UPDATE
Stephen Taylor is breaking that Wajid Khan will cross to the Conservatives tomorrow.
I am now reporting that Wajid Khan will join the Conservative ranks tomorrow as a backbench MP. Doing so protects Khan from cynicism of the press and opposition of making such a political move for career advancement, or for monetary considerations. Khan joins the Tories without taking a position in either cabinet or as a Parliamentary secretary.
This move has been a long time coming and I expected to report on this just after the Liberal leadership convention as such a move would have been wise political strategy to deflate the post-convention bounce in the polls that would benefit the Liberal party.
Khan is expected to make a formal announcement tomorrow and will likely describe that he is switching parties because of the “values” that the Prime Minister represents.
h/t Eugene in the comments.
Cabinet shuffle Details here… open thread.
I’d have considered forgiving Harper for the Income Trust flip-flop if he’d given Flaherty the boot. Oh well, maybe next time.
Khan helped bust the Toronto terror plot last summer. He is a stand-up man, and, as far as there is such a thing, a moderate Muslim. If he’s an Ismaili (considered apostolic by mainstream Islam) like Jaffer, this makes a lot of sense. No connections to radicalism like Alghabra. He’s a successful car dealer who is somewhat famous in Toronto for his humourous radio commercials on Fan590, the all-sports radio station. This is as big a pickup as there can be for the Conservatives, and good for the country too, as he can be an example of someone who wants to integrate rather than overturn.
Speaking of Khan, I can’t find a single mention of the word “Liberal” on his website. Has it always been like this?
Ted said “Canada has already signed onto it.”
Ted, perhaps you could remind everyone here what the Liberals did in how many years since Canada “signed” onto it.
Reading the CP story I’m struck by this quote…..
“The big story of the day was the environment, and the place of importance it has taken in the Canadian psyche since the last election.”
Yeah right, that’s all we talk about at work these days, how the environment is uppermost in our psyches.
Dumbass reporter.
There’s been more conversation in the last three days about where I got the Bunnies calendar than the environment in the last year.
and here is cbcpravdas take on it.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/01/04/dion-shuffle.html
no mention of 13 years of dithering
Ahhhhhhh, what a great day to be a Conservative!
Khan is a good pick-up. Is it an indicator of the softness on the LP’s right – especially now that the left-side is ascendant? and he’s from Mr and Mrs auga the key battleground of Ontario.
Baird will hold the mirror up to the LP on the environment file and hopefully do some more near-term things like actually starting the clean-up of the Sydney Tar-ponds. Global climate change (man-made or not) has become a much more top-of-mind issue since the last election, perhaps filling in the vacuum left by adscam/accountability. I doubt its ability to be a deciding factor in the polling booth, especially if the CP shows that it “cares”.
Toews has been moved because he’s not running next time around – he has introduced a ton of important changes that will look very good on the CP’s CV in the next election especially in suburban canada (and particularly in the Lower mainland of BC – read heavy punishment for grow-op operators). Crime and Punishment, unlike the environment, IS a motivator in the polling booth and – even more than in the last election – the CP owns that issue.
Sad to hear that diane findlay (sp?) is still having health problems – she’s a very capable person, but Monte will excell as he always does.
It is annoying that some of the MSM are pointing out that the percent of female ministers has decreased. What happened to appointing someone based on merit?
What a great post/comment Tom, worth repeating imo.
“How does one become a believable Minister Against the Boogeyman? Or competent for that matter? Do you tell people, ‘yes, we’re actively fighting the boogeyman with this, this, and this,’, or do you tell people ‘there’s no such thing as a boogeyman’ and then get attacked by the believers?
Sorry, since there are no witches to hunt, I am making no progress on the Witch Hunt Accord. In fact, I think the WHA is based on lies/deception/junk science/political manipulation, so our gov’t won’t follow WHA targets, even though the previous government ratified the Witch Hunt Accord.”
“She’s a witch! Burn her!”
“No don’t burn her, that’ll create global warming!”
“Stupid shrieking enviro-fascists.”
Posted by: tom at January 4, 2007 02:16 PM
Rona is over the moon at getting the Intergovernmental Affairs and Prez. of Privy Council,
hardly a step down or a vote of non confidence.
