A Picture for the Ages

Credit - National Post

Cdn Blue Lemons December 17 2005 Seat Forecast

Originally Posted Dec 17 2005
Actual:
CPC - 124
Lib - 103
PQ - 51
NDP - 28
Ind - 1
Not a bad guess

I think the Libs sense some things that aren't showing up in the polls and some that are. The Chretienites are hurting not helping - a lot maybe even silently hoping for a CPC victory. Quebec is lost - maybe a dozen seats fewer there. Rural Ontario is fading - maybe a dozen lost there. These events alone result in a CPC minority government. If the trend continues and the Tories pick up an extra dozen seats outside of Quebec and Ontario, all of a sudden the CPC has 40% of the seats in the House and reverses the current standings.
My read given this scenario:
CPC - 122
Lib - 103
PQ - 63
NDP - 20
And if this scenario happens, which party would pull the string on an election in the next two years. They'd get slaughtered.
I can smell fear.

A Note for Those Who Prefer the State Raising Children

The former Liberal Government and New Democratic Party have promised starter and happier children if only the State is allowed to raise them as surrogate parents from cradle to drinking age.
With a sweeping assumption, I think it would be valuable to look for tried examples of this philosophy and conduct an evaluation, prior to drawing such a conclusion and defending it so vigorously.
Of course, we have an excellent, broadly-based, case study upon which we can draw educated conclusions.
Public education.
All levels of public school have been accessible without direct payment or taxes to all school age children now in all parts of Canada for almost fifty years. When I attended public school, our teachers were clearly proxies for parents; they treated us as their personal charges, disciplined us as a loving parent would, stayed late to offer after-school programs and rewarded us with stars on our scribblers.
What do we see now in our state run system? Well, first of all teachers have become mercenaries - unwilling to spend a minute more at school that they are contracted and paid to provide. Thus we have seen the end of after school chemistry clubs, photo-clubs, school newspapers and the like, and all the benefits these activities brought to kids.
Meanwhile, our courts have seen fit to remove the right of locos parentis, teachers are now not permitted to discipline children, not even take their knives away from them if they dare. Rather than open children's minds to different ideas, almost stereotypically children are coached on the values of liberal humanist beliefs, or worse, urged toward anti-Christian and anti-capitalist views.
When the teachers don't get their way, they go on strike and act like pre-juveniles, stamping their feet until they do.
And there are no failures in our state run education system; teachers don't want to be stuck with the same dullards for more than one year, so kids are automatically promoted.
The end results is that our educational achievement is bordering on the pathetic. Our children are not given the opportunities to develop new interests, they do not know the joy of success or the disappointment of failure. They are taught to resent the economic and social systems in which they live.
The proof of the failure of the public school system is evidenced by the choices being made by Canadian parents; depending on the province, as much as 9.1% of school age children now attend private schools in the country. This despite the comparative financial burden of a minimum of $15000 cost per student against zero. We have a two tier education system, where the rich kids get smarter.
We can expect the same sort of outcomes for under-sixers in an expanded state run day care program, as we now get from a state-run educational system. And the outcomes ain't very pretty at all.

Iggy's Liberal Campaign Chair Sees the Light

Says Toronto Star
And has swung his support to Cappy.
In this tight race, this could send Iggy and his intellect back to Harvard.

If Iggy wants to teach at UofT for a while and actually live here, we might see him again, which will frankly be welcome. He's a bright guy.

Steve Harper New Host of Vinyl Cafe

Just listened to Harper's "Martin's Ads" speech from St. Catharines in audio only.
If he ever tires of politics, Stephen can jump into Stuart MacLean's seat on CBC's The Vinyl Cafe immediately thereafter. He has a twin voice to Stuart: pleasingly laconic, comfortably referring to his 'friends" as Stuart does.
Personally, I hope Mr. Harper is our PM for the next dozen years or so, but if not, he could make our Sunday afternoons cozier on CBC as he regales us of tales of dogs stealing Christmas turkeys and the like.

Is Bureaucracy Partisan Liberal?

