fellowtraveller

If they were going to pick a First Nations GG - and that would be an absolutely outstanding move by Harper- my choice would be Matthew Coon Come.

Why would you leave out her extensive NGO and volunteer work? That was even referenced in the wiki bio you quoted, strange you'd skip it. What do you have against her? Volunteering at a shelter qualifies her as Head of State? I used to be a Cub Leader, can I be Emperor? I have nothing against her, she just seems like a nonentity. That may be part of why Martin picked her, optics plus she is a null on the Canadian scene.... She seems like a nice enough person, but she is no icon or titan. Unless you are a CBC employee or a salon separatist, nobody else in the country had heard of her before the appointment.

To summarize, she has been first a student, then a civil servant for her entire life. I guess that was enough for PM Martin. The discussion over appointment vs. election has missed a critical Third Way. Just banish the position. Really, it has no actual purpose.

Don't forget that you are talking about federal politics here, not provincial. He commands anger in you, but most people inclduing those in ON will just vote as they have always voted - Liberal. They know little about his past and don't care to learn. Some of the same people who hated Rae a decade ago hate him now, but it isn't enough - not nearly enough- to deny him all the GTA seats that the Liberals hold as a birthright. None of that changes with Rae, and he does not have that baggage outside Ontario with non-Tory voters. His baggage is strictly an Ontario thing, and - it won't matter that much in Metro Toronto. Rae is electable in a general election, but I do not think he will get that far.

The chances of Alberta separating from Canada under any foreseeable circumstance are zero. Not slim chances, not a slight possibility, not a reasonable probability. Zero. And I speak as an Albertan with no great fondness for Ottawa.

It will be interesting to see who Harper appoints as Chairman. I do know one thing for sure - it won't be David Dingwall. I'm guessing he'll surprise us with somebody sympathetic to the CBC, a lifer in the Canadian arts community.....are either Wayne or Schuster still alive? The time to gut the MotherCorp is not yet here, a majority government will be required.......

The candiafte that the Liberals elect may not be the same one that could defeat Harper..... I think the Libs will take the safe - and incorrect path - of choosing Dion. He'll be rejected by most of Anglo-Canada as being too much part of the old boy network that brought down the Lib machine. I also think that Dion will be mostly rejected in Quebec as well, despite being the only Francophone party leader. They should be picking Rae, who is certainly far enough left to garner support in Quebec both for his background and current policies, will attract and retain the soft left Liberal/NDP vote everywhere, and will retain much of the Metro Toronto Liberal heartland since the voters there will either not remember or won't care about the travesty of a government he once led. They should take Rae, they will take Dion and it will cost them a minority govt and deliver a majority to Harper. Is it still possible for McKenna rto run? Because if he did, he would win the leadership easily and likely defeat Harper..

Maybe they could reach a compromise and keep nearly everybody happy. Muslim women would be allowed in Mecca on pilrimage, but only if they brough the testicles of an infidel with them.

What I don't understand is: a) how the federal government arrived at the point where they feel responsible for child care for all Canadians b)how entire generations of Canadians feel such a sense of entitlement that they think the government at any level should somehow be involved in their personal parenting choices. I noticed the OP is not so opposed to the Conservative plan that he sent the money back......

Speaking of forest fires...... The case I heard was along the lines of: one forest fire in Alberta releases about the same amount of CO2 into the atmosphere as all the fossil fuels burned in one year in the entire province from all sources: auto, home, industrial. There are on average 200 significant fires in Alberta per year. Nearly all are caused by lightning, very few by man (every lightning strike is observed by satellite, so the source of the fire is documented). Of course, with global warming - and hotter, drier weather - there should be both more fires and a slower recovery from them with less precipitation. The ratio of CO2 released naturally to CO2 released by man would be much much higher in places like Yukon and NWT, where huge fires often burn unchecked. So perhaps there is some credence to fighting fires to prevent release of greenhouse gases....... then again not allowing the forest to burn occasionally changes that ecological balance dramatically since fire is a natural occurence anyway and necessary for the health of the ecosystem..... You just can't win.

Here is a number that I believes says it all: 2 million. That is the number of Afghan refugees that returned to the country immediately after the NATO invasion of the country ousted the Taliban. After, not before. They have remained and will remain because both their present and their future are markedly better. Start from there.

Can't you just feel the sexual tension between these two?

Take up the issue of payment for abortion with your provincial government, since for once the federal govt has acknowledged that health issues are the constitutional responsibility of the provinces. The CBC is funded by the feds.

