Mulroney won the West with Free Trade, and Quebec with Meech.� What he hoped was that no matter how much the West, particularly Alberta, despised Meech and what would today be called asymmetrical federalism, it would go along.� The trick to governing Canada, he believed, was to keep Quebec happy, Ontario satisfied and the West just a few degrees below simmering.� Quebec wanted what it wanted, Ontario wanted to know that the nation’s affairs were being looked to, lest crisis disrupt the economic engine of the Golden Horseshoe, and West could be left with crumbs because they had no where else to turn.� This is a strategy inherent in all political coalitions: You betray your base so you can reach out to a swing grouping.� The hope is that your base doesn’t walk away.� Mulroney calculated that the West wouldn’t walk.� He was wrong.�
Read it all
(A pretty good piece on the so-called urban/rural electoral divide here, too – for a guy who doesn’t have a driver’s license. Public transit? Egads.)
Well said Kate!! I don’t think any of the Libs strategists realize how close they came to steeling the resolve of Alberta separatists during this last election. Had the Board managed to suppress the IT scam investigation and started to move with the negative campaign earlier they may well have assured the end of confederation.
I hope those smug Lib operatives move carefully before trying to pull Harper down or they are going to have far more to handle than they are bargaining for.
Syncro
He sure was wrong. And they’re going to walk away again if Steven Harper isn’t able to implement his platform. All of his platform.
I believe Canada’s days are numbered unless things change. If the Liberal government regains power in the next federal election Quebec will separate. Steven Harper held his hand out to Quebecers during the runup to this election and enough of them took it to give him a minority win. If the Conservative Government of Steven Harper loses the next election Quebecers will look at it as an opportunity lost.
But while Quebec will have great trouble on the path to statehood Alberta can easily go it alone. To give some examples, Alberta is almost three times the size of England with vast natural resource wealth. It’s proven oil reserves are almost as large as Saudi Arabia. Additonal reserves will come online in the near future that will dwarf those of Saudi Arabia. If Alberta were to separate it would immediately become the wealthiest country in the Western World.
Since 1961 Albertans have paid $167 billion extra in taxes to Ottawa while Quebec has received $202 billion extra from Ottawa. Alberta sent $11,100,000,000 (eleven point one billion dollars) to Ottawa in 2003 in equalization payments. The only way that Ottawa will take Alberta seriously is if those transfer payments come under threat of being cancelled. The threat of separation gives Alberta a much stronger voice in Ottawa. But it also changes the idea of Quebec separating.
Alberta needs a strong political leader that will fight for Alberta *in* Canada. Alberta desparately needs a leader the calibre of Gilles Duceppe right now. So does Canada. What’s good for Alberta is also good for Canada. Alberta can save Canada. In my opinion nothing else can.
OOps!!
I commented on the first bit before you had the link up. They’re both good. The second link is dead on, most urban types would have a hell of a time if Safeway closed tomorrow.
There’s somthing to be said for learning from the land. That’s why my urban raised sons have spent a portion of every summer on the farm and a good bit of time in the bush. They’ve grown up with a healthy respect for what it takes to put a meal on the table. I suspect this is something the most adamant lefty moonbats know nothing about.
Hhhmmmmm. Boot camp for moonbats?
Syncro
Alberta is on it’s high horse right now, lots of money floating around. Makes them feel quite powerful. The thing is, Albertans don’t hold the financial strings. That currency comes from somewhere, and it sure isn’t Alberta.
If there were ever a serious threat of separation loans would be called and Alberta would fall flat on it’s face. The real power resides with the moneychangers and they won’t stand for anything that endangers their power and control.
Same goes for Quebec.
Separation may be a threat but it’s never been a serious threat and never will be a serious threat.
If you want to read a little about the power of the moneychangers read Andrew Jackson’s farewell address concerning the charter the Bank of the United States (private bank, later chartered as the Federal Reserve) obtained from Congress. The 1930’s wasn’t the first deliberately induced depression.
