Duccepe's Alternate Reality

Mr Duccepe, the man who faced the worst assault and disaster of all political leaders on May 2 of this year, going from dozens of MPs to only 2 with his own seat lost, is insistent that Secession from Canada is a must for Quebequers to avoid "assimilation" :

“If Quebeckers don’t move, it’s unavoidable that they will be on the same slippery slope as francophones outside Quebec and Acadians,” he said. “It’s a falsehood to state that francophone communities are thriving.”(link)

Further Duccepe suggests a timeline of 15 years for this to occur.

I have to take issue with this assertion. Mainly because Mr Duceppe is cleverly avoiding discussing the fact that Quebec is ALREADY on the path of self implosion.

Having some of the lowest birth rates in the Country (in our recent history), combined with an aging population has some suggesting that Quebec's population will peak soon and could potentially drop over the next 50 years.

Regardless if Quebec's population actually drops, one thing is for certain: Statistics Canada predictions that the trend that has shown Quebec making up a lower and lower share of the Canadian population will continue.

If this continues, it's well more than plausible that British Columbia could overtake Quebec in terms of population by the end of the century.

Plotting the results of the Statitics Canada projections, along with actual census results you can see what really is happening:

Quebec, in Duccepe's words, has been on the path towards "assimilation", but hardly has this been "fulgurante." It's been a slow process, going on for years.

We can guess at a number of reasons for this trend. Perhaps it's been due to Quebec culturally abandoning it's Catholic, large family roots. Perhaps it's been due to Quebec's embrace of socialist low-groth policies. Perhaps, it even might be that Quebec has been too closed to anglophone immigration.

Regardless of the cause, it's highly laughable to claim that Canada is responsible for this trend. There's been no ethnic cleansing of Quebequers by the Canadian government. They have not been disadvantaged in Confederation - if anything you might argue they have been the bearers of great charity.

This population implosion is happening for reasons otherwise. There's no reason to believe it would change if Quebec left Canada.

If Ducceppe, and those like him, were really interested in stopping this trend, they should be looking to reform Quebec society, culture, and it's politics to make it a pro-family, pro-growth, pro-business jurisdiction.

Unless that happens Duceppe is right - Quebec is going the way of the Do-Do. But it won't be because of Canadian efforts, it'll be in spite of Canadian efforts.

Kill The Senate?

NDP Pat Martin's plan to kill the senate:

“We may not be able to abolish the Senate by constitutional amendment, but we can cut off its blood supply,” he told The Globe.

(...)

“We might not be able to get rid of it,” the veteran Winnipeg MP said, “but we don’t have to fund it.”(link)

First off, I'm glad someone from the NDP has finally admitted that abolishing the senate through constitutional reform is a fraud policy doomed to fail.

Admitting that a constitutional amendment is no-go was a tactical mistake by the honorable MP that he may learn to regret.

Secondly, this isn't that bad of an idea for the Tories. So long as the senate refuses to pass reform legislation we can say "fine, we'll cut the taps off."

I can just see the howls of righteous indignation from the Right Honorable (And Unaccountable) Richard Neufeld.

What will the likes of Mr Neufel do? Appeal to the Canadian people?

What will he say?

"The Tories are forcing us into poverty through their hurtful cutbacks to our $100K+ salaries..."

Somehow I think the argument won't get much traction.

The Senate Nuclear Option

Harper's Aussie meanderings are spooking some back home:

"Reform means reform. We would like the senators are elected and have fixed terms. We believe we are on track. But the comments of the Prime Minister in his speech in Australia always reflect his thoughts, "said a government source said yesterday in La Presse.

In that speech, Mr. Harper said: "Australia's Senate shows how a reformed upper house can function in our parliamentary system. And Canadians understand that our Senate, as it is today, must change or, as the old upper houses of our provinces, vanish. "(link)

To be fair Harper has not said he would consider abolishing the senate. Neither did Jason Kenney when he recently insinuated that the government would consider more "dramatic" options should the senate reform bill fail in the Senate.

One very real option is to pull a Mulroney: appoint more Senators. Tip the balance of power - but make sure that these guys Harper appoints stick by their word this time. That gives Harper the majority in the Senate he needs to reform it.

Yet Harper used the word "vanish" without much explanation. He would no doubt know the implications back home. This leads me to conclude that Harper intended to cause a splash.

He knows there is no appetite for the type of constitutional reform abolishing the senate would require. Yet every opposition party in parliament supports the notion of "abolishing" the senate. Including some provincial governments.

What I think this really is, is a concerted strategy by Harper to call the opposition's bluff. If they really believe in Senate abolition - we'll give it to them.

