So, Who is the Average Canadian?

For years pundits characterized Stephen Harper as a shrewd, crude and successful  political strategist.

• We all claim we hate his vicious political attack ads but like a train wreck, we all slow down and take a look. As much as we say we don't want that Republican style campaigning here in Canada, they seem to work.
• We gagged on the image of Stephen Harper as the caring cardigan wearing family man sitting in front of the fireplace when it contrasted to much with his cold, calculating agenda but, it got him re-elected.
• We have to admire his ability to turn a motion finding the "Harper Government" in contempt of Parliament into a partisan attempt to destroy his hard work, bringing the country back from an economic meltdown.

All this stuff works. Or does it?

Harper is gambling this election, that Canadians will be as outraged as he claims to be, about the possibility of a coalition government being formed, if he wins another minority. I don't think Canadians are half as dumb as Stephen Harper thinks they are.

When I was a young turk, and on some rant or other, an older but wiser colleague told me "Be careful Gord, you're starting to believe your own propaganda."  I think that is what is happening to Harper right now. It is a deep trap.

• As Stephen Harper goes on and on and on about coalitions as if they were evil personified. He thinks that Canadians forget that  he proposed collaborating with the Bloc to bring down the Liberal Martin Government.
• He forgets that there is television archive footage still available and now on You Tube where he suggests that a coalition of the right is needed to bring down the Liberals.
• He thinks Canadians are too dumb to research enough to discover that almost 70 countries around the world currently have coalition governments, including Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

I have a friend who claims that Canadians are so disengaged from Canadian politics that they can't see the forest for the trees. That they spend their evenings perched in front of their television sets watching Fox news, Housewives of Orange County or Cops and don't give a fiddlers fart about what is happening here in Canada.  He might be right, but I don't think so.

I don't think;

• that Canadians are stupid. 
• Canadians are afraid of coalitions. 
• we are as disengaged as our Prime Minister things we are.

What I do think is that most Canadians;

• believe this election is necessary
• reject the law and order agenda
• are afraid of a Harper majority
• are not comfortable with the Conservative Party's vision for Canada
• are frustrated with Parliament now seems to be working
• want a cooperative and functional House of Commons

Then again I might be falling into another one of those traps. Not unlike Harper, I usually think of myself as the average Canadian. We are both probably wrong on that front.

We'll see in May.

Democracy Is all about Sharing Power

The Prime Minister warns us to beware of the “coalition threat”. The Leader of the Opposition swears he will not enter into a coalition. Is "coalition" a dirty word? Not to Canada's national citizens' movement for fair voting reform, which just released a map showing almost 70 countries around the world that currently have coalition governments, including Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The list makes the point that coalition and minority government are common in developed countries, most of which use proportional voting systems.

Bronwen Bruch, President of Fair Vote Canada says . "We think it's normal in this country for one political party to have all the power, even though most people voted against them.  Our winner-take-all voting system gives phony 'majority' governments to political parties with as little as 38% of the votes. But time and time again we see that single-party monopoly government leads to arrogance and corruption, whether it's a Liberal, Conservative, or NDP government.

"If we want politics to be different, we need a vote that makes a difference," she adds. "Proportional voting systems give each party power in proportion to the votes they receive. Since no party gets a majority of the votes, no party gets a majority of the seats. Parties must cooperate to get things done. It creates a more consensual type of government, and a more civilized style of politics."

"Once a party has a phony majority in Parliament, they are completely unaccountable," adds Wayne Smith, Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada. "As long as they maintain rigid party discipline, nothing bad can happen, so that's what they do. The Prime Minister of Canada has been described as an 'elected dictator', and Canadians are beginning to see that. More and more of them are demanding the power to hold political parties accountable, and are joining our movement for fair voting reform.

Join the thousands who are coming to the Fair Vote Canada  website and sign the  Declaration of Voters' Rights.

Why is this Election Important?

Stephen Harper doesn't want to talk about it but Canadians should never forget why we are having an election.

Following rulings by Speaker Peter Milliken, for the first time in Canadian history,the first time in Commonwealth history,  the government and a minister have been found to be in contempt of parliament for withholding information and misleading the house.

This election is about contempt

con·tempt  (kn-tmpt)

n.

1. The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn.

2. The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.

3. Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.

Let's Turn that Decision Around - Again

You can't be serious Stephen

Here we go again. The Old Boys’ have been denied Green Leader Elizabeth May the opportunity to participate in the televised leaders’ debates.

Instead of speaking up to defend democracy, other party leaders seem relieved. Without May to point it out, it takes some of the heat off their own woefully inadequate environmental policies.

I know our first past the post electoral system does its best to cut out the smaller parties but you have to ask “What kind of democracy excludes a party with the support of one million of its citizens?”

What kind of democracy allows a handful of TV executives to decide that the Bloc Quebecois that only runs candidates in one province has more right to be in a national leaders’ debate than the Green Party with candidates in pretty much every riding across the country?

Don’t get me wrong. I want to hear what Gilles Duceppe has to say just as much as I want to hear from Elizabeth May.

In the last election, Canadians spoke out and our voices won Elizabeth her rightful place in the debates. We can’t believe that we have to rally on her behalf yet again. But we do.

Here’s what you can do:
Vote in CBC’s poll on whether Elizabeth should be invited to the leaders’ debates
Donate to support Elizabeth’s battle for inclusion
Sign the petition
Send a text message to the Chair of the Media Consortium, Mr. Troy Reeb of Global TV on his cell phone at 647-261-3752
Email the news directors of consortium members CBC, CTV, Global, TVA
Email party leaders Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe
Forward this message to your friends and family

Collectively we can help Elizabeth May show Canadians why Greens belong in the House of Commons.

Let’s get on with it.

The Dipstick

It is how you check the oil you dork
Leader Post Photo

During Election Campaigns I feel almost compelled to mock public figures. With good reason I think. Election campaigns are not about substance or real policy or what candidates really stand for. It is all about tightly managed messages and photo ops of highly controlled "visits" to local business, universities and peoples houses.

