HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

PEACE TO ALL!

And On and On it Goes. Hamas Shells Israeli Nursery

Video attached here. No end in sight.

Gaza Nothing but a Turkey Shoot

Some op-ed pieces are worth reprinting. This one from today's Star would be one of them.

Personally, I'd say it's more like shooting fish in a barrel. If civilians are not allowed to leave their country to flee war, can't get food, can't get water, can't get fuel and have to dig tunnels to scavenge medical supplies from Egypt, at what point does a seizure or an incursion start to become a genocide? Just asking.

No Right or Wrong Answers for the Mid East Crisis?

For those that know me, they've often heard me say that there are a few topics to stay away from if you're a politician. Religion. Abortion. Israel. No nos in my books and to be avoided when possible because you'll always offend 50% of those listening to your answer. But, when you are a leader of a political party - or running to be one - you're expected to make statements regarding such conflictory subjects.

My question is this: which statement is correct? This one? Or, this one? 28 vs. 320. My guess is neither. There is no right or wrong answer. There is only loss. Loss begetting more loss.

Mahatma Gandhi used the phrase "An eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind". Peace. Peace is the answer.

Canada's Next Great Prime Minister

Michael Crook is a Young Liberal running as a candidate to be Canada's Next Great Prime Minister. All I know about Michael is that I remember him being Vice President of the UBC Young Liberals, but I've reviewed some of the great ideas he has come up with and I thought I'd blog about him a little (plus he asked for my support).

Michael has some big ideas for our country when he becomes PM. The Small Town Legacy Project is one of them. Click on his CNGPM page linked above to see some more of his ideas.

Share your thoughts here with Michael or comment on his website.

Harper and the Bribing of Quebec. -- Bribescam vs. Adscam?

As I've said before: We get letters!

Will it be a Happy New Year for Canadians?

Let's just watch on January 27th for Stephen Harper to roll out a massive spending spree in Quebec in an attempt to "persuade" the Bloc Quebecois to prop up the absolute failure that is Harper's government.

This won't be the first time that Stephen Harper has tried to use "incentives" in order to gain political support. . . . Can anyone say Chuck Cadman?

What exactly will Canada get out of a disproportionate glut of money that will undoubtedly be transferred to Quebec? At least the sponsorship program was aimed at stemming the separatist agenda in Quebec. And if you didn't notice, something seemed to work for a while.

By the way, what was the total cost of the sponsorship program? My guess is that the Bloc Quebecois' portion of Harper's budget will make the entire expenditure for the sponsorship program pale in comparison.

Again, what will Canada get out the billions of dollars that will be spent in Quebec other than prolonging Harper's malignant and politically vicious reign and giving renewed life to the Bloc Quebecois?

Sure, the stimulus money should be distributed fairly in all provinces to help with the economy of the country, but the real focus should be on how Harper will budget the billions of dollars in order to pry the Bloc away from a potential coalition.

Hear it now, the Harper/Bloc budget will have two direct effects, it will keep Harper in the Prime Minister's seat for a while longer and more unfortunately, it will work to rebuild the failing Bloc Quebecois by re-establishing them as a potent political force for Quebec.

Maybe Sheila Fraser will come back from her two year vacation to actually scrutinize Harper's programs and expenditures and expose the real price of Harper's politics of panic.

Working with the Bloc is always going to come with certain drawbacks. This was the danger that would have confronted Stephane Dion, had he been able to go forward with a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc. The Bloc would have been able to hold a knife against the throat of the coalition for the benefit of only Quebec.

It is ironic that the Bloc don't even have to put a knife against Harper's throat in order to achieve their objectives. Harper is doing it all on his own to save his ass from certain political doom.

Will Canadians hold Harper's feet to the fire when the Bloc or let's say maybe just 20 members of the Bloc vote to support Harper's January 27 budget? Will Harper then continue to cry about working with the "Separatists"???

What this most recent set of events should be showing Canadians is that the real problem afflicting our political system is that of regional-based federal political parties that serve only a narrow set of interests. Both the Bloc and the Reform/Conservatives are regional-based parties who are only able to succeed by using divide and conquer tactics.

Why in Canada's 141 year history did it take a western-based Reform/Conservative government under the rule of someone like Stephen Harper (who, by the way, has made a career of hating the federal government) to push Ontario into HAVE NOT STATUS?????

Ontario . . . A HAVE NOT PROVINCE!!!!!

Shouldn't Harper have some explaining to do?

