I can't believe this is allowed at the Toronto Star. The only newspaper that endorsed Dion in 2008. Get a load of Angelo criticizing the Liberal Party.
Note to next Liberal leader don't piss off Angelo Perischilli, he's got a pen and knows how to wield it!
First, the stories from the United Arab Emirates are more credible; second, I believe that the Liberal leader didn’t damage our efforts for the simple reason that nobody cares about his views. His voice is barely heard within his own caucus; the majority of Canadians can’t even remember his name; abroad he is known only on the campuses of some American universities.
Still, this reaction explains why the electoral fortunes of the Conservative government are shaky.
Harper is doing a good job at handling our economy and also representing Canada abroad, but the fact that Conservative support has not been able to break through the mid-30s in public opinion polls means the party has made some mistakes.
One of the biggest is their obsession with fighting the Liberal party. It seems to me that Stephen Harper is one of the few Canadians to take the present Liberal party seriously.
In 1969 Pierre Trudeau mused MPs were nobodies 100 feet from Parliament Hill. The official opposition's refusal to represent their constituents has reduced the Trudeau musing by another 50 feet.
Voters don't care You don't like the current government, thirty Liberal MPs skip votes on a regular basis? Present a credible alternative and get on with it. Make your case to the voters if you have the courage of your convictions. Allow the Democrats or Bloc MPs vote in favour of the bad policies you are so critical . What could go wrong?
Author of Harperland is making excuses Angus Poll that confirms Dion support levels for the Liberal since Confederation on September 29, 2010.
The caving of the three Liberal fortresses may have consequences beyond their jurisdictions. Tidings at the provincial level don’t often reverberate with much impact at the federal level. But when the Liberal brand name takes a hit in three great domains in the same time frame, it surely can’t help. It may be among the reasons why Michael Ignatieff is not getting much liftoff despite all his hard work through the summer.-Lawrence Martin
President Kennedy selling Vietnam military action
One hit wonders-Voters are always right. They will decide if your message is trustworthy. We may not select the best candidate, the best platform or the best party but we make the final decision. We will decide and pass judgment at the ballot. Ask Joe Clark, Jimmy Carter or Bob Rae.
President Barrack Obama's approval ratings below 50% at midterm time see their party suffer substantial losses in its congressional membership, regardless of how much explaining and blaming the president attempts in the campaign leading up to what becomes, in effect, a referendum on the president. Democrats (79%) and liberals (75%) still like Obama a lot. - Andrew Malcolm
Voters are very smart and understand how rhetoric, teleprompters are only effective in preaching to the converted. The economy, employment rates do not pick favourites and will punish bad policy regardless of ideology. Look at many of European countries that have changed the socialists governments out for more Conservative leaning agenda.
Why are the opposition afraid to seek a mandate at the Polls during the Global Recession? Is it because their plan is being rejected globally?
Seven years into the Chretien-Martin track record on the confidence of the Canadian dollar from $ 0.62- $0.86 vs the U.S. Dollar reserve currency (Currency Liberal Oct 2000 - Jan 2006). The foreign currency traders understood it too. Why have banks, governments and currency traders begun to buy hold the Canadian dollar in larger amounts against the American dollar? The American dollar is the reserve currency, the flight to safety in economic turmoil.
We don't need the media explaining why:
our costs of living, hydro rates, cost of food.
our employer is not going to give a "raise" this year.
looking into the potential for a future conflict of interest by chief of staff.
a mandatory forty page form on my personal habits is vital for Canada.
we don't accept gimmicks from politicians to "fix it" either.
Ignatieff, Layton challenging Dragons?
Wind energy isn't very efficient, according to William Palmer, an engineer who has presented internationally on the subject. He says that, because the winds come and go, wind turbines work at an average of 27% capacity. What's more, Ontario has no ability to store wind energy, so what we don't use immediately is wasted. Storage facilities could be created - at great cost - in addition to the huge cost of the turbines themselves.
