[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

Simple solution; build more prisons, build them in the Arctic circle and let them escape because there won't be any guards or fences. Just toss the garbage outside and let the polar bears do the rest.

Why not just kill people you think are guilty of something if death is what you want anyway?

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

So you agree with letting these guys out after 1/6 of their sentence and pretty well automatically after 1/3?

So you agree with violent prisoners escaping from overcrowded prisons because you increased non-violent prisoner numbers?

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

That's not going to happen.

Then let's see the costs. It is hard to believe that rising prison costs won't result in higher taxes or cutting of service elsewhere.

I don't care what it costs.

That much is apparent. It is why I don't see the deficit going down anytime soon because some people don't care what it costs for their issues to be funded.

Look, there are "must haves" and "like to haves". This is something you guys have never figured out. To you whatever you want is a "must have". To me, there are things which need to be paid for regardless of cost, such as health care, policing, etc. As long as they're done with maximum efficiency, the cost is irrelevent.

What you guys haven't figured out is that "must have" includes a balanced budget. The cost is never irrelevant.

Fine. No problem. Go and build em.

Fine. Tell us what the costs are.

There are never enough cops in this country. But that's a different issue. The police are not going to put in the man-hours necessary to document and prove a major fraud when they know that the ocurts think it's no big deal and will not punish anyone. The police place a priority on crimes which is mostly aligned with the severeity of the sentences handed down by the courts. And you can steal a million bucks in this country pretty easily and not even go to jail for it.

I don't believe police make decisions based on whether they will get a conviction or they wouldn't investigate a whole lost of crimes including murder.

I have not argued against better regulatory and policing of commercial crimes. I just think that we had better hear the costs of imprisoning people for ever longer sentences without figuring the costs and seeing if there are some better alternatives in many cases.

I don't want deficits from here to eternity. Canada needs to carefully look at policies that have long term costs and see what the best plan of action should be.

The right wing accuses the left of being emotional but in this case, the cry of "I don't care what the costs are!" is an emotional one.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

Seems to me to be the reverse. Because of the costing, because of trying to save money, people are dying.

Then let's see the comparison. I keep asking for the numbers and yet don't see any produced.

From some on the right, I hear they don't care what the costs are no matter how much. To me that is pretty scary since we have seen prisons become ever more crowded and prone to escapes. Overcrowding them further with non-violent offenders seems to be asking for more of the same.

The Tories seems to be arguing from pure emotion and we might find ourselves digging out as other places have from the crackdown. One need look no further than California.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

And allowing more convicted felons onto the street serving only part of their sentences and freed under unearned parole is your answer?

And your answer is more guards killed and mass escapes because the Harper government has underestimated how crowded the prisons are now?

Or have you forgotten the riot in Brandon prison in the last weeks? Or how about escape of murderers from Saskatchewan last year?

I'm sorry but I don't think the public shares your view. I doubt very much the public would mind having more prisons built to keep our families safe.

Then tell use the cost. Hundreds of millions? Billions?

And what tax will you increase to do it? What will you cut?

Don't be coy. You seem to have the answer.

So, jdobbin, in order to save money you'd release convicted felons into our streets. That is your position and it's sad.

I think I have asked your party to put up hard numbers. We have heard the figure of $60 million. Many would like to see a breakdown of how they arrive at the number.

It is sad that your party isn't transparent. Do we really want it to be a case of prisons versus pupils as we have seen in some jurisdictions?

Do you hate Canada that much that you want Grandma to freeze in the dark while you have a gleaming supermax prison built with her old age security?

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

If costing is a measure than fixing the justice system will never get done. Along with any other reforms to this pathetic system.

If costing is not taken into consideration, people will die. It is as simple as that.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

I don't care what it costs.

I find that hard to believe. If prisons become the largest line item of government operations, that means nothing to you?

The lax parole laws in Canada have made sentences a farce for decades. What the story you quoted failed to mention is that parole is almost guaranteed after 1/3 of sentence is served for non-violent offenders, inc drug dealers and fraud artists. What is the point of having a judge decide on a proper sentence when the parole board will automatically release after 1/3rd is served?

There may indeed be an issue of ensuring better parole guidelines. However, let's see the government numbers on costs. All we get is Van Loan blasting away and saying it is $60 million but many think this part of his plan is closer to $200 million. Add that to other justice changes and we are looking at numbers approaching $500 million or more.

