shoop

Hey, why don't you do the same and answer the question as to why the CBC is the only news outlet giving this story prominent play on their Web site??? That is a valid objection, I would think.

Really newbie? You figured we didn't get that point the first twenty times you posted it? How's this for proof of the CBCs bias. This story runs top of the fold, front and centre on CBC.ca. Not so on the CTV Web site or the Toronto Star Web site or the Global (Canada.com) Web site or the Globe and Mail Web site ..... Why is it so prominent *ONLY* on the CBC Web site? couldn't be a bias, could it?

Yup. The bias is *painfully* obvious. Such is life. All the taxpayer's have to support the CBC for the minority who actually use their services.

The extent of the damage caused by the NEP is debatable, but there is no doubt that it hurt Albertans. Albertans aren't the only groups who hold legitimate grievances for historical wrongs. It took a Conservative government, more than *40 years after the fact* to issue an apology about the Japanese WWII internment camps. The Chinese head tax is still an issue, an issue the Conservatives will deal with. The Conservative Government is finally dealing with the abuses at residential schools. Do you take fault with any of those groups for holding the government responsible for their past sins? Why exactly are you *sick* of people having issues with the NEP? It would be smart politics for the Liberals to, as I already said, apologize and move on from the issue. You asked what it would take to make the Liberals viable in Alberta. I gave you a pretty simple answer and you responded with the rant below. Whether or not you agree with it, that would be a very big first step for making the Liberals a credible alternative out here. Albertan's, like people everywhere, don't like being treated with contempt. Trudeau *always* treated Alberta with contempt. That is why the Liberals need to distance themselves from Trudeau to be viable in Alberta. An apology would go a long way... Don't freak out because you don't like the answer.

That authority was in the constitution when the NEP was instituted. Hmmm, I wonder why Alberta isn't more receptive to the Liberals then? Your party makes a mistake and you come up with such a sh*tty 'in your face' response. Odd how people won't vote for someboy who treats them like that. Isn't it?

So I guess you are making a fetish out of using the term fetish. It really isn't appropriate...

Wow, I cannot believe that Ignatieff is proudly claiming he is a 'tax and spender'. I think Dryden, and to a lesser extent Brison, can also appeal to the business community. If Drydent can get his organization together it could help big time.

All the Liberals would have to do would be to say that they realize the NEP and Trudeau were wrong and they recognized provincial authority over natural resources. Why is that so hard to do?

At least Chretien tried to appeal to Alberta. He won four seats here in 1993. That should have been a base to build upon. Alas, it was more politically expedient to dump on Alberta in his first term than to try and grow that base. Interesting how the biggest majorities in Canadian history are when the Conservatives find a way to appeal to the West and the East. Maybe because the Liberals will never ever try?

I can't understand his fetish for using the word fetish in debate when it isn't really appropriate or applicable? I don't understand the sick fetish you have for sweeping generalizations about "the Left."

I guess, but the Liberals have the *advantage* of a leadership race going on, which should cancel out the incumbent advantage. 41% would be a comfortable majority. Remember Chretien got a four seat majority with 38.5% of the vote in 1997.

There is the big problem with the Liberals. They can't even be arsed to try and take the time to understand the west. There is definitely a way to appeal to the West without "becoming the CPC". Looking at the Liberals dismal results in the West it seems like they just don't care. 14 out of 92 seats in 2006? 27 out of 86 seats in the "landslie" Chretien win in 1993. Appealing to the rest would require effort and hard work. Instead they fall back on simple platitudes that they would have to become the CPC to appeal to the West. Well, it's your choice, but with no West and no Quebec that means no Liberal government...

Jeffrey Simspon said it best in the Globe today. Is it a perfect deal for Canadians? No. Is it the best deal attainable? Yes. The Government saw no political gain in fighting with the Americans, so they acted in the best interest of Canadians. Strange that... It's been about 13 years since we had a government do that.

Pretty strange criteria .... I can't see Bevilaqua cracking the top five. (My guess for order of finish, first to fifth would be Kennedy, Ignatieff, Rae, Dryden and Dion.) I honestly think it will come down to Ignatieff, and Kennedy on the second to last ballot with Kennedy winning. Given the the Liberals are very likely (expecting?) to lose the 2007 election to a Harper majority I would say that Kennedy is their best choice of the three. There is no way that Kennedy or Rae sticks around for 4 1/2 to 5 years in opposition. He's only 45 now. He will still be relatively (51) young when the Liberals have their next best shot at forming government again in 2011. Gotta wonder though, is swinging left really going to help their electoral chances nationally? That would just leave more room in the centre for Harper to build a majority. What if that 1.8% of the electorate who *lent* their votes to the NDP in January decide to stick with them in 2007?

I think targeting the money to a program to deal with any actual job losses that might occur as a result of the deal would be a good way to go. Thanks for the kind wishes aobut the mighty Oil! Unfortunately I'm in Calgary so I have to watch the Flames play tonight. Man an Oilers-Flames series would be awesome!!!

Hmmm, without knowing the amount of tariffs that is a pretty big leap. Doesn't really make sense that the Canadian government would be allowed to give the tariffs back to the companies. What would be the point of having the tariffs in the first point?

Canadians get to keep the current share of the market we have. It certainty on this file for seven years. The Premiers of the three main softwood-producing Provinces are happy with it. You do realize the pointlessness of fighting for a deal that was never going to materialize ... don't you? Better to provide the families of works in the industry with some sort of assurances about their futures than leave them in continual fear of the unknown.

I wonder how the Liberals would have fared in the election if they would have announced a similar deal to this one in the fall. More and more I am liking Harper's political instincts, and questioning Paul Martin's. I think this deal will pass because the will is there to pass it. The only opposition in the U.S. appears to be from homebuilders. It will be a rougher time here, but my guess is that the opposition won't gain much traction in opposing it.

Don't think this is as positive as you make it sound. Ontario does not sound very happy at all with the deal. That being said I think this is a prime example of the difference in governing styles. Scuttlebutt is that the Liberals were close to a deal last fall. They didn't announce it because they were afraid of not getting 100% positive reviews. Looks like the Government has decided to make as good a deal possible instead of hurting the industry in the country by holding out for a perfect deal that will never materialize. Wow, a mature government decision. Wonder how Paul Martin feels about that?

Clearly the five point rise in support for the Government is due to something. You say election fatigue. Others would say people are slowly waking up to what a lie *scary* *scary* *scary* was and are happy they have a non-dithering Prime Minister. Regardless of the reason the PM is up five points from when he won the election. A 41% level of support would translate into a majority.

Independent stand? Hmmm, the Liberals under Paul Martin, as was typical, had no standard policy about lowering the flag on Parliament Hill after the death of a soldier. Sometimes they did it and sometimes they didn't. Every single case was a decision of the PMO. This is merely a case of the Government setting a protocol and sticking to it.

Yaaaawn! We are the lowest taxed, and least regulated, province in the country. We need some innovative thinking about how to best use our oil wealth to prosper in the future. As much as it would help me personally, I don't really think another round of Ralph bucks is the way to go. Saskatchewan does all right, with a signficantly lower resouce base than we have.

Completely agreed. Given the option I still prefer to read a paper copy of a newspapwer. Although I find myself reading more and more stuff online as time goes by....

That's the point. If he really wants the media present he can choose to do so.

As I just said. The CPC has a 40% vote intention at the moment. So your 60% of Canadians "don't trust him enough for that" is pretty unfounded.