George Wallace
Army.ca Dinosaur
- Reaction score
- 184
- Points
- 710
Obviously they didn't mean "Why give people money to spend on Ads?"rifleman said:
Government Falls! The 2006 election thread
- Thread starter Infanteer
- Start date
- Reaction score
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The problem with the Libs (and politicians in general) is that they dream up this stuff without consulting the *real* experts on this issue - in this case, law enforcement agencies.
I'm pretty sure if you asked any cop they'd tell you this is total garbage. We already have laws that enable cops to get illegal guns off the streets, the only difference here is that law-abiding citizens will lose their right to own handguns.
I'm pretty sure if you asked any cop they'd tell you this is total garbage. We already have laws that enable cops to get illegal guns off the streets, the only difference here is that law-abiding citizens will lose their right to own handguns.
Michael Dorosh
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
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nsmedicman said:
I wouldn't put Duceppe in the same category as the other three. If one considers his political goals as legitimate - an independent Quebec - you have to admire how he's managed to win people over to his point of view. I also think he conducts himself well and seems like more of a statesman than any of the other three. Of course, it's easy to give that appearance when all you have to do is thumb your nose at "legitimate" members of the Canadian parliament. I wonder how he would do if he was actually president of an independent Quebec.
S
Sapper Bloggins
Guest
Negativity is a much maligned quality. From mom's " if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything" stance, through to the assorted election campaigns gone bad because- we are assured by the winners- they "went negative," naysaying has taken its share of hits.
This undeserved denigration has been especially exploited in the last decade and a half by political correctness-- otherwise known as liberalism-- which has done its damnedest to camo every negative as a positive.
Examples are numerous, but the general inclinations for PC-speak are the same. They may be to spare someone's feelings (e.g., she has incontinence issues; not, she shites her diapers hourly). They may be to advance a cause (e.g., lucky Luc has two mommies; not, poor Luc is being raised by a couple of lesbians). They may merely be cowardly-- to avoid a confrontation (e.g., Quebec is a distinct society; not Quebec is a basket case).
In Canada, along with the "First Nations People" (nee Indians), Quebec has been the standard beneficiary of political correctness. For about 40 years now, the mainstream media, politicians, and the judiciary have fallen all over themselves in a group indulgence of la belle pain dans le butt. It has become not just wrong, but bigoted to criticize a province that consistently elects governments & trade unions that take it down the road to what, in any real world, would be referred to as ruin.
With a provincial debt of over $100 billion, an unemployment rate close to 10%, the highest damn income taxes in North America, an addiction to social programs that far exceeds its means, a morbidly obese civil service, an ongoing exodus of the young and talented, and a pig-headed insistence on restricting its citizens to a language that otherwise would have disappeared from the continent years ago, Quebec should have succeeded Newfoundland as the butt of our national jokes.
There was a lot of blather in the press tied to the 10th anniversary of the Oct. 30, 1995, Quebec referendum in which separatism, or at least "sovereignty-association," was avoided by less than one per cent of the vote: near disaster averted, separatist sentiments on the rebound, how clear is the clarity bill, blah,blah,blah. The blather was followed by the release of part one of the Gomery report, which reiterated and encapsulated what we had learned during the Gomery inquiry: Liberals spending money on their pimps in Quebec under the pretext of warding off separitism; Gomery revelations hurting the federalist cause in Quebec. Ho-hum. :
Who needs such negativity? Like a loud fart at a cocktail party, Quebec's many manifestos have raised a few eyebrows, but will doubtless be lost to the inevitability of Quebec's decline.
Quebec is a nice place to visit, but it is a foreign country-- as anyone who has crossed the border from Ontario can attest, and as more than half of the Francophonie keep on trying to drum into our thick skulls.
In 1995 and the years after, hundreds of millions of our dollars were spent on waving the Maple Leaf in a province that laughs with Gallic disdain at such glee-club antics. The sponsorship scandal and its corruption only validated the disdain, and will be exploited by the PQ and the Bloc to virtually erase Liberals from the province's next election.
It is time for the opposition leaders to stop trying to learn French and to stop pretending. It is time to admit the emperor has no clothes. It is time to cut-away the political correctness and embrace the negative reality. It is time to wish Quebec au revoir, bon voyage and bonne chance.
Just my two cents on the upcoming election.
This undeserved denigration has been especially exploited in the last decade and a half by political correctness-- otherwise known as liberalism-- which has done its damnedest to camo every negative as a positive.
