Hey I ain't no fan of the Liberals but Tory Blogger Brent Colbert ( whom I mistakenly called Colby ) misses the point in blaming the Liberals for the job losses at Domtar.
Hmm, Mr. Colbert convieniantly forgets it was the Mulroney Conservatives that brought us the FTA and NAFTA which is directly responsible for these job losses. Tory Revisionist history strikes again. Oh right this Conservative party ain't the party of Mulroney, he just shows up at all their parties and conventions.
Ok blame the Liberals too cause they didn't abrogate NAFTA...another blown promise..... and now they are cheerleaders for Free Trade equating it with Fair Trade....huh?
Say here's a good message for the NDP........ Abrogate NAFTA save Canadian Jobs. Didn't they have that message once upon a time, hmm when a certain John Turner was fighting the battle of his life?
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
This Says it All
Angus Reid Poll Nov. 30
And it looks good for gains for the NDP in B.C., Saskatchewan and the Maritimes.
| BC | Prai. | Ont. | Que. | Atl. | |
| Liberal | 36% | 22% | 44% | 22% | 56% |
| Conservative | 34% | 56% | 32% | 8% | 22% |
| New Democratic Party | 28% | 22% | 22% | 9% | 23% |
| Bloc Québécois | -- | -- | -- | 59% | -- |
| Other | 3% | 1% | 1% | 2% | -- |
Neck and neck with the Liberals in the Prairies, since it includes Alberta the Conservative majority is an anomaly, and neck and neck with the Conservatives in the Maritimes. The messaging that real change means voting NDP looks like it is hitting home even this early. And in B.C. that means coming up the middle between the Conservatives and Liberals.
So if we have another minority parliment that will be the time to push for real change; reform the electoral system to Proportional Representation.
David Orchard Strikes Back
Ah you knew that he would not go quietly into that good night...David Orchard strikes back at Harper and Mckay....Conservative Party owes Orchard more than $70,000
Ex-leadership candidate alleges party being vindictive
"What gets me is, we have a new party talking about ethics, talking about honesty. Well they've grabbed $72,000 made in good faith." The Tories are as ethically challenged as the Liberals, as Orchard points out and as I documented here with their little webscandal in Alberta.
Ex-leadership candidate alleges party being vindictive
"What gets me is, we have a new party talking about ethics, talking about honesty. Well they've grabbed $72,000 made in good faith." The Tories are as ethically challenged as the Liberals, as Orchard points out and as I documented here with their little webscandal in Alberta.
Harper Gaffe #2: SSM
Give the Tory brain trust a loaded gun, the election, and they shoot themselves in the foot. Day 1: Harper tackles same-sex marriage
The Slogan for the Conservative campaign is Stand Up!
Well it appears they are standing up for homophobia. Yep Stand Up! for Intolerance and Bigotry. That's the same old story same old Tory,Harper the opportunist.
The Conservatives have a third party campaign against gay marriage underway, despite the fact that this issue is over. Done. Fini. Fait Accompli. And thats how Canadians see it too. Just not the rightwingnut lobby that continue to dominate the Conservative party rank and file. Pollster Allan Gregg of The Strategic Counsel thinks Conservative Leader Stephen Harper should do the following on same-sex marriage: Don't go there. Too Late.
The Slogan for the Conservative campaign is Stand Up!
Well it appears they are standing up for homophobia. Yep Stand Up! for Intolerance and Bigotry. That's the same old story same old Tory,Harper the opportunist.
The Conservatives have a third party campaign against gay marriage underway, despite the fact that this issue is over. Done. Fini. Fait Accompli. And thats how Canadians see it too. Just not the rightwingnut lobby that continue to dominate the Conservative party rank and file. Pollster Allan Gregg of The Strategic Counsel thinks Conservative Leader Stephen Harper should do the following on same-sex marriage: Don't go there. Too Late.
The Campaign Blogs
The campaigns are off and running and they have discovered the Blogosphere. So I will give a quick review of their campaign blogs on day one.
The Tory Blog is booooring reads like a bloody press release. And no place to comment, which is the fun and purpose of blogging....giving your opinion and getting flack for it.
