fellowtraveller

'Have their way with things' implies a rigidity that is only found in the anti-abortion side. The prochoice side allows a woman to go either way with reproductive choice, and respects that choice.

Like I said, they have. Not only have they privatized the physical facilites, but they outright closed many more. Canada Post is a Crown Corp with a considerable degree of autonomy, and they have exercised it often. One of the things they do is use the massive amounts of admail to subsidize first class mail to Smalltown Canada. The suggestion that couriers can supplant what Canada Post does is silly. There is no way that courier companies would have any reason to bring mail to rural Canada. They currently serve only larger communities, and a few places en route, because they are specifically profitable. CPC uses the volume and profit from large centers to subsidize delivery in small and remote places only because they must do so. They certainly cannot ever turn a dime in profit from the empty areas, and neither can the couriers.

I'd love for the Tories to try to end rural postal service by privatizing it. It would have their own supporters at their throats. I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Canada Post already has largely privatized the rural system, it happened in the 80s and 90s. Hundreds of small post offices were closed forever, hundreds more moved into stores and private homes in small places, and operated by contractors. There was a great hue and cry, but in the end Canada Post prevailed and it all blew over. Nobody in the cities cared since they were not affected. The changes were profound and most eveident n the Tory heartland on the Prairies. In rural areas adjacent to cities, home delivery has been replaced by community mailboxes. Most of these radical changes -unmarked by the 'city boys' posting here- took place during the Mulroney years. Many people are unaware of the impact that the loss of a post office has on a small town, and fewer care. And yes, people receiving home delivery still get it, though any new areas after 1985 use the community mailboxes, which generally involve a hike of about one minute at worst. I think this initiative is exactly the type of thing that Canadians can get behind easily, since the motive is transparent, the savings are easily quantified/substantial and it introduces a level of equality for everybody- something Canadians profess to love. Some people get mail to the door, some have to walk a block, some have to rent a rural bozxa nd drive to get their bills. Really, is that fair?

Excellent answer. I assume you'd also support levelling the field then, just in the interest of fairness? Either the Canadian government should start subsidizing Fox, or stop subsidizing the CBC. Choose one, and only one. And the suggestion the 'The Lens' is at arms length from the CBC because the documentaries are 'independently produced ' is laughable. This would only be credible if the producers of The Lens aired some pro-Bush material, and how likely is that?

Could we set the record straight? There is basically no oil in Afghanistan. None. Nobody cares what the Taliban want in relation to currency, since their only real source of money, outside of that provided off the books by Iran and Saudi Arabia, is from the sale of narcotics. Aside from oil, Afghainstan basically has no significant resources of any kind. And that is the most serious long term issue. Note also that some 30 countries have been or are involved miliatarily in Afghanistan, not just the USA.

How is the Airbus product 'a fraction of the price'? And - they are not yet built, unproven. And ask Russias natural gas customers (like the Ukraine) how they feel about a sole source contract? There are so many C-17s in service that parts will be available for decades. I'm glad that Harper just got on with it, with a proven aircraft. Mr. Dithers was quite content to have our military fly Air Canuckistan(economy for the grunts, business class for the officers of course) to trouble spots. Don't blame the Brits, blame the procurement process - all Canadians on that team.

The privatization of Canada Post is a tougher question than at first glance, it is something that requires setting aside ideology...... Couriers are not allowed to deliver first class lettermail in the same way that Canada Post does, or they would be doing it already within major cities and between major cities. The reality is that the $.51 letter subsidizes tha vast amounts of $.06 admail delivered by the same system to your door. The management there is sometimes between a rock and a hard place. For example, why do people in older neighbourhoods get delivery at their door, while residents of newer neighbourhoods must use community mailboxes? Making everybody use the boxes (hardly a major inconvenience, many millions already do it) would mean billions in savings for CP, it would transform their organization simply by eliminating letter carriers, who are very well paid indeed for the nature of the work done. On the other hand, how do you get a letter or parcel to Arctic or rural villages throughout Canada? They are simply not served by couriers.......and operated reluctantly at a loss by Canada Post.

