2005-6 Federal Election: New poll shows Tories in the lead

[Antiloop33rpm]

Tony Blair more or less pronounced Kyoto dead a few months ago. Everyone knows that Canada isn't anywhere near compliance with this treaty and Harper is just pointing out the obvious.

Just because Tony Blair has his own opinions on it does mean that other nations still are not interested in continuing with Kyoto. And yes, Canada has a lot fo work to do, but this is hardly news and does not mean we have to fold from the agreement. It just means we have a little more work to do than other nations who have made progress.

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

It appears Harper is going for broke with his campaign. He released his platform and there are some interesting items in addition to what has allready been. One being senate reform (a favorite among western Canada), and another, enshrining property rights in the constitution. And there is also a reform to the Indian Act, which, I have not seen a detailed plan of yet, but I really worry at how the Conservatives are going to deal with this problem. Either way, here is the article. Discuss, cry, whatever.

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

www.cbc.ca/story/canadavo...tform.html

New tax break in Conservative platform
Last Updated Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:30:04 EST
CBC News
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper announced a new tax break on capital gains as he released his party's election platform in Oakville, Ont., on Friday

Speaking without a lectern and using a handheld microphone, a confident looking Harper said he has spent the campaign so far telling Canadians what he and his party want to do if they win the Jan. 23 election.

"Now it's time to tell you why we want to do it," he said.

"Our opponents want Canada to believe that this is as good as it gets," he said. "I want Canada to believe that the best is yet to come."

Most of the new policy contained in the platform, called Stand Up for Canada, has been announced on the campaign trail, but Harper left himself a couple of nuggets for his speech on Friday.

They include a promise to eliminate taxes on capital gains for individuals and companies that reinvest the money within six months, and a vow to increase Canada's foreign aid spending.

He promised fixed election dates, and new legislation to clean up pollution in the air and water, and on land.

Harper said his government would address the fiscal imbalance between the federal and provincial governments, and add $22.7 billion to transfer payments over the next five years.

Canadians can expect a Tory government to spend $30 billion for new programs over the next five years alongside $45 billion in tax breaks, Harper said.

The Tory platform calls for a cap on the growth of federal spending each year, limited to the rate of inflation and the increase in population, except in the departments of Indian Affairs and Defence.

The platform also includes promises to:

Replace the Indian Act with a modern legislative framework.
Ensure that the CBC and Radio-Canada continue to perform their "vital role."
Enshrine property rights in the Constitution.
Reform the Senate.
Come up with a made-in-Canada plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

Stephen Harper said today in Oakville that a Conservative government would not cut any social programs and would provide billions more in transfer payments to the provinces.

Ok, I understand there is a surplus, but, how is it possible that he can promise to make no cuts to social programs, yet offer so many tax breaks and reduce the revenue that the Federal Government receives? Im not an economics student but I struggle to see how this is possible given what he has proposed. Money has to come from somewhere, so where will it come from exactly? I guess the question I ask is what crown corporations or services can we expect to see privatized?

 

[BrianHawkins1]

"- Pulling out of Kyoto
- Missle Defence
- Free vote in the house on Gay Marriage"

Keep talking, Stephen. Keep talking.

Our protagonist heroically confronts the enemy within:

"Urge ... to shoot own foot ... overwhelming!
Must ... resist!
Got to ... dismantle northern European welfare state ... in worst sense of term!
Must keep ... wingnuttery under wraps for just ... few more days!
Soul of nation ... at stake!"

The valiant struggle continues...

 

[blixa442]

Ok, I understand there is a surplus, but, how is it possible that he can promise to make no cuts to social programs, yet offer so many tax breaks and reduce the revenue that the Federal Government receives?

Didn't Martin accuse Harper of raising taxes in the debate?

As for Kyoto, the Liberals knew there was no way Canada was ever going to be able to meet the targets when they ratified the treaty.

 

[blixa442]

Is this the last nail in the Liberal coffin?

www.ndp.ca/page/3080

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Not being able to meet Kyoto targets and actively scrapping participation in the accord are two very different things. Besides, how does Liberal inaction on the matter justify the current slate of action by the Conservatives (fallacy of two wrongs)?

