What I want

[Argus]

I want health care fixed. I don't care how. I want it fixed so that you don't wait ten hours in an ER to get a broken bone fixed. I want it fixed so you don't wait weeks and months for neccessary surgery or consultations with specialists or diagnostic tests. If that means ripping up the Canada Health Act and making a new one I'm okay with that. I don't want an American system. I would settle for a European style system.

I want more democracy in the House, with individual MPs given more power to make decisions, with House committees being free to find and ask and do what they want, rather than being controlled by the party apparatchniks. I want MPs to speak their minds, not vet every opinion through the PMO first. I want MPs to represent their constituents to the House, not represent their party to their constituents.

I want a massive and open audit into the Business Development Bank of Canada, and into those trust foundations where Martin squirreled away billions of dollars, and into CIDA, so Canadians can see where there money has been misspent and stolen all these years.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs, and doesn't waste it on crap we don't need but which the party in power thinks will make them more popular somewhere. I don't want hundreds of millions going to art groups. I don't want canoe museums, blonde joke books, hotels or golf courses getting federal subsidies. I want an end to corporate welfare, an end to money being spent on insider schemes to benefit friends and campaign contributors of the party in power (and I realize that's not going to happen but I'd at least like it cut back). I want the various "regional economic" diversification/incentive programs/departments which do nothing but funnel massive amounts of pork to individual ridings absolished.

I want the injustice in our justice system addressed. I'm tired of punks in the street with guns, tired of swarmings by more punks, tired of drug dealers and pimps roaming around with impunity, tired of murderers getting lighter charges because of our impossiblly stupid standard of proving "intent". I'm tired of rapists getting a few months and child molesters getting house arrest, tired of people with dozens of convictions getting a slap on the wrist, and "young offenders" who are hardened criminals being released into the community with no time served.

I want neutral bodies to appount judges for their legal excellence and wisdom, not because their political acitivism meets with the political beliefs of the party in power, or because they've given money or donated their services to the party in power. I want parole removed as a right, restricted only to those criminals who have shown genuine intentions to reform. I want the top three layers of bureacrats in our prison system fired, and hard labour reintroduced as a concept (and for those whose eyes will immediately pop wide and start thinking this is an American concept, the British, those nice socialists, have hard labour sentences for some crimes)

I want all immigration halted, while the department is gutted and rebuilt with new policies designed specifically to bring in only those immigrants who will benefit Canada. I want only as many immigrants as we can handle, and those immigrants chosen to produce the least amount of economic, political and social disruption. That includes only immigrants who speak English (or French in Quebec), immigrants with applicable skills which can be immediately applied, and preferably immigrants whose cultural values and background is as similar to ours as possible. And if that means White, you know what, I don't have a problem with that. Unlike others, I don't regard immigration as nothing more than an opportunity to diversify the cultural milleau of the country. Immigrants should come here to respect our cultural values and become Canadians, to work, to pay taxes, and to obey laws. If they don't want to do ALL of that we should deport them as failed immigrants.

I want the military rebuilt. It doesn't have to be huge, but I want it fully equipped with modern, top of the line gear and enough people to do the jobs whatever party in power tells them needs doing.

I want the ports police restored. I want the coast guard given the proper amount of money to patrol our shores, instead of having to tie its ships up at dock for lack of money for fuel. I want the RCMP to be given enough money to properly control fraud and smuggling and gun sales, none of which they are really doing now for lack of funds.

I want us to stop giving money to tyrants abroad, and focus our foreign aid only on democratic countries. I want no money going to nations which are busy spending their own money on nuclear weapons and big armies. I want us to get tough with such countries, and even withdraw recognition of corrupt, illegal, tyrannical governments - including China. Why do we even have relations with Iran or Saudi Arabia or Turkmenistan or Ethiopia?

Now do I think the Conservatives will do all that? Hell no. I think they will try to do some of that, though, which is about as close as I guess I can hope for. That isn't saying much, but I know the Liberals will do none of that, so what choice have I?

