Watch Out Jack!

The NDP has done a lot of good to our country. They are responsible for Medicare, pensions and the expansion of our social safety network. In May 2005 they kept the Martin government afloat and obtained in return 4.6 billion extra dollars for affordable housing. Those were the days.

The current NDP, to be perfectly frank, is a total embarrassment. It was fine when Broadbent was there to keep them in check, but now…

Here’s a party which talks about getting things done. Sure, they’ve gotten lots done in the past few months: they’ve attacked the Liberals, and they’ve attacked the Liberals. In all fairness, Dion has stolen a number of issues they used to own (the environment, women’s rights, ect.), but instead of staying positive and demanding even more, they’ve turned into a Liberal bashing machine.

Voters aren’t stupid; they can normally be counted on to reward parties that have a positive impact. Layton got twenty-nine seats because he got money for affordable housing: he got something done, and Canadians rewarded him. Dion being the new Liberal leader means that they’ll lose a few of those seats, regardless of their performance, but if they keep their current strategy going, they could end up losing official party status.

Campaign Spending Caps

The conservative government launched a series of attack-ads aimed at Liberal leader Stéphane Dion. They began airing Monday morning and will be featured on the February 4^th Super Bowl. These ads will obviously cost a hefty sum, but the conservatives can afford it, they're rich!

Now, here’s the catch: our New Conservative and Accountable Government (NCAG for short) passed the Federal Accountability Act, which includes a very strict cap on election campaign spending.

The logical conclusion to draw from that bold move is that the Liberals have historically had deeper pockets than the cons. Correct! But now, the roles are reversed. Stephen Harper is swimming in cash while the Liberals are still paying up their convention debt.

Now, let’s do a quick summary: Harper can afford these ads because he’s rich, but because of his accountability act, he won’t be able to spend as much on his campaign later.

Well you know what? That’s wrong. Harper can spend all he wants because the law doesn’t consider these negative ads to be campaign spending!

Sure, an election hasn’t been called yet, so it technically isn’t a campaign expenditure, but what’s the point of capping campaign spending it the richer parties can simply spend their money before it officially begins? This law exists to stop parties from buying elections, but if they are still allowed to spend an unlimited sum before the campaign officially begins, then it serves no purpose. It may actually a negative effect because richer parties have an incentive to spend their campaign money all year round, thus putting the country in a permanent election mode.

Stéphane, You Can Do Better Than That!

One of the key factors that led liberal delegates to pick Stéphane Dion over front-runner Michael Ignatieff was no doubt Ignatieff’s apparent lack of political judgment. His Quana dithering and his move to recognize Québec as a nation made him a risky bet for delegates, who understood all too well the importance of keeping the party out of controversy. Dion was an experienced politician, a man of principle and integrity who could help the party move on from the sponsorship scandal.

But wait a minute…

Yesterday, Mr. Dion suggested lifting the lifetime ban on party membership imposed by Paul Martin on former Québec Campaign Manager Marc-Yvon Côté, who distributed $120 000 in cash to twelve Québec liberal candidates. Mr. Dion stated that a lifetime ban on Mr. Côté was perhaps too severe.

You’re joking Stéphane, right? Weren’t you supposed to be turning the page on the sponsorship scandal? Allowing this guy back into the party certainly isn’t the way to go about it.

Talk about a massive screw-up, I don’t even think Iggy could have pulled that one off.

La chute, libre!

Le point commun entre Ségolène Royal et André Boisclair : ils sont chacun en chute libre dans les sondages.

Ça ce comprend!

Ségolène Royal débute sa campagne présidentielle avec une forte avance sur son plus proche rival. Il lui aurait suffit de dire quelques mots et d’afficher son beau sourire pour devenir la sixième présidente de la 5^ème république. Mais non! Elle a l’idée de vanter ses connaissances en géopolitique mondiale. Résultat : Elle félicite les tribunaux chinois d'être « plus rapides que les tribunaux français, » et se dit en faveur de la souveraineté du Québec. Brillant!!

Quant à Boisclair, n’en parlons pas. Le jour de son accession à la chefferie du PQ, il jouissait d’une avance quasiment insurmontable. Comme dans le cas de Ségo, il lui suffisait faire le beau pour remporter une victoire facile. Mais, brillant stratège, il décide de se donner une image d’homme du peuple en apparaissant dans une parodie du film Brokeback Mountain dans laquelle se trouvent deux cowboys nus portant les visages de George Bush et Stephen Harper. Quel bon goût.

EnerGuide for Houses = ecoENERGY Retrofit

Citing high administrative costs, our Conservative Government decided to scrap the EnerGuide for Houses program.

The objective of the EnerGuide for Houses program, as cited in the 2004-2005 Report to Parliament under the Energy Efficiency Act: To encourage Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their houses.”

Today, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn unveiled the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, clearly demonstrating the Conservative Government’s ongoing commitment to the environment.

The objective of the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, as cited on the website of the Ministry of Natural Resourses: To offer financial support and information to encourage the retrofit of homes, small buildings and industrial processes.

Our Conservative Government clearly understood the need to replace the costly and inefficient EnerGuide for Houses program with the new and innovative ecoENERGY Retrofit program.

Harpercrite

I don't want to scare anyone here, but not only do these comments all come from the same guy, this guy is our Prime Minister.

I don't know all the facts on Iraq, but I think we should work closely with the Americans.

I will stand up for Canada.

Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it.

Canada is the best country in the world.

This is wrong. It is not fitting with the greatness of our history or with our standing as a
nation.

The Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.

If, back in the mid 1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.

We will address the issue of greenhouse gasses.

The NDP is kind of proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men.

I respect Mr. Layton.

You readers might also be intereseted in reading a speech Mr. Harper made to an audience of Americans in which he refered to the Republican Party as a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world.

Here is the link: http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/leadersparties/harper_speech.html


And just so I don't get accused of plagiarism, the cartoon was drawn by Gable of the Globe and Mail. There! I've cited my sources.

So I'm Starting A Blog

So it's settled then, I've started a blog!

Let's start by setting a few things staight. I'm fourteen, I havn't finished High School, and I have never attended a writting class in my life. So why on earth am I doing this?

Well... if the Conservatives were out of office, Canada was honouring the Kyoto Protocol, and I was living in Ottawa in a spacious and comfortable house, I probably wouldn't have bothered. But alas, none of the above statements are true, meaning that a few times a week, you, my precious reader, will get a glimpse into my experiences, my ideas, and whatever else I feel like telling you.`

I often get carried away by issues that really bother me, but I promise to stay polite and objective. If I happen to hurt anyone or to adopt incoherent positions, don't hesitate to email me. And if you simply disagree with whatever I wrote, which is bound to happen a few times, also feel free to contact me and we'll have a positive and constructive argument.