Flip-Flop Harpocrisy Strikes Again

Harper’s position when he was not accountable.

The Proposal in question involved the chance that Jim Peterson would accept a deal that gave the industry less than 100% of what the Byrd Amendment collected

Excerpts are from Hansard

March 22nd 2005
we have seen this government's weak proposal to the Americans on the softwood lumber dispute. It is a virtual capitulation despite the fact that Canada has won virtually every round. The United States is continuing to collect over $3 billion in duties and threatens to disburse it under the illegal Byrd amendment.
Will the Prime Minister tell the president that he will stand fast on the illegality of the Byrd amendment and insist that Canadian softwood producers get their money back?

March 23rd, 2005
we have won every round, and the minister put forward an offer that gives away the store before we even get to the table.
Yesterday the Prime Minister refused to answer my questions on softwood lumber and on softwood lumber duties. I am going to ask the government again. Did the Prime Minister tell the President today that we will stand fast on the illegality of the Byrd amendment and insist that Canadian softwood producers get their money back?

So did Stephen Harper give away the store? Only 22% of it. Was this in their platform?

The Conservative government plans on giving away 22% of the store.

Actually, this is what the platform says a Conservative government will do:

Demand that the U.S. government play by the rules on softwood lumber. The U.S. must abide by the NAFTA ruling on softwood lumber, repeal the Byrd Amendment, and return the more than $5 billion in illegal softwood lumber tariffs to Canadian producers.

Why have platforms if you aren’t gonna follow through on it? Not that the Red Books were any better, but there goes another argument the Tories used at the doors and in the town halls.

How will they get themselves re-elected? I don’t think Harper will be dumb enough to do what Clark did in 1979, but Clark’s problem in 1980 was that he tried to get re-elected on the same platform as 1979, but didn’t have the ability to bash the now opposition Liberals. Polls also had him at majority level numbers early in his government as well.

In the meantime, let the flip-flopping continue.

Pandemonium hits Montreal

Walking downtown this morning, I could feel it. The city is alive, the common pulse beating to the tune of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. Montreal is and always will be the best city in Canada. The multiculturalism, the natural beauty, and the reputation of the city to throw one hell of a party make Montreal what it is: the place to be in Canada.

However, nothing beats playoff time. There is a current of electricity, a result of the buzz surrounding Hurricane Newf’s Double OT goal. Even for those who don’t like hockey like my co-bloggers here at FD, hockey is on everybody’s mind. (Seriously Marc, who leaves the bar IN OVERTIME) Tomorrow will be even more intense as Hurricane Carolina, now downgraded to Tropical Storm Carolina rolls into town.

Separatist Propaganda and Separatist National Parks?

Apparently, the Parti Quebecois seems to think that they have the monopoly on calling Jean Charest an idiot. Well, they are mistaken. I am beginning to believe that nobody wants Jean Charest to be in charge anymore.

Imagine Paul Martin firing Stephane Dion for not wanting to open up a national park for development. Or Harper firing Ambrose for the same reason. (Trying to make this thing non-partisan.)

Yes, what is the point of an environment minister who wants the province’s national parks to be cut down and turned into condos? I know, I agree.

MOVING ON!

However, the Super-Idiot award of the Week goes to Andre Boisclair who claimed that Charest was bulldozing Quebec’s sacred heritage and he was selling out Quebec to developers.

Hey André, federalists love nature too. Except we love all Canadian parks, not only those within the borders of the province. In fact, great Quebeckers have described Canada’s beauty, including Trudeau in his canoe in the Northwest Territories, or Jean Chretien, describing Canada’s national parks while flying overhead while he was the minister responsible.

See Andre, the environment isn't one of those things that ends at the bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Orford is a park. It is a beautiful park. Charest isn’t “selling out Quebec.”

But if André Boisclair thinks only separatists wanna preserve Canada’s natural beauty, he must be smoking some really strong stuff.

Bob Rae featured in The Simpsons ???

I don't know if this makes him an important world figure like other people featured in The Simpsons like George H. Bush, Richard Nixon or Bill Clinton. Bob Rae's website says that Bob is currently talking on KBBL Radio.

It is great exposure for Mr. Rae to be on air on KBBL. I wish him a great time with Birch Barlow !!!

Alex

Call me Antonio

Bob Rae’s website is up…the theme…call me Bob

It’s personal and I like it.

