Dave_ON

This is the fundamental problem with the NDP and is the precise reason why they will never form the government. It is not the role of government to dictate, or even mediate labor disputes in corporations. That is between the workers and the company. Please spare us the poor hard done by union worker diatribe. If they feel their services are so very valuable, and therfore highly marketable due to the apparent demand for said services, why don't they find a job elsewhere that will pay them the wage they desire? This is the way things work in the real world Punked. Enough with the union entitlement crap. Supply and demand governs the labor markets as much as it does any other, welcome to capitalism. This demonstrates another point I have brought up before, if the NDP are really serious about governing they need to show themselves as a real alternative to the current government, not the current official opposition party.

This is not a surprising move by Mr. Harper in the least. Do I fault him for making patronage appointments even though he said he wouldn't do that? No I don't. The difference between the CPC and the LPC is that the LPC never pretended to be something that they weren't, in the CPC's case reformers. This pseudo 8 year term Harper has placed on his appointees carries as much constitutional clout as his sham of a fixed election date law. Neither can be enforced as both are counter manned by measures enshrined in the constitution. All Harper has done is given the appearance of senate reform, which by far and in large is a non-issue for most Canadians. Say what you will, the senate is not going to change nor will it be abolished in the foreseeable future. Mr. Harper needs to try a new tactic and be up front with us. Say you tried reform and it failed so you're going to maintain the status quo. Then again I'm far too cynical to expect honesty from a politician.

This isn't as much of a lead as the article implies. Sure they have a 4 point lead but when you consider a margin of error of 3.1% that lead isn't so impressive. This is really more of the same as what we've seen. The LPC staying at about 30 percent and the CPC hovering a little higher then the 32 percent mark.

Defending working Canadians? Sorry I don't see how being pro-union anti-big business defends me and other working Canadians like me. There are many working Canadians who work for big businesses that are NOT unionized. The NDP would regulate us all right out of a job if given half a chance. Regulation is needed but it needs to be limited. Supporting peace? How precisely would they be doing that? Peace isn't as simple as not fighting a war, sometimes we need to fight for the peace we have, and that often means war. What if we had implemented the NDP's peace policies back during the WWI and WWII? Not letting Canada be sucked of its resources is a primary example of the NDP standing in the way of big business which again many Canadians derive their livelihood from. We are well paid for our resources and we have more than we could ever use ourselves. Do you honestly believe that the only "real" workers in this country are those who are in a union or those who support the NDP? The success and profitability of big business in Canada is also the success and profitability of many working Canadians, until they understand this basic principle they will garner precious little more support than what they already have.

The difference this year compared to last is I actually believe them when they say they don't want an election, but they know full well one is coming as does anyone whith half a brain. This time around they stand to lose quite a bit of ground if they manage to hold on to their minority or they'll possibly end up in opposition, it's really too soon to tell. Either way of course they're talking majority, even though they're fairly certain they won't get it this time around either. You have to put your best foot forward, and you can't say your gunning for another minority, that would just be sad.

Agreed, last election was definitely an anomaly, many of the ridings the NDP "stole" were by a narrow margin. There was a great deal of vote splitting that often came at the Liberals expense. The traditional Liberal votes didn’t just go to the NDP but the CPC as well the Greens. Ignatieff has managed to win back the confidence of the traditional Liberal support base and has even managed to eat into some of the Bloc's territory. This coming election will be vastly different then the last. Ignatieff has already shown he's not willing to reveal his hand until election time; this is smart given Mr. Harper's past tactics. The problem with the NDP is they've never governed on a federal level, and the provincial NDP have left a bad taste in the mouths of Ontarian's that will not soon be forgotten. Combine this with the fact that Layton comes across as anti-big business, something that doesn't sit well with most Canadians. Sure Canadians like to complain about big business, but most of us realize that the success of big business is our success as well. The role of government is not to run business nor is it to regulate into the ground and out of the country. This is why the CPC's and the LPC have traditionally formed the government and why they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

It's difficult to say what the NDP would actually do if they ever took power. It's one thing to promise the world during an election but when you finally sit down and open the books, reality comes crashing down. I'm sure the NDP are well intentioned but heretofore they are untested in the position of Government of Canada. As for the NDP's current Ontario seat count, it remains to be seen if they can manage to hold onto those seats much less make gains on them.

