The Cat's out of the bag...

Mr. Harper has announced the compensation of all Hep-C victims, outside the 1986-1990 window of the previous compensation package.

Here are some more details from the PMO.

This is good news, which actually directly impacts a member of my extended family.

My MP is the wrong colour

...and because we have one that's red, not blue, I have no idea what this is all about. But the staff of the guy next door knows all about it... and can't/won't say a word.

We'll, I'd love to be there, but I'm not going to take any time off work for something that I know nothing about. So there. :-P

Interesting (and funny) question

Civitatensis has posed an interesting question to the CBC and the left...

Canada’s political lefties and the CBC said to be so "scared" of Stockwell Day's religious beliefs. The same folks are now taking sides with the radical Shiite fundamentalists of "the Party of God" (Hezbollah).

How does that work?

That's a good question Civitatensis! LOL!!! How does that work?

Easy... spell it with me now... H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y... ;-)

Tamil Tigers have Elections Canada Voters Lists???

Eh? What's THIS???

TORONTO - The RCMP is investigating how the suspected Canadian front organization for the Tamil Tigers terrorist group managed to obtain Elections Canada voter lists used in the last federal campaign.

The voter lists, along with manuals on missile-guidance systems, books encouraging suicide bombing and paperwork that police say is evidence of terrorist fundraising, were seized from the World Tamil Movement (WTM).

The list of registered voters was from Scarborough-area voting sites. All Tamil-sounding names had been highlighted and their home addresses were identified. They were found in the office of the WTM's treasurer, police said.

According to the Elections Canada Web site, voter lists are protected by the Privacy Act and are only supposed to be used for election purposes. Improper use of voting lists is an offence.

Having worked for Elections Canada in the past, and having worked for a candidate in the last Federal Election, I happen to know a thing or two about the Voter's Lists... you can't be using them for anything else!

In my mind, the question that needs to be asked is, where did they get those lists? And who's going to be charged? This is unacceptable... those lists are to be kept in strict confidence by everyone who has access to them.

And now they're being used by a terrorist group to extort money from people?

Peter MacKay's Letter to the Globe and Mail

Apparently, The Hon. Peter MacKay has taken the Globe and Mail to task in a letter for their front page critisms of the Harper government's response to the evacuation of citizens.

July 20, 2006

Mr. Ed Greenspon,
egreenspon@globeandmail.ca


Dear Mr. Greenspon,

The Globe and Mail's front-page story suggesting that the Prime Minister's Office - or his Director of Communications - in any way hampered the efforts of the evacuation of Canadians in Lebanon is absolutely and patently false.

What is particularly unfortunate about your story is that such a statement could make it to the front page of your paper, supported by only unnamed "federal sources" and no effort whatsoever to contact the Prime Minister's Office to verify the accuracy of the claim. If you have a source that made such a false statement, I want to assure you via this letter that it is completely and absolutely untrue. I would also hope that, the next time the Globe and Mail suggests that the Prime Minister's Office was complicit in putting Canadians in harm's way, you would demonstrate the journalistic integrity to name your source and allow this office to comment on the record for the story.

The Prime Minister - and his office - has done everything possible to expedite evacuation efforts and has been receiving hourly updates on the status of operations. The Prime Minister's Office has supported Government officials to leverage every contact and every resource to expedite the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon. The Prime Minister's Office has encouraged Government officials to be as forthcoming and timely with information as possible, while respecting the security protocols required for evacuation planning. The Prime Minister is fully committed to the evacuation of all who choose to leave Lebanon and to ensuring their immediate security and safety.

Given the severity of the current situation and operations in the Middle East, I would strongly encourage you as the Editor in Chief of the Globe and Mail to not allow uninformed and false sniping from the shadows of anonymity. I strongly believe that such serious allegations require sources that are prepared to go on the record - and stand by their statements in the light of day. It is profoundly disturbing and disappointing that an institution such as the Globe and Mail would allow such a story to be printed without either naming its source or allowing the Prime Minister's Office to comment.

The very serious allegations you printed are completely untrue and without merit. I sincerely hope in the future that the Globe and Mail takes its responsibilities to Canadians - and the truth - far more seriously than you have today.

In the interests of correcting your false and misleading story today, I am making this letter public via other members of Canada's media.


Sincerely,

Peter G. MacKay
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Warning leaflets vs. Ball bearings

Humm, Israel using leaflets to warn, vs. Hezbollah using ball bearings to kill... you decide who's the real guilty party here.

From Human Rights Watch...

Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians
Anti-personnel Ball Bearings Meant to Harm "Soft" Targets

(New York, July 18, 2006) – Hezbollah's attacks in Israel on Sunday and Monday were at best indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas, at worst the deliberate targeting of civilians. Either way, they were serious violations of international humanitarian law and probable war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.

In addition, the warheads used suggest a desire to maximize harm to civilians. Some of the rockets launched against Haifa over the past two days contained hundreds of metal ball bearings that are of limited use against military targets but cause great harm to civilians and civilian property. The ball bearings lodge in the body and cause serious harm.

Or more details, from Reuters.

"In my medical opinion, they [these rockets] are supposed to injure as many people as possible," said Dr. Eran Tal-Or, director of the Surgical Emergency Room at Haifa's Ramban Hospital. "If you wanted to bring down a building, you would make a weapon with a heavier blast. And you wouldn't bother with the balls inside that don't do much harm to buildings; just to people."

Human Rights Watch interviewed three railway workers at the hospital wounded by the ball bearings in Sunday's lethal blast.

Under international humanitarian law, parties to an armed conflict may not use weapons in civilian areas that are so inaccurate that they cannot be directed at military targets without imposing a substantial risk of civilian harm. Such attacks can constitute war crimes. Deliberately attacking civilians is in all circumstances prohibited and a war crime.

h/t to Steve Janke.

My previous post... SATIRE

JUST IN CASE you've never heard of satire... my previous post would be an example.

So, to clarify... there is NO RIGHT WING NEO-CON AGENDA (TM), I support the War on Terror, and I think the freedoms that the war are trying to protect are much abused here in the West.

Freedom has a price. If you think the price is too high and you don't want to pay for it, try moving to some repressive regime, and try to live your life the way you want to, and always have... see how long that works for ya. Send us a postcard and let us know.

In the meantime, those of us who don't agree with you will keep trying to protect your way of life.

Changing my View on Iraq

I've changed my position on the War on Terror. You'll have to hear me out on this one, there are a lot of points that I have to make, so you'll have to stay with me. I've got an idea to end the problems of the globe, once and for all... and then we, the Far Neo-Con Christian Right Wing (TM), will finally be able to get everything we've ever wanted!