Maybe this is part of Harper's plan to break apart Canada? Why else has he pushed the backbone of the country into have not status, divided east and west, recklessly inflamed anti-Quebec anger, relentlessly brutalized his opposition with infantile attack ads, degraded political discourse, and attacked respected national institutions like Elections Canada, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Courts, the Governor General, Parliamentary procedure, committees and rules?

I am beginning to think that Stephen Harper really doesn't know what he is doing.

Perhaps Harper is just simply filled with anger and is bent on destroying our system of government and his opposition for no purpose other than to satisfy his own unquenchable hatred.

His pet project of Americanizing our system of GOVERNMENT by attempting to change the Senate appointment process, by bringing in legislation to "fix" election dates and having consultation on the appointment of judges have all fallen by the wayside.

Harper has ended up doing exactly what he has railed against for over a decade, appointing 18 senators, appointing judges without consultation, breaking his own "fixed" election law, etc . . .

What Harper HAS succeeded in doing is Americanizing Canada's POLITICAL system with his wholesale adoption of Karl Rove's play book, including aggressive attacks on opponents, employing wedge issues, exploiting ignorance, employing biased media organizations to funnel the Reform/Conservative messages, and by outright lying to the Canadian people.

What is most stupefying about Harper is that he has not yet realized or appreciated that our system has developed customary laws to set out the processes and procedures to deal with these very issues over the course of the past 141 years and in reality over the past 800 years based on the history and development of the British Parliamentary system.

What Harper is obviously failing to understand is that our system has functioned extremely well when the people running the country understand why and how it actually works. We were doing just fine before Harper, in fact, we were the envy of the world for a long time before Harper set out to rip it apart.

This brings me back to my point about the buying of the Bloc to prop up his budget and what would otherwise be a vote of non-confidence. What THIS unholy alliance represents is a group of western separatists collaborating with a group of Quebec "separatists" to control the country at the expense of our broad national interests.

Only in Harper's delusional world of Hobbesian state-of-nature politics can he even think to say that anyone is "better off with Harper".

Have a great New Year!!

Caroline Kennedy for U.S. Senate

Join the Facebook Group for supporters of Caroline Kennedy Here

Sign the Petition to Governor Paterson Here.

Write to Governor Paterson here.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

The Christmas Giving Challenge

TM Registered

Rob over at Searching for Liberty Blogspot has issued a holiday challenge to Conservatives and Liberals. Naturally Dippers are welcome to join in the holiday fun as well.

I will be joining in the challenge today by dropping off canned goods to the Burlington Food Bank. Share in the giving if you can and then stop off at Rob's blog to share your story.

Cheers and God Bless.

- Jim

Harper's Better Democracy

But that was sooooo 2006.

18 appointments in one day. No PM in history has even come close to that.

Again, as I've said before, the GG should be fired if she allows these appointments to go through without the confidence of the House.

Speaking of which, I'm inclined to believe Harper will seek and receive that confidence in January even thought the budget will probably still contain the abolishment of funding for political parties. The Liberal Party simply isn't ready for a coalition or an election. My guess is 20 MPs will be very flu-ridden on the
27th of January.

It's Official...Senator Mike Duffy

You too can be one if you use your show in the middle of an election to stomp out the hopes of a Liberal leader. Hear that Don Newman? Goodbye Mike. Can't say I'll miss your ridiculous bias. I'm all for Graham Richardson stepping into that show.

Rounding out the 18 important appointees are:

former broadcaster Pamela Wallin
skier Nancy Greene Raine
Former Newfoundland MP Fabian Manning
Stephen Greene, Deputy Chief of Staff to Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald
Conservative Party fundraiser Irving Gerstein
Patrick Brazeau, National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
Halifax lawyer Fred Dickson
New Brunswick MLA Percy Mockler
New Brunswick lawyer John D. Wallace
Halifax Conservative organizer Michael L. MacDonald
Former Quebec MP Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis
Montreal businessman Leo Housakos
Former Quebec MNA Michel Rivard
Fundraiser Nicole Eaton
B.C. cultural activist Yonah Martin
Richard Neufeld, B.C.'s Minister of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources
Former member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly Hector Daniel Lang
After years of successive Liberal

Play the Best New Game on the Market

Sock and Awe. My high score is 5.

And Here's the List of Liberal Staffers NOT Having Such a Merry Christmas

So the Hill Times is reporting today.

Is Today Mike Duffy's Day?

