fellowtraveller

Complete and utter crap. It;s interesting to note that the provinces that are the furthest by far down the privatization route and two-tier health care are Quebec and BC, both with Liberal governments. By contrast, the oft-maligned Alberta has far less outsourced to the private sector. Anecdotally, my family experience has been extraordinary over the past few years. We have made severe demands on the system, and it has generally responded with timely, first class and compassionate care when the situation was urgent. In less urgent circumstances, not so well....

At the bottom of this vast conspiracy we'll find somebody who looks exactly like Chuck Guite.

Wholesale baloney and speculation. Do you look at every baby and see a future serial killer?

Then donate the money directly to a hospital, they'd be glad to have it. You're right about the system needing money, and I'm sure you'll be routinely demanding explanations from the Liberals in Ottawa as to why they have gutted our beloved Medicare by denying the provinces the return of their own money. BTW, Alberta already spends more per capita on universal health care than any other province. The $400 is simply a return for over-taxation by the provincial government. If only the Liberals ever thought in these terms, but they are just not wired like tha. It does not fit into the twin 'spend it all plus 10%" and "tax them until they die' philosophies.

"You could make the case that Albertans will lose less than the rest of the country, however, Albertans will still end up further behind because the uncertainity will drive interest rates up and the Canadian dollar down. " Oil prices are quoted in US dollars.....

"The Edmonton Sun and its Calgary cousin are the furthest things imaginable from "Liberal mouthpieces" Your argument would be improved vastly if you actually read the post you are criticizing. I did not state the Sun papers in Alberta were Liberal mouthpieces. The main papers - Journal and Herald- are unquestionably that. I say again - nobody reads the SUNs, and their editorial content is generously described as laughable. "And its pretty dishonest to cite columnists as evidence of a bias: columnists are suppossed to be biased." Rubbish. It is a wholly legitimate criticism when one(1) conservative columnist (Lorne Gunter) is the 'balance' for an entire phalanx of Liberal butt-kissing columnists.

Facts: "Both the main papers in Alberta -Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald - are Liberal mouthpieces and always have been. They flay Klein at every opportunity. If no Opportunity comes by, their columnists create them. The Sun papers in both cities are fishwrapper, nobody actually reads them."

Flawed Premise: that Quebec will recognize the Clarity Act. Why would they?

Rubbish. Both the main papers in Alberta -Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald - are Liberal mouthpieces and always have been. They flay Klein at every opportunity. If no Opportunity comes by, their columnists create them. The Sun papers in both cities are fishwrapper, nobody actually reads them. Sounds like you've been reading the Grope and Flail and watching CBC for a little too long. Please assemble some facts before commenting. Thanks ever so much.

And if we'd lost WWII, we'd all be speaking German......... Like it or not, our culture is already wholly dominated by the USA - much like the rest of the world. The CBC does nothing to change that. The horses have left the barn amigo. Set your watch ahead to 2005. The CBC is an anachronism, an expensive anachronism. Nice to have in 1935, but time for a change. I'm glad you support the network, but is it npot the height of arrogance to assume that I acquiesce in your entertasinment choices? Are you willing to pay for my movies, internet access and magazine subscriptions in return?

I also cannot understand how anybody could vote Liberal after the events of the last few years. Baffling, unless it's because of regional self-interest. That I can understand. On the other hand, you'd be crazy to vote anything other than Bloc if you lived in Quebec.

With reference to the original post: It is patently absurd in 2005 that all taxpayers are obliged to pay for the CBC. It provides news and entertainment, both of which are available in enormous quantities elsewhere. If supporters of the network are so gung ho, love the programming, love the concept of commercial free radio/TV - let them get their own money out and put their money where their fat, teat sucking mouths are. It worked wonderfully with CKUA radio in Alberta.

Deregualtion has been a disaster for the Tories. That's why the govt has backed off bigtime in the last few months. It's always interesting to see how much the Alberta government is hated and demonised outside Alberta, yet wins majority after majority within the province. I can't see the NDP winning anything in Alberta in the foreseeable future. Big government /big labour is not the answer to any sensible question.

