Here's an article listing 10 improvements that would make Canada a better place. I like all of them.
Top 10 ways to improve Canada | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun
Top 10 ways to improve Canada | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun
How to make Canada better
- Thread starter Walter
- Start date
Nice column, but obviously the author either doesn't understand that 'Canada' does not equal 'Ontario', or else he's sadly misinformed about how our country works.
1. Health care reform. We score badly against European nations, wait times are still too high and people needing out-of-country intervention are told OHIP won’t pay. (Need I mention eHealth and Ornge?)
What does OHIP/eHealth, and Ornge have to do with Canada?
2. Soft on crime. Murderers given lengthy sentences are let out early. Many are never given close to the maximum and the focus seems to be on rehabilitation rather than keeping the worst of the worst away from the innocent. If you don’t believe me, just look up Michele Mandel’s recent columns in the Sun.
You mean that rehabilitation should not be a goal? Isn't that the fundament of our JUSTICE system? Note, it's not called a PUNISHMENT system.
3. Veto vote to mayors. It is the only elected position in Canada voted on by the entire affected electorate. The ability to veto votes by council that were passed with less than a super-majority would stop things like the knee-jerk outlawing of plastic bags and force council to work more as a unit for the public good.
Many mayors can't even vote except to break a tie.
4. Religious bigotry. Telling people of faith that their views are unwelcome in government, while the views of those with no religion are welcome, is no way to run a caring country, especially one purporting to value freedom of religion.
So we should embrace Sharia Law and female circumcision?
5. Human rights commissions. There is no right not to be offended and Canada acting as if there is, represents an assault on an actual right; free speech. Free speech is not, as one commission investigator said, “an American concept.” It is in the Charter. Look it up.
That's a case of poor education.
6. Addiction to green. With Premier Dalton McGuinty’s billion-dollar gifts to favoured businesses in the green sector costing Ontarians dearly and Toronto Council’s war on the plastic bag, junk science prevails.
What does that have to do with Canada?
7. Unions. Hey, OFL leader Sid Ryan, been to Wisconsin lately? Once the union lost its ability to force membership, the largest single Wisconsin public union lost more than half its members and the local American Federation of Teachers lost a third. Higher than market wages, sweetheart pensions, bloated bureaucracies and ugly strikes have gotten old, and the Canadian public is ready for a whole new contract with organized labour.
You do realize that a lot of the Canadian Public are actually union members, right?
8. Government monopolies. Monopolies are illegal in the private sector for a reason. They are injurious to the public good. So why do we insist on letting government run monopolies for two of the most important areas of life; education and health care? Arguments that government “cares” more and it is cheaper without the profit motive never withstand scrutiny. And by the way, you are getting ripped off at the LCBO as well.
What does the LCBO have to do with Canada?
9. School choice. Fund it publicly and have the money follow the child. Except for elite private schools, private is on average cheaper and does as well or better. Choice is respectful and fair. Do we want to be that kind of nation, or is dictatorial, central planning really the Canadian way? (See #7; Even union people like choice.)
What does this have to do with Canada? Education is a provincial area.
10. Economics in school. So people know when they are being lied to. For example, being told arts funding multiplies into magic money, a lie told by reporting the benefit side of the ledger while ignoring the cost side. (Critics of this point studied art, not economics.)
See above.
1. Health care reform. We score badly against European nations, wait times are still too high and people needing out-of-country intervention are told OHIP won’t pay. (Need I mention eHealth and Ornge?)
What does OHIP/eHealth, and Ornge have to do with Canada?
2. Soft on crime. Murderers given lengthy sentences are let out early. Many are never given close to the maximum and the focus seems to be on rehabilitation rather than keeping the worst of the worst away from the innocent. If you don’t believe me, just look up Michele Mandel’s recent columns in the Sun.
You mean that rehabilitation should not be a goal? Isn't that the fundament of our JUSTICE system? Note, it's not called a PUNISHMENT system.
