….I will mess with you in some unspecified way until I am done — and make no doubt, my friend, that it will continue to remain indeterminate what being “done” would entail in this instance, inasmuch as I am using the past participle of “do” without actually giving any — non-Delphic — indication of what specific actions I would necessarily have had to have completed in order to….
Stephen Harper, on today’s meeting with Michael Ignatieff to discuss possible E.I. reforms:
“It is very difficult to respond to an ultimatum that contains no ultimatum…Usually you say ‘do X, or else.’ You don’t just say ‘or else.'”
As I said on the rutherford show today, the mid-term impact of this screw-up by iggy could spell the end of him as leader.
Compare his conduct to Dion. With dion as leader it was the dream team – dryden, rae iggy etc. The emphasis was not on the leader. With iggy as leader it is all iggy all the time. even their fundraising ads have the slogan “the power of one”.
But iggy’s support within the party is very shallow and concentrated to the right. The recent backing of the removal of the faint hope clause was not well-liked by the left of the party.
And now Iggy looks just as ineffectual and even less interested in the country than dion.(If he is so concerned about the country why didn’t he call harper to talk about it during the last five months?)
And the MSM looks to have lost its patience with him.
If the economy shows solid signs of recovery this fall the opportunity for the liberals to oust the CP will have been misssed for at least a couple of years and that interlude could see the knives come out against Iggy.
Count Beetlebrow McBean is one tough dude. Maybe when he’s done messin’ he’ll have his second, Minion McGollam visicount sur la Vichy Ridge administer the coup de grace by running over PMSH with his non north american car. Sad really.
I have come to the conclusion, and there is plenty of evidence to support it, that Iggy is scared to death of becoming the Prime Minister of ANYTHING – let alone Canada.
Think about it. Those on the Right have been saying for a long time now that Obummer had never even run a hot dog stand let alone the greatest economy the world has ever seen. Can we not make the same statement of Michnettief? He might possibly not even be able to balance his own cheque-book let alone that of the nation.
What is it about this man that can make people believe that he can lead a nation? Given his lack of experience in running a business of any kind and in fact a void of experience in leading people in any type of endeavour, how can anyone come to the conclusion that this man can run an entire country?
We know (harrumf – harrumf) that Michael is an “intellectual” – after all he blasted the proposed “coalition government” but that was after he signed his name in approval of it. He is ahead in the polls, allthough only slightly.
When faced with the prospect of bringing down the government I just know that he would dearly love to do so – except for one thing – it just might lead to him becoming the Prime Minister of Canada.
That, my friends, quite frankly scares the shit out of him because, in his intellectuality, he knows that he is ill-suited for the job.
He would have to stop being a “teacher” and morph into a “doer”. He just hasn’t got the guts. He is THE great pretender.
The Decima/Harris poll result, with only 14% of Canadians surveyed wanting an election now, was a touch deflating for Ignatieff.
I just wish we had a Parliament bent on getting the job done. There’s far too much heckling and posturing.
“I’m trying to make Parliament work for the benefit of those unemployed people. … But he’s got to listen to me with respect.”
That’s what it’s all about with Count Igula…he’s sure that he’s so much smarter than the rest of us, but we’re not all showering him with the respect that he deserves.
Of course, in academia you’re most respected by two groups: your peers and your students. The latter simply because respect (real or feigned) is a prerequisite for a passing grade and the former…well, that’s a club I wouldn’t want to be a part of.
“…Mr. Ignatieff joked that “the idea of a long summer of discussions with Stephen Harper is not the nicest possible way to spend a summer, but for the sake of my country, I’m willing to try anything.”
Gosh, anything? How about putting a sock in it for a change and letting the grown-ups who aren’t just playing at being politicians get on with running the country rather than wasting a busy prime minister’s time with nonsensical chest-beating, when the governance of the country is proceeding apace, when no one wants a summer election and neither the country nor the Liberal party can afford one, and when there is nothing resembling a substantive issue on the table that comes remotely close in the mind of any intelligent person to warranting forcing one?
Not shy at all about stroking himself in public, this guy, eh? If he wasn’t such a tool I’d feel embarrassed for him.