Harper has been spending his days announcing new economic initiatives which are dutifully reported by every newspaper in the country. Everyone seems to miss the fact that if these new "gifts to Canadians" were real he'd have put them into the budget released not two weeks ago. I think Conservative policy wonks think them on the campaign jet as they wing their way back and forth across the country

So, I thought this morning offering in the Regina Leader Post had to be shared. Harper visited a boat sales shop and in an effort to look like he cares, seems quite curious about the marine engine dip stick. I know Harper doesn't drive his own car, the RCMP get him from place to place, and it must have been years since this "ordinary Canadian" checked the oil but in this photo it looks like Laureen Harper is explaining to Stephen what a dipstick is.

Here for Canada

It is the little things that tell you about a campaign.

Fair Vote Canada Predicts Election Outcome

Fair Vote Canada

Although the writ has barely dropped, Fair Vote Canada figures it’s not too soon to announce the results of the coming federal election.

The President of Fair Vote Canada, Bronwen Bruch says, “Our dysfunctional voting system throws up erratic and irrational results,” says “but some outcomes are sadly predictable.”

So, Fair Vote confidently predicts the following:

· Most Canadians will be “represented” in Parliament by somebody they voted against. Under the current, winner-take-all system, votes for losing candidates do not help to elect anybody and are essentially wasted votes.

· Canada will elect less than 25% women to Parliament. That’s about as good as it gets with our voting system. Fifty countries do better than we do in this regard, most of them using proportional voting systems. Every democracy with at least 30% women in its legislature uses a proportional voting system.

• The Conservatives will win every seat in Alberta, or all but one, with about 65% of the votes.
• The Liberals will win almost all the seats in Canada’s major cities, with about half the votes.
• The NDP will get one million more votes than the Bloc Quebecois, but the BQ will win almost twice as many seats.
• The Bloc Quebecois will win two-thirds of the seats in Quebec with half the votes. 
• The Green Party will get one million votes (enough to elect 25 Conservatives) but will not win any seats.

· Voter turnout will be the lowest in history, or close to it. When your vote doesn’t make a difference, why bother? Unprecedented amounts of negative campaign advertising will deliberately foster apathy and cynicism.

Our antique voting system is not really competitive, Two-thirds of Canadian voters already know who will be elected in their riding, before the votes are even cast. Really, it’s a tribute to Canadians’ sense of civic duty that any of us bother to vote at all

Off to the Races

Just watched the Harper Government fall. I have been waiting for months. We are off to the races and I have high hopes about what might happen.

Despite what the polls might say. I think this race is Michael Ignatieff's to lose. An election will be Canada's first chance to see him working on his feet. Best of luck to him.

Harper it seems will try and ignore his failure as a government and he will run on the economy and against the so called coalition. Pretty thin in my view. He claims Canadians don't want an election. I think he is wrong.

Some advice for Jack Layton. Stop pretending that you are going to be elected as Prime Minister. You and I and all of us know it isn't going to happen. The New Democrats can provide a strong voice from the left. A strong voice for humanity. Your role is to provide leadership on that front. Stop pretending.

Harper thinks there is a coalition and that coalition brought him down. We all know that is bull.  Arrogance  caused his government to self destruct.

So campaign as hard as possible but when it is all said and done if Harper is back with the support of 37% of Canadians. There are options. Use them.

Vision, or the Lack Thereof

I am not writing this, as just another opportunity to slag Stephen Harper, although I generally don't have a problem with doing that. What bothers me is that, on the eve of an election being called, neither Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Giles Duceppe, Jack Layton nor Elizabeth May are offering us any real vision for our country.

We have a new "stay the course" budget from Harper without a bold new initiative in sight. Sadly, I don't expect much more from any of the political parties as the campaign goes forward. Oh sure, they'll promise to tweak this and tweak that, to be more open and to rebuild Canada's proper role in things international. But what else?

We expect a campaign of slogans not substance. They will argue about who has been more bereft of principle, the Conservatives, the Liberals, the separatists or those socialist NDP. We'll argue about tough on crime agendas, accountability, fighter jets, arctic sovereignty and dirty oil. You can bet no will talk about the gun registry. Get ready for a campaign full of attack ads but lacking any plan which would plot a course showing how we will move forward, as a country.

My Canada cares about people, not slogans.

A Vision the Cares About People

I was taken by a story I read this morning in the Globe & Mail about the fact that in Denmark, seniors are entitled to free home care, around the clock if necessary. The basic service includes help with shopping, and cleaning but in addition, anyone 75 and older is entitled to an annual home assessment to determine if additional care might be needed. The Danes do this because they believe "It gives the elderly better well-being and healthier lives." The added result is increased life expectancy and fewer admissions to hospital and nursing homes.

My brother recently suffered from a health issue while visiting France. They were in a small village without any real medical facilities. After a call to the nearest hospital to seek advice a doctor quickly turned up at the house they were renting. He diagnosed the problem and prescribed medication.

He explained that it was better to have a few roving doctors treating patients in their homes than it was to overcrowd emergency facilities. His charge was modest and he went on his way and the medication took care of the problem in a few days..

A Canadian I know of who lives in Italy was recently visited by his father who became quite ill while he was there. So ill in fact, that he was hospitalized for three or four days.

When it came time to leave the hospital the expat asked how much they owed for his father's care. The response was "You owe us nothing." Questioned about how that was possible the hospital administration replied, "What kind of country would we be if we charged a visitor to our country for care he would have received free had he lived here."

Those my friends, are examples of vision at work.

What about Infrastructure?

I also noticed a story about the Gotthard Base Tunnel being built by the Swiss. Begun in 1996, the tunnel will be 57 km long, and will be the world's longest rail tunnel. It should become operational at the end of 2016. It's twin track will run between Switzerland and Germany and will accommodate both freight and high speed passenger trains.

Remember the Chunnel?

I got thinking about big projects on the go here in Canada and I couldn't think of any. Aren't we lucky Stephen Harper wasn't Prime Minister when we needed a national railway coast to coast or when we needed the St Laurence Seaway.

We have to ask how our government can boast about being so economically responsible while our infrastructure is crumbling. Everyone's focus is on reducing taxes and we are passing on the infrastructure problems to our children and grandchildren to pay for.

