Two at "The Torch":
"CDS serves a hard Afghan ball to the government"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...government.html
"Afghan ball still in Obama's court..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...amas-
court.html
Mark
Ottawa
'"Incomprehensible"? I hae me douts' (note the, er, Christian content):
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...-am-my-own-
imam
Mark
Ottawa
"Well he would, wouldn't he?
Another one for the file..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
"What might an Afghan think?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ghan-
think.html
Mark
Ottawa
"ABDUL ABULBUL AMIR"--listen to the Update:
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...-am-my-own-
imam
Mark
Ottawa
"Canada's Post-2011 Mission: Guesses, Not Statements"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...uesses-
not.html
Mark
Ottawa
'Fiysler: No "wow" for now'
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
I'm nowhere close to understanding what independents or any other grouping of American voters want, but I think I have Canadians figured out.
60% of eligible Canadian voters have no passion for politics at all, the only way to motivate them is with fear (and jealousy and envy to a much smaller degree). The 40% that have a firm political bent are all over the place, getting passionate in a hundred different directions. Canadians who are passionately opposed to the National Gun Registry outnumber those passionately in favour of it about 2 to 1, but neither group has the pull to singlehandedly get a single MP elected or unelected. The passionless majority isn't scared of crazy farmers and high school dropouts any more, so the Registry is history, in spite of the best efforts of the PQ and Premier Rae.
Further to "What caught my eye this morning":
"I'm stll very much from Missouri about Fiysler's future, especially at Brampton"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...d=43:drama-
city
Mark
Ottawa
"The Big Cod speaks:
Video: former Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. (ret'd) Hillier on TVO's The Agenda, interviewed by Steve Paikin extensively (35 minutes), Nov. 2, about his memoirs, lots on Afstan (actually just four stars)..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=54:gun-
stuff
Mark
Ottawa
"Opel, or, the end of another (pie in the sky) Canadian dream"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=47:
canadiana
Mark
Ottawa
"What's killing the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline?"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
What to do about Afstan? BruceR. responds to Shane Schreiber:
"Today's... I don't know what this is, frankly"
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._03.html#006575
Mark
Ottawa
Economic chaos . . . being delivered to you by Al Gore, David Suzuki and the rest of the civilization hating Warmongers
Economic suicide is a self-inflicted wound.
"On October 31, 2009, the once largest aluminum plant in the world will shut down. With it goes another American industry and more American jobs. The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company in Montana will shut down its aluminum production because it cannot purchase the necessary electrical power to continue its operations.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig1...rry-
e1.1.1.html
Further to "--What the NY Times is reporting on Canada
Ford’s Canadian Union Agrees on Concessions", from "Dust my Broom":
"Ford stares down CAW...
.....and will soon be down to one auto assembly plant in Ontario (and things don't look good for at least two of the four plants Government Motors and Fiysler have remaining here, see below)..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "Canadians blind to terror threat: top spy", somehow I don't think the RCMP Security Service, nor its successor CSIS, will ever get an official history like this about a mother service:
"The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5" by Christopher Andrew
http://
entertainment.timesonline...icle6866457.ece
Mark
Ottawa
This is also rather "Eyeing the Media":
"Copenhagen: Germany cooling"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...-of-the-
weather
Mark
Ottawa
"The Third Way: Ending the Illusions in Afghanistan - Part 1"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...lusions-
in.html
Start of a "Torch" post by Damian Brooks:
"I have recently had the honour and pleasure of corresponding with Shane Schreiber, a decorated Army officer currently serving in the CF. He has written an article outlining some of the problems and potential solutions in Afghanistan, as he sees them, and we are publishing it here at The Torch.
Personally, I believe his perspective is well worth your consideration: Schreiber has numerous overseas operational deployments, including two tours in Afghanistan - one as a Company Commander in Kandahar in 2002, and another as Chief of Joint Operations for ISAF Regional Command South Headquarters, Kandahar in 2006. He holds three post-secondary degrees, and is an award-winning author on military affairs.
Obviously, the views he expresses here are his own, and are not reflective of Government of Canada, Department of National Defence, or Canadian Forces policy or opinion..."
Mark
Ottawa
I find it somewhat disturbing to read in the LETTER OF THE DAY that two of the flash mob House of Commons hecklers can write "Don't ignore us any longer. It's time to listen" without any sign of shame or ironic self-awareness.
The real problem is the impossibility of tuning them out. Any damn fool (myself included, presumably) can grab a media megaphone and add our screeching and wailing to that cacophony from which there is no escape. The mob of publicized opinion resides under such a large tent, that there will always be two or three that hear your voice over the din, and invariably they mistake singularity for profundity.
I'll stretch my metaphor out of shape and suggest that it explains why there are eager cadres ready to elevate Honourable Members such as Dryden and Pearson (and Gerard Kennedy) to Oracle status.
Stephen
I don't know how Mr. Pearson acquired Moses-like status for some in the media, but, then again, nor do I understand why the Liberals think that Ken Dryden's periodic moralizing in the House of Commons resonates with Canadians.
Norman,
But Glenn Pearson MP, and one of his media groupies, thinks Stephen Harper is a horrible "incrementalist", and only Michael can think big enough to save us.
I think you just laid out the case why this is the default position, most of the time, for Canadian PM's.
"Afstan post 2011: Why should MND MacKay care very much?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...mnd-
mackay.html
Mark
Ottawa
'Letter of the day: "The Norsewest Passage"'
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
"No shot troofing, plus the risk of dying: Schweinerei"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "--What the Guardian is reporting
Europe offers to cut emissions 95% by 2050 if deal reached at Copenhagen", a post at "Dust by Broom":
"And the cheque is in the mail/Needing more Canada?"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...-of-the-
weather
Mark
Ottawa
'"Tommy Douglas: Not Dead Enough", UK version'
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
"The Mother of Parliaments...
..suffers from many of the same ills as her Canadian Commons daughter--though I think ours is worse, frankly a joke most of the time..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...d=43:drama-
city
Mark
Ottawa
From Bruce R. at "Flit" about Afstan, certainly worth the read (Bruce has been dere and done dat):
"You want to know what I think? I'll tell you what I think"
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._19.html#006565
Mark
Ottawa
Start of a "Torch" post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...y-but-
what.html
"The Taliban are indeed our enemy--but, what, me worry?
Quite a few people are now saying that al Qaeda are the real AfPak threat, and the Taliban are just nasties with a local focus (see below). Those people should read this,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/
1...ref=todayspaper
by a NY Times reporter held captive for seven months. And that "local threat" includes nuclear-armed Pakistan (again, see below). What, me worry?
'...
Over those months, I came to a simple realization. After seven years of reporting in the region, I did not fully understand how extreme many of the Taliban had become. Before the kidnapping, I viewed the organization as a form of “Al Qaeda lite,” a religiously motivated movement primarily focused on controlling Afghanistan.
Living side by side with the Haqqanis’ followers [more here and here],
http://www.afghanconflictmonitor...aqqani_network/
http://www.longwarjournal.org/
ar...ani_network.php
I learned that the goal of the hard-line Taliban was far more ambitious. Contact with foreign militants in the tribal areas appeared to have deeply affected many young Taliban fighters. They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world...'"
Mark
Ottawa
From Paul at "Celestial Junk":
http://cjunk.blogspot.com/2009/1...d-for-
thee.html
"Canada: We Don't Stand on Guard for Thee
...
I can’t help but believe that the only way that Canada gets away with her woeful military effort is because she lives next door to the greatest military power of all time, and that she can rely on American power in times of need. America, in fact, makes it possible for Canada to spend little on her military...
In a very direct way, that’d make Canada a parasite, and America the host. How fitting, that our national bird is the Canada Goose ... which flies South each year to poop on the US of A."
Mark
Ottawa
"Rumours of the death of capitalism...
......have been greatly exaggerated (though Canada has been trying, see link at end)..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...-nanny-
bastards
Mark
Ottawa
"The Afghan elections and counterinsurgency"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...insurgency.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Obamanobel and peacekeepers"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mental-
disorder
Good on Tom Friedman. The usual Canadian view:
"I guess deaths on UN-run missions are more noble...
...than those on the Security Council-mandated NATO mission in Afstan..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ssions-
are.html
Mark
Ottawa
Post at "Dust my Broom":
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=54:gun-
stuff
"I guess it all depends on what the meaning of "military" is
Or something. The goverment's disingenuous and dizzying tergiversations over what the Canadian Forces may or may not do in Afstan post-2011 are becoming ridiculous and embarrassing; what must our allies think? In chronological order..."
Mark
Ottawa
Harper was right . . . the whole Kyoto Global Warming Hysteria Thing is just a socialist plot to suck money out of western economies to help the 3rd world.
"Kevin Libin: Copenhagen plan could wreck global economy"
For a global gathering ostensibly designed to harness international ingenuity to arrest global warming, the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Conference at least has a fitting name. The website advertising UNCC seems to fit the bill, too, with the requisite photos of spewing smokestacks, parched landscapes and natural disasters juxtaposed with wind turbines and adorable penguins.
All the more odd, then, that the draft treaty being proposed for the December meeting devotes roughly as much of its text to new foreign aid programs as it does to a plan to reduce greenhouse gases."
Kevin Libin NAILS it.
http://tinyurl.com/yjec3q5
Norman;
Thanks for the vocabulary builder.
To the NPPC, I say why would Obama pay for the milk if they are going to give it to him for free.
If they want to use exhortation I'm open to that sort of advise.
Maybe they really wanted to give the prize to the American people for electing him but that is not practical.
Further to "What caught my eye", start of a "Torch" post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...n-round-
up.html
"Brit Afstan round-up
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...n-round-
up.html
New troops, more troops (?), and more controversty between a brass hat (retired) and frock coats..." http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...anuk-
brass.html
Mark
Ottawa
Mark
Ottawa
So a change that on its own makes little sense but would if included in the larger reform?
It's an Americanism that would make sense if MPs were empowered, committees were staffed and there was less party discipline in the Commons.
Be curious about you thoughts on the PBO. Before it gets too political it stikes me that this is a reform that is a bit of a third arm....it could be useful but without agreement within the civil service about its role it strikes me as priblematic....a potentially good idea badly implemented.
As well, how do you resolve the ovbvious overlap in function, at least perceived, between the PBO and Finance (THE department in the ministry).
Any suggestions on background reading on the a good role for the PBO.
"Torch" post (with video of National Security Adviser Jones):
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...an-
retired.html
"More US troops for Afstan? Retired general rebukes serving one/Canadian general speaks"
Mark
Ottawa
Plato describes the Ouroboros in Timaeus
"The living being had no need of eyes when there was nothing remaining outside him to be seen; nor of ears when there was nothing to be heard; and there was no surrounding atmosphere to be breathed; nor would there have been any use of organs by the help of which he might receive his food or get rid of what he had already digested, since there was nothing which went from him or came into him: for there was nothing beside him. Of design he was created thus, his own waste providing his own food, and all that he did or suffered taking place in and by himself"
-Plato, Timaeus 33-
Thanks for highlighting Hebert's column. I was unaware of the tears at the Vancouver speech.
I thought their strategy was all about activating the Liberal base, hence the weird startegy of referencing the past, 10 % with pearsons face on it..outside of pol junkies who the heck knows who pearson is? The rage at Harper isnt shared outside the Lib party, so they cant explain it, and get viewed as odd by "normal" canadians.
After Chantal's column I have changed my mind. I thought it was a deliberate strategy to recapture 800,000 lost Liberal votes. Now I think it is a strategy born of insularity and self indulgence. They believe this startegy will grow their appeal.
The Liberals are becoming what the NDP used to be, except they wont be satisfied with "moral victories". This will only descend into more infighting. The centripital forces thy are playing with should drive an implosion. Which in stellar terms leads to throwing off material (to the NDP Tories and Bloc) Whats left is either a Black Hole or a cold dead sphere.
Two at the "Broom":
"Another reason for Québec to separate
They've got the best cheese in the world..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...=44:on-the-
menu
"Now Is The Time At The Broom When We Juxtapose!
Steven Harper's scary hidden agenda finally revealed..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...&catid=57:
music
Mark
Ottawa
And some good thinking on the US, er, debate and the ANA from BruceR at "Flit":
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._02.html#006551
"Deciding or dithering"
Mark
Ottawa
Terry Glavin at his "National Post" blog:
http://network.nationalpost.com/...ants-
death.aspx
"The Taliban doesn't want to talk to you, it wants to kill you"
Mark
Ottawa
At "The Torch":
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-going-
in.html
"Afstan: Dutch really seem like going in 2010/Effect on our government"
Mark
Ottawa
Mr. Spector, you may be right that the LPC will soon lose the right to be flag-bearers for national unity, but I don't think it logically follows that our national unity is imperilled by such an occurrence.
As partners in Confederation, Quebeckers have a legitimate collective right to negotiate their way out of Canada and into a freestanding nation of their own. However, only idiots and M. Parizeau would presume that a unified Quebec clamouring for independence (however you define such a thing) could dictate the terms of such a negotiation. Providing sustenance to the separatist movement has been an effective tactic in advocating for the interests of a truly distinct society within a larger Canadian nation, but the vast majority of Quebeckers are not idiots. I am sure it is painfully obvious to Quebeckers that the current political landscape is eroding rapidly, and it is not obvious that Quebeckers will be able to produce a new collective response that will be as effective as the old ones, or even if such a response is still worthwhile, given the changing nature of Quebec society. The francophones who grew up in Quebec in the '40's and '50's will have to give up the fight one day, and that day may be coming sooner than I thought. I look forward to the results of the 2014 federal election.
Alternatively,
Liberal supported press may be wanting to tarnish Coderre because of the accuracy of the rumours over at Angry's Blog yesterday. Angry floated the outlandish idea that St. Denis may lead a defection to the Cons. More likely to the Bloc I'd say.
Norman;
Regarding St. Denis. They should name a street after him: Rude St. Denis? lol.
The folks at National Newswatch (Did you ever out the author?) seem to see it as all Coderre's fault. They, NNW, seem to have a strong affinity for the liberal leader of the day. Perhaps the same owners as La Press run NNW.
I'm afraid a lot of readers west of the Ottawa River will not be too impressed if this becomes a national unity issue. If Canada's Natural Governing party relies on bellicose types like Coderre to keep our country together and the Conservatives are unable to fill the breech then many may say: Hey hey, ho ho, it's time to let them go, they can join Barry O.
One should have more faith in the ability of the Conservatives to take up the slack. ROCanadians might ask: If the current obscene amounts of transfers aren't enough to keep Qc in the tent then our cohabitation should end? We just don't feel the love anymore.
Oops! Wrong URL for preceding "Torch" post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...tions-
says.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "Recommended reading--Swiss Model for Health Care Is Gaining Admirers" a post at "Dust my Broom":
http://www.dustmybroom.com/index...mental-
disorder
"Universal health care that works"
Mark
Ottawa
"Torch" post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...i-
district.html
"Afstan: What the Commons' resolution says and what the government says"
Mark
Ottawa
Further to the Obama/Afstan stories in "What caught my eye", conclusion of a post at "The Torch":
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...n-and-
what.html
"What's Obama to do about Afstan? And what about the Afghans?
...this is just a wee bit encouraging:
'CAN Troops to Stay Post-2011?'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-post-
2011.html
But, of course, if President Obama effectively downgrades the American commitment it will, to my mind, be politically impossible for any Canadian military mission to continue after 2011."
Mark
Ottawa
Two excellent posts by BruceR at "Flit" (first has great graphics, note "security sponges" in second):
"Afghanistats, 2009 version"
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._29.html#006545
"Associated strategery musings"
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._29.html#006546
Mark
Ottawa
Re: #2 from Stephen.
It's a waste of time and effort, unless you happen to know who has the task of notifying people of planning meetings, processing paperwork, etc. In cases where a party doesn't enjoy a taxpayer funded constituency office, that control often rests with a single volunteer, who is probably a little frustrated with demands from provincial and national party offices.
You are right, nomination meetings can have unpredictable results, and without MP allowances or patronage levers to keep the local machinery lubricated, so-called professional politicians sometimes do get their comeuppance.
It seems to me that there are actually three Quebec Liberal camps, the Obligated to Chretien camp, the Slighted by Chretien camp, and the erratic Young Liberals of Quebec camp (who I assume had something to do with the election of Justin Trudeau). Personally, I think it would do all three camps good to experience the sport of politics from the perspective of losers.
Stephen
I can't imagine supporters of other parties doing something so underhanded!
Norman,
Nice find on the Grits eating Grits in La Presse.
So two questions
1) What does happen if Cauchon fails to obtain the nomination? It cannot be good for Ignatieff
2) If I am an NDP, Bloc or Con supporter, don't I join the riding association to ensure the result in 1)?
As you said, Iggy better watch his back, and running Quebec from the OLO...not likely to lead to success imho.
Party leaders have to intimately understand PArty Machinery (Harper, Layton, Mulroney, Chretien) or have unquestioned subordinates who do (Truedeau, Diefenbaker (in Quebec)) MI has neither....and that takes time to learn or build. Once again, he better watch his back since I dont think the party elders will let the party sleepwalk for the third time into a disaster (the Dion Greenshift election, the Dion coalition attempt)
RE: Connecting the Codere Dots
If Cretien is back in control in Quebec will his popularity carry the Liberals to significant gains in Quebec? Or is this just good news for the Bloc?
WFC
Hello Norman;
It's good to see you as a regular in one of the 'self proclaimed' national newspapers. Do you write your own headlines, or, do the editors retain that domain for themselves?
WFC
Quebec Liberal Fratricide.
I liked Allan Gregg's comment the most, a fight to be King of the Pygmies (all apologies to any pygmies in the audience)
I was wondering whether the English elders would have been the ones to committ regicide, since I think they have the most to lose. Maybe it will be Quebec based, as they have the most to gain or it may be a fully billingual affair. They cannot be "dionized" again.
Now all Harper has to do is appoint Paul martin as his ambassador to the G20 set the cat amongst the pidgeons.
Post at "Dust my Broom":
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
"Mickey I.'s Liberals to replace NDP on Socialist International?"
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "Harper's misfiring Cannon", a post at "Dust my Broom":
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mental-
disorder
"Paul Martin and Keefdafi"
Mark
Ottawa
Start of a post at The Torch (with video):
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
admirals.html
'Gates and the generals, and admirals
Further to this post,
"Obama and the generals, and admirals" http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
admirals.html
I'd have to say the defense secretary seems to be leaning towards supporting Gen. McChrystal's request for considerably more US forces for Afstan. First, CNN's "State of the Union"... http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn...010/#more-
70698 '
Mark
Ottawa
Start and conclusion of a "Torch" post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
admirals.html
"Obama and the Generals, and Admirals
Further to these posts,
'Afstan: The McCrystal watch continues' http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
continues.html
'Afstan: British general resigns http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...al-
resigns.html
...
Coming to a real showdown? I do wish we had reporting like the above in this country.
Mark
Ottawa
Start of post at "The Canada-Afghanistan Blog":
http://canada-afghanistan.blogsp...r-
terrible.html
"CKNW, Afghanistan, And Our Terrible Politicians
I attended a CKNW radio show today at the Afghan Horsemen restaurant, where they were doing a live town hall discussion on Canada and Afghanistan. Their interviews included a Canadian soldier, an Afghan-Canadian, and a poli-sci prof at SFU--but also Terry Glavin,
http://transmontanus.blogspot.com/
who closed the show with a magnificent spiel that cut through all the bullshit and left us in speechless awe. The fact that Terry only got three minutes to speak out of a 2-hour show is criminal.
You can hear hour 1 of the show here.
http://emedia.cknw.com/Podcasts/...23_-
_Hour_1.mp3
Hour 2 here.
http://emedia.cknw.com/Podcasts/...23_-
_Hour_2.mp3
Yours truly has a short time at the mike at the 32:40 mark of the first hour. But if nothing else, make sure you hear the last five minutes of hour 2.
The bulk of the show was taken up by a panel discussion with three MPs: Andrew Saxton from the Tories, Ujjal Dosanjh from the Liberals, and Peter Julian from the NDP. The segment was mostly useless, with the MPs spouting their talking points and trying to score points off each other. Why on earth would CKNW think that was the best use of the show's time? Beats the hell out of me..."
Mark
Ottawa
Obamassiah . . . going from dumb to crazy.
This will play well in middle America in the mid term elections.