We'll soon find out. PEI does have a vacancy.

Does Anyone Remember the 67?

And are any of them in Cabinet now?

$1.4 million in wasted taxpayer dollars? Now that's something one could campaign on.

Campaigning on Raising Taxes Has Never Been a Winner

In English or French. Ask Stephane Dion.

This From a Guy that Employs Ezra Levant

"This great national project will stand as a symbol for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," Harper said.

"We are building a monument to Canada's embrace of humanity's highest ideals

That's sooooo rich Mr. Harper. Soooooo very rich.

In Tough Economic Times, Harper Ready to Spend Another $300M

This guy has no regard for money whatsoever.

Harper warned that, should the opposition vote down the government's budget when it is tabled on Jan. 27, he will press Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean to call an election rather than leaving her in the position where she could ask Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to lead a Liberal-NDP coalition government.


"I will have no choice but to ask for an election. Canadians certainly did not elect a coalition under which the Bloc Quebecois would have a veto to govern the country. If anyone wants to put a coalition government in office, I think they have to get a democratic mandate to do so," Harper said in the Ottawa interview. "If the decision of Parliament is that they don't support the government people elected, then I think the only constitutionally, politically, morally, the only reasonable thing to do at that point is for some other government to get a mandate from the Canadian people."

MSM Journalist Finally Finds Iggy's Book

And so it begins. Questions get to be asked. It doesn't have the same effect as a leadership contest may have taken, but the questions would have been the same.

And what about that carbon tax thing? Bryden failed to ask about it. The answer would have probably been the same though...the nation has no appetite for it right now.

Trial by fire has never ingratiated itself with Canadians, so I hope that whatever platform the Liberal Party of Canada finally decides to go with, it is a broadly consulted document with meaningful, perhaps even popular, original thoughts. With any luck it would be a wee bit better than this one.

Harper v. Ignatieff Now has a Sub-Title

It's official. The next election (failing a coalition of course) will now be billed as:

True North Strong and Free vs. True Patriot Love

Catchy, no?

Conservative Journalist Drools over Ignatieff

Well there's something you don't see every day.

So What are we Teaching in our Schools These Days?

Dumb dee dumb dumb.

Conservatives Still in Majority Territory

Not likely we'll be bringing the government down anytime soon. Thank God we were in a hurry to get that leadership bid over with.

It's Stupid Comments Like These...

...that make some people wanna stay in the dressing room and not lace up the skates.

One supporter enthuses he beat "the Wayne Gretzky of politics" (Bob Rae) after only two years in Parliament.

Hint to said supporter: in order for one to beat another, there has to be a contest.

The Governor General Should Be Fired - And So Should Stephen Harper

In light of this.

She allowed him to prorogue last year. She allowed him to break a law and call and election this year. She allowed him to prorogue again this year to avoid a confidence vote.

But, this latest scam takes the cake. There should have been conditions on this government's ability to spend money and make appointments during this prorogation. Full stop.

Tories Have Appointed Over 500 Cronies This Year Alone

Never mind the 18 Senate positions.

Jim Flaherty Wants Your Input

Honest. He does.

2.34 MILLION

That's the cost of the wages per year for Harper's buddies that will be appointed to the Senate before Christmas.
While average Canadians suffer and other political parties are asked to forego government funding from election rebates, the Conservatives have no problem spending 2.34 million dollars. Not to mention the cost of the 18 new senators' staff.

Stephane Dion was right - Harper is a liar. An arrogant one at that.

Parliament Prorogued because of Auditor General

As you know, I'm pretty good on the conspiracy theory thing. I was curious as to where Shiela Frasier and her office has been during this financial crisis. To be honest, she's been pretty non-existent over the past two years.

But have a look at when her recent report was to be tabled. Does the timing of the prorougation therefore look just a little suspicious?

We have had no assessment of the Conservative's wild spending.

We've had not report on spending in Afghanistan.

We've had not report on how the GST cuts have really affected the government or Canadian taxpayers. Was it worth it seeing that we are now in deficit?

Media Advisory: Reports of the Auditor General of Canada and of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the House of Commons—Tabling of reports and media lock-up are being postponed

Ottawa, 4 December 2008—Reports from the Office of the Auditor General can only be tabled when Parliament is sitting, and tabling dates are planned with the Parliamentary schedule in mind. Therefore, due to the prorogation of Parliament, the December 2008 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, and of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, will be tabled at a later date when the House of Commons is sitting.