This will play to her strong suit where she should shine. The MSM hammering Rona took by the media was simply the fact that the journalists were “Pavlov Dog’s” conditioned to spout the Kyoto line. Not an ounce of critical thinking as to how those targets were to be achieved.
“Intergovernmental Affairs” will get some better play than the former moniker of “Intergovernmental Affairs” known as Belinda Stronach. Nope there is no “Rona Around Ambrose” here! At least this gal has got moxy and brains.
Robert Nicholson gets the Justice Portfolio. If I remember correctly he is an experienced hand and was on the Beaudoin-Edwards Committee on Amending the Constitution back in the early nineties. Tough minded but fair was my general impression back then.
Jack’s newswatch does not do Christian-dancing ’round. Jack is naming Citoyen Dion; L’imbecile.
…-
“The prime minister gives the direction,” Dion said, adding Harper’s environmental policy has been “an embarrassment to Canada.”
“Therefore, the minister of the environment wasn’t able to succeed.”
[…]
“Note: This from the man who is touted as Harper’s “intellectual equal”. What can I possibly say?”
…-
Fred said: “Just think of Toronto under 3 miles of ice . . . kinda pretty isn’t it :)”
After splitting a gut on that one I composed myself and gave it some serious thought. I came to the conclusion that I would most certainly be willing to tolerate a new Ice Age if it meant I could see Toronto under 3 miles of ice.
I think NCF TO meant that most Muslims consider Ismailis to be apostate, not apostolic.
(Picking at nits, I know, but nits make lice:)
Speaking of environmental change, Jack’s Newswatch has a post and link that states that the atmosphere on Mars is, like that of Earth, also warming. Both planet warmings are happening at the same time.
To my knowledge, there are no humans on Mars; therefore, the causes of climate change/warming on Mars are natural. Possibly solar flares. Same with that on Earth.
Can someone explain to me how one molecule of carbon dioxide will be reduced by buying credits? Dion says (actually believes?) that this credit scheme will be profitable for all and good for the economy. That’s right, when government gets involved in business, everybody makes money. NOT!!
Government has a poor record of picking winners in the economy, but losers have a great record of picking government. The losers will be lined up.
Sorry, socialist professor types rarely know anything about business. WRT Kyoto, I’m still waiting for answers to these questions:
– if human activity is responsible for warming, why has most warming taken place this century before 1950?
– carbon dioxide represents only 5% of ghg’s, and human activity only 3% of that (ie .15%), how does our “loading” cause warming?
– what does Kyoto compliance and implementation mean in real terms – jobs, output, reduction in warming?
If someone would actually answer those questions in an intelligent manner, instead of attacking the questioner, maybe I wouldn’t be so suspicious.
We need a made in Canada solution, where we develop bridge and hybrid technologies, which we can share with the developing world, so they don’t modernize as dirty as we did. Do this instead of buying credits.
BTW – carbon dioxide is not the same as carbon monoxide, get it? Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, regardless of government fiat; it is a naturally occuring gas that plants breath. Isn’t the pollution designation a backdoor way of forcing our hand, something like the polar bear scare (even though their population is rising, they will decline because we think the earth and their environment is going to warm). What ever happened to proving a hypothesis. Consensus is not the same as scientific proof.
Oh, how sweet! Somewhere, deep in the bowels of the LPC brain (physically, the other way ’round), a worm of doubt has arisen that they’ve been snookered on the environment.
Classic move. If not originally intended, the Ambrose/Baird sucker punch was a tactical phantom that hardened as a “naive and innocent Rona” exposed the previous Liberal inaction on the environment, got the Liberals to radicalize their policy well before a potential election, and set them up for a real brass-knuckle brawl.
The made-in-Canada policy will undergo some “adjustments”, to further humiliate the LPC. Health care ads – children with asthma; fish dying in harbours*. The next election is going to be interesting.
*Halifax Harbour, one of the best deepwater, ice-free ports in the world, continues to be polluted by over 181,000,000 litres per day of untreated water, both sanitary and storm wastewater.
http://www.halifax.ca/harboursol/WhatistheHarbourSolutionsProject.html
ET said:
“To my knowledge, there are no humans on Mars; therefore, the causes of climate change/warming on Mars are natural. Possibly solar flares. Same with that on Earth.”
