Spring is Taking it's Time

While other parts of Canada are basking in the April warmth, Saskatchewan is slowly being dragged, kicking and screaming into spring. To damn slowly if you ask me. It isn't like it hasn't warmed up, it has but +1 or +2 isn't exactly balmy and it is still going down into the minus teens at night.
Perhaps it is has just been a long winter but it seems to me that we should be a bit further ahead than we are. Even the geese think so. Yesterday they were honking up a storm, walking around the ice on Wascana Lake looking for good spots to build a nest and wondering if they headed north just a few weeks early.
Not so long ago I'm sure they were lounging around some warm American lake drinking Margaritas saying "Hey Babe, why don't we fly north and, you know, hang out at the nice Wascana Lake?" Yesterday you could almost hear them complaining, "Hey buddy, this isn't what you promised. I'm freezing the web off my feet."
I know it will warm up. It always does eventually, but for me and those geese, it can't be soon enough.

Rex Murphy Baffles me Again

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me say at the outset that Rex Murphy isn't my favorite commentator. I run hot and cold on the subject of Rex's work. He is a bit pompous for my taste and also a little too ready to support some of those who consistently get under my skin. I guess in that regard he is doing a good job.

However, I always thought consistency was an important trait in his line of work. This weekend in the Globe & Mail, Rex puts that proposition to the test.

On the one hand Rex, in his review of Ezra Levant's new book carried in the Globe And Mail this morning, puts Murphy solidly in Levant's court. Rex defends Levant's right to publish what he wants, to no matter how offensive it might be. In fact Rex quite warms to Levant. You get the sence that he comes away reading the book, quite liking him.

Let me say that I always felt that Levant had few redeeming features . I loathed his Western Standard Magazine but would have, as Rex does, supported his right to express the opinions he has and defend his right to write about them.

On the other hand Rex seems to support Jason Kenny's decision to ban British MP George Galloway from entering our country and speaking out against some of this government's foreign policies. He spend most of his article belittling Galloway, making him out as a buffoon and diminishing the very legitimate message he is bringing to North America during his speaking tour. Galloway might well be a bit over the top but, the Canadian Government's decision to refuse him entry makes it look like our Government's foreign policy is so flawed, so shoddy that it could not stand up to Galloway's criticism.

There seems to me to be a very large contradiction in the to offerings. Freedom of expression is freedom of expression no matter if you like those expressing the point of view, or not. I am sure Rex likes to be thought of as a as a thoughtful commentator. These two pieces don't do much to support that image.

McKay Won't be NATO Chief

Evidently it was a surprise to the Harper government to hear that our good friends, the Americans, had decided to to back Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next head of the NATO.

Canada's Defense Minister Peter McKay was touted by much of Canada's media as the front runner for the job for the last few weeks. The Canadian government was lobbying hard to see McKay put into the job and felt assured that their "friends" would back young Peter.

Just perhaps, the other countries did a bit of a background check on young Peter and found his word is only as good as the next political opportunity. Hardly material for the international stage. Just ask David Orchard.

Did you hear this Newfie Joke

When he was in charge General Rick Hillier often spoke out about the budgetary needs of the Canadian Armed Forces. "I'm not ashamed to say we need money." He said told business leaders in 2006. So it was a bit of a surprise that those same Armed Forces spend over a quarter of a million dollars on a retirement send off for Rick Hillier last year.

He is seen here riding atop a tank which was shipped in specially for the occasion at a cost of $6.600.

Go figure.

Jason Kenny attempts Damage Control and Fails

Jason Kenny, Canada's immigration minister is in the news again today. He is telling Canadians that his department is getting tough on Mexican, Haitian and Colombian illegal immigrants. He says that these illegals are abusing our generosity and that it is "...a violation of the integrity of our immigration system."

Well to be honest, that is when I started to laugh. CanWest News sunk to a whole new low using the words integrity, Immigration system, and Jason Kenny in the same paragraph. I don't know about your home town but there are not a lot of Haitian illegal immigrants here in Regina. Perhaps all these illegals are taking the good tables in the Calgary restaurants Kenny likes to frequent.

My guess is that he is trying to deflect people's attention away from his department's decision to refuse entry to British MP George Galloway. (see blog entry March 20) I don't know Jason but, you are going to have to do a bit better than that to distract me from that kind of stupidity. My guess that is was the best his flacks could come up with on short notice.

