madmax

Iran does not have Nukes, but will be nuclear capable in far less then a decade, if left to their on devices. Iran has a democracy, they have voted for change, and then the Iraq war occurred and the majority went back towards supporting a tougher leader. Iran will always have a Theocracy and it will take many decades or a century before it is watered down like the British Monarchy. Iran is a threat to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and is a destabilizer in Iraq. They are moving into big dog territory. There are better sources of power then Nuclear. I see no need to destroy Iran but they cannot be allowed to join the nuclear club. Infact the proliferation during the Bush administration has been terrible. Obviously the Bush doctrine of Pre-emptive strikes has been proven foolish and stupid and strikes fear into no one. Been lucky so far. None since WW2. More reason for Iran to obtain Nukes. Bush actually talks and deals with countries that have nukes. North Korea he cuts a deal. Pakistan sells the technology to American enemies and he cuts a deal. But if you don't have nukes, Bush invades. Obviously, there will be another administration soon, but the years of incompetence and ludicrous foreign policy of the Neo cons makes crazy people like Kim Jong Ill appear as great deal makers. Because not listening to criticism is a good for foreign policy. Attack Cambodia, create a Khmer Rouge. Attack Iraq, start a recruitment drive for Al qaeda. Bush senior started a "New World Order" while all foreign policies have their problems, there was an element of stability behind the policy. Bush Jr just wasn't up to the job. He still isn't. It certainly would, particularly if Israel launched their nukes. Iran would also use its Nukes like all other countries in the region, as the US and USSR used theirs. As a deterent. Israel will always protect its interests, regardless of the position of the US government. Israels #1 interest has always been about self preservation. They will attack anyone, including Americans if there is any weakness towards Israeli security. I remember Iraqi intellectual and University students, claiming just that. Unfortuneately today Iraq is regressing similar to Afghanistan did when the USSR invaded. Many countries will attack other countries and kill innocents. Iraq did so against Kuwait. And the US continued to bomb Iraq right up until the invasion of 2003. That's why there won't be a nuclear strike. But threats of a nuclear strike are nothing new. Israel will take out the nuclear plant if threatened, regardless of the US foreign policy for the near future.

I am not certain how it shifts the burden. Many people I work with whom are single earners in their family believe that they are carrying a heavier tax burden working 16 extra hours a week to help meet the needs of the family only to be taxed more heavily then a family of 2 income earners. The dual income homes aren't having their taxes increased, just those of single income are to have theirs reduced. I understand that the revenues will go down, but I don't see how this increases the burden on working couples any more then a tax cut to corporations does. Why is business against income splitting?

I thought it was a waste of my time, about 7 hours after I created it, there were no votes posted. I don't think there is any bias to this poll. Right now as of my reply, it is a 3 way race with the BQ leading and the LIBS and NDP tied. If I had created this poll during the period the Liberals had no leader it would have been heavily skewed away from Liberals being an effective opposition. This is a fair poll of the opposition parties.

We are the best neighbor you could have!

Are the Yanks the bogeymen for everything bad up there? Are you overly sensitive? As George Bush says, "I've been in more then one Rodeo". US style politics and add campaigns have been in the gutter since I was a kid. The Terminator, attacked PUKE CAMPAIGNS run by the Democrats. In fact, dirty politics in the US is almost a kind of badge of honour. Push Polls derived by Karl Rove are considered brilliant. Bush campaigns for the Republican Nomination were nasty smears. This isn't about a Bogeyman, it's about acknowledging the level of political engagement by spin doctors south of the border. Many of these people are hired North of the Border. There are Hatchet jobs done in the US. It's a fact, and the CPC isn't operating on that level in these adds. If you want a bogeyman, I would consider Putins silencing of opposition and media more of a bogeyman then the various puke campaigns that have occurred in US elections. But the topic is not "bogeyman" it is "NEGATIVE TV ADD CAMPAIGN"... something that is not unknown in US politics.

If investment advisers gave advice to go heavy into income trusts, this advice would have increased significantly after the Conservative Party were elected. The sin is the CPC giving a green light on income trusts and then doing a complete reversal. The Liberals have wiggle room. The NDP were firm. The CPC are responsible for their actions.

This is where I think the Liberals have some movement, regardless of the small numbers of Canadians affected by the CPC decision.

Thanks for your detailed answer, and advice.