[PocketRocket]

I think that in parliament, when MP's are voting on bills, the voting should be anonymous. Secret ballots, just like when we vote in elections.

In this way MP's would not be forced to vote the party line, and bills would be more likely to pass or fail based on their merit rather than on the basis of which party proposed them.

[Leafless]

Fraudulent Post-Deleted

[Argus]

Argus

You wrote- " What choice have I?"

You have two choices!

Move to the U.S. or pray Canada becomes the 51st. state.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why? Do you think decent health care, capable, caring, responsible government and a just and well run legal system are US concepts? Have you ever BEEN to the US? It has none of those things.

[Guest eureka]

Please sir, I want some more!

Pocket; there is only one way for representtion in a demicrayc and that is for MPs to represent the party to the constituency. Any other way is anarchy.

If constituents want different ideas for their party(s), they must join the party and have their ideas mooted and adopted IF they reflect the general interest of all constituencies.

[Argus]

Please sir, I want some more!

Pocket; there is only one way for representtion in a demicrayc and that is for MPs to represent the party to the constituency. Any other way is anarchy.

If constituents want different ideas for their party(s), they must join the party and have their ideas mooted and adopted IF they reflect the general interest of all constituencies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I disagree. All it would require is for the people in power to ensure they had enough votes to put through bills. That would require compromise and consultation with the various interest, regional and ideological blocks which would no-doubt form in any group of politically minded individuals. I would prefer that to ramming everything through without giving a damn what any of the people's representatives had to say about it.

[PocketRocket]

Please sir, I want some more!

Well, you picked the right quote for the season.

Isn't Dickens wonderful???

Pocket; there is only one way for representtion in a demicrayc and that is for MPs to represent the party to the constituency. Any other way is anarchy.

And here all along it was my thought that the MP should do the reverse; that is to say represent his constituents to the party.

Sorry, but I have to go along with ARGUS' post directly above.

[Dominik]

Argus

You wrote- " What choice have I?"

You have two choices!

Move to the U.S. or pray Canada becomes the 51st. state.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Omg...

If Canada became the 51st state I would probably become part of the revolution against it, if you understand what the U.S. is. A fascist capitalist beurocratic patriotic "elected" despotism!

[wellandboy]

Please sir, I want some more!

Pocket; there is only one way for representtion in a demicrayc and that is for MPs to represent the party to the constituency. Any other way is anarchy.

If constituents want different ideas for their party(s), they must join the party and have their ideas mooted and adopted IF they reflect the general interest of all constituencies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The people of Lakeshore-Etobicoke found out how well that works!

[Argus]

Argus

You wrote- " What choice have I?"

You have two choices!

Move to the U.S. or pray Canada becomes the 51st. state.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Omg...

If Canada became the 51st state I would probably become part of the revolution against it, if you understand what the U.S. is. A fascist capitalist beurocratic patriotic "elected" despotism!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm curious. If the US is a fascist state, what do you think of the rest of the world? The Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis, North and South Koreans, Nigerians, Cubans, Ugandans, Yemenis, Syrians, Turks, Lebanese, Brazilians, Vietnamese, Peruvians, Indonesians, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.?

Do you even know what the term means? Would you care to explain to us all how the US meets the definition of a fascist state?

[Charles Anthony]

doesn't waste it on crap we don't need but which the party in power thinks will make them more popular somewhere. I don't want hundreds of millions going to art groups. I don't want canoe museums, blonde joke books, hotels or golf courses getting federal subsidies. I want an end to corporate welfare,

I agree.

I think federally mandated museums should have the operating costs of the museums picked up by the taxpayers.

What should be that mandate?

I think privately initiated ones shouldn't unless they are fully turned over to the federal government and have foundation established to help defray the costs of operating them.

What criteria should the federal government follow when it chooses which private museums to buy -- according to you?

[Wilber]

Argus

I agree with most of your sentiments.

I think that in parliament, when MP's are voting on bills, the voting should be anonymous. Secret ballots, just like when we vote in elections.

