fellowtraveller

The unions do get a portion, a large portion, of any companies earnings. They are called pay cheques. When the unions risk their own money by buying equity in the company, they have a right to whay any shareholder may gain. Until then, they have earned nothing other than pay and benefits. I owe nothing to unions regarding citizenship. I negotiate my own terms and condtions of work with businesses, and many items have long been covered by health and saftey regulations. I owe a far, far greater debt of citizenship to veterans and serving members of our armed forces, and to law enforcement people who protect me and our way of life.

Isn't that what the Opposition demanded? As a financial decsion, it is absolutely ridiculous. They'd be far better off just giving every GM worker and retiree a couple hundred grand and say 'best of luck, invest well'. And likely cheaper. But - to the discredit of every single political leader and most of us- we accept this nonsense passively.

there was a time and not at all long ago when journalists and MPs stayed away from other MPs families, but those days are fading fast. For example, Chretiens son was involved in a few criminal activities and while the press did report on it, it was backpage stuff. Not any more. Blame the media, it is their choice.

Remeber the lesson of Tropic Thunder: never go full retard! The deal we have now is better than the one we had before, he explained pateiently, because: the last deal(which the Liberals and NDP howled for) had Canada with a completely unsecured donation of several billion. All assets,repeat all assets inclduing all assets of GM Canada, , were pledged to the US govt. The deal now has some security in the form of equity position in the new company, though of course the shares value is suspect. Get it?

Yes, really. "Yet they're so familiar with CNN, the BBC, Fox, the London Times, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, etc." Who is? Faux News is not generally avail;bale in Canada, nor are the NYT , London Times and most English speakers would get the Financial Post or G &M. The BBC is a minor, extra cost cable channel. It would seem you are grossly out of touch with conventions in English Canada. "Many native English speakers have never even heard of the Sorbonne or the Haute École de Commerce, yet are so familiar with Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, etc." So familiar in what way? They have heard of some of the great universiites in the world? The Sorbonne is likely the only French language Top 100 university in the world. Why would anybody have heard of others? I know Le Devoir and Radio Canada are big deals in Quebec, but really- Quebec is one province in a country that is of little consequence. if you separate, you'll be a small, poor and pointless place on the edge of nowhere. Your 'institutions' will matter even less in the large scheme. But, the 'cultural' scene in Quebec is analogous to puppy love: meaningless to everybody except the puppy. I know you are building your case for separatism, and I tell you this: tell it to your fellow Quebecois. Decide your destiny and then get on with it. We're all sick of it all, make up your mind and do it. But above all, stop the incessant whining. Please. Have some mercy.

I'm not part of that group. The introduction of bilingualism was a failed experiment in social engineering that we refuse to let go of, Mr Trudeaus enduring legacy. Realistically, what is the point of creating a generation of English/French bilingual children who will never use the language unless they aspire to be civil servants? Wouldn't it serve Canada better if the second language was Spanish, or Mandarin? Our trade future is not East- West, it is North-South and Pacific Rim. None of those folks speak French and none will learn. People in Quebec learn English because they simply cannot compete globally unless and until they do. You can shout 'cultural imperialism' from the rooftops, but there it is, plain and unvarnished: English is the global language of business.

What reality? I am a Candian . Quebecois are Canadian. Of course we identify more with each other than with a Brit or a Breton. Those people know nothing of ouyr mutual language, hoickey.

It is a much, much better deal than where we started. Until now, all of GMs assets worldwide were pledged to the US govt. That meant every nickel the Opposition insisted we give the auto companies was unsecured. 100% unsecured. At least we have some equity in the company, though I agree it is highly dubious.

CBC used to be a tool for national unity, those days are gone. Other media are now far more effective in informing us, the Internet for example. It could be argued that the CBC (and let us not forget the content and existence of RDS) is now a tool for national disunity. You could use this thread as an example.

Baloney. The BBC is savagely biased and have been strongly censured for same, repeatedly. They are mainly funded by a large fee that every television owner must pay. It does not matter if you never watch them, if you own a TV, you pay an annual fee to support the BBC. A colour TV runs about $260, black and white about $100. The World Servuice we get is partially funded by govt.

Is this shocking in some way? Why would a poll be needed to know this? People watch TV or read newspapers for information or entertainment. If they get neither, they don't watch. It is not a French vs English choice for a unilingual Anglophone, it is a choice of English media or no media.

I still don't get it, this makes little sense in English: Are you referring to the singular (person) or the group(community) in a single choice?

Because they have zero weight, politically. Any reasonably sized town in the rest of Canada has more voters. If federal funding were cut off, all three would be depopulated in weeks. Yukon. for example, has less than 32,000 people and four levls of govt., which is obviously the largest 'industry' by far. All of them are ultimately paid for by federal taxpayers.

I don't understand the question. What is 'language identity'?

All three of the Territories are irrelavent.

Out billions? We'll be out billions if we keep AECL. Sales of CANDU reactors are not slow, they are dead. AECL is a miniscule player in the world market and that won't change with or without the sale

The words are English, the rest I don't understand. The only officially bilingual province is New Brunswick. Quebec is unilingual French, the rest are unilingual English.

Did anybody else notice how many of that Top 50 do not live in Canada? And no, I am not counting Ignatieff in that group.

Wow, this premise is even weaker than usual from the Liberal Cheerleader. His proof that The Conservatives are going to eliminate all HRCs? A link to an op-ed piece by nobody that matters, and not a single reference to enabling legislation or quote from a govt member. Classic.

I see you've acquired a new Tory obsession, that Harper is under attack from within. What happened to the election you insisted was happening right about now?

Can't be a right until the SC recognizes it.

Yet oddly enough, Martin, Chretien, Dion and nearly every Liberal had voted exactly the opposite, against SSM, on two occasions. Was it not a human right then?

what concerns me the most bout the proposed auto bailouts is the lack of security for the loans from the govt to the companies. All the global assets of both GM and Chrysler -including Candian real estate-are pledged already to the US govt, which means if they fail we taxpayers get zero. That makes the deal ultra-risky, and perhaps not worthwhile.

If you watch the clip....... Gomeshi also comes across as a dick... and increasingly so as the 'interview' proceeds. At first he pretends that he had not heard of the arrangement that the interview was not to be about Thornton as an actor, when pressed Gomeshi admits he knew that going in... and so forth. And I doubt that Thornton and his mates quit the Willie Nelson tour, you could bet money and win that Willie told them to take a hike, he doesn't need the aggro.

You forgot to cite the two occasions that the Liberal Party of Canada- forming the govt of the day- decisively voted agaoinst same sex marriage. The same party with the same people did a 180 degree turn a couple years later. "It would please the so-cons, religious nuts and homophobes in his party." Don't forget, it would also please the same groups in your party Normie.