Who knows? At the moment, there isn't a prison in Manitoba that is not over capacity by a fair stretch. I don't have the figures for other provinces but I can't imagine it is different elsewhere.

We might be looking at a massive prison building program as well.

Let's make sure that we balance security, justice and budget issues wisely.

That is on top of the fact that sentences for many of these people are a joke to begin with. Fraud is rising, esp through the use of various internet schemes. I read an article the other day that estimated the world-wide losess to phishing schemes alone were about $2 trillon

That's not a misprint. T- Trillion.

National Post

These are the international figures. How many of these crimes originate here and what are the costs?

And you know what will happen to these guys if they get caught? A slap on the wrist if they're reallyl, really unlucky. If they actually do go to jail, they're guaranteed to be out on day parole after 1/6th of the sentence is served.

Hard to charge them at all if they are from Nigeria.

In parts of this country the police will not even bother to investigate fraud. Why should they when the courts will, at worst, slap the criminals on the wrist? It's very hard to prove, takes a lot of time, effort and police work, and in the end the guy walks away laughing.

It's past time for us to start cracking down on these people before we wind up living in the equivilent of Nigeria.

I think you are speaking about a different issue when you are speaking about policing.

I agree that our commercial crime squads are too small and too regional.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

So how is that different from what you assert? How far back would you like to go? You blame the Cons for accelerated parole

Actually, I was putting that it was Van Loan who is blaming the Liberals for the mess in his speech the other day until it was pointed out that PCs (which is he used to be) created the accelerated parole system.

Who the hell cares? Just fix the damn system and get on with it.

I like the deficit fixed too.

Let's hear the numbers rather than an emotional "git 'er dun" response that eventually has a system groaning under the weight of ever increasing costs.

[Problems for the Canadian Crown]

Easy solution: an omnibus bill by a Tory majority to eliminate both the Queen/Crown and the CBC. Secret Agenda!

And watch it get hammered by the provinces where it covers their jurisdiction constitutionally.

A Tory majority could certainly eliminate the CBC but they certainly could get a boot in the balls for it as well.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

Finger pointing does little to solve a problem now does it? Who cares who should be blamed for this mess. Why not simply deal with the problem?

Which is why I have asked for numbers. Let's see the long term pros and cons of the doing this and examine a variety of ways in dealing with the problem. At the moment, I see a spending program which are piled on top of other spending programs.

[Problems for the Canadian Crown]

This need not be an exercise in futility, bent on division and exploitation.

But it will likely be.

I suspect some people will do whatever to get their issues entrenched in the Constitution and block everyone else's.

[Problems for the Canadian Crown]

I'd be interested to find out how much it would cost the government and tax payers to change our form of government, and everything that goes with it....just to get rid of the Queen as our figure head...

It would probably cost the government an election and the taxpayers billions. For the nation, it would probably result in worse as mischief makers would want to throw everything but the kitchen sink into Constitutional talks.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

Let's think back to...what...1971?

Quite a deflections from the fact that the PCs introduced accelerated paroles.

[Manitoba Hydro Line]

I don't understand. Won't they need to construct roads in order to construct a hydro line? Either way, there will be damage to the ecosystem, which at this point is almost untouched.

The NDP government's main reason for not putting the hydro line in was that it would damage the environment but they are planning a road through the area which many analysts say is more disruptive. If it sounds confusing, it is. And it is expensive as well.

The government has to be challenged on such a plan. The costs, the efficacy and the environmental pros and cons all have to debated vigourously.

[Tory senator linked to key players in Quebec scandal]

Harper really has no choice in the matter. Both Housakos and Soudas have to go. Regardless of the outcome of future investigations these men are tainted.

Hadn't read that yet.

It really isn't making national news in for the most part. I wonder if we will see some investigation announced.

[Manitoba Hydro Line]

Its interesting to find out that UNESCO is supporting the east side option now, though - I thought they were firmly against any development.

It is a former UNESCO President that says the hydro lines are less intrusive than the road the NDP government plans to build.

[Tory senator linked to key players in Quebec scandal]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politi...article1339276/

The Harper government risks being sucked into a political scandal raging in Quebec with the revelation that a top Conservative organizer and senator had ties to key players.

The Canadian Press has learned that Tory Senator Leo Housakos worked politically with now-disgraced Montreal politician Benoit Labonte from about August, 2008 to February, 2009.

Mr. Labonte has alleged that there was an elaborate kick-back scheme to finance Montreal municipal political parties. He insists he never did anything illegal, but acknowledged he made ethical lapses while in city politics.