Usually people with long unpronounceable names like Di Domizio just say to call them by their first name.

However, I don’t think that’s the reason for Bob’s decision…

Perhaps we should ask the former leader of the Opposition his opinion on the issue.

After all, Stockwell should have kept Rae for the Air India Inquiry. They could release their report together, also known as the Rae-Day Report

Sorry Bob, it was just too easy, a little bit of humor is all…

Bob is a great candidate, we will see what he brings to the table, we all know the NDP was the real problem anyway.

Réponse à Duceppe sur Ignatieff

M. Duceppe,

Vos propos à l'égard de Michael Ignatieff confirment, encore une fois, que faute de pouvoir attaquer le message, on tente d'abattre le messager. Plutôt que de faire la promotion du projet souverainiste, vous vous contentez de traiter M. Igantieff de libéral arrogant.

M. Ignatieff défend une nouvelle vision du fédéralisme canadien. En aucun temps, faire la promotion de l'unité canadienne ne s'oppose à affirmer notre souveraineté face aux États-Unis. La vision du Canada de M. Ignatieff est basée sur l'égalité de tous au Canada. Égalité n'est pas synonyme d'uniformité, Ignatieff reconnaît les particularités des différentes régions canadiennes.

Par contre, Ignatieff croit dans une fédération forte et un gouvernement fédéral capable d'assurer l'accès à des services de même niveau pour chaque Canadien. M. Ignatieff a également reconnu le privilège des Québécois à avoir deux identités qui leur sont chères. Ils peuvent démontrer leur amour du Québec sans avoir à renier leur attachement au Canada. On peut se considérer Canadien et Québécois, et ce dans l'ordre que l'on préfère.

Par contre, les citoyennetés canadienne et américaine ne sont pas complémentaires. On ne peut être Canadien et Américain à la fois. Le Canada et les États-Unis sont de grands amis mais demeurent des voisins. Le Québec fait partie du Canada, de la même manière que Montréal fait partie du Québec.

Vous avez changé votre approche par rapport au Canada. Vous n'en parlez non plus comme d'un ennemi à craindre mais d'un ami, au même titre que les États-Unis sont les amis du Canada. Je vous rappellerai, M. Duceppe, que les Québécois ont démontré leur attachement au Canada lors de deux référendums. Jusqu'à nouvel ordre, les Québécois sont également Canadiens, comme ils peuvent être Maskoutains ou Montréalais.

Bien à vous,


Alexandre Plante
Brossardois, Québécois et Canadien.

Drive-By Smearing

Calgary Grit has taken up drive-by smearing. It is really easy. I will demonstrate just how easy it is.

Edit: by taken up...i meant discussed. This is not intended to be Anti-Calgary Grit. Funny how people interpreted that given the VERY NEXT LINE

But I don’t wanna down anyone so I will use myself.

Not too hard, just need some distortion, half-quotes and an incriminating photograph.

All following statements are true.

Antonio has two passports

Antonio did not vote Liberal on January 23rd, 2006

The last election Antonio voted in was a foreign election.

Antonio has military papers to joina foreign army!

Antonio cheers for other countries at international sporting events.

And now for the kicker…Antonio attends secret Conservative barbeques.

WHAT SIDE IS HE REALLY ON…WE DON’T KNOW…HE JUST WON’T SAY!

Fuddle Duddle Picks Ignatieff (Part 1) Antonio

It has not been much of a secret where my allegiances lay in this leadership race. To the Liberal Party. I wanted to choose the leader that can get the party back to its roots, back to being the institution that governs this country most of the time.

What attracted me to Michael Ignatieff was his vision of Canada. Michael believes in a Canada where the federal government offers equal opportunities across the country. His concept of equal citizenship is one that I believe can captivate Canadians. I don’t want to see Canadian families move province to get better child care, but have great child care everywhere in Canada. Canadian citizenship should mean more to Canadians than it does now.

Pierre Trudeau is dead. I am one of the great admirers of the man. However, the way Trudeau handled Quebec has led to many of the problems the province faces today. A federalism of co-operation is what is needed in this country; one where the knife that is the Quebec government (PQ AND PLQ) is not always at Ottawa’s throat. We need a federalism where Quebec City does not milk the cow in Ottawa.