Right answer is probably, some.
But a recent example occurred when I scrutineered an advance poll last weekend. My name tag didn't say Conservative Party of Canada, or even CPC Party.
It said PC Party.
Now, this could be an accident. Or it could be an attempt by someone to dismiss or disparage the credibility of the CPC.
As I get older I get more jaded and cynical.
In Ontario of course we have some dimbulbs running as Prog Cdn Party - - they will be listed as the PC Party on the ballots.
Elections Canada is not, or chooses not, to make very basic corrections that could in a small way effect the election.

Anyone Else Offended by the Phrase "Progressive Voters"?

What unadulterated Bull Crap.
We are "neo-conservatives" (their politically correct sobriquet for fascist nazis) and "progressive" voters will vote Liberal. I guess that means the 40% of people who will vote for the CPC are "regressive" voters.
Those liberal turkeys love labels so long as they're not used on them, i.e. Hypocrites, Liars, Thieves, Fraud Artists, etc.

Susan Murray Defends Martin On Pensions

This morning on Newman, Susan Murray was here usual loud and obnoxious interrupting self defending Paul Martin for speaking to union workers in London about protecting their pensions.
Was this was the same Paul Martin whose Canadian Steamships stripped something like $150 million from the company's employee pension plans?
I think so.

Did Volpe Lose His License?

By ALAN FINDLAY, TORONTO SUN
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Joe Volpe rented limos to ferry him on long trips from Toronto last year, with one ride to Buffalo and back costing more than $1,000, Sun Media has learned.
Leaked documents detail a 12 1/2-hour trip to the nearby U.S. city last March that included an $850 fare, $127.50 tip and $68.43 in GST for a total cost of $1,045.93.
Another 10 1/2-hour trip to an undisclosed location from Pearson airport cost $522.

Doesn't Joe have a car??

Which is Which?

One of these fellows is the Video Professor, promising to re-educate the masses on using computers. The other leads the New Democratic Party of Canada, promising to re-educate Canadians to give all their money to the masses.

Hoping for a Carolyn Bennett Retirement

Back a dozen years ago at a meeting of the Hepatitis C Society (started to look for justice for people infected by the Blood System) Carolyn Bennett, as A FOUNDER of the SOCIETY spoke at the Annual General Meeting and as a new MP.
She suggested that the Society should stop opposing the government and cooperate, that it will be more valuable to work inside the system than as outsiders. The impression was that she would be able to generate better results inside Parliament than activists could by marching on the front lawn.
Of course, her statements were platitudinous, perhaps based on her naivite, perhaps with other motives.
Only a few weeks later a vote came to the house to comepensate victims and she, as all other Lib MPs did, voted against the victims.
It is time for Dr. Bennett to take early retirement with all the other hypocritical members of the Liberal government, who say one thing, do another, but always protect their personal interests, their power and positions.
I hope to see Peter Kent in Ottawa come Tuesday.

My Email to Think Twice Canada

If I were a part of your organization (which I am not) I would be ashamed.
Canada is still a democracy and your considerations, individually or collectively, are no more or less important or informed than anyone elses.
Being an actor does not provide you special insight into right or wrong. It likely does qualify you to be a politician. Being a trade unionist hardly suggests non-partisanship. As far as your inclusiveness, of 25 members identifiable by gender, all but 2 arefemale, which is fine, but makes your organization less gender equal than the Canadian Conservative Party.
Believe it or not, Canadians in vast numbers disagree with you despite the best intended results of you and of the NDP and Liberal Parties and the millions of dollars of public money they have spent in opposing the CPC.
Stop thinking that you're smarter than the masses, appreciate that people are allowed to disagree with you and be prepared to accept the possibility that Canadian Conservatives are every bit as well intended, every bit as honest, just as hard working and just as honest and forthright as you are.

Martin Admits He's in Trouble

I wish I had this on tape - a second ago Paulo Martini stated in a press conference and I quote, "I hope you appreciate that now I'm really in trouble."
Good to know you know, Paul.
Oh and just after he said that "I hope Canadians don't take us back 10 years when the government didn't know what its projections were, what its numbers were."
Ah, Paul, weren't you Finance Minister then??

Bloggers - Write Your Scandal Story Now Before its too Late

Hit the Link and write your scandal story in time for it to remind voters.