I got to thinking recently, and I think I've finally clued in... George W. Bush's War on Terror is the wrong way to go about things! We need to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan immediately, pull out, and just let things take their course... and then we, the Far Neo-Con Right (TM), will finally be able to get everything we've ever wanted! It's the only way!

Now, some may doubt, but hear me out on this one... once we've pulled out, the extremists will finish their takeover of Iraq, and the Taliban will return to power in Afghanistan. That may seem like a waste of all our efforts for the last few years, but have no fear! Trust me! It will actually allow us to finally succeed in our Neo-Con Right Wing hidden agenda (TM)!

Once their control is established, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be able to realize his ambitions of local domination by annexing both of these nations. Syria will then ally themselves with him... they already have weapons transportation agreements, so they'll just finalize their union on paper. Of course, now that he will be the regional super-power, we will have to give him some room to manouver. He'll take out Israel, but in order to reach our goals, we'll have to turn a blind eye. It's OK, the UN won't step in, they've gotten sick of annually denouncing Israel anyway. It will create a new problem of the Jewish refugees, but that will be Iranistan's problem... it won't be our problem anymore!

Once they secure the Mid-East, the European phase will be initiated... Europe will be parallized with mass protests. (France last year? It was just a practice run) For our plans to succeed, Europe will have to be immobilized in the short term, to allow for the final phase to be implemented.

George W. Bush will then have to quickly complete the negotiations before his term ends. During this phase, suicide bomb squads will be activated throughout the US, and the left will stand up and shout that Bush is to blame. There will be protests in the streets, and the nation will be parallized. THEN... he'll finally do what the left has desperately wanted for years... he will announce to the world that he has recognized the error of his ways, announce his resignation, and that he has come to terms of peace with Iranistan... the full and unconditional surrender of the West!

Now, this, I know, is the point where I've lost you completely. BUT HANG ON! Don't you see? Once our surrender is signed, WE WIN! Our secret, hidden "Neo-Con Right Wing" (TM) agenda will finally be complete!

What is it that we've really wanted all these years? TO RID THE WORLD OF LIBERALISM! Only by coming to terms with Iranistan will we be able to do this!

Think about it... the left will take to the streets en-mass celebrating their victory... "WE'VE FINALLY GOTTEN RID OF THAT EVIL TYRANT, GEORGE W. BUSH!!!" They'll all hold candles in the air and sing "Imagine", because the world will finally be one... all united under the banner that we once fought as Global Terrorism. They'll be singing, hugging, crying for joy and dancing in the streets. There will be no more suicide bombers, because Israel will be gone, and the left will have the "peace" they've said they wanted all along. The official mouthpieces for the left, the Main Stream Media (CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, CBC, BBC, and the ETC.) will spread the news far and wide, "IMAGINE: WORLD PEACE IS FINALLY HERE!"

Then all we have to do is sit back, smile, and watch while our Neo-Con hidden agenda (TM) is implemented for us! The crackdowns will begin! Since Gimto will be empty, Ahmadinejad will have a place to send all the media! "The First Amendment? Oh, you must be thinking of the United States of America... THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF IRANISTAN! Now get on the plane!" Yes, we'll finally silence all those annoying voices! There will be no dissent heard on the nations airwaves... because Al-Jezera West (formerly Fox News) will be the only voice permitted! You see, President Bush will be very smart in his negotiations... he will ensure that "Freedom of Religion" is the only freedom carried over from the former laws of the United States, the one freedom that the left hates and wants to get rid of... to ensure that we, the Neo-Con Christian Right-Wing majority (TM), will be able to continue life as we always have, unimpeeded any longer by the left!

For us, there will be no change to our daily lives! Most of us men prefer our women to be kept in the background, at home, barefoot and pregnant anyway, right? (Don't worry... we'll make sure our Anne will be given some gig with Al-Jezera West) Having our women wear a burka in public isn't too much to ask, now is it? So long as we don't have to convert to Islam, we can tote the line on most issues with them, right?

Think about it! Oh, my fellow Right Wingers (TM), We'll finally have what we want! Women will be in their place, abortion will be outlawed, the sexual permissiveness that has festered here in the West will be completely repressed once again! Oh what joy it will all be! We'll be in a religious state once again! Of course, it will be administered by Iran, but with our secured religious freedom, nothing will really change for us... but the left will finally be destroyed!

So, I ask you, my fellow Right Wing Christian Neo-Cons (TM) band with me and join the left, for now, in calling for an end to the War on Terror... we've been wrong all this time! Ending the war will in fact usher in the Utopia that we've always wanted!

President Bush, I ask you, I beg you, END THE WAR NOW! Pull our troops back! Why waste their lives when we can achieve our goals through peaceful negotiation!

We can win! Our Neo-Con Right Wing hidden agenda (TM) can be impemented at last!

How about this?

Harper on same page as... the Democrats?

Bill Graham and the left are screaming that Mr. Harper's support of Israel is part of some neo-con scheme of alignment with George W. Bush's policies.

Well, it looks like Mr. Harper's position isn't all that extreme, as he is on the same page as many Democrats in the USA... including HILLARY CLINTON!

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said she supported taking "whatever steps are necessary" to defend Israel against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria in the military conflict in the Middle East...

"We will stand with Israel because Israel is standing for American values as well as Israeli ones," said Mrs. Clinton...

"I want us here in New York to imagine, if extremist terrorists were launching rocket attacks across the Mexican or Canadian border, would we stand by or would we defend America against these attacks from extremists?" Mrs. Clinton said to roars of approval.

"We will support her efforts to send a message to Hamas, Hezbollah, to the Syrians, to the Iranians," Mrs. Clinton said. "We will not permit this to happen and we will take whatever steps are necessary."

"It is a message that we want not only those in the Middle East to hear, but the world, because no nation is safe from these terrorist extremists... They do not believe in human rights, they do not believe in democracy. They are totalitarians, they are the new totalitarians of the 21st century." New York Times

h/t to Damian Penny

Oh the joys of computer gags

As part of the IT staff here at work, I've been implementing new security policies... don't leave your workstation unlocked, or you'll get recorded in our security audit. Well, I've nailed one girl in Purchasing twice now, and she's been determined to catch me forgetting to lock my PC. Not gonna happen. So, I thought I'd have a little fun... First time around, I left a little note for her... "Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!". She responded to my note, writting "DARN!" on it.

But today, a brainstorm... time to get her really good! I took a screen capture of my unlocked desktop, then set that JPG as my screensaver, set the timer for 1 minute, locked my workstation, and walked away. Sure enough, guess who checks in on me... and leaves a "GOT YA!" note on my PC. I walked back into my office right as she was walking out, giggling to herself... I asked her to go to my PC and try moving the mouse... screensaver vanishes, and what should appear?

"This computer is in use and has been locked. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to unlock this computer."

