robert_viera

Almost all of Canada's oil exports go to one country, the United States. Why couldn't we start phasing out oil exports and export more electricity from clean sources as Americans start to buy more electric cars? Only because dirty energy gets subsidies and passes the cost of cleaning up their messes to the taxpayer. When did fairness been a communist argument?

You're probably correct that the plastics in my computer come from petroleum, but I don't know how you can say what type of energy was used in it's manufacture. I don't see how we are being forced to pay money to Africa. If we decide not to help out 3rd-world nations, that's our choice, but you have to live with the consequences.

Why can't we make all those nice things we have in Canada using clean energy sources? I have no idea what clean energy vs. dirty energy has to do with socialism vs. capitalism. We've got plenty of clean energy sources in Canada.

Why not? I would think that the 2007 contribution is more of an indication that a person was connected to a party as it came during a non-election year. Specific contribution information available on Elections Canada's web site can't be linked to directly. You have to go here: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/webpep/fin/welcome.aspx?lang=e and then fill out the forms to get the information you want. Here is the information: David H Laidley Conservative Party of Canada / Annual / Dec. 2007 Jan. 19, 2007 Individuals / Part 2a 1,000.00 0.00 David H Laidley Conservative Party of Canada / Annual / Dec. 2008 Feb. 20, 2008 Individuals / Part 2a 1,000.00 0.00 David Laidley Rae, Robert K Dec. 11, 2008 Individuals / Part 2b 1,100.00 Information about riding associations is here: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/webpep/reg/association_search.aspx?textonly=false〈=e

So the $1,000 he gave the CPC in 07 doesn't count?

So if there are people doing bad things in other parts of the world, we're excused? Should we get a pass because we chose to get rich by selling fossil fuels instead of developing clean energy sources? Goodness knows our country is blessed with an abundance of both clean and dirty energy sources. I don't see why we should be let off the hook because we've chosen to go mostly the dirty energy route.

So you're saying that we should be held to a lower environmental standard than "populations of barefoot, wild squirrel hunting, never seen a machine, backwards nations on the planet"?

So you're saying it's OK to pollute more if you're wealthier?

No. $1,000 + $1,000 = $2,000. He gave 82% more to the CPC, than to Bob Rae.

I didn't say that 'donations = appointments'. Two of the appointees can be associated with the CPC even without the information about the donations. I didn't say these people aren't qualified either, but if you have multiple qualified people and one is connected to the ruling party, who do you think is going to get the appointment?

I checked and did find that Mr. Laidley gave $1,100 for Bob Rae's leadership campaign in December 2008. He also gave another $1,000 to the CPC in 2007. I couldn't find any other donations for the rest.

Canada has 0.5% of the world's population. If we produce 2% of the world's emissons, doesn't that mean we're producing 4x our share? That's not a report from Environment Canada. It's a report from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Nice try. This is a report from Environment Canada: http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/inventory_e.cfm Some excerpts from the Environment Canada report: "Emissions associated with Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction alone increased by 56.7% (8.4 Mt) between 2004 and 2007, largely due to increased activity at the Alberta oil sands." "Mining emissions have risen 17.1 Mt or 276% since 1990. While this subsector does include emissions for non-energy related mining, an increasing proportion is represented by those emissions from the activities associated with Canada’s oil sands, which saw four new projects commence operations in 2007."

Here are some of the latest appointments by our Conservative government: 2009-2036 2009-12-11 HRSD Employment Insurance Act Appointment of GILLES DOUCET of Québec, Quebec, to be Chairperson of the Boards of Referees for the Quebec Regional Division, and particularly for the District of Ste-Foy, for a term of three years. Mr. Doucet is the CEO of the Conservative riding association in the riding of Conservative MP Daniel Petit. 2009-2038 2009-12-11 HRSD Canada Pension Plan Appointment of JAYNE MARGARET CLARIDGE of Callander, Ontario, to be a member of the Review Tribunal for the region of North Bay for a term of three years. F. Brad Claridge is the financial agent for the Conservative riding association in Nipissing-Timiskaming. Brad and Jayne each gave $400 to the riding association in 2007 and Brad gave $250 to the riding association in 2008. 2009-2040 2009-12-11 FIN Bank of Canada Act Approval of the re-appointment by the Minister of Finance of DAVID H. LAIDLEY of Westmount, Quebec, as a director of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada to hold office during good behaviour for a term ending February 28, 2013, effective March 1, 2010. Mr. Laidley gave $1,000 to the CPC in 2008. 2009-2035 2009-12-11 INDUSTRY Business Development Bank of Canada Act Approval of the reappointment by the Minister of Industry of JEAN MARTEL of L'Île-Bizard, Quebec, as a director of the Board of Directors of the Business Development Bank of Canada to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years. Mr. Martel gave $500 to the CPC in 2008. Someone seems to have dropped the ball on this next one: 2009-2031 2009-12-11 DFAIT Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada Act Re-appointment of CAROL ANNE LEE of Vancouver, British Columbia, as a director of the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years. Ms. Lee apparently gave $1,100 to the LPC in 2009. The Conservatives say that their appointments are merit-based and not patronage. Do you agree?

