Are the Federal Liberals benefiting from ignoring the real issues facing Canadians for political games on the Hill? The Liberals have been hitting a new historical low in the Polls by several pollsters. Canadians consumers and businesses are feeling more confident. We are doing much better than many developed economies. The opposition want to give no credit for the stimulus, keep it going and put the blame of the deficit on the minority government. Any wonder the Liberal-left coalition has polled 23% three times in four weeks?
CanadaNews Desk Poll Tracker Feb 21, 2011-March 10, 2011
Some 36 percent of respondents surveyed by Leger Marketing for the daily Le Devoir backed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tories versus 23 percent support for the main opposition Liberals, led by Michael Ignatieff.- Leger Marketing 23% Liberal support
Is it the fact the mass media buy is working and Canadians are waking up to the Conservative ads? Could it be the fact every time the Liberals threaten an election over a manufactured issue the media cheerleaders from the Toronto Star, CBC and CTV can't sell it?
I have said this for a long time shortly after the Liberals decided to seize power in November 2008 through a coup. We the voters will at our first opportunity in a general election punish them. We won't allow them to reform a coalition with the separatists in Quebec.
If we go this spring or later in 2012 many from the liberal left coalition will be retired from federal politics. Large Unions may spend millions trying to save their own skin by backing the Liberals or NDP in close ridings but as we saw in New Brunswick destruction of the Liberals and the Liberal-left dynasty in Toronto, that tired old message won't work.
The left are losing ground everywhere and taxpayers have had enough. The Conservatives have wanted to wait until 2012 to revisit the polls, they already have a defacto majority in Parliament.
The opposition MPs attempt to win back credibility for their last five years is not going to work in a thirty six day campaign promoting their committee findings. The outcome won't be convincing as the public are cynical of all political parties and accept MPs are biased. The opposition parties are refusing to all the Federal government to exhaust all their legal options in reclaiming their expenses from 2006 from an activity that all parties used. This matter won't end well for them. Its the economy stupid. No one trusts the political class.
Let's give the Liberals a reason to celebrate. The have once again almost hit 30%. 2009 was a bad year with most of it being held to below thirty per cent. 2011 has not started off any better with being unable to break above the thirty per cent in popular support. It must be demoralizing for the remaining supporters to keep reading how their current leader is a drag on the national numbers. Ekos full report here. This video is tribute to the hard working and perpetual man in motion known as Ignatieff. Alfred E. Neuman would be very proud.
It has been quite a ride for the remaining Liberal faithful since Ignatieff has taken over the natural governing party in December 2008.
A gain of one per cent since the worst showing in 150 years is reason to celebrate.
I can only hope this latest surge in Ekos polling from 24.8% to 27.3% ( +2.5%) gives the Liberal more reason to pull the plug and defeat the Conservative minority budget in March. It will be wonderful to hear the Liberals trash our military, our international reputation, our recovery and demand taxpayers pay more money for social engineering.
Canada News Desk last Dec 9 2010 - Feb 11, 2011 Ekos Poll here
The push back has only begun on the unfunded Public Union pensions and benefits by the state governments in the United States. Our our Federal Budget needs to be balanced and blaming corporations won't work. Everyone is going to be asked to take a hair cut, including the largest public unions in Canada.
Canadians won't return to blaming job creators as greedy capitalists, we did not bailout our Banks or Bay Street. Canada has fared better than most in the developed economies. Canadians won't accept the "free lunch" or Robin Hood take from the rich to feed from the poor rhetoric anymore.
The gravy train for taxes by government appears to be coming to an end and this terrifies the central planners in our society. They can't find enough support to help them with their wealth redistribution schemes. Their ideology has failed everywhere it has been tried.
The left are deeply divided in Canada on how to steal power and suck more taxes from the productive members in society.
Our Democractic tradition of plurality (first past the post) vs for proportional representation (PR) is again getting publicity by our socialist engineers who are unhappy. Voters have rejected making changes in PEI, Ontario and BC.
The public soundly rejected the platform of the other leaders (three stooges) in a General election on October 14, 2008. Six weeks later, they tried again by foisting Stephane Dion as PM. The panic from their friends in the media inability's to reverse the slide is evident.
Bob Rae is not aging well and is in denial on what is important to Canadians, much like his rival Ignatieff. The Coalition was a bridge to nowhere.
...a flurry of polls late last week showed the exact opposite: an Ekos poll had Conservative support at 44 per cent, an Ipsos poll pegged it at 46 per cent, Praxicus placed it at 47 per cent, and Compas had the Conservatives at 51 per cent--with a massive 31-point lead over the Liberals.-December 9, 2008
The friends of socialism are busy trying to undermine the need for fiscal restraint by propping up the idea of another coalition of stooges with a new leader. The media are demostrating how out of touch they are with Canadians. They can keep pushing Iffy, Bobby as their next great white hope, to slay the evil right wing theocracy but Canadians are much smarter and have tuned out the noise. An election map would be evidence, but the friends of socialism don't actually bother themselves with inconvenient facts.
One Bailout too many. The left are always demanding taxpayers come to the rescue and support their friends.