When it comes right down to it, the Liberals see the writing on the wall. They know that the economy will recover, and that it is recovering right now. The Liberals also know that if they don’t get into power soon, that people may actually realize, “Hey, the Conservatives did a good job, and I’m still here.” And then a few more voters might say, “Maybe I’ll vote Blue next time!”
In 2006, the Liberals tasted defeat for the first time really since gaining power in 1993. They don’t like it! The Liberals want power – period! To them Canada isn’t issue number 1, nor are Canadians lives and families and jobs (i.e. Employment Insurance). Liberals just don’t care to sit in Opposition. If there is an election, that’s the reason for it.
It took awhile, but finally a fracturing between the Puffin and the MSM is beginning to appear. Even through their leftist eyes, they can see the farcical comedy that this pretender presents, and it finally dawns on them that he’s not making them look very good either. Mind you, that’s only a few. Afterall, it would take some major deprogramming to salvage a modicum of objectivity of this pack.
What a contrast! Stephan Harper coolly and calmly laying out the facts, while this nincompoop has the audacity to lecture and denigrate the PM and his govt as if he were grading a homework assignment from his lowly students in one of his ‘Let’s pretend you were a world exaulted ruler’ BS classes. The ridiculousness is palpable, and everyone is starting to see it.
A palace revolt? Not yet, I say, but the leash is a little shorter and a few party insiders are wondering just what was in that Koolade anyway??
You don’t just say, “or else… I’ll go back to my real job near Boston”?
Ignatieff can’t hold talks with PM Harper this summer, he has a European book tour and the plane is waiting. Cheers.
Funny how it doesn’t matter a tinker’s damn whether or not the voters want an election. The Libs are out and they want back in. Their poll numers are up! (What’s up with that?)
7 months since the last election but who cares? The voters? Who the hell do they think they are? The coalition is way in the past. The new crisis is the fact that Iggnatieff is NOT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT!
It’s time! The Great One is on the scene.
What a pathetic country
Harper is schooling Ignatieff on the dangers of initiating a gunfight without bullets in your gun.
Iggy wants to avoid an election at all costs and Harper does not want to go through this every three months.
Tomorrow they will come out with a commitment to reform EI that will secure the support of the Liberals until next spring.
Welcome to the new Coalition! heh
I think the PM is giving Biffy a quick course in Economics 101. No wonder he wants to learn something from anybody except the LIEberals.
Biffy, the self apointed dictator of the LIEberal party, has no policies, no vision, no money, and a “I” personality. At least DeYawn and Biffy have one thing in common – they know nothing about Canada, and we are not their students that jump at their every command – like the present LIEberals.
Lots of speculation this morning on the contents of the “meeting” to continue to hold meetings.
Lots of possible outcomes can be speculated on too.
-Iggy gets Harper to create a blue-ribbon panel on EI. But Iggy will have a tough sell with the “hawks”(Bob Rae) in the libearl caucus – Fife
Here’s one I haven’t heard yet, but if the “meetings” keep going for many more days it could become the talking point of the “Un-named source”(tm). That in a game-changing decision Harper has asked Iggy to form a coalition government for one year….utter speculation I assure you…think of the outcome of that?
Harper could have a tough sell on his hands for sure, but moreso Iggy, then of course the considerible consternation for the Bloc and the NDP. Of course the MSM would love such an outcome as they would be able to set up a garden industry around a coalition watch….but heres the rub regardless of the plethoria of speculation…all Harper has to do is rag the puck till the end of the week and have every CPC MP in the house come friday, becuase on friday every media org reporting on the vote will be counting heads and breathlessly trying to be first out of the gate to report on whether we have an election, or starting the countdown on the next liberal coup.
I have long since lost any confidence that any of these guys are doing anything of what they are doing because they care about Canada or Canadians.
Iggy has turned out to be a rather feeble opponent, and Mr. Harper has not had to raise his game, even if he could.
I long for the day, a couple of years ago, when I actually thought I had a principled leader.
I’m sure iggy is tired of all this politics stuff, although I don’t think he’s admitted it to himself, let alone the party.
