So how do you like our coalition gov

[lukin]

oh ya of course I forgot that little known fact...it's absolutely impossible for two or more people to have the same thoughts...

very few, and the farmers that I knew with a degree left the farm...and for those that didn't that degree in animal husbandry is just so helpful in the real world...

I can read between the lines very well, we urban elites are gifted that way...

Your grasping buddy. Why must you make things up? What's your take on the sponsorship scandal? I thought only Conservatives did that kinda thing.

The farmers you knew with a degree...........I didn't know you knew every farmer in Canada. You're a piece of work buddy.

[August1991]

Now that they have hung another bil or 2 on our backs with the gun reg, now they are going to force us again to do the census. Is this it now ,no matter what harper does the 3 will just vote it down.

PIK, it is a minority government. Harper has to accept some defeats sometimes.

----

I am surprised that few commentators have noticed how important the House of Commons became last week. MPs were not "nobodies" but suddenly "somebodies". Journalists were asking them how they would vote. Some went into hiding. A vote in the House of Commons meant something.

Perhaps this is just due to a minority government but I think Stephen Harper's honest democratic hand is behind it too.

"Pomp and circumstance" or ritual or routine Question Period pantomime do not make Canada's federal parliament an important institution. Its importance lies when all eyes turn to it for a decision.

That happened last week.

[lukin]

Opposition parties tell the Conservatives they need to spend more money, then they say they are concerned about the deficit. Pick a side and stick with it already.

[Topaz]

Opposition parties tell the Conservatives they need to spend more money, then they say they are concerned about the deficit. Pick a side and stick with it already.

What I heard the Libs say in QP was extended the money to the stimulus packages because the work won't be done and if its not done the MUNICAPALITIES and their taxpayers will have to pay for it. They also said not with new money with money they have already.

[Topaz]

Thanks for repeating the useless talking points from the Toronto Star. Canada is in much better shape than many if not all G8 countries. I'm as ticked off as anyone at the amount of money spent on the summit, but I also know that it would have been a similar price tag had the Liberals been in government. Security comes with a price these days. Could you imagine what the opposition would be saying if the Conservatives cut back on security and something happened to a delegate from a foreign country?

Maybe the Conservatives need to balance the budget by doing what the Liberals did with EI.

You can criticize PM Harper all you wish, but please tell me how the great socialist, Obama, is doing any better for his country's economy?

Harper knew that he G8 was going to be held this year in Canada, so HE decided to have the G20 too. They were going to have BOTH in Huntsville BUT... it wouldn't hold BOTH so HE decided TO. Harper didn't listen to the Mayor NOT to have downtown, no HE did HIS way. The cost rose and rose because they just said we have to have buy and I'm sure some business got rich but not the ones downtown. AS far as balancing the books in EI....guess what? They are the EI premiums go up Jan/11 and bring in around 9 BIL.

[Mr.Canada]

I personally don't care about the gun registry. I'd be against it if it wasn't in place but we've already spent way too much money and time on it to scrap it now. It just wouldn't make sense to scrap it imo. It would just waste even more dollars to dump it.

I have firearms, all registered, I haven't had any problems. No g-men have banged down my door arresting all who reside inside.

As I've said before I have no problems with registering my firearms at all. I have a problem with government or citizen groups acting like this registry will stop the street gangs from shooting each other and/or innocent civilians. If they stop saying things like that, I just want us to move on.

I don't understand why people are upset. No one is saying we cannot own and store guns/ammo responsibly they just want us to register them...fine , no problem, lets move on.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Mr.Canada

[fellowtraveller]

With the polls since early 2009 basically showing a holding pattern of the Tories just a smidgen above the Liberals, there isn't going to be that kind of behavior. The Tories are no more willing to test the electoral waters right now than anybody else.

Sure, but I did not claim the time was now for forcing the Oppostion into confidence votes, now did I? The time will come for that.

[ToadBrother]

Sure, but I did not claim the time was now for forcing the Oppostion into confidence votes, now did I? The time will come for that.

Will it come? I dunno. If both leading parties remain in this strange death grip, the whole thing could last another couple of years and die the normal death. I can't say how likely that is, because I've given up thinking that either the Liberals or the Tories can make a statistically meaningful trend upwards above the competitor. The Tories seemed to be nearing a potential level of support in late 2008 that might have suggested a chance at a majority. Iggy seemed to have Harper by the balls in the spring and summer of 2009, and then either blew the chance, or maybe the chance never really existed.

