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But we all saw the big bad wolf putting on grandma's clothes. Everybody knows the story of little Red Riding Hood....

Don't you hate those lefties like Tommy Douglas who got health care for all of us... And those who try to protect us are just as bad, aren't they.....

40 Million Americans (about 15%) have ABSOLUTELY NO HEALTH CARE. Medical expenses is the #1 cause of bankrupcy in the USA - And a large percentage of them had (inadequate) insurance. The wonders of private health care..... If this is where Harper will lead us, then who would want him.....

It would appear that Harper doesn't want to be seen to be making an opportunistic grab at the power that he so dearly craves. He appears to be trying to goad Jack Layton into calling a vote of non-confidence, because even though he's desperate for that "chance at power", he knows there will be a backlash.... On the Conservative/Alliance last attempt at tearing down the government, Harper's ratings took a nose-dive.... No basis in reality... just look a few months back, and the reality will be glaring at you.... The Conservative/Alliance doesn't trust Layton, because it appears that Layton will try to do what's in Canadian citizens' interests, rather than try to fuel his personal quest for fame and power.

Well, I just watched it on CTV and they played up the poor little Canadian boy angle, with a long interview with one of his lawyers and talk about how unjust the charges were and how outraged everyone should be, and when was Paul Martin going to do something. For myself, they can hang the little bastard. I don't care what happens to him. I don't consider either he or his family to be Canadians anyway. Argus, he was born in Canada, and that makes him a Canadian citizen. Being a racist doesn't help your argument. I think we've already heard a few valid arguments on this.... First of all, if he was fighting for the "other side" in a "war", then why shouldn't he be considered a POW. And then there's the angle that he was a mere "kid" (15) when he did it.... Did the 15 year-old kid pay for the trip and travel half way around the world on his own whim and budget, or perhaps was he a "passenger" who was taken with his family. Perhaps he was a "brainwashed" kid, who didn't really understand what he was doing .... A real court might consider these things. However, the Kangaroo court he will face probably will not.. And lastly, your use of the word "terrorist" (or should I say abuse) seems to apply to anyone who dares stand up to the USA, whether they fit the definition of terrorist or not.

Pretty tough for an internet message board pal. I'm guessing you are like your idol Trudeau, all talk no balls. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Trudeau had the guts to be honest with what he thought of someone or their policies.... His policies quite often were in favour of the Canadian citizen, and he had the guts to tell the USA (or other offensive group) where to get off... Whereas Brian Mulroney had the guts only to stick it to the Canadian public, and when he came back from Washington he always had stains on the front of his suit...

You'd like it paid right now.... Anybody listentening to CanuckEStan ???? ... ... Like usual, I didn't think so.....

wow. do you have anything worthwhile to say? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's a real challenge when you or the extreme right-wing positions that you take are the topic....

$80,000 per registered person in the program? Damn. Why don't we just hand them a paycheck so they never have to work a day in their lives. I'm sure they'd find plenty of better things to do with $80,000 each than the bureaucrats. How did yhou get the extra zero from August's post.... Maybe we can excuse you, with a head full of zero (or zeroes), I can see how it can happen....

Paul Martin 16 Sept 2004Is the health care system broken again? Already? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Martin has spent over 10 years cutting, cutting, cutting from health care in various ways to fund his deficit reduction. It hasn't been fixed at all.... yet. Maybe he's talking about derailing Mr. Layton's plan to stop the spread of privatization of our health-care system....

Are you suggesting that your provincial Liberals are more corrupt than their awkwardly related cousins in Ottawa? They are guilty all right... but probably not just for the reasons you are surmising. The "Smart Meters" were just a red herring to distract the public from the real issue of the rising price of electricity....The average household in Ontario won't save a whole lot with these "smart meters". It's not like Ontarians will run their furnaces primarily at night, or just plug in the freezer at night.... The "Smart meters" were touted as a means of "saving money for households" in Ontario.... That householders could turn down their heat during the day if/when they are at work, etc... and let industry bear the burdon of the "TRUE COST OF ELECTRICITY".... And your quoted study shows the realities. (Conservative/Liberal definition of TRUE COST OF ELECTRICITY = cost of generation of electricity plus large profits for the company that runs our taxpayer-built generation stations) Off the top of my head, I think that the price differential during the night/day times was about 15%.... 15% of the portions of your electricity bill that you have choices on... for example 15% of 10% = 1.5% The big corruption here is that the Liberals are McGuilty of continuing the Conservative sell-out of our electricity generation system, and they are now going to let prices go even higher.... They're passing the puck (our bucks) to the same team that Mike Harris passed them to.... For all you folks who though that private enterprise would generate electricity more cheaply and efficiently and promoted these Conservative ideals, you deserve the much higher electricity bill you'll get from now on......