In a perfect world, we shouldn't demur at the cost, but countries like Britain, well ahead of us in wind energy, are now having to face the stark reality of "fuel poverty" - the cost of fuel exceeding one's ability to pay. So, if wind energy is going to be expensive and inefficient, we'd like to know before we open our hydro bill.
Adding insult to injury, according to Palmer, is the fact the net effect of wind turbines on global warming is insignificant. Why? Because most of Canada's harmful emissions are not caused by electricity production, and because the fossil fuel systems needed to back up wind power lose their efficiency when they have to be started, stopped and restarted as winds come and go. Further, we are shocked to learn that, despite its tens of thousands of wind turbines, Germany, the poster child for wind energy, has yet to close a single coal-fired plant.
Sorry Jack your heating bill stunt won't "fix it" because of your record against every other tax cut to date. It won't excuse your vote for a 35% increase in employment insurance last week, calls to stop our Oil Sands and adopt the Kyoto protocol. Tax the rich, make the big polluters pay to redistribute the wealth for the poor is SOCIALISM. The Liberals may find stealing your policies acceptable from time to time to steal your voters, the majority of us don't share the Cuban-China-Russian political teachings.
We do know how to punish politicians, parties that fail to deliver on promises of good government or just blow smoke. The latest Angus Public Opinion Poll confirms the change from Ignatieff to Dion has NOT lifted the party fortunes or popularity among non Liberal voters. The messiah complex will not lift your party with Bob or Justin.
Polyphemus vs Nobody Odysseus
Can the nobodys devise a plan to secure their victory?
Support for the Conservatives is consistent with their pre-writ numbers: Without a significant drop in two way battles against the Democrats, Separatists, Green party in ridings the Liberals will remain in the opposition benches for the foreseeable future.
Wedge Politics has been default strategy invoked by Liberals through Laurier's conscription in Francophone Quebec, Frank Graves Pollster advice to Liberals,to the Green Shift , opposition to liberal policy is idiotic. The Long Gun Registry and the pattern is the same.
The legacy of Trudeau will not be repeated by Ignatieff as voters no longer look to big government to solve their problems or trust Liberals with power. Canadians since 2000 have been rejecting the political games of the Liberals in larger numbers. The General Election in October 14, 2008 delivered the worst popular level of support since confederation. If the New Brunswick results are an any indication Ignatieff is going to reach a new historic low.
Jane Taber's article about ignoring the demands of Quebec from an opinion from a pollster. A few in the left are freaking out, with graphs and projections trying to explain how the Conservatives should not ignore the fact only 45% (approximately) of the seats in Quebec are voting for a federal party since 1993. The term low hanging fruit requires an understanding of common sense something lacking in most unskeptical minds. I originally blogged here on re-balancing Parliament.
Ignore the polls, ignore the census and ignore Quebec. Nothing will change the Harper government’s minority status until legislation passes creating more seats in the House of Commons, Ipsos pollster John Wright says.
The left are scared
If a majority is IMPOSSIBLE, why all the FUSS? The Separtists threatening , making noise, passing motions in Quebec City to the effect? We will be quoting Hamlet Act 3, scene II, Verses 222-230 if those in the left keep telling us it is a mistake to ignore Quebec.
The unskeptical mind will without reservation accept the proselytizing of self acclaimed experts (Al Gore, David Suzuki, here without examining if a bias exists in their presentations if it projects their belief system.
Bill C-12 is designed to address a distortion in the manner in which population growth is reflected by growth in the number of elected representatives assigned to each province. The Bill seeks to remedy this distortion by enacting a new formula for seat readjustments in the House of Commons. As with the formula presently employed to readjust the number of members seated in the House, Bill C-12 prescribes a formula that readjusts seats after each decennial census, while also apportioning any newly created seats to the province or provinces that experienced population growth from one decennial census to the next- Summary here.
Social Justice Champions?
Reality sucks for those in the left who have a difficult time accepting the shift has begun in Canada , Europe, Australia and even China.
See any bicycles?
The Pierre Trudeau Liberal ideals have been transformed to a more pragmatic worldview. The world has changed and for some in the media, Quebec and left of centre parties reality has been very discomforting lately.
