Can the Conservatives turn things around?

Frankly, I don't think so. Not with the current gaggle of idiots running the show. They have been stuck at about 26% in the polls for what seems to be an eternity, and it doesn't look like things are going to get better anytime soon.

From my previous postings I am sure that you can detect my intense dislike for the Liberals (in both their Provincial and Federal manifistations) - the Liberal party stands for nothing apart from keeping the Liberal party in power. They shamelessly "lead" by sticking up a finger to see which way the winds are blowing - and then proudly charge off to wherever public opinion seems to be pointing them - and damn the costs! They'll spend whatever they have to - out of yours and my pockets, mind you - to keep themselves enthroned. To them there is no problem that can't be solved through endless talk and a huge spending announcement. That nothing ever gets accomplished, and none of the problems they address are ever solved, should be clue number one that this approach is, perhaps, not all that it is cracked up to be - but I digress. Suffice it to say that the Liberal practise of lying with every word they utter, and their mastery of vote buying, both sickens and saddens me - and this mostly because of its continued success.

As much as I dislike (ok, loathe) the Liberals - I can't see the current incarnation of the Conservatives making a run and convincing the finicky Ontario electorate (and lets face it, this is where the next election will be won or lost) that they would make an effective government.

First - I, like many other Conservative supporters, have been waiting for Harper & the gang to get off the corruption issue (we know the Liberals are corrupt lying bastards - we don't really need to be reminded every five minutes - as a matter of fact, the Liberals seem pretty good at reminding us of this on a daily basis), and start to tell us how they will govern. You know, like announcing some actual policies - and not just any policies, but policies that actually differentiate them from the Libs - not just policies that are Lib-Lite. Too often, the Conservatives seem to be running away from their own name, content to announce how if the Liberals are spending X on an issue, why, we'll spend X+another gazillion, and we'll be able to do this because the Liberals are corrupt! This does not raise ones confidence that they will have either the strength or political will to attack the very serious issues facing Canada - all the issues that Martin & the Liberals think can be solved by just throwing buckets of cash around, and which require more thoughtful solutions.

Take health care for instance - surely an issue that requires more thought and creativity than just another spending announcement. Instead, what do we hear from Harper? That the spending deals with the provinves will be honoured, or even bettered. Instead of opening up the debate by talking honestly about options to introduce a greater mix of private delivery into the system (which, contrary to the rhetoric from Jack Layton & Paul Martin, Canadians actually support - anywhere from 30-50% according to many public opinion polls), we get luke-warm announcements that are so clearly designed to ensure that the Conservatives are not seen as "scary", that they have the opposite effect and play into the lefts constant claims about a frightening Conservative "hidden agenda".

Now, to be fair, the deck is stacked against them somewhat, given that any type of honest debate on any issue is nearly impossible in Canada. The daily spectacle of Question period is certainly no place to seriously debate any issue (the whole thing being nothing more than political theatre), and the "debates" during an election are certainly nothing of the sort - they are just a forum for the party leaders to shout at each other to see who can get the best sound bite.

Its clearly time to start talking about what a Conservative government would do - and more importantly what fresh thinking they will bring in their approach to governing - otherwise, I fear we will be faced with another round of Mr. Dithers playing hand puppet to Jack! & the dippers - and since their goal seems to be to spend Canada into oblivion, I am not comforted by this prospect. Start to lead - by opening up the debate, taking it into new directions (although, this has proven to be dangerous in the past - but given the lack of success of the current strategy, would taking a stab at honest debate be any worse??)

Anyway - as this ramble shows, I am not at all happy with the performance of the Conservatives, and come election time, if they keep this up, I am not expecting a breakthrough. They seen to be squandering the opportunity thats been presented to them by Paul "I want to be all things to all people" Martin, and I fear that unless they stop running scared they are going to run themselves right back to where they are now - in Opposition.

Good government or your money back!

OK, so where is my cheque?

Dalton and the Fiberals are not resorting to gimmicks now, are they? Otherwise, how does one explain this rather bizarre headline in today's Star? The gist of it seems to be that the Fibs are promising refunds to the folks who apply for birth certificates and who wait in vain for more than 15 business days. Wow. How impressive. A service provider actually offering to deliver a service within a reasonable timeframe? Or it will face some sort of "consequences". Wow, what a novel idea - albeit one that the private sector has been using for, well, forever. And yet, this is hailed as a revolutionary idea? Is this how low our expectations for government have sunk? - especially since the snoozer of a Speech from the throne really had nothing else in it...

Anyway, I guess Dalton was a little gun-shy, what with all those broken promises they have littered over the landscape over the past couple of years.