Barry is just showing us narcissism isn't just for little people.
"The Obama administration has notified Congress of the State Department's intention to contribute $400,000 to foundations run by Muammar Qaddafi's two children — $200,000 each for daughter Aisha and son Saif. Saif, you may recall, is the son who escorted the Lockerbie terrorist Abdel Baset al-Megrahi home to a hero's welcome in Libya after President Obama sternly "warned" Qaddafi that there was to be no hero's welcome."
Excerpts from a Torch post:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
continues.html
"Afstan: The McCrystal watch continues
...
So Gen. Petraeus and Adm. Mullen are on Gen. McChystal's side. Moving towards a real showdown between the brass hats and frock coats?
http://books.google.ca/books?id=...20coats&
f=false
Things might get pretty serious...
Note that "warning" [by Gen. McChrystal] and compare it with what the frocks are saying. Hmmm. Policy positioning like that by the senior Canadian military (even former CDS Gen. Hillier, and even the British, though they are being fairly vocal--see here, here and here)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/
ne...id=arRO44l5vNKE
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_ne...ews/
8261350.stm
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top...15875-21632551/
is simply inconceivable. And I'm a bit wary about the extent it is developing in the US. A real public showdown with serving officers can, it seems to me, only hurt the war effort overall."
Mark
Ottawa
More "Broom"
http://www.dustmybroom.com/index...-am-my-own-
imam
"If one, why not the other?"
Mark
Ottawa
And two at "Dust my Broom":
"I mean, what's the big deal about murdering some 3,000 people in one morning?"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mental-
disorder
"Pity poor Naomi Kleinmind "
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...tid=99:
moonbats
Mark
Ottawa
A post at "The Torch" and its end:
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...fstanguess.html
'ObamaClinton wobbling on Afstan/Guess who got there first?
...The opinion of a perspicacious reader on Gen. McChrystal's position:
"F...... right he should resign if he doesn’t get the resources: would you ask soldiers serving under you to risk their lives in a fight the politicians aren’t committed to?"'
Mark
Ottawa
You may be right.
Norman;
The TS Editorial, see your 'Column I Wished I'd Written', would not have appeared if it were the Liberals leading a minority government and not the Conservatives. The TS would be leading the 'let's vote now' and 'Liberals deserve a majority' and 'It's the right time for an election' cheer. The TS 'make the minority work' mantra will disappear when the Liberal's are doing better in the polls.
It is a little odd seeing them trying to be the voice of balanced reason.
Technically you are correct and not just from your perspective of facing the Gulf (you are on the sunny side of the Island, right?). The dominant minority in Calgary are Saskatchewanians, although the ranks of displaced BC'ers have been growing for some time. Seriously though, it surprises me that Calgary's very real diversity doesn't seem to affect its outlook.
Mr Glasel
As far as I'm concerned, Calgarians are a bunch of easterners.
Mr. Lament
I believe I saw a report that he's volunteering his services.
Your old pal Kinsella was against Iggy before he was for him and signed up to take LPC money to run the War Room . . . really, really against him.
Warren Kinsella, 2006 - "I objected to the manner in which his supporters trampled on democracy in a Toronto riding – literally locking out opponents. I objected to his support of George W. Bush’s illegal war in Iraq. I objected to the fact that he mocked Canada (Link dead) during the three decades he was abroad, and that he likened Israeli policy to the fascism of apartheid. I objected to what I perceived to be breathtaking arrogance – calling Canada a "herbivorian boy scout" one day, then jetting up here to run it the next."
Regarding todays Spector Vision: A Majority Conservative Government is best for the Country. Harper should let Iggy and Jack fall on their words. Allowing Jack to prop up the government until his numbers come back is not the right thing and well Iggy is not going to get the majority so Harper has to take the leap now.
Glad you're back.
WFTC
Norman,
Please ensure a copy of your column today gets to the PMO.
The cons have the right Parliamenary Strategy, no backroom deals, offer legialstion that they want that they think one of the opposition parties finds acceptable and push the opposition for concrete proposals or ammendments. But no "Trash Talk".
Maybe the PM needs to see Don Cherry's advice to Ovechkin from last year. No need to hold a yard sale, a la Paul Martin. Just do what he has been doing, without the "nose rubbing"
Too funny . . .
"OTTAWA -- The likelihood of deaths in federal prisons remains "unacceptably high" because of the government's failure to make improvements, says Canada's prison ombudsman Howard Sapers."
And he actually thinks anyone will care about his report ?
Poor man is delusional.
As long as our weather stays like this you should enjoy the Fiat and the opportunity.
The monsoons will start soon enough.
In "Error of omission," (COLUMN I WISH I'D WRITTEN)virtually everything we need to know about Schreiber's commissions is in the article, yet the writer still claims "Canadians needed more than that. We needed someone to reveal what Mr. Mulroney's cash was for, not what it wasn't for. And we needed to find out what happened to all $20-million."
It should be obvious that Schreiber kept the lion's share of $20 million for himself. The German government is after him for tax evasion, not to judge his morals. I find it deeply disappointing that a Canadian PM would besmirch his integrity for less than what Bill Clinton collects for a speaking engagement, but there is no reason to believe that Airbus wouldn't have won the contract if PM Mulroney had refused to let his palms be greased. Airbus employed Schreiber as a kind of insurance, to make sure that no stone was left unturned, no potential deal breaker left unattended, but no one should naively believe that Airbus was incapable of winning the contract without Schreiber's help.
In my mind, the Airbus "scandal" is indeed well-tilled ground, but obviously a number of people in the media are still having trouble connecting dots. And I am afraid that no amount of wasted tax revenue is going to resolve that problem. So we have the Oliphant inquiry, the lasting effect of which is to diminish everyone to the point that no one cares anymore about the larger issues.
NIce highlight of Hebert's column on the politics of EI.
It is clear that you cannot get a single national standard without
1) Bringing back bad and expensive ideas from the 71 reforms or
2) Generating losers somewhere in the country who see their qualifying rates raised.
My prediction, you will see two reports. There will be no agreement. Project forward whatever scenario you want from that point.
Norman,
1) Is it time for someone to call up claude Forget and have him walk them through his 195/86 report?
2) Can you clear up how estimates and supply work. My understanding is once the estimates are voted on then the money can be spent. What is the issue around these final estimates in June, is there money in there that needs to be authorized.
Iggy's campaign slogan:
"The 45 day work year is the Liberal gift to all Canadians, especially those who will have to pay for it"
Go iggy go, listen to kinsella and go to the polls.
Please.
Re Chretien Advice on Election:
He would know, the voters of Manitoba didnt punish him at all for an election called during the flood.
Nonetheless, it would have the problem of feeding the image, deserved or not, that Iggy is here for one reason, MI.
The danger of Chretiens formula though is the landscape is significantly different. The right is not split and Harper is not Day.
BTW, I still havent seen the stock Liberal campaign tactic of getting their leader in some kind of outdoorsy physical activity. Trudeau was canoeing, Chretien was waterskiiing, I am sure Martin had something. It is usually done early and before an election. What is Iggy's outdoor activity....must be camping since he misses Algonquin.
Furthe to "Tories to revamp military buying procedures (Cit)" (CAUGHT MY EYE/ON MY MIND):
"Oink! Oink!"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=54:gun-
stuff
Mark
Ottawa
And remember, even though Obamassiah gave his Union backers the lion's share of Government Motors, over the objections of the legal bond holders, Canadian taxpayers own part of this dog & pony show too.
http://tinyurl.com/n467py
Agree with your article re Raitt. Although the conversation is probably not uncommon within political circles it reveals a little too much ambition.
The irony the dice she is rolling is to get the money to fix the reactor so it can still produce isotopes. Nonethless, too political.
Leona the Tortoise vs Lisa the Hare.
A parable to be read to all future young tories.
"Barack Obama is no Ronald Reagan (and a mention of Mickey I.)"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...tid=52:
religion
Mark
Ottawa
Great Lakes Czar: Guess what? The ace reporters of our major media completely ignored the appointment. Pathetic.
http://www.google.com/search?q=G...n&ned=ca&
tab=nw
Mark
Ottawa
One wonders if the Canadian government was advised in advance:
"Obama appoints Cameron Davis as Great Lakes czar"
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/f...s/
D98K25V00.htm
A future job for Dizzy Lizzy May? Is there any indication she ever renounced her American citizenship?
Mark
Ottawa
Meanwhile, auto realities:
http://www.reuters.com/article/
r...lBrandChannel=0
"...
Ford's Car sales fell 10.3 percent to 6,458 units while truck sales slid 5.9 percent to 15,442..."
More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/
G...E5507LH20090601
"...
Ford said it planned to build 460,000 vehicles in North America in the third quarter, up about 10 percent from a year earlier, when it built 418,000 vehicles.
The Ford third-quarter production plan cuts back car production by 34,000 units and raises truck production by 76,000 vehicles from a year earlier..."
Mark
Ottawa
Frenzied Frankie Stronach:
"Charge it"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...mes-the-
science
Mark
Ottawa
Further to CAUGHT MY EYE/ON MY MIND--"What the W Post is reporting on Afstan
Gen. McChrystal Signals a New Approach in Afghanistan",
a "Torch" post:
"America's war/ISAF command structure changes?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
structure.html
Plus:
"The US and training Afghan police in Regional Command South"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-police-
in.html
Mark
Ottawa
More:
"Government Motors in action--and Opel"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...atid=80:
polling
Mark
Ottawa
A post at "Dust my Broom":
"Magnum opus, or, Magna Opels in Canada"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...atid=80:
polling
Mark
Ottawa
And to TODAY'S COLUMNS/EDITORIALS--"$1.4-million for every job saved (Yakabuski)"
Mark
Ottawa
Further to CAUGHT MY EYE/ON MY MIND--"Canada set to take large stake in GM":
"What's a million and half (or, the 10 per cent plus solution)?"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...atid=80:
polling
Mark
Ottawa
I was trying to point out the source of "the miss". I found it hard to believe that Finance would have a forecasting error of 8% (16 mill on 200 mill in revenue) after only 4 months. Something else had to contribute.
The merits of this are a seperate discussion. But I believe the government has rolled everything into an expense, the right way to do it imho (Norman touched on the fiscal framework issues in his Oliphant testimony, and the issues it can cause)
If the government is providing Debtor in Possession financing, then imho there is an argument (not a slam dunk one) in favour of it. DIP is not available privately because of the credit crisis. But as I said it isnt a slam dunk argument.
Most of it has to do with industrial policy and ensuring that the US government doesnt repatriate everything with its financing.
In more normal times none of this would be justifiable because the private sector DIP market would have been functioning. It doesnt appear to be yet. My issue is that the solution to GM and Chrysler was identified as bankruptcy months ago...to much debt, too many obligations. Whether playing for time for 4 months was worthwhile or not is one of those interesting what if questions that make political science and economic departments go round.
The way I understand it, the Government of Canada operates on a cash basis, meaning that expenses are recorded when cash is spent. The government doesn't show the value of its assets, either. So there aren't any depreciation expenses, but on the other hand, all asset purchases are expensed 100% in the fiscal year they are obtained. There are capital reserves that allow the Finance Department to move cash on and off the balance sheet, Crown corporations have their own balance sheets, and Auditor Generals generally dislike the way our governments have accounted for loans handed out; but if taxpayers buy equity in GM, it ends up coming out of general revenue. If the government gives out loans, and receives shares as consideration for holding GM's debt, the picture becomes muddier, but unless the government has a cash reserve to make the loan out of, it should show up as an expense as soon as money is handed over.
Usually the legal profession and organized labour are the only parties to really benefit from nationalization, although the Saskatchewan government obtained a reasonable ROI by selling its shares in PCS, Wascana Energy and the Husky Upgrader in Lloydminister. What happened with Skeena Cellulose (in 3 different iterations?) and the coal and steel business in Cape Breton is more typical, no matter how the accounting is done, in the end taxpayers lose 100% of their investment.
What is different about GM is the size of sinkhole, not the mechanics of wasting taxpayers' money.
Obama just announced an additional 50 billion, so canada's 20% ante is 10 billion. If the federal government booked its portion entirely as an expense (all in one year), then this would explain a good chunk of the 16 Billion, say 5 billion.
The next 10 billion, well a 2.5% increase in expenditures over expected and a 2.5% drop in tax revenue over expected makes up the next 10 billion.
"Why bail out GM and Chrysler in Canada?"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...tid=42:
politics
"Holy Tories!
Actually proposing something, er, conservative..."
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=47:
canadiana
Mark
Ottawa
"GM, or Government Motors (II)"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...atid=80:
polling
Mark
Ottawa
RG,
Fun analysis. I think we have to wait to see the info behind the changed projection. I am not sure which I want to be true, a real change in the economy down or a Fin Min and gov that are playing fast and loose with these important numbers.
It is early in the Fiscal so relatively small changes in assumptions, from Unemployment rate, to level of consumer spendng to infrastructure projects being accelerated from Q1 of FY 10 to Q4 of FY09 can make the difference.
Re the PBO....he would revise based on the new numbers as well. So the Kevin Page mosquito wont go away that easy.
Info from finance will help. But the other targets of stopping the EI changes and removing the idea that there is room for more spending are hit with this announcement.
Stephen, I'm sure the Finance department prepares several estimates based on various assumptions, and presents a wide range of predictions along with some kind of probability value for each one. Then the Finance Minister picks the one he likes the best (or is willing to put his name to). It is still too early to tell how much of the money pledged for stimulus will actually get spent, and how much of a deficit EI will produce.
All indications are that the current PM keeps his eye trained on Finance at all times, and he is quick to defend this particular minister. So, what did going from $34 to $50 billion in 4 months accomplish?
1. It took PBO Kevin Page out of the picture. If he says Flaherty is too high now, his earlier prediction of $40 billion has no credibility. If he raises his own estimate to $60 billion, he will look like a fool.
2. It utterly deflates the Liberal stand on EI. Notice how the new estimate is blamed on rising EI costs, and watch how everyone suddenly wants the government to be more prudent. If the Liberals want to force an election because the Conservatives still aren't spending enough money, they've got rocks in their head. This doesn't do a thing to improve Ignatieff's credibility on fiscal matters.
If you think this is still an example of Flaherty's incompetence, look at the sequence of events. On the first news cycle (weeks before he is supposed to deliver his fiscal update), Flaherty plays coy, and says his last estimate is going to be low. The chattering classes immediately start speculating that Flaherty is being coy because a)Page's estimate is going to be proven correct or b) Flaherty wants to soften the blow by hinting at a big change and then delivering a smaller than expected increase to a round of applause. The Opposition steps up their call for looser EI and more spending. On the second news cycle, Flaherty makes everyone's jaw drop. Now the chattering classes start talking about structural deficits and how spending is out of control. The Opposition is dumbfounded, so they make a lot of noise and ask for the Finance Minister's resignation, presumably because he is spending too much money. Now tell me this isn't carefully orchestrated.
RGlasel,
Economy may have dropped out of site, hard to believe that Flaherty or finance had any reason to not state a number that wasnt thought true.
But....
The Finance Minister will have to live his prediction....one way or another Jim flaherty likely will not be Fin Min in September.
Norman, perhaps you can provide some insight as to what would be happening within Finance with a miss this big....there are very smart people in that place...thats a big miss.
Kudos to Chantal Hébert for "EI threatens to backfire on Liberals" COLUMN I WISH I'D WRITTEN. Now that the ante in the Predict the 2009-2010 Deficit Game has been raised to $50Billion, all of the other flaws in Ignatieff's grand strategy are likely to be forgotten. Nonetheless, those weaknesses remain and it appears likely that the LPC will continue to try catching the wind for many more months.
BTW, the misleading/dishonest banner headline in the Star-Phoenix this morning is "Deficit swells to $50B." The only thing that is swelling is the Finance Minister's public prediction. Once again, the people who are supposed to put the news in perspective for us rubes and plebeians, screw up the easy stuff, like separating forecasts from facts.
What is happening in the world of facts is that since the Great Decline of 2008 the loonie has climbed 15%, the TSX has climbed over 25%, the 2008-2009 federal deficit is coming in well below what the Prophets of Doom pegged it at, and unemployment has plateaued at 8%. Heck, even the price of oil hasn't threatened to dip below $60CDN/barrel in a long time. Sure it sucks to be in automobile manufacturing (or mass media for that matter), but for the rest of us, the "worst economic crisis since the Great Depression" doesn't look so fearsome anymore.
Further to "CAUGHT MY EYE/ON MY MIND--More Fed follies
Both languages should be law for top judges: Commissioner (Ott Sun)":
Consequences:
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...tid=39:
advocacy
"Supreme Court: How to really reduce number of possible candidates...
...and the quality of those, er, qualified..."
Mark
Ottawa
Sen. Colin Kenny weighs in:
"CF's procurement problems"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...t-
problems.html
Mark
Ottawa
"What Joint Support Ship anyway? And when?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...y-and-
when.html
Mark
Ottawa
"The government's position on our Afghan mission's future
Read the tea leaves..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...our-
afghan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"None of them is Canadian"
http://dustmybroom.com/index.php...id=41:fur-
trade
Mark
Ottawa
"Canada's current strategy at Kandahar"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...t-
kandahar.html
"The strategy for Afstan"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...for-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"New Chinooks: The Foxtrot goes on...and on..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...s-onand-
on.html
Mark
Ottawa
Norman: CP piece on you and the project that would not die:
http://www.thestar.com/news/cana.../article/
635929
Letter of mine sent to the Star May 16 and not published:
"The former prime minister's account of his "concept" for promoting the Thyssen Henschel TH 495 light armoured vehicle, for use by U.N. peacekeeping forces, to the permanent five members of the Security Council (P5: U.S., Russia, China, U.K., France) is a nonsense full of holes. Here are some matters that the lead counsel of the Oliphant enquiry, Richard Wolson, should raise with Mr. Mulroney:
In his testimony Friday, May 15, Mr Mulroney conceded that any TH 495s he helped sell would actually be made in Germany--not Canada, as the project to build them here was going nowhere. What was a recently retired Canadian prime minister doing promoting foreign-manufactured military vehicles to third countries? A very strange role indeed one would think. What must the people Mr. Mulroney says the talked to have thought about it?
His role is especially odd when one considers that General Motors Canada was also making light armoured vehicles at its plant in London, Ontario--vehicles which the Canadian government itself had bought in 1989 and 1992 rather than the TH 495. One would imagine that a former Canadian prime minister would at least pitch vehicles actually made in Canada and which his own government had purchased.
Mr. Mulroney has claimed that the peacekeeping vehicles would be owned by the U.N. and stationed in some fashion at depots in, for example, Europe and Africa, for use by peacekeeping operations as required. A number of questions arise:
Who would pay for the vehicles? Presumably member of the P5, especially the U.S., would have had to put up quite a bit of money since the U.N. has no budget of its own for weapons acquisition. But since the U.S., and all the other P5 members, made light armoured vehicles themselves, why would they agree to the U.N.'s buying German-made vehicles?
Who would maintain the vehicles and keep them in running order at their depots? The U.N. had no specialized technical staff able to do that. It had (and has) no armed forces of its own. Would private contractors be involved?
How would contributors to U.N. peacekeeping missions manage to train their armies in the use, upkeep, and repair of the vehicles, and to keep up proficiency in that regard? Most countries that contribute to peacekeeping missions have their own vehicles on which their troops are trained and constantly exercised. Would likely contributors to future U.N. missions have to dispatch significant numbers of soldiers, at considerable cost and for a lengthy time, also to train on the U.N. vehicles that Mr Mulroney's concept called for? Where would such training take place? If at the depots, these would also require extensive training areas and troop accommodation. How would soldiers of possible contributing countries keep up proficiency on the vehicles? Who would pay for the training facilities and all the toing and froing?
I think questions such as the above demonstrate the Mr. Mulroney's concept was a Rube Goldberg fantasy that could never have been taken seriously by any member of the P5--or anyone even now who thinks seriously about the fantastically complicated military arrangements that it would have entailed. In fact I do not believe such a ridiculous concept existed at the time Mr. Mulroney claims it did; it must have been cooked up later as a cover for whatever the former prime minister may have been engaged by Mr. Schreiber to do in 1993--if indeed he was engaged to do anything at all at that time.
