Billion Dollar Whoops!
The Tories in the city that fun forgot are asking for 6 billion dollars of more money for unplanned expenses. This "whoops" of billion dollar proportions comes mostly (90%) from EI expenses but some of the stranger expenses include 197 million for civil servant salary increases. Is it just me but why would anyone think in the civil service that they would be getting a raise right now?
Home Schooling Crimes
A family in Alberta is applying for asylum. This wouldn't be an abnormal occurrence in Canada - but it is when the family is from Germany, a well developed democracy, and the issue that has the family running is the fact that they home-school their children. In Germany families that choose to home-school their children are fined, thrown in jail, and in some cases their children are literally taken away from them. All of this is done under a home-schooling ban put in effect under than non other than Adolf Hitler himself.
Two quick thoughts come to mind:
1) We should be lucky that we live in country as free as it is. And I'm not talking about the modern relativistic definition of freedom that dresses up entitlements as rights but true genuine freedom of the individual to be left alone. We have our problems but obviously this is one category where Canada shines.
2) This is exactly the reason why many including myself disagree with any attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers that the government has made in the past. Knowing the way large bureaucracies work, no doubt it would be these type of genuine asylum seekers that would get cut first.
Brings the whole debate about "National Daycare" into perspective doesn't it? I guess mommy and daddy no long know best - now it's "Government" knows best.
Two quick thoughts come to mind:
1) We should be lucky that we live in country as free as it is. And I'm not talking about the modern relativistic definition of freedom that dresses up entitlements as rights but true genuine freedom of the individual to be left alone. We have our problems but obviously this is one category where Canada shines.
2) This is exactly the reason why many including myself disagree with any attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers that the government has made in the past. Knowing the way large bureaucracies work, no doubt it would be these type of genuine asylum seekers that would get cut first.
Brings the whole debate about "National Daycare" into perspective doesn't it? I guess mommy and daddy no long know best - now it's "Government" knows best.
La Resistance Bloc
Duceppe, that happy little seperatist, is referring to the Bloc as a "resistance" movement: "Quebec has no future in Canada…the only worthy future for Québec is full and complete political liberty. And that’s called sovereignty."
So.... Liberty means to have political party in power that believes in more government? More government and more centralization in Quebec?
I can just imagine Mel Gibson's next movie on the "Quebec Braveheart" screaming out "MORRREEEEE GOVERRRNMMMMENTTTT!!!!!....." What that isn't jazzy enough for you?
So.... Liberty means to have political party in power that believes in more government? More government and more centralization in Quebec?
I can just imagine Mel Gibson's next movie on the "Quebec Braveheart" screaming out "MORRREEEEE GOVERRRNMMMMENTTTT!!!!!....." What that isn't jazzy enough for you?
Fiscally Conservative and Socially Liberal?... Not me!
Apparently the Former National Director of the Fiberal Party of Canada and now Mayoralty candidate for "Hogtown" Toronto doesn't see himself as Left or Right. He's "Fiscally Conservative and Socially Liberal." He's apparently a member of the Ignatieff fuzzy brigade of modern day mature statists that now understand the merits of fiscal prudence... When it's practical of course.
I thought I would experience more help from fellow blogging Tories, but to my dismay Hugh MacIntyre thinks Rocco is spot on. This is definitely not the post I would expect Hugh to make. Based on most of the rest of what Hugh writes I agree with completely on almost everything.
Here's the problem with Rocco's statement. Being fiscally conservative is great, but it's the socially liberal part that has problems. It's one thing if what Rocco is referring to is a general preference for a state which has respect for individual liberty in all spheres both economic and moral. That to me would be very Libertarian.
The problem is what those that profess to be "Fiscally Conservative and Socially Liberal" really mean. They mean that they want balanced budgets only to finance their socialist central planning, top down, anti-family agenda.
Rocco is very clear when he says "I really believe the true progressive of the 21st century knows that unless you get the finances right, you can't pay for the social good you want to do..." In other words: "When need prudent fiscal management to finance all our great progressive (AKA socialist) ideas."
I have a feeling that Hugh may be either taking Rocco's comment incorrectly as meaning he is libertarian, or he is unfortunately praising Rocco for being something he isn't: Not a Lefty. The man was after all a senior member of the Fiberal Party of Canada - a party dead set on increasing the size of the federal government for most the past century.
To me Rocco shouldn't be praised for either denying the "left/right" label or accepting the "fiscally conservative an socially liberal" label. He should be lumped together with the rest of the socialist statists for what they are: the Canadian Left.
To me the label fits. I guess there are those that disagree.
I thought I would experience more help from fellow blogging Tories, but to my dismay Hugh MacIntyre thinks Rocco is spot on. This is definitely not the post I would expect Hugh to make. Based on most of the rest of what Hugh writes I agree with completely on almost everything.
Here's the problem with Rocco's statement. Being fiscally conservative is great, but it's the socially liberal part that has problems. It's one thing if what Rocco is referring to is a general preference for a state which has respect for individual liberty in all spheres both economic and moral. That to me would be very Libertarian.
The problem is what those that profess to be "Fiscally Conservative and Socially Liberal" really mean. They mean that they want balanced budgets only to finance their socialist central planning, top down, anti-family agenda.
Rocco is very clear when he says "I really believe the true progressive of the 21st century knows that unless you get the finances right, you can't pay for the social good you want to do..." In other words: "When need prudent fiscal management to finance all our great progressive (AKA socialist) ideas."
I have a feeling that Hugh may be either taking Rocco's comment incorrectly as meaning he is libertarian, or he is unfortunately praising Rocco for being something he isn't: Not a Lefty. The man was after all a senior member of the Fiberal Party of Canada - a party dead set on increasing the size of the federal government for most the past century.
To me Rocco shouldn't be praised for either denying the "left/right" label or accepting the "fiscally conservative an socially liberal" label. He should be lumped together with the rest of the socialist statists for what they are: the Canadian Left.
To me the label fits. I guess there are those that disagree.
Ignatieff's Post-Olympics Yikes
There's a foul wind running from Quebec straight at Iggy Puff's face today. He has a an irate Grit candidate coming out in her Anti-Iggy Pro-Coderre sympathies. This has to be among the dumbest things that a grit in Quebec can do - if that Grit actually cares about the short term success of their party.
No doubt this move is clearly an all out attack on Iggy in the media by the pro-Coderre more left leaning Liberals out there. Coderre though would be best to ask his friends to keep their mouthes shut. I doubt he will positioning himself well for a leadership run later on if he or his supporters manage to antagonize those moderates in the Liberal Party. It's precisely those moderates he will need to win over to become leader.
No doubt this move is clearly an all out attack on Iggy in the media by the pro-Coderre more left leaning Liberals out there. Coderre though would be best to ask his friends to keep their mouthes shut. I doubt he will positioning himself well for a leadership run later on if he or his supporters manage to antagonize those moderates in the Liberal Party. It's precisely those moderates he will need to win over to become leader.
Coren on Guergis
Apparently Coren agrees with my sentiments. Guergis's actions although totally unacceptable are far less than the standard we would typically expect a minister to resign over.
Honestly I really can't understand the particular concern over Guergis's actions. They were deplorable, but at the end of the day she was not lying, cheating, stealing, physically abusive, or had an elicit sexual affair. She had a hissy fit, exihibited a sense of entitlement, and was at most verbally abusive to those around her. Yet she had the good sense to recognize her mistake and apologize.
No one in life is perfect - at the very least me - yet I am genuinely surprised at the harsh assessment that some of even my own fellow conservatives have made. I have a feeling though that Coren is right: a good deal of the intensity around Guergis is less directed at her actions and is more directed at her physical appearance and the fact that she is a Tory.
Honestly I really can't understand the particular concern over Guergis's actions. They were deplorable, but at the end of the day she was not lying, cheating, stealing, physically abusive, or had an elicit sexual affair. She had a hissy fit, exihibited a sense of entitlement, and was at most verbally abusive to those around her. Yet she had the good sense to recognize her mistake and apologize.
No one in life is perfect - at the very least me - yet I am genuinely surprised at the harsh assessment that some of even my own fellow conservatives have made. I have a feeling though that Coren is right: a good deal of the intensity around Guergis is less directed at her actions and is more directed at her physical appearance and the fact that she is a Tory.
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