dude ... we knew about afghan torture and didn't do anything about it ... like i said ... Harper has a disdain for our charter and our values ...
What's disturbing about that case is that the way the government worded the letter probably caused more harm than good. He would have been better off with no government help. Unfortunately he likely needs a miracle now.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
dude ... we knew about afghan torture and didn't do anything about it ... like i said ... Harper has a disdain for our charter and our values ...
What's disturbing about that case is that the way the government worded the letter probably caused more harm than good. He would have been better off with no government help. Unfortunately he likely needs a miracle now.
And whatever happened to his partner in this crime?
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
The last several Harper government controversies - or scandals if you will - seem to reveal a pattern in terms of the way the Tories handle crises.
Step 1 seems to be to denial. During this step critics are ridiculed for suggesting any wrong doing.
Step 2 is what CTV Question Period's Craig Oliver calls 'mudify.' In this step the Tories complicate the issue by claiming a misunderstanding or a difference in interpretation.
Step 3 is to find some way to make the Liberals look bad. They haven't been in power for six years, they've been relegated to third party status and they only have an interim leader but they are, and always will be, the enemy.
And finally, step 4 is hold no one to account. If you hold someone to account, after all, isn't that admitting you did something wrong?
Here is a closer look at some of the most recent scandals and how the Harper government responded:
1) F-35 debacle:
Step 1 -Deny:
Despite the auditor's general's comments suggesting otherwise, the Conservatives continue to claim they did not mislead parliament, or the public on the true cost of the F-35s.
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Days after the report the Harper government has come up with their defence: the discrepancy between the auditor general's figures and their figures are apparently due to differing accounting methodologies.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the Auditor-General's "new approach" means that every procurement purchase must include costs for salaries of Canadian Forces members, fuel, food, "shoelaces" and "boot leather."
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
Over the past year, the Conservatives have deflected criticism on the F-35 file by consistently reminding Canadians it was the Chretien Liberals who first agreed to purchase the fighter jets.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
No one in Harper's cabinet has been forced to resign.
2) Robocall scandal:
Step 1 -Deny:
The Conservatives have denied any wrong doing
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Tory MP, Dean Dal Mastro has been front and centre in the 'mudify-ing' the robocall scandal.
He alleged that Conservative supporters in his riding also received misleading robocalls directing them to the wrong polling stations.
When that didn't work, the Conservatives blamed Elections Canada.
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
At one point, the Conservatives blamed the Liberals for being the only party to use American based robocallers.
According to CTV News, the accusation turned out to be a dud.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
To date, no one has taken responsibility.
3) Peter MacKay's helicopter trip:
Step 1 -Deny:
Despite documents suggesting the helicopter pick-up was only to be under the "guise" of a search-and-rescue exercise, defense minister Peter MacKay continues to insist he did nothing wrong.
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Apparently believing in the credo the best defence is a good offense, MacKay suggested he might take legal action against any MP who accused him of lying about why he took the helicopter ride.
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
According to emails uncovered by the Toronto Star, just one day after revelations of MacKay's trip, Royal Canadian Air Force staff were enlisted to look through flight logs to find similar actions taken by Liberal MPs.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
To date, Peter MacKay is still in Stephen Harper's cabinet.
That's ridiculous...I don't care what party you're from you can only blame the previous government for so long...they've been in power long enough...but their supporters buy into it hook, line and sinker... :evil: :evil:
heard a great line the other day "conservatives bitch about liberals 6 days a week and then run off worship one on Sunday".
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Whats up with this...man there is right wing and then there this
Whats all this we paid 20 billion more than we get back BS...Dalton McGuinty has said similar...how is the federal government to run if the provinces with more don't pay their fair share.
And whats wrong with the provinces that have more helping provinces that have struggled...we should all be proud that we have tried to have the same quality health care, education, etc from coast to coast to coast.
Of course I love how she targets Quebec...Quebec seems to be the easy target...and maybe they get more than the rest of us, I do not know. I really don't know if they get more than any other province.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
didn't canada just pass a mandatory minimums bill for growing cannabis? canada has a lot of growers, and it costs a lot of money to lock people up. just ask our government. we're number one in the world.
if you think what I believe is stupid, bizarre, ridiculous or outrageous.....it's ok, I think I had a brain tumor when I wrote that.
didn't canada just pass a mandatory minimums bill for growing cannabis? canada has a lot of growers, and it costs a lot of money to lock people up. just ask our government. we're number one in the world.
