3.31.2011
Jason Kenny doesn't get it!
This is a snip capture of a Tweet from Conservative heavy weight, Jason Kenny from this afternoon. It's clear the Conservatives and Harper's team just don't get it. Its not funny.
3.24.2011
Individual MP's can make a Difference - Lynn McDonald
So you think individual MP's can't make a difference? Lynn McDonald would tell you otherwise. McDonald was the MP in the federal riding that comprised part of what is now Toronto Danforth, Jack Layton's riding.
McDonald was elected to Parliament in 1982. She is the first MP to be referred to as Ms. McDonald introduced a private Members Bill C-204, the Non-smokers’ Health Act.l
This private-member’s bill, introduced in the House of Commons by Lynn McDonald (NDP) in October 1986, proposed to restrict smoking in federally regulated workplaces, as well as on planes, trains, and boats. The bill placed tobacco under the Hazardous Products Act, thereby prohibiting all advertising and sales except what was permitted by regulation.
It took two years but Bill C-204 passed 3rd reading on May 30th 1988. A government Bill C-51 passed the following day.
Today Canada's fight back against tobacco can be traced back to a New Democrat MP who with the support of her party took up the fight. McDonald's bill was passed with the support of all political parties as was the government Bill C-51 which as I noted above was passed the next day. It wasn't easy as many MP's stayed away for the vote.
Individual MPs do make a difference, your vote counts when you cast it for someone that you believe in.
You can read more about the fight to pass the two Bills here.
Lynn McDonald works on the faculty of the University of Guelph.
McDonald was elected to Parliament in 1982. She is the first MP to be referred to as Ms. McDonald introduced a private Members Bill C-204, the Non-smokers’ Health Act.lThis private-member’s bill, introduced in the House of Commons by Lynn McDonald (NDP) in October 1986, proposed to restrict smoking in federally regulated workplaces, as well as on planes, trains, and boats. The bill placed tobacco under the Hazardous Products Act, thereby prohibiting all advertising and sales except what was permitted by regulation.
It took two years but Bill C-204 passed 3rd reading on May 30th 1988. A government Bill C-51 passed the following day.
Today Canada's fight back against tobacco can be traced back to a New Democrat MP who with the support of her party took up the fight. McDonald's bill was passed with the support of all political parties as was the government Bill C-51 which as I noted above was passed the next day. It wasn't easy as many MP's stayed away for the vote.
Individual MPs do make a difference, your vote counts when you cast it for someone that you believe in.
You can read more about the fight to pass the two Bills here.
Lynn McDonald works on the faculty of the University of Guelph.
Lawrence O'Donnell on Catholics pro-gay views
Lawrence O'Donnell of msnbc rails against political pundits who hold up the so-called "Catholic vote" to make points about gay rights, using a new study which shows that American Catholics are at least five points more supportive than the general public across a range of gay and lesbian issues..
I knew many Catholics growing up and worked with a few Knights of Columbus. They were great people, supportive of my rights as a gay man. We fund raised for each other. They had a booth at the Williams Lake Stampede. The money we made from working their booth went to a political group that supported gay rights. They knew this. These people will forever be in my thoughts.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/catholics_odonnell.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29&utm_content=Twitter#ixzz1HWKYSypl
H/T to Towlerroad
I knew many Catholics growing up and worked with a few Knights of Columbus. They were great people, supportive of my rights as a gay man. We fund raised for each other. They had a booth at the Williams Lake Stampede. The money we made from working their booth went to a political group that supported gay rights. They knew this. These people will forever be in my thoughts.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/catholics_odonnell.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29&utm_content=Twitter#ixzz1HWKYSypl
H/T to Towlerroad
3.23.2011
NDP, BLOC show up for Liberal Motion - Too Bad the Liberals didn't
Iggy's Liberals couldn't organize a a piss up in a bar. They planned a perfect way to get the Harper Conservatives to go on record as being opposed to contraception. They forgot to tell or compel Liberal MPs to be there. Three of the Liberals there voted with Harper. Read all about it here and here. The blog that sums up what the other two said albeit with video is here.
