing to sacrifice the best interests of his party for what is best for Canada. Dion also gets the added protection from a non-existent threat of the Green Party costing him his seat. The Green Party has been climbing in the polls mainly squeezing out support from the NDP. An endorsement from the Liberals that they deserve a voice in the House of Commons gives the legitimacy. This could help further erode support for the NDP, enough for the Liberals to pick up a couple of seats from the split votes.
In November, May finished second behind the Liberal in the by-election for the riding of London North Centre. May was asked why she choose to try to take down one of the highest ranking members of the Conservative Party. This is contrary to the long standing Canadian tradition of party leaders running in safe ridings. May responded that McKay has been singled out because of the governments foreign policy. Did you know that the Green Party had a foreign policy? They want to cut the defence budget by 50%, withdraw from Afghanistan and be a full supporter of all U.N. resolutions. They were also very critical of the governments support for Israel during last year's war in Lebanon. In the last election McKay beat out the 2nd place NDP candidate by 3273 votes. The Green Party candidate managed to beat out the last place Marxist Leninist by only 547 votes. Combining all of the Liberal and Green Party votes from last election would still leave them in 3rd place 2841 votes behind the NDP. May has absolutely no chance of winning this seat. Her decision to try to take down McKay will destroy any opportunity for advancement of her party that this deal could have brought.
It would seem that the Liberals traded an unwinnable ridding for some political clout. There are those out there that feel that this is evidence of a true leader who can put his own personal agenda aside for the good of the nation. Dion has conceded that any environmental policy the Liberal Party puts forward cannot not be as good as that of the Green Party. How is he going to explain to voters? He is going to ask voters to vote for the party that in his opinion has the second best environmental policy. You just can't do that with your number one priority. Taking it one step further in the unlikely event of May winning and Dion becoming the Prime Minister, he would have no choice but to maker her Environment Minister. Would he be as willing to strip her of her post for disagreeing with other Liberal policies as Dion has done to other members of the Liberal Party.
This deal is political suicide for Dion. Once again he has been outsmarted for political points. It is too bad that May has bitten off more than she can chew. She has missed a tremendous oppurtunity to make a political breakthrough for her party.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Prepared for Emergencies
After 9/11, SARS and the great black out we believe that we have learned from our lessons. We expect our government to put measures in place to protect us in case of another emergency.
Last Thursday Ontario gas stations started to run out of gas. As of this morning 200 gas station are without fuel. With the public outcry directed towards the oil companies the government kept a low profile. As more and more stations have been closing and the shortage expected to last another week and a half the government has finally commented on the situation.
On Tuesday Energy Minister Dwight Duncan responded with "Did everyone get gas? So what?"
Yesterday Premier Dalton McGuinty "It is, from time to time, going to inconvenience us, It may require we visit another gas station or two."
The government can't even take the problem seriously. What would have happened if this was a real emergency?
Last Thursday Ontario gas stations started to run out of gas. As of this morning 200 gas station are without fuel. With the public outcry directed towards the oil companies the government kept a low profile. As more and more stations have been closing and the shortage expected to last another week and a half the government has finally commented on the situation.
On Tuesday Energy Minister Dwight Duncan responded with "Did everyone get gas? So what?"
Yesterday Premier Dalton McGuinty "It is, from time to time, going to inconvenience us, It may require we visit another gas station or two."
The government can't even take the problem seriously. What would have happened if this was a real emergency?
Monday, February 26, 2007
Mudsling continue
With many experts still believing that a spring election is likely the Liberals and Conservatives are both trying to push the polls to show they could win a majority government. Unfortunately demanding apologies and mudslinging seem to be more important than actually getting anything accomplished.
The first incident occurred over two provisions in the Anti-Terrorism Act are going to expire on Thursday. The Liberals are going to vote against renewing the provisions tomorrow to legislation they had written and implemented. The net results of this move are that an upcoming inquiry to the Air India bombing will not be able to happen because they will not be able to interview certain witnesses.
Stephan Harper tried introducing to the public record a newspaper report that one of the beneficiaries to the law not being renewed was a Liberal MPs father-in-law. Harper was shouted down and the article never made it into the public record. The Liberals kept demanding an apology. When that didn't work they came up with a government conspiracy that the information was confidential and the only way the reporter could have found out was if the information had been leaked from the PMO office. The reporter who wrote the article was asked about their sources. They had covered the Air India bombing for 15 years and had even written a book. Anyone who followed the trials that closely would know who the key players were. The only new piece of information the reporter had recently uncovered was that this particular individual was related to an MP.