The Liberal Blog is juvenile. Written by Globe and Mail Reporter Steve Feschuk who is now PM's speech writer, he drivels on like those personal blogs out there that tell you how their day is going, the fungal growth under their toenails, and why they hate the colour pink. To comment you email Feschuk. Which folks have already and let him know his page sucks. But it appears he is unrepentant.
The NDP . Don't have a blog !!!! Can you say DUMB.
Must be relying on the BloggingDippers to do the job for them. Get with the program folks get a blog going. Hey here's an idea get Big Daddy Ed (Broadbent) to do it.....since he is a rap star in his own right.....
The BQ have a blog on their youth page. Unlike the other parties their blog has been up and running before the election.Its in French of course. Parlez vous Quebecois? anyone.
The Green Party has a blog, and like the Jenue BQ its been up since before the election its party Leader Jim Harris (who?) personal Blog...and gosh its a real blog. Score 1 for the Green Party.
The Tory Blog is booooring reads like a bloody press release. And no place to comment, which is the fun and purpose of blogging....giving your opinion and getting flack for it.
The Liberal Blog is juvenile. Written by Globe and Mail Reporter Steve Feschuk who is now PM's speech writer, he drivels on like those personal blogs out there that tell you how their day is going, the fungal growth under their toenails, and why they hate the colour pink. To comment you email Feschuk. Which folks have already and let him know his page sucks. But it appears he is unrepentant.
The NDP . Don't have a blog !!!! Can you say DUMB.
Must be relying on the BloggingDippers to do the job for them. Get with the program folks get a blog going. Hey here's an idea get Big Daddy Ed (Broadbent) to do it.....since he is a rap star in his own right.....
The BQ have a blog on their youth page. Unlike the other parties their blog has been up and running before the election.Its in French of course. Parlez vous Quebecois? anyone.
The Green Party has a blog, and like the Jenue BQ its been up since before the election its party Leader Jim Harris (who?) personal Blog...and gosh its a real blog. Score 1 for the Green Party.
Harpers First Gaffe: 3 little words
The very first day and the Harper cannot help but make a gaffe. The first day of the election and he sticks his foot in his mouth. And it was a softball question. Do you love Canada? I thought when I saw the scrum it was a Conservative ringer flinging that out. Nope it wasn't. Here was the Harper primed for the tough heavy hitting questions and bingo he trips over a simple sophomoric question.
As Don Newman pointed out on CBC 's Politics, that was the same kind of question that killed Teddy Kennedy's drive for President of the USA. Why do you want to be President and he couldn't answer.
And not one to leave an opportunity to hit the Harper where it hurts, Martin did just that. "This morning, I'm told that Stephen Harper had a little difficulty saying this, so let me say it: I love Canada!" he said.
To which Jason Kenney, NOT the Harper,issued a press release saying that the Liberals are smearing the Harper as unpatriotic....Well can the Harper say the three little words or not? And Jason may have a hard time saying them too since he is a neo-con trained by the Reganite Republican right down south. Maybe they could hum a few bars of Go Bless America which is the same tune as God Save the Queen, but it ain't no Maple Leaf Forever.
The blogosphere has been full of it today, and this will continue. It was an extrodinary gaffe.
Blogger From A Different Viewpoint asks the important question:
I'd like to know why if Stephen Harper can say "God Bless Canada" pretty much at all rallies that were televised in the last election (i can't remember if he did it in all his official speeches or not) why can't he say "I love Canada".
A Little Bit Left says:
The false notion that Harper doesn’t love Canada will follow him for the campaign. It’s all about avoiding these little glitches and it seems that Harper has more trouble doing that than any other leader at this time.
His full quote to the original question is here, where I left the following comment;
As I said on my blog ; He can't say it, he Loves America more, it's his ultimate Republican Role model.
Come on Harper its three easy words, I Love Canada, and he chokes.
His afternoon rebutal about the Liberals loving Canada but loving power more...he still FAILED to say he Loved Canada.
Hey he's the leader of the CONSERVATIVE Party those three little word should leap off his tongue...but I guess the Liberals love Canada more...which is why Harper is going to lose....
To which I can only add he should fire his Media Director.
As Don Newman pointed out on CBC 's Politics, that was the same kind of question that killed Teddy Kennedy's drive for President of the USA. Why do you want to be President and he couldn't answer.