We have Mother Nature to thank for the expressionlowhangingfruit. A fruit-bearing tree often contains some branches low enough for animals and humans to reach without much effort. The fruit contained on these lower branches may be not be as ripe or attractive as the fruit on higher limbs, but it is usually more abundant and easier to harvest. From this we get the popular expression "lowhangingfruit", which generally means selecting the easiest targets with the least amount of effort.
Another use of the expression lowhangingfruit can be found in the political arena. A politician may set a number of easily attainable goals, essentially lowhangingfruit, and accomplish them with minimal effort. The voters may perceive the politician's actions as proof of his strong work ethic, but in reality he only reached for the political benefits of lowhangingfruit. Critics often use the expression lowhangingfruit to describe someone who chooses a sure thing over a more difficult but more rewarding pursuit.
The idea of lowhangingfruit can be viewed as both a positive and a negative. On the one hand, lowhangingfruit is usually plentiful and often ignored by those looking for more attractive offerings. But lowhangingfruit can also be seen as a negative, since the picker understands how low the quality of the fruit can be and picks it anyway. Someone who consistently chooses the immediate gratification of lowhangingfruit could be seen by others as lazy or unambitious.
According to Statistics Canada's census metropolitan areas, in Ontario, the Toronto CMA (which includes 23 cities in the surrounding areas such as Milton, Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Newmarket, Markham and Richmond Hill in addition to Toronto proper) has grown from 4,682,897 people in the last decennial census in 2001 to 5,623,500 in 2009, which is a 20 per cent increase.
According to Elections Canada, Liberal MP Andrew Kania currently has the highest populated riding in Brampton West, Ont., with 170,422 people. This is compared to Conservative MP Greg Rickford who has the least number of constituents in his Kenora, Ont., riding with 64,291 people. Kenora is a rural riding, but even in the nation's capital, Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who represents Ottawa-Vanier, Ont., has 101,611 constituents.
If population were the number one criterion for the electoral boundary commissions, Ontario could see new ridings created around Mr. Kania's riding, as well as in other GTA ridings Markham, Vaughan, Bramalea, Halton, Mississauga, Whitby, Thornhill, Brampton, Scarborough, Willowdale, Cambridge and Kitchener, as well as two ridings in the Ottawa area.
The top 18 most populated ridings in Ontario are held evenly between Conservatives and Liberals at nine each.
In Alberta, Edmonton and Calgary are the fastest growing cities. In 2001, Calgary had a population of 878,866, according to Statistics Canada, and in 2009, it grew to 1,230,200, a 39.9 per cent increase. Edmonton went from a population of 666,104 in 2001 to 1,155,400 in 2009, a 73.45 per cent increase. Conservative MP Chris Warkentin's Peace River riding is the most populated in Alberta with 138,009 constituents, and NDP MP Linda Duncan's Edmonton-Strathcona riding is the least populated at 99,267.
The four other highest populated ridings in Alberta are Rob Anders' Calgary West, Diane Ablonczy's Calgary-Nose Hill, Devinder Shory's Calgary Northeast and Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose's Edmonton-Spruce Grove. These could all be areas where potential new ridings could be created.
Pundits Guide
In British Columbia, Vancouver's CMA grew from 1,986,965 in 2001 to 2,328,000 in 2009, a 17.1 per cent growth. The Vancouver CMA includes surrounding areas such as Langley, Mission, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Richmond and Surrey among other smaller towns.
Pundits Guide
Conservative MP John Weston has the most populated riding in B.C. His West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding has 129,241 constituents, compared to Conservative MP Jim Abbott's Kootenay-Columbia riding with 86,811 constituents.
Pundits Guide
The seven ridings that could be changed based on population are NDP MP Jean Crowder, who represents Nanaimo-Cowichan, Conservative MPs Edward Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.), Nina Grewal (Fleetwood-Port Kells, B.C.), Andrew Saxton (North Vancouver, B.C.) and Ronald Cannan (Kelowna-Lake Country, B.C.) and Liberal MP Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, B.C.).