Examples are numerous, but the general inclinations for PC-speak are the same. They may be to spare someone's feelings (e.g., she has incontinence issues; not, she shites her diapers hourly). They may be to advance a cause (e.g., lucky Luc has two mommies; not, poor Luc is being raised by a couple of lesbians). They may merely be cowardly-- to avoid a confrontation (e.g., Quebec is a distinct society; not Quebec is a basket case).
In Canada, along with the "First Nations People" (nee Indians), Quebec has been the standard beneficiary of political correctness. For about 40 years now, the mainstream media, politicians, and the judiciary have fallen all over themselves in a group indulgence of la belle pain dans le butt. It has become not just wrong, but bigoted to criticize a province that consistently elects governments & trade unions that take it down the road to what, in any real world, would be referred to as ruin.
With a provincial debt of over $100 billion, an unemployment rate close to 10%, the highest damn income taxes in North America, an addiction to social programs that far exceeds its means, a morbidly obese civil service, an ongoing exodus of the young and talented, and a pig-headed insistence on restricting its citizens to a language that otherwise would have disappeared from the continent years ago, Quebec should have succeeded Newfoundland as the butt of our national jokes.
There was a lot of blather in the press tied to the 10th anniversary of the Oct. 30, 1995, Quebec referendum in which separatism, or at least "sovereignty-association," was avoided by less than one per cent of the vote: near disaster averted, separatist sentiments on the rebound, how clear is the clarity bill, blah,blah,blah. The blather was followed by the release of part one of the Gomery report, which reiterated and encapsulated what we had learned during the Gomery inquiry: Liberals spending money on their pimps in Quebec under the pretext of warding off separitism; Gomery revelations hurting the federalist cause in Quebec. Ho-hum. :
Who needs such negativity? Like a loud fart at a cocktail party, Quebec's many manifestos have raised a few eyebrows, but will doubtless be lost to the inevitability of Quebec's decline.
Quebec is a nice place to visit, but it is a foreign country-- as anyone who has crossed the border from Ontario can attest, and as more than half of the Francophonie keep on trying to drum into our thick skulls.
In 1995 and the years after, hundreds of millions of our dollars were spent on waving the Maple Leaf in a province that laughs with Gallic disdain at such glee-club antics. The sponsorship scandal and its corruption only validated the disdain, and will be exploited by the PQ and the Bloc to virtually erase Liberals from the province's next election.
It is time for the opposition leaders to stop trying to learn French and to stop pretending. It is time to admit the emperor has no clothes. It is time to cut-away the political correctness and embrace the negative reality. It is time to wish Quebec au revoir, bon voyage and bonne chance.
Just my two cents on the upcoming election.
Election campaigns silent on Afghan war.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=5fe7ae99-e9f5-4d98-b662-7f7b80974b3a&k=76811
It would be interesting to hear exactly what the various leaders' thoughts actually are, but according to this article, we may not know until after a party is elected to government.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=5fe7ae99-e9f5-4d98-b662-7f7b80974b3a&k=76811
It would be interesting to hear exactly what the various leaders' thoughts actually are, but according to this article, we may not know until after a party is elected to government.
Sapper Bloggins said:
So you're in favour of ripping the country apart?
It's aggravating. I sort of agree with you, but I'm also annoyed with your post. I can't decide if truth hurts or if you're being overly critical.
I have to say though, my decision will be based less on the Quebec issue, and more on health care, military, taxes, and foreign policy. And on whether the status quo needs to be shaken up.
Cheers.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
taken from Canoe.ca news
Tories promise big military boost
By MARTIN O'HANLON
OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's political leaders traded fire but it was the U.S. ambassador who scored the biggest hit of the election campaign Tuesday, warning Ottawa to tone down the anti-American rhetoric.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper got the tough talk started with a whopping $5.3-billion pledge to beef up the military's air power. However, his promise to re-establish an airborne regiment and buy huge new military transport planes was quickly overshadowed by David Wilkins. The ambassador punched into the campaign using an iron fist in a velvet diplomat's glove to scold Prime Minister Paul Martin for America-bashing. Wilkins said he understands election-year politics and realizes the United States is an easy target, "but the last time I looked, the U.S. was not on the ballot for the Jan. 23 election."
Last week, Martin chided the White House for lacking a global conscience on climate change. He has also been slamming Washington for maintaining punishing duties on softwood lumber despite a final trade ruling in Canada's favour. Wilkins was careful not to mention Martin by name, but the rebuke was crystal clear.
"It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner," he said in a speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa. But it is a slippery slope and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship.
"It's a toxic attitude that I fear can't help but hurt the relationship unless all of us make a concerted effort to simply tone it down."
Martin denied bashing America to bolster his re-election bid, saying he has been voicing his position on softwood and climate change for a long time. And he remained unbowed: "We do expect our partners to honour our agreements and I will defend Canada - period."