There is no suggestion Mr. Housakos knew of any wrongdoing, but he has now been linked to Mr. Labonte and controversial construction magnate Tony Accurso.

I'd like to hear more on this before making any conclusions but the whole thing as described needs investigating.

[H1N1 "Pandemic"]

How on earth could this hurt economic growth? Quite the opposite.

I was joking when I made the comment.

It was referencing Harper's talk about not doing anything on CO2 if it hurts the economy.

[H1N1 "Pandemic"]

In fact though, it has proven to be a mild strain of the flu. Much has been said about it affecting the young and the old - but in fact, that's the same risk category as regular seasonal flu. This would have been a perfect time to educate the Canadian public on the severity of regular seasonal flu and how many deaths are attributed to it......but that would ruin a good story, wouldn't it? So certainly - go and get your H1N1 flu shot if you must but heck, it's just the flu.

I think the Harper government should come out and say that preventing this flu should not be taken if it hurts economic growth.

[CBC]

That's not what I heard. Apparently, if Harper gets his majority he'll (enter scary prediction here)....

I'm sure a majority would give Harper cause to cut CBC's budget. I suspect a severe kick in the balls for it from Quebec quarters especially.

[Manitoba Hydro Line]

Taxpayers' Federation seeks to stop west-side power lines

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingn...s-66030107.html

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and seasoned hydro, engineering and environmental experts have banded together to stop the provincial government’s plan to build a new transmission line down the west side of the province.

The coalition also includes former United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee President Jim Collinson, electrical engineering specialist John Roschuk and University of Manitoba Professor Emeritus Jim Graham.

It is interesting that a UNESCO person is coming out in favour of the east side line since it is UNESCO whom the NDP government said they are trying to make happy by running the line down the western portion of the province.

Manitoba Hydro is facing serious charges that it will not be able to provide power to Manitobans and yet the government is prepared to spend a billion to put the line down an area that might be inherently dangerous in continuity of supply.

It is a awful lot of money and it is difficult to find experts in hydro development anywhere thinking it is a good idea.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

We don t even need to build a prison.......just build a bunch of city type prison's up North, no guards

no fence just air drop food into them once in awhile if they try to escape? if the cold doesn t get them

the Polar Bears will! If they kill each other? oh well who cares...of course this would be only for the

worst of the worst,as for the rest of them build some prisons out on Sable Island!!

there is nowhere to go out there!

Why waste time and just shoot everyone thought to have committed a crime? Save time on prisons and courtrooms. It should be done especially for people who don't use their turn signals.

[Tories to crack down on parole for non-violent offenders]

In the final analysis, I don't really care about the numbvers. I care about what's fair - and what's just....and I care that the sentences and the way we handle parole reflects society's reprehension toward these crimes.

It seems obvious that the right wing doesn't care about the numbers. I see deficits rising further and further until extremely difficult decisions are made on taxes or cuts.

Van Loan is saying $60 million a year. Experts are saying $200 million a year. And that is with this change only.

It was the PCs who originally created the accelerated paroles because of deficits and the belief there was a better way to handle non-violent offenders. They had a majority back then too.

[CBC]

Success? Who listens to radio any more except middle aged people and older? How does the CBC sucking at the teat of all of us lend to a healthy radio market?

Sorry that you hate older people.

CBC radio is one of the top radio stations in many of the markets it is in.

The money should come from private industry? Why would they be more enthisiastic about supporting your entertainment choices than I am? Do you also support free magazines and bowling for yourself too?

I imagine they might be excited about not competing with CBC for Hollywood far, sporting events and getting the $200 million or so in ads. I imagine they will continue to be excited by the large profits they get.

Arrogant and selfish, enjoy it while you can.

Delusional and angry. Be sad that it isn't going anywhere.

[CBC]

Your attempts to divert this to a 'radio only' discussion are amusing.

Funny how your attempt is to avoid talking about the success of CBC radio and that they don't take money from advertisers which lends to an overall healthy radio market.

One wonders what it would be like if CTV Tv went the same way.

Your love of CBC radio is touching, can I assume it will result in you actually taking some money from your pocket, rather than my pocket, for your entertainment choices?

Your hate of CBC is amusing.

I support no taxpapyer money going to CBC. I believe it should come from private industry, have no commercials and the CBC should get out of bidding for things like the Olympics and hockey.