And not one to leave an opportunity to hit the Harper where it hurts, Martin did just that. "This morning, I'm told that Stephen Harper had a little difficulty saying this, so let me say it: I love Canada!" he said.
To which Jason Kenney, NOT the Harper,issued a press release saying that the Liberals are smearing the Harper as unpatriotic....Well can the Harper say the three little words or not? And Jason may have a hard time saying them too since he is a neo-con trained by the Reganite Republican right down south. Maybe they could hum a few bars of Go Bless America which is the same tune as God Save the Queen, but it ain't no Maple Leaf Forever.
The blogosphere has been full of it today, and this will continue. It was an extrodinary gaffe.
Blogger From A Different Viewpoint asks the important question:
I'd like to know why if Stephen Harper can say "God Bless Canada" pretty much at all rallies that were televised in the last election (i can't remember if he did it in all his official speeches or not) why can't he say "I love Canada".
A Little Bit Left says:
The false notion that Harper doesn’t love Canada will follow him for the campaign. It’s all about avoiding these little glitches and it seems that Harper has more trouble doing that than any other leader at this time.
His full quote to the original question is here, where I left the following comment;
As I said on my blog ; He can't say it, he Loves America more, it's his ultimate Republican Role model.
Come on Harper its three easy words, I Love Canada, and he chokes.
His afternoon rebutal about the Liberals loving Canada but loving power more...he still FAILED to say he Loved Canada.
Hey he's the leader of the CONSERVATIVE Party those three little word should leap off his tongue...but I guess the Liberals love Canada more...which is why Harper is going to lose....
To which I can only add he should fire his Media Director.
Tories Hidden Agenda
Some of the Blogging Tories have initiated an on site campaign with a button called Hidden Agenda with this cute graphic. You click on it and it leads you to the Harpers webstie. Clever eh. Well in the interests of Truth in Advertising I have created an alternative link.
.
Click on this to reveal their REAL agenda
Yes you are free to use this. Heh heh. In fact thats why I made it. I would hope we could get lots of the Progressive, Liberal and Dipper bloggers adding this to their pages.
.Click on this to reveal their REAL agenda
Yes you are free to use this. Heh heh. In fact thats why I made it. I would hope we could get lots of the Progressive, Liberal and Dipper bloggers adding this to their pages.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Who Luvs Ya Baby
Well the first hard ball shot in the election has been made off a soft ball question. When asked if he loves Canada, the Harper side stepped the question. The answer was easy, just say Yes. Well he didn't. I know, I know with his Republican Lite politics its hard to say Amour Canada after saying Amour America for so long. He tried to make up for it in a later press conference where in his mock turtle neck he mocked the Liberals love for Canada, 'They love power more' he said. Well Paul Martin is on the hill speaking and he opened up with his off the cuff salvo; "Let me say this I love Canada, Je Amour Canada". Wow this is going to be a love fest election. Who luvs ya baby....
More Income Trust Fallout
Ok here is some more evidence of ponzi nature of the Income Trusts and why they are dangerous for Canadian business as well as Canadian workers and even investors, but good for owners and market managers.
While the Liberals talk about defending Canadian soveriegnty they did nothing to stop the sell off one of Canada's major Oil Field supply companies, Precision Drilling. Which in Alberta should have been as big a scandal as the Terasen sell off in B.C. which the NDP slammed the Feds for. But the silence has been deafing. When Alberta is dominated by Conservatives what did you expect. Whats good for America is good for Alberta......
When Precision Drilling converted to a trust, it spelled the demise of a great Canadian world player
Here's what Weatherford boss Bernard Duroc-Danner said about Precision when he bought it: "Frankly, we could not duplicate what they did, and we need it."
At that point, Goodale and his senior policy wonks cringed, though they made their concerns known only privately at the time. Here was one of Canada's few global champions, led by one of the industry's most respected entrepreneurs, shredding its growth playbook and unloading many in the team of senior executives who had helped build the company—for no other reason than to avoid paying tax. That much was known. Shortly after the Weatherford sale, Swartout said he had no choice but to convert "because the multiple of the trust is so overwhelming," even though he admitted the trust proliferation "is not the best thing for Canada."