If the Oliphant commission does not examine Mr. Mulroney about the exceedingly problematic military arrangements that his concept would have involved in practice, and about how he saw those arrangements being dealt with, then the the commission will have failed signally in its effort to get to the bottom of what was going on between him and Mr. Schreiber regarding the light armoured vehicle project. But, for some strange reason, detailed military realities are almost never of concern to Canadians when dealing with political issues. Even when those realities are of the greatest relevance...
References:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...//TPStory/
Front
http://www.janes.com/articles/Ja...x-8-
Canada.html
http://www.army-guide.com/eng/
pr...product933.html
http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/...c/59-66-
eng.pdf
http://centreforforeignpolicystu...June%
201995.PDF
(pp. 34-35)
http://www.karlheinzschreiber.ca...&
doc=2008_09_24 (see middle about 1992)"
Mark
Ottawa
It occurs to me that Brian Mulroney is the most socialist - no, let's go Marxist - Prime Minister Canada has ever had, which makes the Marxist media's prosecutorial lather all the more amusing.
It's hard to say though because in the 15+ years since he left office there have been ZERO books comprehensively analyzing his time as Prime Minister, which tells me everything I need to know about the matter, really, because if it were written and at the quality of Sawatsky's book my theory would be proven in spades. Far from being the monster he is and was portrayed as, the left never had a better PM.
What say Norman?
This post by BruceR (Canadian Army reservist just back from Afstan, look at his blog generally) at "Flit" will tell you more about on-the-ground realities at Kandahar province than anything I've seen:
"May 11, 2009
Let's go to the map"
http://www.snappingturtle.net/
fl..._11.html#006414
Mark
Ottawa
Transcript of interviews here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30658135/
Mark
Ottawa
AfPak: video of interviews with Pakistani president Zardari and Afghan president Karzai (latter at "Length 31:41"), NBC, Meet the Press, May 10
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/
2113...668913#30668913
Mark
Ottawa
Rather lengthy "Torch" post(note US Army brigade combat team coming to Kandahar and Herat as trainers):
"Afstan: New US Marines, Army aviation, start arriving; US command structure changes?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...y-
aviation.html
End of post:
'...
Lt.-Gen. McKiernan is now double-hatted as ISAF commander (reporting to NATO HQ) and commander, United States Forces-Afghanistan (reporting to Centcom commander, Gen. Petraeus). http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-forces-
in.html
That provides a bit of command unity, though hardly ideal. http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...fghanistan.html
Heaven knows how two American three-stars would affect the situation. If the second Lt.-Gen. is "day-to-day, committed to the fight -- an operational commander", would he be de facto in charge of both ISAF and USFOR-A? Would McKiernan keep ISAF with Rodriguez taking USFOR-A? In which case what about unity of command?
Moreover, would "a second commanding general with a large staff of officers", presumably as part of USFOR-A, in effect supplant ISAF as the real HQ for forces formally under NATO? All a bit confusin', must be a lot of buzzing going on at Brussels.'
Mark
Ottawa
"Afstan: PM Harper's warm and fuzzy sell"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...fuzzy-
sell.html
Mark
Ottawa
Letter of mine in the Globe and Mail, May 2:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...mark+collins%
22
'Piracy policy polemic
MARK COLLINS
May 2, 2009
Ottawa -- So, the University of British Columbia's Michael Byers thinks the Conservative government is soft on pirates (Ottawa's Piracy Policy Flouts Law, Experts Say - May 1):
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...ernational/
home
"It's ludicrous for the Harper government to claim that it can't arrest and prosecute pirates." Prof. Byers, an unsuccessful candidate for the NDP in the last federal election, is being rather disingenuous.
A strong human-rights advocate, he'd be one of the first to raise hell at the slightest hint of any possible "abuse" of a captured pirate by Canadian sailors, or, if Canada turned the pirates over to Kenya for trial (as some countries do), at the slightest hint that the Kenyan justice system is less than perfect. I rather imagine that concern over such hell being raised by our progressive "experts" is one reason the government is dealing with pirates so gingerly.'
More from Byers the Enforcer, scourge of the high seas:
"Naval gazing"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
s...ry=byers+piracy
But here's a sample of the fellow's more, er, usual viewpoint:
"Afstan: Poop from professor"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...bilge-
from.html
Mark
Ottawa
'Australian defence white paper vs. "Canada First Defence Strategy"'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-paper-
vs.html
Mark
Ottawa
"UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
pakistan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Afstan: Aussies to increase troop strength some 40% (some only temporary)"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ease-
troop.html
"AfPak: US in RC South/US and Paks/Paks vs. Talibs"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...akspaks-
vs.html
Mark
Ottawa
Abbas wont recognize Isarael as a "jewish" state. Hmmm, do other countries do that, or do they just recognize the territorial integrity of a country and the legitimate government that has control of that territory?
Is Canada asked to recognize the Pakistan or Saudi as "Islamic" states. Does Canada explicity recognize Vatican City and a "Roman Catholic" state?
While I understand the point that Abbas is trying to make, formally recognizing Israel wouldnt mean having to make formal statements about its "official jewishness". You can still have issue with the internal policies of government without rejecting the nation.
For example, Canada still recognized South Africa as a nation under apartheid but we took extreme issue with how it was governed and how its "legitimate" government was chosen. We do the same with Iran today, to a much lesser extent.
Strikes me as either a message for domestic consumption by Abbas or alternatively an excuse fabriacation exercise. I can only hope it is the former.
Re polls
If the best MI (or I) can do is be dead even with the cons during what is arguably his unquestioned honeymoon then it is fair to ask to ask the quetsion, is this as good as it gets for them?
The CPC hasn't pushed back in anyway, the Canadian media have been adoring and the economy is in the crapper. He (MI or I) should be ahead by 5 points at least.
I am sure at some point someone will begin to ask that question, why isnt MI walking away with it?
'WTF? "Bear Head, Schreiber and Mulroney--and the TH 495"'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
mulroney.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re Fowler,
That is very good news. One hopes he is relatively unscathed.
On a less serious note...clearly Al Queada is following the Mulroney Schreiber hearings on CPAC and wanted to see him to testify.
Again, glad he has been released.
"Afghan cricket: Good news and bad (sort of) news"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-bad-
sort.html
Mark
Ottawa
Afstan--two views:
Bruce Rolston:
http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/?p=3759
'“This Is a Generational Struggle”
Captain Bruce Rolston wonders how long Afghanistan’s calm facade will remain after peacekeepers leave'
Terry Glavin:
http://transmontanus.blogspot.co...a-in-
kabul.html
"In Vancouver Review: Taqunya In Kabul - The People, Coming From The Shadows."
Mark
Ottawa
A letter of mine in "The Economist", April 16 (somewhat edited by them):
http://www.economist.com/
opinion...ory_id=13482682
"Witness for the prosecution
SIR – There was an important factor missing in your explanation of why prosecuting white-collar crime is more difficult in Canada than in the United States (“Too trusting”, April 4th).
http://www.economist.com/
opinion...ory_id=13415555
In the United States public lawyers start an investigation before charges are laid in white-collar cases. A good example is Patrick Fitzgerald, the United States’ attorney who investigated Conrad Black. Lawyers are able to gather and assess evidence in these matters much better than the police. In Canada the police are responsible for gathering evidence in an investigation, and are often ill-equipped and unskilled in such cases. Crown attorneys only become closely involved once the prosecution begins.
Mark Collins
Ottawa"
When are you up in front of the Oliphant inquiry?
Given todays testimony at the end and checking your bio on your time at ACOA I am looking forward to seeing it. I just want to make sure I book the time to watch.
Interesting post about how much G& industrial production has fallen.
Interesting how Canadian and UK production hasn't really grown, UK especially. But look at the export economies, Japan and Germany, they really benefitted during the good times. Now they are dealing with the collapse of demand in their markets, as are we.
One can only imagine what the Chinese are going through, even as the Globe indicates yesterday that production continues. You may see times where they are burying steel and cars or dumping them into the ocean to create reefs.
This isnt over yet.
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blog...n-
crashing.html
A post at "The Torch" by Damian Brooks, with video:
"Waging Peace: Canada In Afghanistan"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...fghanistan.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re Iggy Bringing Brian to the Dance.
Could it be that Iggy's target is really Charest and that part of of the Liberal Party of Quebec's machine?
or is he just trying to stir up poo?
Letter in the Toronto Star:
"Obama, the Taliban and Thomas Walkom--and the prime minister"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...walkom-
and.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Taliban Sharia law in action: where's the Canadian outrage?"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012950.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re SpectorVision....I am not sure you even maintain your popularity by giving in that much.
Jimmy Carter was unpopular with his Euro allies by the end of his term for not setting a consistent path. I would say "Steve" hasnt necessarily maintained popularity even though he has been arguably quite accomomodating.
Obama will be burned in effigy at a European protest rally soon enough, he is an American president, it happens to them all, including Clinton.
Bipartisan "Special ops":
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012941.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "THE COLUMN I WISH I’D WRITTEN
War aims and misogyny (Globe)".see the "Update thought" on China here:
"Afghan women and religious law hysteria"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...w-
hysteria.html
Mark
Ottawa
"I'm betting on a bankrupt General..."
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012933.html
Mark
Ottawa
Norman,
Assuming you must testify at the Schreiber Inquiry, do you gave a scheduled date/time ?
More on the PM's misleading Afghan spin at the Update here:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-on-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
Prime Minister Harper on Afstan--video of interview on CTV's Question Period, March 29 (recorded March 2
.
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/ctvs-qu...009/
#clip155217
The PM says that President Obama's announced strategy...
"...I think mirrors the Canadian government's position, frankly mirrors the great work done by John Manley and his counterparts [sic], I think it mirrors it just about as closely as it possibly could and we were a couple of years ahead of the curve."
What self-serving tripe. Moreover, since the Manley report was issued just some fourteen months ago, and since the House of Commons' resolution extending our mission until 2011 only passed just over one year ago, we certainly have not been "a couple of years ahead of the curve."
As for 2011, the prime minister was very clear indeed:
"...we are planning for the end of the military mission at the end of 2011."
So far as I can see from everything he's been saying there is no inclination to change that planning.
Mark
Ottawa
Steve and Chuck can discuss organic gardening, I guess. However he is the apparent future "King of Canada".
Changing topic, Steve and Angie M are apparently quite sympatico. Curious about Steve's thoughts about the spanner she threw into Gordo's "new deal" spending. I suspect Steve is pleased and supportive.
German Conservatives are a pretty sensible bunch. Old things are new again, and Germany is the lynch pin of Europe. The only way to wrestle it with them will be the British teaming up with two or three other continental powers. However, I think the Germans have this one nailed down.
Given the weakened state of the US even a smiling Barack can't break down the Germans. I think the story of the conference will be Merkel's willingness to exert Germany's power and influence, in contrast to Brown's empty rhetoric and Sarkozy's inability to find allies.
I suspect the German's have good relationships with the Indians and the Chinese as well. Steve has chosen his friends well.
He will, indeed, and will also have an audience with the Prince of Wales.
Norman,
Do you know if Steve will be meeting the Queen when he is London for the G20. You would think she would want 20 minutes or so to catch up on goings on and if there are any more constitutional crises coming up...she is after all the Queen of Canada.
You can say a lot about her, but she takes her job and responsibilities seriously. Just curious because it hasn't come up.
"Obama's war: Petraeus and Holbrooke on the public job"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...lbrooke-
on.html
Mark
Ottawa
I am already eyeing trophies for Larry.
Most Idiocies of the Year
Most Columns I am Glad I Didn't Write
There will be three of each trophy, one sent to Lary, one to his editor and one to the publisher.
I was going to send him signed photo of Stephane Dion but he already had one. But I think Larry's new budding bromance with Iggy is more problematic. But it is driven by his blind hatred of Harper so it should flower.
Is there a more transparent writer who tries to pretend he is non-partisan?
Lounge Lizard Larry Martin is at it again:
"Time to get real"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012894.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Obama's war indeed"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
indeed_27.html
Mark
Ottawa
It seems to be duelling models and one upsmanship. I thought, that being under the Library that would mean the PBO would provide research, some independent and some answering questions.
I admit I am a little confused as to what the PBO is supposed to be doing, other than challenging everything the dept of finance produces.
Then layer on personalities, Kevin Page seems to feel he has a higher calling. But that should be neither here nor there. It seems to be an agency in search of a client, and right now its most favourable client is ouraged opposition members or media looking to question government credibility.
I guess I have more research to do.
The PBO could make a valuable contribution if MPs and the media were genuinely interested in finding the best way out of the current economic mess. Which is another way of saying that the odds are stacked heavily against, at this point.
The real George Galloway, the description you won't get on CBC/CTV/Global.
And remember, we have troops in the field right now, bleeding and dying fighting against what Galloway supports, funds and promotes.
Damn straight we have a right to keep this fascist out of Canada. We have an obligation to our troops.
Good work Mr. Kenney.
http://tinyurl.com/dh5ghz
This is from an avowed & proud Socialist !
The biggest problem with the Parliamentary Budget Office is Kevin Page. Somehow this supposedly brilliant economist doesn't understand the difference between facts and forecasts. Page's FORECAST that the 2009-2010 deficit will be $38 billion, not the $33 billion the Finance Department forecasts, is NOT A FACT. The only fact we have to work with is that Page (along with everyone else, regardless of their credentials) did not accurately forecast current conditions in March of 2008, so why should we pay any attention to their forecasts for March 2010? I could on and on, but suffice it to say that Page and all the other Oracles of Gloom and Despair do not actually KNOW any more than you or I. Therefore, whether you predict another depression or a rebounding boom for 2010, as of today, we are all equally correct. Personally, I think there is a place for a PBO with some independence, but the person in charge today is probably going to be last person to hold that position, because of his performance.
Norman,
I would love to see you write something, more than Spector Vision and less than a full paper, on the Parliamentary Budget Office.
I liek the idea of an independent research org. But I will admit to feeling confused as to its purpose now. All we end up with is lots of different numbers. Isnt the finance department supposed to deliver "real" numbers.
It just seems like just another layer of fighting that will ultimately lead to the "tyranny of small differences".
Wouldnt it be political suicide for the PBO to agree with the government, undercutting its raison d'etre? Meaning we will just have perpetual conflict.
I am sypathetic to its existence but I am finding it is having an awkward birth? Does the mother country do this, do the Aussies or Kiwi's? If they don't isnt this just another congressional graft on to a parliamentary system, yielding a camel when a horse was requested?
Further to NEWS UPDATE--"Ottawa expands Afghan website in bid to sell mission"--a "Torch" post with all the links:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-
canadian.html
"Afstan: More interactive Canadian government website
The updated website ("Canada's Engagement in Afghanistan") is well worth exploring; the map is quite something..."
Mark
Ottawa
Norman,
Any further comments on what is happening in one of our mother countries? Quite the fued beginning to brew between the Central bank and the PMO.
As well, the audience between the head of the Bof E and the Queen was the first time she had felt the need to get the news directly.
UK default on debt is one of the iceberges that is out there. The US, for all its debt still reatins enormous tax capacity to payback. Brown and Blair spent while keeping taxes high and are now at the end of the branch, so to speak.
The UK at this stage could very well be a parable written into textbooks about what tax and spend ultimately leads to. The UK is going to have to go through a Thatcher like cleansing again....an end to the New Labour dream.
"The US, NATO and AfPak":
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-and-
afpak.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Afstan: Will anyone supply 4,000 troops, even temporarily?/Troop strengths (note Poles and Danes)"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...000-
troops.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Afstan: Interview video with Gen. McKiernan/Americanization of the south"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...o-with-
gen.html
Mark
Ottawa
Thanks, Mark. I've now linked Glavin's take-down.
AfPak and Obama Jack--further to TODAY'S DISHONESTY,
'Jack Layton must be hoping readers will forget that the NDP opposed Canada’s participation in this war from its beginning in 2001. And then agreed to continue our combat role as part of the coalition agreement. As to his current policy on their presence in Afghanistan between now and 2011, your guess is as good as mine.
"Canada's next steps in Afghanistan"
http://www.nationalpost.com/toda...html?
id=1396155 '
Terry Glavin assesses the NDP leader's new, improved policy for the region:
http://transmontanus.blogspot.co...ortions-
ii.html
"A Misjudgment Of Historic Proportions II: "We've Come A Long Way...
I will go easy here on New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton..."
I'm not sure I ever want Mr Glavin to "go easy" on me.
Mark
Ottawa
Things one learns from US Army Brig.-Gen. John Nicholson--and not the Canadian government or media:
"Afstan: More on US plans for ISAF Regional Command South"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...s-for-
isaf.html
Mark
Ottawa
The Canadian Navy running dog-like with the American imperialist madmen:
"Breaking the morning calm"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012844.html
Mark
Ottawa
From Terry Glavin, a post on what some people in Pakistan think of the Taliban et al.:
"All those who want a dialogue with the Taliban should go to hell."
http://transmontanus.blogspot.co...logue-
with.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "ON MY MIND/CAUGHT MY EYE--What the Yanks are reporting on Afstan (and Canada)
Troops Face New Tests in Afghanistan"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp...9031402178.html
A post at "The Torch" with lots of background links and a video of US Brig.-Gen. John Nicholson:
"US really starting to shape things in ISAF Regional Command South"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-things-
in.html
Mark
Ottawa
Last week a group of AGW WARMongers met in Copenhagen and invented the latest and now the greatest lies, distortions and inventions about the threat of climate change (ex Global Warming). Their desperation to keep the $$$Billions in research funds flowing into their labs is so great now that the planet has entered a long term cooling pattern that they feel they must now use extreme fear stories to secure long term funding to cover their butts when the great scam is revealed to be a very, very, very naked emperor.
Year ten of the current cooling era, and counting. Despite carbon in the atmosphere increasing.
Fisking the WARMongers gets easier and easier.
"Scientists at the Copenhagen conference said that modest IPCC estimates of likely sea level rise this century need to be increased. Extra melting in Greenland could drive sea levels to more than a metre higher than today by 2100"
This is typical eco-bloat. Taking into account that the Earth's surface is 70% ocean and that it takes 1.1 cubic mile of ice to make a cubic mile of water, to raise the oceans one inch would take 2400 (2398+) cubic miles of ice. To raise the oceans one meter would take 94,488 cubic miles of ice melting. Greenland is melting at 55 cubic miles a year, their dream is to make us believe that the melting would become not two or four times faster than today but 18.67 times faster, from 55 cubic miles a year to 1027 cubic miles a year for 92 years."
"Another reason not to allow Commons' committee members access to classified material"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...t-to-
allow.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Wealth, and the health of nations"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012818.html
Mark
Ottawa
"But federalism today?"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012819.html
Mark
Ottawa
GM: "20% in Canada: I don't get it"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012807.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re NL Seperation Senator:
I don't know if I would even take an order from George Baker at the Tim's drive thru seriously.
Proof again that the Newfoundland politicians, with the exception of Crosbie, are all wind and spray. Not much substance there.
Re: Farms must not be forgotten (Ignatieff)
He forgot to include the Maple Leaf plant.
On the radio, netwise that is--US National Public Radio,Tuesday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. EST):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Worldfocus
http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/...ghanistan/4230/
Ron Hoffmann, Canada’s Ambassador to Afghanistan; Nipa Banerjee, with Canadian International Development Agency for 33 years and headed aid efforts in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2006; and Terry Glavin, freelance journalist who recently spent a month reporting in Afghanistan, and an adjunct professor of creative writing at the University of British Columbia.
Mark
Ottawa
An excellent post by Brian Platt at his "The Canada-Afghanistan Blog":
"A Short Rant On Harper, Afghanistan, And Pathetic Progressives"
http://canada-afghanistan.blogsp...nistan-
and.html
Mark
Ottawa
"A real looking glass war"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012756.html
Mark
Ottawa
Harper says Afghan mission major NATO test: report
Surely this can't be breaking news. The story has been on the WSJ website for more than 36hrs. It was the #3 story (popularity I think) in the opinion section this morning.
"No reason for Canadian GM (or Chrysler) bailout"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012736.html
Mark
Ottawa
re: Fox Business News
Where were you expecting him to go to discuss the necessity of open markets: Lou Dobbs on CNN?
Two posts at "The Torch" about the Minister of National Defence:
"Poor Peter"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...poor-
peter.html
"Poor Peter II: Boy is he confused"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-
confused.html
Mark
Ottawa
Any comments on this emerging idiocy.
http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/.../#comment-
96211
If true then I think an emergency tour of the base in Alert is in order.