AoD

 

[cacruden]

>Not being able to meet Kyoto targets and actively scrapping
> participation in the accord are two very different things.
> Besides, how does Liberal inaction on the matter justify the
>current slate of action by the Conservatives (fallacy of two > wrongs)?

As I said, they should just make an honest effort to reduce emissions. Set priorities. Kyoto was always a photo-op thing that was going to do little to deal with the problem in the first place. But it "looked good".

If there was an honest try at reducing emissions -- ours would not have grown faster than the US emissions during the same period.

They rushed into committing to it, without first sitting down and developing an action plan on how it was going to be acheived -- all politics no action -- just another example of political dishonesty.

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

I wonder if others will feel the same. Will it affect their support?

Not in the slightest. The truth is, a majority (or near majority) of Canadians dont care about the environment, envy the United States, want tax cuts (ie more money for themselves), dont really have much concern for social issues, and tend to view government in a negative way and would rather see the lot of them disappear than actually do anything that will result in real change. The remaining Canadians who do care about such issues are divided among the NDP, The Bloc, The Green Party and more left of center members of the Liberals. Without this strength in numbers of putting support behind a single party, there isnt much hope for anything less than a Conservative minority, and most likely they will end up with a majority.

At this point, I say let them loose. Harper getting down on his knees for Bush and protraying Canada as 'leading' country that decided to go to environmental special-ed instead of sticking with Kyoto should do wonders for our country in the international community. National unity should be very interesting too. While there is part of me that thought maybe at first he might have been able to slide by without too much trouble in that department, I think his recent hard slide to the right is going to alienate more than help.

Edit:

cacruden:

Im not saying that Liberals have had their problems with Kyoto and that they should have been better prepared. But scrapping Kyoto and creating our own 'Its about effort, not results' special-ed version of the Kyoto is embarassing. Canada is a so called progressive, industrial nation, and as such, we should be sticking to our word on Kyoto and instead of scrapping it, begin to make actual attempts. Even if we dont meet Kyoto targets and we falter a little, its far better than bailing out on an international agreement.

There is also the other concern that any 'Canadian' planned devised by the Conversative will allow a slight of hand trick that will neatly find a way for Alberta and Manitoba to ensure they dont have to worry about their emissions and keep pumping out even more oil at no additional cost or regard to the environment, while other provinces that are actually making real attempts at reducing emissions do there part and make up the balance of what will likely be increasing emissions from the Western provinces.

 

[blixa442]

The year is 2007. Paul Martin, returned to power on a wave of attack ads, is facing the cameras.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the Supreme Court just handed down a Charter ruling striking down Criminal Code provisions against polygamy--a development widely foreseen when your government abandoned the common-law definition of marriage. Will you invoke the notwithstanding clause to protect vulnerable women from the violence and misery that so often accompanies these relationships?"

"Mr. Prime Minister? Mr. Prime Minister? Where are you going...?"


re: Kyoto - I think more planning went into the idea of scrapping the notwithstanding clause than how we'd actually meet our Kyoto obligations.

 

[ganjavih]

I was starting to warm up to the Conservatives until this latest right wing talk came out. I wonder if others will feel the same. Will it affect their support?

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

The year is 2008. Prime Minister Harper, swept into office after promising tax cuts while still maintaining all services, stands in front of a group of reporters...

"Mr. Prime Minister. The UN rejected the US resolution for military actions against Iran at the beginning of the year. Yet they went ahead and invaded regardless and now face another situation of increased violence and terrorism that still plagues Iraq. What do you have to say to the families of Canadian men and women who have died in what most of the world has declared, an illegal and unjust war?"

"Mr Prime Minister....can I please get a comment [As Harper walks away]"

Ok, now its your turn again.

 

[blixa442]

I don't think UN will be rejecting any resolutions with the way Iran is going.

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

Well than giddy up cowfolk! We gonna go shoot us up some Arabs!

 

[poomar]

ahem, i believe it's pronounced A-rabs.