They have no vision.

Conservative Budgets out this Week

We are right in the middle of budget season. Both the Feds and the Saskatchewan government tabled their budgets this week.

I am quite taken by the fact that the media, particularly the CBC, is spending so much time and energy slicing and dicing the Harper Government's new offering, talking about what kind of impact it will have considering the fact that it hasn't a hope of going forward. The government will fall this week. No question.

If Harper wins another minority or, perish the thought a majority it will present a much different budget, you can depend on it.

What analysis I have heard sees the Federal offering as a kind of stay the course budget anyway. Pretty dull stuff. Not much to run on which will capture the hearts of Canadians except for a $75.00 rebate if you send your kids to music lessons. Pretty thin, I'd say.

I am always amazed at how the pundits continue to ignore the growing infrastructure crisis in Canada while praising corporate tax cuts.  It is a simple math economists don't seem to get. Pay less and promise more, Conservative economic policies don't work.

Here in Saskatchewan it is pretty much the same. The Saskatchewan party got elected at precisely the right time and the province is said to be booming so, these guys had a pretty good four years. Frankly I think it would have taken an idiot to fail in this economic climate. Brad has a few of those and still managed to come out smelling like a rose.

There really isn't too much worth commenting on but, I did like the following quote in the Leader Post obviously taken word for word from the press release "The provincial Budget released on Wednesday stated it will give beer off-sales retailers an extra $5.1 million to help remain strong contributors to the community"


I can't figure out how that works but it will certainly keep their small business supporters happy.

Regime Change

Ready, Set, Go

Everyone is doing it so Canada, don't miss this opportunity. The chance doesn't come often enough.

The "Harper Government" is set for a fall and although all the chatter is about the rejection of the budget, it isn't that at all. This government is going down over integrity, dogma, secrecy, lying, bullying, lack of vision, partisanship and corruption.

I wish I'd made a list. I know it would be as long as my arm but I am as bad as everyone else. I move from issue to issue forgetting fairly quickly what annoyed me last week as a new clumsy misstep grabs our attention.

We do remember a few like:

• Agriculture Minister Gerry "The Ritz Cracker" joking over listeria deaths.
• The stonewalling over Canadian soldiers turning over Afghans to be tortured.
• Using the unelected Conservative majority in the Senate to defeat a bill after it was approved by Parliament.
• The unbridled use of Republican style attack ads to attack the leader of the Liberal.
• The prorogation of Parliament by Harper in an attempt to save his own skin.
• The insertion of the word "not" into a document which it seems was approved by the minister in order to reverse that decision.
• Using Parliamentary staff and budgets to raise funds for the Conservative Party
• Ignore the law over election spending

Under Stephen Harper's leadership the Conservatives pandered to the anti gun control lobby, shunned climate change research and supported dirty oil and held fast to the view that lower corporate tax rates will solve our economic issues. They are soft of humanitarian aid,  overtly militaristic, most of their elected members are little more than mouthpieces for the Prime Minister's Office.

So this is our chance to make a real change. What do we want instead?

• Well, what if we had a Prime Minister who believed in and supported our arts and culture a  leader who saw the value of investing our tax dollars to support our writers, our poets, our artists and musicians instead of   and business, business and more business. Sorry, a $75.00 tax write-off for music lessons doesn't cut it.

• What if we had a Prime Minister who understood that poverty, homelessness, desperation and crime are all pretty much part of the same equation. Some one who was prepared to roll up his sleeves and work to solve those problems instead of just putting those who fall through the cracks in jail.

• What if we had a Prime Minister who believed that Canada should be a world leader in education and research?

• What if we had a Prime Minister who valued democracy, human rights and transparency, who was prepared to fix our broken electoral system, who believed in and supported out public broadcaster, who really believed in a Canadian style healthcare system.

What if? 

What if? 

What if?

What if we could believe any of the leaders in the running would bring us all that? They won't but getting rid of Harper would at least be a start.

If we can believe the Globe and Mail poll most Canadians want an election and I'm looking forward it. Anything that would put my MP, Tom  Lukiwski into the opposition back benches would be a positive thing.

Weighing in on the DST Debate

I was in Quebec a week or so ago when North America moved to Daylight Savings Time. In fact it was when most of the world moved to Daylight Savings Time, most of the world except for where I normally hang my hat – Saskatchewan.

Here in the, easy to draw hard to spell province, DST, or lack of compliance to the doctrine, is a big issue. Nothing will get some old codger quite so riled up as the thought of moving clocks forward, or back an hour, in the spring and fall.

When the Saskatchewan Party, defeated the New Democrats – not exactly a bunch which embrace a new idea themselves - they said the people should decide, and promised a referendum on the issue. Last week I was wondering what happened to that vote?

It seems that the Junior Minister of Time, Darryl Hickey decided that most people in the province don’t want DST so he decided to scrap the idea of a vote on the issue. Hickey is the intellectually challenged minister from Prince Albert who ran in the last election on a platform of “A vote for Darryl Hickey is a vote to keep the mill open” all this when his own party’s platform was to let the Prince Albert mill die. One of the Saskatchewan Party’s first acts after getting elected was to scrap the deal the NDP had made to try and re-open the mill. Perhaps the fact he got elected says more about the intelligence of Prince Albert voters than it says about Hickey’s ethics.

In any case, had known Hickey was in charge I would have given up all hope we’d spring forward long ago.

I will admit though, it is a divisive issue here on the flatland. The opposition mainly comes from people who have the flexibility to control when they do what, unencumbered by set work scheduled, older rural folks. They used to argue that all this change would confuse the farm animals feeding schedule. I never quite figured that one out.

Now the luddite’s rallying cry seems to be “We are already on Daylight Savings Time. No need to change”.

I for one miss being able to comfortably sit outside long into the evening. It gets cool here on the prairies once the sun goes down. Believe me when you spend what seems like half your life in the deep freeze, you want to savour every minute of a warm sunny evening.

And then let’s not forget the mornings. Without shifting the clocks sunrise comes pretty early. That is fine, who doesn’t like a long day but when the birds start their raucous chatter on the trees just outside my bedroom window at about 4:30, I’d like just a bit more sleep.