In 2008-2009 these expenses total $132,580,489. That's more than an 'insignificant pile (of) little beans' in my opinion. The expense reports allow constituents to gauge their MP's ability to manage taxpayers' funds even if the MP is only a backbencher. As for MPs who have voluntarily disclosed their expenses prior to the tabling of the expense report, I am only aware of two: Michelle Simson and Mike Wallace.

I was reading yet another article on ten-percenters and was lamenting the fact that we likely won't see the 2009-2010 figures until it's almost 2011, even though the fiscal year ends March 31, 2010. Even though the reports are prepared in May, they aren't released to the public until they're tabled in the House of Commons. Here are the dates on which the MP expense reports have been tabled: Friday, October 10, 1997 Friday, June 12, 1998 Thursday, June 10, 1999 Thursday, June 15, 2000 Monday, June 11, 2001 Friday, June 7, 2002 Tuesday, November 4, 2003 Thursday, October 21, 2004 Thursday, September 29, 2005 Thursday, September 28, 2006 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Wednesday, December 3, 2008 Wednesday, November 4, 2009 As you can see, in recent years the expenses were not tabled until as much as 8 months after the end of the fiscal year. In my city, municipal councillors' expenses are reported on almost immediately following the fiscal year end. Why do we allow MPs to make us wait so much longer?

Seems it's been put off again, until January 14, 2010.

Has anyone heard anything about this case? I understand Mr. Jaffer had a court date today, but haven't seen any reports in the media.

MPs who did not vote YEA or NAY and were not paired in yesterday's final vote on Bill C-62: Ashfield, Keith (Hon.) Fredericton New Brunswick Conservative Cadman, Dona Surrey North British Columbia Conservative Harper, Stephen (Right Hon.) Calgary Southwest Alberta Conservative Cannis, John Scarborough Centre Ontario Liberal Karygiannis, Jim (Hon.) Scarborough—Agincourt Ontario Liberal Kennedy, Gerard Parkdale—High Park Ontario Liberal Martin, Keith (Hon.) Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca British Columbia Liberal McTeague, Dan (Hon.) Pickering—Scarborough East Ontario Liberal Neville, Anita (Hon.) Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba Liberal Rae, Bob (Hon.) Toronto Centre Ontario Liberal Wilfert, Bryon (Hon.) Richmond Hill Ontario Liberal

Source: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4295951&Language=e&Mode=1&File=27#1The more observant will notice that the 'short' title is 4 letters longer than the official title. It guess it takes more ink to spin than to tell the truth.

Agreed. A businessman from Red Deer, Gord Bontje, was just asked a question about the effectiveness of advertising on the local TV station that recently closed. He responded that it wasn't very effective and that was probably the reason why it closed! That seems to be it for today!

Right now there's a person named Donald Ogden testifying "as an individual". He's portraying himself as a consumer and I haven't heard him mention that he works for CTV. Oooh! One of the commissioners just outed him!

I'm watching the CRTC hearings online from a CPAC feed. The broadcaster union rep's just explained how they're in favour of allowing consumers to choose which channels they subscribe to, but not when it comes to their channels of course, which should be part of the basic package. (Yes. They said this after saying that they're against packages.) Are any conventional TV stations airing these proceedings?

Nathan Cullen (NDP), Peter Julian (NDP), and Serge Cardin (Bloc) all voted on an earlier motion that day.

Thanks! I don't see how any MP could honestly claim that the content of that ten-percenter has anything to do with the job they're supposed to be doing between election campaigns.

Could you scan it if you have a scanner, or take a digital photo of it if you have a digital camera? I think it would help build support for putting a stop to these mailings if people could see what others are getting in their mail.