In this way MP's would not be forced to vote the party line, and bills would be more likely to pass or fail based on their merit rather than on the basis of which party proposed them.

Pocket

I disagree completely. How do you know what your member stands for if you don't know how they vote?

Pocket; there is only one way for representtion in a demicrayc and that is for MPs to represent the party to the constituency. Any other way is anarchy.

If constituents want different ideas for their party(s), they must join the party and have their ideas mooted and adopted IF they reflect the general interest of all constituencies.

Eureka

I disagree completely. An MP is supposed to represent everyone in their constituency, not just members of their own political party. People join parties because they are for the most part like thinking. If a party leader cannot convince like thinkers to vote for something on its merit alone, he or she should be rethinking their policy because it is probably a bad one.

[Saturn]

I want health care fixed. I don't care how. I want it fixed so that you don't wait ten hours in an ER to get a broken bone fixed. I want it fixed so you don't wait weeks and months for neccessary surgery or consultations with specialists or diagnostic tests. If that means ripping up the Canada Health Act and making

a new one I'm okay with that. I don't want an American system. I would settle for a European style system.

You WANT it, you just don't want to PAY for it. You are like a 3-year-old "I want it! I want it!"

I want more democracy in the House, with individual MPs given more power to make decisions, with House committees being free to find and ask and do what they want, rather than being controlled by the party apparatchniks. I want MPs to speak their minds, not vet every opinion through the PMO first. I want MPs to represent their constituents to the House, not represent their party to their constituents.

That's a tough one because most Canadians just want their $100 child care cheque every month and they don't care about anything else.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs, and doesn't waste it on crap we don't need but which the party in power thinks will make them more popular somewhere.

So you expect politicians to quit their jobs, to knock on thousands of doors and get spit on half the time, to be watched by millions and tortured by the media for $100K over 4 years? Hell, no one in their mind will do it for such a pathetic amount of money. And you expect politicians to be able to fund expensive election campaigns without the support of friends who expect good contracts in return? How naive.

I want the injustice in our justice system addressed. I'm tired of punks in the street with guns, tired of swarmings by more punks, tired of drug dealers and pimps roaming around with impunity, tired of murderers getting lighter charges because of our impossiblly stupid standard of proving "intent".

If we lock up all the criminals or we manage to rehabilitate them, what will tens of thousands of lawyers and judges do across the country?

I want all immigration halted, while the department is gutted and rebuilt with new policies designed specifically to bring in only those immigrants who will benefit Canada.

You have a giant industry of immigration lawyers, specialists and whatnot to deal with here. Wish you luck!

I want the military rebuilt. It doesn't have to be huge, but I want it fully equipped with modern, top of the line gear and enough people to do the jobs whatever party in power tells them needs doing.

So you want a private militia for the party in power paid for with my tax dollars? I don't think so.

I want the ports police restored. I want the coast guard given the proper amount of money to patrol our shores, instead of having to tie its ships up at dock for lack of money for fuel. I want the RCMP to be given enough money to properly control fraud and smuggling and gun sales, none of which they are really doing now for lack of funds.

You want a police state run by the RCMP.

I want us to stop giving money to tyrants abroad, and focus our foreign aid only on democratic countries.

More nonsense. 90% of "foreign" aid goes to Canadian companies.

Now do I think the Conservatives will do all that? Hell no. I think they will try to do some of that, though, which is about as close as I guess I can hope for. That isn't saying much, but I know the Liberals will do none of that, so what choice have I?

ROTFLOL!

[Canuck E Stan]

You WANT it....

....most Canadians just want

So you want.....

You want.....

ROTFLOL!

Easy to be critical of someone's wants out of government.....which are valid, I'm sure most of us want a lot of the same things.

How about you telling us what YOU want so we can kick your can.

.....and try backing up some of these stupid responses you've made on this thread.

[Fortunata]

Well, well. Argus and I agree on something, who'd a thunk it?

