socialist

When you're running a $12B deficit and have the largest sub-sovereign debt on the planet, it doesn't take a genius to understand that this is totally the wrong time to be launching a pension plan with requisite payroll taxes on employees and employers. Harper - the economist - understands that. Wynne - the school board trustee - does not.

You're all getting into this legalistic gaffe about Wright and Duffy, and I don't for a moment doubt that, legalistically you're right. But let's face it, guys and gals, the only thing you are really interested in is "can we nail Harper?". I don't believe any of you really give a fig about Wright and Duffy and the constitutional aspects!

Actually, it was Wright who did NOT agree with Duffy when Duffy at first demanded the RCMP would never be called on this issue if Duffy accepted the payment. That might partly explain why Wright was never charged with bribery but Duffy was. Pay attention to what actually was said yesterday, under oath.

You obviously have not understood Wright's testimony. Wright admitted today that he was not fully convinced that the expenses claimed by Duffy were not legit. Wright did think, however, that Duffy was greedy. Wright therefore decided that the tax payers should not be on the hook for Duffy's greed or be on the hook for unclear senate expense rules. Therefore Wright always intended and did in fact pay back the tax payers. That is what he did, ultimately.

It would be wise of you to pay close attention what came to light today in the court proceedings. It was NOT Wright who suggested that the RCMP would not be called on Duffy if he agreed to the payment. It was in fact Duffy who at first demanded that in lieu of payment, the RCMP would not be called on him. That might explain partly why Wright was never charged with bribery while Duffy was. Furthermore, it has not yet been established that Duffy's housing expense claims were not legit. The judge has not ruled on that, yet. So it has not been established if the payment to Duffy was in return for clearing up illegitimate expense claims. If indeed, as Wright suggested, that Duffy's housing expense claims could have been legit, and that Duffy's greed regardless should not be a burden on taxpayers, then it is no one's business why Wright decided, out of his own pocket, to reimburse the tax payers for Duffy's greed. So, stop pretending that the housing expense claim has been ruled on. And please, please stop pretending that any of this has anything to do with Mulroney. And stop pretending that political party funds, by donation, are still monies to be decided upon by the tax payer. In short, stop misleading people!!!!!

I'm talking about the whole charade here. FYI.

In fact, the Federal debt is NOT proportionately as big as Ontario's. As a percentage of national GDP, it's smaller than Ontario's as a percentage of provincial GDP. Second, the Federal government is either not in deficit or is running a very small one. Ontario is in deep deficit with no end in sight. Third, the Federal government has been steadily reducing taxes, while Ontario has been increasing taxes. Fourth, Federal spending as a percentage of national GDP has been dropping, while Ontario spending as a percentage of provincial GDP has been increasing. And finally, for this post at least, the Federal government controls the Bank of Canada and can finance its deficit, if it choose to, which it does not, by having the Bank of Canada purchase its debt (which the U.S. and the U.K. have been doing since 2008, i.e. having national central banks purchase central government debt). As a sub-national government, which does not control its currency base, this option is not available to Ontario.

The MSM will viciously attack any Conservative, whether MP, MPP, Senator or just your average Conservative that has some stature in the community relentlessly on even the smallest and most insignificant of things while ignoring major things done by the leftists like Mac Harb’s 270K theft or the NDP’s 2.7 million or Justin’s many gaffs and idiot statements. The journalistic principles are repeatedly violated by the main stream media in their quest to get the Conservatives out of office. It is truly disgusting to witness. You cannot trust the main stream media.

