Vancouver Secrets

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…

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.

Glad BC Doesn’t Have A Say

photo credit: ItzaFineDay

From the Vancouver Sun:

When 1,400 British Columbians were asked to include Obama and John McCain among their possible choices for prime minister, 42 per cent of them chose Obama, well ahead of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who attracted support from 29 per cent of those polled.

Placing third was New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton with 12 per cent.

At the bottom of the heap were Liberal leader Stephane Dion, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and U.S. Republican leader John McCain, with seven, six and five per cent support respectively.

When British Columbians were asked who they would chose as president of the U.S. if they were able to vote, 80 per cent chose Obama, while 20 per cent chose McCain.

Pity poor Stephane Dion; it appears he has as much chance of winning B.C.’s support in his quest to become prime minister as the Vancouver Canucks do of winning the Stanley Cup.

Not only did Dion attract only seven per cent of those polled as a potential prime minister, only one per cent found he was best described as charismatic and only two per cent said he could be best described as inspiring.

Kyle Braid, vice-president public affairs for Ipsos Reid, said the results were fascinating.

“B.C. has got a bit of a case of the Obama envy,” he said. “It’s really pretty incredible, the degree to which a leader from another country has set himself apart from other politicians.

“The numbers also show that Dion has managed to do that as well, but in his case it’s completely in the wrong direction.”

Amazing… especially the part about the Canucks.

Just Call The Election, Steve…

photo credit: kagey_b

Prime Minister Stephen Harper seemed almost certain to call a general election next week to decide who will guide Canada.

It’s a great idea.

Although the election and candidates will be about as exciting as watching lawn bowling, holding an election alongside of the US election would let Canadians in on the fun.

We might be able to get rid of Gilles Duceppe, leader of the separatist opposition Bloc Quebecois. I always wonder what would happen if a traitor ran in the US…

Jack Layton, leader of the leftist New Democratic Party, also needs to go. With no possible chance of ever getting elected, it’s a wonder how the NDP has survived all these years. Note that the Riders have only won a Grey Cup when Conservatives have been in power in Sask.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion has proposed a tax grab similar to the National Energy Program they blessed us with in the last economic collapse. This is good for at least 10% more votes for Harper.

It’s time for change - as Barack Hussein Obama would say.

Best of all, it’s time to trounce the Liberals before their wacky carbon tax plan can see the light of day.

Here’s a video for more information on how the election will be decided: