Drea

Am I the only human being in Canada who realizes what the REAL issue is? PRIVATE INSURANCE PROVIDERS. Who cares who owns the place where you get you eye surgery, or your knee replacement? It doesn't matter a bit as long as people can get the operation done somewhere and as long as they are NOT DENIED medical coverage by a private insurer (like in the USA with their HMO's who are god's who have the power to decide who lives and dies by deciding who is and who isn't covered by insurance.) In Canada we are ALL covered by public health insurance. The public system CANNOT deny treatment to anyone for any reason. If you get cancer from smoking you are covered, if you get diabetes because you are obese, you are covered. Not so with private insurance. Can you imagine you health insurer telling you that you have to be tested for "bad fats" and if you have been eating any you've nullified your insurance? Or if you didn't go for your morning run you are jeopardizing your health and are therefore not covered? This is what would happen if we had private insurance. The insurers in the USA are drooling over getting 30 million new "customers" and charging us extreme rates and denying us coverage as they see fit.

Most people only buy a home every 5 years or so at the most frequent, so you are saving $2000 over 5 years. I remember when the gst was first implemented. The biggest problem the govt had was THE COST OF COLLECTING THE GST. It costs something like 5% of all monies collected to pay for the collection of it. So now the gst won't do anything but cover the cost of collecting it so what is the point? Eventually it will actually COST MORE to collect than is collected! A better strategy would be to cut personal income tax and lower corporate taxes to encourage business which in turn creates more jobs... Personally, although I consider myself a liberal (small "l") Although I absolutely despise Mr. Harper himself, I hope that the conservative win a minority govt. because I really would like to see what they are capable of, what they really want for this country. But not with too much power! LOL IMO if Peter MacKay were leader, the conservatives would have a sweeping majority -- many people, like me, think Harper is personally way too right wing. I think we operate better under a minority anyway, when all people have a voice in parliament.

I don't need childcare as my child is no longer "little". The biggest problem for the women where I work is FINDING daycare space. When my son was little (and I was a single mom) his daycare was almost completely paid for by the govt. The biggest issue I faced was finding a decent provider. I went through numerous "daycares" before I found a good one. It's very stressful when you have to leave your 9 month old baby with "whoever is available" because you've no choice! My hubby and I now make good coin. If I had a baby now, would I NEED $100 from the govt? Nope. Would I actually spend the $100 on daycare? Probably not. We'd probably rent more movies LOL. BTW, will this $100 per month be considered income? Will families be taxed on this extra income? Harper's plan has NOTHING for my family. My son is grown, I don't take transit, and saving a lousy 1-2% of the gst is just plain lame. So the conservatives do absolutely NOTHING for middle income families who don't have babies! (that would be the MAJORITY of Canadians BTW). I do like the conservatives stand on crime however. Minimum 2yr. sentence for any gun crime would be good.

Throwing money at "disadvantaged" kids is not the solution. They are not the one's in the gangs. Middle and upper income families breed gangstas! Kid has had every luxury his parents can afford and he's bored out of his mind. His heros are gangstas in videos. It looks so exciting compared to his dull life of Gameboy and ipods, is it any wonder he's attracted to the lifestyle? Blaming the gang culture on poverty is ridiculous. If we could poll all the gangstas we'd find out that the majority of them have a normal home -- and they've been so spoiled by their parents that they're bored out of their minds! The solution: Make them work. Starting at a very young age make him earn his "toys". My son, who is 12, has had a paperroute since he was 10. He has saved enough to buy himself a computer. The games he buys are regulated by me. No first person shooter games allowed. He's also been through drug education in his elementary school. He's recently joined air cadets -- this year he started middle school and I want to keep him a good kid! Better he align himself with cadets than little gangstas! When he was in grade 5 there was this one kid he went to school with who had pierced ears and dyed hair -- at age 10! What will this kid be doing when he's 13? I believe in mandatory military service for teens to teach them respect and teamwork.

What part of the Canadian Charter of Rights would you change? What part of the USA Bill of Rights would you adopt? BTW, Bush recently called the Constitution a "Goddamn piece of paper". OUR Bill of Rights is certainly MORE than a goddamn piece of paper IMO. There are many in the USA who feel the same way I do - don't friggin mess with our rights!

I do know the difference between a good American and a bad American Good American = Democrat Bad American = Republican It's really a shame that they don't have a party for those who bend toward the middle though. Black or white with us or against us terrorist lover or saddam hater... socialist or capitalist the USA is divided (and by proxy the rest of the world) into two camps. Thanks a friggin lot, George, for forcing people into one camp or the other and dividing your country in two. Once GW is out of office I am sure that President Hilary will do her best to mend our relationship.

