jdobbin

You do realize that contract was for seasonal flu vaccine. A new contract negotiation was set up for the H1N1 vaccine.

He has said the registration of guns, any gun, is ineffective. Do you think he will keep an ineffective law in place?

You see I can remember the Reform and Alliance meetings about gun registration in general and I know Harper has said the registration is ineffective. And this was before the long guns were added. So I gotta ask you if he doesn't believe it is effective, why would he bother to continue with it? So if Harper ever does end the handgun registry, you will end your association with the party or will you say what Harper has which is the registry is ineffective?

I'd be surprised if the BQ didn't win both.

They've also talked about the ineffectiveness of the registry and how it is just a constraint on legal owners.

Harper himself has said that the registration in ineffective. Are you saying that he won't end the handgun registry in favour of punishment and policing?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33678801/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/ A terrible incident. My thoughts are with U.S. service personnel over this horrific attack.

The Tories have been arguing that it is illegal handguns that are the problem and that the registry in general is wasteful. Harper back in 2006 made this pledge instead. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051207/elxn_martin_handguns_051208/20051208?s_name=election2006 The gun control Harper wanted was punishment and policing on the streets and not the registry.

I don't know that the suburbs sustain themselves with taxes. I have yet to see a study that says sprawl doesn't have escalating costs. One of the problems of downtowns is the one way streets. They don't actually speed traffic up and they are poor for businesses who have storefront operations. The trick is to reclaim areas a bit at a time and make sure that diversity of uses keep them vital. In other words, residential, retail, entertainment and recreational and business. The riff raff are coming to the suburbs down if you are thinking of begging. I have seen it now in several Canadian cities where begging happens on intersections where suburbanites go shopping or just outside the one or two entryways to the closed communities. I think there are some good examples too. Parts of Vancouver are very vital in the urban areas. Likewise, Montreal and Toronto. Halifax has done a heck of a job. Heard some good things about St. John's, Newfoundland as well and there are some great streets in Edmonton. Winnipeg's Forks area is often pointed to as a way to reclaim industrial downtown lands. As people get older, the suburbs become less friendly. Lose your car and you are isolated. We are going to see more people move to where transit, shopping and services are. The smart cities will cater to seniors in their downtown areas. The real smart cities will pursue diversity for their urban areas.

Why act like a donkey all the time? The Tory promise is to get rid of the gun registry. It isn't a secret. It wasn't limited to only getting rid of one part of it. It was the entire registry. Or are you trying to tell me that if the long guns are removed, the Tories intend to enforce the handgun portion of the registry? Is that what you are trying to say?

Doubtful. I suspect that the Tories will promote themselves to the hilt between now and the Olympics. They have the Olympic torch going through a majority of Tory ridings and the whole caucus is looking to use the games as a feelgood opportunity. I don't believe that Harper wants to lose a confidence vote so I expect he is checking the calendar now. Barring the unexpected, his chance of a majority has never been greater.

It generally doesn't act as a deterrent or at least has never been shown to do that.

Only long guns. The end of the handgun registry happens if the Tories get a majority.

I think you support a position of wasting money. Got that too. That seems to be how the Tories roll.

Then I expect that we shouldn't keep hearing the same points here that the party website has. Harper himself when he was Opposition leaders said the government doesn't have a blank check to do govern at any time. In other words, a vote on a budget doesn't mean that the Opposition cannot critique performance and pressure the government to do better. You seem to think that once the vote is done, we don't need Parliament at all. Aren't we supposed to be spending money wisely. Are you not a conservative?

And your party has decided to go back to the same things they criticized the Liberals for.

I think you forget that the stimulus was also supposed to be for two years according to the budget that was passed. Think the Budget Officer and the Auditor have made the case reasonably why the deadline does more damage. However, stick to your Tory talking points.

Canada has had a clinic since 2003.

The happy province is a power play over the municipalities. The money should have gone directly to the municipalities via the gas tax to be more effective. The article does detail that but don't let the joy of supporting this power politics over the municipalities that we see all too often.

The deadline encourages spending that may not be planned well. As I said, the Auditor General among others says deadline spending is often fraught with poor choices when it comes to stimulus. For example, millions have been spending on bike paths in Winnipeg and very little planning appears to have happened before the announcement. I'd prefer well thought out spending and if some provinces take a bit longer, the government should consider the planning.

I think the Budget Officer has made a good case that the deadline was too short.

Think I said there are a few different delivery options but each has its limits economically. Think we have seen that even satellite radio in the U.S. I can't see that working anywhere even if it was allowed. So no. Not simple. Even with additional bandwidth, Canada's rates have not come down. As I said, uncompetitive business pratices abound. Geography, smaller population, regulations and uncomptitive business practices are to blame. Some Canadians are just opting out all together and taking what they want. Unfortunately, that could kill the industries that create content.

Not if the deadline was artificial as the Budget Officer has shown. The Auditor General has talked about this before as well about the rush to spend before a deadline. If bad projects are chosen just to hit the deadline, it is useless.

You are correct. I should have said it is the municipal governments of Quebec and fingers have been pointing between all three on progress. Think I has said the same about you when you indicate that they have received the amount that equals their percentage of the population. They haven't and the government website shows that. It is why talk of the extension is happening now since it will be hard to meet that goal.

Even if the CRTC was gone, uncompetitive practices would continue. Cable companies that own TV stations often give those stations preference on the dial. Sometimes, they try to eliminate competing signals. I get my TV from the phone company. It doesn't mean it is all that much more competitive.