Heath care? Absolutely needs to be something done. I'm not an expert so I don't know what. Revamp completely the one we have to need less beauocracy; let's don't have to go back to our GP to get follow-up ok's to see the specialists. One referral should be enough at the outset, yes? Let's have enough doctors so people don't have to use emergency rooms for anything other than emergencies. Let's have proactive care before a problem gets serious versus expensive reactive care. There's tons that could be done and is frustratingly not done.

I am furious about my MP giving me the party line in email responses. I don't care about the party line - ok, so I didn't vote for you but dam it all, you're my elected MP. You should be doing what your constituents need doing. As far as voting, yes, secret ballot. At the end of the term (election time) the MP's votes become public so I can tell whether my MP is representing me.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs

The problem is that what is necessary to you may not be necessary to me and vice versa.

I want the injustice in our justice system addressed

You can't stop crime by harsher sentences. The only way to ensure a more lawful and orderly society is put the societal framework in place to reduce the need to commit crimes; this is something Conservatives choose not to understand.

I want neutral bodies to appount judges for their legal excellence and wisdom, not because their political acitivism meets with the political beliefs of the party in power

This happens more often than you'd like to believe.

The whole immigration paragraph I agree with wholeheartedly and unreservedly.

Now do I think the Conservatives will do all that? Hell no. I think they will try to do some of that, though, which is about as close as I guess I can hope for. That isn't saying much, but I know the Liberals will do none of that, so what choice have I?

This paragraph ..... well the Conservatives won't do any more than they have to to get votes JUST LIKE THE LIBERALS. I know you are partisan but the Liberals have done good stuff over the years which anybody could see if they got over the fact that it was the Liberals, just like Steve will do some good things even though he is Conservative. You see how that works?

[guyser]

I want health care fixed. I don't care how. I want it fixed so that you don't wait ten hours in an ER to get a broken bone fixed. I want it fixed so you don't wait weeks and months for neccessary surgery or consultations with specialists or diagnostic tests. If that means ripping up the Canada Health Act and making a new one I'm okay with that. I don't want an American system. I would settle for a European style system.[quote}

What you will get is more of the same. The wait as it is now is not too bad. Triage style is the best and it works in ER's.

I want more democracy in the House, with individual MPs given more power to make decisions, with House committees being free to find and ask and do what they want, rather than being controlled by the party apparatchniks. I want MPs to speak their minds, not vet every opinion through the PMO first. I want MPs to represent their constituents to the House, not represent their party to their constituents.

I agree on most of that, but there is a need for party line politics to puch through what is best ofr this country.

I want a massive and open audit into the Business Development Bank of Canada, and into those trust foundations where Martin squirreled away billions of dollars, and into CIDA, so Canadians can see where there money has been misspent and stolen all these years.

Do not see the need in this one.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs, and doesn't waste it on crap we don't need but which the party in power thinks will make them more popular somewhere. I don't want hundreds of millions going to art groups. I don't want canoe museums, blonde joke books, hotels or golf courses getting federal subsidies. I want an end to corporate welfare, an end to money being spent on insider schemes to benefit friends and campaign contributors of the party in power (and I realize that's not going to happen but I'd at least like it cut back). I want the various "regional economic" diversification/incentive programs/departments which do nothing but funnel massive amounts of pork to individual ridings absolished.

Hell I love the Canoe Museum and many of the other art projects and displays in this country.Art is necessary , the world would be poorer without it.

I want the injustice in our justice system addressed. I'm tired of punks in the street with guns, tired of swarmings by more punks, tired of drug dealers and pimps roaming around with impunity, tired of murderers getting lighter charges because of our impossiblly stupid standard of proving "intent". I'm tired of rapists getting a few months and child molesters getting house arrest, tired of people with dozens of convictions getting a slap on the wrist, and "young offenders" who are hardened criminals being released into the community with no time served.

Ok, just get the justice system to apply the sentences as proposed.