Remember... the System Admin ALWAYS gets the last laugh... ;-)

PM Harper - Nice PR Move

It's not only a nice PR move, but is evidence of a Prime Minister who's willing to take action... he is redirecting his own trip back to Canada to Cyprus, reducing it to a skeleton crew, and personally escorting dozens of Canadian refugees home.

"More ships will be on their way in the coming hours, and we are going to keep sending ships to help those Canadians who wish to leave Lebanon. Getting people out of Lebanon is only the first step in the evacuation plan.

Once in a safe haven, citizens who wish to return home must secure air travel back to Canada.

As you know, I was originally scheduled to return to Ottawa from Paris tonight.

Because of the seriousness of the situation – and our relative proximity to Cyprus – I have decided to take the Canadian forces aircraft we have been traveling on to help airlift evacuees back home.

The aircraft will be stripped down to only a skeleton staff, including Laureen and myself, to free up the maximum number of seats for evacuees."

Try to spin that one Bill Graham!

Harper to lose support over Israel

Some pundits have been saying that due to his pro-Israel stand, Mr. Harper may have lost some support from Arab groups.

Time to weigh in on this. True, he might lose some support from these groups, however, the majority of them are congregated in major urban centres, which are alreay weak in Tory support. So, that might not hurt him too much. However, there are two areas where this might hurt where we need to be strong... the 905, and Montreal, which also have large Arab groups.

But you know what? To have a principled Prime Minister, who's willing to take a stand for what's right, even if it costs him his goal of a majority, is worth it.

I tip my hat to Mr. Harper... a man who's willing to do what's right, even when it hurts.

If that's not worth voting for, then what really is?

"Shipment of 12,000 missiles"?

According to an article in today's National Post, the Lebanese government might not be as innocent as they claim to be. Of course, with 23 seats in Parliament controlled by Hezbolah, (and a couple in cabinet, if I recall correctly) it stands to reason that they would use their government connections to get the weapons shipped in from Syria, where they had been shipped to from Iran.

The Iranian consignment was transported in a military convoy through Syria and along Lebanon's Bekaa Valley to Hezbollah bases in south Lebanon. The convoy had received an official transit permit from the Lebanese government, which knew not only the precise nature of the shipment but also its destination.

The sources say the consignment included some 12,000 Katyusha rockets, as well as various other types of missiles. Of particular concern to Israel's military strategists was that the range of the new rockets had been substantially extended. They were capable of reaching Israel's main port city of Haifa, and possibly well beyond.

The headline... "The opening salvo of a new war". It very well could be. This is the first major conflict involving Israel that I can remember, so all this is a first for me.

If this is true, that thousands of missiles have been shipped into the country by Hezbolah, that would mean that Israel was under a clear and present danger... how can we, a way off in the safety of the West, complain when several Canadians are killed? They're in the middle of a war zone... how can anyone expect Canada to get them extracted the moment a conflict breaks out somewhere in the world? It's most unfortunate, but certainly it should not be unexpected given the circumstances.

The Canadian government, in the meantime, has chartered seven cruise ships to get Canadians out of the country. But these things take time.

From what I understand, (this is, of course, what the IDF is saying) each of the bombed areas were given lots of warning... leaflets dropped saying "Get out of this area". If that is also true, and these warnings were ignored by the Canadians, then that is too most unfortunate, but again, should not be unexpected.

UPDATE: On my above point, HERE is a notice from the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa, expressing their condolences to the Canada for the death of our citizens. They again re-iterate that these deaths were a direct result of the "human shield" tactics of Hezbollah, and that everyone in the area was warned prior to the attack.

"Regrettably, Hezbollah terrorists make a point of locating their organizational infrastructures, missile launchers and firing positions in villages, houses and residential neighbourhoods, thereby deliberately placing Lebanese citizens and others in the cross-fire in violation of all humanitarian norms.

Prior to Israel's armed actions in such areas, Israel has consistently called upon Lebanese civilians to vacate those locations with a view to avoid their coming into harm's way. Regrettably, and tragically, some people did not heed those warnings."

(end update)

I'll be honest... the other day, I took a look at some of the passages in the Bible involving Tyre and Sidon, two cities that have been bombed by the IDF, and that are often connected with "End Times" prophecies. No conclusions to share, but interesting to consider, none the less.

"Carol? Is that you?"

Carol Jamieson, is that you saying nice things about Mr. Harper?

"Honestly, I haven't seen him do anything yet that I disagree with," said one long-time senior Tory who supported another candidate in the party's leadership race and who last year voiced serious reservations about Mr. Harper's prospects.

"Everything I have seen so far makes a lot of sense to me. I'm asking why didn't we do it sooner. I think even Toronto is warming up to him. It's funny how it shifted from 'scary, scary, scary' to 'he's doing a good job.'"

From Gloria Galloway in today's Globe and Mail.

UPDATE: OPPA and Caledonia Website

As a followup, and clarification, of my earlier post, it turns out that the Caledonia Wake-Up Call website went down last Friday NOT because of a court order from the OPPA, but because of a power failure at his webhost.

Why then did the Site go Down?

Well... the insurance companies would call it an Act of God.

It appears that just after 6pm our time BlueHost, which is located in the Western US, had power failure. The hydro crews were working on the problem and took almost 3 hrs to solve the problem. I have several sites through BlueHost and this was the only one I have that went down. Their battery back-up system covered most of their clients but a few, like our Caledonia site, went offline.

What do they say? "Timing is everything"? The OPPA is still looking to shut the site down, but discussions apparently are ongoing. I am still troubled about the lack of enforcement of basic laws down there, but my comment about "selective enforcement" was incorrect... I withdraw it.

Let's see how long it takes

Robert "McLeftie" just put up a post pointing out that July 20, five days from now, will be the one year memorial of the legalization of SSM.

I posted the following in the comments... "July 20... a black day for Canada".

Let's see if my views on the reactions of the far left were correct... we'll see how long it takes, and what sort of replies, that comment gets.

(it's been six minutes so far... nothing yet...)

UPDATE: CLICK! It took exactly nine minutes...

Derrell Says:
July 15th, 2006 at 3:15 pm | |
Shreeeikkk... Homophobe alert!!!!!!!

D*** Christian fundies and your family values!

So I asked him in reply, "Are you saying that Christians in Canada aren't entitled to relogious freedom?" Awaiting the reply...

UPDATE II: CLICK! 39 minutes in, and Ti-Guy arrives, accusing me of lying. I don't have a CLUE what I said that could possibly be considered that!

UPDATE III: One hour in, actually having a somewhat reasonable debate over there. Will keep you posted!

UPDATE IV: CONCLUSION I actually had not to bad of a conversation with various people there, including Ti-Guy and Robert himself. I tried very hard to be gracious, and they responded, for the most part, in kind. (I only had one angry response, from a gay man in Montreal... obviously, I can understand why he'd react to the topic at hand)

Though I disagree with their view on the matter, maybe there's hope for honest debate after all.