Liberals Insulted Hep C Blood Victims

On September 20, 1996 my brother, Tony, my best friend and the greatest guy anyone ever met died with Hepatitis C.
For the year before both of us joined the battle to confront the government and Red Cross about their failure to protect the blood supply and Canadians. I carried on this struggle for a few years after his death as one of the activists chasing Alan Rock and gang of thugs trying to hold them accountable.
We were less than a half dozen folks with no money, some very sick, all with lives to live who took on the entire Liberal Empire.
What did we know from those good bureaucrats was definite and disgusting.
The government knew (a Liberal one by the way) that the blood system was compromised as early as the 1960's. They new there was a new deficiency, they didn't know what it was. During the 70's this was labelled non-A, non-B Hepatitis. The Blood Committee of the Bureau of Biologics of Health Canada decided that the risks of infection were acceptable, but the cost of warning people of the infection of the blood system was not. They refused announcing this, and refused the obvious opportunity for people to provide autologous donations (of their own blood) and targeted donations for family members. Thousands of Canadians were infected during this period.
Later on, still under a Liberal government, it was decided that it would be cheaper to pay out any compensation claims, than to pay $32 million a year for treating the blood.
We know what happened, probably 20,000 or more people were infected by Hep C in the blood supply, with many more subsequently infected downstream.
When the Liberal government was attacked for this shame, their response was disgusting (and predictable). At first they denied any responsibility. Then they circled their wagons and stonewalled. Then they had a bunch of meetings and decided to not do anything. I remember Rock stating that this file was closed, and my response that they considered our people to be 8 x 11 and manila.
During this time and after my brother's death I visited death bed after death bed. Met with hundreds of people whose lives were ruined, without any Liberal compassion.
Thanks to the work of our volunteers, and the actions of people like Andre Picard and Michael Harris, they finally came clean and admitted responsibility for people infected between 1986 and 1990. Curiously a period when the PCs were in office.
I remember our volunteer lobbyist offering advice, "remember their jobs and power are way more important to them than your sick people are to you. They will do anything to keep you down. They will try and hire your volunteers, they will try to offer you directed money to make you pursue other strategies, they will invite you to sit on committees to study solutions (and delay proceedings) and then never have the committee meet." The Liberals did all of these and more.
Finally, they were nailed and had to come up with something to get the public off their back.
Their final response. $1.1 Billion in compensation, to be negotiated with by class action lawyers.
Where were these lawyers when we needed them? Personally starting class action suits in our victims interests, without the involvement of the victims groups. What was the end result?
One of Alan Rock's best friends was appointed by Alan Rock to represent the victims. He had not put one dime into our campaign or spent one minute advising us. Subsequently he received $60 million from the compensation fund. All Victims collectively have not received much more (the lawyers and fund administration costs now total an equal amount to all compensation pay outs).
An unwieldy compensation application process was designed making it tough (especially for sick people) to apply and qualify.
Alan Rock's buddy the class action lawyer flies around in a Lear jet. My brother is in his grave.
Another example of how Liberals do things.

Media Frenzy Proves Tory Prospects

Credit Paul Wells from Macleans
Media types don't line up to fopllow around losers. Losers can't afford the buffets and booze. Paul reveals that a third bus has been added to the CPC contingent.

"Greetings from the record-breaking third emergency media bus the Harper campaign has laid on, in response to higher-than-average interest in what the Calgary MP is up to this week.
That's right. The first bus is for electronic media. The second is for print. And the third is for stragglers and slow learners, including me, the guy from CJAD, and Rick Mercer. Fortunately Bogdan the techie has this thing wi-fi'd up, so I can blog inanely."

Globe Endorses Tories ----- Which Torlib Paper Will Move First?

Originally Posted on Jan 10

After last night's Howard Dean like performance by Paul Martin, and given the dramatic shift in poll responder support in the past week, bandwagon hopping might be one athletic event we can expect in the next 2 weeks.
I've been musing since Boxing Day that if the media moves to the Tories, we could see a landslide.
Certainly, with some exceptions, Stephen Harper and his party are being more fairly received by the MSM than last time. And in looking at the Star and the Globe today, a willingness to accept a Conservative government, preferrably in a minority, seems not to be an undesirable outcome.
I think that one of the 2 big Toronto dailies in the next week will be positing if not publishing an editorial with the headline "Time for Liberals to Take a Rest and Rebuild".
Any thoughts from Blogdom?

