Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year.

God has Blessed Canada with enormous wealth and prosperity.  Unfortunately, not everyone shares in the opportunity for a good standard of living due to, for the most part, illness, addictions, lack of education and to some extent where one lives in Canada.

Then there are some who simply choose not to work.  You can call it lazy, lack of initiative or poor self esteem.  Canadians and the government need to address these issues.  It is in the interests of everyone and our country to get the unemployed healthy, educated and working again.

It is very important to Canada and all Canadians if we are to continue as a wealthy and prosperous country.  May God continue to Bless Canada as we prepare to move into 2016.

2015 Federal Election

What more can be said about the recent 2015 federal election?  To begin with governments usually defeat themselves when in power too long.  This was the fate of the Harper conservatives, but it was not entirely the fault of Stephen Harper.  The conservative caucus should have had the courage to stand up and oppose Mr. Harper and the power he controlled out of his Prime Ministerial Office.  They were too afraid of being thrown under the bus and the voters finally took control and threw them out of office.  They got what they deserved.

The election results reflected the voters mood for change, the Harper conservatives ran a poor election and the liberals played to the mood of the voters during an unnecessarily long election.  Adding to the liberals support was the collapse of the NDP vote on their poor choices during the campaign.  I am pleased with the election results.  Justin Trudeau and some new faces in government is just what Canada needs.

I caution the new liberal government to not get caught up with their good fortune.  Yes they have a majority government, but they need to remember their win was not all on their own brilliance.  It was as much the failure of the other two parties during the campaign and this can all turn on a dime in a very short time.

Finally, the media and the official opposition, in the interests of Canada, should back off petty and speculative attacks on the government.  Giving this new majority liberal government time to govern may assist in supporting necessary cooperation among our Members of Parliament.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership

How many voters will understand the implications of The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before the next election?  Not many and for those whom do only the NDP support will be hurt as Tom Mulcair has come out fully against the trade deal.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has correctly stated he supports the TPP.  His concerns are that the deal has been finalized in the middle of an election campaign with no transparency for the voters. Further, if elected Prime Minister he will rightfully examine the TPP in detail and move forward from there.

The TPP will only hurt the NDP and it will do little to improve Stephen Harper's support as the conservative vote has peaked and has been stalled around 30% for most of the election.

The media and others will claim Justin Trudeau is undecided over the TPP.  That is not true as he only feels he needs to examine the details of the TPP on behalf of all Canadians before he approves the TPP.  That is a responsible position for any responsible leader like Justin Trudeau.

Mud Slingers

Stephen Harper and Tom Mulcair have slung more mud than the Alberta Oil Sands at Justin Trudeau. The problem is it never sticks on Justin Trudeau and to his credit he has mostly stayed out of the mud slinging in this federal election.

Justin Trudeau has shown he is a tough politician who refuses to back down to his older opponents of Stephen Harper and Tom Mulclair.  They thought he would crumble and fade away after the cruel and personal attacks they both threw at him.  The fact is Justin Trudeau shines brighter every day as his older opponents find themselves falling in the polls.

The Russians are Coming

If the Russians want to take on ISIS in support of Syria as they claim, is there a good reason why the US led coalition should not get out of the Middle East?

The Russians have an agreement with Syria, Iraq and Iran to engage in conflict with ISIS.  It seems those countries have already chosen the Russians over the US led coalition.

I say let the Russians have at it and the US led coalition can just pull out and save us all a lot of money.  President Obama says we are losing the war in Syria and Iraq and there are few who disagree except Stephen Harper.  He believes that ISIS will invade Canada if he pulls out all those six CF-18 fighter jets.

Stephen Harper has made the argument repeatedly during this federal election that he is providing safety for Canadians by having a half dozen fighter jets fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.  I don't buy that argument and especially since the US led coalition has lost the confidence of Syria, Iraq and Iran to the Russians.

Stephen Harper is misleading Canadians by claiming our involvement there is making any difference. We are only there as a token to satisfy the US and if they pull out you can be sure Harper will do the same.  Then what argument will he be left with?

Harper Conservatives strip Canadian Citizenship

If you are a Canadian citizen with a dual citizenship and convicted of terrorism or some other act of terror you will have your Canadian citizenship revoked and you will be sent back where you came from.

Now that all sounds good on the surface, but consider these facts.  There are 80 Canadians that took their holidays training and fighting with terrorist groups like ISIS and have since returned home.  If the Harper conservatives know this then how were they allowed to leave the country and, more importantly, how were they allowed to return to Canada?  These 80 Canadians that fought with ISIS should be rounded up and thrown in jail for life with no parole.  You can not strip them of their Canadian citizenship unless they acquired a citizenship with Iraq or Syria or some other country while they were off on their fighting holiday with terrorists like ISIS.  So life in prison should be the answer for these 80 Canadians the Harper conservatives claim have been fighting abroad with ISIS.

