Important Issues to Canadians

[jdobbin]

1. building the most efficent economy in the world. (no party cares about this)

2. removing carcinogens from our environment that will kill all of us. (maybe the NDP)

3. allowing options in health care and letting the market improve the system. (no party will admit this)

4. bringing more representation to Canada through more powerful provinces. (Bloc Quebecois?)

5. reducing the crime on our streets, creating a safe and secure place for people to live. (finally a CPC area)

I agree with all things here except the fourth one. The provinces already have a strong constitutional area of responsibility.

[jdobbin]

5. reducing the crime on our streets, creating a safe and secure place for people to live. (finally a CPC area)

Speaking of this issue, why have the Tories left 40 vacancies in the judiciary. It is their responsibility to appoint federal judges. Month after month have gone by and no appointments.

[Canuck E Stan]

Speaking of this issue, why have the Tories left 40 vacancies in the judiciary. It is their responsibility to appoint federal judges. Month after month have gone by and no appointments.

In filling the posts, do you want someone who can do the job properly, or do you want a Liberal lawyer?

[Figleaf]

Long term objective:

Creation of a super-wealthy, ecologically sustainable eudaimonic society of free, politically equal citizens.

Interim steps:

1. Attain optimal education quality and universal access; early childhood thru post-2dy, plus life-long career mobility ed.

2. Institute key democratic reforms to improve gov. responsiveness and accountability.

3. Deploy an integrated industrial strategy to maximize Cdn. economic opportunities.

4. Eliminate bio-survival hardship anywhere in Canada -- no-one goes hungry or cold or ill-without-treatment.

5. Establish a uniformed peace corps.

[August1991]

What I am hoping for from this topic is some insite into what other Canadians stand for. If you ran a political party, what would its priorities be? If you only like 30% of the Liberals policies, 20% of the NDP's policies, and say 40% of the CPC's policies, what would be the ultimate party for you?

Is this a federal party or a provincial party?

Canada has a federal system and many of the issues raised cross jurisdictional boundaries. Only Dobbin above seems to have noted that point.

Frankly, if you ask a vague question, don't be surprised if you get vague answers.

[Catchme]

Speaking of this issue, why have the Tories left 40 vacancies in the judiciary. It is their responsibility to appoint federal judges. Month after month have gone by and no appointments.

In filling the posts, do you want someone who can do the job properly, or do you want a Liberal lawyer?

That tranlates into: the CPC cannot find enough lawyers that have a bigoted narrow/biased view point to put into a judical position. It seems they would rather have criminals on the street then rather than appoint a judge, or rather 40 judges, who is not a soc-con.

Now isn't that special, the very people who scream about criminals on the street, are making sure it happens by failing to appoint judges.

[jacobhelliwell]

Speaking of this issue, why have the Tories left 40 vacancies in the judiciary. It is their responsibility to appoint federal judges. Month after month have gone by and no appointments.

Where have I been, I havent even heard this. Does someone have a link to a news source?

[jdobbin]

In filling the posts, do you want someone who can do the job properly, or do you want a Liberal lawyer?

And this takes more than a year to do?

The last judge appointed was a Conservative party fundraiser in Alberta. I could care less who they appoint as long as the person can do the job. The commitment to the federal process demand that these positions be filled in a timely manner. I'd be criticizing any party that didn't do this as a matter of law and order.

You have evidence to show that it should take that long?

[jdobbin]

Where have I been, I havent even heard this. Does someone have a link to a news source?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Pag...orce_login=true

[Canuck E Stan]

The last judge appointed was a Conservative party fundraiser in Alberta. I could care less who they appoint as long as the person can do the job. The commitment to the federal process demand that these positions be filled in a timely manner. I'd be criticizing any party that didn't do this as a matter of law and order.

You have evidence to show that it should take that long?

Martin defends judicial appointments

Their comments came after statements on Wednesday by Benoît Corbeil, who used to be director general of the Montreal office of the Liberal Party of Canada.Corbeil told Radio-Canada and the Globe and Mail that lawyers often volunteered to work for the Liberals on the understanding that it was a road to judicial appointments.