Newman, Derek Lee and John Baird Debate on Property Rights

Huge example during the show tonight.
A year ago the Provincial Liberals legislated a green belt around Toronto to limit urban sprawl. Prior to this those land owners were looking forward to a very comfortable retirement based on the anticipated value of the sale of their land for residential home building.
Back then I was consulting with a client who was looking at his land increasing in value from $10k an acre to over $500k, and he was keen on selling his land (that have been owned for generations.
The right of eminant domain, which exists without property rights, was invoked by the province and the individuals affected lost millions of dollars (except that owned by Liberal friends but that's another story).
Canadian's don't appreciate that we own nothing. Not the rights to the shirts off our backs, if the government decide to take them.

The Tory Surge Why??

Simple, I think.
About 6 or 7 years ago many of us looked to the combined polling of the PCs and Reforms and concluded that if only . . .
we could combine the vote . . .
Well,
now, perhaps we see it. The conservative factions have come together. And we are perhaps seeing this.
In Canada.
I'm not allowed to make this up.

What if these are the best ideas the Libs Got . . .

Reposted from December 28th
Hard to belive, but these HAVE been the best ideas the Libs have

I know its juvenile what we're seeing...

Liberal insiders calling attractive socialist candidates pooches and pols that wear cowboy hats gay (even if its an in thing what with the new hit movie Bend Over Mountain), and NDP leaders a-holes (not for the first time). And the let them eat cake, er, I mean let them eat popcorn comment was done over 200 years ago (but there were hereditary rulers back then - the Libs wish).

But what if these ideas are the best ones the liberal got?
What if their best minds got together and this is what they've come up with?
We haven't seen much else from a policy perspective so far. Day care (that I think Mulroney talked about first 20 years ago)? That's it.

Chatted with a long time Lib advisor in Ottawa on Monday. Even he's thinking about voting Tory. And he's a Red Liberal.

If the trend continues, we're looking at a landslide.

Martin finally gets a crowd

At the Delta in Agincourt tonite PM (Post Mortem) finally got a crowd.
Drew them from the entire GTA. 5 million people managed to provide a Liberal crowd that filled a room.
Compared to the Canadian Club earlier in the day that was 40% full, even with a whole gang of folks trying to fill seats.

PM "A Right Wing American Conservative Policy"

What . . .
Property rights are bad??
They would be a disaster according to PM.
A Charter of Rights and Freedom that does not prevent the Queen of England (Canada) from her legal right to take my car if desired, to take my house and land for the establishment of a safe injection site and pay me whatever they decide is market value is good according to Paul Martin.
Let's start with PMs farm. Lets have the Queen decide to take this over for a drug rehabilitation centre.
Under eminent domain, the Queen can.

As much as the long campaign is getting me thru the winter . . .

Campaign is too long
When the CBC is doing Political Speed Dating and letting each party produce and air their own stories . . .
Too much time too little said even less done.
Let's just select a poll and let that decide an outcome.

A Missing Debate Booboo and Charest to Support Harper

Anyone else notice last night that Gilles D kept pushing Paul M to agree that Quebec was a nation. The PM (post mortem) seemed to agree that Quebec was a nation but in his best liberal way, wiggled his way out of ever using the phrase "Quebec Nation".

Meanwhile, word is out that the Quebec Liberals will be supporting the Tory Candidates that are appear to be in the lead over the PQ.

Michael Ignatieff Runs like a . . .

Anyone catch Michael Ignatieff on Global tonite, dashing insecurely out of his campaign office looking uncomfortable in his toque, into a waiting BMW?? No doubt to dazzle his adoring public constituency with his deep intellectual opinions on ethnic nationalism.
I knew Pierre Trudeau and Iggy is no Pierre Trudeau.
I hope he didn't unvest his Harvard pension.
I like Iggy, but I think Cappy's gonna whip his butt.

