Vancouver Secrets

The Deception Begins

Left-wing bloggers are on a campaign of disinformation like this:

Monday, December 01, 2008

I would like to take this opportunity to remind Canadians of a silly little thing called math:

Seats in the House of Commons

Conservative: 143 Liberal + NDP: 114 Bloc Quebecois: 49

Independent: 2

Somehow the Liberal and NDP seats became combined - making it look like the election was close… Just so we don’t forget the real numbers and who won:

_

The Liberal have 1/2 the seats the Conservatives have;

NDP have a bit more than 25%;

The provincial party from Quebec has about 1/3. So this means Canadians wanted one of these parties?

Is A Majority Even Possible?

As it seems the opposition parties are intent on either stealing power or forcing another election, it’s time to change the rules to only allow federal parties on the ballot.

Do the math.. as long as we have Quebec supporting a provincial party and holding the deciding bulk of the seats, the odds of any party ever getting a majority is highly unlikely.

We are in for minority governments for a long time with the way things stand today. Canada can’t afford to play this game for much longer and hope to get through the upcoming challenges.

Isn’t it time to take parties off the ballot that do not have representation in, say, at least 2 provinces.

I’m sure the NDP would agree, wouldn’t they?

The Bloq has already admitted they aren’t a federal party.

If the current plot by Layton and his gang works, Canada as a country could fall apart quickly. The West has to question what’s the point of being part of Canada, once democracy falls. And if separatists can run our country, it’s a good time to say goodbye to the force feeding of French.

Layton will be remembered as the scoundrel that killed the sense of democracy for west… and the man behind the separation of western Canada.

photo credit: Turbulentflow

Opposition Blackmail

Canadians should be outraged… Layton is intent on bringing down the government at any cost.

This is politics at the gutter level, and they have been planning this for weeks. They sat in the weeds waiting for something that they could use as cover.

It’s not about what’s good for Canada - it’s about “everything they believe in“.

Sounds a lot like a third world coup to me.

Layton:

What we really want is just to get Harper out and get the new group in because it’s going to be a hell of a lot better for everything we believe in, correct? Correct. So let’s stay on that track, and not start debating whether or not it’s twenty five percent change or fifteen percent change over here, let’s get them out, on the basis of unity not the basis of division. Somebody asked about Bill Casey, absolutely, in the game, uh, on confidentiality, we now have to get out and defend the idea of the coalition.

[...]

The coalition for Canada, I love the idea, it could be a deal-breaker for the Bloc (laughter) so if we don’t go, we call it “The Coalition for Canada and Quebec,” (lots of laughter).

The condescending tone should sicken Canadians.

Part 2:

The transcript here.

My Vote Is For The Axis of Feeble

Kate has a great contest going on at SDA to name the new party that Layton, Dion and that French traitor are trying to form.

Some of the good ones:

- The BLT - Bloc of Liberal Torontois

- The Regressive Socialist Sepera-federalists

- The CBCP = Canadian Broadcasting Company Party

- The Clown Coalition

- CCCP: Cooperative Caring Canadian Party

The Globe and Mail’s take on the story:

“Mr. Harper failed to recognize the building blood lust in the opposition parties: the cockiness of the NDP and the Bloc and the almost desperate desire of the Liberals to demonstrate that they possess testosterone after their dismal showing in last month’s federal election and the voters’ rejection of Mr. Dion”.

Also, Finance critic Scott Brison answers questions on his party’s desire to bring down the government and what it would for the economy:

Adam Radwanski: There’s been all sorts of speculation about who would lead your party into this situation - whether it would be Stephane Dion, Michael Ignatieff, or perhaps an interim leader. Can you definitively say who it would be?

Scott Brison: The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada is Stephane Dion.

Adam Radwanski: And that’s not going to change this weekend?

Scott Brison:: Not that I’ve heard. If it did, that would be news to me.

Canadians should be outraged - it’s time for the west to seriously consider getting out of this country if the separatists take power… they’ll have no reason to block our move.

Like Peter Lougheed once said “Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark”.

photo credit: FortGirl

Holding Canadians Hostage

From the National Post:

“The Liberal Party will bring forward a vote of no-confidence in the Conservative government on Monday that sources say has the “national” support of Jack Layton’s NDP and Gilles Duceppe’s Bloc Québécois…

The move would be designed to deprive Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his newly elected government from arguing that the opposition parties want to defeat them only to retain millions of dollars in political party finances the government proposes to abolish.”

When they say it’s not about the money, you know it is.

These welfare bums know that it would be impossible to form a coalition government with Dion as the leader. Imagine having a separatist party form the government. It’s a move that will never be forgiven.