A few more months of this dithering, then comes the announcement, the retreat out of Canada, then the coronation by the media as “the best prime minister we never had…”
Can Iggy sell it to Bob rae and the left wing of the caucus.
My suspicion is that even if they do then warfare will have begun again…and the HMCS Grit develops many many leaks. Weapons that point at the deck and not at the sky.
What has Kinsella had to say, I dont want to go there so any if anyone can pracee grand vizier that would be appreciated.
old Lori,
We do have a principled leader. One need only look at the stand he has made with respect to Israel and Canada’s absence in some of the anti-Semitic conferences cloaked under the title of a UN working group.
With respect to domestic politics, Mr Harper’s hands are tied because the very constituency which vote regularly for the NDP or the Liberals will never stray from the two. However, the Conservatives know that their constituency (except perhaps for Alberta) is fickle…much like yourself and would vote for another party in order to “punish” the Conservatives for not moving fast enough on tax reform, or dismantling the HRCs, or dismantling the gun registry, or getting rid of the CBC even though we all know that tabling such legislation to Parliament would trigger a motion of non-confidence. Thus, the optics of the Conservatives plunging the country into another election (at the cost of 100’s of millions of dollars) during a recession would probably hand the reins of power to the Liberals. This is a democracy, and politics must be played no matter how much principle a leader has.
Therefore, I believe your comment is either an attempt at insulting PM Harper or not thought out to its logical conclusion.
~~favill~~
“One of those “yeses” involved changes to employment insurance that would allow self-employed Canadians to pay into the program.”
And how many self-employed do not even show income they make nor file a return? That number of self-employed can not be counted using your toes iggy!
Igantieff has flipped on more topics then a fish out of water,EG: Tax increase yes no i did not say that.
MSM are already painting him as another weak leader, However on that point watch the Summer BBQ circus the MSM will try to change the color of the paint.
Are the Liberal KingPins seeing that the Mesiah is not the leader they thought they had. With just a coronation & no leadership campaign Are the Bosses still wanting for Bob Rae? Afterall he would be the favorite Puppet.
On the CP & PM’s poll #’s tanking, History shows that any sitting Govt’s popularity shrinks in times of recession, Until signs of recovery start & those disgruntled start to sway back with the turning tide.
After watching Power Play, I agree with Carole Taylor. The party seen as the party that caused an Election would get pummeled at the polls, And we are in unprecident times with voter distaste for a 5th election in as many yrs, They want to see governance & action to get the country working again. Canadians are sick & Tired of the threats to topple the govt.
iggy is toast. he has upset the MSM talking heads and they now realize he’s weak and indecisive.
In other words, he’s an easy target.
Let the opening barrage begin.
“old Lori,
We do have a principled leader. One need only look at the stand he has made with respect to Israel and Canada’s absence in some of the anti-Semitic conferences cloaked under the title of a UN working group, etc.etc.”
Posted by: favill at June 17, 2009 8:38 AM
Well said – favill!
Favill – there is no chance of me ever voting for a Liberal candidate or party to “punish” the CPC. I’ll vote CPC almost no matter what, though in my riding it is a futile gesture, since Bob Rae is my MP.
I’m just disillusioned. Most of what I have seen coming out of the PM’s office since the fall of last year has been disappointing. I remember the leaders’ debate in the last election, as Mr. Harper stood his ground calmly while the other four attacked him constantly and shrilly. I admired him then. My kids watched, and admired him.
I have not seen that kind of strength from him since then. I think he has made some bad decision or taken some bad advice. Sure there are excuses. I’ve been hearing them constantly since then. But excuses aren’t substitutes for real leadership.
I can see a problem with the self-employed being ably to collect EI. What is to stop a person from working for himself, paying the premiums for the required hours them shutting down “collect” until the EI runs out and then repeats the process the next year? Just a thought.
RobC,
You raise good points. They are controllable. But the essential issue is you now have two classes of workers, those who are hired as an employee and those who are hired as a contractor.
In both cases work can dry up and income cease. One is protected the other is not. But eing an independent contractor you get access to tax beefits others do not.