The USA's Financial Problem

Some people have asked in the last few day's how I feel about George W. Bush's fiscal policies. This is a well put article from MacLean's back in March that pretty much sums up what I think.

(again, cudos to Mr. Martin for the tough steps he took in the 1990's... I only wish he had been content to stick to Finance, rather than pull the rug out from under his boss in order to get his job...)

Joining the fun

With all the Liberal Leadership candidates being spoofed, I didn't want to miss out on all the fun. (too bad skinny guys like me don't translate too well into South Park characters)

Thanks to The Frog Lady for the fun. (ps - I think your Fry and Kennedy are the best)

(For the comparison, look above to the right for my Blogger pic)

NOTE: Just to be CLEAR, this IS NOT an endorsement of South Park in any way, shape, or form. For the record, all fun aside, I think South Park is one of the worst exports our nation has come up with... so there. Kenny is dead, get over it!

The only reason I know anything about it is because my old boss was named Ken... so the question "Where's Kenny?" often came up, to which the reply of my co-workers was, of course, "I killed Kenny!"

OPP not playing nice

UPDATE: It appears that a power failure was the real reason the website went down... the timing, however, made it look like it was taken down. It is back up, though the OPPA is still looking into options to have it taken down.

As such, the original post below has been retracted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Normally, I'm a big advocate of the OPP. But the OPPA, the officer's union, has served the owners of Caledonia Wake-Up Call a court order to shut down their website by 5:00pm today. And as of now, they are offline.

Seems a little heavy handed, if you ask me. Sure, I was getting annoyed by the daily e-mails from the website, (which I don't ever remember signing up for) but many people in Ontario are demanding answers to what is going on in Caledonia, and we're not getting any from the OPP, the media, or the Ontario government.

The website was reporting on, and asking questions about, the lack of action by the OPP in Caledonia. There were some pics of officers, and demands that disiplinary action be taken against certian officers for allowing crimes to be committed by protesters, because they refused to step in and intervene.

Humm, they used a court order to shut it down... meanwhile, they refuse to enforce a court order to remove the barricades.

Selective enforcement. Not cool guys, not cool.

h/t SDA

Speaking of "the left"...

I don't think (I hope) that everyone on the left thinks like this anti-Semite.

Imagine a World WITHOUT ISRAEL

Muslims, Jews, and Christians could live in peace without fear of mutual destruction.
There would be no more need for US AID or justification for Dimona.
We could bring down the Wall, send prisoners home, and families could be reunited.
We could dismantle checkpoints, open crossings, and pull down barbed wire fences.
There would be no more settlements or armed settlers because the people would be united.
We could replant trees and olive groves and rebuild battered cities.
No more suicide bombers or sniper fire, and no more dead civilians.
No more targeted killings and hell-fire missiles, or systematic demolitions.
Palestinians and Jews could live together and the world could address other issues.
What a simpler place this world would be
if there was no need for a Jewish majority - where there would otherwise be none.

Is it so hard to imagine?

Yea, it is kinda hard to imagine when YOU'RE A JEW AND MUSLIM EXTREMISTS ARE TRYING TO KILL YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY! When they openly blame you for the problems of the world, when they deny that millions of your people were murdered 60 years ago, when their democraticly elected government has called for your death!

While you're imagining, why not try and imagine yourself in their position!

h/t to SDA


NOTE: Just thought I should clarify, BEFORE I get flamed... I have NO IDEA if the author is a leftist, but I made the assumption based on the fact that the vast majority of people I've known who are anti-Israel are on the left. Carry on...

Some Reasons Why I Reject "Liberalism"

Some have asked over recent months why I react so strongly when talking about "liberals" or "lefties" as I sometimes refer to them. (sorry to those who have taken offence) I thought it best to try and define what it is that I am rejecting, and why I use those terms as I do. It is, for the most part, a rejection of ideology, not individuals. (though there are some individuals who are so narrow minded that I do sometimes refer to an individual, in which case, I usually name them)

I reject "liberalism" as being the best political solution to our problems as a nation, or in this world. Of that, I'm sure you're already quite aware. However, you might not have realized why, so I thought it best to define a few things.

Why I reject "liberalism"

1) I reject "statism"
Most, not all, liberals tend to support a reliance on government programs to solve various problems. Though I support strong government programs to support the truly needy, I have seen ample evidence that such programs only encourage waste, bad citizenship, drug and alcohol abuse, and laziness.

My mother worked for years for the Ontario WSIB, and saw first hand how people try to milk the system for all it's worth. She encountered one family who literally "took turns" making WSIB claims.

Working in the healthcare industry, I've seen a number of people "on the system" who do nothing all day, and spend large portions of their monthly cheques on drugs and cigarettes, instead of the medicines they need, while complaining that they can't afford them because the government won't pay for the medication prescribed to them!

The "left", in general, from what I have seen, supports expanding existing programs, while at the same time rejects any efforts to reform the system to cut off funding from abusers. (ie - "Workfare" in the 1990's) If we're going to have programs, then let's ensure they are actually supporting the people they are supposed to.

As for more "programs", I think we're spending way to much money on overhead for the programs we have, and not enough of those funds reach the target people. THAT's one of the many reasons I support the $1200 a year per child program of the Harper government… it gets the money direct to those who need it, with a much lower overhead. It's not perfect, but it's a good start. An institutional daycare system would cost way to much to administer, and would invariably end up under control of the various unions out there, thus costing us even more. (and when they go on strike? Then what?) Some will say that "$1200 a year won't fund a space for a single mother who has to work!" True, but there are OTHER PROGRAMS out there to assist with spaces and funding for many of those who need it, so that, to me, is a poor argument.

Our various programs, Federal and Provincial, need a little shake-up, and some trimming of the "dead weight". We need to streamline our existing systems, put the people on the front line where they are needed, and get rid of the people who are sitting around waiting for their pensions to kick in. (don't get me started on some of those stories...)


2) I really dislike most unions and their methods
My mother, while at the WSIB, was told a story by her colleague about the local General Motors plant. Every summer, they would hire a student, who, for the entire summer, their job was to locate the beds that workers had built so they could sleep instead of working! When such a worker is caught, they get "a warning". Company can't fire them until their file is thick enough, and these workers know it. In cases like that, UNIONS SUCK. If the unions stopped protecting lazy and worthless employees, then I wouldn't bash them so much. (NOTE: I am NOT talking about cases where employees are fired without cause… I support unions doing that. I'm talking about Unions protecting worthless workers who know how to milk the system)

Unions have also caused problems for my family, and was one of the reasons my folks chose to move from Britian... my dad was offered his dream job in England, and then the Union stepped in... "Sorry, he's not part of the right union… he can't have the job." Wasn't his first run in with the unions... we moved to Canada TO GET AWAY FROM THAT KIND OF GARBAGE. Here in Canada, my dad still had problems with them… lazy workers, guys who wouldn't lift a finger because of "that's not part of my contract" attitudes, etc. All of the "draconian" cuts made in the Harris years didn't affect me one little bit... only the protests of various unions during those years did!