Saying it’s about an economic plan is a lie at best - it’s about getting their handouts for their political parties.

They’ve even brought in the big guns - Ed Broadbent and Jean Chretian - to guide them through this hostage attempt.

You’d need to be out of your mind to believe Canadians would react favorably to such a move. And apparently they are.

photo credit: designwallah

Doth Do Protest Too Much

The Tories proposal to slash funding to political parties has touched off a small firestorm.

Presently, a political party gets $1.95 in public funds for every vote it receives in the federal election. More »

What? Me Worry?

How’s the future of retail look?

The following stores informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009.
-  Circuit City stores
-  Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shuttered
-  Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine’s to close 150 store nationwide
-  Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
-  Cache will close all stores
-  Talbots closing down all stores
-  J. Jill closing all stores
-  GAP closing 85 stores
-  Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
-  Wickes Furniture closing down
-  Levitz closing down remaining stores
-  Bombay closing remaining stores
-  Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.
-  Whitehall closing all stores
-  Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
-  Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
-  Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)
-  Macys to close 9 stores after January
-  Linens and Things closing all stores
-  Movie Galley closing all stores
-  Pacific Sunware closing stores
-  Pep Boys closing 33 stores
-  Sprint/ Nextel closing 133 stores
-  JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
-  Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
-  Wilson Leather closing down all stores
-  Sharper Image closing down all stores
-  KB Toys closing 356 stores
-  Lowe’s to close down some stores
-  Dillard’s to close some stores.
Add all that to the U.S. automakers, the financial institutions and the airlines all in crisis.
I wonder how our Canadian stores will fare…

photo credit: Steve Crane

What Ever Became Of Garth Turner?

Just so Garth doesn’t slip into the dustbin of Canadian politics, you might want to check out his latest post and leave a “thank-you for blessing the blogosphere”:

I was made aware of the thesis she (Tamara Small) had written about you and I, which has recently been published in the Canadian Political Science Review. Her 21-page opus not only puts this blog in the context of others in Canada, but also in other jurisdictions, and has a close look at you - citizens and voters who come here to read and be read.

Her conclusion:

On the blog, Garth Turner claims to be “Canada’s Digital Democracy leader.”

This analysis shows the claim is not without its merits.

Though Turner readily admits the claim is aggrandizing, he is very clear about his desire to ‘lead by example’ in Canadian parliamentary politics. This examination suggests that he is certainly achieving this goal.

In terms of being a leader, while most current Canadian parliamentarians are online with their own web sites promoting the consituency and party activities, Turner is the only one of a few parliamentarians that embraced blogging in its full capacity.

Even when compared with genuine blogs, it outperforms. Given the small proportion of legislators in the United States and United Kingdom who blog, what Garth Turner is doing is striking. He does not just present the opportunity of the interface for Canadians to engage with him, Canadians actually do so.

Garth Turner Unedited allows for exactly what it says it does, unfettered discussion between posters and the blogger.”

I wonder if the writer is related in some way?

Full pdf here for those that want the full essay on political blogging, featuring this remarkable man.

Job Offers Roll In For Dion

When Stephane Dion resigns Monday, he should consider the invitation of crossing over to the Green Party with his Green Shaft. They’ll welcome him with open arms.

Hey Macleans - I Found Your Missing Blog Post

Maclean’s is busy doing post-election cover up…

I think this post may have been misplaced - here it is in case you need it.

More on this story here.

________________________________________________

By Andrew Potter | Email | October 9th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Posted to: Capital Read, Potter Gold | 368 | Comment on post

For. Shame.

The only saving grace is that James Moore refused to be drawn in. Good on him. Mike Duffy is disgusting.

UPDATE: This is worse than the Chretien face-paralysis attack ad. CTV just won Dion the election.

UPDATE AGAIN: Here’s the clip, for those who missed it.

AND AGAIN: And as for the Tory spindorks, have their brains completely fallen out? How on earth do they think this is going to play in Quebec? Quebecers don’t much like Dion, but to have a bunch of rubes mocking the man for his poor grasp of English — yeah, they’re going to love that in Repentigny. They’ll be slapping their thighs in the Gaspe.

Honest to god.

_______________________________________________________

Note to bloggers: Copy and paste this post into your blog - it shows up as a recent comment on the Maclean’s blog - lots of free Maclean’s traffic… lol.

Garth Is Too Much

From Garth’s blog:

Apparently I am too much. Too much for a successful career in Canadian politics, anyway. As you may have heard, last night I lost my seat in Parliament in the first elections in the world to be held in the immediate wake of the financial and economic mess enveloping us.