Their relentless implementation of Conservative fiscal policy is definitely a problem. A good natured Conservative leader.... What big eyes you have, leader, and what big teeth... The better to make decisions with....What do you really mean by this fantasy-land tripe ??? Are you suggesting that the Conservatives are suddenly going to start having referenda to find out what the public wants... or don't you think it a bit more likely that they'll implement Conservative policies, much as Paul Martin is now.... except maybe the Conservatives will send our boys to play cannon fodder over in Iraq....

Tunnel vision... That's great. If you don't think about all the people you're doing out of jobs, Canadian businesses being bankrupted by WalMart, then just keep thinking about yourself only, and save that few dollars. However, your taxes might go up a bit to pay for the additional loss of revenue to Canada due to your self centredness, but... look after number one... ... that's right.. you shop at Walmart... I don't shop there. Sorry, I have a conscience... Umm well hmmm geez, I am trying to get this to your level of thinking here err. Oh I got it, its called taxes, silly me you already know this. Here is how it works Consumer buys a good ---> Leads to income of firm ---> Firm payes taxes on that income to Govt. and Dum da da Dum GOVERNMENT HOPEFULLY PUTS MONEY INTO PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE that benefits Canadian Society. You see government are the ones that really are to be held accountable here... Taxes... the payment for infrastructure that allows the companies to survive... Now that you've demonstrated that you have a basic understanding of that concept, I have to question your level of comprehension... You are pushing for "less taxes". Is that balanced with a desire for "less infrastructure", or do you want to take more away from the poor so that these companies can pay "less taxes". Why not just have the company pay its Canadian taxes, and sustain our health care system. It's actually cheaper for the companies that hire "talented people". It's companies like Walmart that would benefit from reductions in taxes and a corresponding reduction in health care... Well actually a business will move to where THE BUSINESS finds it most beneficial, could be anywhere, depends on which jurisdiction offers the best incentives to move there. Never ever said business had it bad here in Canada, some thrive while others fail for a multitude of different reasons. Never said business had it bad in Canada... So what's the point of your post... You were saying taxes should be reduced... to what end... to what level.... to compete with whom.....

Is that how you spell REDNECK ??? I'm surprised you forgot to mention about the "commies" who want to take money from the rich to help the poor ... And we've seen the part about wanting the "choice" not to help people before... Usually it appears to be the right-wingers who want the "choice not to help", and we all know what that means...

Function with efficiency ??? Is this a moronic Conservative/Fraser way of saying "for profit" ?? The fact is, that (Cost + Profit ) > Cost and if the public has to pay the cost of delivery of health care plus profit to the private care-giver, plus additional overheads for a duplicated system, it will be more than just paying the cost of delivery. If it costs more, it will take more tax dollars... We just have to look at the increased efficiency of our electricity generation systems in Ontario now that it's been privatized.. Only about 30% more than publicly delivered... until the new cost hikes come in later this year... then it will be 50% increase in cost in a little over 2 years.... Conservative/Fraser efficiency...

No to the Election. ... Especially in light of the Gomery report .... We don't need an election right now, as there will probably be no clear winner, and we'll have spent millions for what... Harper doesn't really stand a chance. It would appear to me that the party that would likely gain the most is the NDP, but I think they would be happy just forcing the Liberals to do "some of the right things" that they are pushing Martin to do...

I wish you well in your quest. I would prefer see green than blue... However, in the past, I've seen them encourage increasing energy costs...

In many cases you may have points... but, for example, if WalMart were to leave, it could be a positive thing.... - Less businesses bankrupt by their bottom basement pricing - Businesses who used to pay their employees much better than WalMart does - Shutdown of CANADIAN businesses, whose money stayed in the local economy Resulting in less money staying in our Canadian economy... CANADA LOSES : CORPORATE TAXES + LOSS OF INCOME TAX + INCREASED DRAIN ON SOCIAL SYSTEM + MUNICIPAL PROPERTY TAXES LOSS etc.......... How about helping to pay for the infrastructure that makes their business possible. Contributing to the health care for their employees, as companies in the USA, competing for talented employees have to .... If they don't contribute to the system then they are parasites of it... and pray tell, where are they going to move to... In the USA, businesses pay more tax than businesses in have to pay in Canada.... As mentioned above, aside from higher paid high-tech jobs in the USA, companies often have to swallow large health care premiums to attract employees.... Here in Canada, business has it good..... Maybe you should run with your platform of trying to be the Walmart of tax collection.... Don't collect very much, and drop all social services to allow it to be economically feasible... When the country becomes run-down enough, people will work for nearly nothing to pay for food... Indonesia North... with sweat shops everywhere... then maybe we could under-cut the Chinese and export to them... Maybe you should run on that platform to turn Canada into a major exporter....