A short quote from http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/presidential-speeches/presidential-speech-andrew-jackson.htm
We are not left to conjecture how the moneyed power, thus organized and with such a weapon in its hands, would be likely to use it. The distress and alarm which pervaded and agitated the whole country when the Bank of the United States waged war upon the people in order to compel them to submit to its demands can not yet be forgotten. The ruthless and unsparing temper with which whole cities and communities were oppressed, individuals impoverished and ruined, and a scene of cheerful prosperity suddenly changed into one of gloom and despondency ought to be indelibly impressed on the memory of the people of the United States.
Interesting, Hoss. Perhaps I’m a bit thick tonight, but what loans if Alberta is debt-free? Separating with guarantees that property will remain the owners property, and the province owning the resource to one degree or another, how will it fall flat. Without equalization pmts, and Ottawa getting their “cut” of taxes/royalties, I’m sure the province would have MORE money. Just like another Saudi Arabia, only with more resources. I would think the chance to make even greater wealth would be possible! I’m all ears. 🙂
Perhaps I’m a bit thick tonight, but what loans if Alberta is debt-free?
Private enterprise isn’t debt free. How long do you think that gov’t wad would last if the companies and individuals paying the taxes had their loans pulled?
Intersting concept indeed Hoss. You are right, private enterprise and individuals are not usually debt free. I never thought of that. I will ponder this scenario over my hot cocoa 🙂
Hoss, No doubt the money changers could exert some pressure but I doubt the multi-nationals that are behind the mega-projects would stand for too much pushing.
The juniors and mid level players in the conventional patch have always been leery of Bay Street and have for the most part not leveraged themselves to the point that they could be wiped out.
As far as Albertans being on their high horse I think you’re missing the point. It’s a horse of their own making, we’ve taken worse beatings than the one you propose.
Most Albertans would stoically suffer the downturn and dig a little deeper to go it alone if the alternative is a return to the condecending bumph that has passed for the status quo for far too long.
If things don’t get cleaned up this time separation will cease to be a threat and will become a rapid reality.
Nature abhors a vacuum and Ralphie is really beginning to suck. If the smug power brokers of the eastern establishment misplay the next year and a half just watch what rushes in to replace king Klien.
Syncro
No doubt the money changers could exert some pressure but I doubt the multi-nationals that are behind the mega-projects would stand for too much pushing.
I don’t think you realize how much power the moneychangers have. They have absolute control of the money supply.
You’re welcome to find out. It’s your funeral:) But I can guarantee Alberta, or Quebec, won’t be separating.
what a strange thread. 3 days after a victory, you’re talking separation.
the article linked to, seems to me to say, that harper has a chance to win the next election. that there is a potential coalition of interest with quebec and the west. but as john points out above, the central economic basis of this confederation is the transfer of wealth from the west to quebec, so i find it pretty much impossible to imagine.
do you see any way harper can win another election?
Hoss, I don’t doubt the power of the banking class but it wouldn’t be the first time Alberta has floated it’s own money. It didn’t work too well last time but this time our neighbors to the south have a decided interest in seeing Alberta with a stable viable economy.
Just saying……..
Syncro
DF
I think Harper will have a shot at a majority next time around if he can get enough of his agenda pushed through this time.
It will require enough decentralization to appease Quebec and Alberta, the implementation of his ethics package which should go through early in this mandate, putting to bed the SSM issue for good, so to speak and some real movement on crime issues.
All of these are doable and there is enough there to please most quarters that will have a tendancy to vote CPC.
I think if he can get these ones through and possibly fall on a confidence vote over his $1200 promise for childcare all will be good for the next election.
Who khows though anything can happen, hell the way things are shaping up in the middle east a decentralized federal may turn out to be the least of our worries.
Syncro
I don’t take seperation claims of seperation from either Quebec or Alberta very seriously. There mostly cries for “Attention to us Please!” more than anything.
In the past we threw money Quebec’s way to grease the wheels of federalism. Seperatists squeak, apply grease.
Alberta please don’t start squeaking we don’t need another unruly child in federation. We’ve handed you a microphone and the car keys on a probationary basis. If you don’t break anything you might get to keep them.
Jose said:
“Alberta please don’t start squeaking we don’t need another unruly child in federation. We’ve handed you a microphone and the car keys on a probationary basis. If you don’t break anything you might get to keep them.”