"I do hope you realize how we on the right feel about Martin's promise to improve relationship with the Americans." Why is it always Canada's responsibility to "manage" the relationship? What about the role of the US in this relationship? Are they NOT responsible for how they treat us? Like the abused wife, Canada says "It's ok that I'm all beat up -- it's my fault, I should not have provoked him -- my relative said he was a "moron" and my other relative said "I hate that bastard" and yet another relative stomped on a effigy of him on national television -- no wonder he beat the shit out of me, can you blame him?" The US needs to apologize to Canada IMO. Apologize for importing their violence, their guns, their chemical drugs... apologize for softwood lumber, mad cow, blaming us for the power outage... apologize for the likes of Tucker, O'Reilly and Carlson... *They should be on bended knee kissing our beaver butts! *They = those who support the republican regime.

welcome USA liberal! It's refreshing to hear from "the other side of the fence" from someone who has actually experienced it. There are many many questions I have about life in America... for another thread perhaps... The posters on this board who glorify, adore and worship GW Bush's administration will do anything to slam Canada -- they're entire adgenda IS turning Canada into the US. You are correct that Harper is indeed "scary", not only his looks LOL. Canada is currently one of the best countries on earth to live. Electing the conservatives is tantamount to flushing it all down the toilet. Vote Liberal -- vote NDP -- vote Green -- heck, vote for the Marijuana Party! Just DON'T vote Conservative if you like Canada the way it is. Cheers!

You are: Social Libertarian 4.5% Economical Authoritarian 20.5% Ah yes, a centrist, just as I've always known

Actually, it's regional. Here in BC we say "abowt". We sound much more like Californians or Washingtonians than eastern (or central) Canadians.

Why don't you start small, like trying to get a navy that isn't falling apart. hahahahahaha- you are on drugs! Your economy can't even be compared with ours. Get a clue! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> LOL You sure got that right! WE have a SURPLUS! YOU have a DEFICIT! Neener neener neener! btw surplus means extra money in da bank -- deficit means no money in da bank. Now, how many TRILLIONS of dollars is your country in debt? I'm at work now but will find a link and post it for you when I have more time. LOL

I do not disagree with that, but what do you care what other people do with their own cash. If they want to buy additional insurance, let them, none of your concern really. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't deny anyone buying extra insurance. That's a personal perogative. I am against having our public insurance REPLACED by private insurance companies. I have never ever heard of our public system denying treatment. My mom had breast cancer, everything was paid for, everything. My uncle had lung cancer -- caused soley by his own self sucking on a cig for 40 years... every treatment everything, once again, was paid for by public insurance. A private insurer probably would've denied coverage on the basis that he was the direct cause of his illness because he was a smoker. No. I do not want private insurance to replace public. It's just plain stupid -- private insurers don't care about lives, they care about profit (because they are in business to make a profit of course!) I repeat: All this hype about private clinics is clouding the real issue!

There is nothing wrong with private clinics. My father went to a private clinic for his laser eye surgery. The problem I have is with private INSURANCE. When an insurer has the ability to deny coverage -- that is scary -- not private clinics, private hospitals, etc. Would any of you want an "HMO" to tell you "sorry bub, you aren't covered for such and such treatment, go die"? Remember the movie "John Q" where a private insurance company denies the child life-saving treatment? All this hype about private clinics is clouding the real issue! WE DO NOT WANT PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DENY COVERAGE.

I know a couple who are members of a swing group. Not my cup of tea, but it certainly shouldn't be ILLEGAL for pete's sake. What consenting adults do in the privacy of their own homes is none of my business. Nor is it the business of religion or govt. Good to see that people who participate in such groups will not be prosecuted.

LOL We were in Banff over the summer holidays and went to smoke a little doobie in the hotel room... in BC we would've just smoked it openly. But in Alberta we went so far as stuffing a towel under the door so no one in the hallway would smell it! Didn't want those 'uber conservatives' to have a s**t fit and throw us BC hippies in jail!