When the Liberals were in power:

more than 60 per cent of federal judicial appointments in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan in the prevoius five years donated exclusively to the Liberal party in the three to five years before their appointments.

Interviews with well-connected members of the legal community, including Liberals, a search of news data bases, and Elections Canada political contribution records, establish that in the 5 years proir to 2005 a majority of the 93 lawyers who were appointed to the Federal Court, the Ontario Superior Court, and the Courts of Queen's Bench of Alberta and Saskatchewan had associations with the governing Liberals.

More than 70 per cent of those appointed since 2000 to the Ontario Superior Court by Cotler and his predecessors, Anne McLellan and Martin Cauchon, donated money only to the Liberal Party of Canada. Forty of 56 lawyers gave just to the Liberals...

...The situation was similar in Alberta. Seven of the 13 lawyers (54 per cent) appointed to the federal bench in 2000 or later donated solely to the Liberals. None of the lawyers appointed donated solely to the Conservatives...

...High-profile Liberals appointed to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench included John J. Gill, co-chair of election readiness in Alberta for the Liberals in 2004; Vital Ouellette, who ran unsuccessfully for the provincial Liberals in Lac La Biche-St. Paul in 1997 and 2001; federal Liberal candidate Bryan Mahoney, who lost twice to Conservative Myron Thompson in the riding of Wild Rose; and Liberal fundraiser Marsha Colleen Erb, Calgary co-chair in 1999 of the exclusive Laurier Club, where membership is based on donations of $1,000 or more to the Liberal party. Erb was appointed by her friend, then-justice minister Anne McLellan...

...11 of the 17 judges appointed to the trial level of the Ottawa based Federal Court were found to have ties to the Liberals.

"Not all horse thieves are Liberal, but all Liberals are horse thieves."

And for taking so long. . . . . . . .give it time, it hasn't been 12 years yet.

[Remiel]

Geoffrey --> How do you propose keeping money in Canada under your system? If you are going to reduce taxes on corporations, you have to have some mechanism to ensure that wealthy folks cannot move all of their new-found wealth into tax havens outside the country, leaving the middle-class and the poor to pick up the tab. And as for unlimited foreign ownership, how exactly do you propose we retain economic sovereignty by surrendering everything to outside interests? As has already been stated, those people do not have anything invested in this country except money. We need investors to have a vested interest in the welfare of this country at large, or else they will abandon us at the first sign of ill weather and we'll be screwed.

As for the military... I do not begrudge the military any of the money being spent on new equipment. I'm quite happy to give them every penny of it. However, I am extremely displeased at how Harper and O'Connor seem to be running their affairs. I don't trust them to spend that money most wisely. Also, there needs to be a clearer picture of how the infrastructure and logistics of the military works for us to judge expenditures by.

Anyway, I think it is just as important that we learn to do what we do now efficiently, not just change to a more " efficient " system. Or rather, I mean that being efficient at the micro level is perhaps as important as being efficient at the macro level.

[Remiel]

Oh yes... and remember, every day those judicial positions are left unfilled is an additional 320 hours backlog being added to the system. Well, that is rather rough, but assuming an 8 hour work day.

[geoffrey]

Geoffrey --> How do you propose keeping money in Canada under your system? If you are going to reduce taxes on corporations, you have to have some mechanism to ensure that wealthy folks cannot move all of their new-found wealth into tax havens outside the country, leaving the middle-class and the poor to pick up the tab. And as for unlimited foreign ownership, how exactly do you propose we retain economic sovereignty by surrendering everything to outside interests? As has already been stated, those people do not have anything invested in this country except money. We need investors to have a vested interest in the welfare of this country at large, or else they will abandon us at the first sign of ill weather and we'll be screwed.

