tml12

These are fair comments, tml. You are right that a good debate about government services is deserved.But that's not what Martin said. Martin talked about going down a road. It's dumb (and arrogant) because it refers to a Liberal road, as if that's the only road that exists. The Liberals promised eliminating the GST and then revised their promise. The kicker for dumbness though is: "(Canadians) have heard this story before." Yes, they did. From Liberals. ---- Shoop, the BQ will not win 67 seats in Quebec. Full stop. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Having read the quote again I agree. I have not endorsed a candidate that I will vote for yet. But I think it should be noted that if the GST is 5%, government services will decline. I agree with you also about the Quebec seat projection but I would guess Shoop got that from another website. 67 is a serious boost for the Bloc...I would say 60 at most.

No and he is probably one of the people most responsible for our healthcare crisis today.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Happy to oblige: http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/ <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I didn't check the link because it doesn't surprise me. A lot of disaffected old PC MPs are taking their merger anger out on the Reform wing whose guy just happens to be party leader. Joe Clark will probably be next. I wonder what they'd be saying with MacKay or Lord at the helm.

Tax-cut fever takes over federal election campaign Unlike the Liberals who think making grand announcements(how many of you even remember what they were?)with surpluses we never knew were there, will get more votes, I think the conservatives are giving Canadians a chance to absorb their policies throughout the eight week campaign.I think this will get the Canadian public more in tune to compare the major parties and what their policies are. As for the GST,remember the wise words of Eddie Shack: "Take care of the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I still would like to know, electiontime or not, the relationship between the GST, social programs, and the opinions of Canadians on the relationship between the two.

I'll buy that... Then answer me this...Why has the last poll got the Liberals and Conservatives tied at 31%.

When did the Conservatives say that they have no interest in cutting personal or business taxes? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Conservatives have said they'll reduce the GST. If they also plan to cut personal or business taxes, they've not said so. This is why numerous economists have come out today against Harper's plan to cut the GST rather than corporate and personal taxes. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They have said in the past that they would. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> So you're saying we should look at Harper's former utterances rather than his current utterances to know where he now stands? Does this hold for his views on putting a firewall around Alberta? Does this hold for his former views on health care? Does this hold for his views on Atlantic Canadians? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If you want to know what both federal leaders said in the past, go to stephenharpersaid.ca and paulmartinsaid.ca if they are still active. Both major federal leaders, which means our next prime minister, have made gaffes that only true politicians can make. Judge from that...

Paul Martin, 1 December 2005 (referring to a Tory proposal to cut the GST)Ottawa Sun <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't think that's a dumb quote. We really should have a federal poll about what Canadians think...and ask it alongside of a reduction of government services (which would probably happen). It's like when the Chinese president was here a few months ago. Everyone was taking these poll questions "has China done enough for human rights?" or "should we not trade with China if their human rights cases do not improve," etc. What about, "if all your good were made here by expensive unions but the prices would go up and there would be no more Dollarama shopping...but China's human rights abuses would go down would you support not trading with China?" That is a much more difficult question for a lot of people to answer (and, I think, it would require more analysis before I took a plunge at a guess...)

When did the Conservatives say that they have no interest in cutting personal or business taxes? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Conservatives have said they'll reduce the GST. If they also plan to cut personal or business taxes, they've not said so. This is why numerous economists have come out today against Harper's plan to cut the GST rather than corporate and personal taxes. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They have said in the past that they would.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> It probably was hyperbole but Harper should not be campaigning like this. See my post: How To Win This Election. Quebecers are not just to vote for Harper because. This is a politically-sensitive province.

I agree, I would prefer that Canada stand up for freedom and democracy and be counted. At least lend some moral support to our friend and neighbour to the south, and quit with the Anti Americanism. I don't support the war in Iraq or a lot of what Bush does but I don't see any need to for the continual Bush and U.S. bashing I see on other forums. From what I've read so far on here, the discussion seems to be better than that. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unification through comparison is false unification.