The Minister of Weasel Words

We could hardly call Bev Oda forthcoming. With steps that would Ginger Rogers envious we have watched Oda danced around the issue for weeks now. In fact. it took the Minister of International Cooperation, 14 weeks to finally tell a Commons committee who altered the infamous memo denying $7-million of funding to human rights group Kairos. The New Democrts call her The Minister of Weasel words" and subjected her to some very tough grilling about the whole matter.

It looked like her actions might bring the government down but "tough on crime" beat her to it. The Parliamentary Committee looking into the the lack of transparency around that issue has found the Government in contempt of Parliament earlier today. 

Unless the big talkers chicken out again, we just may be on our way to the polls by the end of the week.
If you are following the Oda story though, the Hill Times takes a good look at the "not" scandal in this week's edition.

Election Fever - or Not

Last week I'd have bet anyone $100  that an election is in the works. All the signs were there. The Bloc, Liberals and NDP seemed to be singing from the same hymn book saying "We've had enough" and even the "Harper  Government" seemed to be keen to get to the polls.

By this morning the pundits seem to think that things are shifting a bit. Some of them anyway.

Me? I'm chomping at the bit. Canada needs an election now if only to try and get Canadians to pay attention. The "Harper Government" is running amok and even if the opposition can't take them down, those thugs need a good swift kick in the pants.

I  know its all about the economy blah...blah...blah but some one has to remind Harper that if the Canadian economy is doing well it has little to do with his economic policy and everything to do with monetary and banking regulations put in and maintained by years of Liberal rule. Harper lucked out. The economic meltdown came before he could dismantle the regulations that saved his, and our asses.

We need a little public debate.

It is times like this that I revert to my "If I was king" persona. So here goes.

If I were directing strategy for the opposition I would bring this government at the soonest possible moment.

Harper might win another minority but I very much doubt he can do better than that. So be it.

Then at the first possible opportunity the opposition should simply bring down the government again. The day after the election would be good. The next thing that would happen is that the Governor General would be obliged to see if anyone else could form government. Not withstanding Michelle Jean ruling, that is his job.

The Liberals and the NDP should then step up and form a coalition supported by the Bloc and hopefully a few Greens. Harper would scream bloody murder but who cares? A Liberal/NDP coalition government would have more legitimacy that a Conservative Government that 65% of Canadians didn't vote for.

In the next four years Canadians would see that there is nothing wrong with coalition government. After all aren't Canadians supposed to be proud of our historical ability to find workable compromise. A coalition would work like minority governments are supposed to. They stay in power through co-operation.

After all. What we have now isn't working.

Let's get on with it.

What a Way to Spend an Afternoon

Before I retired I used to think I spent half my life in airport departure lounges so, today is like a flashback.

A couple of hours ago, I had what will no doubt be my last Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich for a while and climbed on a Rapidair flight to Toronto. We left late of course which was no big deal to me/ I have two and a half hours to kill in the GTAA terminal.

What strikes me is how little things have changed.  Oh OK, they now have free wifi but they still have the same old loop of 10 minutes of news, weather and sports. Same commercials, same stories, same forecast. It is like they think that all the other bored travellers and I will only be stranded here for 15 minutes or so. I am not sure how many time I have heard a report from a freelance reporter who "has just arrived in Japan" and who is updating us on the "growing nuclear crisis" there.  The CBC who packages this stuff, needs a reminder about what "live" means.

The food is just as bad and  as always, overpriced.

For my amusment I have been watching businessmen gestulating wildly as they talk loudly on their handfree cel phones. "Explain to me how they lost those files. Let me tell you! Heads will roll over this."

Airport groundworkers huddle in a corner working on their hockey pool, others move through the terminal in that measured slow walk designed to extend any coffee break by at least 15 minutes, flight attendents hurry in small groups hustling to their next flight and a harried gate attendent apoligizes over the intercom once again for the fact that my aircraft now has maintainence on board and that she doesn't have a clue how long it might be. Well I figure, better to find the problem on the ground and I hunker down into my book.

 Who knows.  I'll keep my fingers crossed. With luck, in another hour or so I'll be out of here.

If you are in Ottawa, Eat at the Whalebone

I have been in Ottawa the last few days visiting Morgan. It  has been almost 14 years since we moved west but I have been back more than a few times. I like this place.

Try Some Oysters

This evening Morgan suggested grabbing a bite at The Whalebone. It is easy to find on Bank Street. I'd never been before but, for certain, I'm going back.

It  is long and narrow and kind of hip and  funky. It was a Monday night so we didn't bother making reservations. We were offered a seat at the bar. I hesitated. I had hoped for a quiet tablet but, next time, I may ask for the bar as my first choice. The bar is where the action is.

The best thing about this restaurant, outside of the atmosphere and the staff, is the food. Whenever possible they use local produce and they follow the Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise program.

That program trys to remind us about the threat of that overfishing our oceans brings. The fact is, the world's marine life is quickly being depleted. They suggest  that the only solution is to turn back from the brink, and to begin consuming seafood in a sustainable manner. To help we all should buy species that are caught or farmed in a way that ensures the long-term health and stability of that species, as well as the greater marine ecosystem.

More and more good restaurants are signing on and the Whalebone is one of them.

Their menu changes depending on availablity. Tonight they had west coast oysters from Cortez Island and the east coast oysters came from New Brunswick. We has a couple of each and they were supurb.

I had the PEI farmed Halibut, thinly sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat with fennel, orange and celery on the side. Morgan tried the Quebec rainbow trout with Gallo mussels, Jersusalem artichoke, greens and mushroom. Both meals were a delight.

Next time I'm trying the octopus starter or perhaps the plate of 18 oysters.

If you live in Ottawa or close to the city or, if you are going to visit put the Whalebone on your list of places to eat. You will love the staff and the food is great. Tell your friends. I don't think you can go wrong.

Sit at the bar.

Stephen, Stephen, Using Tom. Have you lost your mind

I always wonder why the "Harper Government" has such a tough time with truth. The term "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" seems like such a foreign concept when we are dealing with what these Conservatives did or didn't do, or what they might have done, or had a misterial aide do. It is all so confusing..