This is the balancing act that needs to be struck. Harper was right, it is more complicated than the “I” thinks. I am sure the “I”‘s policy brain would quickly realize that as it was explained to him. I am sure Iggy is pre disposed to thinking that things are complicated and requiring study. The details may be but the priciple isnt.
However, Iggy is used to being the “smart guy”. Smart guys often are subject to being glib. because after a bit of study they “figure it out”…well they figure out 80% of the problem, but not the last 20% of the detail to make it work.
I dont think Iggy wanted an election, and I think he has a major caucus issue from the Chretienites. If he cannot deliver his caucus then Harper gets to wipe his hands and say, it isnt me, I tried this guy isnt a reasonable negotiating partner, or the Liberal party cannot be trusted.
Trudeau pulled something like this when Mulroney entered the House. They put a resolution on the table regarding Quebec. It would mean MBM either couldnt descipline his pre Quebec sweep caucus or deliver a statement that the Liberals could live with.
MBM was able to whip his caucus into line and it set the stage for his sweep of Quebec. This doesnt have the same upside potential for Iggy, but it does have the downside risk if he cannot deliver.
Watching and waiting.
If this EI thing was so important to Igyy, then why didn’t he bring it up a few months ago when the govt. was making the budget? Instead he waits until one week before summer holidays and then starts tryng to make changes to the budget that was already passed by him months ago. Do none of the liberal supporters see the stupidity of this? This leads me to believe he really doesn’t care about EI but was going to use it to force a summer election because his polling numbers were up, but chickened out at the last minute when he saw people didn’t want an election and it was going to hurt him. Great leadership there! How can anybody support the Liberals when they so obviously only care about themselves? Where are the new polls, I bet they have changed a little in the past week?
I think many Canadians, enough to deliver a majority to the right person, are looking for a principled leader who puts Canadians’ interests above partisan politics.
There was a time when Ignatieff was being painted by the media as perhaps being that person. If he had managed to keep that image viable while navigating the rapids of parliamentary and partisan party politics, he would have been a formidable opponent.
However, his true colours and weakness as a leader have been revealed in the past couple of months, and it seems that the emperor has no clothes indeed. Good that we found out. Now the CPC has to rise to the occasion. Less pettiness, more substance.
Perhaps Harper reminded Iggy about the Chretien-Martin Liberals restricting claim access to EI so significantly that the contributions to the EI fund exceeded what was paid out by $54 billion. The Liberals then took this $54 billion surplus out of the EI fund to and used it to underwrite large holes in the budget left from large tax cuts to the largest LPC patronage corporations – banks, Insurance etc.
Perhaps Harper asked Iggy where that 54 billion went.
Then there is the part about the Supreme Court of Canada saying that Ottawa illegally collected employment insurance contributions for three years under the former Liberal government.
Perhaps Harper reminded Iggy of this and asked him if public knowledge of this may help the people decide who was best left in charge of the EI cookie jar.
Tapirs (, as in “taper”, or , as “ta-pier”) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapir
Any one of several species of large odd-toed ungulates with a long prehensile upper lip
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tapir
Although they are mistaken for pigs, tapirs are related to horses and rhinos. Shy, solitary, feeding on plants, tapirs can weigh up to 300 …
http://www.conservation.org/resources/glossary/Pages/t.aspx
What’s that?
With a “B”.
Oh sorry my mistake.
And how many self-employed do not even show income they make nor file a return? That number of self-employed can not be counted using your toes iggy!
Being self employed I have had to fill out the Record of Employment for my employees. Firstly, EI premiums are based on income, so if you claim very little income then you also pay very little in premiums. That also means than your Record of Employment must match with what you have previously submitted, and since EI payments are calculated on what you paid/earned, then if you’ve paid virtually nothing, you will collect virtually nothing. I can attest to many phone calls from the bureaucrats verifying down to the penny what my employee made. My questions arise as to how they will determine the income over say a 3 month period? For a lot of small businesses you receive your payments, subtract all your expenses and at the end of the year your accountant tells you what you earned that year. Our receivables are pretty consistent throughout the year, but what about farmers, or king crab fishermen or others that make a pile of money over a short period and then rest for the remainder of the year? Complicated to be sure.