I don't know if I am lucky or not. I have heard of his ability to pose a question, but haven't seen him in question period either. He does make for good CPC ADDS on TV though. Does Dion ask questions soley in French? Amazing how a little poll can silence the separtists. The seem to operate on polls alone. Remember how during the dead period heading into christmas, they threatened to bring down the government over Afghanistan at the earliest opportunity. I have not been as impressed with their results this time around. I really haven't seen as much progress or leverage from them. Layton has always been portrayed as a Grandstander before the cameras and a pragmatist behind. A guy whom likes to work the numbers. The NDP was unseen for 10 years prior to his arrival, and their have always been solid guys like Bill Blaikie around. While Stephen Harper has sounded far more moderate once he got the big chair, he certainly didn't hesitate to state that he appreciated the NDP for stating their positions regardless of whether he agreed or not, he knew where they stood. But the NDP has been silent while the moneys appear to be moving toward Quebec. Actually everything appears to be Quebec Oriented. What opposition party speaks out against this bias, prior to a budget? That's a good question that I would be interested in getting an answer to as well.

I also remember the Liberals being very weak during the leadership race. The NDP and Bloc shared alot of the spotlight during this period. I haven't seen alot of action from Dion, only because I have been too busy. I don't know what any opposition party can say against income splitting. It is a populist idea, supported by many people. Yes it will remove cash from the coffers, but it puts money back in families hands. The only thing I could see any working party doing is putting a CAP on the split, such as $30,000 or $40,000 diverted to the spouse as "income". I could see the Liberals supporting income splitting regardless of its cost on government revenues, and allowing it for all the rich and famous to benefit from. Income splitting is a political winner. Don't know where the BQ would be on this. Income splitting in my mind, is a tough one for opposition to be critical of.

All indicators show that Liberal Supporters are turned off by the adds. Otherwise the adds are having the effect expected. People don't like negative adds, many get turned off by politics because of them. But the idea of negative adds are to hurt the other guy more then yourselfs. And these appear to be doing just that. Polls showing Dions Leadership are falling rapidly. This would suggest the adds are effective.

The NDP get limited opportunity to implement their policies. These occur in minority parliments federally and usually don't occur that often. The NDP saved the Martin Government when the Conservatives walked away from supporting the budget. It was a Conservative friendly budget, and not an NDP friendly budget. The Libs worked with the NDP to rewrite the budget. The NDP were then ignored by the Liberals and they choose to govern and act as if they were an untouchable Majority. The Liberals had already called an election, when Martin said he would have an election after the Sponsership report. The Liberals were then going to shop and buy votes across the country during this period and felt they didn't need the input from the NDP on anything else. Such Arrogance from Liberal governments is not unusual, and they believed with the NDP low in the polls they would support them regardless of being ignored. The NDP joined Harper and the Duceppe, and brought down the government roughly 6 weeks earlier, but this was of little real concern since MPs would have been on Holiday for most of the period that the election covered. The NDP and the CPC haven't got alot done yet. There was alot of work together between Pat Martin and John Baird on the accountability act. I believe it was Johns ability to work with NDP counterparts that helped move him over to the stalled Environment portfolio. There has been CPC actions towards the environment, whether these are old Liberal Plans or not, they are instigating them. They may have chosen to do this on their own, however, there are a number of these projects that are having CPC and NDP co-operation in BC. The next road block is the committee on the environment. All these speakers are there to stall action and little else. I believe that if the NDP doesn't make any headway in this file, that they will pay for it at the polls. Which may be what the CPC strategists want. But you never know. I do know that the NDP have some of the best people in parliment, and not simply warm bodies in safe seats. Bill Blakie probably has the safest seat, but he has been around since the flintstones. Once A party gets large, it is not unusual to have lesser type individuals elected in ridings where your party is popular and the candidate an unknown.

There is no doubt that these are "negative" adds. They are American Style Hatchet jobs, but not nearly as bad as some of the scummy stuff you see from Democrats and Conservatives south of the border. The Liberals have run fear campaigns and scare tactics that were very effective up until 2006. The current CPC adds, I first wondered, "why bother" no one cares, but these adds have been very very effective in crippling any momentum Dion had with Environmentally concerned voter. And really, since I have no use for the Pro Iraqi War Ignatief, (He and Harper can compare notes on what went wrong), I get quite a kick out of using him to criticise Dions Environment record. WHile the adds are a hatchet job, the element of truth that is behind them are what are forming the opinion. Not the hatchet job itself. No different then those Joe Clark adds the Liberals ran in the late 70s early 80s. More bad adds to come in Quebec. IF they go overboard, the blowback can be devastating. If they go just the right measure, more gains will be made in Quebec.

