DFCaper

So there's parts all over the world that are still up for grabs? We should claim much of Greenland and regions in other countries that are not being used that are free for the taking?

I believe women should have the right to wear what they want in the privacy of their own home and certain public places. And the government has no business to tell you what to wear in your home, period. However, there are certain locations that wearing a ski mask would be deemed inappropriate. If people started wearing ski masks when going to government building, banks or many other locations, it would be banned from those locations without question. I don't see wearing a burka much different. I find it surprising that a ban on the burka is not already in place for many of these locations. I don't agree with a full out ban. I may not agree with them, but there's a lot of things that people wear I don't exactly agree with, but feel people have a right to wear it as we are a free country with still some civil liberties...

For this reason, I will be voting for Hudak, as sad as that sounds. I am so sick of Dalton and he's lies and over spending. I used to think that in reality, that Liberals were more fiscally responsible than the Cons, but McGuinty is truly a tax and spend liberal. He has taken out over $2000 per person in this province. For my family, who happens to be at above the average income/tax payer, I am betting that works to over $10000. This year alone!!! And that's just provincially. I just think that he's send up towards bankruptcy if he gets re-elected. I'll take my chances with Hudak, as he has potential to not be a corrupt government that always increases taxes so he can spend more. I see Dalton as a worst case scenario.

As someone who grew up in a poorer part on NS, I am a strong supporter of equalization. Where I grew up, my parent s and others paid a lot of money to educate and raise my generation. Now we are grown up, most people I went to school with have moved to either Ontario or Alberta to continue on successful careers. Both Ontario and Alberta have benefited greatly from this, by having highly skilled workforce from an educational system that can be trusted. Also, the population where I grew up is down 20+% since I was a kid. Without equalization, I would be less trusting of people educated in the poorer provinces. Plus, my parents were supportive of us leaving the region, which may have not been the case if leaving NS meant that they invested so much money into the future, and the future brought sub-par healthcare (which I feel Canada in general already has as soon as you turn 18). I always figured Albertan were against equalization as a result of, despite their provincial government spending like drucken sailors, have worst social systems than the rest of Canada. And the provincial government plays the blame Ottawa game. Similar to the Ultra rich Arab kings tell there impoverished people to hate the Jews. Albertan should be upset about how much they pay in taxes, though you shouldn't look to Ottawa as the only, or main cause. Although, when I live in Alberta the roads were smooth, unlike the wash board I drive on when I go east of Ontario. Your province is a poster child for why to vote Liberal for 10 years now...

I do agree, Montreal is a way cooler city to visit than Toronto. Plus the cost of living makes lifestyles closer to 3rd world than a rural lifestyle. I think Canada's problem with Toronto is mostly a result of the media. How many times did I have to hear about some Marlies during the Canuck's game last night. That the Other Toronto AHL team. Plus the Leaf fans in general. The Leafs are a National embarrassment, but still get most of the National coverage. And when there's any snow, it's a breaking story. I'm sorry, but 2" of snow in February shouldn't be breaking news across a northern country. If you want to be the leader in Canada, try being a bit like Canada. Win at Hockey and enjoy the snow... And try and have your own culture, instead of being of foreign cultures..

I think Harper just doesn't want to force a leftist agenda onto countries that are still socially conservative. I believe that some of the countries that the G8 wants to help would have moral objections to the use of contraception. And if that is the case, we should avoid the topic completely, as Harper is trying to do. Just because I don't agree with the values of a people from another country, I still don't feel obligated to try and correct them by offering them money to forget there values and adopt my own.. I would also not like to see our government fund religious groups doing humanitarian missions where part of the mission is to assimilate new people to said religions. Pushing contraception to me is the same as it would take money away from other life saving methods as we all know there won't be enough money to fully fix anything.