Being Canada’s only blogging MP (my political site played a key role in having my butt kicked out of the Conservative party) was bad enough. But being with a political party which seemed to offer people no better safe harbour in this storm was likely the kiss of death. I’d urged my leader to adopt an immediate policy of guaranteeing all private bank savings, but that commitment was blown.

In any case, my own damn fault. If you want to know more, you can buy my book (the new one). More on that in future days.

Garth is too much…

We Love To Vote For Losers In Canada

photo credit: darkroom productions

Only in Canada do we vote for separatists.

Only in Canada do we have a federal party that has lasted a generation without ever having come close to winning.

Only in Canada do we have a party that has ruled since 1867 with the undying love of the media, that still doesn’t understand that their leader may need to understand English to win.

And, best of all, only in Canada do we have a party that is named after a colour - and is only running to get some of that green to keep their environmental scare mongering alive.

It reminds me of Rider pride… we love losers here.

Get out and vote.

See if you can choose a winner this time.

It may encourage the losers to get their act together.

The Left Is Getting Ahead Of Themselves

Listening and reading the news, the election is all but over. Obama is measuring drapes and Harper is getting a minority again.

The Canadian left is promoting strategic voting - and it’s sure to deliver unintended results.

I really believe the conservative base will be out in droves to vote. The left, being generally apathetic, will probably stay home to some degree.

If you are for Harper - make sure you get out to vote. A majority is needed dearly to get Canada moving, and to keep us afloat through this financial crisis.

The green plans the other have in store will cripple Canada at a time when we need our natural resources as leverage to keep us in the black.

Plus, it’ll send a message to the opposition parties that you can’t run a successful campaign by only attacking the leader - you need to have a message and a better plan.

A Great Way To Get Your Message Viral

YouTube censors comedian shock http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknew…

With the UK is almost taken over by Islam, a gentleman from England made a video to warn his countryman what was happening under their noses.

The video was pulled - as politically incorrect - and the traffic to Pat Condell’s YouTube channel soared.  Search Islam on YouTube and he is dominating the results.

We learn a couple of things:

1) That saying anything against Islam will get you banned - although if you load terror videos favorable to Islam you’re OK.

2) Sharia law is in place in the UK and on it’s way to Canada. Glad I am not female.

My favorite:

Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/midd…

Canada’s move to Sharia law started quite some time ago, and we need to be aware of how it changes the face of our society - women’s rights being only one of the things sacrificed.

I just hope that the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal isn’t reading this…

Is The Media Really That Biased?

photo credit: ♥♥peppersmom♥♥

Welcome To The Harper Derangement Syndrome.

Search Google news for Stephen Harper and you’ll see exactly how biased the media is against him.

The top of the Goggle results start with this quote:

“Last night, Stephane, you panicked,” … “Your platform says we will spend billions of dollars we don’t have and go into deficit. (You) will raise taxes that will kill jobs”

Keep in  mind that most people don’t read the story - just the headlines…

The media is actively campaigning against the Conservatives and Harper - giving the equivalent of millions of dollars of advertising to the other parties.

I expect this in Vancouver where we have two newspapers owned by the same company… but you’d think that there would be one newspaper in Canada that isn’t far left.

Which leads me to question:

What are the papers in Canada so afraid of that they would compromise their integrity this way?

Isn’t the media supposed to balance coverage of the parties?

The papers are partisan hacks, and lack the balls to objectively look at what’s best for the country.

The NDP will crush the economy, the Liberals would return Canada to cronyism while holding us back through socialism, and the Green Party would take us back a century.

The Conservatives will move Canada forward globally, get government out of legislating behavior, and open Canada for business… I don’t see that as a bad thing.

Or, is it because Harper is from the west?

When Defeat Is Certain - Sue

photo credit: LordKhan

Democracy Watch, which said it’s a non-profit, non-partisan
group that advocates government accountability, filed suit today
in federal court in Ottawa. A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow
on the group’s request that a federal judge rule the Sept. 7
dissolution of parliament illegal.

According to most recent opinion polls, the Conservatives
are close to winning a majority of the seats in the Oct. 14 vote.

“Democracy Watch is filing this case not only to challenge
the calling of the current election, but also to win a ruling
that will prohibit future prime ministers from calling
elections” without having been forced to by a vote of non-
confidence in the legislature, the group said in a statement.

Too little, too late.

Why is it that there is no information on this group on the web, other than links to its site on a very far left web directory?

The suit sounds very suspicious - and comes when the Conservatives probably have a majority in the making.

