The Globe and Mail: Editorial: Three reasons why it's time for a change

The Globe and Mail: Editorial: Three reasons why it's time for a change: "Change is essential in a democracy. A perpetual lease on 24 Sussex Drive fuels the sense of entitlement that blurs the line between private gain and public good. Just as bad, a perpetual lease on Stornoway discourages the discipline and moderation required of an alternative government. Without a vibrant, continuing competition for power, a democracy runs the risk of degenerating into hegemony on the governing side and unreality on the opposition side. Both parties need to believe they can win elections � and lose them."

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Dead party walking

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Dead party walking: "No, this is the last-ditch attempt of a dead party walking to scare Canadians into sticking with the shameless, corrupt and completely arrogant Liberals. Will it work? We doubt it. The fact that the ads have not only been roundly condemned but also widely mocked on the Internet with bloggers posting frame-for-frame parodies suggests that the Liberals have finally gone too far in trying to demonize their opponents.
When asked for his comment on the military ad, respected retired general Lewis Mackenzie yesterday said, 'It took my breath away; I just couldn't believe anybody could be that dumb.'
But they are. There are Liberals that dumb. In our cities.
We did not make this up. "

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Tory tax plan lacking

We agree the Tories can do better and when elected will be made accountable to getting Canadian taxes competitive with the rest of the world. PR
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Tory tax plan lacking: "It's not like there isn't the fiscal room to bring in broad-based tax cuts, either.
The federal government is projecting nearly $55 billion in surpluses over the next five years.
And we all know there are billions of dollars more in government waste that can be slashed, including the $1-billion gun registry.
Canada suffers from one of the lowest productivity rates among the world's developed countries. We need leaner government and a higher performance economy to reverse that.
Most economists agree that one of the best places to start is to reduce Canada's high tax burden.
We thought the Conservatives believed that, too. "

Before the bubble bursts

One unintended consequence, like a side-ache from dancing the Twist, is that the largesse simply enervates our body politic and delays inevitable reforms. In a relatively slow-growing economy where government spending accounts for about half the total, more cash for old models prolongs the mediocrity of Mills’s “perfect calm.”
Three themes dominate the dated dance music:
Governments can produce cheaper services. The reality of vibrant markets demolishes this, the mouldiest of the tenets. Almost no one believes that governments should run supermarkets to provide cheaper food, or that politicians and bureaucrats can outperform Wal-Mart. Only primitive government accounting systems, which fail to measure real costs, preserve the illusion. Can Manitoba Health deliver cheaper MRIs than the Maples clinic? Only when you treat equipment purchases as a free good, underpay their operators and make the public wait for needed scans. Ditto for many services now delivered by our sprawling public sector, including liquor, car insurance, social services and education.
Government price controls can outguess markets. Two examples, from many. The latest statistics on Manitoba’s rent-control tragedy show higher rents in Winnipeg than in Regina or Saskatoon—both decontrolled in 1992—and a lower quality and quantity of apartments. The collateral damage: little or no residential construction in Winnipeg’s downtown, a huge missed opportunity. For more stupidity, consider the Doer government’s shenanigans with energy pricing, where clean, renewable hydro-electricity subsidizes the consumption of non-renewable natural gas. Massive equalization payments allow us to charge below-market rates for electricity and cross-subsidize energy consumption. The result: one of the world’s most energy-inefficient economies.
Governments can plan for the future. Politicians tend to look backwards, protecting old methods and catering to favoured interests. Consider, for instance, the tiresome debate about transit. More people now “telecommute” by working from their homes than ride transit. Yet the establishment still seeks to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into a system that moves people downtown to fewer and fewer jobs. Ten years ago, few had heard of the Internet, which has revolutionized work, play and shopping. Yet we use yesterday’s assumptions to project ridership decades from now and waste money on outmoded forms.
A “perfect storm” is about to sweep away the “perfect calm” and obliterate such myths. Even the dimmest of politicians are slowly understanding that unreformed healthcare is unsustainable. The main paymasters, Alberta and Ontario, are losing patience with a dysfunctional equalization system. The latter, Canada’s manufacturing heartland, is caught between the pincer of huge competitive pressures from China and rising energy costs. The Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, a think–tank funded by the Ontario government, recently criticized equalization’s focus on increased consumption in low-productivity provinces. To boost Canada’s investment and economic performance, it proposes tax cuts instead of “no-strings-attached” subsidies to have-not provinces

FCPP Publications :: The Passing of the Old Guard

FCPP Publications :: The Passing of the Old Guard: "One unintended consequence, like a side-ache from dancing the Twist, is that the largesse simply enervates our body politic and delays inevitable reforms. In a relatively slow-growing economy where government spending accounts for about half the total, more cash for old models prolongs the mediocrity of Mills�s �perfect calm.�
Three themes dominate the dated dance music:
Governments can produce cheaper services. The reality of vibrant markets demolishes this, the mouldiest of the tenets. Almost no one believes that governments should run supermarkets to provide cheaper food, or that politicians and bureaucrats can outperform Wal-Mart. Only primitive government accounting systems, which fail to measure real costs, preserve the illusion. Can Manitoba Health deliver cheaper MRIs than the Maples clinic? Only when you treat equipment purchases as a free good, underpay their operators and make the public wait for needed scans. Ditto for many services now delivered by our sprawling public sector, including liquor, car insurance, social services and education.
Government price controls can outguess markets. Two examples, from many. The latest statistics on Manitoba�s rent-control tragedy show higher rents in Winnipeg than in Regina or Saskatoon�both decontrolled in 1992�and a lower quality and quantity of apartments. The collateral damage: little or no residential construction in Winnipeg�s downtown, a huge missed opportunity. For more stupidity, consider the Doer government�s shenanigans with energy pricing, where clean, renewable hydro-electricity subsidizes the consumption of non-renewable natural gas. Massive equalization payments allow us to charge below-market rates for electricity and cross-subsidize energy consumption. The result: one of the world�s most energy-ineffici"

FCPP Publications :: Yes - We Will Feel Better if We are Taxed More. It's True!

FCPP Publications :: Yes - We Will Feel Better if We are Taxed More. It's True!: "On the second point, my own research shows high taxes make some people spend too much time at work - trying to get back what the state has taken away from their spouses. But these new, high-tax advocates believe the way to stop me from feeling bad about the rich is to tax the high earners more, so bringing everyone back to a similar income. This, they believe, would reduce envy. Hence we�d all be happier. "

It is true that some people just love to be taxed - I am not one of them -chuckle. PR

Liberals losing ground

Liberals losing ground: "It's really a pre-emptive action against what we expect the Liberals will do in the second half of the campaign and that is to launch a barrage of negative advertising,' said Geoff Norquay, Mr. Harper's former director of communications and one-time senior advisor to former prime minister Brian Mulroney.
'What could be more timely with the income trust scandal just getting nicely under way now? I mean, there is yet another RCMP investigation of this government going on right now,' Mr. Norquay said"

City 'exaggerated' need to keep records secret

City 'exaggerated' need to keep records secret: "Many of the city's statements are generalizations which it applies to the information in question without distinguishing between those parts of the information which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to result in harms and those parts that are innocuous and/or already available or well-known to the public,' he wrote."

Whistleblower joins Tory ticket

Whistleblower joins Tory ticket: "OTTAWA -- Former Groupaction vice president Jean Lambert, one of the original whistleblowers in the sponsorship scandal, will be running for the Conservatives in a bid to become member of parliament for the Eastern Townships riding of Shefford.
Lambert, 49, is the second sponsorship scandal whistleblower to become a candidate for the Tories. Allan Cutler, the civil servant who blew the whistle on questionable practices within the civil service concerning the sponsorship program, is also running for the Conservatives in the riding of Ottawa South.
Lambert said Friday he was proud of the role that he played in bringing the sponsorship scandal to light."

Voter cyiisim -How do you believe them?

Osprey Media Group Inc. - Brantford Expositor: "While he may vote Conservative, Walton doesn't see much difference in how different parties would distribute federal resources. He thinks voters are weary of the constant stream of promises from political leaders.

I think people are getting a little tired of their making a new promise every day.'"

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Harper by default

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Harper by default: "It was not an inspired performance -- not by any of the four -- and there was certainly no knockout blow delivered.
But, since we can't believe essentially anything Martin promises based on his party's literally scandalous track record; since we can't take Layton's bombastic socialism with much more than a grain of salt; and since Duceppe has merely bystander status outside Quebec -- we'd give the first English debate to Harper, purely on points. "

winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - What's the problem?

winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - What's the problem?: "'When did we lose our freedom in this country?' said Corlett, who says he just wants to get better and return to work. 'Why do they have to control us?'
Corlett needs an MRI so his doctor can make a diagnosis and decide whether he needs surgery or not.
In the meantime, he can't even lift his arm, much less work on airplanes.
'I can't work because they don't have work for a one-armed person,' said Corlett.
Like many patients who will use The Maples clinic, Corlett didn't have to pay out-of-pocket for his MRI. Instead, his insurance company did. Like many Manitobans, Corlett has private disability insurance and it's in his insurance company's best interest to get him an MRI as quickly as possible so he can be treated and return to work.
In fact, the insurance company was planning to fly him to Calgary for an MRI until The Maples announced it would be providing MRIs.
'Why do I have to go to Calgary when we've got one in Winnipeg?' said Corlett.
Precisely.
How can government possibly have a problem with this? Government sends Workers Compensation Board patients to clinics for preferential treatment.
Why can't a private insurance company send one of its clients to a clinic, too?
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in a recent Quebec case that government cannot prevent people from buying private insurance and using it to obtain medical services if government is not providing that service in a timely fashion.
Clearly, the Manitoba government is not providing elective MRIs in a timely fashion.
So I'd say The Maples clinic has the blessing of Canada's top court.
Besides, if people like Corlett aren't getting their MRIs in Manitoba, they'll go out-of-province for them and they'll take their "

winnipegsun.com - Election News - Voters don't trust politicians: poll

winnipegsun.com - Election News - Voters don't trust politicians: poll: "OTTAWA -- A whopping 76% of Canadian voters believe politicians are blowing smoke and making lofty election promises they don't intend to keep, according to a Leger Marketing/Sun Media poll.
The poll of 2,013 Canadians conducted from December 9-13 says 17% of respondents believe politicians plan to implement the pledges they make.
The most cynical voters are in Quebec and Ontario, where 78% of respondents said they don't trust the leaders to keep their promises. "

It appears that we Canadians are not stupid ,complacent believers in our political leaders -just cynical. That is not surprising based on our "Political non performance and lack of delivery. PR

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Green deserves day

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Green deserves day: "It's a mockery of democracy to include the Bloc, which has no relevance to most Canadians, and exclude the Greens, a national party that has piqued the interest of younger voters who already feel alienated by our current political process."

Good point-Just how democratic are we really ? Not allowing a registered national party to speak , one with 6% of the national vote -is neither democratic or nor wise. They have a right to be heard not censored by mediia default. PR

1885 tax becomes an issue in 2006

1885 tax becomes an issue in 2006: "The Tories, Mr. Harper noted in a statement, have 'long recognized the terrible historical wrong of the Chinese head tax. It is time for Parliament and the Government of Canada to recognize this grave injustice and to apologize for it.'"

He's unbelievable- out PM

Sympatico / MSN - Partner content

Paul Martin -Unbelievable and no real substance? PR

This is what happens when you follow Paul Martin around for even a little while on the campaign trail. You hear no end of grand pronouncements. Sweeping commitments. Stirring appeals. And then you take a short stroll and peek behind the curtain and you discover that Oz the Great and Terrible is barely there. All that's there is a guy putting on airs. I have spent most of a year steering clear of the Prime Minister whenever I decently could, given the unfortunate reality of my employment as an Ottawa political columnist, because I took an early dislike to his huffing and puffing and I did not want to torment him or bore my readers. Last week was a bit of a reunion. I was quickly reminded how easy Paul Martin is to like and how hard he is to believe.

The Globe and Mail: Cutting the GST

The Globe and Mail: Cutting the GST

A viewpoint from the right on liberal gun contol

Martin's promise to confiscate all handguns opens up intriguing possibilities

The trouble with making policy predictions in Canada is that no matter how obvious the prediction is, a loud liberal chorus will shout it down as ridiculous.

And when the prediction comes true, all earlier denials are simply forgotten.

Last week, for example, all the much-derided predictions of gun owners over the past ten years came true.

We knew they would and they did, when Paul Martin promised to solve Toronto's "national" gun-crime crisis by confiscating virtually all half-million registered legal handguns across the country.

So it's true. The reason for gun registration from the start was future confiscation.

Repeated previous denials by the likes of then-Minister of Gunnery Anne McLellan are now officially expunged.

The only fig leaf this leaves to cover the Liberals' shame (if they are still capable of feeling such a thing) is to insist that they will allow provinces to opt in or out of the confiscation as they wish.

Now this is an interesting idea.

When challenged in court by the provinces in 1996, Ottawa justified the registry by insisting it falls in the category of criminal legislation, which is federal.

If not, it would be a regulation of civil property -- a provincial jurisdiction.

That's what the provinces argued it was. But the judges (federally appointed) sided with Ottawa, as they usually do.

So to be absolutely clear, back in 1996 it was firmly established that regulating guns is a federal criminal law jurisdiction.

Are the Liberals now saying provinces may opt in and out of federal criminal laws? Apparently they are.

I have two questions.

What provision in our Constitution allows Ottawa to amend the Constitution at will by reassigning one of its "exclusive" powers to the provinces?

And does it work the other way around? Could a province, say, decide not to enforce the gun registry sections of the Criminal Code? Or is this power of unilateral, arbitrary amendment reserved to the federal government?

Martin's election promise emphasizes once again that Canadian gun control is entirely about politics, not law and order. This is a matter of record, not opinion.

The Liberal government was warned in 1993 by John Tait, chief Justice bureaucrat at the time, that a universal gun registry would be expensive, ineffective, and a source of political outrage.

That outcry from angry white males was exactly what the Liberals wanted, of course, and now they're doing it again. They probably have no intention of following through after the votes have been counted.

If I owned a pistol, I'd ignore this ban whether it passes or not.

As Alberta MLA Ted Morton has pointed out, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled against categorical government bans on anything -- as we saw with tobacco advertising, child pornography and private health care.

In fact this election promise opens up all kinds of potential litigation against the gun registry in general -- starting with Ottawa's novel idea that the criminal law can be different in one province than another.

The Klein government would be doing Harper and the national Conservative party a favor (for a nice change) if it announced immediately that it will challenge this law in court if it is ever passed in Parliament.

Link Byfield is chairman of the Edmonton-based Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, and an Alberta senator-elect.

Interesting points made -lets see first we confiscate all the registered guns from the law abiding - give total freedom to the non-registered criminal elements -and then hire only politically correct "our special law enforcers " to ensure our "Liberally determined political peace - hmmmm - sounds like Orwell's 1984 to me . PR

winnipegsun.com - Election News - Beer, popcorn is for Liberals

winnipegsun.com - Election News - Beer, popcorn is for Liberals: "The beer and popcorn comments didn't surprise me, though.
That's what the group of Liberals in Ottawa represent.
They think they know how to spend your money better than you do. Which is why Social Development Minister Ken Dryden said earlier this month that stay-at-home parenting and home-based child care 'is not child care.'
Only government-sanctioned child-care centres offer real child care, according to Dryden. And if you want child-care support from the government, you have to choose child-care centres, the Liberals insist.
They're not about to hand you a cheque for $1,200 so you can blow it on beer and popcorn. Or coats and cars. "

Do you not get tired of having the self interest groups or hypocrites in Ottawa spending your beer and popcorn money ( high taxes) for their favourite boondoogle projects. It is outrageous to think that parents can not manage their lives without a champaign childcare monopoly run by the special childcare think police. The arrogance is just overwhelming. PR

winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Seeking only justice

winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Seeking only justice: "'Canada is great at creating victims. We have more victims than we do criminals.'
'The federal government is turning Canadians into victims one family at a time.' "

Interesting story about a new class action that is trying to get justice and accountabilty from the Federal government. Those that believe they have been wronged should join the "class" - It is great that there are people in Canada that believe the courts can make a difference.Use them if you have the courage of conviction, the time and the money. PR