John McCallum Squeezed by Newman

... and left a quivering jello of a minister.
Only a couple of minutes into the interview on Newman this morning, Emperor John McCallum started shedding his clothes.
With Monte Solberg chuckling in the background, Newman was trying to figure out what the heck the former RBC Economics head was talking about. Monte made it clear that the CPC would have a new approach and brought out the Natl Poverty Coalition and Conference Board as supporters of their program financial efficacy. McCallum slagged the CPC for cancelling the Liberals pre-election promises (as if they had had a mandate to deliver on them to begin with).
Newman caught the Lib on one piece of LibLogic - "what's the difference between the Liberals giving Ontario $5 Billion and the PCs transferring money to the province?"
Newman suggested that really, wasn't it just a matter of choices - to allow people to make their decision on which plan they preferred?
Monte was wonderfully dismissive and too be honest, McCallum kinda looked shakey. He also advised that the whole Tory platform will be out by the end of the week.

Forecast of Tuesday's Post Debates Comments

Susan Delacourt: "Paul Martin seemed to be half asleep until values were mentioned, then he was almost evangelical (in a good way) in denigrating Harper as 'an enemy of every single moral and ethical value that makes this country great. And I, for one, will not stand by while this man ruins this great country."

James Travers: "Paul Martin performed like an old shoe, not much to look at, but easy to slip into and out of. I suspect that a whole lot of people who tuned in are going to be dropping into Payless before January 23rd."

Tom Clark: "Paul Martin was in fighting trim and came out swinging when the topic turned to Quebec. He blasted at Stephen Harper that 'if you haven't lived in Quebec, then you can't understand Quebec, and you certainly can't help Quebecers who are trying to keep this country together'."

Greg Weston: "The Liberal's unhappy prospects for election took an even more desperate turn toward the end of the debate. The soon to be former Prime Minister piled one empty platitude on top of another until even his own eyes started to glaze over. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper stayed entirely within his bandwidth; not too hot, not too cold, just right."

Andrew Coyne: "When will it end... Repeating unfulfilled Liberal promises from elections past and bringing to the debate old enemies long gone from the battlefield. I kept waiting for Martin to bring up Arthur Meighen, for heaven sakes. If Martin is to have any hope in this campaign, then he has to start living in the now. Otherwise, I just wish someone would put him out of his misery. Maybe he could finish the campaign on a slow CSL boat to Vanatu or something."

John Ibbitson: "This campaign remains to be decided. No one was overly impressive, nor destructively bad, and nothing was done or said that would swing a meaningful number of votes in meaningful ridings. It will be hard to say, though, what Paul Martin can do between now and E-Day to turn things around."

Sheila Copps: "This guy has no shame; seconds after he was denying any connection to the Chretien government, he was taking credit for everything from the Clarity Act to staying out of Iraq. This even though in caucus meetings he had spoken vigourously against both."

A Certain Grit Blogger: "Paul Martin got em exactly where we want em. His calm, statesmanlike stance blew Harper out of the water and promises to make his tenure in Stornaway even briefer. Its great to be a huge underdog going into the last two weeks of the campaign."

Message to Be Delivered at Doorsteps

Many of the people I've talked to in the last week are in search of positive change, yet hang on to messages tied to political parties not called the CPC, not led by Stephen Harper, or not related to the policies of the CPC today.
I've heard Mulroney stories frequently, and devil you know stories, and memories of bozo eruptions and the like from the last campaign. An election scheduled early by the Libs so that the CPC would not be fully ready for a campaign.
One of the meesages I deliver is that our party offers the promise of dozens of new people to the House of Commons, not associated with the brothel that the Liberals have created and the negative atmosphere that has permeated the House.
In Toronto we have a slate of young, new entrants to the political scene, who, if elected will bring new vitality to debate in the House and to the policies of the CPC.

Urban ridings - especially Toronto - need solid and vigorous CPC representatives, whether in Government or in opposition. And we can offer them this. Not only for immediate change, but for growth of the party into one that represents, through their elected members, all perspectives on all issues that affect Canadians.

New Look

A New Look...

Did the Martin Boys Ever Pay for Their Dad's Company

I'm just asking the question.
Pablo Martini is a quarter billionaire thanks to the coniving of Maurice Strong and generosity of Paul Daimarais (Jean Chretien's daughters Father in Law).
Is Pablo totally liquid now?
Like did the boys pay cash or cheque??
Were capital gains taxes appropriately paid?
Woudl Revenue Canada dare to track this back?
Or was this just a phantom transaction?

Just asking.