I have seen enough educated, re educated, and re educated again, employees in Ontario, move from employment to employment, re inventing themselves many times over. This re investment in education is done at the employees expense, while North American corporations/industry do the absolute least in upgrading skill sets. I have seen very little lazy about Canadian Workers. I hear of stereo types, and lots of slamming of our own. But from what I have experience over the years, I don't believe in your assessment. You moved out west. You are not alone. You are not Lazy.You are probably young and were unmarried when you did such a thing. Obviously in two income homes, the conflicts will arise. Does a women give up her executive position benefits and seniority in a legal firm to move out west with her husband? Decisions are complicated, and decided on things far more important then if there is beer in the fridge and the cable is still connected. There is movement towards jobs in the Eastern Provinces. Certain areas are experiencing growth. There is movement out West. Calling people Lazy? I can find Lazy people anywhere, it is not a Canadian Phenonmena. And these people working for $8 per hour are often the hardest working people you may ever encounter. Their jobs do not and will not ever pay much more then the minimum wage. Unless they are in Alberta:-)

The wage fall below $8.00/hr if it was abolished. The minimum wage is not "market" based it is "needs" based.

I think you have stated your positions justly.

There are individuals whom own their own CNC machines as well as companies whom have them in their industries as well as machine shops. We are talking about a minimum wage, which provides a standard of living for a working person. Anyone in the business, be it plastics or metals will be able to explain that the pressures in Ontarios industries are enormous. If the finished good is provided cheaper then the raw materials, and as an outsourcer of these goods, I can tell you that that is the way it is, then why bother even making the first cut? I don't care what his wages are, I am purchasing the goods offshore and shut my own machines down. Many machine shops are in layoffs today, many are probably going to go under as their isn't as large base to service in coming years for North America. As you may well be aware, the Ontario Triangle is well suited to handle Albertas growing technical needs, and can do it cheaper than can be done in Alberta. Thus may provide some relief, but all of this has little to do with the minimum wage in Ontario. Obviously industry services the local market, North American Market and Global Market. One great Irony in all of this, is that a Part the Chinese wanted to make, but didn't have the expertise to design, contracted it back to the North American Manufacturer, and their Designers and Engineers told their employers to F*&** OFF. They then sent the part to its Canadian Counter Part, and had their engineers, staff and floorworkers design the part, that would allow for 10s of millions of dollars of business to be removed from their own plant to China. Do it or be fired. So, of course, that plant many months after this wonderful deal is going to be closed. Again, $10 wage or not, filled with full time temps etc, isn't going to make a difference with regards to manufacturing in the larger scale. Companies making money in Canada have been investing in China with the profits driven from their Canadian Operations. The more money generated in profits, the more to be reinvested overseas. The money is not being invested in Canada. So that hill of beans in "savings" is just being earmarked for another place. Companies will always press for the lowest possible wages. How many people work for temp agencies but work in the same factory full time for years? The factory pays the temp agency a significant amount of money for the purpose of removing their liability of ESA. How many factories pay a temp $15 to $18 while the worker gets $8 $8.25 or $9.15 or even $11. Obviously there is much more then ever meets the eye of the casual observer.

The latter would suggest that the cost of living will not go up. I am not arguing employment levels. With regards to the former: Raising the minimum wage to meet basic living standards will not increase the cost of living. The number of people on minimum wage is a small portion of working society. The minimum wage has been raised many times to catch up to the cost of living, not visa versa. Are you suggesting that Canadian Bankers and Politicians should take pay cuts? Politicians, Liberal and Conservative just voted themselves a 31% pay increase. Bankers are protected from foreign markets unlike the labour forces they employ. Do I recognise downward pressure on wages from reduced tariffs. Of course I do. Are the gains from lower prices enough to sustain a strong middle class in Canada? First of all, I will never condone Child Labour, and the fact that you suggest "We have no choice" would suggest a disconnect between government involvement in trade and a free economy. I do not think it is correct for Chocolate factory workers in Canada to be competeting against 8 year olds in Nigeria. 2nd of all, if these cheap consumer goods are coming into the country, then the only benefit of distribution of these goods is in achieving a livable wage. Again, I have mentioned another means of doing so, but we will follow the thread as the current minimum wage. I have been heavily involved in manufacturing for far to long. The wages, be it $8, $10, $18 are only a small portion of the costs of production. You go after the easy costs firsts. Pension Relief, Benefit Relief, Wages and Downsizing are the easiest to address, and easiest to wack the employee with. Do it or we go under.... But when you are faced with manufacturing costs that are significantly out of control, such as Raw Materials, Hydro, Gas, and these are 70% of your costs and are doubling and tripling, your 5 % to 7% wages and reductions of 20% off these costs may only guarrantee a limited survival in terms of months, particularly when being forced to address competitive biddding offshore. You have pressure on all fronts, and the end result is closure before bankruptcy, or try to make a go of it and find out what CCAA is all about. Ontario doesn't compete in industry off of the minimum wage. These jobs have always been the easiest to replace and the most threatened throughout Ontarios Long Industrial History. Only the means to move this business has determined the longevity of a minimum wage job, not how low that wage is. Industry in Ontario has been very skilled, very technical and complex. These Industries have been the survivors since the growth of NAFTA and the original removal of industrial tariffs on goods and resources. Today, however, the industrial climate in Ontarios is in terrible shape with a government that has little understanding of what it is about to face. This will have little to do with a minimum wage, and really any downward pressure on wages is only buying time for the short term unless other factors are corrected. Capital is very fluid. If I am a foreign investor, I am not going to keep my money in industry in Ontario. You could have a minimum wage of $2 and it wouldn't make a hill of beans difference in many instances. This capital will go to China, with a fixed Yuan, lower standards, growing technical workforce, and increasing technological investment in supporting areas. This creates a full package. Low wage labour for low wage jobs in Ontario, isn't an option when competeting or retaining investment dollars in major manufacturing. What you are suggesting will not occur regardless of the original logic you have put before the argument. But what you are also suggesting is that minimum wage jobs in industry, if reduced say 20% may survive, in a global market, until the next reduction of 20% is asked for, and so on. But Hydro Costs, are going up, Gas costs are going up, and Raw materials that we compete against China for are not only going up in price but Canada is handing these resources over with little scrutiny. And into this the great gains the Canadian Dollar has made against our Largest, and realistically only trading partner (Home depot does more business with Canada then France) is a recipe for the disengagement of industry in Ontario. One thing that the Federal Government is correct upon. China needs our Resources to compete for our markets. Perhaps they should support human rights, remove child labour, float their dollar, or we should start whacking huge tariffs upon them. Of course, that would increase the price of consumer goods, far greater then the minimum wage could ever do under the argument that you suggest it should.

Yes, I know what you were asking, I just had to have some fun with it. I believe I yanked that all off wikipedia.

Do we owe this kid anything? What do you think? Kids are misled, and this one has been indoctrinated into Islamic Radicalism. You might want to ask, why the US government once supported such Radical Fundamentalism and then, you will realize that these "Charities" that were constructed in Pakistan were to hide weapons, money and activists for Jihad. Khadrs Father bought into this brand of Islam, and the system was in place. Unfortuneately the Khadr in Gitmo is a victim of his fathers beliefs. He may never change, but he is still young and I doubt Gitmo is doing him any favours in changing his views of the US. I believe he was born in Canada. So what country should be held accountable for him? Gitmo is an embarrassment to the world. What do we do? I am open to hearing more.

This is my poll creation. I would have added Garth Turner as a choice, but he went Liberal.

Minimum Wage is used to determine a minimum living wage. It isn't there to determine whether or not an employer can pay. Many employers could pay a wage below minimum wage, but that would be lower than an established living wage. We have had this system before, it didn't work out so well. $30 would be proven to be far and above a living wage. That is an incorrect statement. Minimum Wage hike income is income that will be spent in the local economy. The cost of living will increase, regardless of whether the minimum wage remains stagnat or not. Are you suggesting that the key to the global economy is for ENGINEERS, RADIOLOGISTS, BUSINESS ANALYSTS work for the minimum wage to compete with Low wages in India? You are comparing Indias Infrastructure to Canadas. Not Retail Stores that pay fractions of the costs. They have child labour too. How far do you wish to lower the bar? Riverwind, we are comparing a 3rd World Country to a 1st World country. The main problem I have right now is we are exporting our trees without employing our labour. This is a NO NO with regards to natural resources and is a failure of government. Don't employ Canadians, don't take Canadian Resources. You are saying we should Lower the minimum wage. You just aren't admitting it to yourself. Competiting with wages in the pennies in 3rd world countries has just this effect. Wages are not determined by productivity. (Insert Debate Here) Wages are effected by labour shortages or surpluses. Labour Shortages will drive Wages Up regardless of minimum wages. Labour Surplus would drive Wages far below the minimum wage. The 3rd World has a Labour Surplus. And now they are receiving the technology courtesy of General Electric, GM , Ford, Nissan, etc. Just like Mexico Did 15 years ago.

How should I know? I am not an economist. I Race Motorcycles

You can find that figure on stats canada, gnb.ca , cbc news, globe and mail, etc.. and it has been the case since 1998 IIRC. I believe in 2003 they had a increase which brings it up to the current figure.

I am not here to argue with the experts. I just want to say that Banks not covering the mortgage of soldiers killed on on behalf of our country, the same country which gives banks protection that allows them to make BILLIONS of Profit, is crap. They had no problem in taking the extra money. They had no problem when checking the persons place of employment. And we know that when these questions are put forth to the home purchaser, it is quickly read off a computer screen, do you want insurance? You say.... yes or no. It's over and done, I just did it last week. They press enter. Anyone living in a military community, knows that these communities are structured around having a military base. If a bank in a community with military base, can't offer proper service to military personel.. Then shame on them. I hope this is cleared up for those caught unawares, and I do hope that the military engage the soldiers to check their mortgage insurance, where ever they bank.