Precisely ET! This would make it interesting to study other planets for polar cap retracement where there are similar atmospheric gas elements.
One of the reasons I brought up the solar flare issue in a previous thread some time ago.
If similar retracements are evident then maybe it is not all human activity after all.
Cheers
There is a petition in circulation at the Oregon Institute of Science with (http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p37.htm) over 17,000 Scientists signatures that states:”There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.”
In comparison Al Gore found 4 out of 100 Scientist approached willing to endorse his movie. A show of hands or winning a popularity contest is not science no matter how hard the self righteous lefties scream.
I’d rather see Wajid Khan declare himself an independent conservative (like Garth Turner) and simply agree to vote with the Tories on budgets rather than immediately joining the backbench(less political flak). Then he can run for the Tories in Mississauga come election time.
I have read that Canada only produces 3% of global pollution, so if we reduce to 0% by banning all industry, cars, heating of building etc. there would still be 97% pollution produced. How will this have any effect on the melting glaciers (poor polar bears)? Why do we not hear more about how futile Canada’s contribution toward climate change control will be? Why do we have to pay Saudi Arabia in Kyoto (billions) credits (the world’s riches country)? I am not convinced about global warming. 50 years ago in elementary school I was taught that the Vikings grew grapes in Vineland (Newfoundland) and I understand that grapes don’t grow there now. So in 1000 years the average temperature has gotten colder.
This Cabinet shuffle was probably triggered by Environmental issues, but not really an unusual thing for a Prime minister to do.
It takes a period of time to get the right people placed in the right Portfolios to maximize their strengths to better serve the Country.
If any Government is serious about Environmental issues a good place to start would be to stop the flow of raw sewage/sh** into the Atlantic in Halifax and also in Montreal. Disgusting.
It’s great news to hear Wajid Khan is about to join the Conservatives. Smart move, smart man.
Off topic but did Belinda change her tresses back to blond? Perhaps she was getting mistaken for Rona with her raven tresses.
Does anyone remember the holes in the ozone layer years ago? The heat of the earth was escaping an we were headed to a mini ice age. Now,we seem to have fixed that problem but we are getting too damn hot. So let’s open up the hole a bit until everyone is comfortable.We can have a world-wide thermostat. Of course there will be always arguments just like at home,but I think it might work.I can just hear someone yelling”Damn it Achmed,if you are too hot take off the turban,”
The whole environmental scenario has moved into the realm of fiction, a global soap opera at least in the West, with almost daily installments, new events, new traumas, crises, affairs of the heart.
It’s High Noon only in the West. Asia and the Middle East don’t give a damn about ‘global warming’ – except to accept all the money given to them as Guilt Payments For Causing Global Warming by the West. Heh. Are we suckers or aren’t we?
It’s highly emotional, addictive, heart-wrenching. If only, if only we were Good People, then, the Earth Wouldn’t Warm Up…
It’s incredible how the human mind/mindless whatever, moves into these hypnotic situations. How do we manage to move ourselves into these apocalyptic crises, again and again? At one time it was nuclear war, at another it was a new ice age, now, it’s ‘global warming’.
We write books about Imminent Doom, we set up TV shows about Really Imminent Doom, we fund conference after conference – all attesting to Imminent Doom. This mass hysteria takes over; the politicans must slither along with it…until…eventually the hysteria dies down. Reason returns for a brief spell. And we are off into another apocalyptic hysteria.
I wonder what the next one will be?
Agree with you, Cal, about our contribution to global warming. It is very small. Our changing things here at home will have minimal impact globally. What we really need to concentrate on are environmental toxins.
This zinger from the CTV web site:
“The size of cabinet has increased from 27 to 32 positions, with a smaller percentage of women on the team.”
I tried to use my slide rule but couldn’t tell the difference. Went back to using a calculator to determine that the percentage change in women went from 6/27=22.22% to 7/32=21.88%. So rounding, that would be a change from 22% to 22%.
Clearly this is a big news story and should have dominated the day’s events.
