Boges

As expected, both the PCs and the NDP are against these specific revenue tools. What happened to the HOV Toll lanes and tolling the highways into Toronto? It seems they dismissed all the Revenue tools that require some startup costs to implement, they just went for plain taxes they can ad to Ontario tax payers without any upfront costs. Massive waste of money, these ideas are DOA.

I wasn't talking about populations Why not just make Quebec and Ontario a Central Canadian Region? It covers about the same geographical area. I'd argue, other than language, Quebecers and Ontarians are far similar than people from Alberta and BC. But since the Senate has no real mandate it's not like the Senate provides a check and balance for regions of the country that have lower populations. If abolishing the Senate is unlikely or impractical I would suggest two things to reform it. - Instead of regions, use each province and cut the seats down to 2 or 3 per province. - Allow for a Senator to have some sort of legitimacy to the country other than simply the whim of the PM. If being elected isn't feasible perhaps an approval process by the house so at least actual representatives of the nation can have a say on who goes to the Senate or not.

The West isn't some empty expanse of land where the government gives land away for you to settle there anymore. BC is far different from Alberta and Alberta is a lot different than Saskatchewan and Manitoba. A West region is a relic. Each Province gets by fine without having two houses. So do these countries, perhaps not federations but still. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicameralism

That was out of context. The way seats are arranged work better in the US. You have 50 states of varying populations that all get 2 seats with 6 year terms. In Canada we have 5 nebulous regions, that don't make sense anymore, that make up multiple provinces that comes to around 100 seats but the Senators are appointed and can't be removed. They also don't really have a mandate to propose or pass laws. Seats can be vacated but can stay vacated and only filled when the PM finds someone in the region in question that deserves patronage. Both could be done away with IMHO, but at least the American system has a set system that makes sense.

This is clearly a distraction from the news that Ford got a drug dealer killed. :-D At least this press staff incident finally made Ford do a press conference fielding actual questions from actual reporters.

What's the definition of GMO? Wouldn't a Clemintine be GMO because it's a cross breed of different Citrus fruits. God or natural evolution didn't produce that did it?

I'm curious what danger people think GMOs pose. You'd think modifying food for a great yield would be good for the environment. Aren't the different types of produce we didn't have years ago a kind of genetic modification?

How about Maritimes being it's own region but giving each Western Provinces their own regions? But then again Nova Scotia has bout the same population as Manitoba. In the US you have Senators that represent 500,000 people and you have senators that represent 30 million plus. I reject the idea of regional representation like this, but that's how it's supposed to work.

I used the term revolt loosely. I meant outrage that would force the oppositions hand an finally force an election.

Maybe the territories they used initially worked then when Canada wasn't a confederation of provinces with individual governments. How can 20 not be enough when the US has 100? Then again the UK apparently has around 800 Lords, which is ridiculous.

It works better in the US because there are 50 states, so assigning each state 2 senators is a nice round number and easy to explain. But they're also elected so there's constant turn-over. Would you oppose 2 seats given to each province and/or territory? The Yukon and PEI get the same say in the Senate as Quebec and Ontario. I think one of the reasons (not excuse) for the Duffy thing is that they had to name a Senator for PEI. Duffy is from PEI, he deserves patronage so lets go there. Ignoring that no one really wants to live in PEI. The has turned into a place where people that have been loyal to the party to get some plumb job into retirement.

Because, as I also said, it appears abolishing it might be more trouble than it's worth. That's a potential for reform that I would approve if abolishment cannot be achieved.

See that's insane. The 4 provinces that make up the West aren't a specific region. And why should Newfoundland be considered a region separate from the Maritimes but Alberta is no different than BC? It should be a seat or equal seats for each province.

The Senate in it's current form certainly doesn't achieve that.

I just said, I'd prefer abolishment. I've heard that abolishment is very difficult to achieve. Some genius made a set of specific things that have to happen before it can be done away with. If that proves too difficult there should be something changed about the senate in it's current form. Two things come to mind first: The Seat arrangement, as you note is the first, Equal seats for each region or province. And the fact that once a Senator is appointed it seems it's very difficult to have them removed. That should be changed. Electing a senator might be difficult because our system is a lot different than in the US. A senator elected in Ontario would have the largest mandate of anyone in the nation, including the PM. It actually gives them more power, not less.

I wouldn't, but at least be consistent about it. What exactly is the Senate, in it's current form, supposed to achieve?

Are you saying, you think, Ford got him killed? Or did the fact that he tried to extort Toronto's media make him an obvious target.

I think the whole reason the Sentate should be abolished or reformed is exactly the reason JT wants to keep it. It's a relic of the past. There's no reason Quebec should have that many Senators, with it's stagnating population. If the Senate is to do what it does in the US, you'd have equal members for every region and/or province in confederation. On this issue, I actually agree with the NDP. Get rid of the whole freakin' thing.

It wasn't up when I posted. http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/27/homicide-detectives-interview-rob-ford-staffer-after-tip-on-whereabouts-of-drug-video-from-mayors-office/

I'm on record as saying Polls are a big load of crap but had Ford seen a major drop in popularity I'm sure people would have pounced on this story as evidence people are tired of Ford. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/27/mayor_rob_fords_popularity_unaffected_by_drug_allegations_and_denials_poll_finds.html It's also interesting that the Poll does a 3-way race with Chow and Tory. When has John Tory ever said he'd run for mayor? In fact the only reason Ford ran in 2010 was because Tory said he wouldn't. It's a complete vote split. Let's see a poll where Ford goes up against Adam Vaughan and Olivia Chow and what the results are.

Well here it is! http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/26/metrolinx_backs_hikes_in_hst_gas_tax_and_new_parking_levy.html If Wynne unilaterally implements this levies there should be an immediate revolt against the government. These are not the types of policies you can just inflict on an entire province without some serious consultation. And I'm not talking the consultation a group of bureaucrats like Metrolinx has undergone. I don't trust them. The cost over runs of Presto is evidence that Metrolinx can't really be trusted with a dedicated source of revenue like this. Also the NDP would be absolutely hypocritical to allow these levies to be implemented. An average of $500 per year taken away from people yet they threatened to force an election over a 15% cut in auto insurance?

I can see another attack ad brewing over this.

I think this G&M story about Doug Ford is making the hard-on people have for the Ford's self evident. A front page feature and not a single person was willing to go on record? WTF?!? Rob should have come out as strongly as Doug was this weekend calling people maggots and such and perhaps this story wouldn't have grown like it has. I hear now that this video could have been the cause of a murder. Also one of the the guys in the widely seen picture with Ford in a sweatshirt with his arms some alleged drug dealers got murdered recently. When will the story come out alleging the Fords put out a hit on the guys that have the video?

That's not definitive yet. I've heard people in the know say he was fired for saying a party for his former football players was a bad idea and that their relationship had already been strained. Dewey hasn't said why he was fired yet has he?

These reporters staked their reputation on a video that may never come out. Are we to believe them only because making up this story would be career suicide? You can't prove a negative. If the video never existed in the first place it would be impossible to prove these reporters lied. I'm not saying the video doesn't exist. I'm just saying that the fact these reporters are staking their reputation on this story isn't evidence the video is real or that it's Rob Ford in it, if it is.