The media lock-up planned for 9 December 2008 at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel is therefore cancelled.

The Office will advise the media when a new date for tabling its reports has been determined.

Well That Didn't Take Long

I suspect there'll be plenty more where this came from. Man! The written and spoken word sure is a powerful thing.

The Great Man Cometh. But, many wanted more of a say.

Better start raising some money for those counter-attack ads.

Conservatives Asleep At the Wheel

What? No attack ads? Seems damn near incredible, wouldn't you say?

Liberals' Missed Opportunities

I'm not Lloyd Axworthy, but sometimes he just makes sense.

Tuesday's Gone

Michael Ignatieff cares not about the 67924 of YOU!!

Clarification: I have long held the opinion that Steven MacKinnon is one of the brighter lights in the Liberal Party. I have often said that he speaks well on our behalf, both on TV and in print. Steve contacted me last night to offer his side of the story. Fact: Steve has not been doing any "lobbying" for this alleged system proposed by his candidate's camp. I have no reason to doubt him. He's never lied to me yet.


The Liberal Party of Canada has roughly 68,000 card carrying members.

Yesterday and today, Steve MacKinnon, National Director of the Michael Ignatieff campaign, has been lobbying to have the 77 member Liberal caucus choose an immediate, permanent leader. 76 as the speaker of the house is not likely to vote apparently.

So what does this mean?

It means that only 76 ridings of 308, or 25%, will be represented via their elected MP in terms of selecting a leader. Worse yet only 0.1% of the entire party will be selecting our new leader.

But hey, who really gives a shit about the grassroots of the party. And, hey, who cares about the movement for one member, one vote. Or, for that matter, the supporters of a coalition government. It's not like the brass was ever going to listen to the grass anyway.

Let's take it a step further.

We will have no Liberal from the province of Alberta eligible to cast a vote for leader. We will have one vote in the province of Manitoba and one vote in the province of Saskatchewan eligible to vote for leader. All of southwestern Ontario will have but two votes. North of Richmond Hill in Ontario there will only be one ballot cast. There will be zero votes for Liberals outside the isle of Montreal in the province of Quebec. In BC, if you are a Liberal outside of Vancouver or out on the Island, you're shit out of luck.

On the positive side, 6 of seven ridings in Newfoundland will get to have one vote apiece toward the selection of the leader. Even tiny PEI will get more votes than Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta combined. Finally! Equalization for the Maritimes!!

Now that's the Ignatieff that's certainly going to rejuvenate the grassroots of the party and listen to all the members. Yep that sure is democratic alright.

I wanna be part of the minority that votes. Part of the 76. So here's a song for ya.

How Bob Rae Would Like to Solve a Quick Leadership

I don't speak for Bob personally, but this is the feeling I'm getting out of the Rae camp:

We want the broadest possible franchise, allowing for the pressing timelines. That could be internet, phone, in-person voting or a combination of the three.

We do not want the 75% of ridings without a Liberal MP to be left out entirely.

We do not want Party executives and activists to be excluded or given some bullshit post-facto "ratification" vote.

We do not want 77 MPs, representing only 1/4 of the ridings (and 0.1% of the Party membership) to control the outcome.

We cannot see how if we are fighting Harper's attempts to impose the will of 37% on the 62% majority that we can turn around and ignore 3/4 of the country and 99.9% of the Party

What we would like - in a word - DEMOCRACY.

Ignatieff and Rae to Circumvent Leadership Entirely

A formal pitch has been made by Team Ignatieff (read Steve MacKinnon) to circumvent leadership entirely. The plan would call for the caucus members to vote for a permanent leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

That would be 77 votes for 308 riding associations across Canada. That would be the voice of a mere 25% of the ridings in the party. I suspect that clearly wouldn't represent the will of the grassroots of the Liberal Party of Canada. The 58 Liberal Senators would also be a part of the decision.

Ignatieff and Rae hinted the party was trying to head in this direction today.

Globe Takes Another Swipe at Ignatieff

This time Douglas Bell takes his shots. This after Taber already ridiculed him earlier.

The Globe's Rob Silver has questions.

Iggy: NOT HOT

Jane Taber's new Hot and Not list.

Not: Michael Ignatieff. He is losing support over his (tepid) endorsement of a coalition government. While his leadership rival Bob Rae is behind the coalition, it is not clear where Mr. Ignatieff stands exactly. This week, one of his supporters said he faced “major reluctance” from a potential money donor who was concerned about shelling out cash to a party that he believed had been “hijacked by the NDP and separatists.” Some Liberals think Mr. Ignatieff should take a stand, declaring he does not support a coalition with the Bloc and NDP.