I think stopping the trend of throwing away money to the corrupt chiefs, will maybe cause the youth to pay attention how they are the real victims of the thieves. Maybe if the Feds stopped funding reserves that had chiefs taking the lions share of the federal money then the band members would self police the chiefs. We need more than the status quo to fix the native hardship issue. I also think there should be more money put into elementary, and secondary schools, as that is where the train wreak starts..

I agree with Smallc that they deserve the severence. I am just surprised that the Federal government is actually hiring them. I thought part of the elimination of the PST's cost savings was the elimination of these jobs?!?!?!

Phil Jones, in fact, continues to insist the Earth is warming. But what he now admits is that it is not warming that rapidly (just 0.12 C per decade) and not "at the 95-per-cent significance level," the level needed to assert statistical certainty. He also now allows that there may have been other periods in the past 1,000 years that were as warm as or warmer than today. While this is not a complete about-face, it is hardly business-as-usual, as the alarmist would have us believe. Even if Jones is still insisting that global warming is happening, there is now a measure of doubt in his claims that never existed before. What makes Jones's words significant is not that they reveal some 180-degree change in his thinking, but that for the first time he admits significant uncertainty in the so-called settled science of climate change. My link Was an interesting article... In my experience with outside temperatures... This last summer was coolest in as long as I live in Ontario (12 years) by a long shot. And the last two winters show February is now too cold to go to Florida...

And that's maybe why private sector middle/upper management makes more... Although I'm not convinced that the newer middle management employees make as much as people here seem to believe. I work for a global company and the upper management where I work don't make nearly as much as people accuse them to make. They live in modest homes driving modest cars and have sacrificed there personal lives at a level that I am sure only few for the government(outside of military) would understand. I just think most federal employees should have wage freezes and hiring freezes till the deficit is no longer as outrageous. Just as we that are amongst the lucky (and still employeed) private sector employees had endured. Except without the consent threat of layoffs and large benefit cuts. I also think that when it comes to pensions, that the federal government shouldn't touch current employees pensions, as I think it is wrong when private sector employees get screwed at the end of their career. However, new employees, after the hiring freeze is lifted, should have defined contribution and not a defined benefit. The people I know who switched from Private to public sectors are now way richer than they would have been otherwise. And admit it freely...

I've read before that 1 transport truck is the equivalent to 10,000 cars in the term of damaged cause to the road. Since I am paying a gas tax already (Above and beyond GST & PST) drivers of car's gas tax is used to subsidize trucking goods to and from the cities... I have no problem with an increase in gas taxes, as long as trucking companies start paying there fair share… I think Trans fats should have a sin tax as well.

Why Wouldn't Americans bring in cheap Chinese labour to Canada?? It may help there profitibility just as much, and the logistics are the same...

Why wouldn't an American company do the same?? There are laws to prevent it.... I personnally think China is just interested in gaining control over oil researves for energy security.

I feel bad for the Conservatives on this website defending Harper on this one. I was never a Harper fan, but believed until today that I was going to vote conservative in any up coming elections. I bet there are a lot of moderates like myself who believe, not only in democracy, but our political system that think this is the lowest point for politics in this country. And I thought he was low before... WHY ARE WE STUCK WITH THIS F@KING @SSH0LE!!! I now wish Dion won..........hmmmm... almost

