The Media and Opposition Parties need a scapegoat.

 

The Media is trying their best to find a villian in the largest immunization program in Canadian history. Here is CTV Question Period here, here, here,  trying to paint someone responsible. Communications, delivery of the supply, division of power and responsibility. Line ups, deaths, confusion are they to be expected in a flu pandemic? Are the media and the opposition distorting the facts for hysteria? Is the opposition taking advantage of the H1N1 flu pandemic? More to follow with the opposition blaming "deaths" on the federal government.

April 2009   "We have just frightened everyone that catastrophe is imminent and yet no one is actually looking at the disease." 

Compared to the deaths caused by seasonal flu this year, swine flu is considerably less dangerous.
According to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly report, more than 13,000 Americans have died from seasonal flu in 2009 alone.
The worldwide total for seasonal flu related deaths is generally between 250,000 and 500,000 a year.
Rau says that there is much debate in the scientific community about if swine flu should be considered a pandemic virus or just a new virus.

He expects the WHO will increase their pandemic level to Phase 6, but cautioned people about overreacting.

Nick Bontis, a strategy expert from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., said people are being hammered by the WHO alerts and wall-to-wall media reports -- and that it all amounts to harmful and needless fear mongering.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090429/WHO_panic_090429/20090429?hub=TopStories

 

It’s rolling out its pandemic plan and ordering more doses of vaccine than there are Canadians. This, despite a recent poll suggesting many Canadians have no plans to get the flu shot. Only about 45 per cent of respondents in a recent Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll said they planned to get the vaccine when the shots become available later in the fall; just about as many said they would not.

And this, despite continuing evidence that swine flu is not causing the devastating and widespread illness many had assumed a flu pandemic would bring. http://healthblog.ctv.ca/post/Health-officials-cane28099t-win-when-it-comes-to-swine-flu-preparations.aspx

Six million doses have been shipped to the Provinces and Territories. That accounts for 20% above the "High Risks" groups leaving enough for some outside the priorities groups to get the H1N1 shot. Are the media helping or harming by reporting on deaths, lineups and drop in production at these clinics set up by provinces, territories health officials?                                                                                            

Making Sense of the numbers July 15, 2009

Even though H1N1 is missing some of the genes that are known to facilitate the spread of seasonal and previous pandemic viruses  (see yesterday’s posting from Dr. Marla Shapiro), no one can debate that H1N1 is spreading.

H1N1 clearly affects those under 50 years of age. So what I call the “cup-half-empty” perspective is that the virus “selectively attacks” young people, based on the still occasional reports of deaths in otherwise healthy young adults and children.http://healthblog.ctv.ca/post/H1N1-Making-sense-of-the-numbers.aspx

Liberal Scapegoat

Peter Donalo replaces Ian Davey as Chief of staff for the Liberals. Ian Davey has become the latest scapegoat for the drop in Liberal support. Some say Paul Zed was an earlier scapegoat. Who is responsible for the drop in support for the Liberals is it delusional to pin the hopes on one person for revitalizing the Liberal Brand?

The Liberals are so eager to get back into power that they keep pinning their hopes on the magic of one person to resuscitate the ailing party.

Like a desperate patient with a serious disease, they would rather resort to a sorcerer with a magic wand instead of following the proper – probably painful – therapy of conventional medicine.

The Liberal party is sick and the disease is serious. It has lost its status as the party of ideas and now is just the party of slogans. The Liberals have slogans about the environment, immigration, the economy and social justice but there is nothing behind them.- Angelo Perschilli Sun Nov 01, 2009 Toronto Star -http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/719021?bn=1

Approval

One-third of Canadians (34%) approve of the performance of Stephen Harper, while 45 per cent disapprove. The numbers represent a modest improvement for the prime minister since a survey conducted in September.

Dalton McGuinty on HST

"We need to talk about these things. We shouldn't run away from them. We're moving ahead with the HST because in our heart we think it's the right thing to do," he said.

Underscoring that, the Liberals distributed hundreds of buttons emblazoned "TEAM HST."

Is MI or the Federal Liberals going to start wearing those buttons too?

If you don't agree with Dalton or his policies, make no mistake he is betting his political future on those decisions and taking a PUBLIC stand.  The Federal Liberal leader in comparison looks very weak and inconsistent on refusing to a PUBLIC STAND on ANY position.

Federal Liberals on doublespeak on being charged or under investigation.

Embattled Liberal Sen. Raymond Lavigne is banned from the Senate but he is still hosting events with foreign diplomats on Parliament Hill.

Lavigne was thrown out of the Liberal caucus and barred from fulfilling any legislative duties after the RCMP laid criminal charges against him two years ago for using "Senate resources for personal gain."

The Liberal leader in the Senate, James Cowan, said Lavigne remains a senator and is paid because he hasn't been convicted of anything.

"We do have a presumption of innocence here," Cowan said. If you look at other professions when people are charged, they either continue on or are suspended with pay, he added. http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2009/11/01/11593976-sun.html