However, in order to truly solve this problem, the federal government has to respect the provinces and not interfere in provincial jurisdiction. That means the federal government should not accept international arrangements in provincial jurisdictions without consulting the provinces that have to implement them. They should allow provinces to speak at international conferences so long as Ottawa chooses which provincial representative and that the representative speaks the Canadian consensus. For a Trudeaumaniac like me, swallowing this pill is not only difficult, but necessary.

Experience is an important asset for any candidate. Michael Ignatieff has a resumé light on politics but full of experiences necessary to craft any global leader in the 21st century. As a journalist, Michael has travelled throughout the world. He has seen plight and suffering from women under the Taliban regime to Kosovar refugees to Kurdish chemical gas victims. He has taken a stand to say we have a responsibility to stop this.

Throughout my years in polisci, I have seen intellectuals who would rather sit by the sidelines and explain and politicians who blow hot air instead of acting. We saw 800 000 Rwandans die because a few American soldiers died in Somalia. We let Saddam Hussein persecute Shias and Kurds because George Bush Sr. wanted a quick end to hostilities. It is finally nice to see someone stand up there for the innocent victims out there and say: This has to stop!

Michael is a man of his convictions. He stands by his decisions. He will not dither and waffle. He is Canadian just like the rest of us. He wants a future for Canada the same like the rest of us. He shares the same centre-left values that all Liberals share.

Michael Ignatieff can take on Stephen Harper in intellectual warfare, otherwise known as a debate. We need someone who can put Harper on his heels immediately. Conservative Minorities usually last no longer than a year. We need to get this party ready to fight another slugfest with the Harpocritical Tories.

The tribal warfare that has weakened this party is beginning to end, especially here in Quebec. Organizers from both sides are coming together for fresh new candidates, such as Michael Ignatieff, Gerard Kennedy, and Bob Rae. This party will emerge solidly united and ready to take on the Conservatives, without the shame of the Sponsorship Scandal hanging over our heads.

The Liberal Party is on a path to renewal. We must do so together. There will be disagreements and we will get through them. It is important we do not resort to slander to down other opponents. I have kept my word to keep everything above the belt. If a candidate, including my preferred candidate, screws up, I will point it out. However, personal attacks against candidates are not necessary. Other parties will try to ensure we do not come out of this united. A weak Liberal party serves their interests. The NDP is still attacking us in Question Period. The Bloc still talks Sponsorship. Harper’s conservatives talk about corruption while presenting flawed accountability bills then appointing partisan favorites to comfy positions the next day.

We can overcome this. We must get back to the grassroots ideas which have brought our party and our country so much success. Let the fun begin. Go Ignatieff!

Dollars over Sovereignty

FINALLY SOME POETIC JUSTICE…

Apparently the mighty loonie will be sticking it to the separatists this year. After years of having to tolerate people treating Canada Day as Moving Day, alas, someone has come along and spoiled the separatist’s day of celebration…Bernie Ecclestone.

You see, Grand Prix weekend is the most important weekend of the year in Montreal. The city stops and ogles cars for a week. My friends and I always mozy on down to Crescent street for great parties and to ogle scantily-clad merchandise, in all shapes and sizes, some of which have engines!

However, Provincial laws require businesses to close on Saint Jean Baptiste. WHAT? And shut down Grand Prix weekend….me thinks NOT!

So here we have it, force the Montreal economy to take approximately a 1% hit by shutting down the city the day before the Grand Prix, or tell the seps to take a pill and go to Crescent Street and party it up. Jean Charest gave in to pressure and allowed “certain” businesses to stay open. Would we even have HAD this debate if it was for Canada Day? Not in this province.

The economy is something the sovereigntist movement must deal with because economic business leaders always say separation is bad for the economy. How can Quebec have assured free access to China and India if not through Vancouver. As the world globalizes, the secluded sovereigntist vision makes less sense, even artists, who are the core of the movement, like Michel Tremblay are beginning to see how perilous this dream really can be.

I just cant wait to look at that beautiful prancing horse…mmm…Ferrari!

There's only one thing better than hypocrisy...

When I was in high school, a buddy of mine and I used to sit around all day and play the game, “What’s more ironic.”

For example, he would ask a question such as, “what’s more ironic, being run over by a tank or being run over by an ambulance?”

Then I would respond with something like, “what’s more ironic, Britney Spears singing a cover of Joan Jetts’ “I love rock and roll” when Britney doesn’t know what rock and roll is, or us mentioning her in this game when Britney doesn’t know what irony is?”