Most of us who are up and around and breathing have been following the famous "not" document. In December 2010 CIDA’s senior officials signed a memorandum recommending new funding for KAIROS before  someone overruled the recommendation by inserting the word "not"into the memorandum. Perhaps it was Bev Oda - she says not - or perhaps by someone else. Hard to tell actually. Speculation was/is that She thought long and hard, signed the document then Harper and his right wing buddies decided to trash KAIROS and something had to be done to over ride her approval. Who know what really happened.

House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken concluded today that when reaponding to the matter, She mislead parliament. It is that pesky "whole truth" thing that catches them up.  Bev Oda breached Parliamentary rules. For all intents and purposes, he said Oda has been found in contempt of Parliament, a serious charge for any MP but particularly for a cabinet minister. It is too bad actually, I always thought Bev Oda was amound the best of a bad bunch.  In differant circumstances one might say"She was a good person but unfortunately she fell in with a bad crowd."

The "Harper Government" trundled out my MP Tom Lukiwski today,of all people, to try and explain the whole matter. Bad move Stephen Tom has no credibility, even down home on the farm. He did manage to get all the parliamentary reporters scratching their heads and twittering about it though.

Lukiwski said the document with the "not" inserted was meant only to communicate the minister’s decision. That it wasn’t intended to be made public - Well guaranteed he was telling the truth about that, They never wanted it public.

Milliken also ruled that the government failed to respond appropriately to requests made in the House of Commons for the full cost of the government's justice legislation - we can't forget tough on crime now - a failure that puts the government as a whole in breach of Parliamentary rules and in contempt of the House of Commons.

I think Little Stevie's "Harper Government" is trolling for an election. Trying to goad Iggy, Jack and Gilles to force one. Steve thinks Canadians don't care how dishonest his bunch are. He may be right.

Snow Snow Snow

I got to Montreal in snow although it had pretty much quit by the time we went to bed.

We woke up to a full blown storm.

We slogged off into the snow to a small cafe for their $5.09 breakfast special. Two eggs, baked beans, bacon, toast and coffee. A good deal in anyone's books.

Our entertainment during breakfast was across the street. An immigrant driver - only someone from "away" would wear a hat like that - got stuck in the snow. He was a little panicked. We figure his pregnant wife was in labour.

A police car, then another turned up and one cop got behind the wheel of the stuck van while the others pushed the van out of the snow bank. Then a fire truck  arrived on the scene. Everyone helped the very pregnant woman into a police car and away they went to the hospital, lights flashing and it was back to breakfast for us.

Montreal got 15 cm of snow but Sherbrooke, where I am heading today got 70 cm. Now that is a snow fall.

They saw it will take ages to get things cleared up.

What About TED

I may not be posting as much as usual these next couple of weeks so I thought I needed something here that would last until I had the chance to get back at it.
I wan't sure what.
Then my friend Craiger sent me a link.
Instead me struggling to find new things for the blog, what better than to help you learn how art can change the world.

Not a Bad Idea

Justin Trudeau unveils a new t-shirt which will have little Stevie's knickers in a knot.

Just a bit of fashion advice Justin. When you were a t-shirt with a dress shirt it makes you look like a bit of a geek.

Other than that I love the shirt

Playing Loose and Easy with Canadian Sovereignty

I notice the somewhat Bizarre dance ritual  around what legislation to support and what to give a pass to continues in the House of Commons.

The Liberals and the Bloc got together to support a bill put forward by Conservative House Leader John Baird which would force airlines to provide passenger information to the United States when a Canadian aircraft passes over American airspace, even if there is no intention to land. The NDP voted  against the bill.

So, when it passes through the senate, where there is no chance of it being defeated, and becomes law, passenger manifests will have to be provided to the US 72 hours before departure.

Canadians will be subject to American law on their own national airline even if they never set foot on American soil. On a majority of flights leaving Vancouver for Toronto, for example, that private info will have to be handed over so American Homeland Security authorities can cross check it against their notorious no-fly list. Most of those flights travel through US airspace on the way east.

When the bill was introduced the Liberals whose turn it must have been to keep the government in power said what the bill was first introduced, "Canadian Sovereignty has gone right out the window." I wonder what happened to that principled position.

Let's Keep it Small

Libyan Navy's Soviet built Koni III
Class Frigate, A Haina

I am baffled at how this country's move to provide some minor military support around the Libya is being characterized in the media as "Canada's substantial military role." Canada is sending one frigate to the Med, HMCS Charlottetown, and already has a couple of Air Force transport planes in the area.

Don't get me wrong. Anyone who has read my navy blog knows I am not anti navy. I just think the media exaggerates. As I understand the role, it is mainly to assist in the evacuation of Canadian nationals and the citizens of other friendly nations. What ever happens, it is unlikely to turn into a shooting navel war.

True, Libya does have a Navy. Established in1962, it is a fairly typical small navy with a few missile frigates, corvettes and patrol boats to defend the coastline, but with a very limited self-defence capability.  

The Canadian government have not actually given the expat community much to feel secure about lately. With cutbacks to our embassies abroad desperate Canadians concerned about their safety have had to cope with over loaded switchboards and answering machines lately so, kudos to the government for stepping up. 

So Canada is are going to be a player as this North African drama unfolds.   A small player is what we should be. Let's keep it that way. There are plenty of other friendly nations much more geographically capable to help out than we are.

And, if nothing else, it is a crafty political move for Harper to engage in this conflict. It will deflect from all those pesky questions about election fraud, Bev Oda, political interference in funding NGOs, appointing unqualified friends to the CRTC, gun control, paying for the tough on crime agenda, and on and on.

Saskatchewan Business Can't Think Their way into the Boom Box

Would You Hire This Man?

OK its official the whole Regina new stadium idea is dead. Oh sorry, The new Multi Purpose Entertainment Centre is dead. Or as Mayor Pat in his new persona as a caring municipal leader might say "The opportunity for North Central Regina urban renewal is dead."

No matter how you cut it, no new stadium.