The problem as I see it is the Old Liberals stole most of their good policy ideas. Some were Conservative ( by any name) and some were from the NDP. With a Conservative government they can only steal from the NDP and the Bloc. They float an idea, find out why the NDP is not electable and the Bloc has only one regions intrest at heart. Then they change their mind to ..whatever.
I think it was very obvious that Iggy had a meeting with the bankers on the weekend and they shot him down for a second time.
Iggy, Iggy, Iggy
Oink, oink, oink!!!
Ken,
If that was the case it would be another point for the Con proposed legislation to ban long term loans for politics.
It absolutely should only ever be financed with funds you have raised. If deb isnt outright banned, then it should short term only, ie repaid within 60 days of an election being finished.
Bankers shouldnt be allowed to decide, but then again the Liberal Party shouldnt be in that position in the first place.
Maybe they are discussing how Iggy can cross the floor
Call me crazy, but I believe Iggy’s best move would be to cross the floor to the Conservative Party.
Individually, he seems to be out of step with the rest of the Party of Slime.
I give him full points for integrity. He did turn his back on the coalition, but finds himself being directed by the left-leaning wackjobs in the party.
After being out of the country for 34 years, Iggy likely did not realize the party of his youth had moved so far left and that the Conservative Party more reflects his values.
Call me nuts, but I think he would be a good fit in today’s Conservative Party.
The Mothercorp. Gregg/Coyne/Hebert gabfest Monday night was very negative on Iggy, with a strong consensus that he is all hat and no cowboy.
At the end of the Iggy flaying Peter Mansbridge weakly asked whether there was anything about the day that looked good on him.
Chantal Hebert basically replied “not really”.
Bart:
Add the Globe and Mail to the horrified lefty MSM, who are shocked by the apparently sensible approach by Iggy.
set you free: the fact that you say iggy would be a good fit in today’s conservative party tells me we need a new conservative party, obviously one we have isn’t right enough. The further right you go, the smaller the government gets with fewer publicly funded programs. That’s what we need.
Rick from AB: Amen!
set you free – I’m more sceptical of Ignatieff’s integrity.
You say he turned his back on the Coalition. No, he signed it. He rejected it only when it became very clear that Canadians were in the majority strongly opposed to it. That’s called opportunism not integrity.
As for his basic beliefs, and that includes his previous support for the US and its anti-terrorist stance, yes, I say that ‘back then’, he was more to the ‘right’ than the ‘left. However, was this also an aspect of opportunism even then?
I’d have to conclude that overshadowing and indeed guiding his beliefs is his opportunism.
old lori said
I long for the day, a couple of years ago, when I actually thought I had a principled leader.
Favill and Joe Molnar get your head out of your rear end and have a good look around.
Like old lori I am discouraged with Harper and the CPC. However they are the best of a rotten lot so what makes you think I or lori would vote lower.
EI. Like every thing else if brought in for self employed will soon become manditory.
Rick and ET:
A short history lesson, if I may.
When the Liberals elected Dion, he took the party on a hard-left course, where they were somewhat indistiguishable from Layton’s more radical marxism.
That gave Harper and the Conservative Party and opportunity to seize the middle ground, which had traditionally be held by the Liberal Party.
Then, they elected Iggy, who is now trying to reclaim the ground Dion gave up.
Harper himself said something like: “We’re going to position ourselves in Canada’s middle, then slowly move the middle to the right.”
The only way Iggy can win is to outflank Harper to the right. But, that would be at odds with the Dion-era MP’s. So, Iggy is kinda stuck with a bunch of aging commies, who take the “state has a responsibility of compassion and to give a voice to the voiceless” thing seriously.
That was the former turf of prairie populist NDP.
To my way of thinking, Iggy has nowhere to manoeveur (sp?) because his instincts are for a Liberal Party that now only exists in the Conservative Party.
He’s a man out of place and time.
That’s why heads are exploding in the left-leaning MSM, who understand Iggy does not represent the majority interventionist viewpoint that today’s Liberal Party stands for.