Alberta netted about 9.6 billion in non-renewable resource revenues in 2004. over $7 billion was returned to federal coffers in equalization payments. I'm not so sure that separation is a non-starter for more provinces than Quebec.. For the first time ever, many Canadians are studying what is happening in our federation and wondering : what is the point of this? Really, the Liberals worst nightmare is upon them : the sheep look up.

It's not often that I read something that actually makes me Laugh Out Loud, but that did it! I've gone 180 degrees on Quebec separatism in the last few years - from being an opponent to believing that the Quebec assessment of the weakness of our federation may be entirely accurate. It's hard to watch the ongoing, long term gong show in Ottawa and reach any other conclusion. All the provinces have followed Quebecs lead , lined up and said: What is in it for me? Not what can we achieve together, but- what is in it for me? That is what Canada is about today - selfish, partisan people playing selfish , partisan games with no hope of change. If I were in Quebec today, I'd vote PQ, Bloc and 'Yes'.

Too bad Coffin pled guilty, we 'd have had some chance to hear the truth from witnesses during trial, witnesses subject to perjury charges, witnesses that would be obliged to answer. Gomery is toothless, whcih Martin knows all too well.

Unless the Bloc changes their wholesale minds and votes against SSM en masse, O'briens action will have zero effect on a confidence vote.

It is far from a red herring. An MP offering his vote in return for a reward of any type, or any person offering a reward in return for a vote, are both serious criminal offences. Any Minister or MP with knowledge of same who fails to act is also guilty of a crime. A question I have is: why would Grewal release the tapes if he is guilty of soliciting a bribe? How does he personally or professionally benefit?

What does it matter if Grewal has taped others before? I know business people who tape every phone call they make or recieve. It's not illegal. and the OP: 'exonerate'? Do you find the conduct of the Liberals in this matter honourable?

Let's assume that Grewal either was trying to trap the Liberals, or that he was trying to sell his vote as an MP for a reward. At what time did the Liberals - including a Cabinet Minsisterr and a Prime minister who were aware of the offer- at what point were the RCMP called to report this serious crime. This isn't a matter of crossing the floor, it is an issue of an MP selling his vote to other MPs, and nothing said. As officersof the Crown, they have an absolute duty to report this to the RCMPimmediately. Unless of course, they were doing the offering.......

If only the Liberals comprehended that reality and gave the money back to where it came from - the taxpayers.

He didn't 'wiretap'. In any case, recording any conversation to which you are a party is definitely not illegal. As for the Liberals, is it unreasonable for a taxpayer - like me- to expect a higher standard of conduct from my government than the systematic theft of my money for the direct benefit of the Liberal Party? To equate the actions of Grewal and those of the Liberal Party of Canada would be laughable, except that so many otherwise intelligent people seek to link them in some astonishing stretch of moral relativism. Truly bizarre.

Or from Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nfld, Nova Scotia - all of whom have made recent deals with the federal government to enjoy some of that federal money. Is it federal money, or is it distribution of equalization cash from... you guessed it... Alberta? I guess those provinces got theirs too, eh? Did I forget anybody? Absolute, unqualified bullshit. Black Dog, care to name the #1 health care authority in Canada last year? I'll do it for you - Capital Health, located and around Edmonton. Do Albertans live shorter or grimmer lives than other Canadians? Of course not. Want to know why Caadian health care is in disarray? Look no further than Ottawa.

Well before that debate occurs, we are going to have to resolve the major issue of the significant minority of Canadians who are now convinced that our federation does not work and cannot be made to work. Like it or not, the unrest extends far beyond Quebec. For the first time in my life, I see this as being much more than a French vs. English issue. For the first time, I'm starting to wonder: why bother? For the first time, I'm starting to feel strongly alienated from my fellow citizens. And I know I'm far from alone in my wonderings.

I have posted on this subject several times. It's the Balkanization of our country, and it is getting rapidly worse. What Ontario /Ottawa has failed to properly guage is the newfound vehemence of people sick of corruption, and sick of Ottawa. IMO, it may be irreversible already. We are quickly reaching a critical mass of people who a) belive that our federation is no longer workable and are willing to act on their beliefs. This country is urgently in need of leadership.