Wow! What an amazingly condescending attitude from a fellow Canadian. And Alberta should just shut-up and say, “Thank you”? No wonder it’s on the cusp of buying its own car.
Very interesting article – and so very true – there really is a deep, deep divide. Having seen what has gone on over the past three days through the various MSM reports; reading the vile and degrading blogs over on the Liberal sites (as well as on some conservative ones like this)- I fear that Stephan Harper will not even get a chance to show that he is truly a national leader. However, if he shows the kind of calm leadership that he did during the election and if he is given some time – I predict that the fence sitters who were scared into jumping back over to the Liberal side will crawl back under the fence for good. Give him a chance – you just might be surprised.
Jose,
For a self-confessed liberal, I find your comments usually very interesting and worth discussion as opposed to the Rons & ti guys of the realm who thing a great comeback retort to be: “Oh yeah?” However, after saying that I notice your last comment which speaks volumes as to the liberal/east view of Alberta…
“Alberta please don’t start squeaking we don’t need another unruly child in federation. We’ve handed you a microphone and the car keys on a probationary basis. If you don’t break anything you might get to keep them.”
Last time I checked, Alberta was a full member in confederation, not a junior teenager who needs dicipline. That attitude will not win you any western support. Ask PM about that.
Hoss,
You’ve overlooked one very important element in this mix: the cultural issue. Which is why Quebec was even able to float the idea and VOTE on separation in the first place.
If the banks were to exert pressure through the long arm of the federal government as the result of another Quebec separation effort, Ottawa would suddenly look exactly like the bullies in Beijing in the eyes of the world. That is a political price THEY cannot afford to pay. If that were to happen, Alberta would tag along, protected by the blanket of world opinion.
What’s your explanation for Scotland and Wales? Why didn’t the money changers pull the rug there?
ol hoss:
The voice of reason!
The trouble with separatists – any separatists – is that they tend to replace reason with mythology.
Their ideology so often demands a narrow, nationalistic way of thinking that excludes any concept that they could possibly be wrong.
Both Alberta and Qu�bec separatists seem to believe that they can somehow maintain their particular status quo despite all the unknowns and unforeseen consequences attached to any break-up of the Canadian federation.
Why would the “moneychangers” cut off their nose to spite their face? There’s so much money and potential in Alberta only the truly myopic would force a recession if Alberta decided to separate. It doesn’t make financial sense.
ol hoss,
Somehow, I think the money changers would like to deal with Alberta instead of a socialistic dithering government that will want to have every company deal with producing Canadian jobs or whatever in the have-not parts of the country.
After all, they certainly gamble their monies on companies that are trying to search/develop resources in some pretty unsavory parts of the world. A stable democratic Alberta with PROVEN resource reserves is a much better bet than some tinpot dictatorship.
Unlike the Mulroney ers when Albeta and BC could be “left crumbs because there was no where else to go” Albeta has a world class economic engine, a population which is now intolerant of “crumbs” and the will and fiscal liquidity to seek another option…independence.
The reason I belive Alberta independence is such a viable reality is the fact that the same urbanites back east “who don’t know where their milk comes from” obviously don’t know where their oil or transfer equilization payments come from either. The fact the Urban east is in total denial of Alberta separatism is a sign to Alberta separatists that they could operate in the open promoting their option unhindered by the resident myopia of the eastern media.
Separation would free us (Alberta)from the silly emcumberances of Kyoto, the Federal Ministry of Energy, Ottawa itself. Bay Street Financiers– (there is always Switzerland) and the whole of equalization payments.
Pretty hard to see the benefits of being in Canada other than the access to a seaport.You dont sit on the second largest oil reserve in the world and expect to take a back seat to the Ontario and Quebec just because its always been that way. Maybe Ottawa could send in the army when they are not busy shoveling the streets of Trona.
Eh.. lots of banks in the US.
And elsewhere.
By the way – Alberta Girl, if you consider SDA to be “vile and degrading”, then perhaps you need to look elsewhere for entertainment.
Hey Kate – you misunderstood my message (or perhaps I didn’t explain my point) I love your blog and find that you are right on point. I was speaking to those who come into your blog and say degrading things about conservative and Stephan Harper without even giving him a chance.
Please give me another chance – please, please, please!!