Looking at Norm Spector’s screenshot of today’s Toronto Star I think it’s fair to say that the Red Star has no sources within SH’s inner sanctom.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/nspector4/
Oops, sorry got that wrong, I thought it was jim Prentice who was “MR. fit-it”
Tenebris:
Out here in BC, the city of Victoria and its suburbs pump 138 million litres per day into the Georgia Strait, BUT…it’s all UNtreated sewage.
Former Liberal Minister of the Environment David Anderson, wheneever the issue arose, said it was not a problem because “the current was fast”. Speaking as a boat owner who plies those waters on occasion, let me attest to the fact that their SH@@ DOES stink….
“How do we manage to move ourselves into these apocalyptic crises, again and again? At one time it was nuclear war, at another it was a new ice age, now, it’s ‘global warming’.”
ET: You neglected to mention the Y2K crisis (eeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkk..the sky is falling).
Kyoto is just another fart in a windstorm…
ET said “I wonder what the next one will be?”
I’m betting super virus. I like the Robot Chicken episode that shows newspaper headlines after an asteroid is set to destroy Earth, with one of them stating “We wasted our lives!” Say Bitter Environmentalists
I still want to know what happened to the threat of acid rain. Was that one solved or did we just move on?
I’m puzzled about something.
I think everyone realizes that the US is not going to sign on to the Kyoto Treaty. When I say that Kyoto has no cache in the US, I mean there’s a real good chance that we would go to the metric system and start speaking Esperanto before we would sign Kyoto.
Among the few people in the US who have heard of Kyoto, the majority of them think you’re talking about some large bear in Alaska. So when I say Kyoto is meaningless down here, I mean that it is utterly meaningless.
Even if someone could prove (and they can’t) that temperatures would actually be a degree warmer a hundred years from now, the US would not start trying to dislocate whole industries, put millions of people out of work, cut off the means of sustenance to families, in order to rescue this world from that guilty degree.
If you’re talking about trying to diminish pollution, that’s another subject. Our record is pretty good on that, and we’re working to do better.
Since Kyoto ain’t even going to make the papers in the US, then what good is it going to do Canada to try to put itself under those stringent requirements? If the US, with 300 million polluters, ain’t gonna play, then what is the point of Canada bothering to mess with it anyway? It would only hurt your oil and other important industries. What’s the point?
The fact that the US has a very good record on pollution reduction and that property rights are very strong there as well is not simply coincidence. Protection of property and of property holders is the underpinning of much the legislation down there.
Mississauga Matt – I think that the program against acid rain began in about 1985, and has reduced this problem by about 65%. The problem is particularly relevant in Eastern Canada because the soil/rocks is a type that can’t neutralize acidity.
Acid rain was not comparable to the current Global Warming, which is a situation of Really Imminent Doom (RID). The reason it is different is because it was/is very specific. The causes of acid rain were specifically known; the solutions were specifically known. It was a neat ‘Do This and That Will Happen’. It was understandable and controllable.
Global Warming is completely different. We don’t have the data to know if humans or solar flares or whatever are causing climate change. Therefore, this lack of data is being transformed into an emotional hysteria of personal guilt. We, evil people that we are, unsaved and unsavoury, are the source of all evil. We are the cause of The End of The World…etc, etc.
And the fascinating aspect of this most recent RID (Really Imminent Doom) crisis, is that the solution proposed by the UN is a scam. A total scam. It won’t do a thing to stop global warming – if we assume that it’s caused by humans and CO2 emissions. The reason it won’t do a thing is because the benchmarks are unreachable, the ‘fines’ are not a requirement to change the industrial infrastructure – but – are a money laundering tactic of handing over millions to other countries. Who are exempt from Kyoto. Who will set up factories that will emit CO2 and other pollutants.
So- Kyoto is actually INCREASING CO2 emissions. The Evil Country can’t use the Fine to restructure its industries to lessen emissions. The Good Countries can use that money to build industries that are exempt from Kyoto. Globally, emissions increase.
Globally, money is handed over by the Evil Capitalist Countries to the Good Undemocratic Countries. I call that a scam. Kofi Annan calls it ‘Perfection’. I call us idiots to fall for this scam.