I am breathlessly (well, ok, that may be going a tad overboard) awaiting the chance to vote these lying, over-taxing spendthrifts out of office (Oct 2007 is the time, isn't it). Now if only the John Tory conservatives would actually come up with some actual, you know, positions...then things would be a whole lot easier.

Gas Tax Blues

And in case you missed it, verrrrrry quietly MP's expense allowance went up 10% this week - to compensate for rising fuel costs. At the same time, as the populace screams for some kind of relief from high gas prices, the government says that its just impossible for them to cut the gas tax - yep, even the 1.5 cent per litre "deficit reduction" tax (um, what deficit?). Nor apparently, can they do something about the GST on gas - the "tax on tax" portion. Cutting those taxes to relieve the burden is just impossible...impossible we say!

Oh, thats rich. Can you all say "double standard"? We can't let those poor politicians suffer under the burden of high gas prices, can we? But you, the general public - just stop whining! And don't look at us - its all because of those big, bad oil companies. Why, if we cut gas taxes by even 1 cent, they would just absorb it themselves, wouldn't they. Thats why we are not even going to try...

Vote Buying 2005

The Liberals are at it again, more than willing to dump millions of taxpayer dollars down the drain in a blatant attempt to buy votes. This time, it appears to be a two pronged assault.

First we have the announcement that since the last home heating rebate program was such a boondoggle, well, we’ll just try again. The last time out they flushed $1.5 billion down the loo, so this time they have scaled things back a tad and will only wave bye-bye to $500 million of yours and my hard earned tax dollars. Oh, but not to worry! Since the Auditor General lambasted the previous program for cutting cheques to dead people, prisoners, and thousands of people who have their heating costs included in their rent, (since they used the list of recipients of the GST credit to concoct their target list) those crafty Liberals will this time out use the list of recipients of the Guaranteed Income supplement and the National Child Tax Credit (2004). Nothing could go wrong with that, right? I mean, its not like old people die or anything. How many could have passed away between April 2004 and whenever we start throwing the money out the windows? And poor people own their own homes too! Maybe not has much as the middle class, who incidentally pay the bulk of taxes (and for heat) and might actually need the rebate, but this definitely makes us look more compassionate. Yep, how can anyone come out against old and poor people?

If there is anything that illustrates the Liberals desire to buy the next election, I think we have exhibit 1 right here – a program that is designed to provide a good headline, some superficially good optics, but which will in actuality be a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, completely ineffectual, and completely mis-targeted. I can hardly wait to read the Auditor Generals examination of this.

Exhibit # 2 would be the recently announced “balanced” approach to unexpected surpluses. Here, the Libs are promising to divide up any ‘unexpected’ budgetary surpluses (over a $3 billion contingency fund) equally amongst debt relief (good), tax refunds (stupid) and new spending (even more stupid).

Again, here the Liberals are attempting to dress something that at best is gimmicky, and at worst as incredibly stupid, up as a “balanced” approach. Say we’ve been over-taxed by $9 billion (which is what a surplus is after all – over-taxation, based on what the government has said its needs are – you know, that Budget they put out every year) – so Paul & the gang would then pay off $2 billion of debt (nothing wrong with that – clearing up more of the debt monster is always a good thing), would cut $2 billion worth of cheques to the working stiffs who filed a tax return – say around $100 bucks each (whoopee! I can hardly contain my enthusiasm), and then, oh well, we can surely find something to spend the other $2 billion on – we’ve nothing particular in mind, but there is always some group out there that needs to be bought off, and an extra $2 bil would surely come in handy!

So – instead of doing something for the middle class like, say cutting taxes, they have come up with another gimmick that lets them portray themselves as helping the little guy, while at the same time keeping some lefty street cred by promising to still spend, spend, spend. Only in Lieberal land would this be considered “balanced”. I mean, just look at it – we are supposed to clap with glee that in this balanced approach they are going to return money to the taxpayer – personally, I would much prefer that they just let me keep more of my own money (you know – but not taking so goddamn much from each and every paycheque), rather than taking the money, washing it through the vast government mill, and then sending a few pennies my way. Just think – in order to return $1 back to Joe taxpayer, how much do they have to collect? $5? $10? That money then sluices itself through the government mill, sticking to the bureaucracy here or there, until finally, some government machine spits out a cheque for a buck to you….and you, through your taxes still end up paying the postage. Why not just cut taxes and leave more of the money in our pockets in the first place??