Ironic that Aug 10 was the day that Mac Harb was to go to trial for his fraud on housing expenses. He too paid it back, quickly, and bailed into retirement on full Senate pension. Nobody questioned where he got a quick couple of hundred grand. Not to this day. His name is never mentioned in the media chattering, it is never included in the Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau catchphrase and all the clucking that follows. Harb, a Liberal senator, has been untouched by the scandal, and strangely has had his trial deferred several times now. He was charged in Feb 2014, same time as Brazeau. He was to go to trial in April, then deferred to Aug 10, and now that is off til 2016. What’s going on? And no Joan Abernethy, no one is aware. Harb has been swept under the rug from the get go. These things get legs and wings because the media so decides. They have been chasing the fat man across the lot and up the steps for a very long time. Even that seems extraordinarily predatory.

Wonder how Mulcair would answer if asked about the 2.7 mil. during one of the debates?I still can’t get my head around the fact that no one is pushing the NDP on this issue. Mulcair of course hopes that if he wins the election this will go away.

The majority of Canadian get their news from the main stream media, so it the MSM does not report on Mac Harb, then the majority of Canadians will not know about Mac Harb. But the bigger issue is that the MSMwilling disregards the Liberal senator where that focus all their effort on a Conservative senator. $90,000 vs. $270,000, andf the MSM will ignore the $270,000, just like they virtually ignore the 2.7 million the NDP owe. It is a clear bias that proves the MSM journalists are not honest.

Canadians will not follow this trial from now on. It has been established that Harper was not in the know how. The rest of the court proceedings will be mired in complex cross examinations about emails and the like. Canadians will tune out shorty, if they have not tuned out already.

Justin thinks the economy will be based on love. Drip, drip, drip. Justin thinks the budget will balance itself. Drip, drip, drip. What carbon reduction targets does Tom Mulcair have in mind? What is Mulcair afraid to talk about? Drip, drip, drip.

I have a theory that the reason the election was called early was to give the Conservatives time to recover from the fall out of Nigel Wright's testimony. Had it been negative, it would give the CPC extended time to recover from a serious wound or to make a respectable showing. And now the opposite has occurred. Mr Wright has just poured water on the flames of two years of conspiracy theory presented by the Opposition Parties. The exploitation of this issue was a critical part of the NDP strategy that has now been rendered useless to them This was THE anchor dragging the momentum of the Conservatives. It is now anchors away for them to free them up and set the course for the remainder of the campaign.

Were you proud of Greg Weston when he ever so briefly worked for the CBC and fabricated stories about secret funds??

A fake scandal kept in the news forever makes it appear as if this must be the scandal of the century. In reality, this Duffy/Wright payment is just about a wrong turn taken by a busy CoS. BTW: it is Duffy who is on trial for many more offenses besides the Wright deal.

Well the leftist breakout issue certainly turned out to be a dud. The Nigel Wright testimony that the leftists were praying for to help their cause turned out otherwise. Just a bunch of screaming ninnies screaming about nothing. Whoops! Now Thomas Marx and Justin Mao will actually have to come up with a platform and policies.

Douglas Porter, Chief Economist of BMO -- whose opinion is far more informed than yours: "There is no debate here: Canadian employment is mixed, but not in recession terrain." As for the deficits, last I checked Ontario has a worse debt to GDP ratio, higher deficit, and worse credit rating, all with no conceivable plan back to reality. Oh, and they're the most indebted sub-sovereign state on the planet. Bravo.

In Ontario, Wynne is much more of a threat to the province than Harper is. At least Harper will stand up to her. Trudeau definitely won't, and Mulcair probably won't. Teacher's pension isn't all it's cracked up to be. There are many aspects you armchair pension experts don't realize.

The question about my pension? What about it?

Quit whining and complaining. This is a great forum, but your constant complaining takes it down a notch or two.

One simple, poorly written newspaper article and you think you have a zinger. This doesn't bother me in any way. You are just trying to create controversy where none exists.

TFSA much better for me than RRSP.

Yes. I see things for what they truly are now. Again, thanks for perusing my past 1800 posts. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know I have admirers. Maybe open your eyes, Michael, and not believe everything you her or read from the MSM.

And I added my thoughts. Maybe you will see the connection while you are dreaming tonight.