Hydraboss

More true than many believe. Edit: Incidentally, I'm urban. If I feel this way, can you imagine how the rural Albertans feel?

Stephen won't do it with my help. I'll spoil my ballot before I would choose between a Liberal and another liar. Canada can keep it's politics.

Geoffrey, I must admit that I admire your devotion to Canada. You are one of the very few Albertans that I have spoken to that still holds a hope (regardless of how small) that Canada can survive if the Liberals take power again. Just heard it....Dion just won. If the Lib's ever take power again, it's over for Alberta.

From an Albertan point of view, Dion represents a carbon tax ala Trudeau. This would be destructive to our province and Albertans are not likely to sit back and take it.

So Geoffrey, do you still want your province staying in Canada if either of the Liberal hopefuls win?

The Liberal answer to global warming is to tax the hell out of their financial packhorse, Alberta. Heaven forbid they should impose any form of tax on vote-rich Ontario or the constant squealing Kwebek. The wouldn't dare, and would probably justify that by saying that Kwebek should not be held under punishing policies. They have no hope of winning any Alberta seats anyway, so they don't have to worry about pissing anyone off. Little Cruton (Dion) will continue down this path if given the chance. Gerry, you want to know if I'm anti-Albertan? No. I'm anti-Canadian.

Gerry, you have no clue what you speak about. Albertans hate when any primarily french speaking Liberal leader comes on tv and tells us how he is concerned about all of Canada. It is seen as a load of BS and increases the divide between Alberta and the ROC (mainly Ontario and Kwebek). Another Alberta-basher? Have you even looked at my tag line? I simply have no use for you pro-liberal, anti-Albertan types. YOUR party just had it's previous leader (Crouton) stating that the Lib's were the "anti-war party. Who the hell put Canadian soldiers in Afganistan? Crouton just lied....again. Keep voting Liberal, Gerry. Keep thumbing your nose at Alberta. It won't be long before Alberta shows you how we deal with our own interests.

I wanted to run as a candidate last federal election, but the Bloc refused me (but they did give me a nice "thanks, but no" letter!). Just figured that Kwebek wants to seperate, and I want them to seperate, so it seemed like a natural fit. Funny thing is, the more people I talked to, the more that said they would probably vote for me (my area is strictly CPC). As for provincial politics, if Morton doesn't win today there are going to be a hell of a lot of Albertans turning to the still-unproven Alberta Alliance. Nobody I know wants a Federal Liberal in charge (Dinning).

Is anyone else watching CTV? The way they're conducting interviews from the convention floor, you would think the federal Liberals didn't have a single member that speaks English! God, I hope they keep showing this to Western Canada. It should be effective in scaring English-speaking, western Canadians away from the Liberals more effectively than the CPC ever could. If they get in power, here comes the Alberta carbon taxes.

Jesus! The CTV crew just stated over and over that Dion and Chretien go fishing together all the time to talk politics. Nothing can save this province if the Liberals win the next federal election.

Voted Morton. Time to firewall the hell out of the province. I'm watching CTV, and when it came down to the final two, the camera was following Dion and Robertson and his cronies uttered the phrase, "Is Dion turning into Jean Chretien before my eyes? Yes, that is Jean Chretien from 25 years ago!" Time for Alberta to seperate. Now. Vote Morton and protect the province until the Alberta Alliance can mature enough to take us the hell out of this country.

Jim Dinning sell us down the road to Ottawa. Jim Dinning will re-write your hard drive. Not only that, but he will scramble any disks that are even close to your computer. He will recalibrate your refrigerator's coolness setting so all your ice cream goes melty. He will demagnetize the strips on all your credit cards, screw up the tracking on your television and use subspace field harmonics to scratch any CD's you try to play. He will give your ex-girlfriend your new phone number. He will mix Kool-aid into your fishtank. He will drink all your beer and leave his socks out on the coffee table when there's company coming over. He will put a dead kitten in the back pocket of your good suit pants and hide your car keys when you are late for work. Jim Dinning will make you fall in love with a penguin. He will give you nightmares about circus midgets. He will pour sugar in your gas tank and shave off both your eyebrows while dating your girlfriend behind your back and billing the dinner and hotel room to your Visa card. He will seduce your grandmother. It does not matter if she is dead, for such is the power of Jim Dinning: he reaches out beyond the grave to sully those things we hold most dear. He moves your car randomly around parking lots so you can't find it. He will kick your dog. He will leave libidinous messages on your boss's voice mail in your voice! He is insidious and subtle. He is dangerous and terrifying to behold. He is also a rather interesting shade of mauve. Jim Dinning will give you Dutch Elm disease. He will leave the toilet seat up. He will make a batch of Methanphedime in your bathtub and then leave bacon cooking on the stove while he goes out to chase gradeschoolers with your new snowblower. Ha!!! I knew this whole rant was a bunch of bullshit! You claim that Jim Dinning will be "...billing the dinner and hotel room to your Visa card", when you clearly stated in line #2 that "He will demagnetize the strips on all your credit cards,..." You almost had me convinced until I found the hole in your logic! This can only lead me to believe that the rest may not be true as well. Got any links to back up your statements?