Great question Remiel. Withholding taxes are actually quite easy to apply and easy to regulate. Banks tend to follow the law so when they transfer money outside of the country, it's easy to know when it happens. Slapping a withholding tax equal to the flat rate income tax I proposed inside Canada would make it needless to syphon money outside the country. The evasion method would be smuggling cash outside of the country, but that's rather impossible to do on a large scale.

With lower rates of taxation and more open foreign ownership rules, more money would be entering the economy. Your not going to see a major drain the available investment capital in Canada, in my opinion. You need to sell domestic assets to take money out of the country, and it's likely going to be another foreigner buying these assets, injecting that money back into the country. Rich people don't have $10mil in their chequing account, they don't just log onto EasyWeb and click Interac money transfer and send it to Grand Cayman. They have to sell assets, to someone else, so really the money doesn't leave per say.

Retain economic soverignty? I'm unconcerned with mere symbolism of ownership. If it makes our companies more efficient, and makes Canadians working there or otherwise exisitng in the country more money, I could care less who owns them.

The one exception is companies controlled by foreign governments, such as China trying to take over the Oil Sands... they could operate contrary to our desires. But a free market company, say European or American, owning Canadian assets is going to attempt to operate them at the greatest profit, not for political gain. These people have shareholders that want returns.

[jdobbin]

And for taking so long. . . . . . . .give it time, it hasn't been 12 years yet.

I could care less if they appointed Tories to do the job as long as they can do it. One year is too long for appointments for a party that is supposed to in defence of law and order. The cops are saying that, the judiciary and lawyers themselves.

[Ricki Bobbi]

And for taking so long. . . . . . . .give it time, it hasn't been 12 years yet.

I could care less if they appointed Tories to do the job as long as they can do it. One year is too long for appointments for a party that is supposed to in defence of law and order. The cops are saying that, the judiciary and lawyers themselves.

Bullsh*t you couldn't care less if they appointed Tories.

They haven't even been in power for 11 months yet. The appointments will be taken care of...

[Riverwind]

Great question Remiel. Withholding taxes are actually quite easy to apply and easy to regulate.

Withholding taxes cannot practically exceed 10-15% because of tax treaties and the huge disincentive they give to foreign investors. Frankly, I think high withholding taxes scare off investors more than corporate taxes.

With lower rates of taxation and more open foreign ownership rules, more money would be entering the economy.

Investors have plently of things that they can invest in today. Opening the few remaining industries to foreign takeovers is not going to make a difference to the total flows. The risks associated with opening up banking and media companies to foreign takeovers are simply too high.

The one exception is companies controlled by foreign governments, such as China trying to take over the Oil Sands... they could operate contrary to our desires. But a free market company, say European or American, owning Canadian assets is going to attempt to operate them at the greatest profit, not for political gain. These people have shareholders that want returns.

The rule should be simple: Ask if it is possible for Canadians to purchase the company doing the acquiring (assuming they had the money). If it is legally impossible for Canadians to purchase the company doing the acquiring then the takeover should be denied. This would exclude all gov't and quasi-gov't organizations without creating a rule that directly discriminates against certain countries.

[geoffrey]

Withholding taxes cannot practically exceed 10-15% because of tax treaties and the huge disincentive they give to foreign investors. Frankly, I think high withholding taxes scare off investors more than corporate taxes.

Not really, we're talking about people looking to make long-term investment, not just speculative commodity trading. The former helps our economy, the later poses a bit of a threat. Withholding taxes at say 10-15% would clearly slow speculation, but not long-term investment if the environment was tax free to operate in.

Investors have plently of things that they can invest in today. Opening the few remaining industries to foreign takeovers is not going to make a difference to the total flows. The risks associated with opening up banking and media companies to foreign takeovers are simply too high.

There are some considerable barriers to foreign investment still. Most can be overcome, but barriers exist none the less. One of those is likely our oppressive corporate taxes in comparison to somewhere like Ireland. A company that isn't location dependant won't come here, they'll got to Ireland. Why not? If we aren't the best, people aren't going to go to Canada, they will go to whoever is best. Second best in this game is pretty much worthless.