The truth is that Canada's most successful companies, and the ones that attract the best and the brightest professionals—Manulife, Bombardier, Scotiabank, Magna and Alcan, among them—have one thing in common: They're players on the international stage. Canada needs more of them. When ambitious companies like Precision suddenly call it quits to exploit a tax loophole, you know you've got a problem.
Labour-sponsored love lost
With tax breaks disappearing, the cliff is fast approaching for labour-sponsored investment funds
And another victim of the Income Trust Tax Break that Goodale has introduced is the union based Labour Funds. Bad enough McGuinty in Ontario was reducing the tax credits avaiable for these funds, now with the tax credit from Goodale for corporate investment and no tax on the Income Trusts, that is the final nail in the coffin of these funds. While they gained little in investment dividends for their investors who are all average working stiffs they gave the average person a very real annual tax break with higher tax credits than a regular RRSP investment.
And they were as easy to buy as an RRSP for the average person, with a 25-50% tax break. And now they too will go the way of the dodo while the rich get tax breaks on thier high end RRSP investments and their coupon clipping corporate investments.
While the Liberals talk about defending Canadian soveriegnty they did nothing to stop the sell off one of Canada's major Oil Field supply companies, Precision Drilling. Which in Alberta should have been as big a scandal as the Terasen sell off in B.C. which the NDP slammed the Feds for. But the silence has been deafing. When Alberta is dominated by Conservatives what did you expect. Whats good for America is good for Alberta......
When Precision Drilling converted to a trust, it spelled the demise of a great Canadian world player
Here's what Weatherford boss Bernard Duroc-Danner said about Precision when he bought it: "Frankly, we could not duplicate what they did, and we need it."
At that point, Goodale and his senior policy wonks cringed, though they made their concerns known only privately at the time. Here was one of Canada's few global champions, led by one of the industry's most respected entrepreneurs, shredding its growth playbook and unloading many in the team of senior executives who had helped build the company—for no other reason than to avoid paying tax. That much was known. Shortly after the Weatherford sale, Swartout said he had no choice but to convert "because the multiple of the trust is so overwhelming," even though he admitted the trust proliferation "is not the best thing for Canada."
The truth is that Canada's most successful companies, and the ones that attract the best and the brightest professionals—Manulife, Bombardier, Scotiabank, Magna and Alcan, among them—have one thing in common: They're players on the international stage. Canada needs more of them. When ambitious companies like Precision suddenly call it quits to exploit a tax loophole, you know you've got a problem.
Labour-sponsored love lost
With tax breaks disappearing, the cliff is fast approaching for labour-sponsored investment funds
And another victim of the Income Trust Tax Break that Goodale has introduced is the union based Labour Funds. Bad enough McGuinty in Ontario was reducing the tax credits avaiable for these funds, now with the tax credit from Goodale for corporate investment and no tax on the Income Trusts, that is the final nail in the coffin of these funds. While they gained little in investment dividends for their investors who are all average working stiffs they gave the average person a very real annual tax break with higher tax credits than a regular RRSP investment.
And they were as easy to buy as an RRSP for the average person, with a 25-50% tax break. And now they too will go the way of the dodo while the rich get tax breaks on thier high end RRSP investments and their coupon clipping corporate investments.
All that Jazz
Here is how Income Trusts work for big capital. Lets look at ACE the holding company for Air Canada. Not only did they manage to manuver out of bankruptcy into profitability by getting concessions from their workers they still maintain a virtual monopoly in the air transport field in Canada. Now thankss to the Liberals recent tax give away they are creating an Income Trust, which is a tax dodge, out of their regional carrier Jazz which competes with West Jet. The advantage, besides lots of new capital and no taxes? Well more concessions from workers.
New Jazz income fund to add planes, routes
New Jazz income fund to add planes, routes
The prospectus said Jazz has a pay scale in place that's competitive with U.S. regional carriers, noting that new Jazz employees "hired after May, 2004, excluding pilots, are being hired on this lower scale."
In the case of Jazz pilots, they have agreed to "significant productivity gains," including a system where there is "one pay scale based on seniority and status, regardless of the type of aircraft flown," the document added.
Jazz's work force on Oct. 31 was 3,732 employees, down from 4,086 in April, 2003, when Air Canada sought court protection from creditors. Air Canada emerged from bankruptcy protection in September, 2004.
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