This puts the opposition in an awkward position. I don't believe for a moment that the Progressive left in this country actually believed in abolishing the senate so much as opposing the government's senate reform plans. The Canadian Senate has been a boon to the Canadian Left for decades acting as a nice socialist-second-thought to our Elected Accountable House of Commons.

With the Tories calling their bluff, and Senator's seeing that the PM is willing to call it quits with trying to fix the senate, the only option left for those opposed to having an elected accountable senate is to accept reform or face oblivion.

G20 Costs VII

Somewhere at the bottom of an article on the Auditor General's report on the G20 summit...

In a separate report, the Auditor-General looked at the overall financial management of the G8 and G20 summits, stating Parliament was ill-informed as it approved $1.1-billion in funding. The Auditor-General said that final expenses came in at nearly half of the amount, or $664-million.

"Ill-informed" is a terrible wording to use. Maybe "unprepared" or "MPs did not sufficiently review" are better ways to describe it.

“Because of the short time frame to prepare for the summits, departments had to prepare budgets quickly, often with limited information,” Mr. Wiersema said. “As a result, the funding requests significantly overestimated the amounts needed.”(link)

Now I've been pretty critical of the Tories on this issue. I don't believe there was enough review of the budget estimates by civil servants, the Tories, or the regular MPs who voted on it.

But you would think costs coming it at 1/2 estimate would be a good thing.

Quite frankly it was a foregone conclusion. What's baffled me is that I could do some simple google searches to verify that their estimate was pretty off. It baffles me that not a single MP, Tory, or civil servant did the same.

The fact that costs came in so low proves it. But really, the costs at $664 million are still a multiplier off from the costs of previous summits.

I'm not a parliamentary procedure or budgeting expert. I'm sure there are plenty of details about this situation I don't understand. But I don't like my tax dollars being wasted. And I think it's fairly obvious that a lot of money went down the drain when it didn't need to.

Bad decisions were galore over this file. I don't believe that figures like Tony Clement or John Baird will go without learning lessons. I hope one of those lessons is to have more independent review and confirmations of spending estimates.

I hope another, is that rushing billions of dollars of spending estimates through any organization (especially parliament and the civil service) is a recipe for mistakes to be made - and big ones at that.

G20 Costs VI
G20 Costs V
G20 Costs IV
G20 Costs III
G20 Costs II
G20 Costs I

Liberals Never Learn

Canadians love Big Ideas - don't they?

They love politicians that obsess about stuff they don't care about... You know things that have nothing to do with putting food on the table, getting the garbage out, getting the kids to school...

Canada should entrench economic rights such as the right to timely heath care and a decent education into an updated Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the president of the Liberal Party of Canada said on Thursday.

Alfred Apps, who faced calls from within the party for his resignation after the Liberals’ crushing electoral defeat, speaking to the Empire Club of Canada in a downtown Toronto ballroom, said his party should make the push for a “second Charter” one its fundamental long-term goals.(link)

I'm sure Alfred is a nice guy, but holy moly was this a bad time to be talking "big ideas" as an embattled Liberalismo Party Presidentay.

Just recently the Manning Institute released a poll showing that Canucks don't like Big Ideas.

To fair I don't think Canucks have ever liked Big Ideas. Meech Lake and Charlottetown are good evidence of that.

To make matters worse for Apps, these really aren't good ideas.

Who out there really believes by enshrining a fantastical right for Canucks to Free Healthcare in a "timely manner" will actually guarantee it?

Further, if we really wanted to talk about expanding the Charter, wouldn't you want to go to the most glaring problem - no property rights?

Brilliant Stupendously Amazing Strategy for the Opposition

What are those knuckleheads in the opposition up to this time? Plenty:

OTTAWA - Just days into the new session, opposition parties are accusing the Harper government of showing disrespect for Parliament.

New Democrats and Liberals are criticizing the government for dispensing with the traditional debate and vote on the throne speech.(link)

Let's see what the Great Mulclair has to say:

"It's a lack of respect for our parliamentary traditions," Mulcair said, laying the blame squarely on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his penchant for "hyper-control."

Sounds bad. What do you say about all this Bobby?

"Having the speech on a Friday, with no debate, means no one else gets a chance to speak, no other voices heard," Rae said.

He said the Conservatives are "uncomfortable with Parliament and uncomfortable with opposition."

Sounds like we should storm the Bastille already.

Actually it sounds an awful lot like the election campaign we just had. You know the one. It's the one where that Dude Iggy Puff got creamed.

