Friday, January 13, 2006

Who Speaks for Edmonton Strathcona

Edmonton Strathcona, it's a riding to watch on election night.

Rahim is running for his life, well at least he showed up at this forum.

Here is the spin according to the Edmonton Sun from the U of A forum for Edmonton Strathcona candidates.

Opps it appears that the Sun failed to quote the run from behind Liberal candidate.

What the candidates in Edmonton-Strathcona are saying:

"I think the important thing is for people to carefully examine the actual candidates in their riding rather than focusing on the leaders."

- Linda Duncan, NDP


"If we're looking to finally get a government that's reflective of Canadian values and ethics, we need to look for positive change. That's something we've reflected in this election and I encourage Canadians to consider that."

- Rahim Jaffer, Conservative

"We have a complete platform addressing every issue. It is our responsibility now that Canadians are taking us seriously to provide them with answers on all issues."

- Cameron Wakefield, Green Party

"If memory serves me correctly he (Rahim Jaffer) did not attend the last time there was a forum at Knox and he's not here now and once again he's probably going to win. This is what we're faced with in this so-called democracy - this lack of debate."

- Kevan Hunter, Marxist-Leninist Party


"We have three parties past their prime. They spend most of their time plotting against one another."

- Michael Fedeyko, Progressive Canadian Party


"Vote for me because I am not a pirate. The NDP, the Bloc, the Conservatives, the Liberals - they're all pirates. They want to plunder us for $50- to $70-billion."

- Dave Dowling, Marijuana Party

More Stories on Linda Duncan here

Also see Rahim Jaffer MIA

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Landslide Anne in Trouble

Uh oh this one is going to be another squeaker for Landslide Anne. According to a Canwest wire story;

A new poll also suggests Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan is in danger of losing her
Edmonton seat to Conservative Laurie Hawn, an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for The Edmonton Journal suggests.

Hawn has 42 per cent support in Edmonton Centre, while McLellan trails at 35 per cent.

The poll, conducted by phone between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, asked 600 people in Edmonton Centre about their views on a wide range of issues in the riding. It is considered accurate to within four percentage points 19 times out of 20.


It doesn't help that she defended the PM saying he didn't know about the Canadian Troops in Canadian Cities ad. Oops cause he said he did. While others say that it was supposed to have never run.

But Laurie Hawn is not above using dirty tricks either;

Hawn called on McLellan to apologize for the ads.

McLellan said she has run a positive campaign and suggested Hawn was the one using smear tactics. Earlier in the week, Hawn's campaign team sent out envelopes with the message: "If you were a friend of the Liberals, this envelope would be full of cash."

Yep it's a classic race in Edmonton Centre for Landslide Anne. Don't move from your TV sets election night, cause it ain't over till it's over.

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Eyes Right

A good column from the U.S. with the startling headline, and not the usual, Canada bashes U.S. well ok one reference to the recent Jr. World Hockey Game....

Canada appears likely to take sharp turn right

By JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Voters of British Columbia, a contentious lot, have thrown out of office a prime minister of Canada as well as three provincial premiers in the past 30 years.

The minor course changes for Congress dictated by American voters pale before the electoral tsunamis that occasionally sweep across the "Great White North." Here, a governing party can find itself reduced overnight to a tiny minority in Parliament.

Beset by scandals and infected with what an investigating judge called a "culture of entitlement," the long- ruling Liberal Party is tumbling in the polls as Canada prepares for a national election Jan. 23.

The predicted result -- victory for the opposition Conservative Party -- would bring joy to the White House and Fox News.



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Thursday, January 12, 2006

Is Goldring In Trouble

Edmonton East Conservative MP Peter Goldring may be in more trouble than he thinks he is and the Conservatives know he is. Which may be why Harper announced this today; Tories promise to spend on affordable housing Which is Goldrings file, did they do this to bail him out. Maybe.

But with no mention of Goldring, who has lobbied for exactly this policy, funding the private developers to build low cost housing, (he is a landlord) rather than having 'social housing' provided by the government (socialism), may be not. Maybe they see the collapse of the Goldring campaign after the Stamp affair.

It is a bit bizzare for Harper not to have his Housing expert in with him on this announcement, or even any reference to Goldring. Though Goldring published his own press release about it. And again it is rather humble and indeed sheepish even. With no reference to this being a policy he has promoted for years as the official opposition critic of Homelessness.

Which leads me to wonder if there isn't some credibility to this rumour; Edmonton Sun Killed Article on Goldring, Separatism

He has finally launched his own election web page which is vast improvement on the mess he calls his home page and was his election page until a week ago.

Funniest item on his election web page is this; Click here to read Peter's Unity Page
Peter is very active in raising the concerns of Quebecers in Ottawa.

To bad he doesn't care for Edmonton East concerns as much.

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What A Day It Has Been

Well this certainly has been a day of scandal, a little taste of diem horribulus for politicos of the three contending parties, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP. The only ones not tainted with some school of scandal dug up by the media are the Greens and the BQ. See stories below. And yes I have published them with tongue firmly planted in my cheek. A little wistful irony.
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The Idiot

B.C. Liberal blames military ad on an 'idiot'

Martin has defended the ads, and in a Thursday interview with CTV's Canada AM he said he personally approved every one of them.