I used to be a CAW member (at a non-automotive plant) during a summer job. Things were slowing down, and the company proposed a workplace rule change that would allow us to work more OT, but not hire more employees (normal summer 3rd shift) The local workforce wanted it. The CAW head quarters seen there would be less members (meaning less money for the CAW Corp) so we had to breakaway from the union. That work place is now non-union and still open. My first experience with a "National Union" was one where the union was not looking out for neither the companies or it's union employees. My issue is with National unions, not organized labour. Nothing is slimier than upper management in a company. Unfortunately, CAW is a company and it also has upper management. If you have ever worked at a CAW shop that wasn't the big 3, you better hope that the CAW does not want to make a point to the Big 3. Were I work now we had production, but it was a year where they were going to negotiation, they surprisingly went on strike here. That strike was the beginning of the end. I do production conceptualizing and planning for new assembly lines. They would always look at the cost to produce the new parts in either Canada(here) vs our "low cost" plants (Mexico/Brazil/Czech Rep/Korean/China). After the instability caused by the CAW strike, I got yelled at when ever I submitted a local cost. Canada no longer an option... hmmm Are you saying that Unions supported the use of Robots?? heheh Yah right... Unions don't win all of there fights, but do fight efficiency as it may reduce there dues collections... Lean Manufacturing is about eliminating waste and improving through put, efficiency etc. CAW website has a lot of information explaining why it is evil. That is not the only reason it is not successful. Management sees it as Lean budgets... which it's not. And Accountants always assume everything will work out well.. Which it doesn't. And Lean protects you better for the mistakes and problems down the road. Stupid Management and a closed minded National union = guaranteed failure. I have worked at different union and non union plants. The union plants have a far worst attitude, and I think that attitude is destroying them under this highly competitive industry. If you never heard "It's not my F@%king Job", you never worked with a CAW plant. Well, all those guys who said that to me are now out of work. I seen us have low production numbers on a assembly line, but the union fought any use of a time study as it would identify the LAZY worker. As we all knew the problem, by the Union was fighting to protect the person. That plant has now closed as well. I have been involved in lines that were shipped to Mexico. A senior CAW member wanted to work on a line as the job was easy, but he worked so slow (always left his post) that engineering couldn't speed up as a result of this operator. I can go on for pages of how CAW protected workers soured and/or destroyed jobs. The CAW has a reputation and Windsor is now stuck with it. Autoliv is the only factory to startup within 100 miles of Windsor in 15 years, and after unionizing, most jobs were shipped to Mexico. Almost immediately. Yet when I drive by London, I see they started a bunch of factories in the last 10 years. Notice Topaz, I never mentioned wages, as it's work place rules and protecting the lazy that kills factories for these big companies. I do agree it is Upper management who steered these companies down the wrong path. They focused to much on the short term profits and didn't prepare for the future. At least they can rest on the 8 figure bonuses they got for short term thinking. Not against organized labour, just national unions like the CAW & CUPE. Ask a Windsor city worker if the 11 week strike to show TO city council they mean business was worth it. Here is what a future Ford plant would look like. http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/pl...dex.php?id=1189 http://detnews.com/article/20070822/AUTO01...-for-the-future Definitely not a union shop with today's 1950's style National unions. It's just sad considering we have the most conscientious, skill workforce in this area, but don't seem to have a chance. And I have been to, and worked with operators and Engineers all over the world, including Germany, and we should not only compete, but win.

The only thing the government should do is ban national unions. If the CAW didn't protect the lazy and campaign against everything to do with efficiency (robots, LEAN, etc), then maybe th Big 3 would be expanding operations like the non-union import brands. CAW= Closed Another Workplace

My thought on welfare are. 1. I don't want the people on it to get a job where I work. (reasons stated above) 2. I'd rather they get a little money than be so desperate to rob me. I think every dollar spent on welfare saves 2 in law enforcement/prisons. 3. I feel kids born in Canada to these situations do deserve a bare minimum standard. And I doubt our current system doesn't even allow that level of standard. The woman who quit McDonald's is a different issue. We should do more for the working poor. At $900 a month, you shouldn't have a job but not be able to afford a place to live. I've been to many countries without a welfare system, and they are so much more dangerous, you anti-welfare people should go for a walk in one of those countries and then rejoin this discussion. I would like to see more effort to stop the needless abuse of the system. Though I don't know any stats...

Pressing the AIDS drug analogy doesn't have anything to do with social conscious. Just because one believes that incentive to develop a cure/treat by a company is money, as with any company. If you take away the incentive (money) then you take away the R&D. If governments are going to just give away the technologies, why do your own development. Now is environmental technology research going to be reduced as a result of forced licensing?? If you want an industry to grow, make it profitable. Forced licensing doesn't help. I guess we can continue to make green technology profitable with huge government handouts. If governments want companies to share technology with poor countries, they should have to buy it... like anyone else.