I noticed the poll didn't ask the pertinent question: are you personally willing to sacrifice your job, your car and your lifestyle in support of achieving or exceeding Kyoto targets? What do you think the percentage of 'strongly agree' would be for that question?

Afghanistan exports drugs for a simple reason: it is all they have that is exchangeable for foreign currency. There is no oil, few exportable minerals, no industry, an uneducated workforce and barely enough arable land to support a small population. There is little or nothing to rebuild, no nascent economy waiting to be coaxed to full production. If the West wants the country to reform itself into a modern democracy, they had best be prepared to have a strong presence indefinitely. Really? It was my understanding that the Taliban executions of drug growers were soley intended to control the trade and eliminate competition. Like all the tribal leaders, they needed the money badly.

If anybody is looking for a tangible example of what the NATO presence in Afghanistan means look to this reality: since the invasion, over two million refugees have returned to their homes. The people there have voted with their feet.

Didn't say it was a problem. I was saying that the oppositon shouldn't even bother. They should all join the Conservative party. The Alberta PC Party hasd an interesting style for electing a new leader. Nearly anybody can buy a $5 membership and vote for any of them. In many ways, it is a direct election for Premier...... I know at least two people, one a NDP and the other a Liberal, who plan on buying memberships for just that reason.

I don't post here all that often, and usually the political commentary is relatively well informed and useful. But this thread... has revealed an ugy an ugly and uncompassionate side that is somewhat dismaying. I can attempt to dismiss it as sheer ignorance about the nature of addiction, but fear it is something more than that 'Daddyhominum has many truthful things to say in his post. Read it and learn.

Allowing drug addicts to kill themselves benefits society in a couple ways:1) One less drug addicted person supporting a criminal sub-culture. 2) A high death rate will help convince people with less serious problems to clean up sooner and cause less damage to themselves and others. Many people do not think about the importance of 2). People don't become addicts overnight - it happens gradually over time. Often there are many opportunities to help a person before they become a street level addict. Anything we do to make street level drug use less harmful actually makes it harder to reach someone who has not reached that level yet. You two had better hope that your family is one of the few that is not touched by drug addiction. With those Neanderthal attitudes, you will be obliged to eat your shameful words. The safe injection site keeps people alive long enough to attempt to recover. Keep it open, it costs nothing compared to the cost of treating AIDS/HepC etc.

Too many of these responses indicate a profound misunderstanding of the nature of addiction. For example 'but it also would be giving some legitimacy to do drugs as well. So it is a double edged sword. ' Addicts are addicted to drugs, they will take them with or without the safe site. People started taking drugs before the site exiosted and will continue with or without it. The main purpose of the site is to try and keep addicts alive long enough that they can seek help in controlling their addiction. I support trying to help keep them alive, and also helping to slow the spread of disease. Others prefer to dismiss any current or potential worth our fellow humans have or may have. Not me. Addicts are people in trouble, not some piece of crap stuck to the bottom of my shoe. They can't help themselves out of their mess when they are dead.

It would be interesting to learn how this suggestion or policy proposal from Layton affects the NDP in the polls. I think that overall Layton has miscalculated here and will pay a political price.

I'm sure you'd agree that it is ridiculous for me to expect you to pay for the entertainment sources I enjoy: newspapers, movies, sports, Internet etc.. Yet you are quite content to have your fellow citizens pay for your entertainment. I can see how that might delight you, but can you comprehend why the reverse is not so? Two options presented are to keep CBC as it is, or 'throw it to the wolves of the free market'. How about another and better option? Turn the assets of the CBC over to a non-profit group of suppoprters, cancel all subsidies permanently, and you and your mates can do whatever you wish with it nd support it via subscription. Sound fair?

Regina is not even a contender when compared to Whitehorse or Iqaluit. The major industry in Yukon is government, with major representation from the federal, municipal, federal and very prominently the First Nations levels.All for 30,000 people. Anywhere else, that many people would be 'governed' by six councillors on honorariums and a parttime mayor. Ultimately, virtually all the money required to operate this quagmire of bureaucracy comes from the federal purse.

David Orchard has no future in the Conservative Party, so when your ego is as large as the Prairies, what's a homeboy to do? Hitch yourself to any wagon that will have you, that what you do. He'll soon be the Bobby Curtola of Candian politics, a legend in his own mind.

Does anybody have an explanation of why Health Canada spends around $3 billion annually and employs nearly 8,000 people, when the provinces are responsible for health care?