Since then it's been fireworks, but no fires. Some good things, like the Speaker rejecting out of hand the Tories' ludicrous constitutional invention of executive privilege. But neither has done anything but orbit the same center of gravity for over a year. No issue, no matter how divisive or how important it may seem, has seen the Liberals or the Tories gain or lose any meaningful amount of ground. As impossible as it may seem to the party supporters around here may think it is, I think the message is pretty clear. Canadians like the government they have, and don't want either the Tories or the Liberals to have absolute control of Parliament. I think another election would simply deliver us the same damned Parliament, just like the 2008 election did. Sure, maybe the Liberals might marginally take the government from the Tories, but really, it would make little difference at the end of the day. The uncomfortable and messy unofficial coalition we have would remain, the partners permitted their brief gasps of independence through unwhipped votes like the gun registry vote, but otherwise forced through mutual fear of the electorate to keep the actual functional controversies to a dull roar.

[RNG]

The only thing keeping us from an election is that neither the Libs or Cons have had any significant lead in the polls. If one or the other gets a good lead in the polls get ready to vote again.

[ToadBrother]

The only thing keeping us from an election is that neither the Libs or Cons have had any significant lead in the polls. If one or the other gets a good lead in the polls get ready to vote again.

And there's little evidence of that so far. We've gone through some heated controversies and some supposed glorious successes, but none have translated into any meaningful movement in the polls. Until that happens, it will be the uncomfortable status quo.

[RNG]

And there's little evidence of that so far. We've gone through some heated controversies and some supposed glorious successes, but none have translated into any meaningful movement in the polls. Until that happens, it will be the uncomfortable status quo.

I don't know if I'd call it uncomfortable. IMO, the less government does the better off I am, usually.

[nicky10013]

I don't know if I'd call it uncomfortable. IMO, the less government does the better off I am, usually.

Example?

[RNG]

Example?

the most recent one was the imposition of HST here in The People's Republic of British Columbistan.

[nicky10013]

the most recent one was the imposition of HST here in The People's Republic of British Columbistan.

The fact that companies don't have to pay two seperate taxes to two seperate governments is going to save business millions and create jobs.

Then again, the fact that you're equating BC to governance in the Soviet Union while stooping to the hilarious level of "grrrrrrr all government bad" probably speaks to the fact that you don't and probably won't ever understand the fact that the HST is good for the economy.

[bloodyminded]

The fact that companies don't have to pay two seperate taxes to two seperate governments is going to save business millions and create jobs.

Then again, the fact that you're equating BC to governance in the Soviet Union while stooping to the hilarious level of "grrrrrrr all government bad"

....Yeah...except for greater militarization, stricter criminal codes, more prisons, the illegalization of a woman's right to choose, the re-imposition of the death penalty....

Aside from that, "big government" is bad. Because "big government" only applies to taxes.

For...some reason, unstated.

[Alta4ever]

The fact that companies don't have to pay two seperate taxes to two seperate governments is going to save business millions and create jobs.

Then again, the fact that you're equating BC to governance in the Soviet Union while stooping to the hilarious level of "grrrrrrr all government bad" probably speaks to the fact that you don't and probably won't ever understand the fact that the HST is good for the economy.

Nicky the problem with the HST in BC is that many more items now are taxable that were exempt under the pst. Its made things very expense and those who can are crossing the boarder to washington to shop rather then pay the outrageous costs in the vancouver area. When I was their over the summer gas in vancouver was 1.18/liter when i bought it in washington it worked out to .78/per liter. with people crossing the boarder to do their shopping it will end up costing jobs.

[nicky10013]

Nicky the problem with the HST in BC is that many more items now are taxable that were exempt under the pst. Its made things very expense and those who can are crossing the boarder to washington to shop rather then pay the outrageous costs in the vancouver area. When I was their over the summer gas in vancouver was 1.18/liter when i bought it in washington it worked out to .78/per liter. with people crossing the boarder to do their shopping it will end up costing jobs.

The same thing happened in Ontario. We've got the HST now as well.