No I never said "I" have a bad taste in my mouth over Bob Rae, I said many Ontarians have a bad taste in their mouth for the NDP because of Rae Days. I didn't even live in Ontario when the provincial NDP were in Power. Regardless of which party he is affiliated with now doesn't change the fact that many people in Ontario don't like the NDP brand as a result of what occurred when they were in government. I personally don't like the NDP as I don't feel they represent my interests in the least. I'm not a unionized worker and they are far too left leaning for my taste. I don't like their policies on trying to impose limits on businesses, i.e. telling banks what their maximum interest rates can be, no banking fees etc. etc. They are a party that would regulate business, especially big business right out of Canada. Suffice to say that the NDP needs to stop focusing on the LPC's leavings and start focusing on becoming a viable alternative on their own. They need to stop comparing themselves to the LPC and stop trying the replace them as they never truly will. This is why I have a great deal of respect for the Green Party. Many lump them in with the LPC and the NDP but anyone who truly looks at their philosophy and platform would find in many ways they are quite fiscally conservative. But because they have strong environmental policies, they're clearly "leftist wing nuts". However, I digress. The GPC is working hard to distinguish themselves from all parties not just the LPC, I think it's time the NDP does the same. They need to convince Canadians they can do a better job of forming the government of Canada then the CPC who is currently in power rather than trying to convince Canada that they can do a better job of official opposition then the LPC.

I think you're overstating the NDP's potential gains, at least here in Ontario. Voters in Ontario for the most part are left leaning, at least in the urban areas. Last election was somewhat of an anomaly and I think everyone can agree there was a huge vote split on the left. The LPC moving somewhat to right won’t necessarily hurt them; if anything it will likely increase their somewhat sagging rural support in Ontario. Dionne left a bad taste in the mouths of many, and many couldn't bear to vote LPC as a result. I myself voted green last time as it was the only reasonable choice left to me. NDP was never an option for me nor is it for many Ontarians. Something you have to keep in mind is that 90% of Ontario still has a bad taste in their mouth for the NDP even though "Rae Days" were a provincial phenomenon. Even still the aversion to the NDP brand is strong in Ontario. NDP is also a distant 3rd in Quebec so they're not likely to make significant gains there. The LPC by contrast is polling quite well in both provinces. It's going to be a very tight race next election but it won't be a three way race. It's going to come down to either the CPC or the LPC and at this juncture the numbers are too close to call. The key battle grounds have not really changed. All parties will be heavily focusing on Ontario, Quebec and BC. The Prairies are pretty much a foregone conclusion and the Atlantic Provinces and the territories don’t have sufficient seats to garner too much allocation of political resources.

I'm in complete agreement with you on the fact that the fall is the Liberals final opportunity to call an election for all the reasons you stated. However on the Mr. Harper front I have to disagree. I honestly don't think it is within Harper's power to "play nice" as he has proven time and time again since he took office. Given that he is in all technicality a rather weak position in terms of seat count he has proved surprisingly resilient and has managed to maintain power in spite of many gaffes on his and the CPC's part. He has done so through various political maneuver’s that you may or may not admire. At the heart of it all Harper is a rabid ideologue; a politically savvy and astute individual he maybe but a pragmatist he certainly is not.

Considering how many of us "working people" work for big business I don't think it's a bad thing. There are many other workers in this country that aren't really represented by the NDP. NDP is largely supported by unions. I really hate it when people from all political stripes target "big business" as if it were tantamount to the to the devil. Layton has a habit of targeting banks and other large corporations as if they are the cause of all the ills in our society. They're, not, big business employs a lot of Canadians and God help us all if the NDP ever do manage to get in and start meddling with what they can and cannot do even further. Business is sufficiently regulated; we don't need more government meddling in private sector affairs. We can't all work in the public sector or in a unionized environment, that's just not realistic.

Yeah 3 of the least important provinces at that... only the Atlantic provinces are less significant in terms of vote share. The only way the Liberals are going anywhere is if an Ontario regional party is formed. Other than that, there's really no other choices for Ontarians other than the Lbis.

Same also applies to political junkies

I believe it is the CPC that is contradicted by Elections Canada, seems to me the jury is still out on the in and out scandal.

I'd say it's not so much a switch as much as it's the margin for error at play. Taking into account the margin of error of 1.9% neither the LPC nor the CPC shifted beyond that. Essentially the poll shows that both parties have remained about the same and are statistically tied in the polls.

I think this would cause the anthem to lose all meaning, the very thing you perceive it already has. Singing your anthem in a language that is not your own would be meaningless. The words would be foreign to you, even if you did know their meaning, and you would have no direct connection to you. They would always be alien. This is why there are several versions of the anthem including native versions. They created their own versions to bring meaning to them on a fundamental level. Meaning is intricately entwined with language, the two are impossible to separate. It would be impossible to create one version that is representative of all of Canada as we are a confederation of different regions. The two largest cultures in Canada are French and English and each of those have their own sub sets. The French Quebecois are vastly different from the Acadians, the Métis and French Ontario. The English Maritimers have nothing in common with English Ontario, the Prairies are different from Ontario and BC, and then we have the variance in the NW Territories, the Yukon as well as Nunavut. We may not be European anymore, but we're also not First Nation peoples. We have created a new culture and the fact that we share two languages with two European countires, doesn't make the anthem any less Canadian. I think the current English version is sufficiently general enough as to encompass what we share in common, namely our love of freedom and our willingness to preserve it.

I disagree. While those few who threatened to principal were in the wrong, the rest of the province and consequently the government reacted properly by changing the law. The Principal is the one that did not respect the community that he was in, nor did he respect or believe in the words that he himself would have sung every day. He took away their freedom to have the national anthem sung on a daily basis and forced them to only sing it at assemblies. His actions proved he did not respect what I feel is one of the central points of the anthem. “True North strong and free.” The principal is not the least bit free of guilt in this matter nor is he more patriotic then the community he was working in. He took away their freedom of choice. The community made the choice long ago to have the national anthem sung on a daily basis. They had no interest in changing this policy yet it was forced upon them without consultation. They reacted, some overreacted, the same way anyone does when their freedom of choice is taken away. They fought back. Those who object to the daily singing are still given the freedom of choice not to participate if it is for religious reasons. They don't have the right, because they object to it, to prevent others from participating in it if they want to. Clearly based on the reaction of the community and the entire province those who object to the daily singing are in the minority. On a final note your definition of patriotism is all well and good for you, and you can believe what you wish, but you don't have the right to tell others how to show their patriotism, nor is your brand superior on a moral or esoteric level. We all express ourselves in different ways and that includes our patriotism. Some of us are silent and reverent; others wave flags and hold parades. One is not better than the other and is more so a reflection of one's culture and personality.

Roseanne Barr was an absolute disaster and I was terribly embarrassed for all Americans as a result. This isn't the first slight to Canada during a ball game however; in the 1992 World Champs the US Marine Color Guard hung the Maple Leaf upside down. Baseball organizers aren't very good at the little details of international protocol and courtesy. How you hang a maple leaf upside down is beyond me. http://www.betmlb.org/bluejays.html

Agreed, I think far too many Canadians just assume that the world recognizes our ownership of our northern borders. They do not and there are many that dispute and would seek to make it international to their own benefit. I truly hope that the CPC pursues this as you're quite correct, it's something that concerns all Canadians and could serve to unite us as it benefits us all not just one particular region.

I guess I was looking for a plan that would increase our military presence and capacity in the north. If we can't defend our interests with force our "frank discussions" will amount to nothing. Anyone in or, outside of for that matter, the Arctic council can walk in and plant a flag, or worse yet declare it "international". I really hope that this plan gets further developed and is given the attention it deserves.

That is truly unfortunate that it doesn't stir your heart. But I have to disagree with you that it doesn't represent us as a nation. One stanza that has always stood out for me and has always rung true is: With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! You may be right that it no longer rings true in all of Canada but perhaps that's because, as was pointed out earlier, the anthem isn't sung anymore. We're not teaching our kids the importance of the anthem which is an intricate part of our heritage. The song certainly is representative of Canada during both World Wars, and those words "O Canada we stand on guard for thee", still ring true in places like the Maritimes. I'm afraid if we don't start teaching our children the importance of "true patriot love" they're not likely to learn it on their own. We take a lot for granted in this country, and the anthem always serves as a reminder to me of how these freedoms were hard won and must be vigilant to maintain them. That's what the anthem means to me, but perhaps I'm in the minority. I consider myself a fair minded, relatively liberal and accommodating person. But I firmly believe that no matter if you came to this country from another or you were born here your first loyalty should always be to Canada, all other cultural/regional loyalties should be secondary. We are a culture made up of many cultures, but in the end no matter the region we’re from we’re all Canadians, and sadly we all too often lose sight of that fact.