Jason Kenny has become a laughing stock, particularly on the web. I came across a blog today that dedicated this YouTube video to him, although I can't figure out the connection. If you haven't seen these two Chinese kids lip sync Jessica Simpson, it is worth checking it out. We all need a laugh at Kenny's expense

You Must be Joking Mr. Elliott

The Harper appointed RCMP Commissioner William Elliott asked us all a few days ago not to jump to conclusions about the actions of the officers the day Robert Dziekanski was tasered, and died. That is fair, and I like many Canadians have been trying to do just that.

What we have heard was that all four of the RCMP officers were afraid when Mr. Dziekanski grabbed the stapler. If that wasn't frightening enough, even worse, at least one of them testified that staples started coming out of that office implement of destruction.

I am not sure what happened in between the time that the four of them swaggered through the airport, loaded for bear, all decked out in bullet proof vests, batons, guns and tasers. There was so much testosterone in that group of four that I am sure if we looked at the video again, we'd see it dripping off them, onto the floor and leaving a trail behind them. So what happened between their arrival and the tasering that caused that sudden fear? Surly it would take more than one disoriented man with a stapler to signifigantly change the dynamics in the room.

So Mr. Elliott, I have thought about it. In fact I thought about it alot. I even went back and watched that awful video again but, to be honest, I still don't get it. Were they just lazy? Is it that it is just easier to taser someone than to try and talk someone down or, if things go wrong to try and wrestle someone to the ground, four on one?

We most likely won't ever know. To be frank, I don't have a great deal of faith in Government Inquiries so I don't have any hope that anything will come of it. Lets face it, there wouldn't even be an enquiry if the RCMP had their way. They assumed the "Deny, Deny, Deny" stance from the outset. If it wasn't for the fact that someone had a video camera and the foresight to record the actions of those officers that day, we probably would have forgotten poor Mr. Dziekanski by now.

So, I'm going to leave it to the court of public opinion to decide and frankly, I think the judge and jury within that process has already made a decision. Mr. Elliott's comments may play well within the RCMP but, to the Canadian public he just looks like another of Harper's hired fools.

Jason Kenny Should be Ashamed.

British MP George Galloway, on a speaking tour of North America tp promote peace has been refused entry to Canada by Little Stevie's storm troopers.

He said today on his website today that he will use all means at his disposal to challenge the decision of Canada’s pro-war, conservative immigration minister, Jason Kenny, to refuse him entry to the country to give a series of speeches.

Galloway is this afternoon exploring with organizers of his speaking tour and with legal advisors avenues to challenge the decision, which he brands “irrational, inexplicable and an affront to Canada’s good name”.

Galloway was not informed of the decision until after it had been given to the media. The grounds provided by a spokesperson for Mr Kenny for the ban are that Galloway’s opposition to the deployment of NATO troops in Afghanistan make him “inadmissible” to Canada.

The Guardian Newspaper reports that "A Canadian spokesman confirmed that the Respect MP had been deemed inadmissible on national security grounds and would not be allowed into the country." Other reports say border security officials had declared Galloway, "inadmissible" because of his views on Afghanistan and the presence of Canadian troops there and would be turned away if he attempted to enter the country.

A spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada said the decision had been taken by border security officials "based on a number of factors" in accordance with section 34(1) of the country's immigration act.

What is surprising to me is that Galloway's American tour will go ahead. So the British Member of Parliament is fine to visit that hotbed of paranoia south of the border but is far too dangerous for our country.

It should come as no surprise that Galloway was expected to criticize the Harper Government's role in keeping Canadian troops in Afghanistan. He has been an outspoken critic of the mission there.

While it is fine for, someone who people consider to be a war criminal, to visit Calgary to defend his eight years in office, to come and to criticize Little Stevie is another matter.

What a toadie that Kenny has turned out to be.is.

It is ironic that while this was going on, four more Canadian solders, in Afghanistan, ostensibly to bring democracy and freedom of speech to that country, were killed today.

It is sad for freedom of expression in this country.

Why don't we Want to March?

Up to 3 million people took to the streets across France on Thursday to protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis and demand more help for struggling workers.