Gotcha. Rightwingers are just too goshdarned stupid and simple to understand that leftwing "nuance". Some right-wingers are wealthy and don't want anyone else to get a slice of their pie, and a large percentage of the rest are "goshdarned stupid". It would appear from your posts that you fit into the latter category....

Is there any possible doubt that all that money doesn't help? That having government bureacrats in charge of every aspect of their lives (as the NDP would do for all of us) has turned them into a poverty stricken group of dependant personalities who can do nothing without the government telling them how and when and why? Are you on drugs ??? The natives, whose land and lives were stolen from them by the white man, have been put on "reserves", usually land that white man would not live on due to toxins in the earth, unsuitablity for habitation by white man, etc... They cannot practice their traditional lifestyle because they are penned in like animals in the zoo.... Our government has made efforts over the years to help with integration, and assistance with education, housing, etc... The government has not "turned them into a poverty stricken group.... " Compare monkeys in the jungle to monkeys in the zoo ?? They can't hunt or fish and live as their ancestors did. They are a once proud people, forced to sit in a cage.... Should they aspire to be just like you... or "successful" according to our society's standards ??? You'd have to be pretty simple to see this situation as a simple one....

You may have a fight on your hands from the "Conservative" crowd, as you are recommending curbing their "choices".... I am in full agreement that something must be done.... If you'll note they've decided to use Greek letters to start the names of hurricanes that are after the 26'th of the year.... It's never happened before, but the increase in tropical storms is a reality that even those who deny global warming cannot deny.... The NDP has a section of their website dedicated to this topic... NDP Kyoto Plan PDF Version - NDP Kyoto Plan

Last election, environmental groups rated the NDP as "greener than the Green Party". I do have a problem with the Green Party's stance of raising energy prices to reduce energy useage.... What about those who can no longer afford to heat their homes.... If you support Conservative ideology, this fact may not hold much importance to you, but to me, it is important that we don't freeze our poor.

Just worth seeing it again....brings a smile to my face! Thanks Err! I'm really glad it does...

Continued.... I would not call Tony Blair defeatist, nor would I call him right-wing. But he is certainly not a Layton-NDP, tax-and-spend Leftist (to use a crude term). Blair is not left wing at all. Not even slightly.... He's a Tory who doesnt promote left-wing policies at all.... I'm not saying that he is defeatist... You are. You believe the Tory tripe that "smaller is better" in every case. You don't believe that government can help the Indians, because of the "systemic" problems inherent in our bureaucracy... If you don't believe it can be improved, then who's going to bother improving it... If you've accepted shit sandwiches, why should they go out and buy tuna.... Killing programs isn't "smarter government", or better government. The Fraser institute (and Conservative party) would say that you should give the monies spent on the poor and on government programs to businesses and the investor class.... And they sell people like you on their ideas that money should only go to these groups.... and you fall for it.... Are you suggesting that we shouldn't look out for the Native Canadians because "all that money doesn't help"...????

There is an entire federal department filled with government employees with a budget of over $9 billion with the primary mandate of taking care of native peoples - registered Indians. What more of a priority do you want? Having a chequebook and spending wisely are two different matters. Critical issues of health that have been brought to the table for a few years consecutively... should be noted. If the bureaucratic process prevents the department from doing its job effectively, then change should be implemented. The kind of health risks that the Kashechewan natives underwent are not forgivable easily. I would say we need an investigation into how this problem was ignored for so long. You seem to imagine political leaders take every decision. That's not how a vast organization such as our federal government operates. Laws are passed with regulations stipulating what powers are derogated to bureaucrats. Politicians set broad policy; it is left to individual civil servants to implement it. For the most part, in Canada, these people are all well-meaning, although thety may have differences of opinion. Those at the helm are ultimately responsible. They should be able to trust those to whom responsibilities are delegated to, and there should be a system of accountability. Politicians shouldn't "set broad policy" and then take a nap for a few months, or years as this case would have... err, I was trying to get you away from a theoretical world and bring you down to the real world. You claimed that our politicians followed corporate interests and not the interests of ordinary people. Well, show me that's the case for Indian and Northern Affairs. It isn't exactly difficult to come up with cases where this department failed in its mandate. However, could you imagine McGuinty coming to the people of Ontario saying "We have to spend more money helping these Indians, maybe up to a Billion dollars".... No... It is more likely that he'll try to sweep such issues under the carpet and hope they go away... err, I don't know where the money goes - but believe, we don't spend anything near as much on white people. Paleface have many millions.... cheaper to service them in volume.... Water treatment plant for a few hundred is more expensive per gallon than a large city one... Similar with schools, medical facilities, etc... We must not think of ourselves as impotent to do that which must be done... but think in a determined way such that it does....