Politics

My vote

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In March I wrote a post about my reasons for not voting for Harper. My reasons for voting Liberal are based on history:

1)The last government left us with a surplus–Harper spent it on things like 300 million for security at the G20/G8, but mostly on dropping taxes. How much of that did you see on your bottom line? Did the economy improve? Not.

2)This country had a reputation for intelligent foreign policy. Now, do we have a foreign policy. Harper had some on the job training. Ignatieff comes with a wealth of knowledge of the outside world.

3)We used to feel secure without social safety net. As a lady waiting to have her blood drawn for tests  said this morning,”There’s no security any more.”

4)We need money spent on our colleges and universities. The Liberals will do that.

5)We need more thought, less ideology on the subject of Law and Order. Attention to relevant statistics would help. The Liberals will do that.

It’s time for a change.

Harper’s Quotations

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Tories collected Harper quotes that could come back to haunt him – The Globe and Mail.

Do all political teams do this: collect the sayings of their leader that could get him into trouble? These are not Mao’s Thoughts or Bartlett’s Quotations. These are statements, musings, if you will, of Harper’s over the years, compiled by his loyal staffers.

I wonder how they chose. They must know which are the issues that matter most to Canadians, which statements are likely to raise the ire of the average(not neocon) voter, and which ones to try to bury.

Take health care, the quotes in the Globe article come as no surprise. Harper, it seems to me, is first and foremost a man devoted to the idea of capitalism and the idea that it is cheaper to run a system with private money. It isn’t. We only have to look to our neighbours to the south to know that. Facts, awkward aren’t they?

How about law and order? He thinks we need more prisons and more people in them and he wants to set the time for the crime, based on what? Not facts.

What about statistics themselves? He doesn’t like those either. Facts again. His solution is to end the practice of 170 years and shut down the long form census. He thinks he knows better than the statisticians which method produces reliable data.

How about immigration:

You’ve got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from eastern Canada: people who live in ghettoes and who are not integrated into western Canadian society.” Report Newsmagazine, January 2001.

500 pages. The Globe only quoted a few of them.

Coalition

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The attack ads, and the language of war in the reporting of the campaign, the appeal to fear, the creation of panic, all of these are part of this election as they have been of the last several. I’m tired of it, and of the politicians who have such contempt for the voter. We haven’t had a discussion of the major problems in this country.When one starts, ie the Liberal discussion on health Care, Harper falls back on the  “oh-my-god they might form a coalition”.  I

t appears to me that most people don’t even know what a coalition is, or that it is the usual way of doing politics in many vibrant democracies. If parties won seats in proportion to their popular vote, we would all ready have a government that represented the majority of people in this country, and yes at least two of them would have to agree on how to govern. That means that the NDP concern for the social network, the Liberal concern for health care and the social programs of the Bloc, as well as the environmental agenda of the Greens would be taken into account when drafting policy.

Or perhaps the Conservatives could convince one of the others to join them.

We would be less likely to have a government that was unresponsive to the majority of the  people, reflecting only the views of the neo-con right.

But what was Ignatieff thinking, giving Harper a gift like this? I suppose he got into the habit while teaching to answer questions honestly, and so continues. Yes, under our system a coalition is possible. Will that happen? Would it mean the government was any less representative of the people’s will. i don’t think so, to either question.

Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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Happy birthday, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms! …and thanks for nothing, Stephen Harper

POSTED ON APRIL 17, 2011

The Liberal Party invited readers to share this post from their website.

I’m old enough now to have gone through many changes of Prime Minister, from Mike Pearson(the first one I can remember) to John Diefenbaker, to Pierre Elliott Trudeau–I first voted in his first election–to Brian Mulroney and Jean Chretien and so on. I have been inspired, enraged, alienated, hopeful and full of despair that the country would survive. But I never felt the leaders didn’t embrace our rights and freedoms until now.

The mistrust began with Harper’s first public statements and has gone on. The proroguing of parliament, the police on the streets during the G20/G8, and the treatment of citizens as though they were cattle, made me call enough. Many people think this election was for nothing. It wasn’t for nothing. The government has been held in Contempt of Parliament. That is constitutionally a very big deal, meaning the government tried some American-style politics, withholding information until the eleventh hour,  within our parliamentary system, and got caught. The loyal opposition has the right to information, whether Harper like it or not.

Look at the quote from 2011. Harper fails to understand that the Supreme Court is the check on the government and if he doesn’t like a ruling he has to go back to Parliament and change the law. If he can’t, that means the majority doesn’t agree with him. Too bad.