Further, the Harper conservatives know there at least 130 Canadians currently out of the country fighting with ISIS.  How did this happen?  Will the Harper conservatives succeed in stopping them from returning to Canada?  It would be less expensive than letting them come home.  If they are let back into Canada they should be put in jail for life with no parole.

The Harper conservatives enacted Bill C-24 to deal with terrorism for the protection of Canadians and to allow our authorities to track suspected terrorists here and abroad.  It is apparent the legislation is not meeting it's intended objective.

The Harper conservatives are ill prepared to protect Canadian Embassies around the world since they cut Embassy funds to balance the budget in their effort to win another election.  The Harper conservatives are failing to protect Canadians at home or abroad and Bill C-24 is not the answer.

Now ISIS, according to the Harper conservatives, are apparently threatening to kill Canadians.  They have made that claim before, but the current election brings it back into the news.  Further, it should be expected.  We kill them and they kill us.  That is how war works!  The Harper Government supports the US led mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria.  It is costing Canadian taxpayers hundreds of millions with no evidence of success.  It is a war that will go on for years until we finally give up and come home as we did in Afghanistan.

The Harper conservatives also have Canadian troops in Ukraine and are supporting Ukraine with a variety of initiatives.  Canada is the sixth-largest bilateral donor in Ukraine costing hundreds of millions of more Canadian tax dollars.  Maybe the Russians will be the next to threaten Canadian safety and security.

If the Harper conservatives want to engage Canadians in various wars around the world they should expect more threats on Canadian soil.  It is the nature of war.  The Harper conservatives foreign policy has changed Canada from the Peace Keepers to the Aggressors and that is why they introduced Bill C-24 that threatens our cherished Canadian Citizenship.

Canada may not be safe under any government until we change our foreign policy on how we deal with conflicts around the world.

Justin Trudeau

Stephen Harper denies the Facts

Stephen Harper says the liberals will run deficits to pay for their election promises.  Well, he would know about deficits as he hasn't balanced a budget since he was elected Prime Minister in 2006. These continuous deficits under the Harper conservatives make Stephen Harper the proud owner of 160 billion dollars of new debt he has added to the national debt.  He has run the worst economy in Canada in the last 80 years.  There is no reason in fact or truth to trust him any longer with our nation's economy.  He simply can't be trusted any longer!

Harperman Video

Trudeau Attacks and Harper Defends

The worst thing a political party can do in an election is to be left spending their campaign time on the defensive.  He has been defending on the Duffy trial and what he knew or didn't know.  If he knew nothing, as he claims, and all the King's Men knew everything then where does that leave Stephen Harper as a leader in the PMO's Office?

The whole stinky mess surrounding Duffy went on for days and all the PMO's staff were involved claiming they don't read all their emails.  With all this rumble out of the PMO's Office going on Stephen Harper claims he knew nothing.  No one believes Harper because no PM in the history of Canada has been more controlling.

Trudeau calls Harper a "lone wolf"

An excellent speech by Justin Trudeau.

Stephen Harper Misleading Voters

Stephen Harper is misleading voters when he claims he is the best person to guide the Canadian economy going forward.  Today he claimed his government is a government of balanced budgets. We all know better as he has never balanced a budget since he became Prime Minister.  He inherited a surplus from the liberal government and then went on to run up a 158 billion dollar national debt. Conservative governments have always had a history of failing to be prudent with taxpayer's dollars.

We are in our second recession under Harper's poor management of our economy.  We are approaching near 200 thousand fewer jobs now than when Stephen Harper became Prime Minister. Job quality is at a 25 year year low and household debt is near a record high.

The Closing of the Canadian Mind - The New York Times

The Closing of the Canadian Mind - The New York Times:

How California Is Winning the Drought - The New York Times

A model for all Canadian politicians.

How California Is Winning the Drought - The New York Times:

Reasons to Vote Against Stephen Harper

New York Times Exposes Stephen Harper

Who believes Kory Teneycke?

Huffington Post

Tories announced $14-billion in spending in six weeks before election call, 670 announcements

Tories announced $14-billion in spending in six weeks before election call, 670 announcements

Desperate Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper must be desperate with his latest announcements about Canadian security.  He has decided to ban Canadians from going to Iraq and Syria or any other countries he decides are harbouring terrorists.  He claims he will prosecute any Canadian to the full extent of the law who may travel to these countries if they do not have the proper credentials.  If this is such a great idea why did he wait for an election to make this decision?

Now he is telling Canadians that terrorists post horrible videos of their ruthless executions that is aired here in Canada by the mainstream media.  Harper condemns the terrorists for such barbaric actions and then he uses their videos for a conservative attack ad for his own political gain.  And then the questions arises as to whether the conservatives are contravening their own security legislation? Further, the conservative attack ad on Justin Trudeau does more harm than good as it really only spreads terrorist propaganda like ISIS.