And so on and so on.

This morning when I opened the newspaper to read the following tid-bit of info,

PM's friend lands air-control post
Montreal Gazette
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Source: CanWest News Service; CP

One day after tabling landmark legislation to "clean up" Ottawa, Prime
Minister Stephen Harper's government has found a new job for an old
friend. Former B.C. Conservative MP Jim Gouk has been appointed to fill
one of the three government positions on the board of Nav Canada, the
private corporation that runs Canada's civil air navigation service. But
officials from the office of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon insist
he was nominated because of his qualifications and expertise as a former
pilot and air traffic controller.

all I could think is, “what’s more ironic, that Harper decided to appoint a buddy to a swanky Nav Canada board job one day after passing his ethics legislation, or him deciding to give the appointment to Gouk, a guy who’s knowledge in the field extends to his one-time stint as an air traffic controller over 15 years ago.”

I can just see Harper’s decision-making process. “Hmmm… Nav Canada, Nav Canada, Nav Canada,… let me see… well Deb Grey used to travel in planes a lot… and Paul Forseth, well he used to make a mean paper airplane in caucus meetings… but wait! I know who’s just perfect…I bet he still has that reflective vest and will even be able to wear it to the meetings!”

La république de la pensée unique

Ce matin, la une de La Presse nous apprenait que le dramaturge Michel Tremblay n'était plus indépendantiste. Pour différentes raisons, Tremblay nous explique qu'il n'est plus inspiré par le projet de Québec indépendant.

Sa prise de position a fait boule de neige. C'est au tour du cinéaste Robert Lepage d'annoncer que lui non plus n'était plus un indépendantiste. Lui aussi croit que le projet est dépassé et n'est plus inspirant.

Ces prises de position ont soulevé l'ire des ayatollas indépendantistes. Bernard Landry s'est livré à une sortie en règle contre Michel Tremblay. Il a dit que Tremblay avait manqué une belle occasion de se taire. Il a également dénigré le travail du dramaturge et a clairement exprimé son intention de ne plus jamais acheter de billets des pièces de Michel Tremblay...

Ces déclarations ne sont pas admissibles dans une société libre et tolérante. S'il fallait que les fédéralistes décident de boycotter les produits culturels d'artistes indépendantistes, 90% des artistes n'auraient accès qu'à 45% du marché québécois. Je suis un acheteur de produits culturels québécois. J'aime le théâtre, la chanson québécoise et la littérature d'ici. Je ne me retiens certainement pas d'acheter les produits culturels car leurs auteurs, producteurs ou interprètes peuvent être indépendantistes à moins que les oeuvres ne fassent la promotion de l'indépendance.

Michel Tremblay n'a pas annoncé que sa prochaine pièce fera l'apologie de Pierre Trudeau ou de Jean Chrétien. Si tel était le cas, j'aurais pu comprendre Bernard Landry qui s'abstiendrait d'y assister. Le courroux de l'ancien premier ministre québécois n'est pas très surprenant. On l'a souvent vu aux côtés d'autres ayatollas indépendantistes qui font la promotion de l'intolérance tels que Pierre Falardeau et les gens du Journal le Québécois pour ne nommer que ceux-là.

Une telle intolérance aurait été dénoncée si Bernard Landry avait dit qu'il n'irait pas voir les pièces de Tremblay parce qu'il est gai. Calomnier un fédéraliste, c'est habituel. Mais quelle est la différence entre les deux formes d'intolérance ? En quoi est-ce que les orientations politiques d'un dramaturge peuvent changer à la qualité de ses oeuvres ? Ça influence au même titre que l'orientation sexuelle de ce dernier. L'influence, à mon sens, est nulle.

Pour ceux qui seront tentés de me traiter d'homophobe. Non. Je suis simplement allergique à l'intolérance. Que ce soit l'intolérance face à l'orientation sexuelle ou aux convictions politiques, je vais toujours la dénoncer.

Je ne souhaiterai pas d'excuses de la part de M. Landry car ses mots ne sont pas le fruit d'un excès de colère. Ils sont pesés et il les pense profondément. On a pu voir l'intolérance de Landry face aux fédéralistes quand il avait insulté une femme de chambre hispanophone suite au référendum de 1995. On l'a également vu, plus récemment, quand il a signé la postface du livre préféré de mon ami Laprès, Voler de ses propes ailes, où il dit que chacune des pages du livre dessine les contours du Québec souverain. Dans le fameux bouquin, Falardeau nous explique qu'il se retient fréquemment de ne pas frapper les fédéralistes à coups de "2 par 4" ou de les attaquer avec une "chain saw".