Yes we did...it was wrapped in huge crime bill.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
didn't canada just pass a mandatory minimums bill for growing cannabis? canada has a lot of growers, and it costs a lot of money to lock people up. just ask our government. we're number one in the world.
hey drownedout ... what the cuss is going on in alberta!?? ... are you guys moving even further to the right!? ... :?
I'm not!
I dunno wtf man.....
The PC's got complacent, spend-happy, and are not catering to their base enough...plus they've had two weak/non-photogenic leaders in a row......
Wildrose smelled blood, got themselves a pretty face, and the backing of big oil and Quebecor (sun) media....now we've entered a bizarro world where I'm considering voting for a PC incumbent I can't stand.
Wildrose is taking a page from the Reform playbook....they're playing on people's greed, mistrust of the east, and a policy of fiscal conservatism....while denying their social conservative agenda. Smith's past comments on social issues are downright scary. She's like an evangelical 2nd-gen tea-partier....I honestly don't know many people who agree with her on the social stuff....but with the PC's issues, and Alberta's partisan attitude of refusing to vote for any leftist party.....the Wildrose will get their majority. With Harper running the Feds and these people running our province...big oil (and business in general) is going to have a field day.
I dunno wtf man.....
The PC's got complacent, spend-happy, and are not catering to their base enough...plus they've had two weak/non-photogenic leaders in a row......
Wildrose smelled blood, got themselves a pretty face, and the backing of big oil and Quebecor (sun) media....now we've entered a bizarro world where I'm considering voting for a PC incumbent I can't stand.
Wildrose is taking a page from the Reform playbook....they're playing on people's greed, mistrust of the east, and a policy of fiscal conservatism....while denying their social conservative agenda. Smith's past comments on social issues are downright scary. She's like an evangelical 2nd-gen tea-partier....I honestly don't know many people who agree with her on the social stuff....but with the PC's issues, and Alberta's partisan attitude of refusing to vote for any leftist party.....the Wildrose will get their majority. With Harper running the Feds and these people running our province...big oil (and business in general) is going to have a field day.
it's more than that ... they've eliminated all kinds of independent boards, funding to departments that are supposed to be objective ... all under the guise of austerity ... meanwhile, no changes to the oil industry that makes billions in profit every year ... :evil:
i'm torn on this ... ideally right now, i'd like to see an ndp minority gov't and set in motion some form of proportional representation voting scheme ... that would ensure the conservatives would never hold a majority ...
but as we have discussed - conservatives will always vote conservative no matter what the party does so, really what other option is there?
i'm torn on this ... ideally right now, i'd like to see an ndp minority gov't and set in motion some form of proportional representation voting scheme ... that would ensure the conservatives would never hold a majority ...
but as we have discussed - conservatives will always vote conservative no matter what the party does so, really what other option is there?
At first I didn't like the idea...mostly because I like more than 2 parties...but I think the Green Party would benefit from this and fill the 3rd party vacancy.
I doubt we'll see a merger until after the next election. If the NDP continue to make gains then I don't see them merging.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
At first I didn't like the idea...mostly because I like more than 2 parties...but I think the Green Party would benefit from this and fill the 3rd party vacancy.
I doubt we'll see a merger until after the next election. If the NDP continue to make gains then I don't see them merging.
well ... this is where i think we will see the ndp's true colours ... the Progressive Conservatives basically go sold out by Peter McKay ... he promised he wouldn't merge and he did it anyways for power ... will Muclair sell his party out for power?
At first I didn't like the idea...mostly because I like more than 2 parties...but I think the Green Party would benefit from this and fill the 3rd party vacancy.
I doubt we'll see a merger until after the next election. If the NDP continue to make gains then I don't see them merging.
well ... this is where i think we will see the ndp's true colours ... the Progressive Conservatives basically go sold out by Peter McKay ... he promised he wouldn't merge and he did it anyways for power ... will Muclair sell his party out for power?
I guess only he can answer that...and time will tell.
even if they do merge and unite the left...nothing is guaranteed...who is to say disgruntled liberal don't go off and form another party, or right wing liberals might join the conservatives, and some New Democrats might join The Green Party.
And in someways it seems like the liberals are desperate or Chretien is...they've only been out of power for a handful of years, they have to get themselves a leader that relates to all Canadians before they can determine if they need to merge.
