Harper to prorogue parliament AGAIN?

[Argus]

I think you mean the deduction of home mortgage interest, not principal. Several mortgage backed securities and products helped undermine a fraction of US banks, but the mortgage interest deduction in and of itself has existed in Internal Revenue Code for a very long time without bank failures.

It is an extremely costly program which was designed to encourage home ownership - and doesn't.

In fact, Canada's home ownership rate without interest deductability is about the same as that of the U.S.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

It is an extremely costly program which was designed to encourage home ownership - and doesn't.

In fact, Canada's home ownership rate without interest deductability is about the same as that of the U.S.

Well Argus, if YOU had to deal with the recent fiscal issues of the nation, would you have doled out 50 billion to bail out the auto industry or would you have made mortgages interest tax deductions? What would the immediate effect of the tax deduction be? What would the long term effects to the economy be?

The reason to make it deductible doesn't have a damned thing to do with home owners, it has everything to do with business and the economy. Such a move would make housing more affordable, and with that real estate more desirable. Then add to that enhanced credit availability, through a defined benefit known as equity. Now add to that the increased consumer demand for all of the things that go into new home construction from the labour to the construction materials. Now when we add all that up and compare it to what the feds will lose in their revenue stream from the tax deduction. Any accountant will give you projections of increased tax revenue realized through economic activity instead of a tax loss. Why not just call it a wash and say that it is revenue neutral for the sake of appearances.

It makes loads of sense to do this because politically you are selling an enhanced disposable income to the citizens with lower taxation. The citizen is the one that votes so they are the ones you have to sell this to, but business is the big winner here, nothing gets done for free and things don't get done in business without profit.

[Argus]

The reason to make it deductible doesn't have a damned thing to do with home owners, it has everything to do with business and the economy. Such a move would make housing more affordable, and with that real estate more desirable.

You mean like it has in the US?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

You mean like it has in the US?

Yes Argus just like that.

[ToadBrother]

Polls go up, polls go down. The national media is in a frenzy of agitation, gnashing their teeth, wailing and banging their heads against the wall, howling about the end of the world because Harper added a thirty day recess onto MPs vacations.

Kelly McParland had a decent take on this in today's Post.

I'm beginning to appreciate the serious price to be paid for Stephen Harper's decison to close down Parliament for two months: an entire division of pundits, robbed of anything else to do, is forced into ruminations on cabinet shuffles, election dates and the threat to democracy represented by MPs having to spend every afternoon in their office instead of insulting one another at Question Period.

Kelly McParland

We don't pay them to sit in their offices. We pay them to be MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. They have staff to answer phones, forward messages, etc.

[madmax]

Polls go up, polls go down. The national media is in a frenzy of agitation, gnashing their teeth, wailing and banging their heads against the wall, howling about the end of the world because Harper added a thirty day recess onto MPs vacations.

No Argus. Infact ALL NATIONAL MEDIA, ALL PUNDITS said that this was a non issue and continued on that path for roughly 10 to 12 days until realizing that this is an issue and it is the public that is driving it. While the media were late on the scene, followed by the LPC and then the NDP, the CPC is just starting to wakeup after reading 4 polls released last week that said the CPC and Stephen Harper in Particular have lost a significant level of support for proroguing parliment.

No media is going to turn its back on a developing story while its hot.

Or did you want the media to say.. yeah its 4 polls, its a massive drop, but everything is ok and the Prime Minister is brilliant. What strategy, what game, what a tactician.

Because that is what the media were saying in those first 10 to 12 days after proroguement.

Now your media link is trying to reshape the story.

Good luck, it will be ignored.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

No Argus. Infact ALL NATIONAL MEDIA, ALL PUNDITS said that this was a non issue and continued on that path for roughly 10 to 12 days until realizing that this is an issue and it is the public that is driving it. While the media were late on the scene, followed by the LPC and then the NDP, the CPC is just starting to wakeup after reading 4 polls released last week that said the CPC and Stephen Harper in Particular have lost a significant level of support for proroguing parliment.

No media is going to turn its back on a developing story while its hot.

Or did you want the media to say.. yeah its 4 polls, its a massive drop, but everything is ok and the Prime Minister is brilliant. What strategy, what game, what a tactician.

Because that is what the media were saying in those first 10 to 12 days after proroguement.

Now your media link is trying to reshape the story.

Good luck, it will be ignored.

Harper is being held to account by the media right now. Without a sitting parliament, the people can't do it, so good on the media.

[ToadBrother]

No Argus. Infact ALL NATIONAL MEDIA, ALL PUNDITS said that this was a non issue and continued on that path for roughly 10 to 12 days until realizing that this is an issue and it is the public that is driving it. While the media were late on the scene, followed by the LPC and then the NDP, the CPC is just starting to wakeup after reading 4 polls released last week that said the CPC and Stephen Harper in Particular have lost a significant level of support for proroguing parliment.

No media is going to turn its back on a developing story while its hot.

Or did you want the media to say.. yeah its 4 polls, its a massive drop, but everything is ok and the Prime Minister is brilliant. What strategy, what game, what a tactician.

Because that is what the media were saying in those first 10 to 12 days after proroguement.

Now your media link is trying to reshape the story.

Good luck, it will be ignored.

Tories can relax. 50,000-100,000 people (or maybe more) conveniently got themselves dead in dramatic circumstances, so now Harper and MacKay can look all in control and ministerial. Fortune seems to smile on Harper, and after all, it was only Haitians.

