fellowtraveller Posted November 3, 2006 Report Posted November 3, 2006 as frisky as Harpers crew? GST change, accountbality act, clean air act, Afghan mission, income trust changes, law and order legislation, paying down the debt, child care subsidies..... and so on. Love 'em or hate 'em - you have got to admit that they have not been passive. Quote The government should do something.
gc1765 Posted November 3, 2006 Report Posted November 3, 2006 Pearson's minorities got a lot accomplished. Quote Almost three thousand people died needlessly and tragically at the World Trade Center on September 11; ten thousand Africans die needlessly and tragically every single day-and have died every single day since September 11-of AIDS, TB, and malaria. We need to keep September 11 in perspective, especially because the ten thousand daily deaths are preventable. - Jeffrey Sachs (from his book "The End of Poverty")
Topaz Posted November 3, 2006 Report Posted November 3, 2006 When you're a minority government, you have to be that way so you can get a majority, which I don't think Harper will get! I see three BIG mistakes he's made that some Canadians won't like, not lowering the flag, keeping the troops longer overseas and the income trust, were it hit more Canadians than corporations. I just wonder if any of them(the ministers) lost investments or their families??? Quote
Canuck E Stan Posted November 3, 2006 Report Posted November 3, 2006 ....and the income trust, were it hit more Canadians than corporations. I just wonder if any of them(the ministers) lost investments or their families??? Treasure hunters mine the trust bust The prospect of a big tax hit in 2011 will put pressure on poorer quality trusts that are already having trouble meeting their cash distributions. The corporate tax bill for trusts will go from zero today to 31.5 per cent.The tax hit will be particularly onerous for foreign investors who will see their tax bill on trust distributions effectively rise to more than 40 per cent from the current 15 per cent. Americans are big investors in energy trusts and were clearly dumping stock yesterday, sending energy trusts down 18 per cent over the last two days. Sebastian Van Berkom, a Montreal money manager, doesn't like energy trusts, but does think it's a good time for income-oriented investors to buy the highest quality business trusts. I think most Canadians will agree with the government on their move, a good one. Quote "Any man under 30 who is not a liberal has no heart, and any man over 30 who is not a conservative has no brains." — Winston Churchill
jdobbin Posted November 3, 2006 Report Posted November 3, 2006 as frisky as Harpers crew?GST change, accountbality act, clean air act, Afghan mission, income trust changes, law and order legislation, paying down the debt, child care subsidies..... and so on. Love 'em or hate 'em - you have got to admit that they have not been passive. Only two of their pieces of major legislation have been passed. The rest are being debated and amended in Parliament. Paul Martin similarly had many pieces of legislation that never made it through to the next election. Quote
Ricki Bobbi Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 Only two of their pieces of major legislation have been passed. The rest are being debated and amended in Parliament. Paul Martin similarly had many pieces of legislation that never made it through to the next election. Hmmm, interesting how none of Martin's pieces of legislation were being held up in the Senate. I wonder why that is??? Quote Dion is a verbose, mild-mannered academic with a shaky grasp of English who seems unfit to chair a university department, much less lead a country. Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen
Argus Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 When you're a minority government, you have to be that way so you can get a majority, which I don't think Harper will get! I see three BIG mistakes he's made that some Canadians won't like, not lowering the flag, keeping the troops longer overseas and the income trust, were it hit more Canadians than corporations. I just wonder if any of them(the ministers) lost investments or their families??? The flag is old news. Nobody will care. The trust income tax was necessary, and I think almost everyone will agree. The Afghan thing will cost them, especially in Quebec, even though it's not really fair. The Liberals involved us in that, and have hypocrtically tried to back away from any responsibility. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Ricki Bobbi Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 The flag is old news. Nobody will care. The trust income tax was necessary, and I think almost everyone will agree. The Afghan thing will cost them, especially in Quebec, even though it's not really fair. The Liberals involved us in that, and have hypocrtically tried to back away from any responsibility. Smart investors will be able to recoup a good portion of their paper losses by the time of a spring election. The TSX's income trust index was up 3.8% today.... Quote Dion is a verbose, mild-mannered academic with a shaky grasp of English who seems unfit to chair a university department, much less lead a country. Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen
August1991 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 Pearson's minorities got a lot accomplished.Pearson's minorities spent money, which is the easiest thing in the world for a politician to do.Love 'em or hate 'em - you have got to admit that they have not been passive.What strikes me about Harper and the Tories is their professionalism.There has been no scandal involving any minister or MP. No resignations. No hastily called press conferences to re-explain what was really meant. No outrageous restaurant bills. No innuendo about chauffeurs or expensive office redecorations. (The worst gaffe was apparently a comment implying that Stronach was a dog.) Compare that to almost any new government elected for the first time anywhere in the world. Harper himself had never sat at a cabinet meeting let alone chaired one before this year. No doubt, he has been helped by some senior ministers with provincial experience. The cabinet itself is remarkably