madmax

Well Harper is unlikley to follow the lead of doubling immigration, it does appear the Harper government wants to triple that immigrant temp workers to 750,000 and higher...

One is innocent until proven guilty. Yes the evidence is cleary lining up as Conservative Insiders doing a dirty. What isn't known is how far up the food chain it goes. And somethings can be true and yet not provable in a court of law. Its not unusual for some criminal activity to escape justice as Mulroney can attest.

I believe the poster here who said they were going to work hard to make sure Rae isn't selected as leader is a card carrying Liberal activist. I don't know where you are from Shakeyhands... but this would be like the Conservatives selecting Grant Devine as Federal Leader.

Bob Rae only thinks of himself. A good Speaker can make an excellent Con man. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Not when I see Senate Patronage.

Exactly how many seats does the NDP have in Alberta and Sask? ONE? I think its ok for them to speak the truth and tell it like it is regardless, as they really only have one seat to lose and many to gain by being Frank about it. And the timing is probably turning out to be good coming on the heels of two oil spills on the River. That said the Federal NDP will hold in Manitoba and gain in BC/Ont/Que with these numbers. If I were looking at the polls I would be asking where are the Conservative seats going and in which Provinces

Its not true at all. The Finance Minister pulled this monkey out of his butt when he got off his speaking notes.

HOLY MOLY WILD BILL. He's only made 2 posts and you are going to scare him away with a post like that

I think its just you or the company you hang with being of a young age and not understanding Canadian Politics. I am well aware of many Canadians who do not understand or know our political system. That said, it sounds like you are speaking with Non Voters or those with an opinion. Any New Democrats, Conservatives, and Libs that I speak to all seem to understand our system. Many regular Canadians don't and again almost 50% don't vote.

I have yet to see a source that supports this comment that we give billions to europe, to rich private euro bankers.

They created Robocall and database software for the Conservatives. They are currently suing Dean Delmastro They claim Del Mastro falsified his elections expenses. They have recently sued Randy Hillier They are currently insolvent. I am certain you would have hired them. Conservative Economic Action Plan. $125,000 from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario -- a non-repayable loan to develop a sophisticated get-out-the-vote mapping application that was specifically designed to help local candidates win elections

Well I am sure you can clarify this for me. 1) The company received federal stimulus funding. *You praise it in another thread: 2) The comany is now bankrupt 3) The company is suing Del Mastro Also, it nows appears that the company that Del Mastro paid/Did not pay, received $125,000 in federal stimulus money do develop database and robocall software. http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/initiatives/eng/index.asp?mode=8&imode=&init... http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2011 Company claims in lawsuit it charged Del Mastro more for services than he reported on his 2008 campaign expenses Canadas Economic Action Plan at work

He just needs to come clean

You are correct. And therefore Alberta pays nothing.... Again, the Feds could simply keep all monies and give nothing to any provinces. And no Ontarios contribution is not Besides the point. Its a heck of alot of money and you can add it up over the past 70 years or 100 years if you so wish. As if Alberta receives nothing in terms of federal investments in services and infrastructure. Again in 2009 Alberta was within a hair of being a have not Province under Stelmach. I simply don't buy into the argument the west pays the east, it doesn't and that is pure politics of divsion to suggest such Bunk.

I expect an environmental group to defend the environment. I expect corporations to have lobbiests in Ottawa to make sure they get their entitlements. I expect the government to provide good government that defends the interests of Canada and Canadians verses the sole positions of these groups. I do not see that with the Current federal government. It does appear to be of one mindset. That said... Interesting that 4 Provincial Premiers, 2 Conservatives, 1 NDP and 1 Liberal are uniting against current federal policy. Seems the government in power is creating an East divide while claiming the opposition is creating a west divide. One is real and is the government of the day.

The bulk of the transfer payments come from the Federal government ONLY. The BULK of Taxes come from the Province of Ontario Residents and have so for over 100years and will continue to be this way for many decades forward as long as it has the highest population. Until the 2009-2010 fiscal year, Ontario was the only province to have never received equalization payments; in 2009-2010 Ontario received $347 million The alternative is no Federal Transfer payments to regions. This change would not affect Alberta. It would continue to pay the same rate of tax as the taxes are collected from the population not the province. Here is Ontarios Projected Contribution toward Equalization for 2012 61,180,000,000 Here is Albertas 25,200,000000 So if Ontario Receives 3 Billion (projected for 2012) in Federal Transfer Payments its still contributed $58 Billion. Its a formula based on Means. I think there are those who put way to much weight falsely on their shoulders.

Another case of a Conservative paying directly from his personal account to a "Voter Idenification" firm. I had never heard of this kind of thing before. I could not imagine a CFO of a party accepting this practice, knowing his butts on the line.

A good elections canada ruling. I hope they continue and enforce the corporate side of donations when conventions are held. I see many federal fund raisers with corporate funding $1100 dollar a plate dinners. Its nice, they invite students to eat and hobknob. I don't consider this to be in the same vein as the in and out scheme. One is purposeful deception with intent to defraud the public of monies and fill federal coffers. The other is to sort out what is and isn't allowable. I believe this should become interesting as corporations and unions usually fund the brochures buy buying and "add" which is essentially a donation. This is common practice at conventions. Theres always a strong corporate prescence no matter which party. They often buy booths and promote their companies, some even show up to say they are hiring. I don't think this is going to change the nature of politics or the outcome in any election. and Yes, I think I miss Mr. Canada.