Beside I think the conservatives will implode eventually...their support in Ontario isn't rock solid like it is out west...just a tiny shift the other way and they easily lose the election.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
I guess only he can answer that...and time will tell.
even if they do merge and unite the left...nothing is guaranteed...who is to say disgruntled liberal don't go off and form another party, or right wing liberals might join the conservatives, and some New Democrats might join The Green Party.
And in someways it seems like the liberals are desperate or Chretien is...they've only been out of power for a handful of years, they have to get themselves a leader that relates to all Canadians before they can determine if they need to merge.
Beside I think the conservatives will implode eventually...their support in Ontario isn't rock solid like it is out west...just a tiny shift the other way and they easily lose the election.
thing is ... the ndp may somewhat be considered left under jack but he was moving it towards the centre and now mulclair will move it even further to the centre ... so, there are no left parties anymore ... just the greens ...
i'm not sure on liberal motivation but for me - it's only a consideration simply because this conservative majority is taking this country to places i don't think many canadians approve ...
Hey guys just thought I would throw this out there since there has been some discussion about the Alberta election. I have a very good friend running in the Alberta provincial election for the ANDP in the riding of Lethbridge-West. Polling shows she's in a very tight race (virtual tie) with the PC incumbent. If she won it would be huge victory for the progressives here in Alberta. Here is her website if you would like to check it out http://albertandp.ca/shannon (she has some pretty big endorsements) and if you see fit like her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SPhillpsNDP , every little bit of momentum will help. Thanks.
Hey guys just thought I would throw this out there since there has been some discussion about the Alberta election. I have a very good friend running in the Alberta provincial election for the ANDP in the riding of Lethbridge-West. Polling shows she's in a very tight race (virtual tie) with the PC incumbent. If she won it would be huge victory for the progressives here in Alberta. Here is her website if you would like to check it out http://albertandp.ca/shannon (she has some pretty big endorsements) and if you see fit like her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SPhillpsNDP , every little bit of momentum will help. Thanks.
you would think with two right wing parties ... the progressives would be able to come up the middle but it sure doesn't look like it ...
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, - One of Alberta's top researchers says remarks by Alberta Wildrose party Leader Danielle Smith on climate change suggest the province's political leaders need to brush up on their scientific literacy.
"I wonder if she thinks the flat Earth debate is settled?" asked University of Alberta ecologist David Schindler. "It's very discouraging in an era when sound policy requires scientific literacy in its leaders."
Smith said Monday in an online election forum that the science around climate change is not settled and the appropriate response from the Alberta government would be to monitor the debate. Her position has long been Wildrose policy.
Smith stood by those comments Tuesday.
"I have said for years the same things I said yesterday," she said in Calgary.
But scientists say while debate remains about how fast global warming will take place and what its consequences will be, there is no longer any real doubt that greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause of climate change.
"I get very frustrated," Schindler said.
"I spend a lot of time reading that stuff and there's a 97 per cent consensus. You do not get higher levels of consensus, ever. You'd probably get 98 per on the flat Earth."
Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria climatologist and one of the globe's top climate modellers, backed the view that climate change is no longer questioned.
"It's overwhelming. It's as overwhelming as gravity," Weaver said from Morocco, where he is helping draft the latest UN report on climate change.
"There are thousands of scientists working on this problem and if there was an Achilles heel to it they would find it."
A 2010 study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences surveyed 1,372 papers on climate and found at least 97 per cent of the most active climate researchers supported the standard model.
Schindler said the Wildrose — among other Alberta parties — has to start getting serious scientific advice.
"You've got to have people to rely on for advice who are not hacks. It's true of some of the other parties as well, most notably the PCs.
"For a party leader to say, 'Oh, we've got to procrastinate more until the science is settled is just disgusting. We have to expect more command of science in our leader than this, for crying out loud."
Progressive Conservative Leader and Premier Alison Redford said Tuesday she does believe the debate is over and it's time Alberta recognized its reputation is at stake.
"I believe the science has been settled. What the premier of Alberta needs to be talking about is that we understand what's going on on the international stage," she said.
Calgary political scientist Duane Bratt suggested Smith has little choice on the issue.
"Her statement reflects the views of Wildrose supporters — the people within the party, the people funding the party, not necessarily the people voting for the party. I'm talking about the candidates, the people closely associated with the campaign, their highest donors."