"Afstan: US surge for real"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-for-
real.html
Mark C.
The prime minister's simulator stimulator:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...efor-
jercs.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re GM
It would make sense for this to be part of the meeting. Ironic that the solution originally proposed, bankruptcy, is going to happen.
This isn a bad thing and the government has a roll to play in providing the financing for a proposal. Debtor in Possession financing, DIP, has dried up due to the cricumstances. This is s alegitimate role of government to provide soemthing that is available in any other time, would have been 3 years ago and will be 3 years from now.
The bankruptcy process is normal, and it is enforceable in a way a government bailout isnt. Union contracts are rewritten, bondholders gt crammed down. All of the things that should happen havent been allowed to happen. Bankruptcy is a process, insolvency is an end point. GM and Chrysler need to go through bankruptcy so the viable parts of their businesses can be releived of the debloads and ill advised obligations.
It may also teach some stakeholders, mgt, captial suppliers and unions, that extroidinary promises are just that, promises and may well not be kept, and shoudnt be asked for.
It will ultimately be good for everyone. Our role in helping that process and trying to ensure, from Harper to Obama, that politics is kept as far away as possible (remember i said as possible, which may not be far)
“Peacekeeping has been pushed to the wall...”
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012670.html
Mark
Ottawa
Remember the Joint Support Ship?
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ssels-
cant.html
A post by Damian Brooks:
"Time to pay for our lack of leadership"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...leadership.html
Mark
Ottawa
"President Obama and Afstan"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...and-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
Liberals call for more spending...already!
this should be interesting, one moment they are criticizing the deficit and claiming fiscal rectitude, the next they are saying there isnt enough being spent, one week later?
Goodness they truely are all ove the map and they will drive the conservative base comfortably back to the cons. I guess Iggy is more worried the NDP are making inroads.
Kind of reinforces the governments argument that things are moving quickly. Harper did a nice innoculation today by saying the unemployment numbers are likely to get worse.
I also find the Obama message reinforces the government message, happened fast, nobody predicted the extent. It will be interesting.
Norman,
I read somewhere that Condi rice said meetings with the canadians was like a meeting with a condo board, lots of little stuff and no big picture items.
I have also read that the Brits refere to a posting here as the "Great White Waste of Time".
Is this Canada's fate, for good or ill?
"Examining health care"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012627.html
Mark
Ottawa
ON MY MIND "--Another thing your paper is not reporting
Obama preserves renditions as counter-terrorism tool":
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-n...?
track=ntothtml
Althought the story cites two "notorious instances" of rendition it makes no mention of Maher Arar. Maybe LA is too far from the (increasingly defended) border.
Mark
Ottawa
Loraine,
Good question, but honestly I don't. Lowell Murray was loyal to Joe Clark, who appointed him to the senate, and is loyal to Brian Mulroney, whom he served as a minister. However, having worked for Murray, I can say that he is a man of principle, and, while he does not like Harper, he likes the idea of fixed election dates even less.
Re: The new games of politics played in Ottawa (Legault) - if Karlheinz Schreiber is Pontius Pilate does that mean that Mulroney is Jesus Christ?
Do you think that there is any link between these new games between the Mulroney and Harper gangs and Lowell Murray' moving on the second reading of Bill S-202, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (repeal of fixed election dates)?
As Senator Murray explained to the Senate Thursday the 29th of January:
'Honourable senators, we have had our eyes opened by experience with this law. The Prime Minister has demonstrated beyond any possibility of doubt that the law is a nullity; that it is meaningless. Therefore, let us redeem ourselves and him by removing this embarrassment from the statute books of our country.'
Can you imagine the debate in the House? Would Harper try to defend his Fixed Elections Date legislation?
Too funny, these games...
"Now it's NATO and the Arctic"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...and-
arctic.html
Mark
Ottawa
"The Great White Threat to the upperbelly"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012602.html
Mark
Ottawa
Press release from the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association:
Senior Ignatieff Liberal's "cat meat" comment offends the Chinese community
Chinese Canadian Conservative Association calls on Liberal leader to fire Senior Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella
Toronto – Alex Yuan, chair of the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association called on Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff to distance himself from the comments made by senior Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella. In a recent blog posting Kinsella likened the meat found in Chinese cuisine to cat meat.
“Back in the Big Owe for a couple weeks, so what better way to kick things off than with some BBQ cat and rice at the Yang Sheng, hangout of our youth? Yay!”
Kinsella repeated the offensive comment in a video posting on his website.
“Our community is deeply concerned with Mr. Kinsella's comments. Kinsella repeats the most vulgar and offensive stereotypes by associating the meat served by Chinese restaurants to cat meat. He has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and disrespected the Chinese culture," continued Yuan.
“This is not the first instance of such intolerant remarks by Mr. Kinsella therefore we call upon Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff to fire Mr. Kinsella as his senior strategist and apologize to the community.”
Mr. Kinsella was forced to apologize for another intolerant blog posting in 2007. In the 2007, he wrote a post suggesting that Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod would rather bake cookies than run for office.
For more information please contact:
Tom Pang, CCCA Director
416-447-0446
Obviously Iggy has never played poker. With all of the apocalyptic hysteria in the air right now, the safest bet is that the Canadian economy will not fall as far as the wild-eyed prophets of punditry have predicted. The longer PM Harper can wait before going into an election, the more likely it will be obvious to everyone just how overblown the current panic is. Not only is Iggy telling us that he has been bluffing up to now, and has folded after proposing the lamest budget amendment you can think of, but he also announces plans to huff and bluff every six months. I can't predict economic news any better than anyone else, but I would rather put my money on things turning out better than expected, as opposed to even worse than the calamity being predicted right now. If the political landscape can change in a big way in six months, just imagine what can happen if this minority government survives for another two or three years.
Sorry, typo. I meant to write "starting on April 1, 2009" not 2010.
Hello Norman;
Can anyone explain why Count Ignatief expects a report card in March? Isn’t this budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year starting on April 1, 2010? What could one report in March?
Thanks for the summary of the Crop poll it should be a good baseline. 31% should be a good number for The Count. I still can’t believe he didn’t go for power – it just doesn’t add up. My guess is the next poll will have him down in Quebec. Clearly some Quebecers are looking for an alternative to the BQ but they jump back to them very quickly.
The problem for Canada, of course, is that it is too easy to be a provincialist – take Danny Williams, Please. Really, Gilles and Danny sing the same tune of grievance and woe and their constituency will buy it every time. Gilles has it a lot easier because he doesn’t have to be responsible for anything. What a gig!
Norman;
Thanks for this morning’s SpectorVision. Perhaps The Count smuggled in a sawed off shotgun in from Harvard. How else could he get both feet at once? Or maybe he found one left in the closet at Stornaway?
I’m sure the budget changes he will seek will are changes to the Election Finance act providing for full taxpayer funding of the Liberal’s next election run. The only thing that could hold him back from bringing the government down is the risk that his party will have to pay its own way in an election. He may have the confidence of Jack and Gilles but the GG may say he has to get the confidence of the people now. To finance an election well he needs the confidence of Liberal donors – something the Liberal Party hasn’t seemed to figure out. An old political hand once said the true measure of a Socialist is his willingness to spend other people’s money. Is this what explains the Liberal’s inability to raise funds? Money must be the only thing holding him back; everything else seems to have fallen into place for him.
Iggy's choice:
I agree I dont think the GG really has much of an option should the government be defeated. At this stage the government has done all it can, consulted widely, listened and brought forth something. The PM can say that the circumstances are such that it doesnt matter what he does, despite the election results the opposition parties are intransigent and there is now a player involved that wasnt around the last time the people were asked.
The GG really would be in the divination business if the advice from the PM was overturned.
As for Iggy wanting an election. Hmm do you think that the Liberal protestations that they really are ready is not just smokescreen. How in the world can you have grabbed control of your party, have policy ready and be ready to govern within 60 days? Iggy is a smart guy, and he has some smart advisors, but they arent ready and he knows it.
We will see his messaging later today. I think if he pushed it to an election then Canadians would find it irresponsible...not that I am arguing Canadians dont want elections (the worst argument there is)....the government, for the moment has demonstrated it compromise and put forward a plan. The Bloc is back to looking like the oppositionalists that they are and Layton is likely beginning to plan his retirement party once the budget passes, whether he likes it or not.
So after all the comments last time about elections not changing anything, two main opposition leaders will have changed by the next election. Elections always change something, that is why they are worth having.
"--What the Globe is reporting on Afstan
The return of the Taliban (Globe" (ON MY MIND):
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...y/
International
A very interesting nugget is buried near the end of this story--I've seen no mention of it elsewhere:
"But the landscape is about to change, as is Canada's role in the Kandahar countryside, with the imminent arrival of U.S. troops. The Americans will be dispatched to the countryside, while Canadian forces will be deployed closer to Kandahar city. Eventually, the provincial capital will become the main focus of Canadian efforts in southern Afghanistan.
Senior military officials say they're confident the new strategy will work..."
Mark
Ottawa
Re Don Boudria as advisor on parliamentary strategy.
Ick....how long before people start noticing th hyper partisan tone that the Libs will take on if they follow this former "honorable" members advice.
Always amazes me that you can be an MP and somehow become a multi-millionaire after that.
A thoughtful post from an American soldier blogging from Afstan:
"Dear President Obama"
http://afghanistanshrugged.com/2...dent-
obama.aspx
And, for the south:
"A whole lot of US Marines to Afstan?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-to-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
Regarding Iggy in VBC. He's definitely channeling more David Smith these days.
Regardng Charest -- is he betting on the coalition? Perhaps he is cozing up to Gilles? Maybe he is trying to demolish PMSH in the hopes that he'll be the heir apparent to lead the Conservative party. Or, like all good Premiers he's blaming the Feds for all provincial evils.
It seems most of the English media in Quebec is moving farther away from Harper since he called out the Seperatists. If Charest continues to spit at the Cons this isn't going to go well for Canadian unity. How does Charest benefit from this?
Iggy in Vancouver last night:
"The people of Vancouver need to know their Federal Government is behind them in their Olympics and we are."
Last time I checked our Federal Government was not a LPC activity.
So I guess Iggy figures that if he can become leader of the LPC without citizens voting for him, he can simply likewise just appoint himself to be our Prime Minister, because that what intellectuals do - they tell us what is good for us.
Stephen
Thanks for pointing out this idiocy, which has been added to today's review.
Norman,
Do you find this quote from this article as odd as I do.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Articl...15?
hub=Politics
Re Mr Chan, Iggy said
"Were I the prime minister I would not prevent or obstruct someone going to work for another political party."
Ulm, I never knew that working in the PCO meant you were working for a Political Party. Did he misspeak, or is it his view, that like Americans senior bureaucrats are political appointements only...maybe they didnt teach that at Harvard.
Further to "Ice Retreat Prompts Bush Shift in Arctic Policy" (IF YOU'VE MORE TIME ON YOUR HANDS...),
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.co...es/?
ref=science
a post by Alaskan Ben Muse at "Arctic Economics":
"The New U.S. Arctic Policy Directive"
http://benmuse.typepad.com/
arcti...olicy.html#more
Note:
"...
The directive does recommend that Congress pass the Law of the Sea Treaty.
'Joining will serve the national security interests of the United States, including the maritime mobility of our Armed Forces worldwide. It will secure U.S. sovereign rights over extensive marine areas, including the valuable natural resources they contain. Accession will promote U.S. interests in the environmental health of the oceans. And it will give the United States a seat at the table when the rights that are vital to our interests are debated and interpreted.'
The Secretary of State is directed to continue to seek the Senate's advice and consent to the Treaty."..
Mark
Ottawa
Stephen;
Didn't Chantal Hebert claim that the Clarity Act could be traced directly to SH. If my memory serves me well she wrote a column with this claim during the new Conservative party leadership race in 2003(?). As you say, he would have been working for PM (who did not become PM) at the time.
Interestingly, I have not seen PMSH ever take credit?
Happy New Year!
Re the Clarity Act.
I actually thought it was largely Preston manning's idea, SH might have had some input on it as well.
But it is interesting to see that perceptions matched reality, I seem to remmeber the Martin, Charest, Dion and Joe Clark all had some form of heartburn over the idea....Mulroney may have as well.
Interesting reading
Re Farm Team
Confirms he Conservative meme doesn't it. Don't know if there is anything you can do about it, or should.
Any thoughts.
"National Security Presidential Directive and Homeland Security Presidential Directive--Arctic Region Policy"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...esidential.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "New vehicles for army could boost economy, top soldier says (Globe)" in FED FOLLIES, the headline misses ther real story:
"2011 the limit for Army's current Afghan mission/Generals lobbying publicly"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ent-
afghan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Buzz Hargrove (gasp!) gets one important thing right"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012410.html
Mark
Ottawa
I just love your cartoon of the day. I am sending it to all my acquaintances, here and abroad. Northern Dancer on the list for Senate appointees? I wouldn't cough in the presence of the prime minister...
A candidate for cartoon of the day, American version
http://tinyurl.com/a3laso
Hmmm... Senator Spector. Nice ring to it.*
Just as nice as Clerk of the Privy Council Norman Spector, as per Lawrence Martin's column this morning.
*Almost as nice as Senator Bourrie.
"Fixed-wing SAR: The C-27J after all?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-after-
all.html
Mark
Ottawa
Re Jack and his spending habit. I suspect that Iggy will need to bury the coalition soon. Every utterence from Layton becomes a question for Iggy and an implication for Canadians that this is what they would have gotten.
I am sure Iggy is hoping that his signature on that letter was in disappearing ink.
I look forward to the wake.
"Rendition redux?/Mickey I. on torture"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012369.html
Mark
Ottawa
"The Arctic and the Northwest Passage: The Euro threat "
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ssage-
euro.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Speeding up new fixed-wing SAR aircraft acquisition--why?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...r-
aircraft.html
Mark
Ottawa
A real country?
"Afstan and Canadian public discourse"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
discourse.html
Mark
Ottawa
Norman,
It will take awhile for the cognitive dissonance of who Iggy is and what he believes fights through the mindset of the Toronto Liberal Party's mindset and comes to the realization that Iggy likes guns & interventions and backed the evil Bush war on Saddam.
The realization will be most painful in Peggy Wente's crowd of uber Liberal loving Torrana "we're so smart" liberal womens crew that will struggle to resolve what they want to be and who Iggy really is.
Dissonance is worse than a cheating husband.
At least you can screw the husband in divorce court. Dissonance screws the dissonant.
Fred
He lost me somewhere between the smell in the barn and the big sky. First journalist to say he's a prig gets a bouquet.
yesterday's best howler, coming from Iggy as he channels Trudeau . . .
"I hope that Western Canadians forgive and forget, to be very blunt, some of the errors that the party has made in the past," he said."
Seems he has already trying to pull an Obama and "forget" he signed the Coalition Support letter that was sent to the GG.
Today is...
"Independence Day"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012350.html
Plus everything you need to know about US reinforcement plans for Afstan:
"Afstan: US defense secretary Gates nudges Canada"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...tary-
gates.html
Mark
Ottawa
"New Don on the (Centre) Block"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012348.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Kandahar: The Yanks are coming--big time"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...g-big-
time.html
"Afstan: Many US Marines to the South?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...s-to-
south.html
"Maybe US Marines can relieve the pressure for all the construction at Kandahar Air Field (see end of this post for possible numbers..."
Mark
Ottawa
"Budgets and military capabilities"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...pabilities.html
Mark
Ottawa
Coup du jour: Dion is Dead, Long Live Iggy
The Liberal brain trust must have decided their coup conducting skills needed honing before they go for the larger prize -- 24 Sussex.
Now that they have successfully pushed Iggy to the top we can assume this team has the Liberal backrooms in their control. Next step: convince the public those sitting in the Liberal front rooms across the country see this as an acceptable adaptation of Liberal minded democracy. It doesn't really matter if Liberals themselves believe it as long as the Liberal voting public accepts it. The formerly MSM will surely help with this step.
This will all make for good practice to finish the coup that Stephane started.
Why such desperate measures now? Well, first because they could. Iggy must see that chaos has provided great opportunity. Second, fear that an election may come with Stephane still at the helm? Third, they may have saved some money to fight an election if the coalition coup fails. Finally, well perhaps because nothing interesting happened in Ottawa last week?
Why has Bob capitulated? I suppose the title Deputy Prime Minister does give him a business card with "Prime Minister" on it. He could just hold his finger over the Deputy part when he shows his mother.
So, all they need now is me and millions like me to nod our heads in agreement with their collective wisdom. Sorry Iggy, I injured my neck trying to keep an eye on these magnificent machinations. With my neck brace on I don't foresee nodding anytime soon.
Stéphane Dion's future--Parliamentary leader of the Green Party? (Thought via Galea Hortus.)
Mark
Ottawa
Stephen
I believe Lynch would have been there as Clerk of the Privy Council, since constitutionally it is that body, not the PM (who does not appear in the Constitution) that is advising the Crown.
When Mulroney became leader of the Conservatives, he immediately sought a seat in the Commons. And when a party replaces their leader who is prime minister, the convention is that the person seek an early election to legitimize the arrangement.
Norman: thanks for your insight into
the thinking of Central Canada's punditocracy.
With no formal data to support my position, I nevertheless think the long-term risk of 'de-confederation' comes more from the West than Quebec.
More precisely, a couple more NEP and F-18 contract type blunders would, I believe, cause a tremendous blow-up in the West. Were that to happen and were a government in power as foolish as this coalition promises (ed?) to be, it could get pretty damned exciting.
Further to the Compas poll; relative to other polls, Compas may have come up with an outlier and the 32% support for the Conservatives in QUebec an error. That said, Conservative support doesn't appear to have diminished much either.
Norman,
One more trivia question. When Mulroney became leader of the PC's but before he won the seat in Central Nova would he have been granted the honorific, Honorable Leader Of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition?
I know there are two elements there, Honorable and Leader Of Her Majesty's Loyal Oppsition.
The point of the question is tease out how embedded parties are in choosing leaders in Canada versus the caucus alone. In the UK, per Thatcher, the PM can be deposed by losing support of the cuacus. I believe in Canada that the parties have embedded themselves in this process, hence the issues with the Liberal party now.
This also puts the lie to the claims of "da coalition" that it is simply about MP's when choosing who the leaders are. I think MP's and Senators gave up that privilege a long time ago.
Once again I look forward to your reply.
Norman,
Can you shed some insight as to the why Kevin Lynch, Chief of the Privy COuncil, was present at the GG meeting? Is this standard practice for every PM/GG meeting? (A surprise if it is)
Or would Lynch have been there to bolster Harpers argument that a budget was under way, that it isnt a trivial task, that a change in political masters would mean significant delays.
I just found it odd but maybe it is standard operating procedure. I look forward to your response.
'The enemy: "militant, violent, terrorist extremists"'
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012330.html
Paging Mr Harper.
Mark
Ottawa
Always remember that it is only the Unionized Auto sector that is in trouble & begging for bailouts to keep the over paid workers and realy over paid Management going for a few more months.
" Other Side of the Bailout: VW, Nissan, Kia, Honda
1. VW Ramping Up Plant Construction in Tennessee (link): Amid a sluggish national economy and angst in the American auto industry, Volkswagen is ramping up construction of its $1 billion assembly plant in Chattanooga. Despite a slowing American auto market, Mr. Fischer said VW’s board is dedicated to the Chattanooga project, which is to start vehicle production by 2011 and employ 2,000 people.
2. Nissan's Mississippi Plant Retools For the Future (link): Nissan released its first image of a concept trade van as contractors prepared for an $118 million expansion and retooling at the company's Mississippi plant that will make way for a line of three light commercial vehicle models.
3. Kia Comes to Georgia (link): The US auto industry is throwing bolts, but here in Georgia's Chattahoochee Valley a South Korean car company is building a massive new manufacturing plant along the new Kia Parkway, replacing abandoned textile mills. The massive Kia manufacturing plant will turn out its first model in about a year, and some 43,000 people applied for 2,600 positions.