Meanwhile in Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper continues to announce programs which never seem to provide any money for anything much. After all it is the media spin around the announcement that counts, not the actual money spent.

Most Canadians will protest our government's handling of the worst economic crisis in a century by having another beer.

You Can Smell it in the Air

It has been a cold winter. Even dyed in the wool, hard core prairie people, born in Saskatchewan were talking about slitting their wrists. Anymore -35 days and I swear I'd have jumped off the Albert Street Bridge. Of course the height of that thing considered, I would probably just twist my ankle and have to limp back top the car in the cold.

Winter's back is broken though. It has been above zero for a few days now and my spirits are beginning to soar. I went out and chopped ice from the curb on the weekend. I shoveled snow from the roof. I slopped around in rubber boots.

To celebrate I walked around Wascana Lake this morning. It was a bit crisp in the wind but, things are melting and you can smell spring in the air.

I'm ready. It is about time.

Next week I start on my tan.

Some Mornings I just Don't Get It

There are days when all you can do is shake your head.

The Vatican: The Pope on a trip to Cameroon and Angola, countries hard hit by AIDS, has announced that the world cannot" ...resolve the issue with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary. It only increases the problem" The Vatican believes abstinence is the only way to fight the disease.

I wish this new conservative, even in papal terms, leader of the Roman Catholic Church would get his head out of the sand long enough to take a look around. I am not holding my breath by the way.

Ottawa: Those who thought that being an ostrich farmer qualified Gerry Ritz to be Federal Agriculture Minister must be the same ones who figured that being a chiropractor was background enough for Gary Goodyear to hold the position Minister of State for Science and Technology. To make things worse, now it appears that that same Gary Goodyear is a creationist. Or, at least won't answer questions about the questions. That is a bit like the president of the Flat Earth Society being responsible for the Space Program. Isn't it?

Perhaps it makes it easier to slash scientific research funding when you are a pseudoscientist, not a real one. Perhaps Little Stevie is brighter than I give him credit for.

I wonder who the Minister of the Environment is? Oh I remember, Jim Prentice. He is the guy who just announced, in Calgary, the Government is waiving environmental assessments on new projects for the next two years.

As a Canadian, I'm just embarrassed.

Bay Street: I for one an getting a little fed up with people, our Minister of Finance included, who claim that "No one saw this economic downturn coming." What a crock!

A year or so ago and before I retired I several times rebuffed efforts by employers who were looking for long term collective agreements to carry them through the boom times. Basically they didn't want employees to keep coming back asking for their share in the profits. I always refused saying that the American economy was so over extended that there was bound to implode and, that any collapse in the USA would hurt Canada badly. "Just too risky" I said.

Only greed kept the economic experts, who are the same ones who are trying to find the "fix" by the way, from seeing that the collapse was inevitable. Not much comfort there.

Canada: Despite the above, I would never claim to understand economics. In fact I am not sure that economists understand economics.

We have all been told that one of the real problems has to do with the fact that in the USA, the banks were too reckless with their money. They lent small fortunes to people who had no possible was to pay them back.

In Canada we are told, "Our system of banking is more stable There is less risk here. The banks are more prudent here in Canada." How is it then that the Minister of Finance keeps pressing the banks to loosen up credit?

We are told that Canadians carry too much debt and that we have to move away from this model of consumerism but, how can we get out of the economic crisis? Spend, spend, spend. Come on Canadians, get out there any buy a new car.

The other think we all complained about last year was the raising price of oil. We all had a fit each time we filled up our cars or, in a particularly cold winter, when we looked at our heating bills. Governments were right with us. Prices too high everyone screamed.

Oil prices have dropped and those same governments are bemoaning the low prices. It seems they were depending on their cut of that high oil to pay the bills.

Toronto: I had to laugh a bit at Jeffrey Simpson's piece in the Globe and Mail today. I liked what he had to say about us having a Prime Minister with no vision. So true, and particularly evident these days when compared with the new leader in the USA.

I did think Simpson fumbled the ball a bit however when he was ripping the Harper Government and the PMO for the way they handle "announcements." Excuse me Mr. Simpson but isn't it your colleagues in the media you should be wagging your finger at? This is the way it seems to work.