So I don’t trust him, certainly not with a majority.

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Charter is universally treasured by all Canadians, guaranteeing their fundamental civil rights from infringement by any level of government.

There is one person who won’t be celebrating the Charter’s birthday, and that’s Stephen Harper.

Today, Stephen Harper committed to reinstate Bill C-49, legislation that targets refugees instead of human smugglers, and according to the Canadian Bar Association breaches the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Stephen Harper has never embraced the Charter:

“I agree that serious flaws exist in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that there is no meaningful review or accountability mechanisms for Supreme Court justices.” (Stephen Harper,Globe and Mail, June 13, 2000)

“I consider the notwithstanding clause a valid part of the Constitution . . . It’s there to ensure that the courts themselves operate within the Charter and don’t become a law unto themselves.” (Stephen Harper, Canadian Press, May 15, 2004)

“‘We’re concerned and we think Parliament, not the court, should be making these decisions.’  Harper also agreed with Premier Ralph Klein’s stance that the Alberta government invoke the notwithstanding clause with respect to the decision.” (Stephen Harper on the Ontario Court of Appeal Decision that legalized same-sex marriage, Calgary Herald, June 13, 2003)

“‘Right from the beginning, the Charter has been controversial. There were a large number of politicians, a large number of provincial premiers who did not support that approach to civil liberties in this country.” (Stephen Harper, Kitchener-Waterloo Record, September 29, 1994)

Leaders Debate

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First I didn’t watch it all. I get tired of spin and “talking points” and mostly of Harper. I did see the exchange in which Ignatieff said :

“A majority? … Majorities are things you earn when you earn the trust of Canadian people and you haven’t earned the trust of the Canadian people because you don’t trust the Canadian people.”

He hit it square on as far as I am concerned. A few posts ago I went through the events this year that have upset me most, but it all comes down to this. Harper is a control-obsessed man, whose attitude is his way or the highway. I have always liked the Canadian history of compromise and negotiation. I don’t trust him to govern for all of us if he gets a majority. He sure didn’t when he had a minority.

How many more odd ideas like cancelling the long form census are hiding beneath that perfectly-coifed hair.

What about his insistence on following a punishment instead of rehabilitation agenda? He calls it law and order, but I see him ignoring facts, or bending them to fit his pre-conceived ideas.

And throwing young women out of his rallies. How’s that for controlling?

If we must have a minority, I hope it’s a Liberal one. After all, most people in this country vote for left of centre parties.

Catastrophic Drug Program

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Lack of catastrophic drug program a black eye for Canada – The Globe and Mail.

Rare or orphan diseases are identified by their frequency in the population. Treatment provision for these illness varies from province to province. A previous article by Linda Priest in the Globe and Mail details all of this. You can read it here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/national-drug-policy-for-rare-diseases-has-fallen-between-the-cracks/article1970960/

But it’s not just orphan diseases that can be catastrophic for those afflicted. Multiple Sclerosis is relatively common in Canada, affecting both sexes. In Ontario the cost for a 4 week treatment with Avonex, a once a week injectable costs almost 2000$. Every month. For life or until relapse and then the drugs get more expensive. There is a new medication, oral, relieving the patient of the painful intramuscular injections, but it cost almost twice as much.

In Ontario, the Trillium Drug Plan can help, if the medication is listed in the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary, or can be covered as a limited use. The patient pays a deductible and must reapply every year if they also have some private drug benefit. FYI the drug benefits only cover the drugs the government wants to cover, not all of them. and certainly not the newest.

The country lags behind other first world countries, way behind, because there is no National program. What we do have is a National Disgrace. Oh yes, and new fighter jets.

Harper and the Youth

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Matt Gurney: Strong leaders don’t hide from young voters | Full Comment | National Post.

What sort of behaviour is this? Two young women, determined to attend the rally of every Federal candidate for leader, are thrown out of a Conservative rally because “they have ties to the Liberal Party”. What were the ties? The young woman had attended the Liberal rally and she had  her picture taken with Michael Ignatieff and posted it on her Facebook page.

Whoever approached the young women, also took their badges, given after they had registered for the rally. Who was he?

So it appears that Harper must be protected from the voters. These were young people, young women. I would be proud of a daughter who wanted to be that informed, and I am appalled at a so-called leader who has goons remove young people of the “wrong” political stripe from his rally, who is clearly afraid of taking questions– I mean five a day, come on–. I guess he doesn’t think he can convert anyone by his speeches and only wants to speak to those all ready in his camp.

