Rovik

Well, people who believed in loyalty, who had a certain vision, a set of beliefs based on their desires for what kind of Canada they wanted to live in. Yes, people of loyalty like David Emerson... He was given a Cabinet position by Stephen Harper and was warmly welcomed by the other Harpercrites, Garth Turner excluded. Last year when Stronach crossed the floor, outraged Harpercrites were calling Stronach a whore and proposing legislation requiring a byelection before an MP could switch parties. What utter hypocrisy! There were some rather important differences. In Emmerson's case he had already been a cabinet minister, and a well-respected one, at that, a man commited to the goal of negotiating a settlement with the US over softwood lumber. The Tories brought him back in the same portfolio to finish what he started. He did not bad-mouth his former party, and his vote was not particularly needed on anything. Stronach had been a leadership candidate for the very party she turned around and bad-mouthed only a year later when abandoning it. She jumped ship into a cabinet post she was most certainly not qualified for on the eve of a critical vote where her vote was the decisive one saving the government. She betrayed her party, in other words, for the offer of a cabinet position, which makes her a political whore Emmerson can certainly be criticised for what he did, but not to the same extent. Both Stonach and Emerson are both guilty of betraying their former parties. And the fact that both their new parties gave them cabinet posts is damning to both parties. (Though there is no excuse to call Stronach the names she has been called.) But to me, they can't touch what McKay did. His ultimate betrayal destroyed the Progressive Conservatives when he broke his promise to Orchard. How can anyone trust the man after he did something like that.

Typical scare tactics comment. Funny thing is that you often accuse others of using scare tactics against Harper and the Conservatives.

Looks like your circle of friends are different from mine. I have to admit that many may not know a lot about economics and finance but they know a bit abot these and have the interest to want to know more. I'm not talking about the financial costs, I'm talking about the human costs. Often Conservatives will like to cut programs to save money without caring about what impact the cutting will have on people's lives, like tthe Conservative's recent cut of monies toward programs combating adult illiteracy. 70% includes both men and women. How come you assumed that this woman was in the 70% and not the 30%.

Lots of women have been anti-war throughout history...people like Helen Keller and Mother Teresa are just two that come to mind. It's sometimes very easy start a war, but it often takes a stronger spirit and courageous will to stop a war before it begins or to stop a needless war once it's already started. Yes, there have been wars in history that were just, such as War World One and Two, but there also have been many that were based on greed or fear and exaggeration or for a political agenda. In these needless wars, just about everyone loses.

The only party that seemed to want to bring in PR is the NDP. The other parties are against it.

I disagree...sentimentality and empathy are components of open-mindedness. For example, look at what happened in the mid '90s. The Liberals cut spending and this meant less money for programs such as healthcare. The healthcare systems in the provinces suffered for it and healthcare today in many instances is at critical levels. Here in Newfoundland, horror stories on the open line shows are common...sick patients lying in cots in corridors because beds were previously cut to save money...people waiting days to see doctors because the area couldn't afford to keep a doctor and so on and so on. The Liberals at the time cut payments so that they could pay down the debt but they didn't consider the human consequences. Raising taxes for upper incomers doesn't need to be the way to do this. Cut subsidies and tax breaks to companies. In addition, have a tiered tax program, so companies making oodles of profits get taxed higher than companies breaking even or with lower profits. For example, in today's daily paper, IOCC is demanding continued tax breaks and low cost power or else. There are huge amounts of money at both the provincial and federal levels going to companies like these and a portion of this money should be directed to social programs instead. Link to that story. Do or die for IOC

If you go back multiple generations, this may be true, but women are quickly catching up. Are you implying that ALL graduates from liberal arts courses don't want to know about economics, finance and science? Or only women? Or only the women you know? Funny, I feel that Conservatives (even Conservative women) tend to focus on what they think should be done, and don't like to be distracted by the complexities, costs and side effects of proposals. You know exactly what this woman will say though you don't even know her?!?! Man, you are insulting her intelligence. I don't know exactly what she would say, but I know this....she is very savvy in politics and wouldn't answer in the way you assume she would.