Hoss and Jose,
Keep in mind “the west” is a quite a bit more than Alberta. BC has no love of Ontario and for the most part not much concern on Quebec. BC is in surplus and not sucking off the teat of Canada. The monetary ties that bind Canada are loose indeed.
The paternalistic attitudes of Ontario are not welcome, undeserved and only serve to inflame “the west”.
The Conservative win really seems like Canada’s last kick at the bucket. The Alberta separatism issue has nearly been extinguised. Financial solvency of BC and Alberta goes a long way. Can you imagine the results if Quebec was not deeply in debt and dependent on Canada?
enough
Ol Hoss, makes a point though. Perhaps, we should be looking at switching all our individual banking needs from the TD, BMO, CIBC, Royal Bank to the Alberta Treasury Branches?
Loved the essay by David Warren. I was very afraid that if the Liberals got in this time, that there would be a huge crack as the country split either side of Ontario. Some of the voters in Ontario (nudge, nudge T.O.) have to realize that they aren’t the only people in Canada.
no problem A.G.
It was a good article except the point made at the end “Ont having half the population” only presumed that Que left.
The reverse is also true, what if Alta and BC left. Ont would have half the population. Watch your back Que.
What if “the west” and Que. left? Then Ont would have almost all the population. How do they live off the warm fuzzy feeling that would give them?
I’m of the belief that Canada died on 28 June 04. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Canada is at best on life support. At some point you have to start breathing on your own or the plug gets pulled. Reminds me of the story of the school yard bully and his rubber hose. The teacher asked him where he got it from. He said off his dad’s iron lung. “And what did your father say when you took it? GASP.
You get the picture? Don’t let Canada come to that.
I don’t live in Toronto, I live in the UK. Before that I lived in Alberta and before that Toronto, Seattle and Spain.
My opinion has nothing to do about what area code I currently reside in. I’m not somehow out to get the west. If I ever decide to move back to Canada I’ll probably resettle in BC. So I’m by no means out to “get” the west. So you’ll pardon my bemusement to being referred to as some kind of anti-west boogeyman.
I could be wrong and Alberta may indeed seperate but its kind of an odd thing for you guys to bring up during your post election honeymoon.
I don’t think the vast majority of Canadians get what Alberta Seperation is about.
The National Media (in particular the National government run Media) portrays Albertans as brain dead hicks, that just fell of the turnip truck, that are lucky to see the prosperity that we have. This, of course, is false and (as any economist will tell you) Alberta’s prosperity is the result of solid policy designed to spur economic growth. On top of this Albertans are called redneck racist homophobes by the National Media (which couldn’t be further from the truth).
Now, the reason this exists is that Alberta threatens the current power structure that Canada is based on; Ontario is in charge, Qubec is listened to and apeased, and everyone else is ignored. At the current rate of growth (in other words if Koyoto isn’t implemented) in the next 15-20 years Alberta will make up 20%-25% of the population of Canada and 25%-35% of the economy will be based in Alberta. At that point you can not ignore Alberta any longer.
On a municipal level you can already see the influence Alberta’s economy is having, more and more immigrants are entering canada and going directly to Calgary and Edmonton rather than Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; in a few years direct immigration to Alberta could surpass the rest of the country. In a time where population growth is dependant on immigration, and population size determines political power, this is a great concern to the powers that be in Ontario.
Jose
Most Albertans want to separate about as much as they want a root canal without anesthesia.
The point is that the power brokers of the left have failed to realize the depth of western separatist sentiment.
I am optimistic that Harper can reverse the tide but if the left media and Lib strategists continue to view the Harper government as an aberation in their divine right to govern they are vastly underestimating the wests resolve.
A Liberal rush to proclaim the next defender of “Canadian Values” followed by an early toppling of the CPC minority will have dire consequences.
It’s not sour grapes or a matter of being a sore winner. It is merely a statement of the political reality in the new west.
Ignore the undercurrent at your own risk.
Syncro
No One
Well said. The Alberta government is actively recruiting skilled immigrant labor to man the next wave of mega-projects in the provinces north east.
Anything short of a government imposed recession is not going to stop this trend.
Syncro
The Mop and Pail sums up big city folks view of the hinterland quite nicely.