Justin Trudeau

Getting ready!

National Newswatch

Rick Mercer

Rick Mercer - Rant on Chinda Trade Deal

Stephen Harper - Just no longer Ready

I met Stephen Harper before he was elected.  I did not care for him then and I really do not care for him now.  I knew he was controlling and consumed by his own self-importance.  He has had a successful political career, but the way he achieved it was ruthless and disrespectful of anyone in his way.  It doesn't have to be that way in politics, but Stephen Harper can't help being mean-spirited because that is whom he is from dusk to dawn every day of the week including Sunday.

Stephen Harper is a man whom will take those in his path and kick them to the curb or throw them under a bus.  I have found nothing kind about Harper.  His acts of kindness are done for his own self-interest.  It is whom he is and he is not about to change anytime soon.

Ralph Goodale Election Statement

Ralph Goodale sums it up very well in this statement about the 2015 Federal Election called by Stephen Harper today.

Election Statement by Ralph Goodale

Justin Trudeau is Ready

Justin Trudeau is ready to lead Canada out of the mess left by the Harper conservatives.

Ann Corcoran on Refugee Resettlement

Why PM Stephen Harper?

It is absurd how voters see Stephen Harper as the best person to manage Canada's economy. Before he became Prime Minister he promised he would never table a deficit budget.  The fact is since he became Prime Minister in 2006 he has failed to balance a budget until just now before an election and now we learn that it is unsustainable.  Further, he balanced the budget by selling off GM shares at a loss and by cutting over 80% of the infrastructure budget for Canada.

Further, the voters do not seem to understand the difference between a deficit, which is the Harper Government's annual budget and the national debt, which is the accumulation of debt arising out of consecutive deficits by Stephen Harper.  He is the master at messing with our economy and his record is a matter of fact and is indisputable.  As it regards our economy, Stephen Harper is the worst Prime Minister we have ever had in over 80 years.

PM Stephen Harper and Vladimir Putin

PM Stephen Harper and Vladimir Putin do not like each other, but they have similar traits.  Both are stubborn and dictatorial.  Both are reluctant to change their views on issues.  Both run their government with an iron fist and neither listens to advise other than their own.  Regardless, of a given situation both hold steadfast to their position without giving an inch.  Both will argue against the facts before them as if the facts never existed.  Seriously, these two leaders are very similar in many aspects of their leadership.  And then they have no respect for each other.  They are like identical twins on the opposite side of the issues.

Conservatives and Facts

And then there is Oil and Water

More...

Recycled Ads

Check it Out

Is it Payback Time for Media?

National Post

Posting

I am sorry I am unable to post commentaries to my blog.  I have been trying to manage some medical issues over the last few months.  I promise I will be back at it as soon as I am well again.  My blog is still a good research tool if you follow the labels and go back a few months or years.

Fairness for the Middle Class

Ezra Levant Reacts to NDP Majority in Alberta

Change

In late April of this year Bruce Jenner a former US Olympian champion and reality TV star reported to ABC news channel his coming out as a transgender.

Bruce Jenner was hailed for his bravery and I believe he was very courageous to speak honestly about how he feels.  To transition from a male to a female redefines the meaning of change.

Now there is the matter of the recent federal budget.  PM Stephen Harper finally introduced a balanced budget.  This is his first ever, but he stole $2B from the federal government's rainy day fund to balance the budget?  This fund was not intended for balancing budgets.

PM Stephen Harper is responsible for the largest national debt in the history of Canada.  Now if Canadian voters look at their own personal debt and believe it is not a problem then they will not be concerned with the National debt, but they should be concerned.

PM Stephen Harper has been robbing from poor Peter to pay rich Paul for too long.  The Harper Government has been reckless with the Canadian economy  and Canadian taxpayers will soon have to pay the price.

It is time for PM Stephen Harper to show some Jenner bravery and courage.  He needs to honestly address the matter of a failing Canadian economy.  Canadian voters should expect no less!

2015 Federal Budget

Here is what you can expect.  A balanced budget.  PM Harper's first ever after promising to never run a deficit budget.  This balanced budget will be his last.

There will be more money for war, security and policing as Harper continues to run his pre-election campaign of fear and terror via the budget using tax dollars.

Funds in the budget will be spread out over years or decades and some of the budget pledges may require you to re-elect the Harper conservatives.  It will be something like all the millions of tax-payers dollars the Harper Government has wasted on unnecessary government ads since Stephen Harper gained a majority government.

Then there will be the costly and useless income-splitting promised by Harper that will benefit 15% of the Canadian population (all rich) paid for by the remaining 85% of Canadian taxpayers.  This is conservative economics 101.