I want all immigration halted, while the department is gutted and rebuilt with new policies designed specifically to bring in only those immigrants who will benefit Canada. I want only as many immigrants as we can handle, and those immigrants chosen to produce the least amount of economic, political and social disruption. That includes only immigrants who speak English (or French in Quebec), immigrants with applicable skills which can be immediately applied, and preferably immigrants whose cultural values and background is as similar to ours as possible. And if that means White, you know what, I don't have a problem with that. Unlike others, I don't regard immigration as nothing more than an opportunity to diversify the cultural milleau of the country. Immigrants should come here to respect our cultural values and become Canadians, to work, to pay taxes, and to obey laws. If they don't want to do ALL of that we should deport them as failed immigrants.

Tell that to the Associations that have hoodwinked the Gov into not allowing people to come in and use their expertise. The rest seems a bit too NIMBY-ish

[mikedavid00]

I think that in parliament, when MP's are voting on bills, the voting should be anonymous. Secret ballots, just like when we vote in elections.

In this way MP's would not be forced to vote the party line, and bills would be more likely to pass or fail based on their merit rather than on the basis of which party proposed them.

I agree, but still have to disagree with this in a fundemental way.

[mikedavid00]

Argus

You wrote- " What choice have I?"

You have two choices!

Move to the U.S. or pray Canada becomes the 51st. state.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Omg...

If Canada became the 51st state I would probably become part of the revolution against it, if you understand what the U.S. is. A fascist capitalist beurocratic patriotic "elected" despotism!

I would be out on the steet celebrating if we were a 51's US state.

Lets partition the country, and those who want the missery and games of living in this shi*t hole of a country can stay, I'll go where the gov't governs on behalf of the people and I can take part in making direct discisions for my country and laws.

[mikedavid00]

Revamp completely the one we have to need less beauocracy;

Good luck on that one. The political will isn't there to do this and it will never happen.

Only private companies can run things with low cost and efficient at the same time.

You have idealism, not reality.

We lost the healthcare system. Let's admit we can't fix it and do what it takes to make it better. The gov't of Canada is NOT the answer. That's where I disagree with Argus.

[Riverwind]

I'll go where the gov't governs on behalf of the people and I can take part in making direct discisions for my country and laws.

Why don't you just move to the US then? You have to realistic - there are very few people in this country that agree with your opinions.

[Argus]

Well, well. Argus and I agree on something, who'd a thunk it?

Heath care? Absolutely needs to be something done. I'm not an expert so I don't know what. Revamp completely the one we have to need less beauocracy; let's don't have to go back to our GP to get follow-up ok's to see the specialists. One referral should be enough at the outset, yes? Let's have enough doctors so people don't have to use emergency rooms for anything other than emergencies.

We don't even have enough doctors so people can use emergency rooms IN emergencies.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs

The problem is that what is necessary to you may not be necessary to me and vice versa

Come on. We all have things we want to spend money on - then there are the things we HAVE to spend money on. Once the things we NEED are addressed, we can see what's left over to spend on things we WANT.

I want the injustice in our justice system addressed

You can't stop crime by harsher sentences.

Let's try, shall we. God knows we haven't tried before God knows the hug-a-thug approach has been tried endlessly here, and in other places, as in the UK, for example, and it's failed miserably. People need to stop looking at the united states, where it's true harsh sentences have had mixed results. But crime in the US is mainly due to sociological reasons which we do not at present face. What deters crime? I'll tell you here and now. What deters crime is the strong, if not certain belief you will be caught, and immediately, strongly punished. The problem we have is that we don't have enough cops, we don't punish people immediately, and we don't punish people strongly. The most important aspect is that people know exactly what punishment they'll get if they're caught breaking a law, and nobody knows that here because it's all a crap shoot depending on what lawyer you get, what Crown you get, and what mood the judge is in.

The only way to ensure a more lawful and orderly society is put the societal framework in place to reduce the need to commit crimes; this is something Conservatives choose not to understand.

If you think you're going to eliminate poverty you're living in a dream world. Why don't you take a look at what the last fifteen years of a Labour government in the UK has done about reducing crime with the hug-a-thug approach. Would you describe the situation there as a more lawful and orderly society? That approach has not worked. So let's try harsh, certain punishments for all violent crime. Let's just TRY it.