4. Honda plant brings hope to Indiana town (link): With the domestic automotive industry teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, the recent grand opening of Honda Motor Co.'s Civic assembly plant in Greensburg was a dream come true for this town of 12,000 and for a state that has been hit hard by manufacturing job losses similar to those faced by Michigan"
http://tinyurl.com/6rptjd
Mr. Spector, these days any locked-in-the-DNA voting blocks are too fragmented and too widely dispersed to keep a grip on more than a half dozen seats for any one political party. I think if you scratch PQ/BQ voters deep enough, even there you will find the pragmatics outnumbering the dogmatics. A good test for my hypothesis will be the election results on Monday. Will Quebeckers decide their interests are better served by betting on that pathetic coalition in Ottawa, or by giving the pragmatic Charest a majority?
The problem with some Central Canadian pundits is also a problem with some Western Canadian pundits; Don Martin comes to my mind. They are ocularly challenged because their prejudices are obscuring their vision. In particular, they just can't see how PM Harper could be smarter than they are. A few drops of humility would clear up their eyesight.
If you want to know why Scott "Blow me, Beer & Popcorn" Reid won't be allowed out of his LPC kennel for awhile, this might explain why.
TV viewers in need of a laugh will sorely miss him.
"Their imperative could not be more clear: kill him. Kill him dead. Do not, whatever you do, provide him with an opportunity to extend his hold on power.
So don't get fancy. Don't get confused. And don't get weak in the knees. If you don't put Mr. Harper in his grave, he'll put you in yours."
"Afstan: Who cares?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-who-
cares.html
Mark
Ottawa
ABBC/Fred:
That's a very good point about Quebec. The Conservatives have an opportunity to replace the Liberals as the federalist/anglo/ethnic alternative. I wouldn't count on it though, since--having grown up in Montreal--I can testify that voting Liberal is in the DNA of many of these people.
As to your question about central Canadian pundits, some don't give a shit about the west, others think that westerners are full of hot air but in the end haven't the balls to do anything about their discontent--whereas Quebec...(need I say more?).
Thanks for highlighting M. Pratte's editorial. Best line that sums up both sides, and should be "emblazoned in gold" on the bridges crossing from Ontario to Quebec and on wall facing the PM's desk in his office.
"Refusing to bow to all our paradoxes is not to reject Québec."
A wonderfully "Quebec" line since it still says they proudly have their paradoxes and demands acceptance that they have them, but that they are theirs, definace and acceptance at the same time.
"What annihilation might look like
For the record, this is what you get when you plug the Compas numbers in to the Hill and Knowlton seat projector:"
http://tinyurl.com/68jz4w
Norman: re:CPC not finding majority in Quebec.
Compas today ( a +/- 4.5% poll) has
has the CPC at 32 %, the Bloc at 35%.
The Liberals are at 19, the NDP at 7.
It would seem that the Quebec federalist vote may have just gone to the Harper Tories.
For a guy whom the Punditocracy are screeching 'has inflamed Quebecers', Harper looks he might have done that alright, just not in the way the Usual Suspects mean.
By the way, if you have time to answer this, why is that none of the big name pundits - Simpson, et al - have brought up just how inflamed the West would be (will be ?) if the coalition had pulled this stunt off ?
Hell, you don't even have to get very far West to have really po'ed Westerners, just into Western Ontario will do.
But here they are again today, trotting out the "Oooo, Quebec might get huffy, we must tremble, we must tremble !" Are these guys really that far out of touch with how the bulk of the country thinks ?
Looking elsewhere.....I suspect there are a a number of Western NDP seats that are newly vulnerable and Ontario is now looking almost monolithic.
We will see if the numbers hold up or would hold up in an election.
I havent seen a national poll like that, especially given the low numbers in Quebec, I havent seen those since 1984, and that was a week before Mulroney won. I also saw Ontario numbers like this just before Harris won his first majority I believe...if he wasnt over 50 it was really close.
I dont think it will affect the NDP though, they are intent on their strategy and that is completely built around a non election handover from the GG.
More time and eggnog required I suspect, even then Layton and Mulcair have the look of the zealot about them.
Mr Ting,
Yes, that would have been Jeff's book with Marc Jaccard on climate change. Given the quality of the production, not the best advertisement. As to the Conservatives in Quebec, they'll have to look for their majority elsewhere.
Norman,
Regarding the column you wished you had written today.
For what it is worth, a CBC Ekos poll put the CPC at 20% in Quebec and the Bloc at 37% with polling done on December 3rd and 4th.
Do we know that the Conservatives are finished in Quebec, or, are we seeing a similar pattern in Quebec as elsewhere in Canada? The pattern being that this is a New Conservative party that uses a more local approach to build it's support giving it more durable support. This pattern allowed it to hold it's base in the Ocotber election despite the scorn of Quebec's MSM and "Arts" community. One can only be hopeful that Jeffrey Simpson is wrong -- I know it may be a first.
I noticed Jeffrey Simpson is coauthor of a book called HOT AIR. A book with the same name appeared behind Stephane Dion in his video to the Nation. Any connection?
Thanks for the link to the LA Times were you called on partly because of your Stanford connection?
I met GG Schreyer at Rideau Hall when I was fortunate enough to be on a "Forum For Young Canadians" meeting in Spring of 81 I believe.
I also met PM PET at the top of the stairs in the Commons and shook his hand, I think he wanted run when he found out I was from Otto Jelinek's riding. I also rode an elevator with a young and gregarious Bob Rae.
In an interesting turn of events in our mock Parliament in 1981 the young Quebecers were sporting Quebec pins and Out pins. They formed their own party but found they had more in common with the PC party, which I was a part of, than they expected...they had a distorted expectation of what conservatives were.
It was odd to see it played out a few years later.
Schreyer though was a bit of puffbag when he presented to us. But Rideau Hall is very impressive building. I also remember Schreyer got in trouble when he mused about it later. Causing the suspicion that continues to this day about appointment that isnt a conservative doesnt give conservatives a fair shake.
Handing the government over without an election at that time would have set off a firestorm as well. The election, even though it was a lIberal majority allowed the cons to settle in to accepting the loss. the Liberals should be happy because it gave them the legitimacy to do what the subsequently did, whether you agree with it or not.
Schreyer was either afraid of a tory majority or wanted his compadres in the NDP to get a shot at government, either way he wasnt perceoved as neutral, if I remember the times correctly. Him offering advice today without the neagtive backlash he got then is irresponsible...
Sorry, that was supposed to read;
Oh Oh, now you have offended the province and/or party that includes feckless, spineless, panderers....I'll let you choose which one fits the bill on any given day....
Stephen
Quebeckers want to emphasize their new country as opposed to splitting from Canada, and they have a right to call themselves in French whatever they want (though it's worth noting that the word sovereigntist is designed to fudge the fact that they're really talking about setting up a separate country, which gets less support in polls). But we should have the right to call them whatever we want: from our point of view, they would be breaking up Canada. Those who are afraid to use the word separatist are feckless, spineless panderers.
Norman,
What part of calling the Bloc a Seperatist Party is incorrect or offensive? And why is it so difficult for the Punditocracy to understand that anything beyond an issue by issue deal with the Bloc causes heartburn for Canadians outside to Ot-To-Mon bubble?
When is there going to be a coolumnist brave enought to try to explain to Quebecers why this causes such heartburn.
The signing of the deal including the Bloc was an incredible error. The reaction in the rest of Canada is hardly unpredictable, I am sure Gilles knew it would happen, just Jack and Stephane (and Bob) missed the reaction in their clever analysis.
Why is a criticism of the Bloc, as not being fundamentally legitimate to Canadians outside Quebec, so hard for Quebec commentators to understand?
Mr. Spector, I pledge to enroll in French language classes (date to be determined), but can you assist me with Professeur Trembley's article in Le Devoir?
I think I can figure out the first two reasons why the GG should accept the advice of her PM. However, when the professor says "Ce droit de réplique du gouvernement assure un bon équilibre des forces et permet la stabilité gouvernementale en même temps que l'efficacité étatique. Même lorsqu'un gouvernement est minoritaire, l'opposition hésite à le faire tomber parce qu'elle sait qu'elle pourrait elle-même tomber en retour," how is he suggesting that this equilibrium is maintained?
If I am correctly reading the professor's first reason, part of which seems to point out that the Speech from the Throne survived a potential non-confidence vote, therefore the government should be given the opportunity to introduce legislation and a budget to implement the Throne Speech; that alone indicates we should pay attention to what the professor is telling us. In regards to the slippery slope argument that he ends his article with, my only commment would be to quote Luke 23:34.
With respect to Today's Idiocy:
"Moreover, a fair number, if not all, of the policies of Stephen Harper have been crafted to meet the interests of his Alberta constituents.
Long before the Bloc, Alberta was on the road to the exclusive promotion of its interests. It has yet to be overt about its separatist inclinations, but its actions have the singular goal of advancing the interests of Alberta, and not of Canada." (Nicole Ferguson, Dartmouth)
For all of his many failings, one of Stephen Harper's many virtues has been, in my opinion, a genuine desire for the Canadian confederation to work to the benefit of all Canadians.
Underlying Harper's involvement in federal politics is, I believe, the understanding that the greatest danger of Canada coming apart comes not from Quebec, which will not leave unless forcibly pushed, but from Western Canada.
His desire for the Tories to replace the Liberals as the "Natural Governing Party' is grounded, I think, (Norman might know for sure) in the desire, a wistful one it now
appears, for Canada to be governed genuinely in the national interest and reflecting the aspirations and desires of all the regions of Canada.
While nobody, including themselves, seems to know exactly what the 'BDL' (Bloc/Dipper/Lib)coalition policies will be if they form a government, blurt-outs from Dion suggest they will center strongly on the Green Shift plan, or, to Westerners, NEP II.
If the BDL comes to power and NEP does go ahead, Alberta, BC and
Saskatchewan will be badly hurt.
That it would come about just like NEP I, largely through the machinations of Quebecers, and the situation could get a hell of a lot more interesting for Canada than it is right now.
A letter sent to the Governor General (some inspiration from Norman):
"Your Excellency,
Under the British parliamentary tradition a government must have the confidence of the House of Commons. But should a coalition Liberal/NDP government--dependent upon support by the Bloc Québécois--be proposed for Your Excellency's consent, I argue most vehemently that the existing convention is no longer relevant. Unwritten conventions necessarily evolve to fit changing circumstances; otherwise they would not be "conventions".
It would be a logical, political, and moral nonsense that a government enjoy the confidence of the House only with the support of a party that itself has no confidence in a country, the government of which it has only temporarily and tactically agreed to support. In order to be better placed to destroy that country, Canada.
Please do think about the necessity of adapting a Constitutional convention to meet the circumstances of the times. I think your duty in this unprecedented (the separatist aspect) situation is clear. Accept the advice of the current prime minister--in this case the convention that should be followed, taking into account the result of the recent election and the positions that the parties then took and on which the electorate voted."
Mark
Ottawa
Where are the Rats? It's time for Iggy, Rae and Dominic to stand up and defend their support for a Canada lead by the three Stooges. It's clear Stephane can't defend it. These guy's are the godfathers, they gave it their benediction, now lets hear how Iggy defends it. Where is the media? Who is asking them how this is going to help our country?
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The sound of Pierre Trudeau spinning in his grave over the insanity of his son supporting the Bloc's role in the Separatist Coalition.
Re Spectorvision, Seperatists are dancing
Yup, all events in this were foreseeable implications of "the pact" and all totally avoidable. Like letting Children light the Barbeque.
I said when this was rumoured that this had the smell of Charlottetown to it, and would provoke a similar reaction from a public that didnt request it. One assumes that the Liberal party being in a Montreal, toronto, Ottaw bubble lacked the feedback and feel to forsee this....but the NDP with its significant Western presence should have known a formal deal with the Bloc was a like waving a flag in front of a bull. You may or may not agree with it but the reaction was guaranteed.
Layton and Dion lack the credibility and stature to contain the chain reaction they have begin. The GG might have been able to slip this through if the reaction was more muted but only an election enables an airing, or she grants prorogue and lets the Cons present budget to give the oppsosition 1 more chance to rethink and find a way to save face.
As for the last option, Dion and Layton have driven this too far to enable that I fear, an election is required to reorder the table.
Dion and Layton, the "Tommy's" (as in The Who) of Canadian Politics.
Another good sane column Norman. Good to see Ted McWhinney chime in, pleasantly surprised by his opinion. All I keep hearing from the chosen experts is either, laying out what she can do without attatching any caveats.
Just makes me weep for the low level of understanding of her role. When its appropriate and when it isnt. The last time I thought it might have been appropriate would have been if Chretien had lost the referendum, then it would have been appropriate to let the commons find its way rather than an election.
Other than an extreme emergency why would the GG want to say IN MY JUDGEMENT versus "based on the advice from the Prime Minister". She may be a nice lady, she may be smart but her qualifications for this are she was a telegenic known perosnality, no slight intended.
Norman, also looking for a confirmation....I believe the GG and the Queen don't officially speak to the opposition leaders to maintain the "One government at a time" line. Am I correct? and is a loose or firm convention?
"The Bloc's strategy"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012287.html
"Hell no, we won't fight!"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012288.html
Mark
Ottawa
Clock is ticking now. Only the GG can end this current battle, as the Opposition has put the potato in her lap.
Sorry, one other option, Harper's recommendation is to let them try. Liklihood of that is next to nil.
So process now is Harper engineers the date of his defeat and then makes his recommendation the the GG, which will either be he has lost confidence and recommends election or he has lost confidence and he has no recommendation.
One makes the GG make a significant choice, not easy for her to override. I look forward to seeing polling data soon. But somehow I think Harper doesnt have a lot of options, unless there are MP's about the cross the floor or who dont show up for the vote.
Unthinkable, a Liberal government supported formally by the Seperatists, and I wonder just what this will do.....wonder what the price is. BQ and tories will work together on other bills, but I think you can count on the Tories voting no for the next little while.
Norman, we await your thoughts with interest....any avant gout?
So now we have three politicians, born and raised in Quebec, colluding to usurp the legitimate government of Canada and replace it with one governing at the behest of a Party, The Bloc, that has as its core policy the destruction of the Dominion of Canada.
Way cool. Quebec rules. Again.
Norman, Regarding your Sunday Spector Vision with today’s update. Is it possible the Liberals et al already know Ms. Jean’s response? If Jack and Jill were talking so long ago wouldn’t they have had their third partner run this scenario by her – after all she was appointed by the Liberals.
Norman,
Re Latest Spectorvision. THANK YOU!
Finally some sanity. I could hardly believe my eyes and hears to see and hear that elections are such a burden. And given the fact "da coalition" is saying we should "stimulate" but never clearly how much, is it 2% of GDP which is about 30 Billion in new money or is it 10% of the Americans which is 100 Billion +, doesnt this represent significant change that should have the stamp of voter approval?
There is no plan for power, there is no plan for the money.
Her safest bet is to call an election that the PM advises....anything else is..lunacy.
Most importantly, I dont think the Cons want an election either, so her signalling election will make everyone smarten up. Steve has taken his lumps, and it might be a fatal wound. But not if they push it to an election.
Putting the country on a track to spend money on Lord knows what by using reserve powers? When did the tanks roll into Poland?
"Backroom politics: Canadian angles"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012273.html
"They are Islamic terrorists"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012268.html
Watch the interview with escaped Canadian Jonathan Ehrlich.
Mark
Ottawa
On second thought, maybe PM Harper is channeling Mackenzie King. Seriously, where can I get a piece of the action in a card game where one player is within a few cards of knowing that it is mathematically impossible for any of the other players to have a winning hand, where that player can force the other players into going "all in", and then pull back his own hand, and where in the extremely unlikely event he doesn't have the winning hand, he has the ability to play another hand with the same odds as before, and his opponents won't have any chips left?
I am astonished that the opposition parties are so desperate for their $1.95/vote that they got suckered into playing this game. For someone trained to be an economist, who chose a career as a professional policy advisor, our duly elected Prime Minister is one hell of a card shark.
"Fear and loathing--and the Canadian Forces"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ian-
forces.html
"Why bother trying to get C-130Js soonest..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...et-c-
130js.html
Mark
Ottawa
(Ottawa) The NDP has put conditions on the table to form a coalition government with the Liberal Party.
The NDP wants a third of the seats at the cabinet table from a coalition government, Reuters was told . The NDP currently holds 37 seats in the Commons against 77 for the Liberal Party.
In addition, the NDP requires the important ministries like the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Finance, according to information filtering discussions between the NDP and the LPC.
Finally, the NDP would also require a coalition government cancels the anticipated decrease next year taxes on corporations.
Wow . . all this huff & fluff, sturm & drang just so they can keep their liplock on the public teat, to keep their entitlement to entitlements alive and the gravy train rolling.
Surly not an issue to fight a campaign on.
Fed Follies indeed.
The GG can constitutionally do a lot of things, including giving Parliament a major time out till things settle down...not recommending that but it is up to her. Problem is I cannot say I am all that convinced that she is a "fair dealer".
It makes no sense, 6 weeks after the governing party gets MORE seats than last time and there is no functioning opposition coalition in Parliament the GG would hand it over??? What planet are we on?
Even if the NDP and Libs form one party they still have fewer seats than the Cons. And why oh why would she even consider the BQ as a trustworthy factor in all of this.
The legitimacy of the next government would be severely questioned, unelected PM, what bloddy authority would they have.
It is reasonable for her to say, the government deserves to put a budget and a plan before the house. Unemployment is 6% or so and inflation is low, interest rates are low, we might slip into deficit, so other than demand fall off and a sick car industry what justifies an effective coup? Are the Liberals really ready to govern, they said themselves in numerous places that they need renewal and new ideas etc...
Is someone going to speak some hard facts here. Absolute fantasyland!
"Afstan: MND MacKay's miserable failure to communicate"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...failure-
to.html
Mark
Ottawa
Fred
Calm down, fella. Their work would be based on the census of 2011.
"The Electoral Boundaries Commission won't be able to start working until 2012 and realistically,"
I'd suggest that the EBC get their civil service asses in gear and move with alacrity. It is exactly this kind of long drawn out government operation style activity that galls Canadian taxpayers. This should a six month operation max, not a three of four year exercise in racking up their pension points.
Defecate, flatulate or get off the throne. Canadians are tired of slow, ineffective government. The fiscal crisis is a perfect time to put a rocket up the butt of the civil service.
Start with the senior management - mandate a 50% cut in travel and conventions and ban business class.
To answer Fred's question, the Commission has to find geographically contiguous boundaries that equalize the population per riding as much as possible, within each province. The last round involved a great deal of fanning out urban ridings into rural areas, with the result that farmers have no political weight anymore. Even the aboriginal vote is getting mixed in with other groups.
The problem with the cities of Toronto and Montreal is that population growth is in the suburbs (the 905 and 450 belts), which currently aren't Liberal or NDP hotbeds. So SW Ontario in general will gain seats, Toronto proper won't. The 75 Quebec seats will also be realigned to dilute somewhat the representation from the island of Montreal. Seats in the Lower Mainland will be rejigged to add representation east of Burnaby and New Westminister, and probably another seat will be added for the Okanagan. The bottom line is that left-wing voters and their sympathizers will be less concentrated after redistribution, and all political parties will have to adjust.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission won't be able to start working until 2012 and realistically, any seat redistribution will have to wait for a 2014 election or later. If PM Harper has any desire to run in another election, he still won't benefit from this legislation, regardless of how long the current government lasts. He just doesn't seem like the Mackenzie King type to me.
Norman . . ref your Rep by Pop article - no doubt Ontario deserves the extra seats but where would they go in Ontario ?
Would downtown Toronto - the home of all things Liberal get the new seats or would they go to the more suburban and rural areas - more Tory friendly regions ?
What "The Torch" is reporting on Afstan"
"US Marines, National Guard in Afstan/Future US strength increases"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-in-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Defence equipment: The shoe drops"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...shoe-
drops.html
Mark
Ottawa
The US sub Prime fiasco explained - ten years ago. Yes, that's Obama's ACORN.
"The Trillion-Dollar Bank Shakedown That Bodes Ill for Cities
The Clinton administration has turned the Community Reinvestment Act, a once-obscure and lightly enforced banking regulation law, into one of the most powerful mandates shaping American cities—and, as Senate Banking Committee chairman Phil Gramm memorably put it, a vast extortion scheme against the nation's banks"
“To avoid the possibility of a denied or delayed application,” advises the NCRC in its deadpan tone, “lending institutions have an incentive to make formal agreements with community organizations.” By intervening—even just threatening to intervene—in the CRA review process, left-wing nonprofit groups have been able to gain control over eye-popping pools of bank capital, which they in turn parcel out to individual low-income mortgage seekers. A radical group called ACORN Housing has a $760 million commitment from the Bank of New York; the Boston-based Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America has a $3-billion agreement with the Bank of America; a coalition of groups headed by New Jersey Citizen Action has a five-year, $13-billion agreement with First Union Corporation.
http://www.city-journal.org/
html...ion_dollar.html
Mr Glasel,
It's been said that Winnipeg is a great place to come from.