Ted.

Rue, I wish you would just tell us how you really feel.

I don't believe it would be at all possible for the federal government to tally voter cards and their "percentages for service" and then make any type of political decisions based on them. Their scope of governance is simply too huge. This is the main reason I endorse the provinces collecting income tax and handling their own affairs, and simply paying the invoice the fed's send for those items that are strictly under federal jurisdiction. The closer to the people a government is, the more responsive it has to be. Pension plans - provincial. Don't stay in the province? Don't collect. EI - provincial. Don't stay in the province when you become unemployed? Don't collect. This would prevent people from working in one province (provincial income positive), and then moving to another province to collect worker's welfare (provincial income negative). One flat tax - provincial. The province collects it, and the province dishes it out. There should not be three main levels of taxation. Consumption taxes - provincial. If the flat tax idea won't fly, revoke them all and greatly increase consumption taxes. User-pay system.

I would love to see Kwebek labelled a "nation" instead of a province. They seem to be good at getting what they want, while at the same time setting precedent for other provinces. I'd sooner see them pay the bills both financially and politically for doing the work and paving the way for eventual Alberta seperation. Go Kwebek!!!!

I would have no problem with a farmer only vote, but it would have to be restricted to only those farmers that fall under the control of the Board. 50 + 1 against...goodbye. No questions. That is fair.

I sincerely hope that Dion wins. A Liberal leader that sounds more french than Cretien (regardless of policies) should solidify the hatred for the party that is lying mostly dormant in the West. Here comes Stephen's majority.

Let the Board go about it's merry business, but force it to do so without the legislation. If it dies, it dies. This argument is similar in nature to the debate about the CBC (remember that thread?). When the board ceases to exist, and I believe it will, then Ottawa has severed one more rope that ties the hands of people living in the Nation of Alberta (winthin a united Canada, of course!).

None of the above. I'd have to go with Belinda. I hear Stephen likes hotdogs.

Very true. If you're going to pick on Dinning, do it because of his shitty ideas.

Meanwhile, back to the leadership race...... Did anyone else watch the leader's debate last night? Talk about deja vu of the last federal leader's debate. My thoughts: Ed Stelmach - Lots of wind without saying anything. Wants provincial taxpayers to give the teachers the employee portion of the unpaid pension liability. Disgusting. Why would he play to the teachers in this province, who most likely aren't PC's anyway? Nice guy, but confused. Would probably make a good Minor Minister in Charge of Something. aka Jack Layton. Ted Morton - Over the top showmanship trying to prove that he is "grassroots". Called the female reporter's question "goofy" (quite funny actually). Likes his right wing agenda, and believes in killing the transfer payment theft to Ottawa. Heavy on the retoric. aka Stephen Harper. Jim Dinning - Promises that he will promise those things that Albertans want him to promise. And you can take that to the bank. States that Alberta should be doing more for Canada (transfers?) and won't allow private health providers. Probably doesn't even know where rural Alberta is. Keeps going for the Ted Morton is scary, scary, scary, and actually used the lines "Who will speak for Alberta?" and "Choose your Alberta". aka Paul Martin. I think I'll go vote for Morton. And then I'll have a bunch of beer. And maybe some popcorn. Edit: I know it's a little off topic, but I had to throw it in.

Isolationism is good. Morton is good. Vote Morton. But whatever you do, don't give up the pint. Never give up the pint.

FTA, I appreciate the lesson in S.11. The fact remains that the "just cause" condition should automatically be met by the seriousness of the charge, ie. murder. Your example of a six month sentance requiring a 12 month pre-trial incarceration is a symptom of a failed injustice system. How many repeat offenders are clogging the system? A vast number I'd wager. For someone that breaks a window and steals a tv, no, I don't think denying bail would be appropriate. However, this proposed legislation addresses serious crime and re-offenders (if I understand it). These people have already proven to the court that they are a danger by virtue of their crimes. Again, this is where that useless piece of parchment called the Charter fails law-abiding citizens.

For the most part, people are like water: They will follow the path of least resistance...and what's easiest. It is a hell of a lot less work to sell drugs than to maintain a job, and as long as there are no real consequences for crimes people will continue to commit them. We don't need more feel-good warm-fuzzy programs for gangs, drug dealers and all other sorts of criminals. What we need is a tree and rope. Lots of it. What keeps gangs from moving into each others territories? Fear of reprisal. The problem is Canadian society does not operate like this. Stop or I'll be forced to yell stop again. As for the reverse onus, what has this got to do with guilt? In order for someone to have to go through this, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN CHARGED ALREADY. Who the hell ever said that anyone has a RIGHT to bail? It is not mandatory, it is allowed when the courts feel it is warranted. The whole idea of bail could go away and it wouldn't affect how the Canadian injustice system works. The Remand Center might be even more full, but oh well. Bail is not a right.