Matt Gurney was spot on today. so read his column.

Expiry Date

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Shelly Glover’s ‘expiry date’ quip riles seniors – The Globe and Mail.

This woman is an MP who is a parliamentary secretary to the Finance Minister. Apparently she thinks ageism is an okay prejudice. She “quips” that Anita Neville, who is 68 years old and a Winnipeg MP is “beyond her expiry date.” Her age, Glover says, oh no I wasn’t talking about her age, just how long she has occupied her seat. She doesn’t seem to realize that to us who are I suppose also over our expiry date, denigrating Ms Neville’s years of experience and comparing her to…what? a carton of old milk, is worse than simply saying she is old.

It wasn’t reported whether Glover said anything about how well or poorly Ms. Neville has served her constituents, whether she has been an active or noninvolved member of the House, or even if she had a sterling or shabby attendance record. No, the only thing that mattered was her longevity.

CARP has taken great exception to this statement, rightly seeing it as expressing how Ms Glover views the elderly. I  am concerned that this woman has the ear of the finance minister, and may have ambition to move into Flaherty’s job if he moves to another portfolio( not that a woman in that job is too likely if Harper wins).

Just another straw to add to the stack on the camel. i wonder when it will be enough.

Election

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Let’s see. Last April we had the Maternal Health plan for the third world that didn’t include abortion. Harper is ant-choice.

In May it was the navy. The minister concerned–Mackay– says the navy has more money than ever before, but the actual amount, 1.97 billion, was down from 2.1 billion the year before.

In June, it was the G20. Remember, Harper’s fake lake, then the police response with people “kettled” in the streets of Toronto, in a violent thunderstorm, with no way out for hours. All part of the law and order agenda.

In July, the long form census, in which a senior civil servant had to resign because he couldn’t sign off on the statistical nonsense that is a voluntary, truncated census.

In August,

Last year, as revealed by The Canadian Press, Prime Minister Stephen Harper lunched in New York with Roger Ailes, president of Fox News, and Rupert Murdoch, who owns it. Kory Teneycke, Mr. Harper’s former spokesman, was also present at the unannounced event.

Mr. Teneycke later became the point man for Quebecor’s Pierre Karl Péladeau in his effort to create a right-wing television network modelled along the lines of Fox News. The new network is a high priority for Mr. Harper, for whom controlling the message has always been – witness his government vetting program – of paramount importance.

In September, I was involved in my vacation to Spain, which included a vacation from Canadian politics.

By January, Harper was “musing” on the death penalty. He wants more and bigger prisons as well. At the same time, American conservative and former more prisons cheerleader, started going around the continent telling people that recidivism is not reduced, rehabilitation fails, with an expanded system. The crime rate is dropping but the conservative base is fearful. They should be fearful of putting more young people into the finishing schools for criminals that our prisons have become.

In February, Minister Oda got caught in another lie, changing documents to make it seem that the civil service supported her position to deny funding to a charity that  it for thirty-odd years. Did she do that on her own? Not a chance with Harper the micro-manager at the helm.

In March, we learned that it wasn’t the Government of Canada any more, but Harper’s Government. And that government was found in contempt of Parliament. He’s been contemptuous of Parliament from the beginning. It’s time for a change.

And all of this was done while he was in a minority position. What if he had a majority? Not with my vote and I’m one of those 60 plus women voters they’re trying so hard to recruit.

Contempt of Parliament

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Conservatives flood contempt hearings with phalanx of bureaucrats – The Globe and Mail.

According to the Globe and Mail this morning, the committee to look into the contempt of parliament charges against the government, will be faced not only with the two Ministers who are supposed to answer questions, but also 10 senior bureaucrats. And all of this is to take one hour.

First of all, who sets these time limits. If questions have to be asked and answered, set aside enough time to do it properly. It takes these people, politicians and bureaucrats alike, an hour just to say good morning. They know that.

Secondly, why all the top cops at the meeting. Well, cops and spooks, and spies. The head of CSIS, CBS, Correctional Services, and some second tier guys from Justice, and the RCMP.

Do they expect to release information to overwhelm the committee, which is looking into the lack of transparency and the true cost of the government’s law and order bill? Don’t the Ministers know the answers to the questions? It’s their file, after all, their “look at us, we’re keeping you safe” plan to win the next election. Do they need help with the details at this late stage? The budget is coming down next week.

It looks to me like yet another government attempt to keep the truth hidden. What a bunch.