Pundits Guide
None of these charts are projections prediction about the future, they are a FACT of what already has transpired. No one can predict how the seats will ultimately breakdown or if the legislation will PASS.
A great philosopher Bobby McFerrin used to say Don't worry be happy!
I prefer to look to Doris Day for her sophistry about life.
In his penetrating analysis, Lyle Rossiter, M.D., reveals modern liberalism's assaults on:
The freedom of adults to make good lives for themselves by cooperating with others. The ability of families to raise children to be self-reliant and mutual .The morals, rights and laws that protect our freedoms
The loyalty of leader of the Liberals is proud of belonging to the "political class". Invoking a cultural war? The class war has been never stopped, divisive Politics has always been deployed.
Liberals think nothing of dividing Canadians, it started with Trudeau giving the west the finger and the NEP, it carried on with Chretian ignoring the west and the military for over 10 years, and Iggy seems to be carrying on the ignore the west theme with the "whipping" of his MP's to vote against scrapping the gun registry. He is pandering to the feminists and anti-war crowd.- Hunter
I believe this strategy has always existed and each party taps into their strengths. The problem is going too far and damaging the country with bad policy.
In his advice, Mr. Graves could hardly have been more blunt. “I told them that they should invoke a culture war. Cosmopolitanism versus parochialism, secularism versus moralism, Obama versus Palin, tolerance versus racism and homophobia, democracy versus autocracy. If the cranky old men in Alberta don’t like it, too bad. Go south and vote for Palin.”- Lawrence Martin
Ignatieff brand new mistake on gun registry Ignatieff’s plan won’t make a single Canadian safer. It will make the dysfunctional, obsolete registry more expensive while simultaneously making it weaker. The registry has already failed and permanently alienated large swaths of voters from the Liberal party. Why is Ignatieff the last person to realize this?- Matt Gurney
He's doing it. Ignatieff is actually implementing the Graves Strategy: divide Canadians against each other, to conquer them politically. -Ezra Levant
Policy Debate and a failure to make priorities -For almost 30 years the issue was forgotten but it resurfaced in the 1970s when some Italian Canadian community leaders started talking about an apology and financial compensation. But prime minister Pierre Trudeau, another Liberal, said the issue was closed. He told the House Commons that he didn't believe "in attempting to rewrite history in this way."- Angleo Perischilli
Bev Shipley had commented on the conflict of interest of Frank Graves pollster of record, donor to the Liberal Party the CBC. Is an inquiry needed to investigate any other relationship with the Liberal Party? We had an example of failed oversight regarding an H1N1 flu clinic.
The CBC code of ethics is now embroiled and a letter to the CBC ombudsman has been sent.“Why is a pollster who conducts polling for Canada’s national broadcaster, the CBC, also giving partisan advice to the Liberal Party of Canada?” Walsh writes in a letter obtained exclusively by the Sun. “Is the CBC aware they were sharing resources with the Liberal Party of Canada, if so, how long have they been aware? Can the CBC assure us that data collected at the expense of taxpayers is not shared with the Liberal Party of Canada?- Frank Walsh
Perhaps we will get a little more adult conversation, policy debate in Question Period without the need of protection of parliamentary privilege by the opposition .
Contrast how the PMO is expanding his office in community outreach:
Much of the ethnic media's audience is in the suburbs of Metropolitan Toronto and Vancouver, areas where the Tories seem to be making gains with newer Canadians who embrace fiscal and social conservatism.
In the 2008 election, the Conservatives' share of the popular vote in B.C. reached 44.5 per cent, up from 37.3 per cent in 2006. In Ontario, they out-polled the Liberals after finishing behind them in 2006, though in Quebec they lost ground. - Canadian Press
“I do believe, and this gets more subtle, that there is a higher incidence of people who are less tolerant to homosexuals and more wary of other races, within the Conservative Party. I can demonstrate that empirically."
Sometimes those words we choose can be taken out context, this does look like we have a serious problem. A tribute to the politically incorrect.