There will be promises to treat our veterans better and a mention about families and how the conservatives are on their side with little funding to support the claim.

This budget will be in the news for a long time!

PM Stephen Harper at New Low

The Harper government is now at a new low and little wonder.  His government has posted a big fat zero for economic growth in the first three months of 2015.

And making matters worse for the Harper conservatives is the Mike Duffy trial, which may well track right back to the Office of the Prime Minister.  Many will ask why the PM didn't know what his Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright, was doing when he wrote a secret cheque for $90,000.00 to Mike Duffy.  That seems like a reasonable question to me.  Further, the Duffy trial is expected to be a long trial and may run right into the next federal election.

Now we learn Toyota is moving production out of Ontario to Mexico and China.  That will not impress voters in Ontario.

And then there is the matter of the Supreme Court of Canada again ruling against the Harper Government.  This one is a decision regarding mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes.

Now for the first time the Harper conservatives are trailing the liberals and the NDP in the latest nanos poll.  I can understand the Harper conservatives trailing the liberals, but the NDP is really hard to believe.  Stephen Harper should take a long look over his shoulder because Elizabeth May of the Green Party at 34% is rising in the polls.

Maybe it is time for the Prime Minister to make a call to Kim Campbell.  As a former Prime Minister she knows how to live well in a life after politics.

Stephen Harper - No Vision

PM Harper has served as Canada's Prime Minister since 2006.  What has he achieved for Canada?  In comparison to previous Prime Ministers very little for those whom care to look at the facts.  He has travelled all over the world for hundreds of photo ops and has done everything to appear as a great Prime Minister, but it is all an illusion.

Former Premier of Saskatchewan Grant Devine once said you could mismanage Saskatchewan's economy and still break even.  Stephen Harper tried the same thing with Canada's economy and came to the same conclusion as Grant Devine.  It doesn't work!  Devine messed up Saskatchewan's economy and Harper has messed up Canada's economy.  The facts speak for themselves.  Devine ran up the debt in Saskatchewan and Harper has done the same for Canada and Stephen Harper has still failed to introduce his first balanced budget.

There is not one economic reality that speaks well for Grant Devine or Stephen Harper.  Grant Devine was not left with a strong economy when he became Premier and he then proceeded to make it worse.  Stephen Harper was left with a strong economy and a budget surplus, but squandered that and like Grant Devine proceeded to drive the economy into a big whole.  The problem is that every Canadian is financially harmed when a government fails to effectively manage the economy.

Interestingly, both Grant Devine and Stephen Harper have formal education in economics.  It seems that has failed them both and in the process failed all Canadians.  The Prime Minister knows he has failed economically and that is why you hear him ranting everyday about war, terrorists and security. Scare the voters into believing you can protect them and they will forget about the economy.  Again, what has Prime Minister Stephen Harper really achieved for Canada?  Where is his vision for Canada?

Five Million Lives Saved

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Bill Gates met last month to renew the call to advance global Maternal, Newborn and Child health priorities.  In the news release it states that Canada (PM Stephen Harper) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have a long history of successful collaboration in support of international development.  This is a collaboration of public and private funds.  The Prime Minister uses public funds and Bill and Melinda Gates use private funds.  It is all a noble initiative to save the lives of mothers and new born children.

One could ask if there will ever be enough funds to save the lives of young mothers and children in developing countries.  I suppose if I had access to public funds or I was a billionaire I may be inclined to attempt to save a few lives in developing countries.  I would be more inclined to save a few lives here in Canada like the Sandra Schmirler Fund.

There was an interesting fact in the news release issued by the Prime Minister.  It stated that, "The lives of more than five million mothers and children have been saved in developing countries since 2010 due in large part to the global effort to improve maternal, newborn and child health."  That sounds good, but it leaves me wondering who was counting.  It must be an elaborate system to calculate that fact over the last five years.

I believe Canadians need to be more diligent in monitoring how and where their federal government spends their tax dollars and to what end.

Shoe Bomber Sentenced

The judge made a strong statement regarding the US view on terrorists.

Read it here...

Saskatchewan Slang

Some days this may be as confusing as the Harper Government.

RCMP probing 150 of Pamela Wallin's travel expense claims | CTV News

RCMP probing 150 of Pamela Wallin's travel expense claims | CTV News

Tory MP apologizes for 'whities' and 'brown people' comments linked to temporary workers program | CTV News

Tory MP apologizes for 'whities' and 'brown people' comments linked to temporary workers program | CTV News

Inmate Costs on the Rise

Inmate costs are on the rise.  The Harper Government's new legislation to keep certain dangerous criminals locked up for life without parole until after 35 years, up from 25 years, may be popular, but it will be expensive.  Read more...