Next Global Catastrophe –> Obesity
Just saw Baird on CTV confirm that global warming is real and that the science “is overwhelming.” And he has already phoned David Suzuki!
Time to get the claque on message, Kate.
Welcome the brand new year ! The two most important issues facing us all seem to be related . On one hand we face islamic – jihad , on the other eco – jihad . Islamic -jihad is a threat from external forces that seek to TAKE what we in the west hold dear . Eco – jihad , on the other hand , is the exact opposite ( we Give it away ) . Funny how the left seem to be on the wrong side of both problems .
Kyoto is dead. Baird will pander to the bludgeoning eco-nuts until real winter hits and the hysteria wears off. I wouldn’t be worried unless he starts proposing carbon taxes.
Calm down agitfact; don’t get agitated. No-one disputes global warming. The real issues are causality. Causality. Causality.
Is this change in the climate a natural phenomenon, caused by solar flares or whatever? Is this change cyclical; that is, does the earth go through cycles of warming and cooling? After all, at one time Greenland was, well, it was green. And now it’s not. Why?
Or is it caused, solely and only, by Evil Men Who Pollute? The facts are, Mars is currently warming up as well. Now, are there humans on Mars who are causing the Martian MeltDown? Well?
So, the dispute is over causes.
If you blame Evil Capitalists, then, Kyoto isn’t your answer.
But, currently, the leftist West has wrapped itself in a mass hysteria, a phenomenon known also as ‘moral panic’ – which sees whole populations suddenly lose whatever limited reasoning capacity they had, and transform into total mindless idiots. So, they move into a moral state of panic, defining themselves as Evil, and as Agents of Imminent Doom because of that Evilness. Notice how the causality has moved out of any chance of empirical proof and located itself firmly within the psyche of the West, its capitalist industrialist Evil Soul.
How does one treat such a public? Gently. Kind of a ‘there, there’ pat-on-the-back. You can’t reason with someone in a state of mindless moral panic. You just have to soothe them over it.
Off topic, but seeing as you’ve been following the Jamil Hussein story Kate, I thought you might want to link to the E&P story on how the Iraqi Ministery that denied he exists, suddenly decided that he does:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003528028
So…uhm… wondering how, with likely 99% of the “blogging tories” being complete climate change/global warming skeptics, like their government, how will you all react now that, for reasons of pure political expediency, your government states that the science in support of global warming and man’s impact thereon is “overwhelming”?
Will you have a collective immediate change of heart on the issue and abandon your principles immediately, or will it take a few months, like it did your leaders?
This should be fun!
ET,
I it difficult to predict what the next RID (or the new name of some frenchman’s dog) will be now that scientists have shown that they are more than willing whores.
You got to admit as far as scams go, Kyoto is a pretty good one. Fools have bought the shoddy science, it’s long-term, it involves a lot of money, no accountability, etc.,etc. This year El Niño didn’t help the hurricane scare, but it’s paying dividends now.
watchingyou2: “… with likely 99%”
They just can’t help themselves with the making up stats.
Unlike yourself, watchingyou2, I don’t believe everything (or in some cases anything) that some politician, some lawyer or some reporter says. Also, unlike you, I don’t look to them to find out what I think.
“As for the warm weather in central-east Canada, we’ve had this before. I recall a warm January about ten years ago; even warmer than now. We ‘paid’ for it with heavy February snow. And you are ignoring the current heavy snow in the prairies and BC.”
I heard a govt climatologist today say that in effect “global warming” wasn’t all that big a deal. Apparently in the dirty 30’s the record high (for the world) was set in Saskatchewan.
In addition my 90 year old MIL said today that this global warming stuff is “bullshiT” She’s seen in all before.(I guess a lot of things re-occur in 80 years)
Horny Toad
Fritz
As I ponder my waning years I wonder what stories or family legends I might pass on to my sons.
My father told me of boyhood life on the praries during the “dirty thirties”…The drought.
I suppose the best I can do is the “snowy seventies”….sniff…sniff.
So what does the next generation have to say?…Ohhh right the obesity epidemic.
Pecan pie and double chocolate chip cookies everywhere…it was horrible.