Alex Plante

Mise à jour : Un autre distingué intégriste séparatiste, Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, a qualifié de TRAHISON la sortie de Michel Tremblay et Robert Lepage. Sortez le bûcher pour ces deux hérétiques !!!

Deuxième mise à jour : Je vous suggère (je ne vous oblige pas, moi) de lire l'édito de Mario Roy du 12 avril dans La Presse. Il recense toutes les déclarations des intégristes sur Tremblay et Lepage. On y retrouve Claude Jasmin, Victor Lévy-Beaulieu, Claude Fournier, Loco Lacrasse et j'en passe. Très édifiant. La caricature est également très drôle. On voit un nouvel évangile : "Parlons de souveraineté aux artistes", une nouvelle oeuvre de Saint-Gérald. Gérald Larose est le saint patron des préfets de la doctrine de la foi. (Merci à Philippe Legault pour l'inspiration)

UNESCO

For once I will be brief, UNESCO is an international organization where membership is allowed only to countries, not nations, but nation-states.

Quebec cannot get a voice at UNESCO more than Catalonia or Scotland can.

However, allowing an elected provincial representative speak for Canada is not a bad thing. Are provincial ministers not Canadian? Quebec’s culture minister shared time with Canada’s Heritage minister at UNESCO last year. Stephane Dion shared the floor with Alberta’s environment minister at one of the COP 11 sessions. Let me also emphasize this applies to all provinces, not just Quebec. It's called equality for a reason guys.

As long as Ottawa decides who represents the voice of Canada, I am in favor. In fields of provincial jurisdiction, the provinces will have to implement the decisions that the Ottawa-appointed representatives will take, therefore it is only natural that the provinces be consulted. However, when an elected provincial representative speaks for Canada on the international stage, they must always speak for Canada, and the consensus achieved in Canada, not for their province. That must be made clear from the start. The only way to ensure that is to let Ottawa appoint who will speak in international forums.

Charest and Pelletier want the right to appoint the representative. Stephen Harper promised that. He has balked, appointing a Quebec-chosen employee in Paris and keeping the discretion of appointment in Ottawa. Thankfully, he has balked. I do not want Louise Beaudoin speaking for Canada. I do not want André Boisclair speaking for Canada. They would do this country a disservice.

Nurtured Nationalism

Pierre Trudeau used to be a separatist in his youth. SCANDAL!!! Stop the Presses! Sound the Alarm!

Actually I’m not all that surprised.

Many Quebeckers grow up separatists only to come to their senses when they see that Quebec shouldn’t leave Canada on the basis that they are different.

I grew up a federalist. I was raised Italian, Liberal, and federalist. There simply was no alternative. I heard my MP, Alfonso Gagliano, say the same federalist propaganda 3 times but in different languages (by the time he hit language number 3, we could say the speech along with him. Good times Isabella) it was the only viewpoint I understood.

My involvement with politics was brought on by my Canadian History teacher, as it is with most Quebeckers. While most francophone teachers preach separatist propaganda, anglophone teachers would preach federalist propaganda. There is no common history in Quebec because blatant nationalism creates an environment that encourages otherwise.

I was lucky. My mother busted her ass to get me into Lower Canada College, at quite the discount, and I had a great Canadian History teacher. He walked into class, and promptly threw the two history textbooks into the garbage. We sat there wide-eyed, he was also the headmaster of the school. He threw both propagandas in the garbage. We only saw that book again when it was time for the final exam. (96% woohoo!)

We still learned about the Acadian Deportation, the Riel execution, the domination of British society in Quebec through the Quiet Revolution. The Charter was a contested document. Meech was potentially flawed, but it was a solution. We learned both sides of every story. We also had to take on roles in historical simulations to help us learn. As I was an adamant student, (much more in history than in Math class trust me) I had the benefit of taking on three roles.

Lord Durham, the British fool who didn’t know any better so he picked the simplest answer for Canada, assimilation. Canadians, all Canadians, said no to that vision. You mean Anglos had a chance to wipe out French Canadians and preferred not to? Guy Carleton made the same choice in 1774. My friends in French school told me they didn’t know Carleton was British and told me francophones fought for the Quebec Act from the British government. Close. Carleton the Bloke fought for them!