I am sane enough to realize that this will never happen – the Liberals are far to comfortable with taking and spending, and lowering the tax burden is far, far from their thoughts…so instead, we get a useless gimmick that makes it look like they are willing to give back to the people…

The real joke here is that, no matter what this legislation says, the chances of an “unexpected” surplus seeing the light of day are somewhere between slim and none. Any surplus money will be spent loooong before this legislation will be designed to kick in…especially if Captain Jack & the Dippers maintain their “support” for a minority Lib government.

Welcome one and all to vote buying 2005.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still not sold…

Th-th-thats all folks (G'bye Porky Pig?)

So, things have officially gotten ridiculous - a town council in Britain has actually banned workers from having any pig related items in the workplace (including such dangerous items as Piglet coffee mugs, Hog-wild 2006 calendars, or even a box of tissues) - all because a muslim worker in the office complained. Its claimed that actions like this display "tolerance", but is this really tolerance?? Isn't this bending over backwards to accomodate the whiney fringe? Just how far can this go? Today its Piglet...tomorrow? There have already been rumblings that muslims find the British flag offensive (never miss an opportunity to drag the crusades into the conversation - its like it happened just yesterday). The way things are going, will it just be another expression of our collective "tolerance" to ditch the good ol' Union Jack and replace it? How about just replace it with a nice plain white flag?

I mean this is getting just a little bit silly. Have we seen the last of Porky Pig cartoons - lest some wandering Muslim eye be forever scarred by the image of an unclean cartoon pig cavorting across his television screen? Shouldn't tolerance work both ways?

As Mark Steyn writes in his latest column:

"Is it really a victory for "tolerance" to say that a council worker cannot have a Piglet coffee mug on her desk? And isn't an ability to turn a blind eye to animated piglets the very least the West is entitled to expect from its Muslim citizens? If Islam cannot "co-exist" even with Pooh or the abstract swirl on a Burger King ice-cream, how likely is it that it can co-exist with the more basic principles of a pluralist society?"

Liberal "Values"...

If one were ever looking for evidence of what the Liberal's true "values" are, one need look no further than the current controversy over David Dingwall's impending golden parachute.

Yes, Dingwall is resigning under a cloud, due to his unjustifiable $750,000 in expenses for 2004 - including a $1.07 for a pack of freaking gum - which speaks to the sense of entitlement these folks feel), and is also under investigation over his shady lobbying deals (which netted him a cool $350,000 grand, even though, contrary to the LAW, he was not a registered lobbyist - but what the heck, thats just one of those pesky technicalities one should be able to ignore at will) - but is it these infractions which get the Liberals hot and bothered? Is it some great stand on principle, that it is time to put an end to these corrupt practises and bring some kind of ethical standards back to Canadian government? Nope - as usual, its pure, blatant self interest:

"The Liberal government's hint of an impending severance payment to David Dingwall has infuriated the party's own MPs who warn it could result in a voter backlash." (from Canoe )

So, it looks like the Libs, as usual, are only concerned with appearances - about how this will play come election time. Actual steps to clean up government seem beyond them, so:

""It destroys our credibility as wanting to clean up (government)," said Sarmite Bulte, the Liberals' Ontario caucus chair."

Well, perhaps if you had made any actual effort to clean up government, rather than slaying the politics of cronyism by appointing every one of Paul Martin's cronies to the Senate (or whatever other plumb patronage appointment is available) than maybe you would have some credibility.

You can't really destroy something that never existed in the first place.

CBC lockout ends! um, there was a lockout? CBC?

Thats about the extent of my feelings...actually, more like "there's a CBC"? I was about as completely unaffected by this lockout as possible. I can't think of a single thing I watch on the CBC, and quite frankly I am getting pretty sick of the weeping and wailing from some quarters about how the CBC is "the thread that binds us together" or "Canadians telling our stories to each other"...nonsense...the CBC is a TV network - nothing more. And I do not think that endless reruns of Coronation Street, left-wing biased newscasts, and Hockey Night in Canada are the glue binds the country together. Which could lead me into a whole other rant about how I am sick to death about people puffing themselves up and spouting off about Canadian "values" (chiefly an appreciation for Free Healthcare, apparently), and how if I am not really Canadian because I choose to view things differently (we profess to respect "diversity" also, except any diversity in thought)....whoa...anyway...maybe I'll put up a post in future to cover all this...

Getting back to the big yawn the CBC lockout was, the question is - in todays multi-channel universe, do we need a state broadcaster, endlessly sucking on the public teet and puffing themselves up with their own over-inflated sense of self importance? Or, since 9/10 Canadians were completely unaffected by the CBC lockout, can we safely say Sayonara and put that money into something productive?