A Bronx cheer for the stiff necked clerks in Heritage Canada who fed "Canada's cultural travellers won't warm to Winnipeg, survey finds" to the G&M.
How many of NCC's attractions have $100 million in private funding behind them? Winnipeg's airport gets as much traffic as Ottawa, and everyone pays to fly to Winnipeg. On top of which, dining in Winnipeg is vastly superior to Ottawa in every price range, and hotel rooms are more affordable. Winnipeg is also the most francophone friendly place west of Sudbury. I wouldn't recommend visiting either Ottawa or Winnipeg in the winter, but once the ice melts, Lake of the Woods, the Whiteshell and Grand Beach are all within a two hour drive of Winnipeg.
"Mickey I. shocker"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012193.html
Mark
Ottawa
More from Terry Glavin today:
http://www.canada.com/vancouvers...e4-
233466268f16
"Young Afghan democracy facing its first major test
Country nervously prepares for '09 elections"
Mark
Ottawa
To all the good folks in small town Ontario, thank you from those of us who can't be there but would be with you we could.
You truly are "Canadian Values" in practice.
http://tinyurl.com/55yovh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=d...feature=related
Re the securities regulator.
I believe a strict interpretation of things would be that securities are regulated provincially....but would that be for things sold only within province?
Secondly, trusts are provincially regulated, as is retail, but banks are federally regulated.
'Steve' wants a compartmentalized federalism, where each level deals with its own areas, reducing friction by getting out of each others faces, or, "thats your closet this is mine I wont comment on how messy yours is if you wont borrow my shoes"
Problem is it may not be so easy to interpret which power, economic union and interprovincial trade vs provincial power, has the upper hand. If we follow the constituional history of the US then the central government may get a strengthened hand from the "interstate commerce" piece.
In my opinion a clarification along those lines would be nice...problem is when the Liberals get back in power Health Care, Education and Welfare will all be subject to attempts to be defined as interprovincial commerce, I can see it now. Perhaps 'Steve' can ultimately seek to ensure that the power is pre-emptively proscribed to prevent future federale (read Liberal) power grabs.
Am I off base here Norman?
My "Letter of the Day":
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...Opinion/
letters
'Stages of Obama
CHRIS STOLZ
November 6, 2008
Vancouver -- Your editorial board expresses guarded admiration for Barack Obama and his promises for "change."
Now, imagine a political candidate who voted to renew the Patriot Act and fund the Iraq war, backed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Reform Act, courted the Israeli lobby, supported the death penalty, refused to champion universal, single-payer not-for-profit health care for all Americans, called to increase troop levels and expand the war in Afghanistan, failed to call for a reduction in defence spending, and lobbied (and voted for) the taxpayer swindle known as the Wall Street bailout.
This candidate sabre-rattled at Iran, promised to roll back "Russian aggression" and to extend treaty protection to a Georgian regime that cluster-bombed its own people, advocated for military strikes in Pakistan, opposed same-sex marriage, and favoured extending the death penalty.
The candidate's name and party? Not John McCain, not Republican, but Barack Obama and Democrat. So, what exactly does Mr. Obama mean when he talks of "change"?'
Mark
Ottawa
"Afghanistan: Who cares?"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012149.html
Mark
Ottawa
I suspect that this is the first stage of a cabinet remake, isnt it always a work in progress?
Ritz keeps his job this time, but depending his performance this time he is either out of cabinet or will be moved to a less critical portfolio.
I think the only thing that 'Steve' hates more than being embarressed by one of his ministers is being embarressed by the civil service.
My interest is in Peter Kent, in as Parl Sec for foreign affairs....being groomed for the Foreign affairs posting overall in the next shuffle?
Mr. (Ms? Dr?) Ting
You raise some valid political points. The fact is, however, that a heck of a lot of people died, and the file was badly mishandled.
Norman,
Thanks for your Spector Vision blog entry on PMSH's Cabinet repairs (accountability).
Regarding the PM's decision to keep the Cracker (see Collins dictionary) at Agriculture, how, if the PM truly wants to reform the Agriculture portfolio, is that not the right decision? Reform of the Agriculture portfolio, particularly the CWB, is a near symbolic battle against what may be widely seen as a conglomeration of Liberally-entitled public servants. Some see evidence of this entitlement as having been played out in the 2008 election campaign where the details of a work meeting were revealed in the most unflattering way and then union resources were used to fan and spread the story in places like the CBC. These “important” unflattering details weren’t raised by a principled public servant talking straight to his/her boss when the issue was new or fresh; it was saved until the Minister was at his most vulnerable and delivered in a vindictive manner that seemed like intent to fatally wound him. For the PM to replace Ritz after that apparently concerted demonstration would encourage more of the same – wouldn’t it?
You have been blessed with a fascinating view of the federal public service. I have enjoyed learning from reading your view on many public service issues. How do you reason your query: “Has he (Ritz) something on Mr. Harper?”.
If I may have a redo, a la CTV Atlantic, on Hervieux-Payette: Her public musings, as laid out online in the Cyberpresse.ca article by De Grandpre, speak to her judgment. Dion’s silence juxtaposed with her public venting should be making his choice easy. Dion could point out that the Liberals did better in Quebec than elsewhere in the Country -- not much, but something.
Liberal Leadership -- two questions:
1. Was Hervieux Payette really an appointment by the "great" Senator Smith and not Dion? It looks bad on Dion that he is keeping his distance now.
2. What does Dominic Leblanc bring to the race? Initial impressions of him from an outsider who has never met him are that he is young, smart, serious, telegenic, well connected and well spoken in both official languages. Tactically, entering the race before McKenna announced shows smart instincts and gives the impression that Mckenna is happy to leave the job to him. At 40 years old he has the time. Does he have the managerial temperament to resuscitate the CNGP (Canada’s Natural Governing Party)? Can he do nationwide retail politics?
He’s seems be a strong contender and a much more acceptable alternative to the Iggy-Rae choices?
"The unfathomable lightness of UN-run peacekeeping"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012117.html
Mark
Ottawa
for all those who think governments spend "their" money . . . the quote of the day.
"To alleviate the obvious hardships to both homeowners and banks, the government commits to buy mortgages and inject capital into banks, which on the face of it seems like a very nice thing to do. But unfortunately in this world there is no tooth fairy. And the government doesn't create anything; it just redistributes. Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always put someone into trouble, plus of course a toll for the troll. Every $100 billion in bailout requires at least $130 billion in taxes, where the $30 billion extra is the cost of getting government involved."
Re: "The Deal"
100% agree with you. Doesn't apply due to age.
They each have about 10 to 12 years left of effective time...if that....less when you factor in an election and then stepping down time. There is no time for both of them, only one....and that fact alone may prevent either from winning.
I still say 'Steve' should offer Iggy the UN ambassadorship like Mulroney did with Lewis. Better fit for Iggy anyway.
R the senior public servant who couldnt run in Liz Frulla's riding....I am sure there is steam coming from Kevin Lynch's ears. But Sweet FA that he can do about it, assuming he knows who it is.
Part of life I guess. Just odd for it to be so brazen. Or that un-named civil servant is horrified by the quote.
My Oct. 18 "Letter of the day":
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012073.html
"Le Parti Torontois
A letter in the Globe and Mail, Oct. 18:
'The better way
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...Opinion/
letters
ROGER LUCY
October 18, 2008
Ottawa -- As a party whose strength is so concentrated in Toronto, perhaps it is time for the Liberals to take their cue from the Bloc Québécois and recast themselves as a regional party - ignoring the rest of Canada, which has largely turned its back on them.
As the GTA Party, the former Liberals could dedicate themselves to advancing issues unique to Toronto, such as entrenching its status as the "Centre of the Universe" in the Constitution, or getting funding for safe latte-drinking sites.'"
Mark
Ottawa
I truly wish I had a better command of the French language but even the Babelfish translation of "L'ingérence et l'indifférence" http://babelfish.yahoo.com/
trans...TrUrl=Translate
doesn't mask the bitterness behind the keyboard of Michel David. It makes David Warren sound like a progressive moderate.
"A thumping good Conservative majority/Incredible shrinking Liberals"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012056.html
"The ToMo metro party"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012060.html
Mark
Ottawa
The Big losers in last night’s election
Mr. Dion - ‘nuff said
Lizzie May – Proves she has the political instincts of a Mastodon - she sold out her own party trying to “Stop Harper”.
The Green Party - A fringe Party that has, unfortunately, hitched its wagon to the Global Warming horse – too bad because Global Warming isn’t what the media and invested scientists keep telling us. It is over, it is just too embarrassing for all the Believers to admit they were wrong.
Just for fun, take the quiz http://tinyurl.com/46ed3d
The NDP – blew the entire $electoral $wad and still can’t get over the 20% voter support mark.
Danny Williams & NFLD - effectively have eliminated themselves from Government and Cabinet participation, which means they won’t be sharing the lolly when the Navy and the Coast Guard build new ships etc. Just proves Danny is a loud mouthed fool who cares not for his province, just his own petty vendettas.
The Liberal Party of Canada - the party is leaderless, effectively bankrupt, running without a rudder or a compass and on the verge of collapse.
"He did not keep us out of war
Jean Chrétien, that is. Russia and France did. A letter in the Ottawa Citizen..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...out-of-
war.html
"Decision by default
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Re: Liberal ad links Harper, Bush, Oct. 6.
The Liberal ad says: "Remember how proud you felt when the Liberals told Bush 'no way' on Iraq." That was not what happened at all.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien made no independent decision not to take part in the Iraq war. He simply said Canada would go along with whatever the UN Security Council authorized. The council did not authorize an attack and no vote was even held because of certain French and Russian vetoes. The Canadian government then said "no" definitively because there was no UN resolution -- the decision was made by default.
In other words, a vital decision of Canadian foreign policy was put into the hands of France and Russia. Some brave, independent, policy. Yet somehow the myth has taken hold that Mr. Chrétien courageously stood up to George W. Bush and on his own kept us out of war. A myth the Liberals are now relying on to help save their election campaign.
Mark Collins, Ottawa"
Mark
Ottawa
So if the markets continue to heal, and the worst is over, dont know if it is, then at what point would the opposition be overinvested in doom and gloom?
"Afstan: New US command structure"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-
structure.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Conservative defence platform: Pathetic boilerplate"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...m-
pathetic.html
Mark
Ottawa
"My election rant: What about citizenship?"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
012004.html
Mark
Ottawa
Ms King:
Missed it?
Hardly.
The article is linked in fed follies, and the Star front page is dead centre on the home page of this site.
The Toronto Star headlines today that election vandals cut brake lines "on at least 10 cars parked at homes with Liberal signs on their front lawns". I can't imagime you would have missed the headline - so why is this type of activity, a repeat what had happened in Guelph a few weeks ago, not noteworthy?
"C-17 Advances as A400M Slips"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...400m-
slips.html
Mark
Ottawa
A post at "The Torch":
"NDP defence platform: Sergeant Smokey the Bear"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ant-
smokey.html
Mark
Ottawa
why do we appoint people to the GG who have no respect for the traditions of the office while outside of it but become enamoured with it when they are in?
Paul Martin's final legacy might eventually come back to haunt Stephen Harper. If its a minority, I expect a coalition to petition the GG who will only be glad to hand the keys to someone else.
As for her partner, just like Ms Clarkson's partner, they can learn their place, a few steps behind the GG. He means nothing constiutionally and should be treated as such.
When is her contract done? I would welcome a constitutional ammendent that says no journalists can ever be appointed to the position of GG. The only one that seems to get his job is Michael Onley in Ontario, the exception that proves the rule.
Stuff like this makes me long for a republic. Perhaps the Queen needs to call Ms jean to remind her of her duties.
So madame Jean wants Khadr home.....perhaps the entire family can move into the governor generals residence.
Honestly, what is she doing?
Omar can come home the day after he is convicted and he can serve his time out in Canada. Thats what other countries have done.
After comments like "global catastrophe" and "the contribution Canadians can make to a global solution is to get rid of Stephen Harper", it's beginning to look like Ms. May will be snared in a honeypot when the leaders' debates commence. The trap was sprung when Harper and Layton raised public expectations of her, by initially barring her from the debate. Now we all expect a serious politician, not a bombastic woman consumed with her own ridiculous hyperbole, and Ms. May's mouth is going to cost her votes (and dollars).
So given Lizzie's quote "that she and Stephane were willing to go further"
Does this mean we can call her All The Way May?
The "money" quote from Jack Mintz, Steffi's economic guru who birthed the Green Shift Shaft thingy.
“ It is like introducing a large, new tax like a value-added tax that has never existed. Carbon pricing is tax policy 101 and will be very intrusive.”
Re Lizzie and her daughter.
1) Confirms Lizzie plans to be a bombthrower
2) This shouldn't be a surprise to the Con Debate team. But if it was it isn't now.
I'm still laughing over yesterday's Howler, "Greens plan rallies in middle of night." Well, maybe I should quit laughing because taxpayers pay the Green Party for every vote they get, once they break the 5% barrier.
For serious campaigning, VIA is a bad idea. It is perpetually behind schedule, even if there aren't politicians on board who want to extend the 20 minute station stops. I've dropped my family off at the Saskatoon station at 2:30AM only to find out the train was 6 hours late because of freight traffic in Northern Ontario. I pity the poor souls who ended up on the same train as Ms. May
Of course if you want cheap publicity, and don't care about making the evening newscasts more than once, this is brilliant. The 6 media organizations on board will pay for a chunk of the $40,000 it cost to book a car for 5 (probably 6) days and you don't have to pay for ballrooms at hotels for media events. The less Ms. May says, the more likely people will treat "Green Party" as "None of the above" on their ballots, which translates into more dollars for the Greens. Maybe Dion should have booked a train for the entire campaign?
"Liberal platform on defence
This is it. Three pathetically thin paragraphs. Note the lie in the third paragraph..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...on-
defence.html
What a country. At war.
Mark
Ottawa
The real money line from the Liberals Election platform's financial plank:
"The Liberals will help pay for their plan by cutting about $12-billion over four years from the federal government's $200-billion annual budget and shifting the funds to new priorities."
Talk about a secret agenda . . . maybe Steffi plans to cut money for the Arts, or Healthcare, or handouts to poorer regions and aboriginals, or ???
Whtat is Steffi's Secret Agenda ?
Which programs will get whacked ??
Will the cuts be fairly distributed across Canada ?
Lots of fodder for the debate.
"Another A400M update"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...00m-
update.html
There's a lovely artist's depiction.
Mark
Ottawa
Too funny . . last week we had to have a moral compass to make Canada, richer, fairer & greener.
Now Liberal Green morality is being replaced by Spend ! Spend ! Spend !
Who woulda thunk it ?
Stephen,
A bureaucrat's # 1 interest is survival; if the Conservatives pull off a majority, there will be less of a need to clean out the public service. The parliamentary press gallery, too, will be re-balanced. That's what happens when a party appears to be on its way to becoming Canada's natural governing party.
Norman,
Should the Cons actually pull a majority out of the hat, a distinct possibility based Quebec (IMHO) then is there and should there be significant sphincter tightening in the civil service
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Co...809116-
sun.html
Previous reports I have read about Mr Lynch, Chief of the Privy Council, are that he is no fan of the brown envelope thing and he is trying to rebuild the professional civil service. Professional means neutral.
That would tell me that there would be a confluence of interests in cleaning the civil service out, Lynches desire that matches the governments. The battle then becomes about how to rebuild, not whether to fumigate.
"Flash! Clear the lines! A message from Mickey I. to his campaign workers"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011913.html
Mark
Ottawa
"DND seeks armed drones by 2012 (Cit)". Not quite the whole story:
"UAVS: A story in search of fuss"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ch-of-
fuss.html
Mark
Ottawa
Welcome to the Big Leagues, Lizzie.
Play Ball !
http://tinyurl.com/5utb9t
Dance Garth, dance.
It becomes you.
http://tinyurl.com/5cawuo
Fisking Garth Turner.
http://stevejanke.com/archives/2...ives/
273468.php
Could it be that Garth was being less than totally honest ?
What will Dion do with his #1 "Communications Consultant" ?
Danny Williams has totally lost it. Personal vendettas are not cool
ALERT . . . must watch . .
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/electio...r-nl/
#clip92376
Danny Williams channels Tony Soprano
An unprincipled cynic vs an honest fool....we have seen this before and we have seen the result.
The the trudeau resurrection win versus Joe Clark.
I remember the polls at the time showing how much Clark was ahead in the trust numbers, but clearly being honest isnt the number one issue Canadians vote on.
Honest Fool....thats the worst thing you can call a politican, people expect you to run short on principles and high on cynicism. At least they expect you to make virtues of necessity.
That being said I dont think Harper is anywhere near as cynical as Trudeau.
Dion will go down, the question is how far he will drag his party, and how far down his party will let him go.
Liberal logic.
"September 13, 2008 - 3:25
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - For the second time in 24 hours, gasoline prices are up in some parts of Canada.
Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who keeps an eye on the oil industry, says Canada's four major oil companies don't compete against each other, enabling them to "dictate any price they want using any excuse they want."
So if they have such amazing powers, why haven't we been paying European level prices, above $4.00/liter for a our gas ?
Dan ?? Your repsonse ??
Or are ya just blowing stuff out yer butt for some cheap political gains in as part of an election ?
Dan ??
I think John Manley has it wrong--"NATO troop shortfall persists: Manley" ("On my mind"). The US Army battalion now at Kandahar (some 800 troops) for fifteen/fifteen months certainly is good enough for me to satisfy the Manley panel's demand for 1,000 troops:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ndahar-
has.html
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ks-like-
it.html
The pity is that the 2,300 strong Marine Expeditionary Unit (that has operated mainly in Helmand in the south) is not being replaced when it leaves at the end of November:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-indeed-
by.html
Mark
Ottawa
"The CF in Afstan: A modest, middle ground, proposal"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...dle-
ground.html
Mark
Ottawa
"From away":
http://in.reuters.com/article/
so...lBrandChannel=0
'Britain and NATO struggle for Afghanistan numbers
Two-and-a-half years into an operation to secure vast desert reaches of Afghanistan from the Taliban, British commanders quietly admit they are seriously undermanned.
While the official line is that Prime Minister Gordon Brown must decide if more troops are needed, officers on the ground in the southern Afghan province of Helmand concede privately that they do not have enough men or helicopters to seize and hold the territory they oversee.
With nearly 60,000 square kilometres of desert, mountains, a dense river valley and lush poppy fields to patrol, Britain has a little over 8,000 troops and just eight Chinook transport helicopters at its disposal...
When asked if additional troops are needed, Brown and his defence minister Des Browne tend to say that they listen to their commanders on the ground, and if they do not ask for more, then no more will be sent.
When asked on the record, commanders, of course, defer to the government, creating a classic Catch-22...
Last month was the deadliest for foreign troops since the conflict began, according to independent website icasualties.org. Forty-three troops were killed, including 10 French soldiers hit in a single Taliban ambush.
There will be a special vote in the French parliament this month to decide if the deployment should continue. While no pull-out is expected, the debate is a sign of the times.
Canada and the Netherlands, which have a combined 4,000 troops in Afghanistan and have both suffered sustained casualties, are both considering ending their deployments when their mandates expire over the next two years...
Britain is expected to send more forces next year, but it is still some months off and may not be substantial. What concerns commanders more is whether the long-term commitment is there.
"We must expect to invest military capability in Afghanistan certainly for the next three to five years," Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, the commander of British forces in Helmand, said last week as he skirted the issue of more troops.
"The most important thing is that the international community demonstrate both strategic discipline and patience to endure. Maybe the greatest threat is that the durability is occasionally questioned."'
Mark
Ottawa
"Out of Afghanistan"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...fghanistan.html
Mark
Ottawa
another reason the NDP are like leftovers you find in the fridge a few months after Christmas.
"OSHAWA, Ont. — NDP Leader Jack Layton unveiled a proposed $8-billion spending program Wednesday which he says will create 40,000 new jobs to replace those that have been lost across Canada's weakened industrial economy."
That's $200,000 per "job". $200,000 tax payer dollars per "job".
That's a flushing sound you hear.
Have you noticed the little man holding a machine gun at the bottom righthand corner of the poopin' puffin composition? That will be food for thought for me today : I live in a society where drawing poop on a political adversary is scandalous while drawing a pointed gun on his image goes unnoticed.
Further to UPDATE--"Taliban urges Canada's next PM to pull troops":
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-on-
target.html
Mark
Ottawa
Just to flog an unborn foal:
"A400M update"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...00m-
update.html
Mark
Ottawa
Post at "Daimnation!":
"Our Name Has Been HIJACKED"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011848.html
Mark
Ottawa
The great news about Lizzie being banned from the leaders debate is that we can now have a reasonable policy discussion without her screaming "CLIMATE CRISIS, CLIMATE CRISIS, CLIMATE CRISIS as nauseum.
One trick poonies and national leaders debates don't mix well
Something the Canadian media almost completely ignore:
"Dam turbine victory"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ne-
victory.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Torch" post:
"Afstan: Considerably fewer additional US troops now coming in near future?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...itional-
us.html
Mark
Ottawa
See the end of this post at "The Torch" for a comparison of how the British and Canadian media cover Afstan:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ugh-
combat.html
"Development through combat"
Mark
Ottawa
Poor Mr. Dion, his conversion on the road to Kyoto is a few years late and a megatonne short. He has invested himself in and is indentured to the AGW theory just in time to have the real world impose reality. It has been getting colder for ten years and the pattern will continue.
"As the Earth Cools: What Does it Mean for the Energy Industry?
June18, 2008
Vinod K. Dar
Right Side News
The earth warmed strongly between 1915 and 1940, cooled between 1940 and 1975 and then warmed strongly again between 1975 and 1998. The earth has been cooling in the opening years of this century even as carbon dioxide levels have risen appreciably since 1998. Many influential people in the industrialized world believe that global warming is a transcendent issue and human activity, especially the activity of the energy complex, is to blame and carbon management, at any cost, is imperative.
A growing number of influential people in the developing world (this includes China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, as well as Russia) are openly rejecting the idea that human activity has any measurable influence on the planetary climate or even that there is anything unusual or abnormal about the climate at present. Some of these people, joined by hundreds of scientists in the U.S. and Western Europe advance the idea that sunspot activity (which is cyclical) and the recently discovered (as recent as 1996) PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation: 20 to 30 year warming and cooling of the north-central Pacific Ocean) explain the cyclicality of global temperatures. According to those who hold this view, the planet has entered into a 30 year or so cooling period and carbon dioxide emissions even if they keep growing, cannot prevent this cooling."
http://tinyurl.com/4rohlf
Also for EYEING THE MEDIA--a post at The Torch (check out the link to Prof. Attaran on CTV's "Question Period"):
"Prison break"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ison-
break.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Maxime Bernier's briefing book - in perspective"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011405.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Afstan: Mea culpa on government report"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ent-
report.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Deserters, Iraq, and the UN--and our ignorant politicians"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...r-
ignorant.html
Mark
Ottawa
Well since Steffi has avoided the IggyRae Palace Revolt, that means we won't be entertained by a Federal election, so we'll have to turn to the USA for our fun.
Despite the New Redeemer elevation the media has granted Sen. Obama, the real election will not revolve around his exceptional oratorical skills, his ability to speak so well and say so little.
Here's the RNC election platform, to be repeated over and over and to be bill boarded beside very American gas station.
The American energy policy:
ANWR Exploration
House Republicans:91%Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed
Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed
Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed
Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed
SUMMARY
91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.
86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.
As much as Americans are fed up with Bush et al, they are more fed up with gas at $4++ a gallon.
Further to LETTERS OF THE DAY--
"Canadians seek to avoid civilian casualties (Cit)":
"Quagmire in the brain"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...e-in-
brain.html
Mark
Ottawa
'The Coalition “Spring Offensive” Across Afghanistan'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ive-
across.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Fed Follies": "Canada spurns UN plea on Congo (Star)"
http://www.thestar.com/News/Cana.../article/
435224
'Just say "No" to Congo'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...o-to-
congo.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Joint Support Ship problems: No surprise"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...o-
surprise.html
Mark
Ottawa
Warm and fuzzy R2P. From the Conference of Defence Associations:
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bi...num=1210867001/
'Clifford Orwin in the Globe and Mail (see link below) writes that the Responsibility to Protect doctrine is being paid mere lip service: “Pile on international covenants as you will, there can be no (enforceable) responsibility to shoulder the responsibility to protect. Unless some powerful nation takes it upon itself to spearhead the costly, risky, pot-stirring intervention in question, the responsibility will go unshouldered. If everyone accepts it nominally while seeking to fob it off on others, the ultimate result will be nominal as well.”
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bi...num=1210860282/
The CDA reminds it readers that the original report on the Responsibility to Protect from the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (see link below), which included the participation of Michael Ignatieff, called for interventions to be undertaken even if the UN Security Council failed to act, by other groupings of states. However, the UN report that embraced the doctrine (see link below) called for the UN Security Council to be the final decision-maker as to whether to intervene.
http://www.iciss-ciise.gc.ca/ '
Mark
Ottawa
"NATO considering change of command structure in S Afghanistan
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
englis...ent_8173550.htm
BRUSSELS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- NATO is considering changing its command in southern Afghanistan from current rotation between countries to a permanent commander, alliance officials said Wednesday.
Recommendations from ISAF Commander Gen. Dan McNeill are being provided to NATO's Military Committee, which will discuss the issue, Military Committee Chairman Gen. Raymond Henault told reporters.
"I don't know what the outcome of those recommendations will be. We'll have to wait until the chain of command has made formal recommendations to the Military Committee," he said.
Gen. Henault said the 26 NATO allies will take "due consideration" of the recommendations.
"We'll have to come to an agreement ultimately on those recommendations, look at the pros and cons as we always do, takingin to very strong and due consideration of SACEUR's recommendations."
"Changes will not occur until that whole series of discussions has occurred and the decision making has been completed in that context," he said.
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Gen. John Craddock said Thursday in Washington that options are open. He added that "from a military perspective, unity of command does make a lot of sense."
But he stressed that a decision has to be made in the political sector.
The SACEUR raised this issue at a chiefs of staff meeting on Wednesday at NATO headquarters, said Military Committee spokesman Colonel Brett Boudreau.
He said the Military Committee is aware that there is a view to have an American as permanent commander of NATO troops fighting in southern Afghanistan.
Command in the region has been alternating between Britain, Canada and the Netherlands, the three countries which, together with the United States, have combat troops in the south.
The three countries may have a point of view although the SACEUR is in charge of NATO operations, said Boudreau."
Mark
Ottawa
Priceless (ON MY MIND):
"--A cyclone of hot air on the responsibility of someone else to do something
'It's time to intervene' (L Axworthy)"
http://www.canada.com/ottawaciti...ca-
28a039e1f99a
Then there's covert air drop expert Prof. Michael Byers (FED FOLLIES):
"'Drop food, water covertly, Canadian expert suggests' (Globe)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...y/
International
And I thought he was just Canada research chair in international law and politics at the University of British Columbia
At least Anne Applebaum tries to make sense:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp...8051202329.html
Mark
Ottawa
Two posts at "The Torch", done independently:
'Much ado about...? *flipping pages madly, looking for the "strategy"*'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ages-
madly.html
'"Canada First Defence Policy": Drowned squib'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...cy-
drowned.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "--They play hockey, don’t they?
Afghan cricket team aims for world cup glory" (ON MY MIND),
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
tol...icle3904526.ece
from the Asian Cricket Council:
http://www.asiancricket.org/c_afghan.cfm
"Afghanistan are the rising stars of Asian cricket. Already with a global following, they play with dash and panache, care only for winning and consider every match played to be a matter of national honour. Since becoming ACC members their progress has been rapid and had it not been for tactical naïveté and an ability to countenance anything else but big hits against spinners, it would be they and not Hong Kong who would be in the next Asia Cup..."
Now if only the Taliban can be hit for six...as Monty did to Rommel:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
ww2peoplesw...ticleId=1057394
Mark
Ottawa
"ISAF: US getting really serious about stronger command role in south"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ious-
about.html
Mark
Ottawa
Two guest-posts at "Daimnation!"
"Afghanistan and intelligent, moral minds"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011276.html
"Meanwhile, back at those in higher education"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011277.html
Mark
Ottawa
Let me be the first to commend today's "COLUMN I WISH I HAD WRITTEN", "The value of residential schools", written by Richard Wagamese. I sense a growing recognition among aboriginal Canadians of what has been accomplished, in spite of being victims of a system that worked against them for so many years; but very little recognition of that among the rest of us. Mr. Wagamese has provided a perspective that should give all of us hope for the future of this country.
This FED FOLLY,
"Corruption eats away at Afghan government (Globe)"
Corruption eats away at Afghan government (Globe)
should have been "Today's dishonesty". See the second link at comment immediately below.
Mark
Ottawa
Further to ON MY MIND:
"Expanding the US's role in Afstan"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-in-
afstan.html
"Afstan: Canadians mentoring, Marines fighting...plus corruption"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ng-
marines.html
Mark
Ottawa
"CIA director warns of Eurabia"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011243.html
Mark
Ottawa
"In essence, all Canadian filmmaking is independent filmmaking and we are very dependent on government money to have a film industry...."
These words from David Cronenberg, quoted in the online Globe and Mail article by Bill Curry struck me as strong nominee for the Spector Award of Idiocy of the Day.
wow ! One story that is anti-climate warming hysteria and anti-We Are Failing in Afghanistan, all in one article. 21 of 28 provinces . . . pretty good progress.
"A bitterly cold winter will lower crop yields significantly. The number of drug-free provinces, which rose from six to 13 in 2007, is expected to rise again, some say to as many as 21 of Afghanistan's 28 provinces. The most dramatic triumph occurred in south-eastern Nangarhar, last year's No 2 poppy-growing province. This year the Nangarhar crop has collapsed to virtually nothing thanks to a muscular campaign led by the strongman governor, Gul Agha Sherzai."
http://tinyurl.com/5zdpzy
IF YOU'VE MORE TIME ON YOUR HANDS...
"The honest anti-war position: Support"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...s.blogspot.com/
Mark
Ottawa
"US wanting effectively to take command of combat areas in Afstan?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ke-
command.html
Mark
Ottawa
where or where are our Human Rights Tribunals, where are the Mr. Warman's when they are really needed when there are proud Canadians spreading hatred and encouraging murder in our fair land.
"Naeem Muhammad Khan wants everyone to "Support Our Troops," but he's not talking about the Canadian Forces in Kandahar.
From his apartment in Toronto, Mr. Khan has been posting messages on the Internet calling Osama bin Laden a "hero" and "champion of Islam."
The 23-year-old fundamentalist's online logo combines the black Taliban flag and the outline of an AK-47 above the "Support Our Troops" slogan.
Between sips of iced coffee at Tim Hortons, Mr. Khan explained that he is a supporter of the Taliban, as well as other armed Islamic groups.
" 'Support our Troops' means supporting the mujahideen [Muslim soldiers of God] who are fighting for their freedom and rights against illegal occupation in many, many places over the world like Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine and Somalia," he said later in an e-mail.
Views like these are becoming increasingly common in Western countries, Canada included, and they are worrying to governments concerned about radicalism and violence.
Mr. Khan is an Islamist, not a terrorist, but what most disturbs moderate Muslims are his harsh comments about those who do not subscribe to fundamentalist beliefs.
In his online postings, Mr. Khan calls Tarek Fatah, Irshad Manji and other moderates "apostates," and says that under Islamic law, the punishment for apostasy is death. The same goes for those who insult Islam.
"Behead her!!! And make a nice video and post it on YouTube," he writes about one "Islam basher." As for "Jews who support Zionism and Israel … since they are killing Palestinians … killing them is not bad … they deserve to die."
http://www.nationalpost.com/toda....html?
id=469477
"UK troops in new Afghan push"
BBC News video, April 21
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world...rld/
7358831.stm
Canadians in combat in support of Brits, 02:26. Nice to learn about it from the Beeb. Cf. this article by Matthew Fisher:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news....html?
id=443463
Mark
Ottawa
Best smack down so far this year in the HoC.
Couldn't happen to "nicer" people than our own stuck-on-stupid "Peace at any Price" champagne & latte socialist wannbe NDP.
"Ms. Black had asked a question about media reports that the air force is facing a $500-million funding shortfall because of spending on the Afghan mission.
Mr. MacKay retorted by pointing out that the NDP voted against the Afghan mission.
"Being a defence critic for the NDP is a bit like being a tailor in a nudist colony," he said. "There is lots to see, lots to talk about, but at the end of the day, they do not do anything. That is the naked truth about the NDP."
Regarding the "column no one in Ottawa has had the guts to write." General Hillier would never have become a "celebrity general" if a significant number of Canadians were uncomfortable with him. Media pundits and politicians would have had free rein to ignore or denigrate Gen. Hillier and the rest of the CF if there hadn't been fervent grassroots support for our men and women in uniform.
This is just one aspect of a growing divide between a self-styled elite in media, politics and the public service, and the rest of us. The Rest Of Us are savvy enough to hold nuanced and differing opinions on war, economics and social programs; while keeping in check the BS artists who couldn't hold a real job. I would have been more concerned if General Hillier had let himself be led around by politicians and the other overblown opinion shapers in Ottawa.
"Breaking: CDS Gen. Hillier to step down"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-step-
down.html
Some speculation on a successor (by Damian Brooks) and a quick effort at assessment.
Mark
Ottawa
For the second post, see "Haiti's government falls after food riots", UPDATE, April 13:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080.../ts_nm/
haiti_dc
Mark
Ottawa
Two post at "The Torch":
"What federal emergency preparedness?"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...eparedness.html
(see "The state of emergency", IF YOU'VE MORE TIME ON YOUR HANDS..., April 12)
http://www.canada.com/ottawaciti...d8-
9c31b1d1f849
"What's the exit strategy for the UN?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...egy-for-
un.html
Mark
Ottawa
I've been wondering about this:
"Marines in Afstan and command problems"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...d-
problems.html
Mark
Ottawa
Not surprised: the writing has been on the wall ever since Johnston was appointed. I would, however, be (pleasantly) surprised if the Prime Minister rejects his advice.
Are you surprised, Mr. Spector, that Johnston has recommended that a 'limited' public inquiry, look into the Schreiber and Mulroney dealings, with testimonies given behind closed doors? I am not surprised at all personally... (La Presse, just now)
Mr. Spector,
In my opinion the "stock answer" shouldn't be provided when a public official is being investigated. Personally, I like to decide for myself if my government is trying to obfuscate in order to protect their private interests, and having someone in the RCMP insert Goodale's name in the fax to Wasylycia-Leis was the right thing to do, even if the motivation was suspect.
Everyone has prejudices and preconceptions, the smothering use of "no comment" only serves to paint good people in the same amoral shades of grey as the bad actors among us. I think I'm smart enough to discount the hypocritical bleating of those who try to convict on allegation alone; but if I don't get enough information, I'll be forming opinions based on my prejudices and preconceptions. In the case of Regina-Wascana, voters decided that being investigated wasn't going to prevent them from re-electing Goodale, in spite of being targeted by the Conservatives, so it seems to me that more disclosure is a good thing.
Mr. Glasel
The RCMP should have provided the stock answer: "We never comment on an investigation until such time as a decision is taken whether or not to lay charges."
The crux of the matter is that an NDP MP asked the RCMP for an update to her request that they investigate something that definitely needed investigating. Like it or not, the RCMP is the only body available for doing these investigations. Surely, that investigation doesn't have to be put on hold so the Liberals don't have to answer awkward questions during an election campaign. Frankly, I would have been more upset if this investigation didn't have any impact on the election results. I would also expect to see Goodale named in regards to this investigation, since if he had been doing his job, news of the sudden reversal on income trusts would have been securely locked up in his and the PM's head, and there wouldn't have been enough "lucky" investors to get anyone's attention.
When Travers trots out the Chretien/Martin war and a post-election visit of the new PM to RCMP headquarters, he is scattering red herrings to make the RCMP and the current government look bad. By setting up a scenario of "hypotheses untested" and "Two threads bind those theories", he is trying to make his reader forget the issues of right and wrong behaviors, and trigger antagonisms against Zaccardelli and Harper. That's what I got out of his column, and I read it again to see if I missed something.
Mr. Glasel,
I don't see anything in Travers's column that contests the RCMP's investigation of the matter. He's simply objecting to the announcement of the investigation in the middle of an election campaign.
I think the Travers column that was picked yesterday for "THE COLUMN I WISH I HAD WRITTEN", regarding the RCMP's income trust investigation, is a good illustration of what ails Canadian politics. I'm sure Mr. Travers isn't the only person eager to overlook the reasons why the RCMP was asked to investigate. We have one civil servant from Goodale's department charged and another that avoided charges because of an unrelated court decision. At that time, there were also questions about Scott Brison's communications, and how come no one seems alarmed by the Finance Department's cavalier approach to maintaining secrecy, when policy decisions had a huge potential to affect financial markets?
Too many people (in many walks of life, but especially in Canadian politics) have no sense of right and wrong in regards to themselves. They can't resist the temptation to bend the rules or sneak some crumbs out of the cookie jar, every time they might have to endure a bit of hardship in order to do the right thing. And it's all excused by repeating these mantras: "Jimmy has ulterior motives for tattling on me," or "What Joey did is worse than what I did."
a real Prime Minister in action
http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.a...g=e& clipID=1153
Watch the whole thing.
And then imagine Chretien or Martin or god forbid Dion in the same circumstances. It would be more like an Air Farce skit than Mr. Harper's skilled international diplomacy.
Brilliant.
Well...a fair enough point.
But, as scandals go, Bertie was a bit of a piker when compared to Charlie Haughey, which I don't think the Canadian papers covered much either.
"RADARSAT-2: Sound and fury..."
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...nd-
fury_02.html
Mark
Ottawa
Mr Choker,
The question is: why hasn't this story, which has resulted in the resignation of a prime minister, been reported by our papers over the past year?
Re: Last October, Ahern acknowledged receiving cash payments from businessmen...
All very interesting Norman, but not quite apropos to the Mulroney situation. At the time Bertie was living on the largess of friends he was Ireland's Minister of Finance and soon to become Taoiseach (a position that comes with its own house, I'm told, so he no longer needed to borrow a flat from his generous friend). MBM, by comparison, was in the sunset of his political life and in much less of a position to influence public policy. I think MBM's situation is closer to that of Jean Chretien, who managed to make out very well, financially speaking, during his hiatus from politics between 1986-1990. Turn away a paying client? Not very likely.
A guest-post at "Daimnation!":
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011103.html
"One way to confirm you're in Alberta
The local suburban Mac's Milk carries the National Post but not the Globe and Mail. And yes, Stéphane, there sure are a lot of pickups, especially 4X4 Fords."
Mark
Ottawa
Danes vs. Canadians:
"Comparative fatalities in Afstan"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...-in-
afstan.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Helping this country is futile"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011068.html
Mark
Ottawa
The world needs more Canada?
"U.S. Pushed Allies on Iraq, Diplomat Writes" (BOUQUET(S) OF THE DAY):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp...8032201020.html
Mark
Ottawa
From the latest (March 20) UN Security Council resolution on Afstan--why don't our media ask Jack Layton for his reaction (and Elizabeth May)?
http://www.un.org/News/Press/doc.../
sc9281.doc.htm
'“11. Calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, including the International Security Assistance Force and Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, in accordance with their respective designated responsibilities as they evolve, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, illegally armed groups, criminals and those involved in the narcotics trade;
“12. Condemns in the strongest terms all attacks, including Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks, suicide attacks and abductions, targeting civilians and Afghan and international forces and their deleterious effect on the stabilization, reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan, and condemns further the use by the Taliban and other extremist groups of civilians as human shields;..
“14. Expresses its strong concern about the recruitment and use of children by Taliban forces in Afghanistan...'
More here:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...an-
mission.html
Mark
Ottawa
Could something like this be part of Lizzy May's election platform . . . only time will tell.
"Britain's finest scientific minds have turned their attention to a problem that they claim is threatening the future of the entire planet - farm animal flatulence.