The Liberals moved on to find something new to complain amount. They are now complaining that the Conservative government is trying to obliterate out all memory of the Liberals ever serving in government. The proof was that at a press conference this week with Condoleezza Rice a statue of Former Liberal PM and Nobel Prize Winner (for resolving 1956 "Suez Crisis") Lester Pearson was blocked by a backdrop wall. It turns out that under Chretien and Paul Martin the same statue was routinely blocked with the same backdrop wall for press conferences. It is just too costly and time consuming to move. There is only one time anyone could remember where Martin had the statue moved front and centre during a press conference with George Bush.
Although I am disappointed with the Conservatives for their part in the mudslinging the Liberals are clearly unable to handle it. They have looked like giant cry babies demanding apology after apology while making false accusations. If they don't start to concern themselves with real issues that effect Canadians they will spend another 5 years in the ("penalty box") opposition benches.
The first incident occurred over two provisions in the Anti-Terrorism Act are going to expire on Thursday. The Liberals are going to vote against renewing the provisions tomorrow to legislation they had written and implemented. The net results of this move are that an upcoming inquiry to the Air India bombing will not be able to happen because they will not be able to interview certain witnesses.
Stephan Harper tried introducing to the public record a newspaper report that one of the beneficiaries to the law not being renewed was a Liberal MPs father-in-law. Harper was shouted down and the article never made it into the public record. The Liberals kept demanding an apology. When that didn't work they came up with a government conspiracy that the information was confidential and the only way the reporter could have found out was if the information had been leaked from the PMO office. The reporter who wrote the article was asked about their sources. They had covered the Air India bombing for 15 years and had even written a book. Anyone who followed the trials that closely would know who the key players were. The only new piece of information the reporter had recently uncovered was that this particular individual was related to an MP.
The Liberals moved on to find something new to complain amount. They are now complaining that the Conservative government is trying to obliterate out all memory of the Liberals ever serving in government. The proof was that at a press conference this week with Condoleezza Rice a statue of Former Liberal PM and Nobel Prize Winner (for resolving 1956 "Suez Crisis") Lester Pearson was blocked by a backdrop wall. It turns out that under Chretien and Paul Martin the same statue was routinely blocked with the same backdrop wall for press conferences. It is just too costly and time consuming to move. There is only one time anyone could remember where Martin had the statue moved front and centre during a press conference with George Bush.
Although I am disappointed with the Conservatives for their part in the mudslinging the Liberals are clearly unable to handle it. They have looked like giant cry babies demanding apology after apology while making false accusations. If they don't start to concern themselves with real issues that effect Canadians they will spend another 5 years in the ("penalty box") opposition benches.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Quotes of the week
With a possible election looming the political bantering becomes more and more entertaining. Here are my favourites from last week on Parliament hill.
Garth Turner was thrown out of the Conservative Party in November. After flirting with the Green Party and a vow to fight for the rights of independent MPs he decided to join the Liberal Party. He has been a strong proponent that when members cross the floor there should be a by-election. His first day with the Liberals he declared that he would resign his seat on condition that a by-election be called immediately (the PM has 6 months to call a by-election) and by-elections be called in the two ridings where Liberals crossed the floor to join the Conservative Government.
The House Leader Peter Van Loan greeted Turner to his new position.
"Mr. Speaker, the member for Halton has not been in the caucus for 24 hours and he has already gotten a standing ovation for the concept of him resigning."
The opposition parties have once again tried to get the government to comply with Kyoto. In a committee meeting David McGuinty (brother of the unpopular Ontario Premier Dalton) grilled the Environment Minister if he was in favour of implementing a carbon tax.
The response from John Baird
"We don't sit around the cabinet table dreaming up ways to increase taxes. That's certainly more common in the McGuinty family than it is in the Harper cabinet,"
I expect this week to be just as entertaining.
Garth Turner was thrown out of the Conservative Party in November. After flirting with the Green Party and a vow to fight for the rights of independent MPs he decided to join the Liberal Party. He has been a strong proponent that when members cross the floor there should be a by-election. His first day with the Liberals he declared that he would resign his seat on condition that a by-election be called immediately (the PM has 6 months to call a by-election) and by-elections be called in the two ridings where Liberals crossed the floor to join the Conservative Government.
The House Leader Peter Van Loan greeted Turner to his new position.
"Mr. Speaker, the member for Halton has not been in the caucus for 24 hours and he has already gotten a standing ovation for the concept of him resigning."
The opposition parties have once again tried to get the government to comply with Kyoto. In a committee meeting David McGuinty (brother of the unpopular Ontario Premier Dalton) grilled the Environment Minister if he was in favour of implementing a carbon tax.
The response from John Baird
"We don't sit around the cabinet table dreaming up ways to increase taxes. That's certainly more common in the McGuinty family than it is in the Harper cabinet,"
I expect this week to be just as entertaining.
Quotes of the week
With a possible election looming the political bantering becomes more and more entertaining. Here are my favourites from last week on Parliament hill.