Cal
I dun’t get it pleese splain.
Syncrohick
The David Warren essay is spot on. I don’t know any one who knows where their milk comes from, except me; who has studied the local “milkshed” (like a watershed, but different).
A few years ago I had some relatives from Toronto and NS visit and we flew up to a family ranch for a few days. They, naturally expected California to be all suburban except for beaches and were blown away by the vast empty areas we flew over. They were amazed by our diesel generator and the fact that we used propane from a tank. They bought wood in tiny bundles for the fireplace and had difficulty wrapping their heads around the large stack of oak and the splitter. And, they’d never seen a maul and wedge. The CJ Jeep was an antique to them and the fact that it could be maintained with a simple tool box didn’t register. They have a SUV but seem to have no idea how to use 4WD.
I could go on; but the point was that they were like people from a primitive culture coming into contact with an advanced civilization. We had to plan ahead about things like food, heat, light and transport and had two or three back up systems in place in case one failed.
CJ packs up? Saddle a horse. If it’s still down and it’s time to get grocery’s, use the stored food, take the hay wagon out of the barn, hitch up a team; they’re saddle horses, but they’ll get used to it. Four miles of dirt road to the highway, twelve of blacktop to town. Leave well before dawn, don’t dilly dally in town and you’ll be back well after dark in one day. Raining, snowing? Wear a slicker and thermals.
It’s all really very simple. But on their own, they’d just die; at home or on our ranch; because they can’t do anything. As Henlien said, “…specialization is for insects.” The people in the cities just don’t realize that their rural areas own them. As they used to say in counter insurgent warfare, “When you’ve got them by the b*lls, their hearts and minds will follow.” Most people seem to be unclear on the concepts. They may need a demonstration. Blizzards are good.
Your West has the rest of Canada by the *Ahemmm*; you shouldn’t care about their hearts and minds a great deal.
Don’t worry Alberta Girl. You’re embarassing yourself with unnecessary groveling, there’s no need to kiss Kate’s butt.
No Kidding HV. An awfull lot of city folk have no idea how to improvise or even deal with the elements. Incidently, when TO suffers a blizzard they call in the military conversely the last big storm in Calgary that shut down the city we broke out our ski doos and snow shovels and had a blast, it was like a snow day block party!! Great Fun!!
Syncro
ol hoss. “Private enterprise isn’t debt free. How long do you think that gov’t wad would last if the companies and individuals paying the taxes had their loans pulled?”
The world has changed ol hoss. The need for oil and energy is what has changed it. How long do you think it would take an “old” company, with a lot of debt, to simply go bankrupt, and the individuals then set up another, debt-free, company to do the same thing. Happens all the time.
New, debt-free company, same old managers and workers. The need for energy has changed the old ways that the money barons held control over everyone. Why do you think the US has made it more difficult for people and companies to walk away from debt? It sure wasn’t for the good of those companies and individuals. It was because the money barons, the central banks, needed it.
The world is a different place today. But I do agree with ol hoss when he says that Quebec and Alberta won’t separate. I don’t think so either. But that doesn’t mean that Alberta has to keep on sending all those billions each year to a failed central government. The threat of separation, if it is serious, can reap results.
Syncro. “Nature abhors a vacuum and Ralphie is really beginning to suck. If the smug power brokers of the eastern establishment misplay the next year and a half just watch what rushes in to replace king Klien.”
I totally agree. The only difference between Quebec and Alberta, other than the problems each will have in separating, is that Quebec wants out and the West wants in. Duceppe said exactly that during one of the debates. And America will play a bigger part in Alberta going forward, inside of Canada or out. Natural resources are the property of each province. It’s time that all provinces were treated the same in this area.
And I could write reams about sending meoney to “have not: provinces. In short I’ll say that it’s silly to pay for someone to sit on their buts 8 months a year because they want to work in a seasonal job when they could move to a province where jobs are begging. People who want to work 4 months a year and live on pogey for 8 are not the kind of people who built this country or who fought and died in two world wars to defend it.
This is Alberta’s time to shine. They will. And all of North America will benefit. When you own the energy you own the money. To hell with the “moneychangers” and to hell with people who can’t support themselves by, you know, working for 8 hours a day like most everyone else.