Now those of you who read this blog probably already know that I won't be shedding a tear as the final nail is driven into the stadium coffin. I always wondered why since neither Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg have domed stadiums, Regina thought that we were entitled to one. Those cities are much bigger and just as cold yet, they seem to cope.

Blame the feds. Blame the Feds. They didn't come through with the needed $100 million needed to jump start the idea. People are so pissed that my MP Tom Lukiwski will probably lose his seat next election over his lack of support for local projects. Boy, now there is a silver lining if I ever saw one.

What I do find interesting through all this is the fact that with no Federal funding and no NHL team promise Quebec City is going ahead with their new big $400 million arena. In that city the private sector ponyed up.

Here in Saskatchewan with the arguably the most financially successful team in the Canadian Football League and a fan base that can be depended on win or lose, there was no sign of that private sector cash.

In my opinion that can mean one of two things;

1. Either there is no economic boom here in Saskatchewan despite what Premier Brad Wall would like people here  to think. 
2. Or, The private sector in province is so stuck in the "have not" mentality, they can't think their way through to the "boom" box.

What do you think Brad.

Wisconsin Union Busting

A Curious Blend of Protests

Sorry for my lack of posts on this blog lately. I have been working on  a couple of my other eight blogs. That is right, I have nine in total. Excessive? Probably.

A couple of things caught my eye in the paper this morning however.

There was a great letter to the editor in the G & M this morning from a B.R. Cook. He wrote:

 "John Ibbitson asks why Canadians should fear a Conservative majority government under Stephen Harper.
Five word answer? Wisconsin under Governor Scott Walker."

There hasn't been much about the Wisconsin protests outside the CBC these last couple of weeks. On the "Q" media panel Margaret Wente did agree with Judy Rebbick that it was a big and important story that got very little ink here in Canada. I was surprised therefore that she seems to have missed the point in todays opinion piece.

 I find it odd that the public servants are being blamed for the Wisconsin State  bankruptcy. Once again legislators and commentators are trying to make it out to be a private sector vs public sector battle - big fat cat government workers vs the poor downtrodden masses working in private industry.

The American economy is collapsing as a result of private sector greed and corruption and very shoddy banking practices, not because of public servants.

Notwithstanding that. it is the public sector that now has to cough up and save the economic asses of the government leaders who were the regulatory overseers during the private sector excesses.

The interesting thing is that they are willing to do just that. They have already accepted wage rollbacks and  have taken on much of the burden of paying for health benefits. They still want to get back to the bargaining table to see what else can be worked out.

What few, including Wente, seem to grasp is that what really has the American trade union movement steamed, is the attack on the union's themselves.  It is the legislation which would;

• suspend collective bargaining rights, 
• deny the right to strike
• force trade unions to have each and every member re-join the union anew every year, 
• stop automatic dues checkoff so union dues would have to be collected from each and every member each month this in an effort to bankrupt the union administration.

This is all about good old right-wing union busting.

Should Canadians be interested? Of course we should. You have to believe that Chambers of Commerce, Independent Business lobby groups and Conservative governments here north of the border are watching events unfold very closely. Union busting is their favorite sport.

Saskatchewan Media Asleep at the Switch

The Brad and Bill Show

I don't know what it is for sure but, either the Saskatchewan media is inept, their budgets don't allow for any investigative reporting or they just take everything Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall tells them, at face value.

Wall went to bat to save the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan's (PCS) corporate ass after BHP Billiton tried a hostile take over late last year. Wall worked hard to convince Saskatchewan citizens that BHP was a foreign takeover of a Saskatchewan corporation despite the fact that the PCS headquarters along with CEO Bill Doyle was in Chicago. The provincial government pulled out all the stops to pressure the Harper government to scotch the deal and in the end Industry Minister,Tony Clement caved to pressure and did just that.

It was during the BHP dust-up that PCS made its famous "Pledge to Saskatchewan ." Doyle said that perhaps they had been remiss, he'd move back to Saskatoon and that a majority of the Board would live in the province, and that they would become better corporate citizens, more involved in the community, blah, blah blah...

A few weeks ago Brad and Bill had a cozy media event where they patted each other on the back, praised each others work and reaffirmed that PCS was a true green Saskatchewan company.

Things however are not quite what they seem. When Doyle was first appointed to be the  corporation's CEO he did move to Saskatoon. He built a large six bedroom house, with seven bathrooms  and a wine cellar and multi-level terraces leading down to the South Saskatchewan River. A few years later he decamped to where the real PCS head office is located, Chicago. Better night life I'm told.

Now he has "moved back" to a 1000 square foot condo in a building attached to the Saskatoon Radission Hotel. PCS pays the taxes on the place and Doyle pays the rest which I guess means the condo fees, from the almost $10 million he get paid each year.

Apparently everyone is happy now. Brad Wall got some much needed political points.  PCS got to keep on with its sweet royalty deal and the Saskatchewan people can go back to sleep.

I don't expect much more. I guess we'll see how the rest of the "pledge" all works over the next few months but I pretty much think, what we see is what we get.

The thing is, it took Toronto's Globe & Mail to tell me that.

This all Brings Hypocrisy to a New Level

With regimes unraveling day by day in the Middle East, or so it seems, most Western Leaders must really have their knickers in a knot trying to figure out how to react. No country that depends on oil from these countries wants to step up to support the "democracy now" protesters before they figure if the dictator they have supported for years, is going to survive or not. It was hardly two weeks ago that Hillery Clinton called Hosni Mubarach a family friend, a statement she surely regrets.

The West has been working hard to reach out to Omar Khadafi who is now being called by many the Mad Dog of Africa.

Scotland released the Lockerbie bomber, a Libyan who was responsible blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 which was enroute from London Heathrow Airport to New York on 21 December 1988. The 747 was destroyed killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members not to mention Eleven people in on the ground as large sections of the plane fell in the town and destroyed several houses, bringing total fatalities to 270. It is largely suspected that the culprit was released as a part of some oil deal with Kadafi

Not so long ago a press release from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office let us all now that Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon intended be on-hand in St. John's, Newfoundland to greet the Libyan leader while he was on a one-day stopover in the province on his way home from a brief, if unsuccessful visit to the United Nations in New York.. As it turned out he had a change of plans and was a no show.