3. Veto vote to mayors. It is the only elected position in Canada voted on by the entire affected electorate. The ability to veto votes by council that were passed with less than a super-majority would stop things like the knee-jerk outlawing of plastic bags and force council to work more as a unit for the public good.
Many mayors can't even vote except to break a tie.
4. Religious bigotry. Telling people of faith that their views are unwelcome in government, while the views of those with no religion are welcome, is no way to run a caring country, especially one purporting to value freedom of religion.
So we should embrace Sharia Law and female circumcision?
5. Human rights commissions. There is no right not to be offended and Canada acting as if there is, represents an assault on an actual right; free speech. Free speech is not, as one commission investigator said, “an American concept.” It is in the Charter. Look it up.
That's a case of poor education.
6. Addiction to green. With Premier Dalton McGuinty’s billion-dollar gifts to favoured businesses in the green sector costing Ontarians dearly and Toronto Council’s war on the plastic bag, junk science prevails.
What does that have to do with Canada?
7. Unions. Hey, OFL leader Sid Ryan, been to Wisconsin lately? Once the union lost its ability to force membership, the largest single Wisconsin public union lost more than half its members and the local American Federation of Teachers lost a third. Higher than market wages, sweetheart pensions, bloated bureaucracies and ugly strikes have gotten old, and the Canadian public is ready for a whole new contract with organized labour.
You do realize that a lot of the Canadian Public are actually union members, right?
8. Government monopolies. Monopolies are illegal in the private sector for a reason. They are injurious to the public good. So why do we insist on letting government run monopolies for two of the most important areas of life; education and health care? Arguments that government “cares” more and it is cheaper without the profit motive never withstand scrutiny. And by the way, you are getting ripped off at the LCBO as well.
What does the LCBO have to do with Canada?
9. School choice. Fund it publicly and have the money follow the child. Except for elite private schools, private is on average cheaper and does as well or better. Choice is respectful and fair. Do we want to be that kind of nation, or is dictatorial, central planning really the Canadian way? (See #7; Even union people like choice.)
What does this have to do with Canada? Education is a provincial area.
10. Economics in school. So people know when they are being lied to. For example, being told arts funding multiplies into magic money, a lie told by reporting the benefit side of the ledger while ignoring the cost side. (Critics of this point studied art, not economics.)
See above.
In fact, while the examples given are from Ontario, the problems exist in ALL of the Provinces. The "Nanny State" is slowly moving toward Communism, where the State provides everything (badly) for everyone.
Looks like a lovely collection of failed policies. I can't find a single policy that in any way would make Canada into a better place. But I can see several that would make it much worse. Like many right wing columnists, and talk show hosts Mr. Agar comes across as immensely uninformed. But what else can you expect from a thread started by Walter? (That should be good enough to get me another Walter. I now have about two score)
It is always a battle to balance the right & left. I don't believe for a minute that the govt has no place in things like education & healthcare etc but a total nanny state is no good either. What their role should be is to keep a level playing field for all. Regulate wages and costs so that you cannot BUY better healthcare or primary education. The guy working 2 jobs to support his family deserves the same as a millionaire for those things in the charter or basic human rights and that is the role of govt.
Another "Walter"! I love it....I have many myself but never knew what to call them. ROFLMAO :lol:
Most of the things listed have been around for decades. This is just fear mongering. We are nowhere near "communism."
I'm all for reform of health care and education to make both more efficient. I like the idea of putting more economics classes in schools. It'd certainly be far more useful than some of the mandatory classes in Ontario. I'm referring to "Career studies" which basically teaches kids how to make a resume. Its given the same amount of time as Civics-10 weeks. No wonder kids have little to no knowledge on how government/politics work. Civics should be at least a full semester course. Career studies can be scrapped altogether. I dont think Ive met anyone who has taken anything away from that class. I have no idea how health care or education works in other provinces so I cant really comment on that.
This list was mostly whinning without really proposing any solutions. Not really surprising given the source though.
Another "Walter?" I feel neglected. I didn't get one and I already have about 30.