Looks to me like Hydro Quebec is looking to gain even more control of energy transmission to the USA. Ask NFLD how well it will work out for NB. Hydro Quebec is a major reason why I think the Federal Government should own and control the power grid. As HQ is blocking Hydro-electricity development in Labrador....

I agreed with most of it as well... except for.. * Ban all overtime in the public sector. If you need to hire more people, give a job to someone who's out of work. OT is cheaper than new hires. Just make it nearly impossible to qualify... Not a fan of the child care plans. I don't use the public system and don't know why people who stay home or home days cares shouldn't be included in this benefit. It's bad enough we don't have many options when our child is older. (I'm offended by the no failing kids thingy) As someone who has taken worst than a 5% pay cut, I'm not sure it is fair that the government is going to raise my taxes substantially, to pay huge raises. My Ont gov't employee friend was happy with his 4+3=7% raise this year. He's glad he works for the government now....

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1144085.html I usually never side with the David Suzuki Foundation, as I believe they turn off more people than they attract, but I actually agree with them that Halifax should be charged for dumping their raw sewage in the harbor. I personally feel as I followed this story for months now that the Mayor of Halifax didn't have a feeling of urgency to the issue. And obviously, there doesn't seem to be a feeling of responsibility by anybody. I was shocked to read the comments at the end of the story and see the commenting residents think this is acceptable of the HRM. I say Sue them, or eliminate the environmental laws as they aren't enforced anyway. My wife was shocked years ago when we visited Halifax and seen them dump raw sewage. She laughed at the residents and was telling everybody here in Ont about it. I was actually embarrassed to be an East coaster for the first time in my life....

Most cases I don't don't care about. I really feel terrible for the woman who was trapped in Kenya, but all of the people who are wanting out of there convictions got them selves in there own mess. Do the crime, do the time. Don't like the laws in a foreign country, don't go. I think the diplomat in Kenya should be investigated to see if charges should be laid. The perons incompetence in there job cause real hardache and should be punished.

I actually think we should take the leveling one step further for children. I think the schools should provide a free healthy breakfast and lunch for the children. All children... That way there won't be hungry kids having a problem learning... And the rich benefit equally by there children receiving the identical benefit...

WOW, do we feel differently about this issue. Am I ever glad that our founding fathers felt differently than you do, or the railway would have stopped in Toronto, and the west would not be part of Canada. When you see a proper map of Canada, do you get offended that the north is shown? I personally see the North as being part of Canada. And now that it appears to be melting, I am a believer that we should be investing in infrastructure. I think these photo shoots are advertisement to the people of this country about the north. It is kind of a new frontier to us in the south. And investing in infrastructure will be expensive, and needs government promotion. Private industry isn't a fan of investing in areas without infrastructure. That's why China is more successful than India. Private industry does not care about the long term viability of an area, but only profitability. If we are going to continue to claim this area as our land, then we should be capable of going there and functioning. I doubt our military has much ability in the north today. It's a different world up there. I don't see this as much different than if our country as a whole would be unable to go into the Rockies or out to the ocean to rescue someone or deal with any issues in these areas. Our military should be capable of performing throughout our country, not just in select areas.

We have too much stuff now for it all to be manufactured by Ontario. Just so you are aware, Manufacturing has evolved in the last few decades. Ontario is now one of the best manufacturing locations in the world for quality. The CAW keeps it from being cost as well (Protecting the lazy). The first lexus built outside of Japan was in Ontario, as it what the only plant outside of Japan with high enough quality. GM's Oshawa plant has been the highest quality plant for GM in NA. Most productive as well, but I always figured Magna was responsible for that. If I was going to build a product that Quality had to be top notch, I would build it in Ontario. Just no where near the CAW heartland so I can stay competitive...