Hi Eureka... You'll find some of them at www.rabble.ca. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> rabble.ca is very left-wing.

Would your response have been more in acceptance if he had cited a Liberal or an NDP source? It was very appropriate to cite a source the conservatives themselves consider to be credible. It may be seldom, but very notable when a think tank or a lobby group one normally disagrees with has some points one can agree with. What I find more interesting is where the Liberals were criticized of buying votes, the Conservatives are now doing the same. Such habit is not new to Harper. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you Daniel for explaining precisely why I used a financially conservative economist as my source. My comment would have been discounted had I used a Liberal or NDP source. As is, the Harper supporters on this site have yet to provide a single sound, economic reason to refute Dr. Grubel's point that a reduction in personal and business taxes is far more stimulatory to Canada's economoy than a 2% reduction in the GST. But perhaps, as you point out, Harper believes this will buy him a few votes. I think it will buy him a view votes but only among those with no appreciation of what drives an economy. It must be especially galling to CPC supporters to have Canada leading all G-8 nations in economic growth then trying to tout an econmoic lightweight like Harper as someone who will stimulate the economy by a 2% cut in the GST. He should stick to what he knows best...social conservatism and intolerance. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Campaigning on tax cuts hasn't seemed to helped the Conservatives. And with the financial state of this country's social programs as bad as it has been since the 1995 cuts, I wonder how this will turn out in five years.

Good thoughts, but I take some exception to the Liberals talking points. If you turn back the clock 15 years or so, you'll notice that no one was talking about tax cuts and a balanced budget except for the Reform party. Once Manning generated enough pressure, the Liberals co-opted his themes. Is Martin a brilliant economist or does he just know how to steal good ideas (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Martin has proven his economic record by being named to the World Economic Forum's Dream Cabinet. Certainly I am sure he also stole some of Manning's ideas.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I didn't hear much about Ontario, other than the Liberals will use the old "right-wing" stuff about Harper. The Party is looking to maintain their fortunes there and minimalize losses, because they are expecting a few.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Did they really? I'd love to have the link (just for laughs). The CBC is just plain funny...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I cannot disagree with anything you wrote. Certainly if the office is not optimistic there will be no motivation for workers. More than 15 seats would be outrageous...but someone was saying here they'd only get 3-4 seats, which is similarly outrageous. One thing a lot of Liberals aren't saying is that they are really afraid people are not motivated to vote. Martin didn't look bad tonight, but the establishment is very nervous...Harper's solid bases seem assured, this is not true for the Liberals.

Hey Bakunin, are you a Quebecker first and not a Canadian, as it says at the end of this post? By the sounds of this post here, you seem to be a separatist, am I wrong? Like the guy from the Molson commercials, I AM CANADIAN! I have like all across this country, and call myself a Canadian first, then the province I hail from, not the other way around! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I cannot answer for him but many times Quebecers refer to Canada differently from Quebec. It is not meant to imply that one is a separatist, it is just what many from the "Children of Bill 101" generation use because they have been raised in a more "quebecois" rather than "French Canadian" upbringing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would be very surprised if the Liberals didn't make any gains in BC. My friend works for the LPC and tonight we were in the Liberal Quebec war room. Martin was giving a speech in Laval (which we attended) and guess what? The speech was full of Quebec talk (obviously) but in the war room it's all about BC.

Given the Liberal track record and the corruption that Gomery has exposed, it is just as likely that the Liberals leaked the information to their friends in exchange for campaign kickbacks. I can hear hoofbeats and I'm thinking horse not zebra. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wouldn't doubt it...

It would replace political interference and the authority would come from Parliment. And no, its not an indictment of the RCMP. If anything it would bolster their authority when working on politically charged cases. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's probably not a bad idea, but I'd have to read more about it.