New Poll...If Stephane has to Go...

and an interim leader has to be chosen...who should it be?

My choice? Ken Dryden.

Radwanski's Right About Iggy

Well said young Adam. I seem to remember hinting about the very same recently. It plagued him last time around too.

Last Time He Did This He Won an Overwhelming Majority

shortly thereafter. Is anybody going to dispute that? Well maybe some will try and make light of it.

It would appear that the coalition has turned into a question of the Liberal leadership. One guy is going coast to coast to sell it to the other 38% of Canadians that are against it. The other isn't. I wouldn't want to be the guy that isn't, come May 2nd in Vancouver.

Some Conservatives Shouldn't Drink and Facebook

For they know not what they do.

Canadian Leader Shuts Down Parliament In Desperate Attempt To Stay In Power

So says the Huffington Post. For shame!

Open Letter to Liberal/NDP/Bloc Strategist(s)

Dear Brain Dead,

As a member of the once-proud Liberal Party of Canada and as part of the 62% majority of Canadians that didn't vote for Stephen Harper, please explain to us why the heck you just didn't vote down the economic update first, then announce your wonderful, glorious coalition!

Please, oh please, tell us oh great minds. We would love to know.

Yours truly,

The What Do I Know Grit

I Wonder if the Conservatives are Taping the GG's Conversation

You never know these days.

If I were the GG, I'd tell Stephen Harper I'd give him an answer after Monday night's vote.

While I'm at it though, I'd like to address the Conservative assertions of the Bloc having a veto on any motions and budgets the Liberals will put forward in the coalition government. Let me ask ya: don't they already have that power by virtue of the amount of seats they hold in the House? Whether it's a Conservative budget or a Liberal budget?

And as for this notion of separatists supporting a coalition? Are the Conservatives saying that they've never received the support of the Bloc on any bills or budgets? Seriously?

Weighing Your Coalition Video Options

I guess one way to look at it is how you weigh Stephen Harper's address to the nation compared to Stephane Dion's reaction.

Poor Video Quality vs. A Pack of Lies

Team Ignatieff Not So Coalition Crazy

Gotta wonder sometimes. Other times you just gotta shake your head.

IGNATIEFF WARNED OFF COALITION CABINET POST
JANE TABER

SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER; with a report from Campbell Clark

December 3, 2008

Michael Ignatieff, the front-runner in the race to replace Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, is being encouraged by supporters to stay out of a Dion-led coalition cabinet.

Mr. Ignatieff's "instinct" is also to stay away from the cabinet, says a source close to the politician, and spend his time concentrating on his leadership bid by selling memberships, rebuilding the party and eventually winning a majority government instead of worrying about this fragile coalition.

The Ignatieff official said Mr. Ignatieff's view not to accept a cabinet position - if one is offered and it likely would be - should not be interpreted as some new-founded concern over the coalition or that he is backing out of the coalition.

Rather, it should be looked at as Mr. Ignatieff's decision to concentrate on party rebuilding and his leadership, the official said.

Mr. Dion was meeting with his officials yesterday to deal with cabinet posts, according to a well-placed source. Mr. Ignatieff is to meet with the leader today.

It appears his leadership rivals, Toronto Centre MP Bob Rae and New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, could be named to the 25-member coalition cabinet - a change in past practice because MPs who ran in the 2006 leadership contest were not allowed to hold opposition critic roles.

There is a belief among some Liberals, however, that if one leadership candidate is in cabinet so should the other two.

Meanwhile, some of the MPs and others supporting Mr. Ignatieff do not want him mixed up in what is increasingly becoming a controversial coalition, as the Tories mount a major campaign condemning the Liberals for cozying up to Quebec separatists.

GG to Stephen Harper:

Hey! Wannabe! Whadya want?



Well, I wanna break the country into little bits and be a dictator after I destroy all the other parties.

Cons Made Deal with The Bloc

Hypocrites!

DANIEL LEBLANC

Globe and Mail Update

December 3, 2008 at 2:07 PM EST

***Read the proposal (pdf) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/pdf/coalit.pdf

OTTAWA - The separatist Bloc Québécois was part of secret plotting in 2000 to join a formal coalition with the two parties that now make up Stephen Harper's government, according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.