...
The New Zealand government briefly considered taxing farmers on their herds' methane output but the proposal had to be dropped following opposition.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considered introducing a system of tradable methane permits but the system was considered too complex."
The endgame for Warmongers. Nobody will believe the Scientists for a long time after this fiasco erupts.
Can you say "wolf" one more time Lizzy ?
" ”Many advocates for action on climate change, including the IPCC assessments and recent documentaries have promoted a view that global warming will continue through the 21st century, with global warming defined as a steady increase in global average temperatures. This prediction of warming is based on the output of multi-decadal general circulation models and is primarily due to the radiative forcing effect of anthropogenic emissions of CO2. In such models only relatively minor year-to-year variations in global average temperatures are forecast in the upward trend, except when major volcanic eruptions cause short-term (up to a few years) of global cooling. For example, see these projections of the most recent IPCC — none of the models has an obvious multi-year (i.e., >2) decrease in global average temperatures over the next century.
Such predictions represent a huge gamble with public and policymaker opinion. If more-or-less steady global warming does not occur as forecast by these models, not only will professional reputations be at risk, but the need to reduce threats to the wide spectrum of serious and legitimate environmental concerns (including the human release of greenhouse gases) will be questioned by some as having been oversold. For better or worse, a failure to accurately predict the changes in the global average surface temperature, global average tropospheric temperature, ocean average heat content change, or Arctic sea ice coverage would raise questions on the reliance of global climate models for accurate prediction on multi-decadal time scales. Surprises or experience that evolve outside the bounds of model output would likely raise questions even among some of those who have so far accepted the IPCC reports as a balanced presentation of climate science."
rtr @ http://tinyurl.com/ywxnrs
Oops! Sorry for repeating myself.
Mark
Ottawa
Lorne Gunter and I seem to be thinking along similar lines ("Tories seeking balance on immigration (Gunter)", OTHER COLUMNS WORTH READING)--
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjo...6c-
71030d433c97
a guest-post at "Daimnation!" (should have called it "Family ties"):
"Our immigration mess"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011028.html
Mark
Ottawa
Further to "Good policy, risky politics (Ivison)" (OTHER COLUMNS WORTH READING, Friday),
http://www.nationalpost.com/toda....html?
id=373334
a guest-post at "Daimnation!":
"Our immigration mess"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011028.html
Mark
Ottawa
"Hillier and the new generation of generals: the CDS, the policy and the troops" by Douglas Bland
http://irpp.org/po/archive/mar08...mar08/
bland.pdf
Mark
Ottawa
A post by Terry Glavin:
'Forget the Silly "Anti-War" Parades. Put The Afghan People First.'
http://transmontanus.blogspot.co...arades-
put.html
As for Cuba:
"Cubans free at last!"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
011019.html
Mark
Ottawa
Could this be Lizzy May's Election Platform ? It could have been Steffi's but he's neutered him self so Lizzy will have to pick up the torch.
"the model for Canada's low-emission future is—Cuba! Under Castro, especially since the Soviets stopped gifting the Cubans with free oil and fertilizer, Cuba has developed the closest thing on the planet to a “modern low-energy society.”
Instead of making new cars in emission-prone factories, Cuba’s workers spend their time machining new parts for the island’s few 1950s relics on elderly lathes left over from its sugar-exporting days. Castro originally sold clothing through the food rationing system, but now most of the clothing comes from antique sewing machines run by Cuba’s women.
The women also produce much of their families’ food in urban gardens, since the ration system doesn’t deliver much. Cuba’s ration cards are good for 6 pounds of rice per capita per month, 20 ounces of beans, six pounds of sugar, and 15 pounds of potatoes or bananas. Cubans get less than one quart of milk for each kid under 7 per month, but cool, rainy Europe may offer its consumers a bit more milk and cheese and a lot fewer bananas.
Cubans get a pound of beef per month, and two pounds of chicken—though often the “meat” is hamburger mixed with soy flour, or “chicken tenders” made partly with chicken and mostly with “other.” Europe’s per capita food supply will plummet to similar levels when fertilizer plants consume too many “energy points.”
The official Cuban transport system is energy-efficient hitch-hiking. With so few vehicles, and little gasoline, cars and trucks that refuse to pick up hitch-hikers on the highway are fined for a “crime against society.”
Tourism is Cuba’s biggest industry now, but that won’t work for a Kyoto-driven Europe. The EU won’t have any fuel for airplanes, and precious little for buses. Nor is Cuba building big rental houses on the beaches any more to attract their tourists. In fact, one of Cuba’s big problems is that Hurricane Michelle in 2001 destroyed or damaged 100,000 homes, which the Castro economy has been largely unable to rebuild. There isn’t much heavy equipment for such projects.
As a Kyoto bonus, Michelle’s damage to Cuba’s electric grid was severe.
Best of all, 90 percent of the jobs are with the Cuban government. No complaints allowed, even if your wife has to sew your shirts and hoe the garden in the hot sun. Kids over 11 owe 45 days per summer working on the farms, which teaches them how to control weeds and bugs without any nasty pesticides.
What a perfect post-fossil Green society! "
MArk,
Couldn't agree more.
Global's Mockumentary would do Michael Moore proud. A one sided, distorted, revisionist piece of doo-doo.
The Liberals should realize that whenever Scott Reid represents them on camera, all Canadians just think "Beer & Popcorn".
Global should be ashamed of themselves for putting such propaganda on TV.
A post by Damian Brooks at "The Torch":
"On the promotional video for 'Unexpected War Canada In Kandahar'"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...pected-
war.html
Mark
Ottawa
The article I wished I'd written.
http://www.financialpost.com/sto....html?
id=368481
Not to worry, as Global Atmospheric temps continue their 25 year downward trend - while the Alarmist Warmonger Climate models predict the exact opposite, the insanity of our Co2 Public Policy Piousness is being slowly exposed. It is only a matter of time before actual, real science overtakes the Al Gore's computer models & pop science.
It is just a matter of how much will it cost us to recover from damage the current greeny decisions are inflicting on our global economy.
Enjoy the eco war while you can, the reality of economic is going to be a bummer.
Another moral question: Which is more of a disservice to Canadians; an MP voting against his political grain to avoid financial hardship for his family, or an offer by a political party to pay the MP's life insurance premiums, along with a little extra to top up his net worth, and thereby allowing the MP to vote according to his politics and not his personal circumstances. I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure of the following; No authorized agent of the Conservative Party of Canada specifically offered a million dollar life insurance policy to Chuck Cadman, and the string of feeble scandals making the headlines in Ottawa over the past several months isn't going to change voter intentions one bit.
"Naftagate?"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
010986.html
Mark
Ottawa
At the end of the day it depends who your boss is. the politician is an elected official responsible to the people. Now if "the people" are ok with it being spent on personal as opposed to public business then thats the electorates choice. However we have codfied some laws to prevent that choice from being made.
Thysssen, they are answerable to the baord and their shareholders. It is well understood that some wells a re dry wells and some yield oil. Paying someone to be a door opener and then have it be a dry well isnt bad in and of itself. from a shareholder perspective it would be did mgt have a reasonable expectation this would "yield oil" or was it just wasted....as well, id there a history of this person delivering contracts, or continually yielding "dry wells".
However, it is illegal both to offer a bribe and accept a bribe. So I think the morality is equivalent, regardless of whether it was legal to write off the bribes in Germany at the time.
I look forward to Swiss bank records and the continued unfolding of the Lichtenstein Bank Account kerfuffle. I a convinced that some answers to some longstanding questions will clear up.
The lobbying is troublesome, on that I agree with the esteemed Mr Spector. But aggressive lobbying isnt a crime, it just creates an environment where a crime is more likely to take place, let alone bad policy decisions.
Having had some business to government dealings myself I can say that there is an appropriate role for Government relations experts. In the end both the government and my company benefited from ensuring the right information made it to the right people. We had neither the time nor the connections to make our case.
Not all lobbying is bad and evil.
It strikes me as strange how moral culpability increases as the amount of money involved decreases. A corporation justifies spending millions to remove barriers to getting a contract, because of the expected return on investment, and this is a legitimate cost of doing business. Nothing illegal at all. The lobbyist keeps the lion's share for himself because he can open doors that others can't; money that the corporation is happy to pay, and only gets into legal trouble because he tries to cheat the taxman. The politician who gets chummy with the lobbyist, convinces himself that no one will notice if he only takes a small piece for himself, and in the end is the biggest villain. I remember a Conservative MLA in Saskatchewan being charged with a criminal offense because he used his communications budget to buy a $1000 saddle.
Fair enough, but shouldnt that mean Thyssen goes after these Canadians for non performance, or a claw back on the commissions.
Except for KHS's say so, no money goes to a Canadian official. And that is a recent admission. If true both KHS and the official, in this case KHS is accussing MBM of socking his bribe away for later.
All money goes to lobbyists and agents. As you said maybe a bad investment but hardly illegal. In fact not even unethical (in a narrow sense), brazen and over the top, defintiely. But the difference between that and some CEO's salaries is not too much of a difference. I am thinking of some bankers whose stock declines yet still receive an annual bonus that exceeds what the average Canadian earns in a lifetime, esepcially on exit.
Lots of smoke, no fire. No link between political influence, as of yet, and the signing of the MOU.
One way or another KHS looks like he should be in jail, either a Canadian one for bribery or a German one for tax evasion. Right now the best evidence exists in Germany.
I have said in the past, he might be able to reduce his German sentence if he could actually prove that the money he claimed as bribe expense for Canadians was proveable. It hasnt been to date. So that means we can trace the money to KHS but then much of it disappears and is untraceable.
Hmm last person to have the money cant demonstrate where it went. A reasonable supposition would be it never left his possession. Just a theory like any other.
It may have been a poor investment for Thyssen, but the understanding in principle turned out to be quite lucrative for a number of Canadians.
Re: Thyssen paying $2million for not very much
Poor investment in this instance, but getting military equipment contracts is a long, expensive process, no matter where you do business. Even more so during the "peace dividend" years. I see that KHS received a stay of extradition, let's hope he stays healthy long enough to be able to defend his income tax returns in Germany.
Re What KHS is saying.
New allegation. What was the source, i assume it was his testimony. As well, I would love to see his "corroberating document" that indicates Brian knew the money would be for him. Without seeing it you cant really judge whether or KHS is saying anything of value or not.
If what he says is true he just admitted to bribing a public official.
So quite honestly he should be sitting in a jail cell right now if what he said is true. His cooperation can lead to a deal that subtracts time served.
As for how CP reports it....well I think Pat Martin, yes even Pat Martin, is tired of this guy and doubts the story is the truth.
Was there extroidinary lobbying on Bearhead, sure looks like it. Were there bribes paid to public officials? To date there is no credible evidence, lots of allegations.
Are you saying you believe KHS's testimony? Given his history is there much reason to believe the biggest implication?
If this is all he has to say, then all the corroberating evidence should be able to be found in GoC archives (cabinet minutes, testimony from Deputy Ministers that had to deal with the file, or by those who signed the MOU) or from the Banking records that can be supoenaed.
In other words there is no need to keep KHS around. I used to support a deal but there doesnt seem to be any reason to do so anymore. In fact he may sing louder trying to extricate himself from a German jail.
One troubling aspect about KHS's allegation, before looing at his corroberating documents, is why would Thyssen agree to pay out such a signifcant amount fo commission based on a NON BINDING Memorandum of Understanding. Not a normal milestone for a company to pay out so much money, did Thyssen take KHS's word for it that the document was something other than it was?
FInally, so what if KHS says he withdrew money. All that shows is that he was in final known possesion of the money. After that there is no record other than his word, which quite frankly doesnt seem to be worth very much.
I have tried to find fire in the smoke but I am sorry I am missing it. All I see for the moment is hyper aggressive lobbying and commission payments to KHS and maybe some side payments to KHS agents in GCI (BTW who cares that they were setup after the election win, they wouldnt have been in business unless there was a Tory governemnt. Had the Liberals one you would have seen similar companies set up)
There doesnt seem to be much here. You can have an inquiry that has some limited scope and focus but arent there warmer bodies with greater implications to look at, grand mere perhaps?
"Dead man running"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
010960.html
Mark
Ottawa
My editing is abysmal, it should have been "some of the provincial politicians in Newfoundland and Saskatchewan WHO were caught stealing..."
Two things that struck me about the Bill Clinton fundraiser: 1. The $131 million that Frank Guistra has or is going to donate to Clinton's foundation could have built the Asper Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg (or at least covered the original projected cost). 2. A few years ago, Clinton was making about $250,000 per speech when he did a Canadian tour, about the same amount that Brian Mulroney earned from 3 meetings with Karl-Heinz Schreiber.
Also consider that some of the provincial politicians in Newfoundland and Saskatchewan that were caught stealing from expense funds, made less than $10,000. Let's face it, Canadian politicians are cheap. There's no way Herr Schreiber spent a significant portion of his commissions on Canadian politicians. I don't think there's much point in delaying his appointment with the German taxman.
"What was the LAV Mulroney said he was flogging?"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...aid-he-
was.html
Mark
Ottawa
Wow, just did a google search on the German Tax Probe.
This thing is metastasizing very fast, and there havent been names mentioned yet.
They are saying something on the order of 200 BILLION Euro's in capital has been sheltered illegally....thats a lot of coin.
Hitting country by country. This is going to be a BIG STORY
Glad to see the tax information that the German Authorities is On Your Mind.
It is on my mind as well, although I suspect we have different suspicions abut why its important. One way or another I am hoping it can provide us with some insight.
I dont think a deal with Schrieber is necessary, in fact I think no deal is necessary to call his bluff on what he does and doesnt really know.
The difference between the 300,000 and the 225,000 along with other bits of "missing money" will may very well be found there.
Given the history, likely in an account called Karlton, or Heinz57
Further to "Liberals likely to support Afghan extension: Dion" (UPDATE):
'The "C" word'
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo.../02/c-
word.html
More cutting and jogging, I guess.
Norman: Comment welcome:
"What was the LAV Mulroney said he was flogging?"
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/
i....html#msg679992
Mark
Ottawa
"CDS General Hillier, Afghanistan and Parliament"
http://
toyoufromfailinghands.blo...parliament.html
Mark
Ottawa
Mark,
Mr. Harper has decided to cut and jog.
I saw Prime Minister Harper speak at the Conference of Defence Associations meeting today. Besides the 2011 Kandahar (and Kandahar only) mission end date, which a subsequent Parliament can easily change under the apparent new derogation of the authority to deploy military forces from the Crown (Governor-in-Council, i.e. Cabinet, maybe these days PM) to Parliament (quite a constitutional innovation), the prime minister also said the government would
"...leave operational decisions to commanders on the ground."
This appears an attempt to find common ground with the Liberal position, as I have put it--but still leave room for "combat":
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blo...ronto-
star.html
"M. Dion also said it would be up to the Canadian military actually to devise the detailed rules of engagement to implement the operational constraints [no "pro-active" combat] the Liberals would place on the mission."
But the government's new position would put an impossible burden on commanders on the ground. It is up to the government to define what type of operations the CF should conduct in the broad sense that is meant by both the PM and M. Dion. It is not up to the CF to make those types of "operational decisions"; hell, a commander might think it a good military ("operational") move to strike into Pakistan.
Mr Harper is trying, in order to win a political victory, to muddy the fundamental responsibilities for the conduct of military operations between the civil and military authorities. I do not like, nor respect, that approach.
Mark
Ottawa
So Carole Taylor has brought BC'ers a carbon tax. . . not a moment too soon to save us from all that Global warming.
Not.
=================================
Global Cooling: Amazing pictures of countries joining Britain in the big freeze
By CHRISTOPHER BOOKER - More by this author » Last updated at 08:30am on 21st February 2008
Yesterday's picture in the Mail of a cascade of icicles in the Yorkshire Dales was a reminder of how cold Britain can be - something many of us have forgotten in this unusually mild winter.
But it really is remarkable how little attention has been paid to the extraordinary weather events which in recent weeks have been affecting other parts of the world.
Across much of the northern hemisphere, from Greece and Iran to China and Japan, they have been suffering their worst snowfalls for decades.
Similarly freakish amounts of snow have been falling over much of the northern United States, from Ohio to the Pacific coast, where in parts of the state of Washington up to 200in of snow have fallen in the past fortnight.
In country after country, these abnormal snowfalls have provoked a crisis.
In China - the only example to have attracted major coverage in Britain - the worst snow for 50years triggered an unprecedented state of emergency.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
pages...in_page_id=1811
Hi Norman,
Not to make too much about this but that last tidbit really speaks volumes about the efficacy of the whole committee.
If the only people who can ask penetrating questions are ringers like the other MBM (Moncton's Brian Murphy), Joe Comartin and Serge Menard, what purpose does it seve to have pikers like Paul Szabo, Sukh Dhaliwal and Charlie Hubbard sitting around the table making up the rules? Their selection of witnesses (yourself excluded 'natch) pretty much demonstrates that few of them had done any serious reading (unless you count the informant) on the subject prior to the start of the hearings. For all intents and purposes, the committee has behaved like a blind man being led around by its seeing-eye Schrieber; which pretty much describes why most of the country has tuned out.
Ask Peter Desbarats if he believes Allan Rock's testimony that he wouldn't have agreed to the settlement had he known more. How much would a judge have awarded when it was revealed that an RCMP officer was leaking sensitive information about MBM to a (sometime) journalist? Lots of interesting questions that informed committee members might have asked. Sadly they don't, they just sit around with Robert's Rules, ignoring the mandate they were given by the House of Commons.
There...that feels better...
herringchoker,
Brian Murphy is not a member of the committee, and, thus, has no vote on the matter.
What the CP reports that Norman doesn't...
Szabo said he'd personally favour compelling Mulroney to return to the committee if he won't come back voluntarily to clear things up.
"He is one of the principals (in the affair) and the committee is trying to get the truth,'' said the chairman.
But other panel members, including some fellow Liberals, think it might be better to simply drop the mater if Mulroney balks at showing up.
"I wouldn't vote to summons a former prime minister,'' said Liberal MP Brian Murphy. "We're not a criminal court.''
Another Grit, Robert Thibault, said it may be preferable for the committee to wrap up its work and make way for the full-scale public inquiry promised by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"That's the way we're going to get to the bottom of this thing,'' said Thibault. "We can't do it as a committee.''
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Articl...0218?
hub=Canada
This UPDATE headline, "US, EU Powers Recognize Kosovo" is rather misleading for the average reader since the EU as a whole is quite divided over Kosovo:
"Kosovo(a?): Putting our government in a pickle"
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
010873.html
Mark
Ottawa
Stephen,
On Monday mornng, a day after MBM declared the project "dead" upon hearing from me that it would cost $100 million, I advised Paul Tellier, who was Clerk of the Privy Council. I also returned the files they had given me to PCO.
Because he had been personally targeted by Schreiber, I also as a courtesy phoned the DM of National Defense to tell him he could breathe easier. And that was the last I heard of this file until years later.
PCO would have had the responsibility to advise the several departments involved in the file of the PM's decision. And, had the decision been communicated to these departments, it would not have taken long for Schreiber or his lobbyist, Fred Doucet to hear of it.
I don't know whom MBM "instructed" or even told that he had cancelled the project. In fact, it looks now like he told no one. Perhaps he forgot to tell me that he had been kidding when he proclaimed the project dead.
Can you clarify some of the mechanics?
When MBM asked you to cancel Bearhead what is the chain of activities that happened next in the PMO and/or PCO?
For example, do you fire off a memo to the appropriate DM's to say no further discussion is to happen on this file as it is dead, or perhaps to the Clerk of the PCO. Is there a formal letter sent by the bureaucracy to those who are involved, or is there supposed to be? Who would have had the responsibility of telling Mr Schrieber that it was over?
As far as I can tell right now nobody held that responsibility, but that is likely my ignorance of the the arcane nature of government communication.
"China bans Aliens
One never knew the Chinese were so faint of heart..."
http://www.damianpenny.com/archi...ved/
010861.html
Mark
Ottawa
Mark:
It seems that "one of the few bits of decent questioning"--as you put it--was all that it took for MPs to throw in the towel.
Norman: My thanks too for the Murphy/Doucet stuff. One of the few bits of decent questioning in the whole semi-farce so far. Secret agent Stevie should be fun today.
Mark
Ottawa