Questions?
The only place Iggy fits is in a university, where the majority of his peers are reality hicks too stupid to understand reality or comprehend the practicality of most anything. He is but another academic word whore in the trudeau mold and not nearly as slick as the street corner hustler down south.
“Perhaps Harper asked Iggy where that 54 billion went….Perhaps Harper reminded Iggy of this and asked him if public knowledge of this may help the people decide who was best left in charge of the EI cookie jar.” Posted by: watcher in the rye
I agree fully. If the 54 billion were in the EI acount Canadians would have easly surrived this global economic storm. [I put the total blame on the LIEberals.]
I think Harper should remind Canadians how the LIEberals stole from contributers. Biffy was given a gift by Harper and should be very thankful that he was given a seond chance – unlike what Biffy did to DeYawn.
Either way, the LIEberals should look at the leadership of Biffy, he flip-flops worse than DeYawn – but what do you expect from somebody thinks the Puffin should be the LIEberal Party mascot.
West:
Finished with the personal attacks?
I’m sure you have the mental capacity to rise above that level. Once you look at the issues, you too will realize that Iggy is a much better fit in the Conservative Party.
Explain to me why the CBC and Globe’s heads are exploding now? It’s because they’ve realized he’s much more sensible than the rest of his party.
This argument among Mr. Harper and Mr. Iggnit can be good or bad side of lets be optometric it bring good, While Canada less likely in future can find majority government since Canada are so diverse and number of people and background cause all need to live and not one gain more than other blame to where you come from Ontario-Montreal or Calgary- Vancouver. Canada needs to concentrate for Canadian life style and economic relief first and put all foreign policy as second priority
====
There are so many options available for government to help
Poor, unemployed, low income, university students, mid class worker or family and CEO and small business and big cooperation, all must categorized and mix and match area together such as put rich and mid class with reason not by hate or advantage one over others while understand grow of each not need to always all people work or seat with each other
Or put student and small business in one area and put poor and unemployed in one area. Please do not put subsidized housing near rich area in North York to cause more crime in area since both kids go to school one is extreme rich an done is extreme poor in one school like AY Jackson can not match together one like to buy so much food afford by their parents in break and not afford bread on table. I am not favor of racism or put down poor I am favor of be realistic and grow and take care of each group separately not favor to each other with not reason. Please give so many people live in Canada with family first one place to live and no tax on first house to buy.
What people minimum need is? 1) Food on table consider number of people in household and understand minimum food cost, for family of 2 verses 5 for enough nutrition to eat
2) second we have lots of high-rise condominium in different value built almost empty and useless can be used them for government buy them for better need for Canadian to live there such as: shelter subsidized housing or name it place for university residence place for military and police and armies can live with security around each separate from each other
even include people who loose their job and no afford existing rent or house need place to live separate from others people said above and elderly place to live for seniors and children abuse leave their house need shelter or etc…
business people employee labor who work for government office need to live in condominium close to for example down town then government can built or buy already built one for purpose of use Canada land reduce stress
Saving for every body in healthy ways
Be realistic for example welfare is not released or insurance benefit is not give realistic value money when they loose their job or not able to find job
In order reduce anxiety, most employees able to work concentrate if they have minimum to live
While each above house can be separate level, Like regular worker even CEO can live in certain high right close to their job and not pay rent and tax, Cut tax from home property, please let rather collect more tax government use and act like government business act to made or create job and get feed back to government rather government pay tax to itself used those hidden tax profit to made Candia life style better. For minimum compare with each level and let each know difference and respect and need as garbage truck driver need to respect as his job done as CEO in different level as big company’s brain.