[ToadBrother]

Nicky the problem with the HST in BC is that many more items now are taxable that were exempt under the pst. Its made things very expense and those who can are crossing the boarder to washington to shop rather then pay the outrageous costs in the vancouver area. When I was their over the summer gas in vancouver was 1.18/liter when i bought it in washington it worked out to .78/per liter. with people crossing the boarder to do their shopping it will end up costing jobs.

Except that gasoline is one of the items that the Federal 5% portion is discounted on. What you're seeing in gas prices is in part market forces, and in large part taxes (like Federal tax and Provincial carbon tax) that existed prior to the HST. We also had a scheduled jump in the carbon tax recently, and that's one of the reasons.

Edited September 27, 2010 by ToadBrother

[nicky10013]

....Yeah...except for greater militarization, stricter criminal codes, more prisons, the illegalization of a woman's right to choose, the re-imposition of the death penalty....

Aside from that, "big government" is bad. Because "big government" only applies to taxes.

For...some reason, unstated.

Yeah. Gotta love the irony. We've got to curb government to get back our freedom! Yet, they support ridiculous amounts of funding for the military, which, if the government actually wanted to take freedom away from it's citizens, would actually use the military to that end.

[RNG]

The fact that companies don't have to pay two seperate taxes to two seperate governments is going to save business millions and create jobs.

Then again, the fact that you're equating BC to governance in the Soviet Union while stooping to the hilarious level of "grrrrrrr all government bad" probably speaks to the fact that you don't and probably won't ever understand the fact that the HST is good for the economy.

Several economists have published op-eds that it is good for the economy. Several here have published opposing views. I have tried to follow this. The Feds really push it, but I'm just cynical enough to suspect it is to give them more control, they get it all now, rather than any altruistic motive. But the major flaw is the out and out lying the government did in it's implementation. You know, just like Harper did on the unit trust things.

I'm retired now, but if we don't have a decent independent candidate in my riding, I will, for the first time in my eligible life, not vote in the next election.

[Alta4ever]

Except that gasoline is one of the items that the Federal 5% portion is discounted on. What you're seeing in gas prices is in part market forces, and in large part taxes (like Federal tax and Provincial carbon tax) that existed prior to the HST. We also had a scheduled jump in the carbon tax recently, and that's one of the reasons.

Its nasty, hotel taxes were nasty I felt gouged when ever I purchased anything. I won't be back anytime soon, if I want to go to the west coast I'll go to Washington and by pass BC.

[nicky10013]

Several economists have published op-eds that it is good for the economy. Several here have published opposing views. I have tried to follow this. The Feds really push it, but I'm just cynical enough to suspect it is to give them more control, they get it all now, rather than any altruistic motive. But the major flaw is the out and out lying the government did in it's implementation. You know, just like Harper did on the unit trust things.

I'm retired now, but if we don't have a decent independent candidate in my riding, I will, for the first time in my eligible life, not vote in the next election.

Get more control? They HAVE to give it to the province.

[ToadBrother]

Several economists have published op-eds that it is good for the economy. Several here have published opposing views. I have tried to follow this. The Feds really push it, but I'm just cynical enough to suspect it is to give them more control, they get it all now, rather than any altruistic motive. But the major flaw is the out and out lying the government did in it's implementation. You know, just like Harper did on the unit trust things.

I'm retired now, but if we don't have a decent independent candidate in my riding, I will, for the first time in my eligible life, not vote in the next election.

I haven't actually seen any economists saying the HST is bad. They'll admit that consumers are slightly more targeted, but I think the benefits in ease of collection for both business and government make up for that. Efficiencies in a tax regime have to count for something, no?

Edited September 27, 2010 by ToadBrother

[Alta4ever]

Yeah. Gotta love the irony. We've got to curb government to get back our freedom! Yet, they support ridiculous amounts of funding for the military, which, if the government actually wanted to take freedom away from it's citizens, would actually use the military to that end.

Miltaries tend to be used for coups, its police forces that are used to control the masses.

[ToadBrother]

Yeah. Gotta love the irony. We've got to curb government to get back our freedom! Yet, they support ridiculous amounts of funding for the military, which, if the government actually wanted to take freedom away from it's citizens, would actually use the military to that end.

The amount of military spending is hardly going to allow Ottawa to create a police state. Besides, we already have the RCMP and various provincial and municipal police forces which would be more than capable of approximating a police state. If you object to increases to the military budget, then you must be livid every time the Feds or the provinces bump up policing budgets.

Edited September 27, 2010 by ToadBrother