Syncro and HV…If you really believe your own nonsense then your both as dumb as a bag of hammers.
Why don’t you rubes take a trip to Toronto and go for a walk near the corner of Jarvis and King late at night. Just might find a new use for your maul.
HV…Apples never fall far from the tree.
Hungry Valley. Funny. But oh so true. I lived for 15 years on the shore of a 42 mile long lake in a house that my family and I built. we heated with wood with a propane furnace as backup. We converted our 350 small block Chevy truck to propane ourselves and filled it from the propane tank. No road taxes there.
We had a garden and three apple trees in the front yard. We had a cold room and a worshop. We built a wood fired boiler in a detached 8 x 10 shed and stored hot water in a 300 gallon oil tank with a foot of insulation around it. We burned our garbage in the boiler and about a cord of wood each year, with another cord burned in a rock fireplace (with a heat exchanger) that we also built. We added a separate thermostat that called for the hot water and ran it through an old heat exchanger we built into the gas furnace. If the hot water ran out the other thermostat took over and operated the gas furnace.
And yes, we also built a hydraulic wood splitter.
I bought a carton of 5000 22 long rifle shells to use as barter if needed. Never had to. We fished right off the dock and water skied all the way up to the far end of the lake.
What a wonderful place to raise three children. They had a 15 mile trip in the school bus each day and they took to it as though that’s all they ever did.
I even had my own studio, built like a guest house, right down on the shore in front of our dock and 19′ cabin cruiser. And we paid for this with a $15,000 loan and $12,000 we sold our house in Calgary for. The year we moved was 1973.
Best move I ever made.
Ron, you obviously have me confused with someone else. My Canadian origined family has been a player in California agri-business for about a hundred years; lots of Canadian and UK capital was invested very early in the states especially in Southern California. The ROI on the property I mentioned exceeds many high tech companies and the land is unencumbered with debt. As the land in Southern California was developed out of agriculture we became participants in development. We have an equipment leasing operation that owns the aircraft we flew in along with ag machinery. It’s all about business. I’ve been to Toronto. It’s a city. And, I’ve visited all your major cities from Halifax to Vancouver. They’re cities too. I assume the area you mentioned is dangerous at night. I wouldn’t notice. We usually use limos and have no reason to be afoot. Sounds like it’s one of your problems, not mine. I don’t see how this invalidates my point.
Rube? Dumb? I don’t think so.
“I dun’t get it pleese splain.
Syncrodox”
I’m not sure if you’re just funnin with me but if not, I will try to splain it to you.
Let’s look at it again
Stephen is heading to the centre of the universe at the wheel of a turnip wagon, a few are falling off. There is a saying that some people use when they try and protest that they are not stupid.
“I didn’t just fall off the back of a turnip wagon”.
This makes the assumption that the farm workers riding in the back are ignorant rednecks.
The flag “moderation” (made out of old long johns) implies that Stephen is using a flag of convenience to enter parliament and will show his true colours once he is inside.
It’s quite a good cartoon for the Truduopian Intelligencia who wouldn’t have a clue on how to climb onto the back of a farm truck.
And also for those of us who find their Trudopian arrogance so risible.
Is this whole ‘the tories are rural’ a story of a biased media or a sloppy, lazy and stupid media?
Geographically, they’re using the City of Vancouver instead of the Greater Vancouver region. At around 550,000, the City of Vancouver sure as hell isn’t the third largest Canadian city.
Of course, when you use Greater Vancouver you end up with tory held ridings which takes out one leg of their Tor./Mtl/Van. axis.
A point about Alberta.
Unless we get a change of government here, forget about separating. Klein and Co. are just as guilty as the Liberals for backroom shady deals.
How soon we forget those buddy “consultation” deals, the $400million bailout of US meat packers but nothing for ranchers, or Ward 10 elections. How about the CN rail oil spills, Highway 63 and on and on and on.
I for one hate to think of our present government running a new country, we’d go broke the first year from the greed and mismanagement.
The PC’s here are long in tooth just like the Liberals. Klein and Bronco are both closet Liberals.
Once we clean the mess in our own backyard, then we can look to either working Eastern Canada recognize us as a province, or as a last resort, leave.