The scheme, designed to propel current Conservative minister Stockwell Day to power, undermines the Harper government's line this week that it would never sign a deal like the current one between the Liberal Party, the NDP and the Bloc.

Bloc officials said that well-known Calgary lawyer Gerry Chipeur sent a written offer before the votes were counted on election day on Nov. 27, 2000.

According to prominent sovereigntist lawyer Eric Bédard, who received the proposal, Mr. Chipeur identified himself as being close to Mr. Day, the leader of the Canadian Alliance at the time.

"I never had the impression that I was involved in theoretical constitutional discussions," Mr. Bédard said, adding he had never met Mr. Chipeur before.

A Bloc official said the link between Mr. Chipeur and Mr. Bédard was facilitated by Rodrigue Biron, a former Parti Québécois minister who was part of the unite-the-right movement in the late 1990s.

In addition to his discussions with Mr. Bédard, Mr. Chipeur said he also approached the chief of staff to Joe Clark, who was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

The discussions were held about a two-page document entitled "Consensus Leadership for a New Century," as well as a two-page proposal for a Speech from the Throne.

In an interview, Mr. Chipeur played down the importance of the offer, saying he never discussed the matter with Mr. Day or other MPs, and was simply getting ready in the event of a minority government.

"I was preparing for what might happen," Mr. Chipeur said.

Still, the agreement included room at the bottom for the signatures of Mr. Day, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe and Mr. Clark, to be signed the day after the election.

At the time, the Alliance was ready to fly Mr. Day from his BC riding to Calgary to pick up Mr. Clark on the way to Ottawa, where the deal was to be presented to the Governor-General in the event of a minority Parliament.

The Alliance government promised in the event of a coalition to "respect the legitimate jurisdictions of Canada's provinces, including Quebec."

"We agree that we will support Stockwell Day as Prime Minister of Canada," said the draft agreement, which would have hinged on Bloc support.

The plan fell apart as the final result of the election in 2000 saw the Liberals win a clear majority with 172 seats. By comparison, the Alliance, Bloc and PC Party only had a total of 116 seats. The NDP won 13 seats.

However, the draft agreement raises questions about statements this week from senior Conservative ministers who are blasting a Liberal-NDP coalition with Bloc support as a "deal with the devil."

"The brutal fact here is that something has happened that has never happened before in Canadian history," Mr. Day, the current Conservative Minister of Trade, said on CTV Newsnet on Tuesday. "And that is two federal leaders have actually signed a deal with a separatist party whose goal it is to destroy the country."

Mr. Day was replaced at the helm of the Alliance in 2002 by Mr. Harper, who went on to oversee a merger of the Alliance and the PC Party.

Mr. Harper, now Leader of the Conservative Party and a minority Prime Minister, is waging an all-out fight against the proposed Liberal-NPD coalition, which includes Bloc support on confidence votes until June, 2010.

The Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc hope to defeat the Harper government on Monday, but the Conservatives will likely attempt to shut down Parliament in a bid to survive until January.

As Mr. Harper defended his government during Question Period on Tuesday, his Conservative caucus gave him repeated standing ovations and pointed to opposition benches with cries of "Shame! Shame! Shame!"

"We will have [in a coalition] a mechanism of permanent consultation empowering the Bloc Québécois on every question of importance, notably concerning the adoption of the budget. This Prime Minister, this government, this party has never and will never sign a document like that," Mr. Harper said.

While in opposition, however, Mr. Harper asked then-Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson in 2004 to turn to him if Paul Martin's newly elected Liberal government were defeated in the Commons.

"We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority," Mr. Harper said at the time.

The release of the 2000 draft agreement from the Canadian Alliance is likely to bolster the coalition's arguments that the Conservatives are engaged in double-speak.

Mr. Chipeur was a prominent lawyer in Alliance circles and an official member of the legal committee of the United Alternative, a key element of the unite-the-right movement. He went on to represent the Alliance in legal cases after the 2000 election.

A Bloc supporter, who was informed about the talks with him at the time, said the Alliance was willing to provide increased transfers, as well as the management of the long-gun registry, to the provinces.

The Bloc official added that the discussions with Mr. Chipeur included compromises on contentious issues, such as a promise to respect a straight majority of 50-per cent plus one in the event of a future referendum on Quebec sovereignty. The move would have gone against the Liberal Clarity Act, which calls for a stronger majority.

But Mr. Chipeur said he simply looked at the public positions of the various parties in drafting his proposal and conducting the informal talks.