• The Government announces a new program in the House.
• The media reports on it.
• The Ministry announces that they have an announcement to make and the media rush to cover the story.
• The minister or the Prime Minister announce the same program along with an appropriate backdrop and a couple of hundred of the Party faithful.
• The media reports on it as if it is a new program.
• Sometimes they make the same announcement several times.
• The media announces it as a new program every time.

Dumb like a fox that Stephen Harper.

I am not sure what that says about the media.

Montreal: There was a violent protest in Montreal over the weekend to protest police violence. I am all for demos but I'm not sure I get this one.

Harper and Flaherty, a Comedy Team?

Things are weirder than usual in Ottawa. Stephen Harper claims we were the last into the recession and that we will be the first to claw our way out. The economists think he is blowing smoke, as does everyone else. I don’t know about you but, I expect a little more from my Prime Minister than this sort of boosterism.

Meanwhile, his Finance Minister, Jungle Jim Flaherty went over to the Senate the same day Harper was making his pronouncements and threatened the old buggers in the upper chamber, telling them to pass his budget without delay. Flaherty said no economists saw this down turn coming, which of course he just made up, and that any delay would hurt the government’s attempt to get money out into the community.

Does anyone really think that this Government has a clue? Flaherty says that no one saw this coming and that this country is in great shape. I hope that no one will forget for a minute that the when Liberals were voted out of office there was a $10 Billion surplus. In short order and in a boom economy, the Conservative/Reform/Alliance Government has squandered that surplus and we were running a $12 Billion Deficit. That was before the downturn hit us all. Anyone who was paying the least bit of attention saw this coming. What happened was that most of our capitalist economists were in denial.

Meanwhile, Chrysler says if it doesn’t major concessions from the Autoworkers and major cash from the government, it will stop making cars in Canada. Can they still spell e-x-p-r-o-p-r-i-a-t-i-o-n in Ottawa?

Did the CAW Sell Out Its Retirees?

General Motors is in the news this morning as efforts to save the North American institution continues on several fronts. Hovering on the edge of bankruptcy the former giant that brought us the Cadillac, the Pontiac, the Chevrolet and, oh yes the Hummer, is desperately waiting for the taxpayers to bail it out.

Part of the process to make it "worthy" to receive public funds, involves trying to gut the collective agreement between this bloated wonder and its workers. This despite the fact that wages and benefits are only a fraction of the cost of building their product.

So, over the past few days both sides went at it, locked away in hotel rooms, banging heads in an effort to come to some agreement. And agree they did. Yesterday the Autoworkers a bit battered and bowed held a media conference to tell the world that they had caved to do their part to save the car maker. They extended the term of the agreement, froze wages and cost of living adjustments. Fair enough, if the auto workers want to do that, it is their call. Ultimately the members will decide anyway when they vote to accept or reject the agreement.

It is what else GM demanded and what the Autoworkers agreed to that is unconscionable. The union agreed to freeze the cost of living adjustments to pensions which its former retired members are entitled to. These retirees have no choice in the matter. Retired workers get no vote on the issue. They were sold out by the members who still have jobs pure and simple.

Any benefits the employed members of the CAW have, was won over years and years of bargaining, hard fought and won by those now living on pensions. To make them a part of the equation, to use retired workers as a pawn in the game to satisfy this bloated auto maker and the government is obscene.

Everyone understands, the industry is in trouble, and even if GM has no one to blame but themselves, efforts have to be made to find a solution. Everyone hates roll back but there are times when you just have to bite the bullet but, giving away benefits for retirees is a huge problem. Ken Lewenza trying to justify it just makes it easier for other employers to try to do the same.

So, hang on to your hats pensioners. It is a sad day for labour.

Rob Norris Misses the Point on Graduate Retention Program

The SaskParty talks about innovation, but according to a story in yesterday's Saskatchewan newspapers, apparently they are not innovative enough themselves to recognize the value of advanced education in a creative, productive society.

Strange as it may seem, their current Saskatchewan Graduate Retention Program does not even recognize graduate degrees.

And the Minister of AEEL appears to be satisfied with the current focus of his program -- not to mention being blind to the irony that what this program recognizes are actually considered UNDERgraduate degrees in academic circles. (Ask your wife, Minister Norris. With her PhD, she'll be able to explain.)

He also appears satisfied that the close to 4,000 graduate students in the province receive adequate support -- a position the presidents of the grad students associations at both UofR and UofS were at the Legislative Assembly to deny on Wednesday.