I gotta go…the delivery dude is here…..hhhhmmmmm….cheese.
Syncro
someone mentioned Greenland earlier. It has greened up there some, they have been able to grow a crop of barley last year.
Agree with an earlier post, Baird will “pander” to get their attention. The facts with the proof, you know, like, “a proof is a proof and if it’s a good proof it’s been proven” kind of proof, will be presented. The people will have the right information, not some Lefty gloom and doom crap we’ve been fed for the past decade.
It’s going to be proven to be the great Hoax of the 21st century.
If you concentrate enough people in one area, like Toronto and other large cities you’ll get smog, controlling emissions makes sense.
Chretien signed on to Kyoto, he had no plan in over a decade to implement it. The Conservative Government has not unsigned it, so what are the Liberal green experts yapping about? They did squat, more specifically Dion did squat as Environment Minister.
So now that the environment is the #1 issue, (Says who?) we now must vote for the party that will make the biggest promises to affect planetary climate patterns.
Are that many voters that crazy?
Let’s all vote for the party that promises to change the value of pi to 3. Geometry will be so much easier…
Tilting at windmills doesn’t effect the windmill, it just gives you a sore neck.
Anyone who genuinely wishes to implement Kyoto is an enviro-retard. Sheesh.
What’s interesting I think is that this could be a really really huge winner for Harper. By taking climate change and environmental problems seriously, he will be able to convince a lot of middle class families that he really is a moderate, that he does actually consider public concerns and isn’t a simple ideologue. It goes a huge way in shaking off the last remnants of the radical Reformer that still has many many people concerned if not scared about giving Harper a majority. A lot of people will say: hey, if he’s willing to take on his own base on such an important file, maybe he is more of a pragmatist than I was led to believe.
Another interesting thing for environmentalists to consider is a curious phenomenon in politics about politicians playing against type. In order to convince anyone non-partisans and even left partisans that he is serious about the environment, Harper will probably have to pony up and produce some substance (he hasn’t so far) and make real tangible, quantifiable changes in the environment. Whereas Liberals and Dippers get a bit of a light treatment because it is assumed that they mean what they say on the environment when they make a priority out of type, and therefore don’t need to do as much (in the short to medium term) to keep the general public happy, the Conservatives will have to go further just to show they are genuine. In the process, I think they may actually do something historic.
It’s like finances. When conservatives say they will be fiscally responsible, it is assumed they mean it for some reason, and so they can get away with not living up to their own ideals (eg. the fiscal disaster that Canada was in after the last PC federal government and the last Ontario PC government, and the US now). The Republicans have only recently been starting to get some truly significant bad hits on their support because of butchering the US finances. Whereas Liberals and Democrats, assumed to be tax and spenders, need to actually be more restrained and produce more results just to play against type and get over the negative assumptions. Thus, Clinton, Martin and Chretien went much further away from their natural base in cuts and fiscal rebalancing just to prove themselves. They accomplished something historic: an incredible run of balanced budgets and surpluses.
Playing against type on important issues can produce historic results… and bigger governments!
Ted
Winter started Dec 21/06. Give it a chance to do its thing. Remember the stories that the Tsumami knocked the earth off its axis by a degree or more. If that is true, that would affect the weather around the world. I can’t believe all the panic from the envirowackos. Baird will do a great job in getting the facts out re the liberals non action for 13 years, and the fact Dion also won the award for worst preformance. Did you read that in the msm, like you did when Rona got it. I think Harper had Rona in that position for a reason, she did her job, and now Baird will finish it, and the liberals. Wonder if dion will issue any more ultimatiums to his caucus. The last one backfired on him. Are there more out there. At least Kwan told his constituency office of his decision before doing it. More than bs did.
It’s amazing how quickly people forget what the temperature was for the Vanier Cup.
After we get the climate change problem reversed, I suggest we tackle the far greater threat known as “short memories”.
“To my knowledge, there are no humans on Mars; therefore, the causes of climate change/warming on Mars are natural. Possibly solar flares. Same with that on Earth.” – ET
Not according to Al Gore, he said, “We are altering the balance of energy between our planet and the rest of the Universe.”
Al Gore knows what he’s talking about. Afterall, he has a movie about it.