Who did the heavy lifting on the vote, the NDP and Bloc. Both Parties felt it was vital to be in the House for this vote. Why couldn't these Liberals be there, Anita Neville, Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Kania, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Alan Tonks, Marlene Jennings, Joe Volpe, Lawrence MacAuley, and Stephane Dion, Jim Karygiannis.
h/t Dammit Janet
Who did the heavy lifting on the vote, the NDP and Bloc. Both Parties felt it was vital to be in the House for this vote. Why couldn't these Liberals be there, Anita Neville, Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Kania, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Alan Tonks, Marlene Jennings, Joe Volpe, Lawrence MacAuley, and Stephane Dion, Jim Karygiannis.
h/t Dammit Janet
3.21.2011
NDP Support of Harper Budget - Not Likely
The NDP provided a list to Prime Minister Harper for tomorrows budget. The meeting was short and quite some time ago. Since that date the Harper Government has not discussed budget options with the NDP. Today we have been hearing from the Media that the Harper Government has caved into NDP demands.
That's not the case so far as I see it. Though the Conservatives could change or tweak a couple things before morning, they don't seem inclined to. If they were serious about implementing enough NDP ideas, they would have taken time to meet with the NDP.
Unless there is a big and I mean a big surprise in the budget tomorrow, like major reform to CPP, you can count the days to the start of the next election campaign.
Don't count on the Quebec HST funding to happen tomorrow. That's too big a thing to throw out in Parliament, no that one has to be the carrot held out in front of people while they decide who to vote for.
That's not the case so far as I see it. Though the Conservatives could change or tweak a couple things before morning, they don't seem inclined to. If they were serious about implementing enough NDP ideas, they would have taken time to meet with the NDP.
Unless there is a big and I mean a big surprise in the budget tomorrow, like major reform to CPP, you can count the days to the start of the next election campaign.
Don't count on the Quebec HST funding to happen tomorrow. That's too big a thing to throw out in Parliament, no that one has to be the carrot held out in front of people while they decide who to vote for.
We Don't Deserve a Contempt Ruling Against Harper
My friend CK over at Sister Sage is speculating that Stephen Harper will drop the writ tomorrow before his budget is tabled in the House of Commons. I don't disagree CK's premise that Harper will do anything he can to prevent Parliament finding him and his Government in contempt.
I do think that we will see Prime Minister Harper's government introduce a budget prior to pulling the plug, either by doing it himself or waiting for a confidence vote to defeat him. Harper is one of the most secretive and controlling Prime Ministers in Canada's history. He has governed by simply ignoring the opposition and the majority of MP's.
What is astounding, is how he has managed to hold onto power so long. The opposition have had plenty of chances to defeat the government and one way or another either with Harper proroguing Parliament or the opposition, primarily the Liberals, voting or not voting, to prevent an election.
The opposition parties have to do a better job of telling s what they will do if elected. Who knows what the Liberals stand for. If you listen to the media you likely know that they will give federal money for and arena in Quebec. You might know that they would also give federal money for arenas across the country. What else do you know?
To some extent the main stream media are at fault. The media can't seem to get by the talking points. They don't discuss the differences between the parties other than the talking points.
The NDP is also failing to get a message across. Partly due to the failure to consistently add detail to their proposals. They still sound like tax and spend. That's not what they are about but they have not managed to show Canadians there is a better way.
My guess, we are going to the polls very soon, with Mr. Harper visiting the GG before the Liberal contempt motion has a chance at a vote. In some ways the opposition deserve to be outwitted by Harper.
Remember the days of the coalition. Do you recall the tour? The Harper Conservatives outwitted opposition parties. He turned the discussion. The Liberals, especially Ignatieff and those in the backrooms did not like the idea from the start. Oddly enough, lots of the progressive wing in the Liberal caucus did like it. They saw a way to get rid of Harper. They could have made a difference. The Liberals played their hand with the ousting of Dion and Ignatieff's demand for economic updates. Harper turned that around as well.
The Opposition does not deserve to defeat Harper on the contempt motion. As much as Harper deserves it, had the opposition done their job, Harper would not have the opportunity to find himself in contempt of the house he lords over today.
I do think that we will see Prime Minister Harper's government introduce a budget prior to pulling the plug, either by doing it himself or waiting for a confidence vote to defeat him. Harper is one of the most secretive and controlling Prime Ministers in Canada's history. He has governed by simply ignoring the opposition and the majority of MP's.
What is astounding, is how he has managed to hold onto power so long. The opposition have had plenty of chances to defeat the government and one way or another either with Harper proroguing Parliament or the opposition, primarily the Liberals, voting or not voting, to prevent an election.
The opposition parties have to do a better job of telling s what they will do if elected. Who knows what the Liberals stand for. If you listen to the media you likely know that they will give federal money for and arena in Quebec. You might know that they would also give federal money for arenas across the country. What else do you know?