Louis Riel, the innocent victim of French Canada. Quebeckers never forgave les Bleus until the Charter was signed in 1981. Then they were pissed off about something else. Louis Riel is the best example we Canadians have of French Canada, not francophones in Quebec. This country is more than two tracts of lands with a language for each tract.

Antoine-Aimé Dorion, leader of les Rouges, or the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party, back during the days of Confederation. They opposed Confederation because they knew Macdonald wouldn’t respect provincial jurisdiction. (The Ghost of Benoit Pelletier?) I guess the PLQ existed back in the 1860s! I got to see all the sides of Canadian History I had grown up to disagree with. I put myself in their shoes, and I understood their points of view. It allowed me to develop my own arguments. I was no longer a blind federalist.

Most Canadians learn how great this country is after they finish high school. Once they truly discover Canada, they no longer wish to see its demise. Pierre Trudeau’s most famous writing, and my personal favorite, is about when he is canoeing alone in the Northwest Territories. Word that he used to be a separatist actually makes even more sense now. That epiphany that entered his head as he paddled down that river solidified the views he would carry throughout his entire life.

Being a separatist at 16 or 18 is not a horrible thing. Many of us are enveloped in a nationalist vision because it brings hope and we don’t have the mental capacity to think of all the factors. Our lives have yet to be shaped by events which will develop our ideas. (To Mark Holland, that’s why vote 16 sucks)

Until I went to Ottawa to join a national program with Canadians from coast to coast to coast, I always thought of myself as Italian first then Canadian. I grew up in the ghetto, woptown as I so lovingly call it. Pride to be Italian coursed through my veins more than pride to be Canadian. Meeting people from across Canada helped me develop that Canadian pride. We weren’t all that different. All Canadians, despite language barriers, are actually quite the same.

National symbols are there to reinforce that. They tell us that we share the same citizenship that binds to each other. Some take that nationalism too far and make citizen turn against each other. That is taking it to the extreme and is quite dangerous. However, some national symbols are there simply to remind us we all share the same citizenship.

When Canada wins a hockey game, does it matter where the players come from? Is there a more Canadian moment than the 1987 Canada Cup clinching goal Gretzky to Lemieux?

Is Antoine drinking a Cappucino Glacé any different in Quebec than Anthony drinking an Ice Cappucino in Newfoundland? Not really.

I doubt Pierre Trudeau was thinking about hockey or Timmies as he paddled that day, but he passionately felt bound to this great country. It is that calm sense of belonging that has developed into Canadian nationalism. Would we Canadians do it any other way?

Belinda Stronach did the Right Thing

It is kind of sad to see Belinda go. She saw the writing on the wall.

She will announce she is not running today at noon, in about an hour.

We still love you Belinda, now you have all the time in the world to learn French, without Denis Coderre screaming at you.

Edit: I have to address the numbskulls who are turning this into a gender issue.

Belinda Stronach could not seek to lead a party when she could not effectively communicate with 30% of its citizens. Martha Hall Findlay is a bilingual, intelligent, and respected woman. We need more people like her in the party.

Belinda should continue to learn French. Dont let this setback stop her. Next time, she can tell Denis Coderre to go you know what.

Also, Belinda was called a dumb blonde by Tories attacking her when she left. I never called her stupid. Despite that it was handed to her, she still did one hell of a good job. When a man inherits a company from their father, its also nepotism.

There are more great women in the Liberal Party: Shiela Copps, Aline Chretien, Anne McClellan, Carole Taylor, Marlene Jennings, Liza Frulla, the list goes on and on.

There are strong women up and coming in the Liberal Party including Belinda Stronach, Ruby Dhalla, Martha Hall Findlay, Tina Keeper, and my favorites Brigitte Legault and Denise Brunsdon.

There is no shortage of estrogen in the Liberal Party. However, the goal is to choose the best candidate. Belinda did the right thing and put the good of the party first. For that, she should be congratulated.

Grassroots Giving…New Policy for a New Party

Today is the Speech from the Throne. Stephen Harper has outlined how he will govern. The Liberals believe they can govern better. The Official Opposition’s role is to find a better alternative to the present government. It is not just to oppose.