You’d think with all the scandals the Liberal party has given Canada, they would have been more active in the past.

They may be for actual democracy - but their website makes me question their motives…

Any insight?

Layton: Let’s Collapse The Canadian Economy

photo credit

In a move to appeal to the chronically unemployed, single moms, and anyone still grasping onto Karl Marx, Jack Layton has decided that it’s a good idea to increase taxes on companies and to give another $400/month to those with kids.

Although it has initial appeal to those wanting something for free - it amazes me that he would think that Canadians can’t see where their paychecks come from.

Tax a company and immediately that company will need to adjust its cost base - lay off some of those workers.

But that’s OK - we have a great EI program to look after you - and if you have a kid, add another $400 to your monthly income.

Layton should take a day off and read the news… it’s the worst possible time to increase spending or taxes.

We aren’t so easily fooled.

Funding The Green Party

photo credit: Lili Vieira de Carvalho

By Alina Abbot

One of the big obstacles that the Green Party will face in the next election is that of the strategic voters. Those people who share our values and agree with our policies, but who are swayed by the scare tactics of the big parties that claim “If you don’t vote for us, then THEY will get in!” as they point their fingers at the other big parties.

Here are some arguments to help persuade the strategic voters to cast their vote with the Greens:

1. Casting a vote for one of the big parties tells them that you approve of their policies and political games. You get one valuable vote, something that people around the world are willing to die for. When you use it to support a party you don’t really believe in, they still will make the assumption that you used your valuable vote to support what you believe. “Canadians have spoken!” was the cry heard from many Conservatives after the last election, even though 63.7% of Canadian voters chose someone other than the Conservatives. Every vote cast for the Green Party sends a message that Green values and policies are important. Every vote cast for the Green Party will cause the big parties to raise their eyebrows and think “Hmm, maybe Canadians really DO want something other than our policies!”

2. The parties that receive over 2% of the national vote get $1.75 per vote cast from taxpayers. When you cast a vote for a party, you are not only saying that you approve of their values, but you give them your $1.75 to support their policies and future campaigns. This translated into about $9.4 M for the Conservatives in the last election, and only about $1M for the Green Party. If you support Green values, why not also support them with your tax dollars? Your funding will be available to lobby the government in power to support Green policies, even if your Green Party candidate does not win the seat.

3. The electoral districts (ridings) that receive 10% or more of their local vote receive 50% of their campaign spending back from the taxpayers. This means that your vote not only counts for the present election, but also puts support behind that party for the NEXT election! The Green Party did make it past 10% in some ridings, but most ridings fell short. If the strategic voters had cast their votes with the Greens in the last election, then there would be more funding available in many ridings to get out the all-important message that the Green Party has values that are worth supporting.

4. With the rise of the Green Party in the polls, and the increasing interest in environmental and economic sustainability, it is highly probable that the Green Party will edge out the other parties in a number of ridings in the next election. For some ridings, it will be the choices made by the strategic voters that tip the balance for or against the Greens. For those Canadians who really want to see change in the next election, the best strategy will be to vote Green.

Perhaps the next election will have the big parties waving their fingers at the Green Party candidates, exclaiming, “Vote for us, or else THEY’LL get in!” Hopefully, Canadian voters will hear this, and say, “Really? Then I’M voting GREEN!”

Alina Abbott
Candidate nominee
Chatham-Kent-Essex

Confirms that they know they can’t win, but need to target ridings they can get more than 10% of the vote.

This may explain their non-compete with the Liberals.

Wrecking-ball Harper

photo credit: mrhappy

The Canadian Press now rivals AP as far as yellow journalism.

So bad they didn’t include the writer’s name.

Here’s a heading of one of their articles:

Wrecking-ball Harper accuses Liberals of being anti-Alberta, pro-recession

Plus you have to love the first paragraph:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper accused the opposition Liberals of cheering for a recession and of attacking Alberta in one of his most incendiary broadsides yet of the election campaign.

You can read the whole thing here.

I wonder who they are cheering for…

When 9/11 Truthers Attack

I just about peed my pants… Stephane Dion’s logic escapes me and common sense.

He uses the Jewish congress as a defense to a Liberal candidate’s anti-semitic views and 9/11.

The Liberal party at its worst. And he lost this one again - got rid of the candidate.

A hat tip to Lepolitico

Laugh of The Day Brought To You By The Green Party

photo credit: shapeshift

Priceless stuff.  When you have no chance of being elected you may as well shoot for the stars.