To some extent the main stream media are at fault. The media can't seem to get by the talking points. They don't discuss the differences between the parties other than the talking points.
The NDP is also failing to get a message across. Partly due to the failure to consistently add detail to their proposals. They still sound like tax and spend. That's not what they are about but they have not managed to show Canadians there is a better way.
My guess, we are going to the polls very soon, with Mr. Harper visiting the GG before the Liberal contempt motion has a chance at a vote. In some ways the opposition deserve to be outwitted by Harper.
Remember the days of the coalition. Do you recall the tour? The Harper Conservatives outwitted opposition parties. He turned the discussion. The Liberals, especially Ignatieff and those in the backrooms did not like the idea from the start. Oddly enough, lots of the progressive wing in the Liberal caucus did like it. They saw a way to get rid of Harper. They could have made a difference. The Liberals played their hand with the ousting of Dion and Ignatieff's demand for economic updates. Harper turned that around as well.
The Opposition does not deserve to defeat Harper on the contempt motion. As much as Harper deserves it, had the opposition done their job, Harper would not have the opportunity to find himself in contempt of the house he lords over today.
Budget 2011 Canada - Who will win the day?
Tomorrow is budget day in Canada. Jim Flaherty the Finance Minister will introduce the budget in hopes it will cause the Government to go down instead of the expected confidence motion to come after his government is found in Contempt of Parliament.
The Liberals and Bloc have indicated they will vote against the budget. For the Liberals it would be the first time they have done this since Harper was elected. The Bloc will of course hold their fire as they await news that a deal has been reached with the Quebec Government to compensate them for the conversion costs associated with the HST. Quebec did not get the same money as Ontario or BC when they combined the provincial sales tax with the GST.
That leaves the NDP. Jack Layton, leader of the NDP has put a few things on the table. If the government meets the goals set by the NDP they would vote for the budget. Some of the items put forward by the NDP include, removal of the GST on home heating fuel, Increases to Seniors income (GIS) and changes to the Canada Pension plan for seniors, and the continuation and funding of the ecoHome renovation program.
Barring a self detonating bomb in the budget and Harper meets Layton's requests, we may see the NDP support Harper on the budget. There is of course lots of room for Layton to dismiss any efforts by the Harper Govt on these issues as being too little and or the big deal breaker of inclusion of significant corporate tax cuts. We won't know for a couple of days what will happen.
In the interim Harper and company along with the Liberals will blast the NDP until they vote one way or the other. Harper by saying he gave them much of what they asked for and Ignatieff because of all the heat he has taken from the NDP for supporting Harper.
Its a mine field in the House of Commons right now. One that will easily blow up on which ever party fails to step carefully.
update: The NDP list presented to Prime Minister Harper.
The Liberals and Bloc have indicated they will vote against the budget. For the Liberals it would be the first time they have done this since Harper was elected. The Bloc will of course hold their fire as they await news that a deal has been reached with the Quebec Government to compensate them for the conversion costs associated with the HST. Quebec did not get the same money as Ontario or BC when they combined the provincial sales tax with the GST.
That leaves the NDP. Jack Layton, leader of the NDP has put a few things on the table. If the government meets the goals set by the NDP they would vote for the budget. Some of the items put forward by the NDP include, removal of the GST on home heating fuel, Increases to Seniors income (GIS) and changes to the Canada Pension plan for seniors, and the continuation and funding of the ecoHome renovation program.
Barring a self detonating bomb in the budget and Harper meets Layton's requests, we may see the NDP support Harper on the budget. There is of course lots of room for Layton to dismiss any efforts by the Harper Govt on these issues as being too little and or the big deal breaker of inclusion of significant corporate tax cuts. We won't know for a couple of days what will happen.
In the interim Harper and company along with the Liberals will blast the NDP until they vote one way or the other. Harper by saying he gave them much of what they asked for and Ignatieff because of all the heat he has taken from the NDP for supporting Harper.
Its a mine field in the House of Commons right now. One that will easily blow up on which ever party fails to step carefully.
update: The NDP list presented to Prime Minister Harper.
Jack Layton and the New Democrats have put forward a set of practical, affordable proposals – all focused on taking pressure off your family budget:
- Take the federal sales tax off skyrocketing home heating bills and restore the EcoEnergy Retrofit program.
- Increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for our most vulnerable seniors.
- Strengthen the Canada Pension Plan we all rely on.
- Hire more doctors and nurses across Canada.
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