Shoot Me Before I Read CBC Again

Story after story, spin after spin that is pro Liberal.
The CBC, which has a Board of Directors that entirely and exclusively donated money to the Liberal Party, that have News Directors across the country which did not have a single Conservative voter in the last election.
Mom Corp is trying her best to keep her sugar daddys in office.

I'm Concerned

All signs in the real world point to strong grassroots Tory support.
But I see the propaganda stanrting to spin out:
Tom Clark's pro Martin spin;
CBC's absolute lies about the Tory tax plan;
Canoe's reporting Martin's incorrect math.

I think the media are beginning to unmake Stephen Harper thinking that they have made him.

I do think that he will cause an earthquake in Quebec on Tuesday.
But Toronto media are starting to aim their pencils at him.

Claude Dauphine - Honourary President of Option Canada

M. Dauphine's spokesperson said that le bon monsieur had nothing to do with management of the organization, that he was only "honourary president".

Question I have is whether he received any "honourary stipends or honouraria" for being honourary president?

I bet there was a little or a lot of kaching in the budget for him

Update on Toronto Centre

Got a chance to canvas a downtown condo today for Lewis Reford. This would be expected to be red - mainly upper middle class young folks, upwardly mobile types
Response was surprisingly positive - only had two doors hit my nose. More tories than liberals, lot of undecided almost all going to the candi debates on Wednesday.
If we can win a poll like this we can win the riding.
But still a lot to do.

Neil Macdonald - Hater of Israel and anything to do that ain't liberal

Neil Macdonald came up with a story that the Tories are going to increase personal tax rates in their first budget.
Macdonald is largely a discredited journalist for the scandalous stories that slagged Israel in the last couple of years.
He has no credibility and frankly, should have been fired (like Terry Milewski was a couple of years ago by challenged Chretien).
This story assumes 2 things, 1/ that the Tories are gonna win and 2/ that they have already completed a budget for April after they're elected.
Please pick up on this story and run with it.

Raptors, Tories and Leafs All on Win Streak

Ya gotta love it

Brilliant Work from Joel

See Link - Martin Anger Good. Harper Anger Bad.
I think Tom Clark of CTV is looking (and hoping for) a federal pension.

Who is Daniel Cook and How Can I Hire Him

My God, he's as cute as a Muppet.
Where did he come from, and is he a member of the Guild??

Back to the Future

Fascinating.
Tonite on Newman Susan Delacourt described the campaign as existing in a bizarro world.
How Martin and Libs were acting like the CPC in 2004, while Harper & the Tories were looking like the Libs.
A week or so ago, I suggested that Paul Martin was trying to fight the 2004 Campaign over again, but the CPC wasn't cooperating. Looks like deja vu, but roles are reversed.

Scott Bryson as a Taxi Driver

Scottie is qualified as a hack.
But not much else.
His comment, I tried to smoke dope but Stephen Harper wouldn't fit in the pipe.
What an idiot Scott is.
Too smart assed by half.
He is a liar, at best.
Good riddance Scotty.
Get a real job.
Hope you enjoy an opp bench next to Belinda and Paul.

AM 640 and CFRB

When Paul Martin, Daltin McG and David Miller got together a week or so ago to announce their next futile attempt to stop Jamaican posse members from murdering innocents in Toronto, ultimately their empty statements were ignored.
Today, after Stephen Harper spoke in Toronto, AM640 with Charles Adler and CFRB for the duration of the John Moore show focussed entirely on crime and guns in Toronto.
This is a huge sign (along with recent Star reports) that the Conservatives are the leading and accepted choice for Canada.
Canada is about to move back into a reality that offers the opportunity to achieve our potential, to achieve our destinty.
I am glad and proud to be a Canadian, again.

Paul Martin Tsunami Promises Prove Bogus

Paul MArtin, the most compassionate of all the compassionate a year ago, has not followed through with his promise to donate $450 million to the suffering victims of last years devastating tsunami.

Promise Made. Promise Broken.

From Canada Free Press:

Tip-offs passed to canadafreepress.com by Sri Lankan journalists during the past year were right on target: The promised money from Canada for victims of the December 26 tsunami never came.

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, who made a January 3, 2005 photo-op of tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka, guaranteed $425-million for tsunami relief that has yet to arrive.

Forty million dollars of the $425-million pledged by Martin was donated by average Canadians.