[DrGreenthumb]

Tories can relax. 50,000-100,000 people (or maybe more) conveniently got themselves dead in dramatic circumstances, so now Harper and MacKay can look all in control and ministerial. Fortune seems to smile on Harper, and after all, it was only Haitians.

Harper and the Cons should read this historian's take on the "Constitutional Fairy Tales" they have been telling.

http://historywire.ca/en/article/19578

[Smallc]

You have to admit though, during this crisis, the government and military did us very proud.

[bush_cheney2004]

Tories can relax. 50,000-100,000 people (or maybe more) conveniently got themselves dead in dramatic circumstances, so now Harper and MacKay can look all in control and ministerial. Fortune seems to smile on Harper, and after all, it was only Haitians.

I agree...we all remember what Martin and the Grits did to help the Haitains...they deposed a democratically elected president.

[William Ashley]

You have to admit though, during this crisis, the government and military did us very proud.

no.

more debt spending with little or no domestic benefit. = bad governance.

Edited January 17, 2010 by William Ashley

[Jerry J. Fortin]

no.

more debt spending with little or no domestic benefit. = bad governance.

I hope you are kidding.

[myata]

You have to admit though, during this crisis, the government and military did us very proud.

Government making me proud? I'd call it level 2 alarm bell. For those who care (needless to say that helping others in severe distress is the right thing. But is it "the government" that should be taking the credit for it, and should it make me proud of it, the government, as opposed to e.g. my country, my community, my democracy, etc??)

[eyeball]

Harper and the Cons should read this historian's take on the "Constitutional Fairy Tales" they have been telling.

http://historywire.ca/en/article/19578

This is a good article, thanks.

[Alta4ever]

Harper and the Cons should read this historian's take on the "Constitutional Fairy Tales" they have been telling.

http://historywire.ca/en/article/19578

Gee not a thing in there about this perogy. A useless link for the topic as it pertains to what harper has done on extending this parliamentary break.

[Argus]

No Argus. Infact ALL NATIONAL MEDIA, ALL PUNDITS said that this was a non issue and continued on that path for roughly 10 to 12 days until realizing that this is an issue and it is the public that is driving it. While the media were late on the scene, followed by the LPC and then the NDP

I'm sorry, but this bizarre view of reality you have is so much at odds with - uhm, reality, that I don't know quite what to say other than you clearly have decided to let your imagination shape your view of the world.

[madmax]

madmax, on 17 January 2010 - 10:05 AM, said:

No Argus. Infact ALL NATIONAL MEDIA, ALL PUNDITS said that this was a non issue and continued on that path for roughly 10 to 12 days until realizing that this is an issue and it is the public that is driving it.

I'm sorry, but this bizarre view of reality you have is so much at odds with - uhm, reality, that I don't know quite what to say other than you clearly have decided to let your imagination shape your view of the world.

Lame I see you put as much effort in that reply as you do in your public sector job.

Lets look at this Pundit, and the "terrible coverage" Harper received at the end of the year and his announcement of proroguement.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/for-harper-2009-was-a-very-good-year/article1416260/

Published on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009 6:51PM EST

Last updated on Saturday, Jan. 02, 2010 2:17AM EST

Whether he looks forward or backward, Stephen Harper must be enjoying the view.

The Prime Minister had a very good 2009, blending policy successes with bare-knuckle political fisticuffs that left one opposition politician after another reeling.

His decision to prorogue Parliament for pretty much the rest of the winter has pundits and constitutional experts howling. Well we should howl. Shutting down the House and Senate for the second time in one year makes a mockery of Parliamentary government.

But prorogation leaves the Conservatives with a clear field and this Prime Minister with a deserved reputation as the most capable manager of minority government since Lester Pearson nearly half a century ago

The entire article is a praising review of Harper.

[madmax]

Deleted. Edit errors, will fix and repost.

Edited January 18, 2010 by madmax

[DrGreenthumb]

Rick Mercer gets it right as usual.

[Shady]

and after all, it was only Haitians.

Why do you view Haitians as less human than others?

[DrGreenthumb]

Why do you view Haitians as less human than others?

He doesn't he was commenting on Harper's attempt to use the Haitian people to bring his poll numbers back up.

[Shady]

He doesn't he was commenting on Harper's attempt to use the Haitian people to bring his poll numbers back up.

How did Harper use the Haitian people? By responding and offering aid? What was he suppose to do? This is just another case of Harper Derangement Syndrome. If he's lowkey, he's accused of not caring, he's the opposite, he's accused of using the crisis. Pathetic.

[Dithers]

How did Harper use the Haitian people? By responding and offering aid? What was he suppose to do? This is just another case of Harper Derangement Syndrome. If he's lowkey, he's accused of not caring, he's the opposite, he's accused of using the crisis. Pathetic.

Pathetic is proroguing parliament rather than face crisis of his own government's making.

Not once, but twice.

Pathetic

[Shady]

Pathetic is proroguing parliament rather than face crisis of his own government's making.

Not once, but twice.

Pathetic

Quite the opposite. He prorogued parliament to protect Canadians from the first coalition government that would have included seperatists, who's sole purpose is to break up the country.

And he prorogued parliament the second time, to save the Canadian military from political attacks from the opposition parties. Who seem to hold Canada responsible for the roughing up of some terrorists by a foreign government.

Pathetic.

In both cases, the majority of Canadians are on the side of the conservative government. Despite what groups highschool and college students may join on facebook.