Wildrose has inherited from the old Ralph Klein Conservatives the sort of right-wingers most likely to question climate change, Bratt suggested.
"There were an awful lot of skeptics in that government. I think those people are the people who left for Wildrose."
Klein himself appeared to dismiss climate change in a 2002 speech when he said it was just as likely that "dinosaur farts'' caused the Ice Age.
Smith repeated Tuesday that a Wildrose government would fight climate change by encouraging energy-efficient housing and research and development.
"We are monitoring the science and will continue to monitor the science — and in the meantime, we're going to actually do something about the issue."
NDP Leader Brian Mason said Albertans can forget about reining in greenhouse gas emissions if the Wildrose form government after Monday's election.
If Smith and her Wildrose party don't believe that human activity is causing global warming, she would be unlikely to impose sanctions on polluters, Mason said.
I guess only he can answer that...and time will tell.
even if they do merge and unite the left...nothing is guaranteed...who is to say disgruntled liberal don't go off and form another party, or right wing liberals might join the conservatives, and some New Democrats might join The Green Party.
And in someways it seems like the liberals are desperate or Chretien is...they've only been out of power for a handful of years, they have to get themselves a leader that relates to all Canadians before they can determine if they need to merge.
Beside I think the conservatives will implode eventually...their support in Ontario isn't rock solid like it is out west...just a tiny shift the other way and they easily lose the election.
thing is ... the ndp may somewhat be considered left under jack but he was moving it towards the centre and now mulclair will move it even further to the centre ... so, there are no left parties anymore ... just the greens ...
i'm not sure on liberal motivation but for me - it's only a consideration simply because this conservative majority is taking this country to places i don't think many canadians approve ...
I would think a merger would benefit The Green Party in the fact that the people who are left would move over to them and would provide an opportunity to fill the void left by the NDP.
Of course everything is pure speculation...nothing will happen till after the next election.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
If Smith and her Wildrose party don't believe that human activity is causing global warming, she would be unlikely to impose sanctions on polluters, Mason said.
And there is the crux of the whole climate change 'debate' with these fuckin redneck, inbred, religious nut-job hillbillies. They KNOW they're full of shit; they deny climate change solely to support their political/business agenda.
If their stance on climate change wasn't bad enough, check out some of these quotes: http://www.toryorwildrose.ca/
These parties are essentially the two choices in my electoral district :(
No matter how 'progressive' the PC's choose to portray themselves; as the centrist option in this election, they're still the PC party, and still employ people with beliefs like those in the link and article above.
So fuck it, I'm voting my conscience....I've always preached that to americans when they start their 'lesser of two evils' arguments. Just can't bring myself to vote PC, regardless of consequence. So frustrating.
At first I didn't like the idea...mostly because I like more than 2 parties...but I think the Green Party would benefit from this and fill the 3rd party vacancy.
I doubt we'll see a merger until after the next election. If the NDP continue to make gains then I don't see them merging.
well ... this is where i think we will see the ndp's true colours ... the Progressive Conservatives basically go sold out by Peter McKay ... he promised he wouldn't merge and he did it anyways for power ... will Muclair sell his party out for power?
As it stands now....wouldn't it be Rae selling out for power? The Liberals are in complete tatters....
And the benefit to the Green party is what makes a merger even more troublesome than I would find it normally....I agree with lukin06....I think people who voted NDP prior to the last election (the real NDP base, not the people who voted against the Cons), would be turned off by a merged party becoming more centrist...and would shift their vote to the Green party...which does nothing to solve the vote-splitting. Ideally, they need to find a way to fracture the Cons solidarity...we need a multi-party system.
As it stands now....wouldn't it be Rae selling out for power? The Liberals are in complete tatters....
And the benefit to the Green party is what makes a merger even more troublesome than I would find it normally....I agree with lukin06....I think people who voted NDP prior to the last election (the real NDP base, not the people who voted against the Cons), would be turned off by a merged party becoming more centrist...and would shift their vote to the Green party...which does nothing to solve the vote-splitting. Ideally, they need to find a way to fracture the Cons solidarity...we need a multi-party system.
the way i look at it is which party is going to abandon their roots ... obviously, with the PC/Reform alliance they moved to the right so the PC's basically got sold out ... in the case of an ndp/liberal merger ... the party will move to the centre so it really would be the ndp faithful that would have been sold out ...