By giving money to the banks, the governments, first of all, do not allow the financial system to become healthier, and secondly, they strengthen their own debt, and, thirdly, exacerbate the situation with the debts of financial sector. State leaders have forgotten the simple truth, that you cannot save the private sector at the cost of the bankruptcy of the state. - Death of Socialism or Death of Europe
In the U.S., Britain public support for the AGW apologists have taken a massive hit along with the media outlets. Many in the traditional media outlets have ignored, downplayed the conflict of interests in the activities of politicans, bureaucrats regarding the Carbon Market Trading Scheme.
The traditional media has failed in appearing objective or unbiased with their own agenda. The internet has seen many websites replace the first place for fact checking and information.
Germany, Italy, Spain have begun to announce spending cuts in order to avoid the public loss of confidence and state bankruptcy.
The Czech Civic Democratic Party and others that pledged to cut spending won the most votes in parliamentary elections as Czechs chose budget restraint amid the European debt crisis.- Bloombery May 30, 2010 An interesting publicity stunt was done to increase the vote was done here.
The same is taking place in Canada and the U.S. with polls showing the public want their government to excercise restraint in dealing with the debt and elimination of sweetheart deals of corporate-union welfare.
The political parties that get in the way of restraint, less spending will be joining the other political parties in the dustbin of history.
Paranoia and Fearmongering about some vast rightwing Christian movement to strip away of Rights and Freedoms in Canada on sale? What media outlets will help promote this narrative as credible?
The progressive people in the industry of advocacy of lobbying, selling books, presenting their own ideology about some socialist utopia on earth have their version of history and role others are allowed to play. I have no problem with the Carbon Footprint or the financial interests of Al Gore in regards to the Global Warming Agenda. I think if the media wish to ignore the potential bias or conflicts it does a disservice to their credibility in the long run and will eventually destroy their product or public image.
Spot the "Religious Right-wing Christian Neo-con" leader: compare the actions, policy position of two American Presidents George Bush, Barrack Obama and the Canadian PM Stephen Harper. How are they compared by our Canadian media and opposition leaders? Do they share the same views of abortion, SSM at home and abroad? Is funding for abortion allowed by Federal Tax dollars in the United States? What groups of visible minorities overwhelmingly voted against SSM in California?
How do progressives view the socialist governments of Eastern Europe, Soviet Union during after WWII through to 1990's? How did they feel about the spreading of communism in Central America, Cuba and Asia? Did these progressives tell the truth about the mass starvation, loss of individual rights in those countries? Do they turn a blind eye to the atrocities under the ideology of collectivism vs capitalism?
Western Democracies: Rule of Law
We have regular elections, a free press, how do we compare with those who don't have a free press, equality, women's rights or a democratic government? Do these advocates speak up against the injustice in those countries and groups that turn a blind eye?
Joyce Arthur -I'm a political activist for abortion rights and women's rights. I've written numerous articles and essays on abortion, feminism, sex work, evolution and atheism.
How Canada’s Christian right was built: Joyce Arthur on the “They’re more brazen and confident,” says Joyce Arthur, director of the Abortion Rights Coalition. “That’s the big change. Being in power has given them legitimacy.”
Joyce, gets it WRONG WRONG WRONG. An individual or group that DOESNOT share your ideology does not need to be in power to have legitimacy. They have already have that right guaranteed and protected in Canada. They don't have it Saudia Arabia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Hamas controlled territories. How are those battles against those countries and regimes where those rights you advocate going?
Interviewed by Wendy Mesley on CBC's The National May 11, McDonald suggested the ultimate meaning of dominionist and similar concepts was that "it means governed only by born-again Christians, according to biblical precepts. And it is a very small subset of this larger conservative Christian movement. But they have a lot of power, and they are very noisy and very well organized." Canadian Christianity
Is this a book that is anti-Christian, anti-religious, anti-extremist, does the author dig into the problems of religious fanaticism in every religious group and provide examples of how each extremist group is a danger to society we cherish as liberal and tolerant? I have NOT read the book, I don't have an informed opinion, I can only ask questions and look at the articles and clips provided to help promote her book.
The publisher, Toronto Star fail to notice: One of CCF’s leading representatives and in-house lawyers is outspoken atheist libertarian, Karen Selick. The TSTAR has updated their post.
Will the CBC give an author equal time to sell books about the Rise of Radical Islam and the danger is poses in Canada and the world? Will some media outlets give this author more free promotion to sell her book and other less if her message is controversial or unbiased?
Time will tell, is their a bias and if we have a problem with right wing extremist Christian agenda.
Where are the opposition parties, Public Unions, advocacy groups calling for divestment in regimes that don't have equality for women?
Bill C-2
In Parliament the Bloc and NDP hold 85 seats. I can't remember any Free Trade Bill they have ever supported. If you watch these two parties in Question Period they will suggest the environment, protecting Unions, union leaders, creating protectionist labour practices is the best method to advance protection including social justice.
Canada is a trading nation and it's 2/3 of it's GDP is based on that activity.
The NDP are repeatedly asked for a ANY free trade deal they have supported since the inception of Canada.