3) Pierre Elliot Trudeau - nuff said!
Back to "statism" - he supported it, I don't. He bloated our Federal government, overspent, didn't have an understanding of how the economy really works, NEP, etc. (just finished reading "Grits" by Christina McCall-Newman… enlightening)

4) The "Culture of Entitlement"
Many members of the Liberal Party of Canada truly believe that they, and only they, have a right to run this country. Pure arrogance. (again, read "Grits") I accept that there are differing views, and changing the government every few years is healthy. But I've been shouted down many a time when I try to show them there can indeed be a different and legitimate point of view. I love this story given me by a former Tory staffer to a senator, of his conversation in Ottawa with a Liberal staffer...

"The discussion, up to that point, had gone well. I was making progress. But I could not shut my mouth. The final point I made was that there is no more ideologically fragmented party in Canada, and arguably, in North America, than the Liberal Party of Canada. Scott Brison, the fiscally conservative East Coaster, sits near Ujjal Dosanjh, the former socialist Premier of British Columbia. And also in the mix is Paul Martin’s chief lieutenant in Quebec, Jean Lapierre, one of the founder’s of the Bloc Quebecois. Once a separatist, always a separatist.

But I offended my good Liberal friend. The fact that I, as a Conservative, and therefore someone who is obviously un-Canadian, dared to challenge the Liberals on their own internal divisions, seemed sacrilegious. She quickly admonished me that I was wrong. Her party was the Party of Canada, in tune with Canadians. I was supposed to accept it, and not question it. After all, this party has most often been in power throughout the history of the country, and my claims were silly. As for the divisions in the party – they were not divisions. They were the "lifeblood of the party" and resulted in consensus around common goals. But my Liberal friend could not answer what those goals were.

The goals, of course, are winning. Seeking power, attaining power, and maintaining power at all costs. It is easy to see why Liberals have fewer arguments over policy, since after all, never let ideas get in the way of holding power.

Hearing this tirade only reinforced my faith in Canadian Conservatism. A principled, united, and effective alternative to a Party that believes governing is the birthright of silver-spooned Liberals."

Original here.

5) Moral Issues
Liberals, in general, are pro-murder and pro-SSM. I reject both of these views.

I love the accusation that keeps coming up… "Conservatives want to control and dictate what goes on in the bedrooms of our nation". OH COME ON. That's SOOO not true. Truth be told, I feel that what goes on in the bedrooms of our nation IS BETWEEN THEM AND GOD, as it should be. I have no plans to legislate morality. But I want is NOT to be forced to accept what goes on in the bedrooms of our nation! I don't think that homosexuality is right... SO WHAT!?!?!? I don't force my opinion on anyone, they can choose to live how they please... it's not my business. When it comes to the issue of marriage, WHY AREN'T CIVIL UNIONS GOOD ENOUGH? Because the motivation is to change how people view their relationship, and force a level of acceptance upon society. Not going to happen. Sure, grant them the legal rights and privileges, as is required in a secular nation, but a civil union could just as easily do that.

My problem is that people are trying to tell me what is acceptable or not. That, trying to enforce your views on me, is in and of itself, immoral.

For the record, I have an issue with HETEROSEXUAL SEX being discussed or displayed in public, so don't try and accuse me of being a homophobe or something! Sex is a private matter, and should be relegated to the bedrooms of our nation, not displayed for all to see!

(NOTE: I do expect some debate on that last point... but do so in a reasoned fashion. Jumping up and down screaming "bloody murder" or "YOU'RE INTOLERANT" or "BIGOT!" will only prove and re-enforce my point that I believe there is little or no room for reasoned debate with most liberals...)


6) Economic Issues
For the most part, the Liberals (as a party) are getting better at this, so I don't actually have to many complaints here. Paul Martin was a fairly good Minister of Finance, and did get the books balanced, but it was at the expense of the Provinces. (which damaged Health Care across this country, but that's another story) I don't like their standard response to problems, however, which is typically to throw more money at it. I support lower taxes, and reduction in spending on programs that have not produced the intended results. (ie - Gun Registry)

7) Crime and Punishment Issues
Liberals (the ideology, not party) say that taking away guns will prevent gun crime. That kind of thinking, to quote Mr. Layton, "is just wrongheaded". I once heard "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns". True indeed. Most gun owners are responsible, and use them as tools, not weapons. Deal with the offenders, and stiffen the penalties… don't attack law abiding citizens.

I DO NOT support decriminalizing marijuana. But, for the record, I support changing how we deal with marijuana… I just don't support decriminalizing it. I support it's use for medial purposes, but ensuring it is strictly controlled through the medical industry. However, since I know it's going to happen, I support STRONG ENFORCEMENT against doctors who abuse the privilege of prescribing it, such as revoking their medical license. Treat it like any other regulated drug.

I support strong enforcement of existing laws, and the judicial system DOING THEIR JOB of punishing offenders. I also support trying to deal with the roots of crime, though I don't support throwing millions of dollars into more wasteful programs. (again, I have issues with the statist overhead of most programs) Let's develop some trim, solid programs that get the money where it's needed, to address immediate needs (ie - food and shelter) and long term needs (employment to break the cycle of poverty).


That's it for now. Maybe I'll write more, if I get time between working, sleeping, and replying to the dozens of flaming comments I'm sure to get. ;-)

Robert "Over-the-top" McLeftie

Robert McClelland, of "MyBlahg" in-fame, has said he's going to sue Steve Janke for libel.

Amm, having followed all the related posts, I'm curious to see if any lawyer will even touch his case! Well, maybe one will take it... collect the cash to consult, and advising him that he has no case!

Anywho, various and sundry folks from the left, namely "Ti-Guy", have come running to his banner to defend him. But you gotta love this comment...

"Ti-Guy Says: July 13th, 2006 at 7:31 am

Anyway, to make sure the swarming righties get something while they’re here, here’s a reading list of the works Roger Griffen, an English political theorist at Oxford Brookes University:

- The Nature of Fascism (St. Martin’s Press, 1991 Routledge, 1993)
- Fascism (Oxford Readers) Oxford University Press, 1995.
- Fascism: Critical Concepts in Political Science. Routledge, 2004.
- International Fascism. Eward Arnold, 1998.
- Fascism, Totalitarianism, and Political Religion Routledge, 2006.