In all honesty I think the discussion would have gone a lot better had the others community members been involved. Maritimers are definitely a shoot from the hip culture, pragmatism is not a word in their vocabulary, and most are honest to a fault. Would it have been violent? I highly doubt it but it certainly wouldn't have been candy coated either. The discussion would be frank and I'm certain their response would have been similar to what Jerry had stated. "This is the way it is around here and if they want to go to a school where the anthem isn't sung they can, but that school isn't the one in our community." This level of bluntness rubs some people the wrong way, and it can be hard to swallow sometime, but one thing I miss about living out there is you always know where a person stands, and where you stand with them. There's very much a live and let live mentality there, they have not interest in restricting the rights of others, but they also don't want theirs taken away especially without consultation. The people there are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have ever known. Everyone is treated like family, especially in the rural communities. But if you threaten their way of life, they don't take kindly to that and they won't be afraid to let you know. The Principal crossed a line, one he obviously didn't realize existed, and I actually feel pretty bad for him. As I said earlier there were those who would "stand out" for the singing of the national anthem when I was growing up, and there wasn't a problem with this on either side. I guess I'm uncertain as to why this solution was suddenly unacceptable to the parents and subsequently the principal. As a side note I was implying that you didn't know the words to the national anthem Machjo, I was merely observing how there are many here in Ontario who do not. It was quite a culture shock when I moved to Ontario from New Brunswick 10 years ago, the people; their attitudes and beliefs are completely different. It was almost as if I had moved to another country.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/26/...overeignty.html The above article doesn't go into a lot of detail but it doesn't seem to me this is going far enough. It's all well and good to "have frank discussions" with the rest of the arctic council, if we don't have the teeth to back it up what really is the point. Arctic sovereignty is one issue I am absolutely behind Harper on I just hope he follows through on it in a meaningful way, so far we haven't seen much activity on this front.

Perhaps not, but the fact remains there aren't "straight" pride events because there is no need, everyday of the year is straight pride day. I have in fact on many, many occasions. I too have firsthand knowledge and I say that you are wildly exaggerating the goings on in Toronto. Are there people that are extreme? Yes, but they are an absolute minimum. If you walk church street 98% of the people are at worst wearing no shirt. Do I consider the description made by the poster I was responding to of "wild orgies" to be over the top? Yes in fact I do. I'm certain since you have firsthand experience you'd be inclined to agree. On this we agree nothing should be funded. The "antics" at the event are immaterial. As I've stated before, I was not questioning you or anyone else on this. Again the funding is not at issue for the event in and of itself. I was responding to another poster who was wildly exaggerating the events of pride events who clearly had no firsthand experience. I don't understand why straight people get so bent out of shape over a gay pride parade. If they feel so strongly about it, they can have their own, no one is stopping them and no one would care. Incidentally the "gay" in Pride was dropped some years ago. Pride is for everyone and NO ONE, straights included, are barred from entering the parade. It's not a gay only event, it's an event to celebrate who you are, whatever that may be.

You are likely correct, there was a Jehovah's Witness in one of my classes growing up; he simply stood in the hall during the singing of the anthem. I see no issue with this. He didn't have to participate and we still got to sing the anthem. I don't think we can assume that at all. He made a unilateral decision without consulting the greater community at large. This consequently caused him to make the wrong decision, based on the greater cultural context. If he had approached the other parents with his concerns rather than unilaterally making the decision for them, I'm certain he would not have been met with such an overreaction. I disagree; I think you're making a great many assumptions in this statement. This is not new in the Maritimes, this is the norm and its tradition and it's been that way since before confederation. People do not like mandates that force them to give up what they deem important to them. I grew up with the Maple Leaf as my flag, my Mother however, is still quite bitter at Lester B. Pearson for getting rid of the Union Jack. It's not uncommon to see the Union Jack flying in some parts of the Maritimes and you'll see it at most old town halls, theatres and other public facilities. Again I don't think you can take the cultural traditions of the Maritimes and cite it as a trend in the rest of Canada. This isn't a movement toward something; it's the preservation of tradition. Upper Canadians just don't understand that. It's not about fanatical hatred; it's about one principal, who more than likely didn't grow up in the Maritimes, making a unilateral decision without proper consideration of the possible consequences or backlash. Martimers understand all too well, what the anthem, the Union Jack and Maple Leaf stand for, in both WWI and WWII they sent more soldiers per capita than any other region in Canada. They felt that was threatened and some reacted incorrectly, but many reacted correctly with public indignation. They spoke to their MLA's who responded by passing a law. That is democracy at work, that's patriotism at work. Its unfortunate the principal had to go through this ordeal, but I hope he learned from the experience as well.