A worst offenders human rights index: Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Eygpt, North Korea, Sudan, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Libya, Burma, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Chad courtesty of The Guardian
The New Democrats cite support of PSAC, The United Church, Canadian auto workers, B.C. Teachers Union. Why are these special interest groups demanding 85 seats hold up the C-2 Free Trade deal?
Do you hear these parties consistently attack human rights abuses we suspend trade with China? Those 123 miners and their families could sure use some socialist support from our those 85 members of parliament over unsafe mining practices for labour or use of coal production increasing carbon emmissions. Compare the Oilsands exports to the U.S. vs Coal production and imports to China. Which is worse?
When I watch the NDP and Bloc attack Columbia, Oilsands production I ask myself why single out such a small country, Alberta when we have much bigger polluters and human right offenders. Why the selective outrage?
It is interesting reading about the horse-trading that takes place in American Politics. The Obamacare Bill would have not passed without the support of pro-life democrats securing an executive order making it illegal to fund abortion with the funds allocated to this Bill.
People from all sides are very unhappy with the passing of the Bill, citing the horse trading that took place for passage.
Horse-trading is commonly referred to as concessions in Canada.
In Canada the NDP were able to secure a $ 4.6 Billion spending increase and a delay in tax cuts from the Martin led Liberals. That horse-trading did not buy the Liberals a great deal of time from the NDP.
Some Liberals like blame Jack Layton's NDP for the election defeat and loss of a National Daycare, Kelowna deal. Voters on the other hand rewared the NDP with more seats and more popular support in 2006 and 2008.
Will Jack Layton risk those gains in 2010-2011 with the Liberals once again tacking left?
The media narrative is fun to watch as they twist themselves into knots criticizing the Harper led government. A favourite of mine, is he is not partial to making concessions with any party. He is too rigid and inflexible.
If you look at the same pundits they routinely ignore the largest spending increases in spending were in transfers to provinces for Education, Health and Social Services. The CPC did not institute a wholesale cancellation of Liberal policies they supported in opposition.
A small but vocal minority of conservatives are unhappy with the pace and depth of spending cuts. Some have argued it is better to have kept to a rigid set of promises and remain in opposition with your principles intact.
The majority of us are fluid and can move between the Liberals or Conservatives parties when a time out is necessary to punish the guests we vote in parliament. The Parliament is the house of the people for the people and not the house of the politicians.
The silly games in Ottawa always take place and our media has only added to the problem.
Demonization takes place in framing each other camp as a radical element
right wing, neo-con evangelical christian republican
socialist-Marxist Gaea followers
The Harper led government has been the longest serving minority government in Canadian history with
The Glory Days are back, with Peter Donolo at the helm. If you can't run on substantive ideas take an idealogical position and talk about a kinder, a smarter Canada. Talk about how every child should have the best education and grand parents the best medical treatment.
A small number of people participated in a three day conference in Montreal with invited guests from the Millionaire's club and the Ivory Tower. Are these the people needed to provide leadership for the Liberals?
The biggest problem with socialist policy idealogy of transferring the wealth is they suggest we are all equal and moving money to the less fortunate will lift all boats. History demonstrates otherwise.
Many of these people believe governments are better at growing our own money by taxing us and providing the necessary services.
Did it work for the Soviet Union or the socialist economies in Eastern Europe? How are the Western European countries with the socialist leaning policies faring today?
Do we trust the Liberals to lift all boats in pursuit of social justice, or do we take a different approach and encourage personal responsibility, effective regulation in order to advance personal freedoms?
Who will lead this merry band of brothers for a national campaign in uniting Canadians, Michael Ignatieff: Lost in translation.
It is also funny watching the socialists talk about the "common sense" revolution with Mike Harris in Ontario. Apparently many of them were also out of country with Ignatieff during that period.
Canadians remember what was promised by Liberals and actually delivered during those years. Our media forgets to paint the downloading of the Federal Liberals in excess of $ 25 Billion in Education, Healthcare, Social Services.
Leaders make priorities and tough decisions. Some are unpopular.
Ontario (deficits)/surplus:
June 1995 (11.1) Billion (Harris gov't took over in 1995)
95-96 (8.8)
96-97 (6.9)
97-98 (4.0)
98-99 (2.0)
99-00 0.7 Surplus
00-01 3.3 Surplus
Source: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/budget/ontariobudgets You can see every budget document there from 1996 to the present.
If you review these documents, you will also see that, contrary to the common misconception, the Harris government increased spending on Health & Education significantly over its term.
Also, Ontario's accumulated debt as of fiscal year 2005-06 was 141 Billion, or $12,000 per capita, compared to $8 Billion, or about $16,000 per capita for Newfoundland. (Source:http://www.budget.gov.nl.ca/budget2007/) h/t kshell@ Nik Nano comments If we are honest with ourselves we can agree the CPC are not following a hidden agenda in lockstep with a right wing neo-con movement with evangelical christians demanding women lose their productive rights. The opposition will have to introduce and present some real ideas, policies to win back support in parliament or on the six week campaign trail. I have no problem with the parties asking for a mandate.