Sorry *double post* Delete.

Just like there have been strong women in history who were anti-war because they knew the consequences of war (death, poverty, violence,) Sadly, I do agree with you about some women not shying away from force. There has been a disturbing trend of women suicide bombers in recent history, especially in the Middle East .

Are you trying to stereotype here? This may be true in your family but you can't assume it's like this in all families. For example, it was rare that both my parents voted for the same party. Do you miss those days when women were not allowed to vote?

Sentimentality and empathy are very important in the scheme of things. These traits, including intelligence, separate us from animals. When I see border-line poverty, when I see inequality, when I see unfairness, when I see the environment been contaminated, when I see monies going to rich corporations when many people in this country are struggling to survive day by day, then yes, sentimentality and emphahy will impact on my vote. And i disagree with your assumption about men, not all men become less sentimental, not all men become more stubborn and close-minded as you suggest. Instead of acknowledging that Drea was right and that you were wrong, you try to turn it around and talk about unfairness toward men. One thing I will say about this is that lately men tend to gravitate toward 1-3 year college courses unlike women, who tend to go to universities. One in ten?? I would say that the number is much, much higher then what you would like us to believe.

Really? The trend lately is for women to more educated then men. And in my experience, many women I've talked to know a lot about politics, young ones as well. I found that women tend to be more balanced in their poltical analysis, unlike some men who tend to have a very narrow focus and don't look at the whole picture. A few months ago, a crowd of us went out to dinner and we ending up talking about Global warming. The one person with the most passion was a women who believed that the Conservatives were sacrificing future generations' health and the environment's health by not doing what was necessary to combat Global warming all in the name of creating jobs and keeping "Big Oil" happy.

Who speaks in the NDP other than Layton? Oh that's right, no one. Desjarlais was told to leave the NDP caucus because she went against one of the basic philosophies of the NDP...equality for all...her stance on same sex marriage was contrary to basic human rights that the NDP believe in. I wonder what Harper would do if a Conservative MP came out publicly and lambasted their environmental poilcy or came out and criticized the Conservative's policy on the military in Afghanistan. I bet that MP wouldn't last very long in the Conservative caucus. You have your opinion of Layton as I have mine of Harper, dictorial and heartless. Let's see, who have I seen speak for the NDP in the last month in the news: Stoffer, Black, Nash, Wasylycia-Leis, McDonough........

It was the province the party did the strongest in during the January election. Here's why. The Liberals and NDP hold Alberta in such contempt that some people looking for a protest vote wanted a fresh and different party to "lend" their vote to. The Green's success in Alberta was due as much to disgust with the Liberals and NDP as it was to their actual policies. You left out "disgust with the Conservatives" as well, since they voted Green, not Conservative

First, I didn't say you were using it as a tax break or the company paid for it as a fact, I said I wondered. I know of people who would try to claim it as a tax break if they could and i also know someone who has high speed Internet access at home (all paid for by her company) because she needs it to do her job. Secondly, I asked you what were you feelings if? It wasn't an accusation, it was a simple question. Third, what you may have seen were the natives (Innu, Inuit and Metis.) They receive monies that many of the rest of us don't get (and that includes non-native Labradorians) and they tend to purchase trucks , motorbikes and snowmobiles. Of course, many natives across the country also receive these monies so it's not just a Labrador thing. I admit that the monies to the natives is abused quite often and I believe needs to be changed to include better monitoring and accountibility to prevent abuse. Fourth, many believe that Canada has benefitted more then Newfoundland since Confederation and it's Newfoundland, not Canada who came up with the short end of the stick. I posted this in another thread about this including a link to the study.

