fellowtraveller

Really? I find it hard to imagine Air Canada or British Airways allowing anybody to board their aircraft with dodgy papers. If these people get turned away at UK Immigration, the airline has to get them back home at their expense, and pay a fat fine too.

'Powerful' is too strong, the Canadian economy is too small now and will always be too small for the PM to be a major global player. But it is undeniable that the Canadian economy has weathered the storm better than most, and that Harper is pretty influential internationally as a result. It is debatable whether all the credit should go to him, but he is looking good externally. That in itself is funny, as a major criticism when he became leader, then PM, was his lack of international presence and knowledge. That has changed.

???I'm talking about Black being hated by the left, not Khadr.

there are two obstacles: he is n ot a citizen and has zero right to automatic residency in Canada, and as a foreigner he has the major problem of a serious and recent felony conviction in the USA. Oh, make that three: he is hated by at least 50% of Canadians and a higher percentage of the media.

Because he voluntariy renounced it. He was obliged by Chretien to choose between keeping Brit citizenship and accepting a peerage, and quitting as a Canadian. He quit. I like Black for the simple reason that he eleicts such a visceral reaction from lefties. Entertaining at all times.

Every federal govt in the history of Canada has moved to the center after being elected. Harper has too. We must never let Harper loose in a nursery, he will crack and devour all the babies.

What The Centre of the Universe wants, The Centre of the Universe gets. see above. How much was spent on hotels and catering and wages and booze in central Toronna last week? Maybe this was Harpers payback for all those Toronto Liberal seats?

It does not depend on the polls, it depends on the economy. If it continues to go reasonably well, and Canada continues to get accolades for financial mgmt in troubled times(earned or not)- he will use that as his main platform. Given the disarray of the Libs and the non-relevance of the NDP- he may well finally get a majority. But only if the economy is relatively healthy at the time.

Harper says nothing of the sort.Your premise is entirely bogus. Try again.

Anybody that trades with China. I'm guessing this OP would not make the cut at rabble.ca

Worse than many though since it is one of the departments excluded from detailed exam by the Auditor General. Another is the cesspool at DIAND.

and the union has exactly the same role for its shareholders.

Oh I see, it wasn't fair, like life. You had nothing to offer them except your carcass, like many applicants.What did you expect? But do not apply your lack of skills, education and experience to everybody in every job.

It's a fraction of what would be happenig if it was not so dangerous.

In Afgahistan? Not much building or rebuilding there yet, too busy shooting. I'd agree we have to wait on 2011, you were the one who claims we are staying when our oft repeated policy(despite Iggus newfound desire to stay) is to leave. Are you a warmongering freedom hater like Iggy?

I was going to compose a lucid, convincing post in complete support of OP, then I realized that the implant chip has been activated by Zionist Mind Control and I simply cannot. Oh well.

Yes, really. Harper has stuck to his guns on a withdrawal in 2011 despite the entreaties from Obama and Ignatieff to stay. Haven't you been following it in the media?

Big deal. Canada has had exchange officers and soldiers and techs and planners stationed with NATO, NORAD and many of our allies since WWII and most defitnitely with US and UK. They do the same in our service, foreign officers train with us . It is common. The purpose of this, particularly for officers , is that their joint command and treaty partners may work effectively together as they have agreed to do for about 65 years.

This misconception keeps coming up here tme and again, and utterly ignores the reality of our system, which is demonstrated all the time. There has been no shift from Parliament to PMO under Harper, the exact opposite is true. During a majority govt, the PMO is in complete charge. They present the legislation, they whip their own party, they pass it when they choose. Period. There is nothing the Opposition can do other than a few trifling delays, or howl in the Commons a few hours per week, or whine to the media. But in practical terms- they can do nothing. And nothing is what they do. During minority govts, which we have had with Martin and now Harper, the govt is at least nominally obliged to maneuver so as to prevent non-confidence votes. This Harper has done for 4 years. The The PMO still puts out the legislation, but in a minority they have to drag along at least somebody from other parties, and this too has happened. The power of the PMO is greatly diminished in this situation, as it would be in a coalition. The notion that Harper or any minority leader has more unilateral avoidance or capability to run it his way than Chretien had is wrong.

yep, and you keep claiming the same dumb thing over and over

Iran and Israel should just cut to the chase and get on with the nuclear exchange that is inevitable.

There are several benefits. Managers can spend weeks writing job descriptions, HR people can spend months tinkering, everybody can spend gobs of time advertising, screening, selecting applicants for interview, interviewing, appealing, training etc etc. That bumps the job count required significantly, even if you never hire anybody. The benefit?- every moment of the whole charade is done by dues-paying union members, and it takes plenty of them, and every one of them is deicated to continuing the dog and pony show that pays all the bills. It does not reall matter at all who you hire anyway, there is simply no management accountability whatsoever. In the private sector, if I hire even a few idiots, my boss will very soon realize that I am the problem and fire me and all the other idiots. In the public sector, you can make a career of hiring and promoting idiots. Nobody is going to get fired by anybody, ever. No consequences.

????? What on earth are you talking about? In Canada, we have the right of association, which also means that we have the right not to asscoiate too. You or any other fascist cannot oblige me to join anything I choose not to join- not your church, not your union, not your political party. Of course workers have the right to form unions, and the legal right to seek a collective agreement. But your little fascist world resents that others have no need or desire and certainly no legal obligation to join you in ypour endeavour. Simply working beside you does not mean that I am like you. The Rand formula was the greatest accomplishment ever for unions, because it assured the money kept coming to the union with no effort at all, no accountability to employess, staff or membership. I'm quite capable of negotiating my own terms of employement, and quite willing to accept that I may have a contract that is better or worse than yours. But the fascists won't allow it, little me threatens the little empires built and fiercely protected down at the hall. And please stop pretending unions are some kind of 'social conscience', those days are long long gone. Their purpose is twofold 1) to get absolutely as much money and benefit and job security for their members, and 2) to provide jobs for union executives at all times. Let's not pretend otherwise.

The hiring process is mental in the federal civil service. By the time you get through months or years of applications, screening, competitons and appeals to hire a file clerk you have adapted operations so you no longer need the position. If the Public Sevice Commission is involved, triple all timeframes. That is why managers hire term employees, then extend them endlessly. Actually filling the postion is such a nightmare they just cannot be arsed.

And a shocking one. Why would longtime friends and longtime allies, sharing a huge border,being each others largest trading partners, sharing countless treaities and agrrements, ever do things together? Well, except for Iraq, Panama, Vietnam, Granada and now Afghanistan where the US has formally requiested we stay and we have declined. I guess those were times when we didn't do what we were told. Bad dog.