As Martin was defending Canada his way, Harper had a few ideas of his own.
The Tory leader said his plan to boost spending by $5.3 billion over five years - including buying three new strategic airlift planes - would boost Canada's sovereignty.
The new aircraft would allow the military to send troops and heavy equipment overseas without having to charter planes or ask allies for help.
"To be truly sovereign, we must be able to deploy our forces and equipment where they are needed, when they are needed," Harper said.
"To put it bluntly, hitchhikers may get to their destination, but they don't get to pick the route or the timing."
Harper is also proposing to re-establish a 650-member airborne battalion and double the size of the 200-member Disaster Assistance Response Team.
Not to be outdone on the tough talk, NDP Leader Jack Layton warned that politicians and profiteers are sabotaging the country's cherished system of public health care.
He warned that the very people, who claim to protect it, including Martin, Harper, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, and Quebec Premier Jean Charest, are threatening Medicare. Layton told supporters in Regina - the birthplace of Medicare - which he would bring in tough rules to ensure no public money, goes for private health care.
Tories promise big military boost
By MARTIN O'HANLON
OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's political leaders traded fire but it was the U.S. ambassador who scored the biggest hit of the election campaign Tuesday, warning Ottawa to tone down the anti-American rhetoric.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper got the tough talk started with a whopping $5.3-billion pledge to beef up the military's air power. However, his promise to re-establish an airborne regiment and buy huge new military transport planes was quickly overshadowed by David Wilkins. The ambassador punched into the campaign using an iron fist in a velvet diplomat's glove to scold Prime Minister Paul Martin for America-bashing. Wilkins said he understands election-year politics and realizes the United States is an easy target, "but the last time I looked, the U.S. was not on the ballot for the Jan. 23 election."
Last week, Martin chided the White House for lacking a global conscience on climate change. He has also been slamming Washington for maintaining punishing duties on softwood lumber despite a final trade ruling in Canada's favour. Wilkins was careful not to mention Martin by name, but the rebuke was crystal clear.
"It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner," he said in a speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa. But it is a slippery slope and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship.
"It's a toxic attitude that I fear can't help but hurt the relationship unless all of us make a concerted effort to simply tone it down."
Martin denied bashing America to bolster his re-election bid, saying he has been voicing his position on softwood and climate change for a long time. And he remained unbowed: "We do expect our partners to honour our agreements and I will defend Canada - period."
As Martin was defending Canada his way, Harper had a few ideas of his own.
The Tory leader said his plan to boost spending by $5.3 billion over five years - including buying three new strategic airlift planes - would boost Canada's sovereignty.
The new aircraft would allow the military to send troops and heavy equipment overseas without having to charter planes or ask allies for help.
"To be truly sovereign, we must be able to deploy our forces and equipment where they are needed, when they are needed," Harper said.
"To put it bluntly, hitchhikers may get to their destination, but they don't get to pick the route or the timing."
Harper is also proposing to re-establish a 650-member airborne battalion and double the size of the 200-member Disaster Assistance Response Team.
Not to be outdone on the tough talk, NDP Leader Jack Layton warned that politicians and profiteers are sabotaging the country's cherished system of public health care.
He warned that the very people, who claim to protect it, including Martin, Harper, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, and Quebec Premier Jean Charest, are threatening Medicare. Layton told supporters in Regina - the birthplace of Medicare - which he would bring in tough rules to ensure no public money, goes for private health care.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
Sapper Bloggins, you have my vote wrt Quebec and the Political Correct approach we have taken as a country ! If the friggin Liebrals continue to lead the country after this next election, I will be about ready to tar all of urban ON ie Toronto with the same brush. 
I expect we are going to see a pretty divided country with some pretty PO'd westerners next spring.
I expect we are going to see a pretty divided country with some pretty PO'd westerners next spring.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Interesting news from the Conservative camp:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051212/elxn_tories_defence_051213/20051213?s_name=election2006&no_ads=
I generally think they are on the right track. Very interested in the proposed Airborne Battalion, see what pans out in the coming days.
cheers
PV
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051212/elxn_tories_defence_051213/20051213?s_name=election2006&no_ads=
I generally think they are on the right track. Very interested in the proposed Airborne Battalion, see what pans out in the coming days.
cheers
PV
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
a 600 pers plus Airborne battalion based out of Trenton (besides the school, which i don't think is that big anyways) ? obviously i don't have the sec clearance! ;D
Buying at least three new strategic lift aircraft;
Creating a new, 650-strong airborne battalion; and
Doubling the size and capacity of Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to enhance international disaster relief capability
cheers
PV
McG
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 3,107
- Points
- 1,160
Once again: Do a search for JATF or CSOR. The unit was just announced and is starting to be manned.PViddy said:
Also have a look in "Defence Policy in the 2006 General Election."