Actually, fisherpeople have the second most dangerous job (in America - according to the Bureau of labour Stats) Click for link America's most dangerous jobs And I have no doubt that oil rig hands have a tough job, and unlike you and your put down of fishermen, I have the utmost respect for any one working in the oil sector. I have friends who work at the Hibernia and Terra Nova fields off the coast and I know they don't have it very easy.

Let my recap a few things from previous posts: - This program doesn not pay for Internet in individuals' homes. This is a community-based Internet with regulations on how it can or can't be used. - This program (CAP) is available across all of Canada, so it's not just in Newfoundland and Labrador but also in Alberta, BC and Ontario - Read my last post about the fishermen I wonder if your satellite setup is claimed on your income tax as a business expense or if the company your wife works for pays for most of the cost? What would your feelings be if the govt. told you that you could no longer claim that as a business expense or if the company said that if your wife wants to work from home then she (and yourself) would have to pay for 100% of the cost. And in regard to your desire for a massive urban utopia; without people working in rural areas, how would the manufacturing sector survive with the raw resources from rural areas?

Man, you are either ignorant or misguided. First, fishermen are one of the hardest-working group of people there is. They start work at dawn and work till dusk, with heavy, physical work in often horrible, dangerous conditions. There is a reason why they don't work the whole year. If they did, the fish stock would be wiped out. Once the quota has been reached or the fishery has reached the scheduled end date, then they have to stop working unless they wanted to be charged. And what if all the fishermen moved to Alberta and Ontario? Who would remain to fish? Guess people wouldn't be able to buy any seafood and restaurants wouldn't be able to serve lobsters, shrimp, cod and so on and so on. Yes, they receive EI once the season is closed but this program is available to all Canadians (though from region to region, the criteria is different.) I have a friend who works in Toronto for a Landscape company. Most of the employees receive EI when it gets too cold to work, yet you don't hear people complaining about workers in Ontario or BC or Alberta on EI.

Yes, the Liberals did indeed make the original committment and I hope that people don't forget this, but it was the Conservatives that rushed the vote through the House for a two year extension, otherwise we could be either leaving or perhaps changing our role (perhaps to how it first was) in less than 6 months. Many other counties have signed that same treaty but are either not putting the their military resources into Afghanistan or they are stationing their soldiers in the safer areas of Afghanistan unlike Canada who has put their soldiers directly in harm's way in the worst part of Afghanistan.

Actually it may be bad for the Liberals (and others as well,) if he decides to join the Green party. For if he did that, it would give the Greens some credibility with having a MP in the House and people who never considered them before, may give them a look. Personally, if I had to vote tomorrow they would be my second pick, though they have a couple of policies I don't like.

Not true. Peter Stoffer supported Canada's role in Afghanistan and he wasn't kicked out of the NDP's caucus.

The EI system is for anyone in Canada who meets the requirements, not just fishermen Farmers have gotten a lot more assistance from the govt. then the fishermen in recent years.

What are you talking about?? The CAP program is a national program with CAP centres all over Canada including quite a few in Alberta as well. To see the map of CAP centres clck this site: CAP Webpage and then click "Find a CAP site" Automatically, many of you assumed this was something privy to the East but like many other government programs this simply is not true. I believe that many of you would be surprised what the West gets from the government.

Yup, it actually is. Average number of people in Newfie ridings is around 76k. In Alberta and Ontario, both around 106-107k. Newfoundland et Labrador aren't as bad as PEI for example, but still over represented by about 25%. The least employed people in the nation have the most political power... very interesting indeed. It's too bad that Newfoundland and Labrador doesn't have the seats that Ontario and Alberta have and the resulting clout because of it. If you are so concerned about population then you should support proportional representation instead of the current electorial system we have.

A lot of these communities don't have the infrastructure or amount of people to make this worthwhile. many of the communities are indeed connected to each other by boat or small plane so maintenance would be a real costly affair. And the startup costs in these areas are much higher than urban areas, therefore for the enterprising young person to make any money, they would have to charge a fortune to their customers.