The rule should be simple: Ask if it is possible for Canadians to purchase the company doing the acquiring (assuming they had the money). If it is legally impossible for Canadians to purchase the company doing the acquiring then the takeover should be denied. This would exclude all gov't and quasi-gov't organizations without creating a rule that directly discriminates against certain countries.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[Catchme]

Oh yes... and remember, every day those judicial positions are left unfilled is an additional 320 hours backlog being added to the system. Well, that is rather rough, but assuming an 8 hour work day.

Is that outrageous or what? 320 hours a day court backlog leaving criiminals on the street, reoffending as we speak. Why? Because the CPC are checking party memberships files looking for anyone who belonged to the Liberal Party or donated to it ever to make sure they do not put a Liberal judge in.

This could mean we never have the positions filled until we get a government change!

[geoffrey]

Did all these spots open the day Harper was elected... or is this more accurately a Liberal issue?

[jdobbin]

Did all these spots open the day Harper was elected... or is this more accurately a Liberal issue?

There were never more than 20 spots open during a combination of previous Liberal and Conservative governments. It was the judiciary themselves that raised it as an issue.

[Catchme]

It does not matter when the openings came about, Harper has been in power for a year, the CPC need to stop blamming the Liberals for their failings and all that is not happening in Canada. It not only makes them look like failure but whiners too.

[Canuck E Stan]

Speaking of this issue, why have the Tories left 40 vacancies in the judiciary. It is their responsibility to appoint federal judges. Month after month have gone by and no appointments.

There were never more than 20 spots open during a combination of previous Liberal and Conservative governments. It was the judiciary themselves that raised it as an issue.

With 40 spots empty presently, 20 go back to Liberal delays and 20 to the present conservatives.

Why didn't the Liberals fill their 20 when they were in power for 13 years? There would only be 20 spots to fill today.

But hey, the Conservatives have been running the government for 11 months, more than enough time by Natural governing Liberals in opposition party,

why in hell didn't those Conservatives fill those positions,lazy arse Conservatives.

Shameful,I tell you shameful.

It was the judiciary themselves that raised it as an issue.

Wouldn't be the card carrying, Liberal party donating,got a job from the Liberals, judicairy would it?

[jdobbin]

With 40 spots empty presently, 20 go back to Liberal delays and 20 to the present conservatives.

Why didn't the Liberals fill their 20 when they were in power for 13 years? There would only be 20 spots to fill today.

But hey, the Conservatives have been running the government for 11 months, more than enough time by Natural governing Liberals in opposition party,

why in hell didn't those Conservatives fill those positions,lazy arse Conservatives.

Shameful,I tell you shameful.

Wouldn't be the card carrying, Liberal party donating,got a job from the Liberals, judicairy would it?

The number never rose above 20 vacancies with previous Liberals and Tories. They were filled in a timely manner.

The new Conservatives have been targeted the judiciary for scorn while letting the vacancies grow. If they want qualified Conservatives in there, then appoint them. Instead we get a lot of bellyaching.

[Canuck E Stan]

The number never rose above 20 vacancies with previous Liberals and Tories. They were filled in a timely manner.

The new Conservatives have been targeted the judiciary for scorn while letting the vacancies grow. If they want qualified Conservatives in there, then appoint them. Instead we get a lot of bellyaching.

They will be filled in a timely manner, but it won't be by bellyaching Liberals who want a scandal to discredit the Conservatives.

They'll could always use the Liberal method of appointments, and wait until the eve of an election to fill all the unfilled positions in government.That always worked for the Liberals(only time they ever did anything in short order)

[jdobbin]

They will be filled in a timely manner, but it won't be by bellyaching Liberals who want a scandal to discredit the Conservatives.

They'll could always use the Liberal method of appointments, and wait until the eve of an election to fill all the unfilled positions in government.That always worked for the Liberals(only time they ever did anything in short order)

The timely manner passed months ago.