Oh, and what was his strategy? Try to paint the government as being Gadaffi like.

Is it possible that the Tories might have another justification?

Parliamentary procedure expert Ned Franks said the tactic is somewhat surprising but "justifiable" because the government must quickly pass its budget or risk running out of money over the summer.

Franks noted that the government has been using "special warrants" to finance its operations since Parliament dissolved in March for the election campaign. But the ability to rely on warrants expires 60 days following the return of the election writs.

Memo to the Opposition: Canadians don't care. Canadians don't believe you.

I know that's hard for Urban Progressives to grasp in their ivory towers, but it's true. Canadians care about paying the bills, taking care of family, putting food on the table and changing diapers.

You'd think that the opposition would get that after the election we just had. I thought Layton had heard that message from Dexter.

At this rate Harper will be PM for the next millenium with an opposition as immature, short-sighted, and daft as this.

PQ Implosion?

Pauline Marois is having a bad day:

QUEBEC - National Assembly members Lisette Lapointe, Louise Beaudoin and Pierre Curzi have resigned from the Parti Québécois caucus.

The three are leaving over the insistence of PQ leader Pauline Marois that they support a bill that would retroactively legalize an agreement for the management of the Quebec City's proposed hockey arena.(link)

I've heard of MPs leaving a party for many different reasons: contentious moral issues, issues of taxation, broken campaign promises, and changing political winds...

But never, ever, EVER have I heard of a politician quitting his party over a private member's bill which legalizes a contract which ensures a Hockey Arena gets built.

Without a doubt this is merely the last straw that broke the camels back. PQ leader Pauline Marios has had a shaky hold on the party for the past year. Loud rumblings could be heard that she wouldn't pass a leadership review back in April.

Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duccepe was an obvious contender for the PQ leadership up until May 2nd. He was a separatist politician that was a winner.

Now, after experiencing the worst defeat in BQ history, Duceppe is politically dead.

Marois faced no leadership contenders, an unpopular Quebec Liberal government, a leadership endorsement from members and an election fast approaching.

The fact that she was willing to take the chance of a caucus revolt by trying to force her members to vote in support of this bill is no shocker. The bill would be seen as being supportive of Quebec City's bid for a new NHL team.

What is shocking, is that in spite of the thrashing that the sovereigntists just received on May 2, and the lack of any credible standbearer for their cause, three PQ members chose the nuclear option anyways.

Time will tell whether this was foolhardy or not on their part. Either way, Pauline Marois has a fire to deal with - especially when she doesn't need one.

Required Reading For DePape

If I ever met Brigitte DePape, I would give her a book that her parents should have read to her as a child.

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm . She was friends with a lazy dog , a sleepy cat , and a noisy yellow duck .

One day the little red hen found some seeds on the ground. The little red hen had an idea. She would plant the seeds . The little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me plant the seeds ?"

"Not I," barked the lazy dog . "Not I," purred the sleepy cat . "Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself.

When the seeds had grown, the little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me cut the wheat ?" "Not I," barked the lazy dog . "Not I," purred the sleepy cat . "Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen cut the wheat all by herself.

When all the wheat was cut, the little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour ?" "Not I," barked the lazy dog . "Not I," purred the sleepy cat . "Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen brought the wheat to the mill all by herself, ground the wheat into flour , and carried the heavy sack of flour back to the farm .

The tired little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me bake the bread ?" "Not I," barked the lazy dog . "Not I," purred the sleepy cat . "Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen baked the bread all by herself.

When the bread was finished, the tired little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me eat the bread ?" "I will," barked the lazy dog . "I will," purred the sleepy cat . "I will," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"No!" said the little red hen . "I will." And the little red hen ate the bread all by herself. (link)

Then I would ask her, what will she do once her Progressive revolution is done to prevent the Little Red Hens of Canada from not making bread anymore?

You see, I think people like DePape really believe they are helping the poor and the suffering. But what of the Little Red Hen?

Stop DePape

Reading Depape's Press Release was a real eye opener:

“This country needs a Canadian version of an Arab Spring, a flowering of popular movements that demonstrate that real power to change things lies not with Harper but in the hands of the people, when we act together in our streets, neighbourhoods and workplaces.”

Notice her comment that we need to "demonstrate that real power" does not belong to Harper.

Interesting. In that subtlety it betrays everything that is wrong with DePape's opinion.

DePape has compared the Conservative government to a violent oppressive dictatorship.

Yet DePape's method to achieve the necessary blocking of Harper must come by acts of civil disobedience.

Notice she didn't say an election. She didn't say a vote. She said "acts."

What she means is that SHE and her fellow Progressives should have power and should force other people (non-violently of course) to accept progressive views.

The problem is that forcing other people to do anything, is an act of coercion, and is violence of another type. It's intellectual violence. Something that is equally if not sometimes more destructive than the violence frequently displayed by TRUE tyrannical dictators in the world.

Ironically, the same violent dictatorships DePape is comparing the Conservatives to, are more easily fitted in the framework of DePape's Intellectual Violent Dictatorship of the Left than in Harper's Incremental Conservatism.

Perhaps it is Dictator DePape that needs to be Stopped.

DePape Should Refund Taxpayers

The raging Socialist (and probably proud of it) Page named Brigette DePape should refund taxpayers her salary.

Is that too harsh? I don't believe so.

DePape was "...nearing the end of her year-long job as a page..."

So much for bravery. According to the Parliamentary Page Web Site, Pages are paid $11,807 in 26 installments, with an additional $1,200 paid at the end of their contract.

Knowing this, her actions are not brave, but rather a little tincy-wincy bit cowardly.

Her contract was up. Her time was over. She had nothing to loose (expect maybe her reputation).

I was going to withhold her name from this article, because quite frankly I think her actions will be a death knell to this poor girl's future, but then I read this:

DePape appeared to have a job offer from someone at the Public Service Alliance of Canada before the day was done.

This world is insane. Obviously the left in this country has a slightly different definition of "civility" than I do. Go figure.

I don't care (and I don't think most Canadians care) what ridiculous teenage-ish stunts DePape pulls and is fired by. There are more important things in life.

What they do care about is that their money has been wasted going to someone who has acted unprofessionally, without honor, tarnishing the image of Parliamentary tradition of Pages, ultimately being undeserving of the honor of being a Page.

DePape, you should refund your salary. It's the only honorable thing to do.

Update...

Words of wisdom from DePape's father:

“My dad was quite critical of it. He sort of asked what concrete changes can this actually have,” she said.

No kidding. The answer to that question is pretty self evident. This girl's father is probably thinking: "she just ruined her reputation for what?..." You don't need to be Conservative or "Progressive" to get where this father is coming from.

Quebec Liberals Back Off on Senate... Sort Of...

"We do agree that the Senate should be reformed, but we do not agree on the way the speech [from the throne] proposes it will be done," Moreau told guest host Alison Crawford.(link)

Ok.

So is it elected Senators that the people of Quebec choose that you disagree with? Do you prefer unelected unaccountable bagmen of Prime Minister's past representing you instead?

Or is it Senate term limits that you disagree with? I can understand how putting limits on a politician's power would seem crazy nutbar radical for a Provincial Government intent on preventing parents from actually daring to teach their children their own values.

Please sir do clarify.

Because I want to be clear on just what you are opposing so, that come the next Provincial election in Quebec, the people will be able to exercise the accountability that you may (or may not) object to being present in our beloved Chamber of Sober (Although Not Always) Second Thought.

Desperate Last Gasp of the Socialist Senate

McGuilty, Dexter, and Quebec Liberals agree. Don't reform the Senate. Abolish it.

Balloney.

I don't believe these knuckleheads for a nanosecond - no wait - not a picosecond!

Canadian socialists, oh hell let's call them what they want to be called - elitist snobby neo-urban "Progressives" - love an unelected, unaccountable, unequal senate.

It's served them well. Being a home for the privileged few experts that can manage all things from the top down is a theme not unknown to Socialists everywhere - especially well mannered Jack Layton.

The senate was the only real opposition to Stephen Harper since 2006. The rest of the political left being too afraid to offend voters, actually grow a pair and fight for what they actually believe in.

The Senate is a Progressive's dream legislative body. Filled with former bureaucrats, former social elites, former/current criminals, former media personalities, and artists how could it get better for the Canadian left?

Jack Layton isn't change. Neither was Iggy Puff. They are the status quo. Canadian Progressives have been in charge in Canada for decades, controling the judiciary, most bureaucracies, and proliferate among most of the upper echelons of Canadian society.

That's what it's really about for Progressives - fear of change.

In order to avoid charges of being elitist they turn to calling for the Senate's abolition to mask their hidden agenda. The truth is Senate reform is the only practical way of fixing the senate. Abolishing it would require Constitutional reform - good luck with that! Progressives know this, which is why Senate abolition is such a good fall back for them. They can always block any changes and avoid any charges of elitism by saying "abolish it!"

Canadian Conservatives finally have the power to reform that dis-functional disgusting throwback to European feudalism. And Canadian Progressives are scared.

They should be.