As it stands now....wouldn't it be Rae selling out for power? The Liberals are in complete tatters....
And the benefit to the Green party is what makes a merger even more troublesome than I would find it normally....I agree with lukin06....I think people who voted NDP prior to the last election (the real NDP base, not the people who voted against the Cons), would be turned off by a merged party becoming more centrist...and would shift their vote to the Green party...which does nothing to solve the vote-splitting. Ideally, they need to find a way to fracture the Cons solidarity...we need a multi-party system.
the way i look at it is which party is going to abandon their roots ... obviously, with the PC/Reform alliance they moved to the right so the PC's basically got sold out ... in the case of an ndp/liberal merger ... the party will move to the centre so it really would be the ndp faithful that would have been sold out ...
True. I guess we'd have to see their platform to know for sure which way the party was headed...but you're right....politics, esp if we're moving towards a two-party system, is all about pandering and compromise.... The Liberals would win that tug of war to acquire votes for the merged party, rather than idealists maintaining their beliefs to retain votes. Which still nudges left ideologues toward the Green party.
True. I guess we'd have to see their platform to know for sure which way the party was headed...but you're right....politics, esp if we're moving towards a two-party system, is all about pandering and compromise.... The Liberals would win that tug of war to acquire votes for the merged party, rather than idealists maintaining their beliefs to retain votes. Which still nudges left ideologues toward the Green party.
if there was a merger ... i could see the greens making a move and gaining a few seats ... i still think a move to a PR type of voting system would solve a lot of the problems ...
Comments
dude ... we knew about afghan torture and didn't do anything about it ... like i said ... Harper has a disdain for our charter and our values ...
What's disturbing about that case is that the way the government worded the letter probably caused more harm than good. He would have been better off with no government help. Unfortunately he likely needs a miracle now.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
And whatever happened to his partner in this crime?
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
see this!? ... it would be funny if it wasn't so fucking evil ...
*********************
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-p ... 36102.html
The last several Harper government controversies - or scandals if you will - seem to reveal a pattern in terms of the way the Tories handle crises.
Step 1 seems to be to denial. During this step critics are ridiculed for suggesting any wrong doing.
Step 2 is what CTV Question Period's Craig Oliver calls 'mudify.' In this step the Tories complicate the issue by claiming a misunderstanding or a difference in interpretation.
Step 3 is to find some way to make the Liberals look bad. They haven't been in power for six years, they've been relegated to third party status and they only have an interim leader but they are, and always will be, the enemy.
And finally, step 4 is hold no one to account. If you hold someone to account, after all, isn't that admitting you did something wrong?
Here is a closer look at some of the most recent scandals and how the Harper government responded:
1) F-35 debacle:
Step 1 -Deny:
Despite the auditor's general's comments suggesting otherwise, the Conservatives continue to claim they did not mislead parliament, or the public on the true cost of the F-35s.
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Days after the report the Harper government has come up with their defence: the discrepancy between the auditor general's figures and their figures are apparently due to differing accounting methodologies.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the Auditor-General's "new approach" means that every procurement purchase must include costs for salaries of Canadian Forces members, fuel, food, "shoelaces" and "boot leather."
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
Over the past year, the Conservatives have deflected criticism on the F-35 file by consistently reminding Canadians it was the Chretien Liberals who first agreed to purchase the fighter jets.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
No one in Harper's cabinet has been forced to resign.
2) Robocall scandal:
Step 1 -Deny:
The Conservatives have denied any wrong doing
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Tory MP, Dean Dal Mastro has been front and centre in the 'mudify-ing' the robocall scandal.
He alleged that Conservative supporters in his riding also received misleading robocalls directing them to the wrong polling stations.
When that didn't work, the Conservatives blamed Elections Canada.
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
At one point, the Conservatives blamed the Liberals for being the only party to use American based robocallers.
According to CTV News, the accusation turned out to be a dud.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
To date, no one has taken responsibility.
3) Peter MacKay's helicopter trip:
Step 1 -Deny:
Despite documents suggesting the helicopter pick-up was only to be under the "guise" of a search-and-rescue exercise, defense minister Peter MacKay continues to insist he did nothing wrong.
Step 2 -'Mudify:'
Apparently believing in the credo the best defence is a good offense, MacKay suggested he might take legal action against any MP who accused him of lying about why he took the helicopter ride.