When we open our embassy there not so long ago David Kilgor described Libya as "a beautiful, peaceful country full of potential....Hopefully, the visit of my delegation, will encourage greater efforts to further the development of Canadian-Libyan relations across a broad spectrum of political, commercial and human interests. I am delighted to report that my discussions with Libyan ministers and officials have been successful and productive in addressing issues and increasing understanding between our two countries."

  The real concern in the world today seems to be will "Mad Dog" use chemical weapons against his own people. And what will all this do to the price of oil.

I was surprised to learn today that Suncor, Canada’s self described,premier integrated energy company has crews working in Lybia helping the development of energy resources in Libya’s oil fields hoping to double capacity.

It is suggested by analysts that the Libyan leader is stashing billions of dollars in his family's private accounts. Money skimmed off the top of the county's oil revenue.

Why do we all do business with these guys?

 Politicians' careers are destroyed because they have affairs, if someone admits having smoked dope in college they will be considered unreliable and having a meal in a restaurant with someone who has a shady past might be grounds to be kicked out of your political party. Meanwhile our governments and our good corporate citizens routinely do business with thieves, torturers  and murders. 

It is time we started paying a bit more attention. It all stinks to high heaven.

John Cleese Explains PR

Canada's electoral system makes very little sense. The first past the post method of electing our parliamentary representatives has been tossed out by most democracies in the world and replaced by some form of Proportional Representation. 

Canadian politicians and pundits argue that it is all too complicated for Canadians to understand.  I for one, have more faith in Canadians' intelligence than most politicians.  

The two large parties in Canada have both taken advantage of the system to form government when most Canadians have actually voted for some other party as their favoured representative. Perhaps that is why they never seem to take the time to explain the options available to us.

A few examples:

• In 1993 the Reform Party won 52 seats with 2.6 million votes. The Progressive Conservatives only won two seats with 2.2 million votes
• The Liberals  got 51% of the seats and formed a majority government in 1997 with just 38% of the popular vote
• In 2004 the New Democrats won 19 seats with 2.1 million votes and Bloc won 54 seats with 1.7 million votes.
• and in the last election, 940,000 green Party voters elected no one while 822,000 Conservative voters in Alberta alone elected 27 MPs

Lucky for us, proportional representation isn't that tough to grasp. If you really want to understand how it all works I offer this short video. It is a bit dated but the principles are the same and who better than John Cleese to explain it, as only he can.

For more information on proportional representation try the Fair Vote Canada site.

Truth in Broadcasting

Jason Kenney seemed to say lying was OK this week when in defending Bev Oda he suggested there was no real problem in what she did saying, "The CBC lies all the time."

I don't agree with Kenney but that may explain why the CRTC was planning to go ahead with the rule change that would make it alright for broadcasters to simply make up the news. Most people thought it was to get ready for the new right-wing, FOX news style TV channel which will soon go to air in Canada but perhaps it was to put broadcasters on the same foot as legislators.

Well, hold on to your hats. CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein (I'm sorry I always think of Hogan's Heros when I hear his name.) is quoted in the Embassy, Canada's Foreign Policy Newsletter saying “I was perfectly happy with what it was before, and I’m sure at the next commission meeting, we will withdraw this attempt at rewriting.”

On Thursday the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, a committee of the House and Senate, agreed to withdraw advice to the CRTC to water down a regulation prohibiting the broadcast of false and misleading news.

As a result of advice from the committee, the CRTC issued a notice of consultation in January to change its prohibition on the broadcast of false and misleading news so that it would instead be a prohibition on “any news that the licensee knows is false or misleading and that endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.”

Thanks to everyone who wrote the CRTC and their MPs to stop this stupid rule change.

The Member for Regina - Lumsden - Lake Centre Gets it Wrong Again

Come on Tom. Try a bit harder

We all got a lesson in ethics from Tom Lukiwski this morning.  Well, Harper style ethics anyway.

Commenting on the Bev Oda affair my MP waded in yesterday suggesting that Oda was honest with her answers as to how, or why the “not” appeared on the CIDA document recommending continued funding for KIRIOS.  Tom, not the sharpest tool in the shed, suggested, “Perhaps the member should have asked a different question or more questions or have been more diligent in his inquiry, but his unhappiness with the answer is not a breach of privilege.”

Oh really. I don’t think Tom has been paying attention

My suggestion is that Tom Boy enroll in an Ethics 101 course.  Even if he doesn’t learn anything, his views on what is ethical and what is not, would be a source of great amusement to the rest of the class.

Jack Backs Off Again

It's just a game isn't it Jack?

A couple of weeks back a rather persistent NDP fund raiser called me asking for a donation to help the New Democrats  build up their war chest. “We all know we are heading for an election this spring and we need this money if we are going to be ready.” She scolded me for my unwillingness to step up.

I finally told her, “Look, my expectation is that Jack Layton will once again get cold feet and support the government’s budget. Give me a call when the election is called and I’ll think about it.”

So I was with some disappointment but very little surprise when I read in this morning’s paper that the NDP are going to withdraw their insistence that Harper back off the corporate tax cut proposal. It seems that Jack has reached another back room deal with Little Stevie and now will support the tax cuts in exchange for some undisclosed legislative favour.

These guys are so predictable.

Bev Oda is History

Harper Can't Skate Around this Much Longer

One of the things this Harper government is not very good at recognizing is, when the jig is up. On the surface you might think that the PM is incredibly loyal to his ministers and is inclined to back them up no matter what but, we all remember what happened to Helen Guergis.

This latest problem the Tories are facing isn't going away. Harper can only stonewall so long. The opposition smell blood and unless the Liberal and the NDP get cold feet once again, we'll be facing an election before this matter dies a natural death.

I may be wrong but it appears to me and many others that what happened is very straight forward.

The story could have very well unfolded this way:

• KAIROS submitted a proposal just as they had done for decades, requesting funding for their programs overseas.
• CIDA looked the proposal over and found it to be in line with policy and similar to proposals it had funded in the past and in September recommended approval. 
• The Minister, Bev Oda and her staff looked the proposal over in November and seeing nothing amiss, she signed it approving the grant.