Labour Rallies Behind Coalition Government

Hello All;

Labour is organizing a Pro Coalition Government rally in Toronto this Saturday. The rally will begin at noon and take place in Nathan Phillips Square.

The Conservatives are organizing an Anti Coalition Government rally at the same time at Queen's Park.

If any of you are inclined you may want to join thousands of supporters at the rally at Nathan Phillips Square.

Pass this on to anyone who you may think is interested.

"Burning Down the House"

Our readers here at the What Do I Know Grit are some of the best at satire.



Here is my prediction for the rest of the week.

Harper will encourage bonfire rallies outside of Rideau Hall in anticipation of the Governor General's decision not to prorogue the Parliament.

A "disgruntled" junior member of the Bloc Quebecois will be caught under questionable circumstances setting fire to the east block of the Parliament buildings.

Stephen Harper will immediately conclude that the arsonist is part of a broad separatist conspiracy to bring down the government.

Harper will send Pierre Poilievre and Jason Kenney out to ensure that CTV and the other lapdog conservative media outlets unleash a relentless 24 hour barrage of press to claim the NDP and the Bloc are launching a socialist/separatist insurrection.

Harper will bring down the emergency powers of the Emergencies Act (formerly known as the War Measures Act) and he will then suspend civil rights and the civilian courts and invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter with respect to any and all decisions made by him and his Ministers under the Emergencies Act.

Since all of our troops are in Afghanistan, Harper will call his dear friend George Bush to see if he can "borrow" a division of mercenaries from Blackwater to quell the insurrection.

Since Bush has nothing to lose and Harper's "War Chest" is so massive, Bush sends 15,000 Blackwater troops into Canada to operate under the sole authority and command of Stephen Harper.

Harper shuts down the internet and bans publications that are not in line with his government.

Canadians rally at CBC headquarters in Toronto in order to preserve the last voice of freedom in the country. Tanks are sent into T.O. and after the crowds have been dispersed and the organizers jailed, the CBC building is razed to the ground.

With the CBC, Toronto Star and TVO all silenced, Ben Mulroney, Mike Duffy and Bob Fife engage in a massive propaganda effort before Stephen Harper calls for a referendum to abolish the silly rules set out in the Constitution Act and in the Charter.

Having gotten rid of the Constitution Act and Charter Harper relocates the seat of government to Fort McMurray Alberta and transforms all of the provinces east of Manitoba into Territories under the jurisdiction of the Confederal government.

Harper then annexes a 200km deep section of land north of the St. Lawrence River from east of Montreal to Baie Comeau and cedes it to the new State of Northern Quebec.

Having successfully lived out his childhood dreams of destroying the Canadian Government and sending the separatists packing, Stephen Harper installs himself as the Sultan of the Athabascan Confederacy and lives out his days looking out with pride from his front porch onto the endless horizon of sludge pits and putrid tar ponds.

December the 6th becomes a national holiday called "Better off with Harper Day".
And there will be order again in the land . . .

(or else!!!).


And now the lyrics:

Watch out
you might get what you're after
Cool baby
strange but not a stranger
I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house
Hold tight
wait 'til the party's over
Hold tight
we're in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Burning down the house
Here's your ticket pack your bag;
time for jumpin' overboard
Transportation is here
Close enough but not too far,
maybe you know where you are
Fightin' fire with fire
All wet yeah you might need a raincoat
Shakedown
thieves walking in broad daylight
Three hundred sixty five degrees
Burning down the house
It was once upon a place
sometimes I listen to myself
Gonna come in first place
People on their way to work
say baby what did you expect
Gonna burst into flame
My house
S'out of the ordinary
That's right
Don't want to hurt nobody
Some things sure can sweep me off my feet
Burning down the house
No visible means of support
and you have not seen nothing yet
Everything's stuck together
I don't know what you expect staring into the TV set
Fighting fire with fire
Burning down the house

Rallies for the Coalition Government

Get all the information you need right here: www.makeparliamentwork.ca

Join in the fun at a city near you.

Stephane Dion Needs Your Help

Now more than ever. Donate a couple of bucks today. Then donate again in 30 days.

TED ROGERS R.I.P.

A giant amongst us. His vision and philanthropy will be missed.

Conservatives Begin the Bloodletting

Buon GIORNO Guy. Who really believes that he talked Stephen Harper into this brutal non-economic statement? Anyone? Anyone?