Martin says he only approved transcript of controversial 'soldiers' ad



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Liberals Endorse Polygamy

Aha now we know the real reason Paul Martin wants to get rid of the Not Withstanding Clause....Study says Canada should legalize polygamy

"The first act of a new Liberal government is going to be to strengthen the Charter, and we will do that by removing, by constitutional means, the possibility for the federal government to use the notwithstanding clause, because quite simply, I think governance says that the courts shouldn't be overturned by politicians," Liberal Leader Paul Martin said during Monday night's English-language debate.
The message: Unlike the Conservatives, the Liberals would quickly pass a law to protect minority rights and remove Parliament's ability to override Supreme Court rulings that favour people like gays and lesbians, immigrants and minority linguistic groups.

The Liberals attacked Harper about his right wing friends, cause they know he will use the Not Withstanding Clause.....

Liberals battling to remain in power accused Conservative leader Stephen Harper on Thursday of supporting an extremist group that equates gays with pedophiles and assails same-sex marriage. In a press release Thursday the Liberal Party attacks Harper for speaking at a large fundraising dinner in Richmond, British Columbia last March for the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association.

The Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association, made up mainly of Chinese Canadians, has a long history of extremist views.

In 2003 it lobbied against the inclusion of sexual orientation under hate crimes laws by hosting a booth at the Pacific National Exhibition that featured a banner reading (in Chinese): “Protect freedom of speech. You must not support C-250 or you cannot publicly criticize child molestation, necrophilia, self-mutilation or torture, polygamy or unnatural sexual behavior.”

The Liberals also note that Conservative Justice Critic Vic Toews, who has led the attack for Harper in calling for the same-sex marriage law to be reopened, received an achievement award from the group. Toews also praised the group's efforts in the House of Commons, saying “Canadians across the country are grateful for its efforts.”


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You Don't Know Jack

Well no wonder poor Jack appeared confused early in the election, December 3, when he said; NDP Leader Jack Layton said private clinics are a “fundamental aspect” of the health-care system founded by former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas and not much can be done about them. See it was a clever ruse, in preparation for when the media sprung this on him.....Layton had surgery at private clinic in 1990s What did I tell you.....Private clinic operation 'no secret', says Layton

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While You're At It Dump Anders

What a difference a day makes in politics. Yesterday Harper and the Conservatives stood by their man. The CTV whistleblower reported on the B.C. Conservative candidate who at first got massive sympathy for being in a car accident, then was discovered to have been facing charges for smuggling.

Derek Zeisman, a former cross-border trade specialist, will go to trial next month on smuggling charges after trying to cross the border from the U.S. with a brand new luxury car and a trunk full of liquor.

Boy some cross border trade specailist this guy is. Today he is toast. Now the question remains since Rob Anders, Calgary West went out and helped the poor bed ridden fellow, will Harper do the right thing and get rid of this dweeb too. Sigh, probably not.

B.C. Conservative candidate to go on trial

The Conservatives say despite just finding out about the charges, they will stand by their man and won't pull him out of the race.

Harper drops B.C. candidate, NDP eyes riding

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And Now A Word From Bubba

Lots of the links to American coverage about our election has been either the squawking from the American right or the latest trashing of Canada by the self depricating American media. that can't talk aobut us without of course refering to themselves.

Like when the Washington Post decided to notice the upcoming election in Canada. And the conclusion they come to? Why of course its all about them. We have no issues in Canada, this election is all about bashing the USA.Canadian Politics Are All About America

While googling through the net I came across this Blog; Harper's Mews from the deep south in the US of A, written by a transplanted Yankee now living in Alabama.

Hey I have relatives there, so I thought I would give him a read. And well he has an interesting take on the Canadian election which I thought I would share with folks. Better anyways than Cavuto, Carlson or our own quizzling Frum. And certainly less whiny than the Washington Post. In fact he is positively a Canuckophile in comparison.


 Harper's Mews

Centrist-to-moderate political commentary; personal thoughts; humor, ramblings and foolishness; public service as the need arises. Ranting and raving permitted, as long as it's reasoned. All decisions of the Editor are final.

An Election Looms -- in Canada

What worries me about the Canadian elections is that they may be turning slowly into American-style elections. In other words, elections complete with backbiting, negativity oozing from the pores, charges of extremism and cronyism, and a final result that nobody is really satisfied with except the party that wins the most power. I believe -- I want to believe -- that Canadian elections have been held on a higher plane than American politics has seen since, perhaps, the 1964 Johnson-Goldwater fight. It would be sad to think that a country much of the world looks to as a conscience and voice of reason begins descending to the level our politics have reached.

Of course, there may be truth to the accusations lodged against the Liberals; they have been in power for years, while the Conservatives have reorganized themselves since Brian Mulroney's time and fought to find a toehold that will bring them back to the majority on Parliament Hill. Patronage and corruption seems to have seeped in through their pores, if the first part of the Gomery report is any indication, and perhaps an electoral cleaning of clock is due, at least for one cycle. The question is: will the fighting of the election be clean, or as dirty as the politics that undermined the Liberals in the first place?

Canadian Elections 2 -- Same-Sex Marriage

Canadian Elections 3 -- Imperious Rex!!!

Canadian Elections 4 -- Defense


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