united. There are no reports of dissenting opinions or griping even from caucus (excepting Garth Turner but that was to be expected). In addition, Harper has quietly accepted criticism and always responded intelligently and calmly - when he didn't just ignore it. The flag is old news. Nobody will care. The trust income tax was necessary, and I think almost everyone will agree. The Afghan thing will cost them, especially in Quebec, even though it's not really fair. The Liberals involved us in that, and have hypocrtically tried to back away from any responsibility.I agree with Argus, partly. The flag is completely irrelevant and the income trust reversal is defendable. (The Liberals could ask why the Tories made the promise in the first place but that opens up a can of worms. In any case, income trusts are too complex to hold much interest.)Afghanistan will be an issue but Argus, keep in mind that the Tory support in Quebec is region-specific. I think the Tories have a good chance of keeping those seats. The question seems to be: what will be the major issues in the upcoming election? The wait-guarantee promise. The environment. Gun control and crime (an issue which the Tories should own but strangely they don't). In Quebec, the fiscal imbalance. The Tories will also be fighting the natural urge of many Canadians to vote Liberal. (Although I think the Tories now have better campaign tactics than the Liberals.) In their favour, the Tories will have shown competent, honest government and an economy churning along. I still think that each day the Tories avoid an election brings them one day closer to winning a majority. If the Tories can put the election off to 2008, they'll have more chances. Quote
gc1765 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 Pearson's minorities got a lot accomplished.Pearson's minorities spent money, which is the easiest thing in the world for a politician to do. Pearson did more than just spend money. Whether you agree with what his government did or not, you have to admit that they got a lot done. Or as the original poster would say "Love 'em or hate 'em - you have got to admit that they have not been passive". I don't see how what Pearson did was any "easier" than what Harper's government has accomplished. Quote Almost three thousand people died needlessly and tragically at the World Trade Center on September 11; ten thousand Africans die needlessly and tragically every single day-and have died every single day since September 11-of AIDS, TB, and malaria. We need to keep September 11 in perspective, especially because the ten thousand daily deaths are preventable. - Jeffrey Sachs (from his book "The End of Poverty")
bradco Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 I dont care for Harper whatsoever but he has done a pretty good job and I support continuing with a conservative MINORITY government. -the flag issue: is there an issue? I though military families didnt even have a problem with this. Lowering a flag isnt the best way to show our thanks/support for troops. -income trusts: corrected a Liberal mistake? This will all blow over -Afghanistan: probably hurt him but not really fair. Liberals went there and we ought to be there. -Softwood lumber: helped solve an issue that has plagued our relations. Getting past all the political rhetoric we got a good deal which is the best we could get. Almost any deal would have been better than no deal. "Paul Martin similarly had many pieces of legislation that never made it through to the next election." please, come on. Martin was all talk no action. Too much of a chicken to take a stand on anything or act on anything. Examples: sending SSM to the surpreme court to try to argue his hands were tied instead of taking a principled stand, whining about the big, bad environmentally unfriendly American adminstration while overseeing a government doing absolutly nothing on the environment The one area Harper isnt doing what he should is the environment. Whats the worst thing about this? He has already down more than Martin and the Liberals ever did. There are other areas needing to be addressed and a feel he will do so. I would like to see action on the Arctic sovereignty issue and really the conservatives are the only party right now that has any chance of negotiating in good faith with the US. Quote
normanchateau Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 -Softwood lumber: helped solve an issue that has plagued our relations. Getting past all the political rhetoric we got a good deal which is the best we could get. Almost any deal would have been better than no deal. The softwood lumber deal will lose Harper even more seats in BC than he lost in the January, 2006, election. When Frank McKenna presented to David Emerson, then a Liberal cabinet minister, a deal which involved a Canadian export tax and only the partial return of the 5 billion in illegal US duties, Emerson turned it down. But Emerson accepted a similar deal presented to new ambassador Wilson. Harper undoubtedly deserves credit for Emerson's flipflop but it is a betrayal of the BC lumber industry, most of whom remain outraged by the current deal. And how exactly has the current deal helped Canada-US relations? The US still has not backed down on the passport issue despite Harper's grovelling. The US did not return a billion in illegal duties. And Canadian forest companies now pay a 15% export tax which is even higher than the 10.8% illegal duties previously imposed by the US. Emerson and Harper betrayed the forest industry and Canada in this ridiculous "deal". Anyone who views this deal as beneficial to Canada or Harper's re-election prospects needs to face reality. The US lumber lobby won. Canada lost. And Harper made it happen. Quote
Argus Posted November 4, 2006 Report Posted November 4, 2006 The softwood lumber deal will lose Harper even more seats in BC than he lost in the January, 2006, election.When Frank McKenna presented to David Emerson, then a Liberal cabinet minister, a deal which involved a Canadian export tax and only the partial return of the 5 billion in illegal US duties, Emerson turned it down. Cite please. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
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