As originally happened with undergraduates, Saskatchewan graduate students who've had to leave the province to study elsewhere -- and those from other provinces who might consider moving here -- simply aren't on the Minister's rather limited radar.

Can it be that the Minister of Advanced Education, who claims to have an MA -- although what exactly the note on his official bio "Alberta, with courses completed in Saskatchewan" means, I'm not sure... Can it be that he doesn't know that Saskatchewan universities don't offer all fields of study, at either entry or advanced levels?

Or can it be that he doesn't know that for advanced study, it's wise to work with different experts at different research centres for the cross-fertilization and growth of ideas that will result? Or that Saskatchewan has only two universities, and therefore to gain an expanded range of exposure, experience and knowledge in their fields, many students have to leave the province? Or, again, that the term "Graduate" itself refers to programs beyond the Bachelors level?

Cam Broten of the NDP is right. The Government should expand this program to include Masters and Doctorate degrees, to more fully back the learning and innovation they claim to support.

If they continue to refuse to include graduate degrees, they should come clean and either admit that this is just an ill-conceived promotional stunt to try to get votes, or they should change the name to the "Undergraduate Retention Program."

Globe & Mail off Base on George Baker's Comments

I confess that I am a big surprised by the brouhaha around Senator George Baker's comments this week. Baker has often been a bit too liberal with his response in situations, particularly when he thought his home province was getting the short end of the stick. In an earlier life as a Liberal Cabinet Minister, Baker was someone the media went to when looking for a colourful remark.

Frustrated by the current Government's treatment of Newfoundland, George told St. John's radio listeners Monday that "People will be advocating, you know, that we can't remain in the confederation in which we are discriminated against and not respected for the great contribution we make." he didn't back away a few days later on CTV suggesting that Newfoundlanders form their own separatist Party.

Baker, along with Danny Williams and I suggest the majority of Newfoundland are fed up with Harper's treatment of their Province.

Now the Globe and Mail's editorial writers have their nickers in a knot with a headline which screams "Intolerable in a National Party" and Stephen Harper is suggesting that the Liberals should kick him out of the party.

Hang on a minute. It wasn't so very long ago that Stephen Harper, as the head of the National Citizens Coalition, (A lobby group for extreme right wingers) was stirring up dissent in Alberta with his Alberta Manifesto advocating building a firewall around Alberta.

So little Stevie should just back off before more people remember some of his past statements.

The Globe & Mail should take a vallium and

I say "Right on George" we need someone like you here in Saskatchewan who will speak out when the Government breaks their promises. (Pamela Wallin, I hope you are lsitening)

Children's Books Banned

There are two kinds of book lovers in this world;

· There is the uncluttered soul that reads a book, enjoys it, or not, then passes in on to someone else, quickly so they don’t pile up..

· The other kind of reader, and I place our whole family in this category, hordes books like gold and only trims the library down when it has become completely unmanageable.

We have recently been through a book purge although at this point only half of the discarded books have found their way into boxes and none of them have actually left the house.

As well as the novels, poetry collections, short stories, classics and text books there are hundreds of children’s books. Old children’s books.

So, what to do with them? Up until recently I think we thought we’d just hold on to them and pass then on to our future grand children, when they come along. Little did we know what a harmful idea that was.

I try to keep up with current issues but I must have missed this story, which may shift our thinking about what we do with those old books.

As of February 10^th the American Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act which imposes strict limits on the amount of lead permitted in anything intended for use by children aged 12 or younger, came into effect. Who knew but, I guess there was lead in the ink in the bad old days. Anyone who tries to sell, give or lend old books to kids containing lead may be in serious trouble. By serious trouble they mean subject to $100,000 fines and prison time, regardless of whether any child is harmed. In fact, in the USA, you would be at risk for giving a child any book published before 1984.

How many books would a, 11 year old have to scarf down before coming to harm one has to ask? Are books worse for kids than a Big Mac with cheese?

So what do with the damn things? You can’t burn them. You can’t bury them. And you can’t give them away.

So will Stephen Harper follow suit? He just might you know. He has the look of a book banner, doesn’t he?

Stay tuned but in the meantime, don’t snack on any old tomes, no matter how tasty they might seem.