At the time, Canadian sailors on that ship, the Atlantic Superior, which was then at sea off the coast of Virginia, were told that they would lose their jobs at the end of the trip and that they would be replaced by Korean sailors, who would be paid $2.20 per hour and who would not enjoy any protection under Canadian labour laws. MARINE WORKERS Even the Marxist-Leninists see through Martin Prime Minister's Office and the Federal Liberal Government Conflict of Interests at Stelco The Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce said in February 2004 that the CCAA allows for "too many real or perceived conflicts of interest." Those "conflicts of interests" may very well be what has driven the Stelco CCAA fraud from the beginning and what is behind the rumoured secret agendas. Some examples of conflict of interests are the following: Prime Minister's Office and the Federal Liberal Government Peter Nicholson left Stelco's board after six years to lead Paul Martin's transition team in December 2003. He now is a strategic adviser in the Prime Minister's Office. Tim Murphy, a former partner at McCarthy Tetrault, Stelco's law firm, is now Martin's chief of staff. Canada Steamship Lines, Martin's family shipping firm, is a major creditor of Stelco. The rumoured super-port to occupy Stelco waterfront property together with a possible expansion and widening of the St. Lawrence Seaway would seem to favour Martin's family fortune. Stelco board chair Richard Drouin is a former counsel to McCarthy Tetrault, Stelco's law firm. Drouin rents working space in McCarthy Tetrault's Montreal office suite. McCarthy Tetrault was the second largest contributor to Paul Martin's Liberal leadership campaign ($178,000). A large part of McCarthy's contribution to Martin was to pay the campaign salary of Tim Murphy, a former McCarthy Tetrault partner, who became Martin's chief of staff. StrategyCorp is a company that lobbies governments on behalf of private interests. Liberal John Duffy, a long-time confidant of Prime Minister Martin was registered as StrategyCorp's Stelco lobbyist in Ontario. Intrigue and Blackmail over Stelco Are an Affront to Canadian Dignity and Sovereignty <{POST_SNAPBACK}> While much of this may be true, excerpts from the Marxist-Leninist Daily seem to be even more telling.

You linked to the deceitful Michael Moore; I didn't. If you can come up with 59 deceits from Dave Koppel, I would like to hear it. *crickets chirping* <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I linked because Michael Moore is the topic of this thread. I didn't say Kopel was deceitful, just too right leaning to present an impartial presentation of his "facts." <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unfortunately, we are seeing that more and more...everyone has a view which we cannot deny them even though we may wish we could...

So much for Paul Martin as the Messiah of Medicare <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The system has been dead for years. Really, if there are any NDP or idealist Liberals in this post I dare them to say we will have government denying us full two-tier healthcare in 3-4 years.

I work beside the Calgary Drop In & Rehab Centre and I can tell you that these people are mostly drug-addicted (hard drugs, I mean, as well as alcohol) violent criminals with absolutely no regard for the well-being of others, no morals whatsoever and no incentive to do anything else but collect the free lunches, free beds and free money in the form of 'social assistance'. The reason most of them are on the streets is because they had these same 'qualities' all their lives, and are only there because they have been shunned from everywhere else. Granted, some few have legitimate medical conditions that 'disable' them, but these are some 2-5% (as far as I see everyday for the past 6 years), but the majority of them actually like living like, and with the morality of, animals. These are the ones that bleed the 'social safety net' dry, and those 5-10%ers that actually need assistance suffer for it. The system needs a total overhaul, throwing cheques at the problem doesn't really help in the long term. As to ending the cycle that causes these people who actually can work but have become 'downtrodden' because of their upbringing, I can only suggest a crackdown on this generation to help the next. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I remember being in San Francisco a few years back. They had this program where they gave out $500 cheques if you could prove your homeless. I met a few heroin addicts who loved that program. However, there was an opposition "Care, Not Cash" program which called for giving care instead of case to these people. Seems to be to be a braindead issue but I guess the left-wing thinks not...