Dionistas and the March on Stornoway Revisited

To all the hundreds of you that encouraged us to March on Stornoway in October to encourage Stephane Dion to stay on as leader, I say "THANK YOU!!!"

Like the man says: Stronger Together

Rae First to File Nomination Papers

That rules him out for interim PM I'd say. CBC has the story.

I will be backing Bob Rae and look forward to his input on this coalition government, since he is the only one in the House of Commons that has the experience in such matters.

Open Letter to the Liberal Caucus and Executive

Received this yesterday. Thought it best to post it this morning. Emphasis her own as written.

OPEN LETTER

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
November 30, 2008

Mr. Doug Ferguson,
President, Liberal Party of Canada
Members of the National Executive
Liberal Party Caucus members

Dear President and Members of the National Executive,

I am writing to you as a member of the Liberal Party who is greatly concerned about the reports and interviews in the media where comments are being made by Liberal caucus members and "insiders" about "who should be the leader of the coalition" (between the Liberal and New Democratic parties). The media reports, gleefully, that various proposals are being discussed, and that there is a plan to oust our present leader, Mr. Stephane Dion, and replace him with a more palatable (to the caucus, to the executive members, to the party elites) person.

That this could even be talked about in Liberal party leadership circles is shocking, as it indicates a lack of elementary loyalty to, and solidarity with, our elected leader and a contempt for the membership, an attitude which will only create havoc in the party, and perhaps lead to a severe crisis from which the party will not recover for years to come.

The facts are these: back in December 2006, in our convention in Montreal, Stephane Dion was elected by the membership to be the party's leader. He was chosen, I believe, because there was a strongly-felt need for something new and fresh, not part of the "same old, same old" which had ceased to attract Canadians to the party, as members and voters. This decision by the members stands, and cannot be undone by a handful of individuals in the caucus and on the executive.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Mr. Dion did not fare well in the electoral arena. He inherited the fate that had befallen the previous leader, Mr. Paul Martin, of being defined by the Conservatives before he had a chance to establish himself. Paul Martin's rapid descent from an experienced and competent politician, and — unlike Mr. Dion — well known to Canadians, to "Mr. Dithers," was even more spectacular, and speaks to the success of Stephen Harper's U.S.-style negative campaigning. This aggressive campaigning will no doubt define the next leader as well, unless we can stop it — and unless we are prepared to protect our leaders better than we have in the recent past.

The only remedy we have as party members is our loyalty and respect for the men (and women, when that happens) who are putting their lives and reputations on the line for the good of the country. To see a leader as shabbily treated as Stephane Dion, not just by the media and Conservatives, but our party's parliamentary caucus and behind-the-scenes elites is intolerable and unforgivable. It was bad enough that he received the bum's rush after the election and was forced (by the caucus, we are told) to walk the plank and be publicly humiliated in the process, but is outrageous beyond belief that now we have the same people, often without their names known to us, speaking to the media about replacing Stephane Dion with "somebody else" if and when the coalition becomes a reality. We only have one leader and by definition a coalition government will have as its leader the leader of her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. End of discussion!

Along with other party members, I expect public assurances, in words and actions, from yourself, Mr. President, and the national executive, that there will be no coup d'etat attempted, no subterfuge tried to replace Mr. Dion, and that the caucus and the executive will act as loyal members of the party, and not as some self-selected rogue element which makes decisions without the slightest consideration for the membership — or for the consequenses of their actions on the future of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Awaiting your response, I remain

Sincerely yours,


Marjaleena Repo
Saskatoon (Blackstrap)


P.S. Much is being made, STILL, of the fact that under Mr. Dion's leadership, the party lost 26 seats. Do the caucus members, executive members and various "anonymous Liberals" not know or remember, that under Mr. Martin the party dropped 69 seats in his two elections? Clearly, there is more to be questioned than the performance of the current leader, and by focusing on his alleged shortcomings, the party itself, with its lack of any sign of "renewal" or "revitalization" (as we are so often rhetorically promised), avoids a well-deserved scrutiny.


Marjaleena Repo

Prime Minister Ignatieff

Well there you go. Prime Minister Ignatieff.

So much for the grassroots having a say in the matter. Why'd we bother with selecting a leader in 2006? I mean the backroom boys knew all along who should be leader. Don't you know? How stupid of you grassroots Liberals to believe in a democratic party.

UPDATE: Coyne sums it up best.

Updaterer: Bob Rae the unifier.As I've said, he's the only one in the House that knows anything about coalition governments.