This has got to be the most inane comment I have ever read. Perhaps this "biggest meanest local punk" ought to be in prison, no? Tell that to all the displaced forestry workers who are now flipping burgers... Fear, no. Disgust, absolutely. In the year 2000, the world thought of America was the land of dreams and opportunity and envied it. In the year 2001, the world sympathized with the Americans as they were *attacked*. In the year 2003, the world is angry with America for rushing into Iraq for... oh darn what was the reason again -- oh yah, oil. In 2005 the world is disgusted with America for it's treatment of it's own citizens when Katrina hit. From envy to disgust in 5 short years. Way to go George "Chimp" Bush! BTW, we are JUST as "capitalist" as the USA. If he were truly garnering votes from the Anti American crowd he would've shut off the oil by now. What has he done? Not nearly enough IMO! He phones Bush and wants to talk about it -- ooooooh, scary, bad Anti American Martin wants to NEGOTIATE -- OMG what a terrible, leftist thing to do! Perhaps he should be "softer" on them... LOL we all know that when you point out a bully's faults, he gets MAAAAD! BTW what to you figure we should do about softwood, nothing? The smartest thing Canada can do at this point is to continue findind new markets for our products. Trade envoys are currently in China and India (which are MUCH bigger markets than our southern neighbour) No matter what kind of shape our relationship with the USA is in, soon they will not be able to buy our resources anyway, as they are very quickly going broke.

Separatists are traitors and should be jailed as such. Would any other country "put up with" citizens and politicians who want to destroy their country. Pfft. If you hate Canada, leave -- many countries around the world would gladly accept a Canadian immigrant. Don't ruin the country that I love.

"To the reticent nations, including the United States, I say this: There is such a thing as a global conscience, and now is the time to listen to it, now is the time to join with others in the global community" How exactly is the above comment "screaming and cursing the Americans"? The USA deserves a slap in the face -- LOL -- no matter how "large of an ape" it is. Might DOES NOT make right. What WILL Harper do, if elected PM, about the soft wood lumber issue? Will he sell off all our crown land to the highest bidder (the Americans)? Will he stop the flow of oil? Will he add tariffs to oil? What EXACTLY! He wants to build a "better" relationship with America. WHAT does that mean EXACTLY? He should CLEARLY spell out EXACTLY what the cons would do differently than what Martin is doing now with regard to trade. IMO, Martin is doing his best to be DIPLOMATIC in the face of the IGNORANT ape.

SSM is a done deal. Harper is not going to win this election so it's still and will continue to be a done deal. Pot WILL be legalized in the near future. Senseless that it isn't today. Imagine if tobacco were illegal? You would have the exact same problems with it as with marijuana. Imagine if booze were illegal... oh wait a minute! It WAS illegal and it spawned the likes of Al Capone and his cronies.... as soon as it was legal, crime reveloving around the "trade" of booze stopped. Amazing innit? Went to a Christmas party the other night. Fighting and brawling all over the place by those who had ingested too much booze. If they would've smoked pot they would've gotten tired, eaten the buffet and gone home to sleep. How can people in this day and age still beleive that pot makes a person "all wonky" is beyond me. OBVIOUSLY they have not been with someone who smoked it, nor have they tried it themselves. And don't try to use "Oh, but it harms the lungs!" argument... it can be put into food if you prefer.

Funny How those who say the Liberals are using "fear" in their campaign are THE VERY SAME PEOPLE who say that (their hero) George Bush DID NOT use fear to get elected. Pfft. And those very same people who say stuff like "that lying liberal media" ALSO admire FOX news in the USA that spews ONLY rightwing republican propaganda. Yes, darn it, of course I am afraid of what MY Canada would become under a Harper govt. Anyone with any brains knows that he'd sell us off to the Americans. Bye bye Canada, hello 51st state.

Right or Left Coulter or Moore With us or against us Bush supporter or terrorist supporter Back the Iraq war or love Saddam My way or the highway. Sheesh! it's really unfortunate that the USA does not have a "centre". GWB has divided the country into two camps. There is NO middle groud --frankly it's childish and ridiculous.

Healthcare premiums (here in BC) are not an option. You cannot "opt out" of the healthcare system. I got laid off my job (which had coverage) and never realized I had to pay a monthly fee... it simply never occured to me LOL A year later I got a bill for $1400. I went into the BC Access Centre (where you pay the bill) and said, "I have not been to a doctor or used any healthcare service in that year" -- but I had to pay it anyway. The lady says to me "you have to insure your car don't you?". "Of course", I said, "but I can CHOOSE to park my car, I cannot choose to park my body!" I was really miffed that I HAD to pay the premiums regardless of whether I wanted healthcare or not.

Ha! I'm one of "those" women! OMG sometimes my paycheque is larger than hubby's. Sometimes he cooks and cleans the house. LOL We are all people regardless of gender. Men should not be afraid of women who make money and hold powerful positions. The secret is to not value the female only for her bod, and to not value the male only for his wallet.