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Former gov. gen. Schreyer to run for NDP in unprecedented move
Last Updated Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:42:00 EST
CBC News
Former governor general Ed Schreyer will announce Thursday he's entering the federal election campaign as an NDP candidate in Manitoba, an unprecedented move for a former Canadian head of state.
Schreyer will run in the Selkirk/Interlake riding, which is just north of Winnipeg between Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis in the west and Lake Winnipeg in the east.
"It's remarkable in the sense there is no precedent and now it creates a precedent on that, which creates much dialogue in constitutional circles.," David Mitchell, a political historian and vice-president of the University of Ottawa, told CBC News Online.
Mitchell said the appointment of Schreyer, who served as governor general from 1979-84, was controversial at the time as he became the first formerpolitician to be given the post.
He said Schreyer's return to politics will raise questions about the nature of our constitutional democracy. They include whether former politicians should be candidates for governor general having once played partisan roles, and can a person serve in that role and emerge again in the political fray?
"Does it depreciate the perceived independence of that position?" Mitchell asked.
The seat is currently held by Conservative MP James Bezan.
At age 22, Schreyer became the youngest member of the Manitoba legislature in 1958.
He was elected to the House of Commons in 1965. Four years later, he became the leader of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and served as premier from 1969 to 1977.
When Schreyer become governor general at 43, he was the youngest to hold the position since Lord Lorne in 1878 at age 33, and Lord Lansdowne in 1883 at 38. After his term, he was appointed high commissioner to Australia.
He has since returned to Winnipeg, where he works as the national representative for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit housing organization.
In the last election campaign, the NDP introduced another star candidate, with the announcement that former NDP leader Ed Broadbent would run in the riding of Ottawa Centre. Broadbent, who won the seat, is not seeking re-election.
Voters go to the polls Jan. 23.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2005/12/14/schreyer051214.html
I thought this was interesting. I would like to know what others think.
Last Updated Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:42:00 EST
CBC News
Former governor general Ed Schreyer will announce Thursday he's entering the federal election campaign as an NDP candidate in Manitoba, an unprecedented move for a former Canadian head of state.
Schreyer will run in the Selkirk/Interlake riding, which is just north of Winnipeg between Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis in the west and Lake Winnipeg in the east.
"It's remarkable in the sense there is no precedent and now it creates a precedent on that, which creates much dialogue in constitutional circles.," David Mitchell, a political historian and vice-president of the University of Ottawa, told CBC News Online.
Mitchell said the appointment of Schreyer, who served as governor general from 1979-84, was controversial at the time as he became the first formerpolitician to be given the post.
He said Schreyer's return to politics will raise questions about the nature of our constitutional democracy. They include whether former politicians should be candidates for governor general having once played partisan roles, and can a person serve in that role and emerge again in the political fray?
"Does it depreciate the perceived independence of that position?" Mitchell asked.
The seat is currently held by Conservative MP James Bezan.
At age 22, Schreyer became the youngest member of the Manitoba legislature in 1958.
He was elected to the House of Commons in 1965. Four years later, he became the leader of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and served as premier from 1969 to 1977.
When Schreyer become governor general at 43, he was the youngest to hold the position since Lord Lorne in 1878 at age 33, and Lord Lansdowne in 1883 at 38. After his term, he was appointed high commissioner to Australia.
He has since returned to Winnipeg, where he works as the national representative for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit housing organization.
In the last election campaign, the NDP introduced another star candidate, with the announcement that former NDP leader Ed Broadbent would run in the riding of Ottawa Centre. Broadbent, who won the seat, is not seeking re-election.
Voters go to the polls Jan. 23.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2005/12/14/schreyer051214.html
I thought this was interesting. I would like to know what others think.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
I just watched CBC's the National and was dumbfounded by the public question period they had with Jim Harris -- leader of the Green party. This guy is an idiot and is going to do more harm then good for his party. Harris managed to tie every single question he was asked, a lot of which were normal decent questions (health care, tax cuts and jobs), to the environment. Ya I know its the party's name but I thought he could at least form a sentence without mentioning "environment, Kyoto, pollution, green." Then he went on a tyrade about how the media was shuting him out. You could just see the dissappointment in his supporters faces after they finished asking their questions.
You can watch it on cbc.ca just click on 'newscasts' and then the 'national.' The interview begins at about 25 minutes into the program so fastfoward it abit.
You can watch it on cbc.ca just click on 'newscasts' and then the 'national.' The interview begins at about 25 minutes into the program so fastfoward it abit.