Harper and the Tories have been governing for about six months. How would you grade them at what may be the middle of their term, assuming this minority government will survive for another six months? I'm thinking of an overall grade, but feel free to comment on what pluses or minuses in the last six months influence the overall mark.

Why on earth would his coach slip it to him, knowing that he'd be caught? Equally puzzling is hwy Landis would test clean for testosterone in the early part of the races , then suddenly test positve later, after his big day? Testosterone is not the kind of drug that anybody would take for instant performance on Day 17. He'd be taking some form of amphetamine. Puzzling indeed.

The petulance of the Liberal caucus makes them look like muppets, not that they needed any help with that. Any alliance between Harper and any visible minority leader must chill the bowels of the Libs, it is their heart and soul, their politcial heartland....

On the other hand, the metro Edmonton areas Capital Health Authority was deemed the best in Canada, for swrvice delivery, as recently as a couple of years ago. For some reason Calgary has had big problems with both their health authority and school boards. Maybe it is simply a matter of leadership. Note that there will never be enough money to allow us all to live forever.

Lemme guess. The PM for PM rumour was started by a Liberal publicist.....

Word.

Which leader of the Liberals was marching in in Montreal? Baker did not state the leader of the Liberals was marching. They don't have a leader, unless you consider Bill Graham as the grand fromage. He did state correctly that a leader was there: Gilles Duceppe. I also support Bakers denunciation. I also applaud Irwin Cotler, a prominent Liberal, who had some supportive things t0o say about the stance of the Canadian Government of the Middle East. Good for him, I respect his courage.

Haven't read the entire thread, but note that any premise that Canada is a neutral country is wholly bogus. The country was aligned with the UK until WWII, then part and parcel of NATO since 1949. NATO is not neutral, far from it - and neither is Canada. No problem with me on that point.

Don't tell me Toronto is going to get shut out of these contracts.......

It is not that complicated, yam, and this is wholesale crap: " Now its(Hizbollah) trying to protect the lebanese from being blown to smitherines." No, they are using innocent civilians as human shields while they advance Iranian/Syrian foreign policy, which consists of destroying Israel. The actions of Hizbollah are crimes against humanity. Hizbollah is a terrorist organization, and deserves neither sympathy or support.

Thanks for your long and reasoned response. it does raise further questions though.....

As an ousider, I'm curious about why Manitoba remains a 'have-not province', with about 20% of the provincial budget coming in federal handouts. It appears to have cheap energy, an educated workforce, plenty of arable land.... Why is the province continually sucking the federal teat?

Sorry, neglected to post on the OP topic. I reckon the reason for this is that the federal govt has a contractual obligation regarding exemption. They call it a treaty.

Nah, it doesn't and the numbers mean little.A big sales tax just means people buy big items elsewhere. Check out any Costco parking lot in Alberta and note how many license plates are from BC and Saskatchewan. Imagine the reverse, with Albertans swarming to Saskatoon to buy stuff. Maybe the Alberta Rat Patrol could start searching vehicles for large screen TVs as well as rodents.

I'm sure Jean Chretien, the Undead, would be happy to reprise his role for a decade or two until a new governemnt could be elected....

I'm sure Jean Chretien, the Undead, would be happy to reprise his role for a decade or two until a new governemnt could be elected....

My favorite part of this little buntoss was when Volpe claimed that the 11 year olds found one of his speeches 'compelling' and decided then and there to give him $5400. That is hilarious and profoundly insulting at the same time.

The line has to be drawn somewhere. That line is no more arbitrary than an line somewhere between 7 and 9 months. A teen getting an abortion who does not want to tell her parents is likely dealing with parents that might force her to carry the baby to term. No teenager in our society should be having children. A pregnant teen that wants an abortion is making a responsible choice in the circumstances and her parents should not be allowed to prevent her from making that choice. Would you apply the same criteria to a 13 year old and a 17 year old?