There is some merit to the statement. The concern is the affect Dutch Disease does to amplify the problem of 1) the high dollar or 2) driving down the economy of another. However that is if the problem is a natural market occurance vs some extra federal contribution to an overheated sector causing the dollar to be artifically high just as when our dollar was 62cents and artifically low.

1) All people pay federal taxes and no , I have no say in what federal tax monies I put towards the government are given in subsidies, pork, perks and benefits to Alberta, let alone Ontario, Quebec, NFLD, NS...etc... So, while we are talking about kickbacks, its nothing in comparision to the overall federal spending. 2) Alberta has been a "Have not Province until 1947, then again from 1957 to 1965. 3) In 2009 Alberta IIRC was inline to become a have not, Under Ed Stelmach 4) BC could suprass Alberta by 2020 in Gas Production. 5) Alot can happen in 100 years and has. 2 decades is small potato's Ontario has been a have not Approx 3 times in 100 years IIRC... I think there was a few close calls and a time when they choose to refuse it. 6) Are you suggesting Alberta receives NOTHING from the Federal government.... or a piece of the taxes I pay into...

My understanding of transfer payments is that it is essentially Provinces getting their own money back, consider it a Federal Tax Break to the Provinces. Money is Transferred from the Federal Coffers to the Provincial, NOT from Alberta to another Province. Thus, Poor example coming.. Provinces Paid in taxes Ontario 100x Quebec 75x NS 2x NFLD 1x Alberta 20x BC 14x And the two highest per capita provinces were ALBERTA and NFLD you can see that is only 21Billion in total. The ratio is determined and .... monies are transferred from Feds to Province Such that Ontario has received Federal Transfers 2 or 3 times in over 100 years. Therefore kickbacks could look like ths Ontario 3x Quebec 10x NS .4x NFLD 0 Alberta 0 BC 2x etc. In Previous years it would be Ontario and ALB or Ontario and BC as the benchmark. So if one buys into the false myth of Provinces footing the tab... Ontario has given and given and given significantly more over the past 100 years and I can't recall anyone complaining in Ontario or even mentioning it. Why, because Ontario wasn't footing the bill to the other Provinces in Transfers. That said, there was a time during the Martin Era when A Province like Ontario would pay 1.00 in taxes and Get 50cents back on their portion of the health transfers. That was the start of the federal government shirking their responsibility in the Canada Health Act. But that is a different story...

Correct. And the highest density in job creation is manufacturing. When one province sheds 500,000 jobs, and another creates 35,000 , that is alot of ground to make up. Yes the studay says 1/3 and other studies actually take it up to 40%. That said, we can always move on to the next level. The fact is that the higher dollar is also negatively affecting Alberta. the inflated loonie hurts Alberta as well, with every one-cent increase over a 12-month period costing the Alberta treasury $247 million, as it incurs oilsands costs in Canadian dollars, but sells to international markets in U.S. dollars. That is interesting as I have seen two models. One based on US dollars (the assumed) and one also based on Canadian dollars And yet both come to a similar outcome. I find this interesting and a valuable discussion. I was not a firm believer in "Dutch Disease" but I do see it as described as a uniquely Canadian scenario with more variables then in Holland. It cannot be dismissed nor overrated. It exists, it has an affect and it is real. Again, the question comes back. Is the federal government doing enough to create a sustainable resource sector. Is this mildly overheated, short term affect or is this the beginning of a oil rush, overheated unbridled run and gun challenge to the overall Canadian economy. Like any market, they heat up and they cool down. Is this market purposely being overheated by Federal policies and will it become worse? That is a question, not a comment. Perhaps the answer is within the budget and rush to the Chinese market.

I am agreeing with August1991...what is the world coming to.... I only wish I had said it as well.

There is nothing in that statement that isn't true since confederation and infact we have been a globalized world since Marco Polo and that need to trade sent some guy Named Columbus on a trek. Countries have always faced competition from other countries for products and resources and have fought wars over them. Countries have often balanced inequities in trade, commerce, development and productivity when the market fails or is under/overperforming. No different then Paul Martin marching to New York to make a case for a stronger Canadian Dollar when the Canadian Fundamentals were being overlooked by the market. Nothing said is out of the ordinary. The costs should not be overlooked or Alberta may be looking like the Newfoundland fisheries in 50 years to 100 years , only with an environmental mess left behind for many many many many generations to deal with. We were looking at a polluted lake in my area. Its stinks so bad its hard to imagine. Its not safe to swim in or fall into. This area was trashed by industrial manufacturing over 100 years ago. The area is what is now refered to as a Brownsfield. It is nothing in the scope of the tailing ponds. If the cost of development has been taken into account and/or the governments intent is to pick up the slack. Then the government should let the public know what these costs will be.

1/3 is significant. What is required now is the cost benefit analysis.