The last one is particularly relevant with regard to the rise of Christian fundamentalism in North America."

Oh my... did I just hear Ti-Guy use the "Christians and the right are Nazis" line? Game over, YOU LOSE.

Relevant links:
My Blahg's "I'm suing Janke" post
Steve Janke's Reply
Kate at SDA summing it up

It will be interesting to see if Robert's and Ti-Guy's favorite MSM blogger, "Lefty Zerb", will come to their rescue and report on our "Blogging Snories right-wing-nut smear conspiracy" against him. ;-)

The suggestion has been made that Warren might make for a good defence lawyer, should this ever go to trial... hey, I'd consider driving to the courthouse to watch that one!

(note to Ti-Guy... the swarming continues, eh? I wouldn't have said a word, if not for your blatant attack on me...)

UPDATE: According to Steve, it seems that Warren's gonna take up the cause... if it even goes that far! LOL... haven't I always said that Warren is one cool Liberal? (...in Exile(TM))

UP-UPDATE: Speaking of "The Prince of Darkness", how cool is THIS? (sorry, Blogger is not co-operating, so I can't post the pic, follow the link)

"The Frog Lady", a Liberal blogger, is doing a series of South Park caricatures of the Liberal leadership candidates. Fry and Kennedy are my faves! Warren made a comment on his blog about it, and she obliged with one of him.

"Inconvient Truths" for Kyoto Supporters

I finally got fed up with all the support out there for Kyoto, so, based on a National Post article that a commenter left on my blog today, I started to do some digging. Now, I'm no scientist or enviornmental expert, but here are a few "Inconvient Truths" for Mr. Gore, et. al. that I found...

New Study Decimates Kyoto Pillar

Damaging though these studies have been to the credibility of the human-induced climate change hypothesis, a highly technical paper published in the prominent British journal Energy and Environment at the end of October 2003 may very well be its final coup de grâce. The paper's authors, Canadian mathematician Steve McIntyre and University of Guelph, Ontario economics professor Ross McKitrick, demonstrate convincingly that the well-known "Mann Hockey Stick", one of Kyoto's fundamental scientific pillars, is based on flawed calculations, incorrect data and a biased selection of climate records.

From EnviroTruth.org

Just do a Google search on this... "MBH98 kyoto". Yikes.

Or how about this? A list of scientists (including some profs from Canada) who DISPUTE THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION OF KYOTO... "Some of the Many Experts Who Contest Kyoto's Scientific Foundation".

I, perhaps like you, had no idea of how much debate there really is on the foundations upon which Kyoto was built. I knew there was some, but had no idea on how vast it really was.

My brief research then led me to this article. Here's just a few of the "money quotes"...

The global warming debate has left the realm of science a long time ago. It has become totally politicised. Any scientific criticism is not met with a scientific response, but with name-calling and a stepping up of the scare tactics. Some sceptics have even lost their jobs or are told to shut up or else.

- - -

A favourite ploy by AGW alarmists is to repeat ad infinitum that the science about AGW has been settled and that there is consensus among scientists that it is happening and that it will have cataclysmic consequences for our planet. People using these consensus arguments forget that scientific truth is not determined by consensus. But apart from being unscientific, the consensus argument is also a myth. There are thousands of independent scientists who do not accept that the science behind Kyoto has been settled.

- - -

The European Union has been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the Kyoto Protocol and has been very scathing of the US for not signing Kyoto. However, emissions in Europe have risen by 16.4 per cent since 1990, while the US increase was 16.7 percent. Canada increased its emissions by 23.6 percent, and Japan 18.9 percent. Sobering figures.

- - -

Even some politicians are waking up. [...] The Select Committee on Economics of the House of Lords in Britain released a report titled "The Economics of Climate Change." [...] It urges the government to take a different approach to climate change in the future than the one followed for the Kyoto Protocol and to emphasise adaptation to climate change rather than dubious emission controls.

- - -

It is clear that the politicising of climate science has resulted in an abandoning of good scientific practice and ethics. Any critical scientific discussion of the science behind the AGW doctrine is shouted down, ridiculed or ostracised. But fortunately there are sufficient independent scientists who keep the flame of good scientific practice burning, although not much of this is reaching the general public.

- - -

Sea-level rise caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions is another favourite scare topic of AGW alarmists. But geologists know that sea level has risen by 120 metres since the last ice age.

Can we at least talk about this Canada, without the pro-Kyoto lobby jumping down our throats? Let's actually talk about these studies! If we're supposed to commit BILLIONS of dollars to it, I wanna know that it's based on rock solid data!

Maybe the planet is getting a little warmner, but again, I repeat what I said yesterday... 1) is it our fault, or is it just a natural planetary cycle? and 2) does it really matter?

I'm with the guys who wrote the report for the British House of Lords... let's spend the money on reducing pollution, and on methods of adaptation to climate change, not on some dubious scheme (read KYOTO) that may not even work anyway.

More of My Kyoto Thoughts

Based on a comment I made at Dust My Broom...

A major problem I have with the whole Kyoto backing crowd is that they automatically assume several things... firstly, that the current global warming trend is definitely man-made. Secondly, they assume that, if the earth is indeed warming, it is inherently A BAD THING.

Sure, a change in climate may alter how we do things for a generation or two, and may affect weather patterns... but then again, so did the mini-Ice Age they had in the 1600-1700's.

My point is this... WE HAVE A CONSTANTLY CHANGING PLANET, with it's own life cycles that we have barely scratched the surface of understanding. I'm all for ensuring that we cut down on our pollutants... we should be taking good care of this planet, which I believe God has entrusted us with. And if you don't believe in God, then we should be taking care of it simply because it's the only one we've got... you're wrong, but your entitled to your view. ;-)

But to say that we're drasticly altering our planet with man-made global warming is pure BUNK... first of all, there's no way to prove that it's not just the natural life cycle of our planet, and secondly, the left assumes that a change in climate is inherently a bad thing.

Global warming may cause us to change how we live for a generation or two, but we've been there before, and we dealt with it... but it won't cause a mass extintion like the left would have us believe.

But, of course, that's an "Inconvient Truth" for the enviro-lobby... you know, they need to keep their jobs somehow, now that we've already saved the whales, saved the Giant Panda, and banned CFC's...


Now that I've gone and said that... calling all pro-Kyoto lefties!!! Let the flames begin! Please watch your language... I'd love to keep your posts for all to see, but I'll have to toast them should they contain "uneducated" language. ;-)

The Death of "Liberal Christianity"

A really good summary of why the United Church of Canada, and other like minded liberal branches of "Christianity" (I use that term loosely when I refer to them) are surely doomed.

h/t to Upper Canada Catholic.

Global Warming? Nah...

h/t to Dust my Broom.