NDP Leader Jack Layton threw his weight behind Prime Minister Stephen Harper's move to prioritize the health of women and children, calling on all party leaders to make the upcoming session of Parliament the "Women and Children First" session of Parliament.
Canada holds the presidency of the G8 this year and Harper has pledged to make it his mission to highlight the health issues facing women and children in developing countries when the group meets in Muskoka this summer. "I'm going to take Mr. Harper at his word and encourage this initiative to move women and children to the top of the G8 agenda when those meetings happen," Layton said.-PETER ZIMONJIC, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU, The Intelligencer
Contrast this latest position with below.
September 2008 - Mr. Layton's aggressive strategy carries considerable risks. The more he attacks Mr. Harper, the more he feeds the notion that "progressive" voters should get together to block a decisive Conservative victory. If the NDP has not surpassed the Liberals in the polls by the end of the campaign, it could be vulnerable to a repeat of 2004, when swing voters on the left responded to Liberal appeals to come over to their side. - Tom Flanagan
Budget Fallout 2009
Listen for the warning to the Liberals from the NDP and Bloc in not giving up their "gains". Why would the strategists allow an election on the timetable of the Liberals if the seats are at the expense of the Bloc or NDP?
May 2009- As with so much in politics, morality disappears like a fog when survival is at stake. All parties and their leaders have done it in the past, but for right now it’s Jack Layton’s turn and it isn’t pretty. - Glen Pearson
September 2009 - Michael Ignatieff is a winner because his bluff paid off. The Liberals are now free to vote against the government on every confidence motion. They have succeeded in shifting the burden of determining the fate of the government to the two other opposition parties. While the Liberals may be the major victors in this week's brawl, that doesn't reverse the remarkable shrinkage Ignatieff's stature has undergone over the past year. Once thought of as a sparkling intellectual, a second Pierre Trudeau, the Liberal leader bumbled his way into and out of the coalition, gave his support to the Harper government in return for a few report cards, and spent the summer who knows where. -Jack and Gilles went up the hill
September 2009 -Ignatieff hasn't thought this fairy tale through -I have not even mentioned to this point the fact that the Liberals would need the support of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois to force this election. I have not mentioned it because the last time “Jack and Gilles” got together to form a team, they predictably did not make it up the Hill. So to assume this dream team will band together again now and win over the Canadian public is, quite frankly, a fairy tale.- Steve Patterson
Jack has been in politics for a very long time and has been positioning the NDP as the "cooperative" partner for years. Has the NDP have suffered their worst seat counts when progressives voted for the Liberal majority? If the NDP are to grow as a credible alternative to the government, they need to counter their natural allies. The Allies are Bloc, Liberals and Green voters. Can the NDP build upon 2008 and poach more progressive voters from the left of centre parties by cooperating with the CPC?
The Liberals have engaged in asking for the "progressive voters" in several campaigns. They are going to repeat the same narrative in the next campaign to stop the CPC majority. The Liberals attacked the NDP and Bloc when they did NOT support the no-confidence motion by the Liberals in September 2009. Anyone remember the Jack & Gilles jokes by the Liberals?
How will the NDP position themselves for the next election to hold their gains against their "natural allies" in large urban centres, Quebec and rural communities? Are the NDP playing smart politics in not following the Liberals who took a public pro-abortion stance for aiding the third world countries in opposition to the announcement made by our government for the upcoming G8- G20 meetings?
A winning tactic on several occasions, deployed by strategists within the CPC is to allow the opposition just enough rope to twist themselves in knots and ultimately hang themselves.
Has Jack Layton evolved from checkers to chess in strategy? Is Jack providing our PM with just enough rope on the international stage on Women's Issues? Time will tell.
Some of us, cynical bloggers will suggest the finances, nominations and his personal health are the factors in giving the current government breathing space to shine on the international stage. My observation, a few strategist within the NDP have allowed the Liberals to take the lead with photo contests and publicity stunts for a smarter politics in 2009 after the NDP summer convention.