- Reaction score
- 10,346
- Points
- 1,260
Interesting, I watched CTV news tonight and the top story was on this poll.
Now, a poll is a poll is a poll, but it does create for some interesting conversation. What stuck out were the four questions that the story featured - the first one was a general, Canada-wide support poll:
Seems the two leading parties are in a dead heat. It appears that the Liberals have been support piece by piece. I think we are all fairly confident on another minority government - but who will be forming it???
Next was this:
It seems that no matter what Paul Martin does, he cannot get away from Scandal in his party - this seems to be a consequence of the RCMP investigation into Finance Minister Ralph Goodale. Even if nothing illegal did happen, Canadians seem to be getting fed up of hearing about this stuff. Just when you thought Toronto gang-violence had overtaken Gomery, this pops up.
The next two polls focused on key battlegrounds - this one was a poll in Ontario:
With it seeming that the Liberals are all but lost in Quebec, losing support in Ontario hurts bad. Note who is getting support - Greens and the NDP. But I'm willing to bet that the Conservatives, despite the drop in support, gain big from this too. That -9 that the Liberals face is votes that will be spread amongst 3 left-leaning parties. Well we may see more NDP and even a Green seat or two in Ontario, we may also see some Conservative victories stemming from a "Ralph Nader" effect in some races (one of those evils of pluralism I guess).
The other poll looked at BC:
That was a big number - the article says it was a smaller sample size, so the margin of error will be bigger. But if there is any truth to a general trend, you can see an improvement in the 22/36 seat count that they got last time. Some reports have been saying that BC is returning to the NDP, but my general impression is that NDP support in BC is, like it is in most places, very concentrated and thus not conducive to taking a large number of seats.
Anyways, I thought the stats were an interesting start to the second half of the campaign. If I was the Conservative Party (or the NDP and the Greens even), I'd be excited about the momentum and "go for the jugular". Now, there may not be any truth to these figures and there is still 3-weeks in which anyone can commit political sepukku, but they do present a possible outcome that is worth exploring here. In any case, I'll have the popcorn out for this election as it is going to be a good one.
Now, a poll is a poll is a poll, but it does create for some interesting conversation. What stuck out were the four questions that the story featured - the first one was a general, Canada-wide support poll:
Seems the two leading parties are in a dead heat. It appears that the Liberals have been support piece by piece. I think we are all fairly confident on another minority government - but who will be forming it???
Next was this:
It seems that no matter what Paul Martin does, he cannot get away from Scandal in his party - this seems to be a consequence of the RCMP investigation into Finance Minister Ralph Goodale. Even if nothing illegal did happen, Canadians seem to be getting fed up of hearing about this stuff. Just when you thought Toronto gang-violence had overtaken Gomery, this pops up.
The next two polls focused on key battlegrounds - this one was a poll in Ontario:
With it seeming that the Liberals are all but lost in Quebec, losing support in Ontario hurts bad. Note who is getting support - Greens and the NDP. But I'm willing to bet that the Conservatives, despite the drop in support, gain big from this too. That -9 that the Liberals face is votes that will be spread amongst 3 left-leaning parties. Well we may see more NDP and even a Green seat or two in Ontario, we may also see some Conservative victories stemming from a "Ralph Nader" effect in some races (one of those evils of pluralism I guess).
The other poll looked at BC:
That was a big number - the article says it was a smaller sample size, so the margin of error will be bigger. But if there is any truth to a general trend, you can see an improvement in the 22/36 seat count that they got last time. Some reports have been saying that BC is returning to the NDP, but my general impression is that NDP support in BC is, like it is in most places, very concentrated and thus not conducive to taking a large number of seats.
Anyways, I thought the stats were an interesting start to the second half of the campaign. If I was the Conservative Party (or the NDP and the Greens even), I'd be excited about the momentum and "go for the jugular". Now, there may not be any truth to these figures and there is still 3-weeks in which anyone can commit political sepukku, but they do present a possible outcome that is worth exploring here. In any case, I'll have the popcorn out for this election as it is going to be a good one.
- Reaction score
- 10,346
- Points
- 1,260
...and we see that this momentum seems to be achieving something. A new EKOS poll has the Conservatives 6 points in the lead; this difference is higher then the margin of error. Interesting.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/05/elxn-poll-ekos.html
As well, here is the link to the actual poll done by EKOS:
http://www.ekos.com/admin/articles/5Jan2006PR.pdf
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/05/elxn-poll-ekos.html
As well, here is the link to the actual poll done by EKOS:
http://www.ekos.com/admin/articles/5Jan2006PR.pdf
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