One of the biggest priorities for young people in this country is meeting the 0.7% of our GDP to foreign aid. However, I am sick and tired of passing resolutions with no teeth. Of course we want to give 0.7% of our GDP to foreign aid. The question is how are we gonna do it. I’m sure all Canadians would be willing to contribute a penny to the cause every now and then. After all, the images of starving Sudanese children and Liberian child soldiers have shaken a generation, our generation. The internet and advanced filming technology has opened our eyes to atrocities we can barely even look at without getting sick to our stomachs. It is the responsibility of the people to step up and say “We are willing to help!”

Ok Antonio…HOW?!?!?

Where am I gonna find the money to do this? Easy, by Getting pennies from every Canadian.

(Based on Statscan figures for 2005 GDP)

Canada presently gives about 0.28% of its GDP, or about 3.75 billion dollars to foreign aid.

We want to attain 0.7% or approximately 9.3 billion dollars.

By taking the GST point Harper wants to cut, and diverting the money to foreign aid, Canadians would more than double their current contribution to foreign aid. In fact, with the GST point equivalent to 4.5 billion dollars, we would reach 8.25 billion. We would in fact be only a billion dollars short of our attainable goal of 0.7% of GDP.

Contributions would come from every corner of the country, 2 cents from a large double double at timmies, 250 dollars from a minivan. Every Canadian will do their part in addressing the needs of people who need it most.

Here are the numbers.

Canada gives 0.28% of its GDP of 1 330 684 000 000 or 3 725 000 000 to foreign aid.

The GST Tax point is worth 4 500 000 000 dollars.

That would make our total 8 225 000 000 in foreign aid.

8 225 000 000/1 330 684 000 000 = 0.618

Ok so I didn’t get us to 0.7. But .62 is bringing us ever so closer.
We would be only a billion dollars a year away from reaching our goal. Given the government surpluses we have been seeing over the years, I am sure any government can find it in their hearts to commit to the extra billion.

There we have it a solution.

Liberal Policy Conventions are usually about debating problems instead of solutions. Let’s make this convention about debating the latter.

Scholastic Torture

As if studying isn’t already hard enough, the stress that attacks most of during an actual exam is far from pleasant. I mean, all it really is a three hour interrogation where if questions are unanswered, you will fail. That means, if you don’t answer the questions right, bad things will happen. You have to answer the questions correctly or else…

These three hour-coercive interrogations are always intense. So much stuff to remember. So much pressure to put it all down on the paper. It scares the heebie-jeebies out of most people.

But there is recourse against something. Bring along your Geneva Convention to your exam. Apparently, in a conversation I had with Richard Diamond, not letting people go pee is considered torture. So when that invigilator stares you down and says you cant go pee…say it is your right to pee and this is not Guantanamo!

Good Luck Guys and Gals!

Fuddle Duddle Declares Their Support…Loses Brunsdon

It was a tough battle for all of us to wade through the candidates for leadership. At the end, three of us decided to unite behind a single candidate.

Last year, this candidate joined the Liberal Party after a long family history of supporting the Liberal Party. Their staunch support for many issues dear to the hearts of us Fuddle Duddlers make us proud and rings true of the reminiscent spirit of a famous former Prime Minister. When we ask ourselves, what is a Liberal?...this person truly comes to mind. Their great decision-making skills remind us of the Great King Paul I, the infallible sire who was felled by Darth Harper.

It is with great pride and pleasure that Antonio Di Domizio, Alexandre Plante, and Marc-André Gendron give their unanimous, undivided, spectacular support to Belinda Stronach.

After serious overnight deliberations, spanning days and continents, I went to Ottawa and gave Belinda a one question interview, where I asked the most important policy she would bring to the LPC (I asked in French as it is so important)

She answered J’apprends le Français. That’s all I need to be convinced. I mean. We want a leader who is constantly working to make themselves better. We want someone who becomes qualified for job after we have hired them.

We want someone young, even though it doesn’t matter if the young candidate values old ideas. With the remaining JLC(Q) breakaways now rallying around Belinda Stronach, young men and women will come together across Quebec and support Ms. Stronach, because everybody else supports her…and isn’t that a good enough reason anyway.

Sadly, Denise Brunsdon did not want to be a team player. Actually, Denise now plays for the other team! After finally receiving her phone call, Denise Brunsdon has left Fuddle Duddle to work in Minister Emerson’s Office. After all, Denise wanted to do what was right for BC. We wish her luck! NOT!