In Iranian national gas company offered free house for regular worker or engineer or CEO free while they are working to seat and work and they are fix their houses renovation free to made people concentrate of the main job only seat and work or only seat and study if you are student or if you are police or military need free house with good condition to allow them to work better for security not able to worry of pay rent or home or food
nothing above is free this is bring better return back to government reduce crime reduce corruption and better life style and less argument among married couple that majority of argument is money cause divorce
Or think it so many things will come out of this, If you gain all and not do your job you go one level back word house and if you good worker you go in big ladder up not stock in subsidized housing list for every for 6 years is corrupted system can bring. People who loose their job need to get help well since they have potential to find job sooner
3) Government can do so much for better living: spiritually healthy and emotionally and family and science and knowledge or fun
Like you must see or check body of how you eat and take care to calculate your body with real age group I saw Opera other day she said she has
Growth cause her gain weight and brought lady who was 44 but she was age body is 65 years and after 1 years therapy of healthy body and take care and reduce anxiety she now have 45 with body healthy of 41.7 . In order to rich that level need specific health and spiritual attached to it which is lack in Canada life style too In USA is worst. Doctors in Canada need to act made sense and let patient have copy of their report and some can talk direct to doctor some can not need organization to help like assistant patent to allow doctor know exactly what is wrong with patients to help patient case based collect fact since doctor can made mistake and patient may not report proper symptoms to doctors as well and some doctor are hid information from one doctors or test to scared loose patient must allow patient to find good family doctor take care of them Now if you made health as example we have similar over issue in here; And you can worth more to take care of your life style since you can worth living better .What cause people like Opera rich today in USA is talking main topic of day and who knows their directions right or wrong but show some research made them still so many people listen to themCanada problems is different than US problems or Iran problems or people must face this is not London or Tehran this is Canada face problems here to solve it before talk else where first help yourself then donot forgot to help other after.
Clown Party: “If the 54 billion were in the EI acount Canadians would have easly surrived this global economic storm. [I put the total blame on the LIEberals.]”
Two points: the money in the EI account was used by the Liberals to balance the federal budget. I’m not saying I agreed with this trick, but the money couldn’t have simply been left in the EI account *and* the deficit eliminated — unless of course very serious further cuts had been made in the ’90s.
Second — and you don’t have to be a Liberal to realize this — if the Harper government hadn’t continued the Martin govt’s practice of letting federal spending get out of control instead of limiting it to the rate of inflation and population growth, then the country would have been in *much* better position to face the recession. Some will say that Harper had no choice, that he had to spend to stay in power (I don’t agree, by the way). But budgets are about choices, and we judge the principles of governments by the choices they make.
I applaud the Harper govt. for many things they’ve done, but c/Conservatives have a lot of reasons to be disappointed.
MJ:
There’s a practical component that’s necessitated by the fact Canada currently has a minority parliament.
“One of those “yeses” involved changes to employment insurance that would allow self-employed Canadians to pay into the program.”
The Great State of New Jersey mandates that Company principals pay into EI if they receive a salary
The State does not allow said Principles to receive benefits.
It’s a one-way Street
old Lori,
I believe that PM Harper realizes that amongst the federal parties and federal leaders…he and the Conservatives are probably the best leader and party to deal with the current economic problems to ensure Canada comes out of it without going heavily into debt like our US cousin and as the Liberals and NDP are hoping to do if they seize control of Parliament. He is fighting a delaying action until better economic times come around..to do this he must trade “ground” for time. In this case, “ground” is defined as policies which conservatives would like to see passed and taking part in activities which conservatives instinctively abhor, such as spending more money than you earn or going into debt. Having said this, the idea of any rear guard action is to gird your strength for the counter-attack to destroy the enemy on ground of your choosing at the time of your choice.
By all objective international measures, Canada is alone in the G20 in that although we are feeling economic stress, it does not nearly equate to some of the more extensive problems that western Europe or even the US will experience in the near and long term. We will “turn the corner” much sooner than the rest of the world by at least 12 months (in the most conservative estimate). When that happens, PM Harper will probably “stop playing nice” and force the issue. That is when we, the common conservative foot-soldier must mobilize and take part in our duty to vote and to ensure that the Conservative’s message is not lost in the “white noise” of the CBC. It will be through venues such as “small dead animals”, “five feet of fury”, etc that we, the conservative element of Canada’s population must make our message heard and push our vision of what Canada should be. Don’t count on the MSM to push it…WE MUST BE THE ARBITER OF CHANGE.
~~favill~~