From the Green Party Site

The Green party has the best economic policies to deal with an economic downturn (or crisis). Marc Lee is a Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and chairs the Progressive Economics Forum: “Most good fiscal policy recommendations have started with the notion of getting money quickly into the hands of those who will spend all of it. In the short-run it would primarily work through EI, but one could also imagine souping up the GST credit, the Canada Child Tax Benefit and Old Age Pensions, not to mention provincial welfare systems.

That’s a great idea - encourage EI and entitlements.

- Fund a national housing program in order to build energy-efficient co-ops and affordable green housing units, and reorient Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation programs in order to provide credit and loan guarantees to non-profit housing organizations and cooperatives for building and restoring quality, energy-efficient housing for seniors, special needs, and low income families.

Sounds like all the makings of a Canadian sub-prime crisis.

- The Green Party commitment to provide massive funds to build public transit and bikeways will have a similar economic effect, a renewal of the economy, jobs, and real change to address climate change seriously. Another win-win-win solution!

With the warmer climate we’ll all be able to bike every day.

- Another Green Party solution to an economic downturn is our Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) Policy. Poor people, homeless people can not participate in democratic decision making or economic activity when they have to worry where they will sleep at night or where their next meal will come from. The GLI would be set regionally above the poverty line. Combined with free public transit passes, it could eliminate poverty and allow social services to concentrate on problems of mental health and addiction. People would be much better equipped and mobile to participate in the economy and in their democratic responsibilities as citizens.

WOW. A new welfare system to generate voters for the party.

-Our flexible federally funded universal childcare program including workplace child care will also contribute to democratic and economic renewal, making it easier for many working Canadians to use mass transit. These policies demonstrate the comprehensive and ecological (integrated and relational) approach of the Green Party to both economic and democratic renewal.

How does childcare link with public transit? What’s with the economic and democratic renewal through childcare spending…

This all nuts really - and attracts Canadians looking for more handouts.

This from a Ms. May who calls Canadians “stupid”

I’m left wondering how long it will be before Layton drops some of this crap into the NDP platform.

Another Lie: Funding Cuts To The Arts

photo credit: kk+

The issue of the day, brought to you by the NDP and Liberals, that’s an outright lie.

From the National Post:

For the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2009, Parliament has voted to spend more than $4 billion on cultural programs, including the CBC, the Canada Arts Council, the National Gallery of Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage. That amount is $660 million or 19.7 per cent more than was spent in fiscal 2006, the last year when the Liberals controlled the purse strings.

Overall program spending during that same period is up 18.6 per cent. In other words, Conservatives have boosted spending on arts programs faster than they have boosted overall government spending.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, for example, will receive $1.1 billion from the Tories this year, an increase of $133 million or 13.5 per cent compared to the last year under the Liberals.

Kory Teneycke, the top spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, explains:

“The public reaction out there - you’d think we’d shut down the arts. That’s not the case,” said Teneycke. “This was not about less money for the arts. It about having government programs that are meeting their objectives. We’re committed to cancelling programs that are boondoggles.”

Now that the issue has been brought to the voter’s attention, it’s about time someone looked into the funding of groups that are questionable at best - and maybe question why arts funding has increased.

Liberal Logic

photo credit: ultra

Watching Stephane Dion on the news today… couldn’t believe his logic.

He blames Harper for the debt problem because he cut the GST. “For people to get benefit of this cut, they needed to spend, and now we have this mess.”

So cutting the GST caused people to overspend… unbelievable.

And all along I thought I was saving money.

More gems..

Speaking to the Georgia Strait:

“Like today when he insulted the artists and when he said that he wants to put the 14-year-old kids in jail for the rest of their lives….And then to increase the number of our people in jail in Canada by 5,000 people and he has not a penny to pay for it. That means that our jails will be more crowded than ever. And when these people will get out of jail, they will be more brutal than ever. The rate of recidivism will go up, and we will not be safer. We know that because it is what happened in some states….And he wants to import it because he is a dangerous ideologue.”

Dione Wishing Harper Would Do The Same

photo credit: Wigwam Jones

A sign that this financial meltdown is very serious…

“John McCain has suspended his campaign effective tomorrow morning and will return to Washington, D.C.

McCain has also requested that the Debate Commission postpone the Foreign Policy debate.

McCain says he must return to the Senate to help work out the details of the “bail-out” legislation. He has asked Senator Barack Obama to follow his lead and return to his duties in the Senate.

In making this decision, McCain states that it appears that the Paulson plan will not pass through the legislature. He states that this issue is an emergency that requires immediate action and it is more important than the Presidential race.

No word yet from the Obama campaign.”

Let’s see what Obama does, and if he will actually return and vote on the package.

“Present” doesn’t count.