madmax

American Business Ideology has put the US in such a sorry state of affairs. Our trade with Europe is 9.8% share of Canada's total external trade. While it is an 8% trade surplus, and is our 2nd largest trading partner, it is dwarfed by our trade with the US.

The CPC want a 40 Billion dollar deficit. The budget is the one that Flaherty and the CPC put forth with Harpers blessing and full support.

I want to thank you for this thread. People are waking up to those in the religious right. Your views need to be open and spread out to a larger audience. The CPC is going to have to openly stop pandering to the religious right or get active and support its agenda. Its time the CPC poop or get off the pot. Keep up your hard work. Your passionate vision will determine the success or failure of the CPC.

This has been the Conservative mantra for some time. Mike Harris actually outspent Bob Rae. (Hard to believe) Harper has outspent the LPC governments. It is part of that group of Neo Cons who came up from the states with this vision. Break the bank, the services will collapse and then be privatized or eliminated completely. All money losing operations are to be in the hands of government and all profitable operations to be moved into the private sector. It is the Goldmine and shaft mentality. Private sector to the gold, public sector to the shaft.

Alberta has other sources of taxes, including user fees, and the oil patch, that other governments don't have the luxury of exploiting for tax revenues.

I don't bet on losers.

And you probably believed him. Some people even believed him in September when he said no deficits. The truth can't be hidden forever. These guys have been absent at the helm. A bunch of elected officials playing around with our money, wasting it and playing out some idealogical games and power plays. Harper is on the record saying many things, which makes him a great candidate for the LPC. I would vote against a 40 Billion Dollar deficit.

Energy and food demands should remain linear or have a slight decrease. Much like food imports and Energy imports. However there aren't that many countries we do volume with, regardless of the fact that we do business with many countries. Smallc is correct. With US purchasing power on hold.... we are not going to be happy campers.

The CPC were already fiscally screwed. Canada was experiencing Economic growth, and the CPC were turning the surplus into a deficit. This deficit they wanted to hide in the election, and spring it later, which they have done. Its the trickle up effect.... It will only be x, then 2x, well its 40x now. I don't recall the opposition calling for a 40Billion dollar deficit. I can't recall any government or party that has an interest in running a deficit. Government spending in the form of a stimulus package, is being doubled with a tax cut. This is like the worst of both worlds. You can do one thing or the other, but not both. Where did Harper get his degree? The Bob Rae school of economics? These guys are all a bunch of idealogical goofs.

Unless he wins a Majority that is....

Both the LPC and CPC believe in purchasing outside of Canada. They purchase inside of Canada when dragged kicking and screaming even if it can be done more affordably and created the added benefit of jobs. They preferred outside purchasing because it reinforces their globalization beliefs and it also keeps them out of trouble without looking like they are favouring one part of Canada or one company who employs in Canada over another one. Fact is, these two guys are both shitheads. Iggy would reverse this if there is political capital in doing so. But for no other reason. He is an intellectual...remember

Your statements are disturbing.

Have you taken up this issue with a Gay Conservative MP or MPP? I am certain they would be happy to entertain you for an hour?

Well Mr. Canada.... Married Heterosexuals get the disease then committ murder. There are also cases of young children joining gangs and been forced to fight or have sex with someone who claims to be HIV positive. But then here is the work of an Evangelical Christian Leader who died..... Can't stereo type this by sexual orientation.

Your really getting tripped up and burned alot lately. I doubt it is the berry in Crack.

Dad?

Not much have people changed. Harper is same person who was in the Reform Party, Brian Mulroney and Harper were playing footsie not long ago, Chretian appeared with Ed Broadbent on TV, and Paul Martin was showing his face again. The old guard is always around and politics doesn't change that much. Times haven't changed that much.

HELP!!! I have been outflanked by the DILBERT DEFENCE!!! How could I have been so naive....... (where are the forum rules) Enjoy that 35 hour week. And those changes aren't going to come, unless handled in a Mike Harris Manner and go much further. This is no time to be worried about the backlash of Public Sector Unionists like yourself who are speaking only to defend that you should keep excessive wages, benefits and pensions. mulish This is the difference between an operation that cuts the fat and realigns wages and benefits to the current market and those who have had the comfort of a government that has unlimited taxing capacity and the ability to run deficits if fiscally irresponsible. This government needs to get its act together, especially if it is going for the tax cuts as a solution for stimulus. It's time to bring in the knife Have a good weekend.

Tell me another whopper, I just fell off the turnip truck. You don't expect people to believe that party line BS. Talk about being full of it. It's just CPC patronage, something they have as much historical affection for as do the LPC. Don't give us that crap about "reform"....... People don't want more elections, they want less. People don't care about the Senate and the Senate has no function other then to be used just as the Harper Government is using. A place to put the party faithfull and give them a holiday and a paycheck at the sametime while they maintain their activities as party hacks, fundraisers and organizers. Regardless, I heard that line before, and it is just as much a lie today as it was yesterday, the day before and the month before that. Stacking the Senate is a longtime game for government. Abolishing the Senate is the best reform for our government. But the CPC wants a place for their friends. And if you dream in technicolour, one day, people will get the choice to choose between two party hacks for a Senate seat and it will be called reform. Get rid of the Senate. Then get rid of MPs gold plated pensions.

Will a paystub do? There is only one way to get those $70 and $80 wage figures and that is to include the wages and benefits of all the employees and former employees collecting pensions and benefits, and dividing that figure between the standing workforce. Essentially the more you cut current employees and increase productivity with technological change or implementing more efficient production practices, you could skew those wages even higher. A very effective use of technological downsizing and number manipulation. It is an old trick that has been in use for sometime and now is accepted as fact. The practice started in the US, and was the means to try to get concessions from UAW on pensions and benefits and later wages. THe wages of an autoworker at a North American operation are in step with Toyota and Honda, and the same is true stateside. Some in the states claim that the Japanese benefits are superior. There are a gabilllion studies on Autowages, as it seems every University, Car Mag, Government, Consulting firm, and AutoMakers seemed to need one that says the same thing every 3rd month . In the meantime, somepeople foolishly believe that they make the cars, here, which is only partially true. We assemble them, but the parts come from everywhere, and often Toyota has more NA content then the big three. From another thread in another auto forum It takes all the parts suppliers to build a car. It is all auto.

Had to get the bagman lined up after the election, not before. If Harper had appointed Senators before the September Election their would have been bloody hell to pay. He would be joining the ranks of John Turner. Their is method to the actions of the CPCs drive for power and control. By any means, by any method. Harper wanted to appoint Hacks for Senators and he did. Of course the LPC have no credibility to challenge the Senate Choices. But they could find some courage and end the Senatorial gravy train.

The majority of those employed in the auto industry do not make $25 to $35 per hour. The majority of those in final assembly do make this kind of money, including unionized and not unionized and contract. Those who start at Ford make $21. I expect these wages to continue to have downward pressure, but it will not change the end result.

Wilber for MP.