Step 3 - Try to make the Liberals look bad:
According to emails uncovered by the Toronto Star, just one day after revelations of MacKay's trip, Royal Canadian Air Force staff were enlisted to look through flight logs to find similar actions taken by Liberal MPs.
Step 4 - Hold no one to account:
To date, Peter MacKay is still in Stephen Harper's cabinet.
heard a great line the other day "conservatives bitch about liberals 6 days a week and then run off worship one on Sunday".
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/14 ... in-canada/
Whats up with this...man there is right wing and then there this
Whats all this we paid 20 billion more than we get back BS...Dalton McGuinty has said similar...how is the federal government to run if the provinces with more don't pay their fair share.
And whats wrong with the provinces that have more helping provinces that have struggled...we should all be proud that we have tried to have the same quality health care, education, etc from coast to coast to coast.
Of course I love how she targets Quebec...Quebec seems to be the easy target...and maybe they get more than the rest of us, I do not know. I really don't know if they get more than any other province.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Yes we did...it was wrapped in huge crime bill.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
it's the prisoner industrial complex ...
I dunno wtf man.....
The PC's got complacent, spend-happy, and are not catering to their base enough...plus they've had two weak/non-photogenic leaders in a row......
Wildrose smelled blood, got themselves a pretty face, and the backing of big oil and Quebecor (sun) media....now we've entered a bizarro world where I'm considering voting for a PC incumbent I can't stand.
Wildrose is taking a page from the Reform playbook....they're playing on people's greed, mistrust of the east, and a policy of fiscal conservatism....while denying their social conservative agenda. Smith's past comments on social issues are downright scary. She's like an evangelical 2nd-gen tea-partier....I honestly don't know many people who agree with her on the social stuff....but with the PC's issues, and Alberta's partisan attitude of refusing to vote for any leftist party.....the Wildrose will get their majority. With Harper running the Feds and these people running our province...big oil (and business in general) is going to have a field day.
brutal ... :(
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le2404228/
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le2404607/
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
it's more than that ... they've eliminated all kinds of independent boards, funding to departments that are supposed to be objective ... all under the guise of austerity ... meanwhile, no changes to the oil industry that makes billions in profit every year ... :evil:
i'm torn on this ... ideally right now, i'd like to see an ndp minority gov't and set in motion some form of proportional representation voting scheme ... that would ensure the conservatives would never hold a majority ...
but as we have discussed - conservatives will always vote conservative no matter what the party does so, really what other option is there?
At first I didn't like the idea...mostly because I like more than 2 parties...but I think the Green Party would benefit from this and fill the 3rd party vacancy.
I doubt we'll see a merger until after the next election. If the NDP continue to make gains then I don't see them merging.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
well ... this is where i think we will see the ndp's true colours ... the Progressive Conservatives basically go sold out by Peter McKay ... he promised he wouldn't merge and he did it anyways for power ... will Muclair sell his party out for power?
I guess only he can answer that...and time will tell.
even if they do merge and unite the left...nothing is guaranteed...who is to say disgruntled liberal don't go off and form another party, or right wing liberals might join the conservatives, and some New Democrats might join The Green Party.
And in someways it seems like the liberals are desperate or Chretien is...they've only been out of power for a handful of years, they have to get themselves a leader that relates to all Canadians before they can determine if they need to merge.
Beside I think the conservatives will implode eventually...their support in Ontario isn't rock solid like it is out west...just a tiny shift the other way and they easily lose the election.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
thing is ... the ndp may somewhat be considered left under jack but he was moving it towards the centre and now mulclair will move it even further to the centre ... so, there are no left parties anymore ... just the greens ...
i'm not sure on liberal motivation but for me - it's only a consideration simply because this conservative majority is taking this country to places i don't think many canadians approve ...
you would think with two right wing parties ... the progressives would be able to come up the middle but it sure doesn't look like it ...
i hope she wins ...
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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/scientist-muse ... 21821.html
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, - One of Alberta's top researchers says remarks by Alberta Wildrose party Leader Danielle Smith on climate change suggest the province's political leaders need to brush up on their scientific literacy.
"I wonder if she thinks the flat Earth debate is settled?" asked University of Alberta ecologist David Schindler. "It's very discouraging in an era when sound policy requires scientific literacy in its leaders."
Smith said Monday in an online election forum that the science around climate change is not settled and the appropriate response from the Alberta government would be to monitor the debate. Her position has long been Wildrose policy.
