Sandy MacNab

Fer crissakes, the NDP are already starting to make the Keystone Kops look like a bunch of funeral directors.

The "Gong" is leading that dog and pony show fer gawds sake.

He makes poor judgements. He thinks he's a "responsible" citizen, too.

Indeed! If a person isn't happy with his/her income and status in society there is an easy solution - go make yourself more valuable and saleable. I went back to school in my early 30s and eventually earned a degree and a professional designation. It's scary and difficult, but it can be done.

Public servants provide essential services. One of the reasons we pay taxes is to receive those services. I have no objection to paying taxes to provide good salaries and benefits for all NECESSARY public servants. The reason I mention unions is because their featherbedding kicks my taxes pay up and it ain't necessary.

Paranoia.

I really can't see any high up Conservative as a head poobah in a public service union.

I object to public service unions and their feather-bedding. All those you mention are entitled to and generally speaking receive excellent remuneration and benefits. In Calgary, you don't have look very hard to find 6 men/women planting a tree or some other task that requires one or, at the most, two individuals to perform. Granted, the fault is with City Council but, union bullying and threats are often very hard to resist.

If not a "sneaky trick" is certainly is a bald-faced lie. Publically funded, privately delivered health care is working well throughout the world. If funds are expended based on services delivered and such delivery is judged (say, bonuses granted) on objective criteria regarding efficiency and patient satisfaction, we don't have to have anything remotely as horrid as the American system. Or the Alberta system for that matter.

Trudeau was also contemptuous of Parliament -who can forget "fuddle-duddle" or the comment that MPs are "nobodys". And don't forget his contempt for the West and our aspirirations. That set the tone for the Liberal party from then till now. The NDP, being Liberal ass-kissers until May 2, 2011, followed suit.

I think it'll depend a lot more on Layton's ability to convince the ROC to continue delivering the milk and honey.

I think that might be because the drug companies haven't enough competition or have a much too powerful lobby. I don't really see that as a fault of the "systems" per se.

That's for sure! The Harper Haters are extreme opposites - the religious right and the politically correct left. But, they are also very similar. They both are sore losers. They tolerate no opinions other than their own. Their hatred is intense, irrational and childish. Their rhetoric reflects hissy fits and tantrums. Neither has a hope in hell of attaining major political influence - even the NDP will now be forced to pull in its horms and behave more responsibly than it did in third place.

I think there are a fair number of European countries, notably a couple very socialist Scandanavian countries, that have public/private hybrids that are working very well. Their wait times are much less than Alberta's and their costs are also much lower. The Fraser Institute has done a lot of research into this and has a number of very interesting publications.

I understand they introduced a bit of competition into their system as well as have the "money follow the procedure". Hospitals compete with each other to provide services and are under contract to the national health service which provides 100% of the funding. For example, a hospital is contracted to do gall-bladder surgery at X Euros per procedure and is paid the X Euros only if it performs such a procedure. No surgeries no Euros. Thus a hospital has an incentive to work efficiently in order to earn a living for its staff. I also understand there are bonuses and other incentives for patient satisfaction and other objective criteria. I don't know what other provinces do, but Alberta hospitals get block funding which, if you look at it, discourages them from any services.

If Harper makes Jack Layton Deputy PM he'll have a steam-roller of a majority.

How many hours did you say you've resided in Canada?

He's just finished the dressing and about to stuff the crow.

The MPs shouldn't have much difficulty hearing her.

I don't know and really don't care. If you have time go to the Free Dominion forum and scout around. Most of them chat there. I'm persona non grata having been kicked off years ago.

Indeed! Although I'm certainly not a bit sad to see Gilles ousted.

Could you tell me exactly where this "social conservative base" resides? The social conservatives got pissed off and left the CPC soon after Harper was elected PM and totally ignored their loony socially backward agenda.

I and many Conservatives I know are fiscal conservatives and not social conservatives. I'm as leary of and opposed to the religious right as are most Canadians.

I think you may be addressing your question to the wrong guy.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Why don't you go take a cold shower, have a good cry, crawl back into your bottle of hooch, or something else to soothe your disappointment. There have been both winners and losers here this evening. With the exception of you and one other, all have been gracious and behaved with real class. We should now look towards a new debate and bury the hatchet on this one.