It was shortly after that is when I suspect the "Oh shit" moment occurred.

It isn't that hard to come to the conclusion that the PMO, heavy on ideology but a bit  light when it comes to accuracy somehow got a bee in their bonnet about KAIROS.  Someone went on a rant about the agency and Oda was stuck with a document she had signed approving funding to the organization.

In the Harper camp, no one wants to piss off  Stevie, cabinet minister or not. So Oda got on her Blackberry, called her staff and said, "What the hell do we do now?"  The rest is history.

Bev Oda had every right to ask for changes to the KIAROS proposal or to turn it down outright. But, any cabinet minister worth her salt who didn't agree with a  proposal recommended by CIDA would have asked for a meeting and expressed concern if they thought there was anything amiss.  I suspect that sort of thing happens all the time.

To  change the meaning of the document after it had been signed by CIDA, thereby making it appear that this was all ia CIDA decision, then to lie about it is unconscionable.

So I think that Stephen Harper will defend Oda a bit longer then, Oda will stand up and say that she is resigning of her own accord because, the whole matter is a distraction from the "important business of Parliament."

Either way. Don't expect Oda to hang around much longer.  Bev Oda is Conservative Senate material, for sure.

In America, You Kent always Say What You Want

And, Don't you Forget it Buddy

I am constantly amazed, and amused by American politics and politicians. They are even crazier than our own.

It has been interesting, listening to the support given to protesters in Egypt, Tunisia and Iran by Americans when all the while they seem blind to the oppression within.

In Wisconsin, faced with an increasing deficit the new Governor Scott Walker has been pretty tough with public sector workers.

Wisconsin state employee unions which have already made $100 million in concessions are now being told that they have to double their contributions to health insurance premiums and increase allocations to their pensions. The governor’s bill would effectively take away the right of state employees to bargain collectively for everything from vacation, sick hours, and even the hours they work.

In the midst of all this, the rules for the unions that supported Walker during his election campaign, the State Patrol, local police, and fire departments would stay absolutely unchanged.

Not unexpectedly government workers are a bit stirred up about all this. After all, what worker would take this sitting down particularly in a country which believes so strongly in freedom of expression? A country which supports citizens standing up against what they see as wrong. A country that encourages dissent.

To which Mr. Walker might say, “Not so fast young fella.”

Asked recently by a reporter about what might happen if the government workers resist, Walker replied that he would call out the National Guard. He said that the National Guard is “prepared…for whatever the governor, their commander-in-chief, might call for. I am fully prepared for whatever may happen.”

A college dropout, Walker’s limited education probably means he hasn’t learned about and he isn’t old enough to remember the Kent State Massacre on May 4th 1970 although he might remember the Simpsons 22nd episode entitled “You Kent always Say What You Want”.

This is all a bad idea Scott.

A Bit Over the Top

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am not too keen on Stephen Harper nor am I very enamoured with his co-conspirators that make up this Conservative government we are saddled with. I don’t hesitate to let people know how I think.

I thought this morning that in fairness, it might be an idea to take a look at what the other side of the debate is saying. There is a website out there called The Blogging Tories which pulls together Conservative posts in an effort to direct readers to their blogs.

Ironically, there is another site called The Blogging Tories in their Own Words. The writers of that blog, constantly amazed by what the right wing has to say, offer a look at the outrageous. They describe the original site this way.

The Blogging Tories is a group of more than 240 Canadian bloggers who have a shared interest in conservative politics. Its more prominent members include Rick Anderson, Keith Beardsley, Monte Solberg, and MPs Maxime Bernier and David Anderson.


According to one its more prolific members, Roy Eappen, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is appreciative of the Blogging Tories’ efforts, and has acknowledged that the group has not only “helped to counter a media that is not very friendly to the party”, but has “helped hold the party’s feet to the fire.” However, despite the group’s influence, it remains largely unknown outside political circles. The Blogging Tories in Their Own Words is an effort to draw attention to their writings and opinions.

Here are just a few offerings:

The Blog Barrel Strength – Smoothly aged insights was none too pleased when Gwynne Dyer was given the Order of Canada. About Dyer, the post said:

"He is very high on the list of those whose corpses should be plowed into a ditch after a short ride in the back of a truck holding other condemned traitors for their mandatory bullet in the head."

Dodo Can Spell, written by someone who describes her blog this way, This blog belongs to a Conservative Woman who believes in total freedom of speech, if you cannot bear the hear it, buy a set of ear plugs and stop whining.

Dodo is offended that Campbell’s Soup is beginning to provide Halal certified products and says:

"Just because different species of humans from all over the world are coming to Canada, does not mean that food manufacturers and food outlets have to change their own products or start new ones to cater to everyone."

“The President of the Campbell Soup Company of Canada is Phillip Donne and here is a list of the other biggies in the company. Great non-Muslim names eh? Next they might want to change them with a prefix Mohammed and a suffix Mohammed...”

And finally in the blog Dr Roy’s Thoughts the writer is still on about Pierre Trudeau. He says in part:

Trudeau's "was an attempt to destroy Canada and remake it in his image.( Kind of like Pol Pot and other Marxist leaders). We live with the tyranny of the Charter of Rights and freedoms."

Now I do accept that I get into the odd rant from time to time but, this stuff is over the top.

What about that Pepsi ad

I hesitated to put this clip in my blog, simply because I think Bill O'Rielly is an idiot but, have you seen or heard the controversy over Pepsi's Super Bowl TV spot. It seems to have enraged some in the African American community and excited a few American media commentators.

From my point of view it is pretty mild particularly considering the sea of offensive commercials keeps television afloat these days.

You will have to judge for yourself. Was it over the line or, just a very slow news day.

Palin Weighs in on Egypt

Sarah Pain in an effort to show the American people that she understands international affairs and foreign policy has weighed in on the situation in Egypt saying : 

“And nobody yet has, nobody yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak and no, not, not real enthused about what it is that that’s being done on a national level and from DC in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And, in these areas that are so volatile right now, because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with. And, we do not have all that information yet.”


Note to Sarah, sometimes it just does't work when you speak off the cuff.