There is FINALLY a list of scientists, about 17,000 of them, who are willing to put their names to a petition that states that Kyoto, and the whole Global Warming Activist agenda, is BUNK.

And they are asking the US Government NOT to sign on to any such agreement.

Here's the money quote:

Summary

World leaders gathered in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 to consider a world treaty restricting emissions of ''greenhouse gases,'' chiefly carbon dioxide (CO2), that are thought to cause ''global warming'' severe increases in Earth's atmospheric and surface temperatures, with disastrous environmental consequences. Predictions of global warming are based on computer climate modeling, a branch of science still in its infancy. The empirical evidence actual measurements of Earth's temperature shows no man-made warming trend. Indeed, over the past two decades, when CO2 levels have been at their highest, global average temperatures have actually cooled slightly.

To be sure, CO2 levels have increased substantially since the Industrial Revolution, and are expected to continue doing so. It is reasonable to believe that humans have been responsible for much of this increase. But the effect on the environment is likely to be benign. Greenhouse gases cause plant life, and the animal life that depends upon it, to thrive. What mankind is doing is liberating carbon from beneath the Earth's surface and putting it into the atmosphere, where it is available for conversion into living organisms.

(oh dear sis-a-ter of mine, any thoughts/comments? And I mean that seriously, my little "Orange Tory"...)

All 3 "wiz-kids" have appologized

This is the letter written by the 23 year old man from Montreal:

"Dear Veterans,

On July 1, I set out to have a great Canada Day in Ottawa. As soon as I arrived, I started drinking and didn't stop till sunlight. I truly have no recollection of the incident or much of what happened that night. The next morning, I drove back to Montreal.

You can imagine my surprise the following morning when I received a phone call informing me that there was a picture of me posted on the front cover of the Ottawa Citizen, urinating on the Veterans Memorial. I was, and still am completely embarrassed. Upon reading the article I was shocked to read that people think my intentions were to disgrace this nation - OUR nation that my family has fought to raise me in.

This is why I am here today, and why I contacted the officials myself. Although my actions were without intention, they have caused anger and anguish in many people, disgust throughout the country. For this, I am sorry. As (a citizen of) one of the greatest countries in the world, I was taught we must always stand proud, and take responsibility for our actions, whether it's fighting a war, or everyday life. This is why I have come here - to take responsibility for my actions.

I would like to formally apologize to all the men and women that served and who are currently serving our country, to you I extend my utmost respect, and to all Canadians who I offended in any way with my frivolous actions on July 1, 2006.

I am truly sorry.

Stephen Fernandes"

Appology accepted. There are still charges pending, so there may be more consequences, however, I think the public anger over this has done it's job. End of story. Let it work its way through the courts, and assuming that he pleads "guilty", give some community service and a fine, and be done with it.

And sir, I hope that, for your sake, you are forgotten. May you have another 15 minutes of fame another day, with a more positive story to tell.

Ontario Ad-scam?

What are the rules in Ontario on the value of advertising contracts? Steve Janke has some questions to ask about a $50,000 Caledonia related promotional contract that was sole-sourced to an Ontario Liberal connected ad firm... then, a week later, after it had been awarded, it was inflated to $210,000.

That sounds REALLY fishy to me. If it were a sole-sourced $50,000 to a Liberal firm, I could handle that... I don't have any problem with legit contracts being sourced to friends... it's nice to be able to give a project you have to ideologically compatable people. But to have it, after awarding, instantly inflated to $210,000, without retendering it, certainly causes questions to arise... at least in my mind.

h/t to Dust My Broom.

Annual Party Financial Reports

Could someone help me understand this?

Elections Canada has just released the annual financial reports of the various parties for 2005. Giving them a REALLY brief look, I noticed something that I'd like people to interpret for me. (because I honestly am not sure what it means) I found this on page 7 of the Liberal report...

Did you catch it? This is the line that caught my attention...Anyone care to help me understand what that little item is all about? An "Aboriginal Election Endowment Fund"? And just what sort of "Endowments" might that entail? I've heard rumors for years about "beer for votes" on various remote reserves, but there's never been anything substaniated.

Anyone have any thoughts?

NY and Georgia reject SSM

From CNN.

One word for it...

APPALING.

Support a good work in Rwanda

My sister has been involved for the last couple of years with a really neat ministry called "NuVision Ministries", based out of Rwanda. They've just started a blog, so I'm giving them a shameless plug. (hey, 50,000 people a day, on average, read the posts on "The Blogging Tories", so I figured it's a good means of spreading the word...)

It was started by Evelyn and Martin Razanga (no clue if I spelled the last name right), two natives of Rwanda. They were in Canada attending school when the genocide occured in the 1990's, and after everything settled down, returned to determine what had come of their families. (If I remember correctly, they had all survived) As Martin had graduated school as an optician, he and his wife set about to do their part in helping to rebuild the nation.

Over time, it developed into NuVision Ministries. They have obtained land, and through donations from Canada and the US, have been able to build a school, and set up regular and stable funding for support for the children attending.

My sister assisted them on a building team in 2004, and is joining another team this summer. Another friend of mine, Jordan, has just left for Rwanda to help co-ordinate all the summer teams, and my former employer, Dr. Ronald Phillips, will be going over for several weeks to provide his optometric services through the ministry, as they are in extremely short supply over there. (people line up for hours, sometimes for a day or two, for Martin to examine them... and he's only an optician!)

So, if you're looking for something good to put your support behind, here's one more way that you might want to consider.

Check out their blog... Nu-Vision August Work Team Blog.

Update on War Mem "Wiz kids"

According to Global National tonight, all three photographed idiots have been identified... two are local Ottawa boys, one is from Montreal. Apparently, the boy from Montreal (seen below) has personally contacted the Ottawa police.

The CBC is reporting that the two Ottawa boys are under 18, so they can't be identified.

France vs. Portugal

You see, I'm from England. And Portugal beat England on Saturday in their World Cup round. Therefore...
VIVE LA FRANCE!!!

"It's beginning..."

"... to look a lot like Christmas..."

h/t to Political Staples


NOTICE: This purely partisan political post (try saying that three times fast) has been brought to you by me... so deal with it! ;-)

Props to Lib MP David McGuinty

I saw online that he had commented on the "national disgrace" at the War Memorial, so I sent him a copy of the e-mail I sent to the PM and my MP. One of his staffers replied and send me a copy of the press release he issued today.

Props to David McGuinty, MP. I'm behind your request 100%! Here's the press release...

Also disgusting...

A "young offender" suspect in Creba murder isout on bail. Disgusting.

h/t Backseat Blogger

Libs still think Harper "Scary"

I love getting these e-mails from the Liberal Party of Canada... they're so fun to pick appart!