Garth Turner was thrown out of the Conservative Party in November. After flirting with the Green Party and a vow to fight for the rights of independent MPs he decided to join the Liberal Party. He has been a strong proponent that when members cross the floor there should be a by-election. His first day with the Liberals he declared that he would resign his seat on condition that a by-election be called immediately (the PM has 6 months to call a by-election) and by-elections be called in the two ridings where Liberals crossed the floor to join the Conservative Government.
The House Leader Peter Van Loan greeted Turner to his new position.
"Mr. Speaker, the member for Halton has not been in the caucus for 24 hours and he has already gotten a standing ovation for the concept of him resigning."
The opposition parties have once again tried to get the government to comply with Kyoto. In a committee meeting David McGuinty (brother of the unpopular Ontario Premier Dalton) grilled the Environment Minister if he was in favour of implementing a carbon tax.
The response from John Baird
"We don't sit around the cabinet table dreaming up ways to increase taxes. That's certainly more common in the McGuinty family than it is in the Harper cabinet,"
I expect this week to be just as entertaining.
Garth Turner was thrown out of the Conservative Party in November. After flirting with the Green Party and a vow to fight for the rights of independent MPs he decided to join the Liberal Party. He has been a strong proponent that when members cross the floor there should be a by-election. His first day with the Liberals he declared that he would resign his seat on condition that a by-election be called immediately (the PM has 6 months to call a by-election) and by-elections be called in the two ridings where Liberals crossed the floor to join the Conservative Government.
The House Leader Peter Van Loan greeted Turner to his new position.
"Mr. Speaker, the member for Halton has not been in the caucus for 24 hours and he has already gotten a standing ovation for the concept of him resigning."
The opposition parties have once again tried to get the government to comply with Kyoto. In a committee meeting David McGuinty (brother of the unpopular Ontario Premier Dalton) grilled the Environment Minister if he was in favour of implementing a carbon tax.
The response from John Baird
"We don't sit around the cabinet table dreaming up ways to increase taxes. That's certainly more common in the McGuinty family than it is in the Harper cabinet,"
I expect this week to be just as entertaining.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Sextuplets
The sextuplets born in B.C. were a big news story again last week. Two of the babies have passed away and the government took temporary custody of three of them in order to administer blood transfusions. The parents are angry. They have requested an apology from the government. They have also launched a Charter challenge under freedom of religion (the parents are Jehovah's Witnesses)
The response from the public seems to be unanimously in favour of the government intervention. When Boo was in the NICU we had a situation where we were told that she had to undergo a particular medical procedure. When we were informed it also required our consent DW and I did our research and determined that it was not in Boo's best interest. We worked out an alternative form of treatment with her medical team. At one point a Fellow thought he knew better and decided to do what he wanted despite our explicit protests. (DW is convinced I was ready to slug the doctor before the nurse practitioner intervened.) With the benefit of hindsight disagreeing with the doctors and standing up for Boo was what was best for her. Parents are the best advocates for their child's best interests.
If the doctors of the sextuplets have worked with the parents to examine all possible options in the best interest of the children I fully support the governments decision. However, if the doctors were unwilling to consider all forms of treatment available, the parents have a right to be angry.
On a seperate point a growing number of countries have passed legislation or adopted policies that make babies born before 27 weeks or under 2500g an automatic DNR. In one of these countries Boo would not have received any medical treatment. The sextuplets would have been in the same boat. Canadians are lining up to condemn these parents, without a second thought to parents in other countries. What happens if the babies who received the blood transfusions don't make it? How much more grief would the parents face in light of an unwanted life saving treatment that didn't work.
The response from the public seems to be unanimously in favour of the government intervention. When Boo was in the NICU we had a situation where we were told that she had to undergo a particular medical procedure. When we were informed it also required our consent DW and I did our research and determined that it was not in Boo's best interest. We worked out an alternative form of treatment with her medical team. At one point a Fellow thought he knew better and decided to do what he wanted despite our explicit protests. (DW is convinced I was ready to slug the doctor before the nurse practitioner intervened.) With the benefit of hindsight disagreeing with the doctors and standing up for Boo was what was best for her. Parents are the best advocates for their child's best interests.
If the doctors of the sextuplets have worked with the parents to examine all possible options in the best interest of the children I fully support the governments decision. However, if the doctors were unwilling to consider all forms of treatment available, the parents have a right to be angry.
On a seperate point a growing number of countries have passed legislation or adopted policies that make babies born before 27 weeks or under 2500g an automatic DNR. In one of these countries Boo would not have received any medical treatment. The sextuplets would have been in the same boat. Canadians are lining up to condemn these parents, without a second thought to parents in other countries. What happens if the babies who received the blood transfusions don't make it? How much more grief would the parents face in light of an unwanted life saving treatment that didn't work.
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