Smith stood by those comments Tuesday.
"I have said for years the same things I said yesterday," she said in Calgary.
But scientists say while debate remains about how fast global warming will take place and what its consequences will be, there is no longer any real doubt that greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause of climate change.
"I get very frustrated," Schindler said.
"I spend a lot of time reading that stuff and there's a 97 per cent consensus. You do not get higher levels of consensus, ever. You'd probably get 98 per on the flat Earth."
Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria climatologist and one of the globe's top climate modellers, backed the view that climate change is no longer questioned.
"It's overwhelming. It's as overwhelming as gravity," Weaver said from Morocco, where he is helping draft the latest UN report on climate change.
"There are thousands of scientists working on this problem and if there was an Achilles heel to it they would find it."
A 2010 study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences surveyed 1,372 papers on climate and found at least 97 per cent of the most active climate researchers supported the standard model.
Schindler said the Wildrose — among other Alberta parties — has to start getting serious scientific advice.
"You've got to have people to rely on for advice who are not hacks. It's true of some of the other parties as well, most notably the PCs.
"For a party leader to say, 'Oh, we've got to procrastinate more until the science is settled is just disgusting. We have to expect more command of science in our leader than this, for crying out loud."
Progressive Conservative Leader and Premier Alison Redford said Tuesday she does believe the debate is over and it's time Alberta recognized its reputation is at stake.
"I believe the science has been settled. What the premier of Alberta needs to be talking about is that we understand what's going on on the international stage," she said.
Calgary political scientist Duane Bratt suggested Smith has little choice on the issue.
"Her statement reflects the views of Wildrose supporters — the people within the party, the people funding the party, not necessarily the people voting for the party. I'm talking about the candidates, the people closely associated with the campaign, their highest donors."
Wildrose has inherited from the old Ralph Klein Conservatives the sort of right-wingers most likely to question climate change, Bratt suggested.
"There were an awful lot of skeptics in that government. I think those people are the people who left for Wildrose."
Klein himself appeared to dismiss climate change in a 2002 speech when he said it was just as likely that "dinosaur farts'' caused the Ice Age.
Smith repeated Tuesday that a Wildrose government would fight climate change by encouraging energy-efficient housing and research and development.
"We are monitoring the science and will continue to monitor the science — and in the meantime, we're going to actually do something about the issue."
NDP Leader Brian Mason said Albertans can forget about reining in greenhouse gas emissions if the Wildrose form government after Monday's election.
If Smith and her Wildrose party don't believe that human activity is causing global warming, she would be unlikely to impose sanctions on polluters, Mason said.
I would think a merger would benefit The Green Party in the fact that the people who are left would move over to them and would provide an opportunity to fill the void left by the NDP.
Of course everything is pure speculation...nothing will happen till after the next election.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
If their stance on climate change wasn't bad enough, check out some of these quotes:
http://www.toryorwildrose.ca/
These parties are essentially the two choices in my electoral district :(
No matter how 'progressive' the PC's choose to portray themselves; as the centrist option in this election, they're still the PC party, and still employ people with beliefs like those in the link and article above.
So fuck it, I'm voting my conscience....I've always preached that to americans when they start their 'lesser of two evils' arguments. Just can't bring myself to vote PC, regardless of consequence. So frustrating.
As it stands now....wouldn't it be Rae selling out for power? The Liberals are in complete tatters....
And the benefit to the Green party is what makes a merger even more troublesome than I would find it normally....I agree with lukin06....I think people who voted NDP prior to the last election (the real NDP base, not the people who voted against the Cons), would be turned off by a merged party becoming more centrist...and would shift their vote to the Green party...which does nothing to solve the vote-splitting. Ideally, they need to find a way to fracture the Cons solidarity...we need a multi-party system.
the way i look at it is which party is going to abandon their roots ... obviously, with the PC/Reform alliance they moved to the right so the PC's basically got sold out ... in the case of an ndp/liberal merger ... the party will move to the centre so it really would be the ndp faithful that would have been sold out ...
if there was a merger ... i could see the greens making a move and gaining a few seats ... i still think a move to a PR type of voting system would solve a lot of the problems ...
1. the person who goes Ottawa to represent a certain riding has lived in the riding for say 3 years and
2. somehow the citizens of that riding select the local representation and
3. I wouldn't mind seeing a recall system in place
but PR is probably the only way to prevent vote splitting in the future.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon