Boolinda

Von Helsing

How dare you call your dog belinda. Don't you know that is derogatory towards all women everywhere in the world.

Listened to Bill Good this morning saying how suprised he was at all the women who thought calling belindabitch a "bitch" was just awful. I tried to phone him to ask him to break down the women who replied into feminists and real women but couldn't get through. Oh well, I'm sure he will have another program or 6 about it even though he is suprised that the story just won't go away. HELLO-of course it won't go away if you(Bill Good) keep talking about it. What a bunch of hypocrites the MSM are.

Horny Toad

"Bellebita" I suggest for one of your puppies, Kate. Schnauzers are small ( 'bitty' as in 'itty-bitty') dogs and I am sure one of them ( if not all) will be a real 'belle' ..as in beautiful.

As to Belindazilla.... she earned most, if not all, the criticism she is getting and maybe she 'IS' one.. maybe she is just a rich one..used to getting what she wants when she wants it and politics is her latest playground.
Who knows? She will get bored with this playground eventually just as she has done with husbands and boyfriends... ( though I hear the 'bent one' is hangin' in there' ) .
Do we really care?
I find that , on a national scale, taking into account the real problems we have and the real issues facing our country and our society, she is just really of no account.
In more ways than one.

Oooh. Ouch.

"My Belinda is having puppies."

I like it.

Kate, I hope your dog can't read. If she could and saw that you called her Belinda she may turn on ya.

Robert Spencer is in fine form today with a must read rant.

"Oh yes, I'm biased"

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/013824.php#comments

Belinda is not such a bad name.
Now, Beyoko... that'd be inviting trouble.

No one's ever going to call anything Beheathermills.

You're not whelping the situation, Kate.

you can call the runt jack-o-layton.

The runt! LOL

".....Where's Pa goin' with the axe? cried Fern....."

STOPIGGY L'ARRETEZL'IGGY

The Iggy and the damage done
L. Ian MacDonald, National Post

"... Ignatieff proposes to reopen the fundamental bargain of Confederation -- the division of powers between Ottawa and the provinces in sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution.

And having said all that, including the recognition of Quebec's national status, he goes on to say that it wouldn't confer any additional powers on Quebec. In other words, it wouldn't mean anything. So, why go there?

Well, in the beginning, it was about making a good impression on Quebec delegates to the Liberal leadership convention. And Ignatieff did very well there, winning 39% of the 1,050 Quebec delegates elected on the September "super weekend."

But then, 11 days ago in Montreal, the Ignatieff forces took the nation question to an entirely different level, supporting a resolution sent to the leadership convention recognizing the "historical and social reality" of the "Quebec nation within Canada."

When it was just one front-running candidate proposing this, the only person he could blow up was himself. The moment such a resolution was sent forward for debate, it threatened to blow up the convention.

A convention held in Quebec. On the one issue that could tear the Liberal party apart. By language. By region. By the very idea of country. Quebec as a nation in the party of Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien? So much for the hype of Ignatieff as the second coming of Trudeau. ...-
canada post

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2006/11/01/2196844-sun.html

Stronach is not demanding an apology of Norman Spector. "I have been a politician for a short time and I have developed thick skin, so I think people will judge Norman Spector's comments for what they are," said Stronach.

Developed a thick skin?? in the last week or so?

Guess it must be harder to score political points on a broadcaster on the other side of the continent than it is to rail against the conservatives in Ottawa.

Fourteen years at this inner city address and I've never, never, had anything near the number of cheerful little turnips in costumes that turned up at my door last night. Why? Simple probability and annual standard deviation? Or is it a social return to old traditions? The effects of a turn of the century mini-baby boom? Maybe just the yuppification of the inner city, young families fleeing the suburbs for a more vibrant inner city, where there's just as many parks and schools, and actual sidewalks between the houses.

A headline from the future?

Floor-crosser, ex-Conservative, Brison bares all;

reveals his links to Income Trust leaks in which Brison's buddies made $$$$$ while Canadian pensioners lost millions of dollars.
...-

Income Trusts

"The Tories are tackling what the Liberals left unfinished last year.

The Liberals considered everything from a trust tax to lightening the tax burden on corporations. They eventually decided to cut the effective rate of tax on corporate dividends. This reduced the tax advantages of trusts, but critics considered it a half measure.

Liberal finance critic John McCallum accused the Conservative Party yesterday of hurting Canadians' retirement savings by breaking their campaign pledge.

The New Democrats, however, praised the Tories for closing the tax gap between income trusts and corporations." (globmail) ...-

Librano$$$$$$ Leakers $$$$$$$$$$$

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale from Regina, Sask. was AdScam Martin's Finance Minister ...

Income-trust probe turns to Brison -

Will Brison bare-all for the RCMP?

The RCMP's financial-crime investigation unit is still probing the matter,

How about "Dommy" (who'se yo mama?)

Love it! btw, I thought right away that McKay couldn't be referring to the B - she is technically a bitch, not a dog.

Good luck with the babies, it's a nail-biter for sure.

Black Magic
Pumpkin
Candy Kiss
Phantom Of The Prairie
Spidey Sense
BobbinForApples
Gimme A Boo
Midnight At the Oasis
Spooky
Fallen Angel

he he he

Isn't Liberal life a real bitch? Liberal blog, Cerberus, tells Canadians:

Quebec is our Bitch; Keep your hands off Quebec.

WE, the Liberals, are the party of Quebec; WE are the natural governing party of Quebec Libre; forget Adscam Chretien-Martin.

She is our Bitch; keep back, Rona.

This from a 3-headed Liberal dog: Barfffff, arfff, fffrf. ...-

How to Win Friends and Influence People...
... is a book that Rona Ambrose and the Conservative government would do well to read next time before they decide to comment on Québec affairs. cerberus

There's an excellent column in The Australian, by Janet Albrechtsen, regarding the Australian "moderate" "Islamic leader" who blames Australian/Western women themselves for being raped by immigrant Muslim men, by dressing in Western clothes, making themselves "a piece of meat".

The sheik isn't happy the media has shined the light on his vile speech and he issued a half-hearted "apology", saying that he was mis-quoted, taken out of context, etc. In other words, the usual yadda, yadda when someone is caught out and they try to sleaze out of being held accountable.

It's entitled "No sheik, sorry isn't good enough". The lead sentence, "For too long the West's unreciprocated tolerance has allowed fanatical Muslim leaders such as Taj Din al-Hilali to spawn a new generation of Islamic radicals who reject our values".

The URL is http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20876,20678893-32522,00.html

Taliban jack was wearing a poppy. He is threatening to bring down the government. Martin caved to him and all we heard from then on is We wrote the budget. Now he want to say, We wrote the clean air act. Comparing what he wants and what was presented is almost the same. I hope our PM calls his bluff. How will Turner vote, knowing he probably would not get re-elected. How would the liberals vote, without a leader. Sure would make the leadership campaign interesting.
I said before that iggy and kerry were twins. Iggy and his quebec is a nation stmt, kerry with the troops are uneducated. What is that saying, words can never hurt me. An election now could be considered a referendum for cdns to vote on Que. If you want que to be a nation, vote liberal, if you don't vote Conservative. Campaign ads using Scotts and Raes nude photos. Harper might not get the majority he wants but he would increase his minority. All those leadership guys trying for nominations, so what safe liberal seats would have to be given up so they could run. Considering most are from Toronto, it could be interesting. And, no guarentee of a senate seat for any of them, or the media talking heads. What a Christmas present for cdns. Go for it.

I am with mary T on this one.
Harper should call the closet communists bluff on forced election. The fact the Libs do not have a leader - well tough teaty.
As a matter of fact as soon as I finish typing here I am going to email Harper to that effect with a CC to Taliban Jack Layton.

Looks like Halloween might have brought some treats for the CF too

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061031/canada_tanks_061031/20061031?hub=Canada

Nothing says "love ya" like 80 tons of armour and a 140mm gun :D

In the interests of fair disclosure:

I forgot my copy of the Post at home today, and picked up a free copy of the Toronto Star at McDonald's. To my surprise, on the op-ed pages, Carol Goar lambastes Dalton McGuinty for blaming the feds for problems she quite rightly points out are of his own making. In the Letters section, two people write about the unfairness of declaring Quebec a 'nation', one letter points out the uselessness of the gun registry, another decries the federal Liberals' policy on crime, while yet another dismisses the Belinda-dog issue by pointing out there was no such outrage when Carolyn Parrish, Sheila Copps or Audrey McLaughlin voiced their opinions.

This is a sample of one day, mind you, but still, I was surprised to see that much common sense in the Red Star.

I want to see pictures of the puppies. Please, please! :)

Here is a thumbnail update. Maliki argued for the release of one of Muqtada*s death squad leaders when he and Muqtada al-Sadr both should be put down.

w.w.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=25145

Hanging by a thread now. Maybe Rumsfeld should be shot for mismanagement. = TG

Harper may have just cost himself the election with this trust thing. What the hell do you elect conservatives for if they raise your taxes just like the liberals?

Did the conservatives not bash the libs for doing this?

This is going to hammer a lot of retirees who hold a lot of income trusts (as in the same people who vote conservatives - or uses to...)

Warwick,

You're absolutely correct.

Haperites will attempt to spin this into the CPC are just correcting wrongs of the previous Liberal government. All to no avail and it will only further their undoing.

Is anybody else counting the falling dominoes?

Warwick:

Look a little closer. the Income Trusts tax changes include significant tax cuts for seniors, including income-splitting.

Mike,

But you can be sure the focus will be on the "taxes raised" angle by the MSM....apparently this is a revenue neutral move with the income splitting provisions, but you'll hear little of that.....

BTW any rumours out there on real income splitting?

Jim L

In the Star-Phoenix today was another "let's try to raise sh!t" piece on the cost of bringing Timmies to the troops in Afghanistan. $3.9 million is quoted to set up operations. That might sound like a lot but then if you read deeper you see that over three quarters of a million was to retrofit the trailers and send them over in rented Soviet Illyushin-76 planes since we have no heavy airlift capacity. They also give a number for salaries and stocking of supplies but nothing is mentioned about revenue generated. No bottom line at all.

Why we should have an election. Paul Martin will not run, so his replacement might appear in the HofC and earn his money. We could be asked, should cdns have to pay for Onts stupidity re Caledonia, should Que continue to blackmail cdns re fiscal imbalance, maybe -Dam, just on cbc, Harper will send the bill to committee.

Cerberus

"A Conservative government will: ...Stop the Liberal attack on retirement savings and preserve income trusts by not imposing any new taxes on them."

CONSERVATIVE FEDERAL ELECTION PLATFORM

Jan.13, 2006

Spin that one kiddies. Stick a fork in the Harper government. It's done.

Income trust's will not affect alot of seniors as they do not have vast amount of monies stashed away as percieved by the alete. The average senior did not have the luxury of finding themselves in a job that even had a pension plan so they depend on there meager Federal Plan.
The gov't has finally allowed income splitting for Seniors that will save many low income seniors thousands.
I applaud this long over due tax reduction, Have your Seniors Not Paid Enough contribution to the welfare of Canada.

BTW: I have noticed many wearing there Poppy on the wrong side, please wear the Poppy on the left side close to your heart as we give thanks to those that have given us so much.
I even noticed MP's wearing them wrong & have sent a Letter to my local MP.

Actually, it's a good move by Flaherty. There are fewer people who benefit from income trusts than there are those who don't. Most people don't even know what they are. They have a 'rich person' ring to them, so the envious majority who used to vote Librano or Dipper may think Steve isn't so bad after all.

I predict more votes for Harper, not fewer, over this one. Plus the extra money will be nice.

Don,

Is it a break of a promise, yeah probably.

Is it responsible, yeah probably.

Will those who complain have an alternative to vote for, no. Unless you are saying the Liberals will flip back and support Income Trusts...and erosion of the base. Mind you with Iggy anything is possible.

I will say once again, what a freakin difference. Nobody knew, no hints of changes....if you are going to make a change, whatever its merits or lack of, this is how you do it. Shows a competence and understanding that the prevuious regime totally lacked.

Loophole closed, now they can lower MY PERSONAL TAXES.....thank you.

I'm not rich but I have significant income trust holdings, mostly in my RRSP, I'm afraid I might take a savings hit on this one. Does that mean I'm going to switch my vote to the NDP or the Liberals? Or the Green party? Puh-leaze! This is nothing compared to the long-term secret agenda of those stinking parties with regards to my money.

Economist from TD were on Canada Am this morning talking about this, He did not condem the move
Best Advice if you are not sure Consult whoever looks after your portfolio.

Come on socialists,I thought that it was good that corporations pay more tax.Or maybe you are champagne socialists and want to keep your inheritances.The money that daddy and mommy gave you,or maybe granny.

This a.m. on CKNW (Vancouver) Philip Till posed the question to listeners: Should Bill Good keep Norman Spector on as a political commentator? He received only 3 No's out of 71 emails.

Don, there you go again. Spinning like a turbocharged top. There's no broken promise here.

What's happening is that big corporations will eventually no longer be able to legally evade paying their fair share of the tax burden and shifting it wholly onto the backs of the shareholders. This is actually not "imposing new taxes on" income trusts. You're confused.

Also, the Tories will bring in income-splitting for pensioners, which will lead to real tax savings, which is good. Why didn't you Liebrano$$$ think of that in your thirteen years in power, including skyrocketing surpluses? Bah! You're in no position to chuck any valid poo!

Don't forget about the ongoing criminal investigation into the Liebrano leaking of insider info re the income trust announcement. Oooh... you guys are still in big, big trouble, aren't you? Plus there's the three dozen or so continuing criminal investigations into your guys' behavior while in office. Your delusional chutzpah is a sight to behold in this light.

We're "done"? My, but your delusion is showing.

Welcome back to the spinning game. Thought you were a total has-been washup.

But I'm glad you have something to do with yourself besides sulk. Good for you.

I would think this may be an informative book on why we have so many Wako ideas in Canada today.

Author: Lowell Green, Ottawa
Book: How the Granola-Crunching,Tree Hugging Thug Huggers are Wrecking Our Country.

Covers topics such as environmental activism, soft on crime, illegal imigration, Maurice Strong,...

Too funny, "There's no broken promise here." But I admire your mindless devotion to "Dear Leader."

Anon,

It would be useful if you could describe, without providing personal details, how this decision could affect you. I think it would add to the discussion if you are amenable.

Minister of Finance Jim gets it right.

A crisp clean and decisive announcement.

No idiotic emails from Scott Brison during cabinet meetings, querying: "Are you happy now?"

What a seismic change from the brigands who were previously running the show. Of course the LIEberals are still attempting to fly the "Jolly Roger" as the national flag, attempting to select who will be Canada's next Chief Executive Pirate!!

Interesting watching the e-mails sent to ROB TV. Seems this move by Harper is, er, rather unpopular. Methinks the government is well done.

Scary Halloween dog names .
Lurch
Svend Robber-son
Taliban Jack o Layton
BOOlivia Chow
Heddy Fried Head
Permanent Inky Marks
Bob Death-Rae
Mo-rice Strong

G&M: The Man show's his Courage
Eric Reguly

Even though it is the G&M They agree with Flaherty. At the end of article " could win more votes then loss, Bravo Mr.Flaherity"

Stephen....YOUR PERSONAL TAXES won't be lowered because Steve will have have to fund the income- splitting swindle, which will allow seniors to evade paying their fair share.

There's a really curious headline to a story at ctv.ca. It's another story on MacKay's alleged comment. Here, in entirety, is the only mention of Harper in the piece, starting in the fifth paragraph:

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper has tried to diffuse tensions and move on.

During question period Monday, Harper stopped short of an apology, but suggested all members could adopt more parliamentary manners.

'All members of all parties could do a lot better job of conducting ourselves in this House,' said Harper."

So, the headline? "PM defends MacKay, won't retract 'dog' comment."

Hnkwaah?

...I admire your mindless devotion to "Dear Leader."

--Again confused, pal. Jean Chretien was the "Dear Leader". And it ain't myself who's "mindless", apparently! ;)

Heh!

The moonbats are about, spinning and flapping and screeching again!

Wish I had a long gun... be fun to take shots at the winged varmints...

re: Income trusts

This was an attempt to get around the double taxation of corporate profits. "Normal" companies pay corporate tax on their profits, and then distribute after-tax dividends to their shareholders which are taxed again as income. (The dividend gross-up is an attempt to counterbalance this unfairness, but corporate profits are still taxed twice.)

Income trusts pay out the majority of their income to unit holders, who then pay tax on that as income - and ordinary income at that (that is, taxed at a higher rate than dividends).

I'm not all that thrilled with the move (I have BCE shares, and was expecting them to move up if they went ahead with their conversion plan), but I see the rationale. Companies that convert to income trusts typically reduce R&D, and so make it harder to grow in the future (plus eliminate skilled jobs). And, with the other tax cuts announced, it appears to be more or less revenue neutral.

As broken promises go, this one doesn't disturb me too much.

MaryJane: "which will allow Seniors to evade paying their fare share"
Do you think that the Seniors of Canada Have not paid their fare share Maryjane is this what you are insinuating.
I think you have that backwards the Seniors of Canada have paid MORE then their fare share.

I think we will see a personal tax cut.

But we wouldnt have if more trusts were created.

Trusts are ok in real estate, mining and oil.

Telecom I think it is wrong in the long run. Likely wrong in the investment and financial industry as well. Telecom in particular needs capital and needs to make big bets to stay innovative and provide new services to customers.

It was going to get out of hand and then lead to some kind of debacle where the obligations couldnt be kept and a bankruptcy ensues, and the taxes would not have been paid.

Reguly's column got it correct, courage to make the right decision. To most voters it wont matter. How the opposition parties will take advantage of this is unclear, opther than broken promise....the NDP was against in the first place, as would the be the BQ.

Libs...well, their only line of attacck is broken promise, but that leads nowhere fast since they cannot offer an alternative policy. Once again who knows what Iggy will do. Maybe he'll offer Trusts AND Mortgage interest deductability, this guy will say anything.

Stephen, I'm not crystal clear just yet as to how this will affect my bundle of income trusts in my RRSP, the first negative sign is the drop in value of my trust units occurring today. I expect this to be a permanent modest decrease in value although I question the reason behind it, aren't existing trusts still going to be pretty much the same for the next four years? Also, are trusts going to pay more taxes on their income before they distribute it to unit holders? If that's the case then distributions will decrease and that'll drop the unit values further.

In any case, after some turbulence because of this, trusts should continue to be a good investment. I expect a minor decrease in my net worth (on paper) and a modest decline in net worth growth in the future because of this, but we'll see. The market's a strange place, there's always an awful lot of money out there looking for a good place to park.

For anyone to say they're not going to vote Conservative because of this is, well..., moronic.

Congrats"Granny",on the birthing of your new babies!Hope all are well.Nothing sweeter than puppies,and I can't go to a pet-store,rescue shelter etc.without wanting to take them all home!Am proud Mom,to an American (oh-oh) Cocker,and a border collie,and I LOVE my boys dearly!Just an idea for a name for the most boistrous/loudest of the new babes..how about Bairds Beauty(for John of course)..I love his energetic responses in QP,and can't wait for him to "blow"..makes it worth watching!Again,congrats Kate.I am somewhat of a late bloomer to the blogosphere,and read you first..and often,every day.Thanks so much for your solid info,and also to all the contributors/comments.You make my day! Sammy

Doggy names cont.
Gerhound Schnauzer.
Bob Barker
Schnau Twain
Allah's Beard with legs

Theo Van Gogh's Killer Inspired by Sermon

The fact is that many acts of jihad violence are a direct result of the khutba (Friday sermons) preached in mosques throughout the world, by Imams of the Religion of Peace™: Did imam’s sermon incite Van Gogh murder? (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

Mohammed Bouyeri, the man who murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh almost exactly two years ago is serving a life prison sentence, but now questions are being asked about whether the sermon of a Muslim cleric played a role in the crime.

During the ongoing trial of another Dutch terrorism suspect, Samir Azzouz, it’s emerged that Imam Fawaz of the as-Sunnah mosque in The Hague gave a sermon condemning Theo van Gogh just a few weeks before his murder. A recording of the sermon exists and in it the imam is heard uttering a curse against the Dutch director for his film Submission, which is critical of Islam. The film had been shown on television shortly before the sermon.

In the recording of the sermon,

Imam Fawaz calls Theo van Gogh a ‘criminal bastard’ and

beseeches Allah to visit an incurable disease upon the filmmaker.

He also condemns former Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali who was involved in writing the script for Submission.

The imam asks Allah to make Ms Hirsi Ali go blind and give her cancer of the tongue and brain. ...-
LGF

...

Observations from Azerbaijan

Muslims who reject/ignore the imams.....

... of Islamic dress are notably absent for both genders,

and the muzzein’s call to prayer is never heard.

Few pray and fewer make the pilgrimage to Mecca. ...

Our government has stepped in to fix a previous mistake/poor plan.
It is being resolved over a 4 year period so investors will have lots of time to get in to something different.The other moves will reduce taxes and allow common sense to prevail [income splitting for seniors]Sorry whiners it is just more good government!

I thought some of you dog fanciers might get a kick out of taking a look at Skidboot, a remarkable dog that has made a name for himself in Texas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2BfzUIBy9A

David Brown, could you please hold off telling Warwick he*s right complaining about Harper closing off the incomes trust window.

You knew Telus and BCE were about to convert to defer taxes to *income trust* status. Didn*t you?

If you personally want to cover those Million$ in lost taxes. . OK, otherwise, get out of Harper*s way. . . pleeese.

Update:

w.w.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=25145

Hanging by a thread now. Maybe Rumsfeld should be shot for mismanagement. = TG
Posted by: TG at November 1,09:58 AM

Working towards a Conservative majority = TG

Doggie names:

- Arch Duke Ignatief Schadenfreude (Iggy, for short)
- Magna Princess (Maggie, for short)

And the scariest name of all...

"The Hoff"

How about Dollar? For all the dollars the puppies just cost you.

Call the furry pretzel dog, the Senate, for blocking the majority.

Only 1 name suggestion, Kate.

For the one that was stuck in that warm wet place, was bent like a "pretzel", kept the others back, and just couldn't emerge into the world without surgical intervention...

"Jack!"

sorry, waaay off topic, but check out the howler on LGF regarding John Kerry's kerfuffle over the troops in Iraq--they need his help. Warning: finishing sipping your coffee first!!

bryanr....If seniors are allowed to split their incomes they will not be paying their fair share.

uh...make that "finish" sipping your coffee first. :)

Well, if anon is realy curious on how this will affect him? Non-taxable Canadian investors will be exposed to taxation at the trust level. There is no discussion of a refundable credit for taxable non-taxable funds. In case this is confusing, a RRIF is in the opinion of the Feds is a non-taxable. These investors may be exposed to double taxation without any adjustments. There will be a 32% tax on distributions to so called non-taxable’s and then a tax at the investors marginal tax rate on withdrawal from the plan. For the average taxpayer withdrawing income from their RRIF income will be taxed at 32% + 36% = 68%. 68% taxation!!! Good luck with that.

TG,

Yes I did know about Telus and BCE, their plans have been common knowledge for quite some time now.

The window had to be closed sooner rather than later anyways. I have to give props to Harper for doing it sooner. My personal portfolio takes things like tax law changes into account. I really don't care and won't lose a wink of sleep over this.

However, I see it as political suicide...that's the only reason...I only hope that Warwick is not a lurker and reads this post.

Greg in Dallas: Awesome video! Thanks.

Gainer and Ralph

It's not like I was saying the Libs or Dippers would be an improvement. They're worse.

But after yesterday's announcement that the CPC was going hire PC equity police and today's that they're raising taxes, I'm wondering why I bother to vote at all.

When do we get to see the conservative part of "Canada's New [Conservative?] Government"?

Brown,

"My personal portfolio takes things like tax law changes into account."

Are you saying that you knew in advance that this announcement was going to take place or that you'll adjust your portfolio now that the trusts have tanked?

Since the info didn't leak to the market (unlike the libs tip-off to their friends,) the latter would seem more likely unless your portfolio is a bunch of GIC's...

MaryJane:
As i have stated Most Seniors Have paid Their fare Share.
Income splitting will allow those Seniors that are trying to even get by put more monies where it rightfully belongs In Their Pockets.
Many Seniors are struggling today to make ends meet due to the rising cost of Heat,Hydro,Food, Insurance, fuel,Taxes(Fed.Prov.Mun.)in fact why do seniors still pay school tax for example.
Many Seniors have had to sell their homes in order to meet these rising cost.
Many Seniors do not have thousands stashed away as the political elete would like you to believe.
Many Seniors worked past the age of 65 inorder to have a little extra.
Many Seniors only get the Federal Pension & Income supplement as they did not have a cozy workplace pension plan because they were not in place, and many were not even in the workplace until later in their careers.
Many Seniors live below the poverty line.
Many Seniors Served their country in more ways then one.
So Yes Maryjane:
Seniors have Paid Their Fare Share & it's about time Government's in Canada Thank our Seniors for their Contributions to a better quality of life in Canada, Not Penalize Them.

There is alot of gnashing of teeth going on over the change in tax law for income trusts. This is understandable to a certain extent. However the federal finance minister did the right thing. Presently income trust pay no taxes as they distribute all net earnings to unit holders. This means that there is litte a trust can re-invest in the economy. Can you imaging a hugh majority of Canada's largest companies becoming Trusts? In here you would include Banks, Insurance and Trust companies not to mention the BCE's and Telus' of the country. That would continue to distance the amount of corporate tax the government collects as compared to personal income tax. Eventually the amount of tax collected from corporations would be miniscule compared to that collected from individuals. Couple that with less re-investment into the economy by large corporations and you have a big double whammy.

Taxing Trusts the same way corporations are taxed should allow the government to eventually lower personal taxes. Any tax cut anticipated in the next federal budget would be hardly sustainable if big corporations continue to convert to Trusts. It may be hard to see the positive in all his but if the present trend to Trusts continues then we can expect that at some point in the future personal income taxes will have to go up. The finance minister did what he had to do and for that he should be praised rather than scorned for having "raised taxes". Say what you like but he had the guts to do what the Liberals should have done two years ago.

Different Bob: Well put, Even a G&M Business page writer is praising Flaherty for this Gutsy move that was long overdue.
Ontario's Sobara is saying that he agrees with him.

Bryanr,

Today's seniors are the same generation who invented corporate downsizing, racked up the enormous amount of public debt we have now, refuse to accept cutbacks of any type on their "entitlements" but demand that there be cutbacks in services not used by seniors (like education) and whine incessantly about how they deserve their free stuff (as if every generation past, present and future will all work their whole lives.)

Today's seniors have not paid their way. They leave not only their public debt, but have drained private pension plans, left a crumbling infrastructure in need of billions in basic maintenance they have neglected in favour of their freebees, and still complain endlessly.

Any programs from the government should be needs tested, not age tested (with the obvious exception of pensions - which should have been funded but have not been.)

One of the reasons I am in favour of dismantling as much government as possible is that greedy people vote themselves other people's money, leave the tab and feel themselves entitled to do so.

No generation has a right to take more then they give. This generation of seniors has done exactly that.

Now notice that I refer to the generation, not the individual. Individuals within that generation can have contributed greatly and asked for nothing in return, then there are the bums, whiners and other liberals. But any way you slice it, those who didn't put in should not be taking out. Regardless of age.

Seniors are doing pretty damn well in Canada. If only those who live in Iraq had a clue about the life they could enjoy if their oil revenues were secure enough to be enjoyed.

A comment for Omar of ITM: =

Omar:

Your government, to many in the West who have really studied it is a joke.

It's dominated by the same Islamists that form the core of the terrorist sentiment. Maliki's parte, the Da'wa Party?

Like what you guys really need is a party intent upon a messianic spreading of Islamism...and that seems to be the best you can offer since the next in line, SCIRI might as well call itself the Ahmadinejad party....sheeeeeeshh....

Give me a break.

This is the way whatever sane heads exist in Iraq should look at this.

The ME has been given a chance to step up and police itself, prove that it can play nice with the rest of the world or it's going to suffer the consequences.

You folks have to realize that the West, specifically the U.S. could incinerate the countries where the problem is coming from in an afternoon and not even break a sweat.

If we - the U.S. get hit again - let's say as a result of the game that little louse Musharaff is playing in Waziristan then all bets are off.

The problem is with YOU.

What is going on right now in Iraq and the rest of the ME is a demonstration of the abject and total failure of ISLAM.

The daily spectacle of Shiite and Sunnis butchering each other every friggin day over a 1,400 year old argument simply proves what I have said.

Bush is right, we do not have endless patience because your part of the world is everyday proving that you are simply not worthy.

Sorry to state this, I know you are a good guy but you simply have to understand that this is a lot bigger than most in Iraq can even comprehend.

In the final analysis the U.S. simply will not tolerate this crap forever.
William | 10.26.06 - 11:17 am | #
================
A bit simplistic perhaps, but certainly in the real spirit of truth.

I have heard good things about the Grand ayatollah Ali al - Sitani. He seems to have waited patiently while double-crossers like Maliki come and go.

Once Muqtada and his gang leaders are taken out, someone like Ali al-Sitani could get Iraqis working together to realize some of their latent power.

There is a lot of power for the people of Iraq if only they could stop killing each other long enough to enjoy some of that power and wealth.

Iraq is badly divided and ready to fall while united under Sistani, Iraq could realize a very decent and enjoyable lifestyle.

Oh well, the 40 years of lessons between Israel and Hamas / Hezbollah are not clear enough for the Iraq people to see how endless killing of your enemies really is ENDLESS!

Make your choice. Get to work and make a decent life or join the gangs and trade in bombs and bullets.

Is Muqtada al Sadr very much like Arafat was? Do not join in. It is a terrible waste of your life.

Working for a Conservative majority. = TG

"....bring in income-splitting for pensioners, which will lead to real tax savings..."

Provided you're not single.

Homeland Security Involved in Violent Pursuit

http://tinyurl.com/yd47xn

Warwick,

My investment portfolio is dynamic and goes well beyond stocks and bonds. One component is private investment in Hollywood movie scripts.

I knew nothing of Harper's plans nor did anyone else and that's the way it should be.

Put it this way, the government has destroyed 80 billion dollars of Canadian's hard-saved wealth in order to collect 800 million in taxes.

Does this sound like a good plan to anyone?

Warwick: You make many good points & i agree with them i know what you are saying & showing no disrespect to our seniors
However do we penalize the majority for the screwups of the few.
My point is that most Seniors don't even have the luxury of Income Spliting anyways as they do live below the poverty line.
We have also chosen as a society to look after those that have not given a contribution, that part will never change.
Btw: i did notice the generation not the individual & other bums, Whiners & liberals.

Kate, I'm all for calling the one that had trouble leaving the womb "Layton." Although you'd be tempted to beat it regularly, wouldn't you? Bad for business. Never mind.

Name suggestions (because I have to):
Norman
Peter
Sow
Tie
Gainer

Warwick your logic fails on so many counts. Being part of a generation doesn't mean you necessarily had anything to do with the bad things that happened now does it?"
I'm ten years away from hitting the magic retirement age and I sure as hell will not be rich. I've also been a victim of downsizing and rollbacks for "the good of the country/province" at least twice. I remember the feds 6&5% and the Alberta belt tightening in the 90s. PET started to spend Canada into debt but I don't blame my father and others of that generation for that.

Income splitting isn't that big a deal. It just recognizes that a fair number of senior couples were composed of the income earner and the (usually) stay-at-home boss. Both contributed equally to the raising of the family but the pension and other income just shows the financial contributer who ends up in a higher tax bracket. Remember, folks back then didn't have any RRSPs until quite a bit later in life as compared to the younger generation who can become millionaires quite easily by 40 if they start to put money away (in a RRSP)starting at 18.

Suggested names:

Pumpkin, Spooky, Gutsy, Boo, Goblin, and of course, Hal and Oween.

Congratulations, Kate--I'll bet they are cute...

Suggested names:

Pumpkin, Spooky, Gutsy, Boo, Goblin, and of course, Hal and Oween.

Congratulations, Kate--I'll bet they are cute...

Congratulations, Kate, on your new puppies! One of my children did the same thing, placed herself in an impossible position, and help was needed there, too!

'Hope these names haven't already been suggested; how about:

Phantom
Pumpkin (Calabaza in Spanish)
Boo (I had a cat named Boo.)
Cajita (Spanish for casket, pronounced Ka-hee-ta)
Frankie (for Frankenstein)
Trix(ie) (for Trick or Treat)
BonBon

I don't suppose there's any chance for sleep now? A neighbour of mine had a kennel for poodles and I seem to remember that the fun and hard work really began AFTER the puppies are born...Good luck!

Texas,

Re-read the last line. There's a difference between a generation and any individual within it. Also, tax policy is made for groups (usually at the expense of everyone not in it.)

If income splitting is allowed, it would be unfair to make it age dependent. If you do it, it should be universal. I don't think it should be done at all as you shouldn't be paying more taxes because you're single either.

Damian;
Sorry, beat ya to it...12:49pm

How about "Little Boo-Boo" for the one who had trouble coming out of the oven?

(Next door neighbor had a cat named thusly... was a black one, so...)

Two new suggestions:

Thunder Clap
Lightning Strike

Joe gets off easy:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061101/volpe_liberals_061101/20061101?hub=QPeriod

Jim L

Brian Snellson will be on Jazz FM 91.1 at 4:40 PM this afternoon with his analysis of the new income trust tax laws on the stock market.

You can listen in on the net.

No need. I'm well enough versed in this stuff. I've already been inundated with redundent info on it.

oops. This isn't my email account... lol. For anyone who wants to listen to the trust thing... go ahead... lol.

I certainly wouldn't call any of them Belinda. That would be cruel and unusual punishment. Besides, no conservative would ever buy her.

BTW: don't you have to name them with one of those fancy eight part names that has mom's and dad's names and the lineage? Parents had a puddle like that once but they ended up just calling him charlie.

At the bell the TSE is down 300 points with major players down a whopping 10%.

Bargains galore. Got to love capitalism. God bless PMSH.

Dog name suggestion...

Trusty

I dumped my ITs this morning. There are a lot of bargains out there right now.

No time for tears, there's money to be made!

CAW ecommounist says: CAW.

Socialists are enraged: says the Liberals crow...

Says the income trust loophole was created by the Liberal$

But, first, a few words about AdScam $$$

Extract:
Sponsorship shmonsorship
Yes, the scandal was sleazy. It was offensive to Quebeckers. It wasted $100 million (over four years) that could have been spent on much, much better things. It probably had criminal overtones.
$$$$$

INCOME TRUSTS There’s a gaping loophole in Canada’s tax system that allows businesses to avoid paying corporate income taxes.
If it restructures as an “income trust,” a corporation becomes non-taxable—even if its real operations do not change a bit.
In recent years, financiers have marketed the concept of trust conversion to businesses ranging from oil producers to hotel chains to the Yellow Pages. Every new conversion generates millions in new commissions for Bay Street brokers—but costs the government even more in lost taxes. Income trusts are now worth $90 billion, and are growing fast. Lost taxes are valued at $400 million per year for the federal government (and more for the provinces), and are growing just as fast.

Yet government looks the other way as the boondoggle continues.

Federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale proposed some timid limits in his 2004 budget on income trust investments by tax-sheltered pension funds (a stance that would have only slightly slowed the future growth of the tax drain). Bay Street protested, and Goodale backed off. The power of high-rollers to preserve this rich, bizarre trough provides an insightful lesson for all of us in how Canadian democracy works. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians can protest loudly for years to have EI monies spent on their designated purpose (namely, EI benefits for unemployed people) to little avail. Yet all it takes is a quick, powerful twist of the backroom screws by Canada’s financial elite to send our finance minister running for cover. Total Scandal: $400 million per year in lost taxes, and growing. ...

CAW says the Liberals crow....

BUDGET SURPLUSES The Liberals crow about how much they have reduced Canada’s public debt since 1997, when the budget was balanced. ...-

3w.thismagazine.ca/issues/2004/07/sponsorship.php

Before you all get excited, I am a senior living in Ontario. What's worse, I worked in the public service for some 15 years and, as a result, collect a pension from them, as well as my CPP. Now, even worse, I just lost a significant amount of my savings today with the sell-off of income trust units.
Having said that, I was always a little leery of this income trust thing and wouldn't put anywhere all my eggs in that basket.
The problem here is that most folks aren't prudent and knowledgeable as to where to invest.
The tax benefits that will accrue when my wife retires will more than offset any losses we have experienced due to the change announced yesterday.
Bottom line? Look well to your investments and don't follow the crowd.

Joe's lips are sealed, at last.

Silenzio; the silence .... $$$$1,000 worth. ...-

"Volpe, who is bound by a confidentiality agreement from commenting on the appeal findings, offered only a cautious comment when asked about the ruling.

"I disagreed strongly with the panel's decision on Sept. 29. I appealed and the permanent appeals committee ruled in my favour," he said." ...-

More dog names, just to give Kate's comment filter conniptions:

1nsur@nce
v1@gr@
0nl1ne
p0ker

A quick comment re. the income trust matter: it's a masterpiece... pure genius.

The Liebrano$$$ aren't landing any blows and their claim of a "broken promise" holds no water, as they fail to explain precisely how that is. Never mind the CTV's caption line on Duffy Live tonight that the Tories "broke promise on i.t.", as the CTV has already discredited itself far too much with Puppygate and helping the Liebrano$$$.

The I.T. thing has divided the Opposition, with only the Libs complaining about the move. The Ontario and Quebec gov't's like it, plus economist Don Drummond gives it his approval.

Liberal spinners are in for a huge, huge disappointment. All their sound and fury, all their silly, sensational accusations really signify nothing.

The Conservatives are going to emerge looking good. They kept their promise well enough... the Liebrano claims that they broke it is mere hairsplitting and spinning by rabid partisans. Besides, what good were the Libs when they had the chance to demonstrate any basic competency or caring wrt the IT and tax fairness matter? The Libs were too busy stuffing their pockets and big envelopes with ADSCAM cash, after all, to give a shrew's bumhole about doing the job they were elected to do!

No lessons to take from Liebrano$$$!

Jack keeps on spewing CO2 gas. ...-

Layton optimistic that Clean Air Act can be transformed in committee

Canada's NDP Leader Jack Layton stands in the House of Commons. (CP PHOTO/Fred Chartrand)*

*Is this the photo that shows the Poppy on Jack's left, best, breast, suit lapel?

Remember "read my lips"?

More damaging is the CPC acting like liberals. The broken promise, the tax hike, the PC Equity Police (as if we need 70 more jackasses on the federal payroll!)

Why vote if it doesn't matter who wins? If they all act like the same sleazy a-hole liberals, why do we try to elect the CPC? What's the point?

Bugger them all.

We know there are many hypocrites wearing Poppies and there are many right in our House of Parliament.

Indeed, Jack Layton is spewing CO2 about CO2.

Layton himself is, after all, a great big blast of methane... oh, phewww! :(

What gives here? ...-

A supermarket tossed a 76-year-old war veteran from his post selling poppies today in a scene that has nearly become a Remembrance Day tradition in Quebec. ...-
national newswatch

Must be a moonbat supermarket.

Well since it has come up by someone else on this blog - the Southland Mall tossed out Navy League Cadets last week who wanted to set up to take "donations" for poppies. They said it had to do with their "no solicitation" rule. I don't know about you but the optics of that action stinks and I for one will not be patronizing ANY store in that mall from here on in.

Sorry! Make that the Southland Mall in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada!

Personally, I regret the day my adviser ever put me into a couple of Income Trusts, as part of my retirement savings within my RRSP. Shortly after the issues closed, the trusts promptly lost about 25% of their value, and had been languishing there ever since. And NOW, with the latest move by the Conservatives, in one day they have lost another 16% and 19 % respectively. I regret the day I ever heard the term Income Trust. They are a f#ck#ng scam, perpetrated by greedy corporations, and now the government is piling on, making things even worse. And guess who gets to pay for this bullshit nonsense folks? NO, not the corporations, not the government. The small time investor, with his retirement savings being plundered by both. So what else is new. This is Canada after all.

The Real Income Trusts Scandal*

What [ex-Liberal] Ralph Goodale stepped in

A brazen tax dodge even George Bush disallowed.

TheTyee.ca

Quick, a test for political junkies: you know there's a scandal about income trusts and whether insider information was leaked to Bay Street. But, can you explain what an income trust is?

Don't care? Surely it's some blah blah boring accounting thing?

In fact, the bigger scandal than alleged insider trading is that income trusts represent a brazen effort to rid Canada of corporate taxes with some accounting magic that even the Bush administration has disallowed in the USA ...-

Perpetrated by Liberal Ex-PM of Canada, Paul Martin, Jr., and his gang: Goodale, Brison, et al.

Da Canadian Librano$ values: Ripping off Canadian$.

# MikeH Says:
November 1st, 2006 at 10:51 am

Oddly, as an opponent of the current Conservative government,

I applaud this move.

I agree with the position that a “domino effect” was imminent.

In any case, I’m going “shopping” this morning for sell-offs :-) .
(website: canadian capitalist)

Just maybe the next move will be for the finance minister to find a way to tax all those billions in martins and stronach off shore havens. And, if corporations can/could switch to income trusts why cant they switch back. Only ones losing money today are those that paniced and sold. Most of the profits are only paper anyway. Look at it this way, if money wasn't in trusts you would have paid taxes, thereby reducing your disposable income. So, the taxes your would have paid are now losses, and deductible on your tax return or a reductions in capital gains tax your would pay. Win win all around. As for income splitting for seniors, is it only investment income that can be split. All the seniors I know already have both names on all investments so it has always been split.

It's not that simple MaryT. Many people have Income Trusts as part of their savings/investments within RRSPs. (RRSP's are not eligible for taxable gains or losses). Also, many may be single, unmaried investors with no chance to recover losses through income splitting. Many of these investors were led into IT's by their financial advisors, who manage their savings/investments. Billions of investor's dollars (many of them seniors' savings) were wiped out today as a result of this panic move by the government.
Harper and Flaherty could have found a more fair and equitable way of closing the federal corporate tax revenue shortfall, than to plunder the retirement savings of Canada's senior citizens.

Kate,
The puppies were actually born on November 1 - All Saints' Day.
How about Francis (Assisi) (male or female). And, no, I'm not all that religious. I actually had to look this stuff up...
Looking through the WikiPedia under Patron Saints gives a great list of possibilities, although there does not appear to be anything that celebrates ratters. Too bad.
Loys of patron saints for farmers - maybe that would be appropriate?
Oh, and how about Cuthman (patron saint of "Steyning" - is that the study of Mark Steyn?)
Actually, my favorite, in a twisted way, is Lawrence. Listed as patron saint of cooks (having been martyred by roasting alive on a gridiron). Too weird. And maybe ties back into Halloween just a little too easily?
Oops, I think I'm rambling...
Anyway, congrats on the pups. Hope mum and the tykes are all doing OK.
Cheers!

Canadian Muslims Great Big Fatwa;

Hate Steyn

Get Mark Steyn: He's a Joo....-

(Ottawa, Canada – Oct 31, 2006) The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is asking all people of conscience to write to Maclean’s Magazine.

In the October 23rd issue of Maclean’s, a provocative and Islamophobic article by Mark Steyn was printed entitled, “The future belongs to Islam.” The article’s fear mongering tone focuses on the influx of Muslim immigrants into Europe and North America through an analysis that parallels Samuel Hungtion’s [sic] infamous book, “The Clash of Civilizations.”

An excerpt from the article reads:

“Age + Welfare = Disaster for you;
Youth + Will = Disaster for whoever gets in your way... Islam has Youth and will, Europe has age and welfare.”

In criticising the Maclean’s article, Derrick O’Keefe writes, “Seen within the “War on Terror”... Steyn’s article must be understood as a deliberate, hateful and provocative act.”

ACTION REQUESTED

1. Write a 150 word letter to Maclean’s Magazine for print.
2. Or submit a two to three paragraph letter to the Maclean’s editorial board.

When writing it is critical to keep Maclean’s readership in mind and maintain a style that is calm and convincing, but firm.

TALKING POINTS

1. The article entitled “The Future belongs to Islam” is inflammatory and offensive. (LGF)

CTV Forums - Dr.Elmasry joins Taliban Jack
Elmasry was a supporter of George Galloway who toured Canada last year and ... inquiry into Arar's links to CAIR-Canada since there is now a clear link to ...
ctvbb.insinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6103

Best one-liner, brilliant, too,... from Warren Kinsella:

Re: Income Tryst with the Librano$ leakers; Goodale, Brison, Martin, et al.

Librano$ "good old days": slain-killed by the Conservatives; not dead enough.

Kinsella: "November 1, 2006 - Now, if Ralph Goodale had still been in charge, we might have heard about this from our brokers on the weekend, just like in the good old days!" ...-

Links on the word "this" goes here to Yahoo News

"Tue Oct 31, 7:34 PM ET

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Tuesday ..."

Kinsella means the Liberal$ would have leaked the impending killing of the Income Trust tax-loophole, in advance, to their buddie$, just as Librano$, Goodale and Brison had done, thus helping the friends of the Librano$ to make a fortune/killing on the Canadian stock markets.

Not The Man In the Black Suit: Not Johnny Cash;

he dead.

Librano$ tax avoidance scheme: killed by Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty:

The Men In The Blue-Conservative Suits!

Good work. ...-

Repeat: Stephen Harper is a brilliant political strategist/tactician.

Harper has driven a wedge; an earth-mover, between the Layton-NDP and the Red-Greens.

Kyoto is dead, Jack. You killed it, Jack.

Jack is hereby nominated for the Red-Green Wall of Shame. ...-

Environmentalists apprehensive about NDP-Conservative deal on Clean Air ...

OTTAWA (CP) - Environmentalists are nervous

about NDP Leader Jack Layton's deal

with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to have a Commons committee rewrite the Clean Air Act. ...-
cnews

Librano$ of AdScam,etc., trot out their “top banana” peeler/leaker;

Blackberry Scotty.

When will Honest Ralph Goodale speak out? …-

INCOME TRUST CRACKDOWN
Brison weighs in

CAMPBELL CLARK

Ottawa — Liberal MP Scott Brison, the former cabinet minister who told a Bay Street financier to expect good news the day before his government announced its tax policy on income trusts last fall, weighed in on the new Conservative policy yesterday.

Mr. Brison, a candidate for his party’s leadership, accused the Tories of breaking an election promise and costing “little guys” billions of dollars on the stock market.

“Lying on an issue as important as this, and in fact making it a key part of your election platform and betraying that trust, does make Canada look a little bit like a banana republic,” he told reporters. …-

For Don and Warwick.If you think a broken promise should lose Harper the next election it looks like Dalton's going to be kicked right out of the country.Keep in mind this is the "top" 50.Theres lots more.

Top 50 list of Dalton McGuinty's Broken Promises

1. "I won't raise your taxes."

2. Balance the Budget every year of their mandate

3. Balance the Budget by 2007

4. Roll back tolls on the 407

5. Fund Medically-Necessary Health Care Services (de-listed eye exams, chiropractic care and physiotherapy

6. Not Add to the Province's Debt

7. Stop 6,600 Houses on the Oak Ridges Moraine

8. Abide by the Balanced Budget law

9. Cap Hydro Rates at 4.3 cents per Kilowatt Hour Until 2006

10. Respect MPPs and Democracy

11. Allow all non-cabinet MPPs to criticize and vote against government legislation

12. Provide autism treatment beyond age six

13. Reduce Auto Insurance Rates by 10% Within 90 Days

14. Reduce Private Consultants

15. Cancel P3 Hospitals in Brampton and Ottawa

16. Public Inquiry into Meat Inspection

17. Withdraw Government Appeal on the Richmond Landfill

18. Make Ontario's Chief Medical Officer an independent officer of the Legislature

19. Govern with honesty and integrity

20. Respect the Outcome of the Kawartha Lakes Referendum on Amalgamation

21. Better mental health care

22. Value and Support the Public Service

23. Divert 60% of municipal garbage to recycling by 2005

24. Close "private" MRI and CT clinics

25. Stop School Closings

26. "Immediately" establish an Arts and Culture Advisory Council

27. Provide Adequate, Multi-Year Funding for Hospitals

28. Hire Over 1,000 Teachers a Year

29. Hire 1,000 New Police Officers

30. Close Coal-Fired Electricity Plants by 2007

31. Hire 100 New Parole and Probation Officers

32. Double the Number of Apprentices

33. Create Tens of Thousands of New Child Care Spaces

34. End the "Clawback" of the Federal Child Tax Credit

35. Build 20,000 New Affordable Housing Units

36. Spend "Every Penny" of the New Health Tax on Health Care

37. Cut Ministers' Pay for Running a Deficit

38. Eliminate Barriers to Foreign-Trained Professionals within One Year

39. Require Trades and Professions to Accept Qualified Immigrants within One Year

40. Repeal the Tenant Protection Act within One Year

41. Establish a Standing Committee on Education to Hold Yearly Hearings

42. Liberal Promises Would Cost $5.9 Billion

43. Provide Legal Rights to Victims of Crime

44. Hire 8,000 nurses by the end of 2007

45. Make the Ministry of Agriculture a lead ministry

46. Invest in rural roads and bridges

47. Support the Province's Cities

48. Make sure health dollars are being spent wisely

49. Stop the waste of taxpayers' dollars

50. Guarantee stable, long-term funding for our rural communities

Does anybody else wonder why Layton gets so much press/credibility. Let's examine the facts. He is the leader of Canada's 4th party, and if the polls are any indicator, soon to be 5th. If he forces an election, his party will likely be wiped out due to the asinine policies and statements that have been coming out of his pie hole lately. It should be obvious to anyone (but the NDP) that they are only attracting the most left of the left with this complete dipwad at the helm, and are completely out of tune with reality. This is the last time I will even mention this idiot as I place him in the category of troll. As Kate says, trolls should be ignored.

Sorry to say, but this time I have to agree with Brison. Flaherty could have found a better way to deal with the federal corporate tax revenue shortfall, than to plunder the savings/investments of thousands upon thousands of investors and retirees.

As far as I am concerned, this is strike 2 for Harper and the CPC.

Strike one was when his government failed to do anything about the thousands of illegals in our country already (previously) under deportation orders, many of them known criminals and terrorists. Instead, the Immigration department decided to go after hard working Portuguese for minor infractions of the immigration laws.

Strike 2 is this Income trust debacle, which robs people of their retirement savings, which will likely never be recoverable.

In my books, one more strike like these, and they are out. No, it certainly won't put me back in the Lieberal or Dippers camp, but for the first time in my life, I believe that it would be worthwhile to stroll into the election hall, just to scribble obscenities across the ballot and the walls of the polling booth.

Joe Canuck What is YOUR better way??

"Sorry to say, but this time I have to agree with Brison."

It's rising. It's Blackberry Leaker Brison's fault. ...-

National Newswatch Market Data
S&P/TSX Composite:
Chart 12079.52 +29.13

Rob C,

It seems to me the obvious alternatives possible, other than the blanket approach taken by Flaherty are:

- rules defining which corporate operations are eligible to become IT's, and which operations are not

- a gradual phased approach to taxing existing IT's, which would allow Trusts and their investors alike some time to adjust

Instead what we have is this bombshell which knocks the hell out of Canadians' retirement savings, and puts a gaping hole in investor confidence in general. This was NOT needed, especially at a time when the CPC is trying to build support over and above their minority in the HOC. To me, this move is just mind-boggling, and ill-advised.

Joe Canuck:

You ignore the fact that Telus and BCE rose 12-13% on the announcement of intention to convert to an income trust.

Minister Jim Flaherty gave this proposition the full stop. Telus and BCE returned back to pre-IT trading levels. In short, Telus and BCE are trading back to their real rather than tax-free induced status.

The Liberals had a decade to deal with this and stalled, obfuscated, and let insider trading go on, "Hello Scott Brison". The US and Australia gave the IT model the complete thumbs down. Canada does not live in an economic vacuum, but rather in a global marketplace.

There was no option to let the whole TSE go to the artificial IT model. This would have completely undercut innovation in a capital based economy.

This was a rational move, done crisply and cleanly. If you had all your money in income trusts then you didn't have a properly diversified portfolio.

The proposition that ITs could piggy back on the economy without paying a similar tax burden to others was fantasy land in any case.

Nobody who is serious in the financial services industry believed for one second that ITs would preserve their tax free holiday indefinitely.
While the economy could endure a little bit of short term bleeding, no one was going to stand by and let the artery go untreated without applying a tourniquet.

Librano$ created a tax-avoidance loophole; Loophole Now Wide Shut.

BCE, aka Bell Canada Enterprises;

Additional subsidiaries include Bell Globemedia, a media company which includes CTV and The Globe and Mail.

Bell and Telus would pay no taxes?

Incredible.

Over the months since the election,Bell, Telus, etc., crafted a "gun" and a few days ago pointed/held the "gun" to the head of the government.

Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty acted in the supreme interests of Canada and Canadians. Bravo.

"Afterward, Mr. Flaherty phoned provincial finance ministers in Quebec, Alberta and Ontario to discuss his rationale.

The first two were clearly on board, while [McGuinty-Liberal]Ontario was more lukewarm.

“You have to either leave it alone or fix it,” Mr. Flaherty shrugged Wednesday. “We were going to see the two largest telecommunications companies in the country not pay corporate taxes. That's a clear and present danger to fairness in the Canadian tax system. I thought we had to act.”

With a report from Eric Reguly

Financial Post

Hans, I don't condone tax free holidays for large corporations either. All I am saying is that the previous government set up IT's for some corporate operations as being legitimate investment vehicles for people. Many innocent people either bought into them or were induced into them by their investment advisors. And now, this government decides to change the rules in the middle of the game, with no regard for the injury/loss they are causing to thousands of investors and retirees. Unacceptable, regardless of the history/truism of your statements. They could have done it differently, is all I am saying.

Joe:

Yes, the investors may be innocent parties to this fiasco; but Minister Jim mitigated the impact by instituting the long talked about, but never implemented, pension income splitting.

Moreover, ITs get a four year tax break to adjust to the new regime. This can hardly be characterized as radicalism towards a new investment regime. It seems to me that a four year phase in will ameliorate the short term blip experienced yesterday.

If one is a pensioned investor you never have all your eggs in one basket; but hold a diverified portfolio.

Remember the old adage:

"All that glitters is not gold."

Further, usually when announcements of this magnitude are made, one get a short term sell off followed by a period of reassessment. IE. bargain hunters. Not all income trusts are created equally, and some will thrive notwithstanding the new taxation regime.

Poppy seller back at grocery store

A 76-year-old war veteran barred from selling poppies at a Quebec supermarket is back after the store changed its mind. (cnews)

Annie gets "blamed". Annie gets "censured"*. Annie loses face. The lady was a safety menace, aka Librano$ ...-

McLELLAN CENSURED OVER GUN REGISTRY

A parliamentary committee blamed former Liberal public safety minister Anne McLellan for not informing Parliament about the true cost of the firearms centre and blasted the senior bureaucrats who came up with the accounting scheme to hide those costs. (national news)

*censured: 2. an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members. (D.com)

Riot police at sheik's mosque

Herald Sun ^ | 3 November 2006
RIOT police will be on hand during prayers at Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly's Sydney mosque today. The sheik has called on his faithful to join him for Friday prayers at Lakemba Mosque for his first public appearances since being rushed to hospital with chest pains on Monday. Police have already closed the road outside the mosque in western Sydney in anticipation of the thousands of supporters expected to gather before prayers begin at 1pm (AEDT). Large numbers of police, including riot police, will also be on hand. Officers with bomb-sniffer dogs had been through the mosque, which has been covered with flowers ...-
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