In leaving, we will survive, it is just our nature. I do hope Saskatchewan, Manitoba and BC decide to join, otherwise we’d be a lonely mini-state, and seeing Saskatchewan is our sister province, I hope they catch onto the entrepreneur spirit instead of NDP mothering.
With many large army bases here in Alberta, one has to wonder if the War Measures Act doesn’t come into play. Oh, Harper may not invoke it, but don’t count out the Liberals & NDP pulling a “non-confidence” vote over the sovernty of Canada. Ironically the Bloc would also vote against us, they know where their bread is buttered.
So, as some posted on here why the separation retort after this election, it is because in reality the East still doesn’t show much support for the Conservatives. Those 10 Quebec votes could have gone towards the Liberals, then we’d really have a mess.
It should have been a landslide victory. This “balanced voting” is a crock. Voting in one of, if not the most, corrupt and self serving government in this land is outright shameful.
Other posters regarding the moneychangers are correct also, but one still have to remember the human spirit for freedom. You can only keep a good man down for a bit.
Sorry for the longwindedness, guess I should get my own blog 😉
cheers
tom
Robert in Calgary do you actually suggest that the National Media in Canada would be anything but fair and unbiased? It is not like they would use lies or discredited facts to hurt one political party and benefit another. After all the support in Alberta demonstrates that the Tories only really have rural support
“As of 2005, the population of the province was 3,212,813 (Albertans). 81% of this population lives in urban areas and 19% is rural”
Alberta is also the most religious of the provences
“Alberta also has the second highest percentage of Non-religious residents in Canada (after British Columbia).”
And Alberta is made up only of grumpy old people
“…the average age of Albertans is lower than the average age of Canadians residing outside Alberta”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta
http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/resources/publications/Health_Trends/A_Demographics.pdf
HV…I’m glad for you and your family’s success. What I gleaned from a previous post is that you think city dwellers have no clue of what goes on in rural areas.
If you respect all people regardless of the area and situation they live in then I retract my statements.
King and Jarvis in Toronto is rife with drugs, prostitution, crime and homeless unfortunates. I recommend that all pundits and critics take a stroll there.
Ron;
I hear your statement about the problems of King and Jarvis, but I guess being from the sticks, I don’t understand your conclusion.
There have been years of Librano rule, social welfare schemes, soft on crime justice ministers and politicians. Yet, are you suggesting that what we need is “more of the same”?
New York (after Giuliani) is now one of the safest cities in North America. There are real solutions to the problems you pointed out, but “more of the same” has never solved the problem.
Cal
I was making a funny, I suppose I should post something like “scarcasm off” when I post something goofy like that. I also find the reference to a “flag of convienence” to be a nice juxtaposition to Mr. Martins way of conducting business.
Tom
I agree Ralphie is a closet Lib, but Bronco is out of the closet so to speak. Alberta has a long history of sticking with one party and then dumping the whole lot in one fell swoop. What happens federally in the next year and a half will decide which way things break here. I agree if we do have to go it alone I hope Sask. comes with. Being an economic refugee from there in the Blakeney NDP days I’d love to see things change. It may well be starting, Mom tells be there has been a lot of seismic exploration activity around the farm near NB this winter.
Ron
I see you’re back with your usual high level of intelligent discourse. I thought you had bid us all adieu seeing as how you had collected all the information you required. What happened, a sudden knowledge deficit?? Or as some of us rubes are fond of saying, ” Are ya hard of understanding”?
BTW having come of age in Fort Mac in the 70’s, worked my way from roughneck to toolpush on the rigs and started and ran an employment/behavioral change program for ex-cons in Calgary I’m no stranger to danger pal.
What have I learned?? Drink with your back to the wall, pay attention use your head and if you have to; go first, go hard and go fast.
My punditry and criticism is based in experience, if you want to learn more just ask pal, just ask.
While I’ve never been to the corner of King and Jarvis I can’t imagine it’s any worse than The Oilsands in Fort Mac, The Windsor in Red Deer, Boyle Street in Edmonton, Hastings and Granville in Van or the Cecil in Calgary.
Next time you’re in Calgary look me up, I’ll buy you a beer.
Syncro