Now do I think the Conservatives will do all that? Hell no. I think they will try to do some of that, though, which is about as close as I guess I can hope for. That isn't saying much, but I know the Liberals will do none of that, so what choice have I?

This paragraph ..... well the Conservatives won't do any more than they have to to get votes JUST LIKE THE LIBERALS.

No, I honestly think the Conservatives want to do better, want to improve things, want to solve problems. The Liberals are the natural governing party. If you wanted power, you joined the Liberals. Those who joined the Tories did so because they were angry or upset or dissatisfied with the system and wanted changes. I don't say I'm thrilled with them, but the Liberals have had a lot of time in power and have not even attempted to solve any of the problems I've highlighted above. Therefore, I'm willing to try the Tories.

I know you are partisan but the Liberals have done good stuff over the years which anybody could see if they got over the fact that it was the Liberals,

Health care - gone downhill

Crime and justice - downhill

Immigration - downhill

honesty and integrity in government - downhill

Why don't you tell me what they've done that's been really impressive?

[Argus]

I want health care fixed. I don't care how. I want it fixed so that you don't wait ten hours in an ER to get a broken bone fixed. I want it fixed so you don't wait weeks and months for neccessary surgery or consultations with specialists or diagnostic tests. If that means ripping up the Canada Health Act and making a new one I'm okay with that. I don't want an American system. I would settle for a European style system.

What you will get is more of the same. The wait as it is now is not too bad. Triage style is the best and it works in ER's.

BULL-SHIT. Maybe wherever you come from you regard a ten hour wait to fix the broken arm of a baby or an elderly woman. I most certainly do not. You know, there was a time we would hear about how the public hospitals in the US had these long, long waits, and we shook our heads about how silly the Americans were. Not now. Now we have those waits too. The difference is that only the poor wait in the US. Most of the rest go to private hospitals and they don't wait any ten hours to have a broken limb set. All your egalitarian system has managed to do here is put all of us into the same boat as the poorest Americans - a slow boat circling endlessly in search of a doctor. Months long waits for diagnostic tests, months long wait for treatment for cancer, years long waits for orthopedic surgery. This is not the system I grew up with. It is not the system we had fifteen years ago - prior to Jean Chretien, who considered social services a "holy trust" took office. Health care died on the Liberal Party watch. Jean Chretien and his do-nothing, couldn't-care-less government let the public health care system in this country fall apart. It is an even worse indictment than his corruption, dishonesty and lack of integrity.

[Riverwind]

Maybe wherever you come from you regard a ten hour wait to fix the broken arm of a baby or an elderly woman. I most certainly do not.

Argus, the waiting times in the hospitals really depend on the locale. If have been to the local emergency ward on a number of occasions (with broken bones) and never have to wait more than 40-60 minutes (if that - I was not really keeping track). However, I have heard the hospital in Surrey is a nightmare. Furthermore, emergency wards often have to deal with spikes in traffic and it is very difficult to fund a system such that it can handle large spikes whenever they happen without wasting a lot of resources when the system is dealing with the normal patient load.

[Melanie_]

When I broke my ankle three years ago, I got to the hospital at around 7:30 am on a Monday. They gave me a room fairly quickly, and told me they would be taking me up for surgery for the pins and plates. That surgery didn't happen until Wednesday around noon. Now, I did receive medical care in the meantime, and maybe my surgery wasn't the most pressing need the hospital faced, but I wonder how much it cost to keep me there for the extra 2 days, rather than just getting the surgery done and getting me out of there. They weren't keeping me there for my winning personality, that's for sure!

[Saturn]

We don't even have enough doctors so people can use emergency rooms IN emergencies.

Just come out and say it. You want to pay double for health-care just so that some "poor people" can't get health-care services when they need them.

I want government which spends my money only on necessary programs...

Come on. We all have things we want to spend money on - then there are the things we HAVE to spend money on. Once the things we NEED are addressed, we can see what's left over to spend on things we WANT.

You NEED more military spending. That's the last thing I need. See, we can't even agree on what is needed.