So much of it sounds desperate... almost as if they're begging for support. It's also full of the anti-US rhetoric that Canadians have said they're sick of, so I don't know who's cause they're helping by continuing to employ such language. (likely appealing to their "base"... PUN!)

At the bottom, it says "Please feel free to forward this to all your friends".

Well, friends, here you go!

From the Desk of the National Director
Dear Liberal Friend, (LOL! If you only knew...)

Please take a moment to read below, and consider what you are willing to do for Canadian democracy. (Ready and willing... to stop you at all costs!)

In the last 100 days, The Stephen Harper Government has put forward a series of policies that are seriously impeding Canada’s ability to be a sovereign nation. (Say what?) Under the smoke and mirrors of tax cuts and half-hearted subsidies, Mr. Harper is aligning Canadian policy with that of George Bush’s United States. (Here we go again... anti-Americanism still reigns supreme with the Libs... care to comment Iggy?)

(Oh, I love this part!)Which of these Harper policies do you think most aligns Canada with George Bush’s United States?

1) Cancelling Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto Accord
2) Assigning Fixed Election Dates
3) Catering to the NRA-style gun lobby
4) Destroying the Kelowna Accord
5) Tax increases for the poor, and tax cuts for the rich
6) Arming Canada’s Borders
7) Bowing to US Softwood Lumber Demands

(Oooh! Oooh! I'll pick #6 for $200 Alex... er, Steve...)
(Let's go through these one by one, shall we? 1) Kyoto doesn't work, got it? Why stay committed to something you committed us to, then never did anything about, which isn't going to reduce global emissions anyway? 2) Fixed election dates... why is that so bad? 3) We're not catering to the NRA, we're supporting our law-abiding farmers, sport shooters and collectors, who you keep on persecuting, moron! 4) Just looking for results... you only signed it in the dying days of your government in order to beat us over the head with it... like all previous agreements, YOU HAD NO INTENTION OF KEEPING IT YOURSELF!!! 5) Say what? Amm, news flash, GST was cut three days ago... the one tax ALL Canadians pay, rich or poor... your "tax cuts" didn't help ANYONE who is currently below the income tax threshold... ours did. 6) Allowing our border guards to protect themselves is tanamount to becoming American? 7) Amm, $4,000,000,000 to be returned is "bowing to their demands"???)

Seven policies: Seven steps towards a Republican Canada.

It’s time to shine a spotlight on Stephen Harper’s real agenda. More than ever, the Liberal Party of Canada needs your help to defeat this emerging threat. (Yep, the "Hidden Agenda" is being implemented)

Here are some ways you can make a difference right now:

1) MAKE A DONATION TODAY to the Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada needs your immediate support. Your tax-deductible donation will help communicate our strong opposition to Stephen Harper’s pillaging of Canada’s values. Your donation will also support important initiatives, like:

Supporting grassroots movements in your Community
Communicating with Canadians
Researching issues that are important to the future of Canada
A donation of as little as $20 is all that stands between a compassionate society, and the continuing smoke and mirror campaign of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

Click here to make a donation right now.
(No thanks, I already made thousands of dollars of donations via your Party's policy of theft...)

2) Contact your Member of Parliament

To make democracy work in Canada’s 21st century, more Canadians must engage politicians. Elected representatives need to hear from the people of this great Country. It’s essential that Canadians let their politicians know what is important before it’s too late. Without your voice, Stephen Harper’s approach to governing will remain in the hands of big business, special-interest groups, and foreign nations. To find the contact information of your member of parliament, click here.

3) Get involved in Politics – Become a Member of the Liberal Party of Canada

Donate your time and share your ideas. Liberal Associations exist in every riding in Canada. These Associations are comprised of people with similar political views as yours. Contact your local riding representative, and get involved today. You will quickly see how one person can make a difference in the direction of the country. (Sure, I'd love to get involved... but your Constitution forbids anyone who's a member of another Party from joining... sorry!)

To have your say in the next Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, you must become a member of the Liberal Party no later than Tuesday, July 4, 2006, at 5 PM local time. Click here to sign up today.

Remember:

Canada requires Canadians to be engaged in the political process. (I am, thanks)

The Liberal Party of Canada requires Canadians to support its movement. (Why? You never listen to us anyway!)

Without donations from people like you, Canada’s political process will have one less voice. (If it's yours that's "one less voice", YIPPIE! Let the NDP take a crack at being the voice of the Left)

Please donate today, and make Canada stronger. (I did donate... to the CPC)


Sincerely,

Steven MacKinnon
National Director of the Liberal Party of Canada

P.S. Feel free to forward this email to a friend.(YOU GOT IT!!!)

Take Action on this "National Disgrace"

To the punks who decided the National War Memorial was a good spot to take a leak...

YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THIS NATION
If I had my way, you'd be locked up for a year or two, then forced to see what it was like for our veterans by being sentenced to serve in our Armed Forces for a couple of years, to teach you a little RESPECT.

In the mean time, we need to catch the morons first. Out of respect for our veterans, I think these idiots need to have their faces plastered on the front of every national newspaper, broadcast on every television newscast, and rewards posted for information leading to their arrest. It was an appaling show of disrespect, and I think the Prime Minister ought to get involved.

To that end, I have sent the following to the Prime Minister, to my current MP, my former MP (who I have spoken to before, and who has been VERY prompt to addressing my concerns) and to a Cabinet Minister who's riding is next door to mine:

Greetings, Mr. Prime Minister.

My name is "CC", and I reside in Guelph, Ontario.

I saw the report of the disgraceful incident of disrespect to our veterans that occured at the National War Memorial this Canada Day weekend, and I am writing to ask that the Prime Minister step into this matter immediately. (link to canada.com article: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=dfaae499-b7ae-4f6d-8190-b1fed9077bdb&k=55262)

From the story, I understand that several veterans have tried unsucessfully for years to obtain a guard for the National War Memorial. My request today is two-fold.

Firstly, I would ask that the Prime Minister allow the nation to see his commitment to honouring our veterans by publicly commenting on this incident. I ask that he request the RCMP to investigate, and seek to identify and charge the individuals photographed to the maximum extent of the law.

Secondly, I would ask that the Prime Minister consult with the Minister of Defence, and his staff, to consider the permament stationing of a watch at the monument. This watch would serve as a daily and permanent reminder to both the public and our veterans that we do indeed honour their sacrifice, and to guard and honour their memory.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

"CC"
Guelph, Ontario

cc:
Hon. Brenda Chamberlain, MP, Guelph
Hon. Michael Chong, MP, Wellington-Halton Hills
Gary Goodyear, MP, Cambridge

I encourage you all to do the same. Here's where you can find your MP's e-mail.

h/t to SDA.

UPDATE: The PM has voiced his disgust over the incident. Let's see what actions, if any, will follow.