My Political Rant. Have one?

[elevennevele]

The opposition parties better get their act together. I’m disappointed in both Liberals and NDP right now. They need to shake their heads to the reality of what Harper really plans for this country and get all these little facts down to hold Harper to what should be a minority government governing by a supportive balance of views as to the vote distribution over the parties. There doesn't seem to be that balance to voter represention with governing.

The Liberals are wasting their time with leadership issues and making themselves weaker each moment with the fragmentation. They need to act like a real opposition or Canadians won’t take them seriously anymore. Stand on principle rather than worry about poll numbers. Defensive posturing just makes them look bad. They should have had leadership issues resolved immediately and kept some sort of momentum from having so recently held power. Foolish, foolish, foolish. Forget past glories and live in the new reality of being delegated to “opposition party”.

The NDP in my mind got us in this mess with basically causing an election that put in a Harper minority over a Liberal Minority. They did this despite government being able to work and attune policy towards what most Canadians wanted with their hand in it. With their input! The Liberal Government was already punished by being put into minority status.

The NDP stood to gain so much more on their priorities through a Liberal Minority than a Harper Minority and they basically chopped their own legs off. Foolish, foolish, foolish.

That child care package isn’t a child care package. It’s more or less amounts to a tax refund for parents which isn’t really going to solve the problem of covering the cost of affordable child care. It’s great for a stay at home parent, but for lower income earners, both parents typically need to work to support the family or achieve a more middle class lifestyle.

Now they have to watch as Harper slashes Kyoto. The NDP are suppose to be big on the environment, but they gave way to a Harper Government that will even muzzle an environmental scientist on climate change.

The devil is in the details. The opposition needs to recognize the pieces and put them together for the overall picture that all Canadians can understand. They aren’t going to read everything that’s out there and figure it all out for themselves. The average person doesn’t have the time or sometimes the will.

They need to get all these little facts together and portray the complete image of this government because the whole picture the Harper government is trying to mask begins to paint a scary direction for this country.

Harper has learned well from the manipulators in the USA. He has met with political right wing think tanks from the USA. He might do something very anti Canadian with media and with our soldiers sacrifices, but then he will make some tough talk speech with lots of rhetoric and imagery on an issue like crime and try to look presidential. It’s image over substance, but if the opposition does not know how to challenge him and tackle the image he works to create for himself, the image sticks and the details fade from the public mind. Parliamentary sentencing? Come on, it’s Canadian to have judges use discretion with each individual case. Don’t let Harper control the presentation. The devil is in the details.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/realitycheck/20060406gray.html

For what it's worth, at a police conference in Calgary this week a former police chief was asked his view on the direction of Canadian public policy on law and punishment. He said he was appalled. It would be, he said, "a move toward the American model of criminal justice and I think that's a big mistake."

The officer in question should know what he is talking about. He was Norm Stamper, former police chief of Seattle.

Reagan developed the tactic. It was something like, “get in front of the camera as much as possible and look presidential. The public won’t remember what was being talked about but the image of looking important will stick and people tend to believe anything they see on television.”

 

[darkbeaver]

RE: My Political Rant. Ha

I agree with your rant 100% . IMHO you have left out the piece that realy sets the agenda and accounts for the soft walk of the opposition partys, corporate interest and how to protect them, all sides are frightened to offend that group.
Wholesale adoption of American models will result in a repitition of the disaster happening in the States right now. Any further deeper integration with them is insane, and Mexico is talking about backing away from this as well.

 

[thecdn]

Good rant. Please keep Canada different from the US. When I heard that Harper was preventing the media from covering the return of the bodies of the dead soldiers I said, "Where have I heard that before?"

 

[Finder]

I can not agree with you. You blame the New Democratic party for causing the election and you want them to get their act together now.. by what causing another election so you can just rant on more when the conservatives get a magority. How soon do we forget the Liberal government which fell was not willing to even to really listen to the NDP's health care issues even if it would have saved their government. The New Democrats didn't kill the last government, no indeed the Liberals killed the last government for acting as if they had a magority. They knew the NDP could not vote against puplic health care and the NDP didn't.

I give the New Democrats all the credit in the world for having the balls to not back down from their beliefs. LOOK the New Democrats are not Liberals, the New Democrats don't have to and will not vote for Liberal priorities. The New Democrats were elected to office to protect things many Canadians care for and if the Democrats turn their back on the people just to keep a government which none of the other opisition parties were willing to support then it can not be blamed on the New Democrats, Conservatives, nor the Bloq, for the former Liberal government, elected to a minority government actted as if they had a magority and lost the government because of this.

The Conservatives will fall the same way if they are not smart. But for now they are safe, because the Liberals are searching for a new leader. Also if you respect the democratic process and good leadership you will relieze these things are needed in political parties. When a leadersteps down you can not just go... ummmm Bob Rae will lead us... Or ummm Ken Dryden will do good.

The Liberals are the opistion party with the Democrats and bloq, and the government has a small minpority and will have to work with the idea they're government can fall any time. But if an election is called too soon, I fear only the conservatives can gain from such a call.

 

[LittleRunningGag]

Re: RE: My Political Rant. Have one?

When I heard that Harper was preventing the media from covering the return of the bodies of the dead soldiers I said, "Where have I heard that before?"

Thats exactly what I said. :lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

Re: My Own Rant, of Sorts

The thought that the New Democratic Party of Canada assisting in the defeat of the previous Government of Canada had anything to do with principles, is a joke, in my opinion. The NDP has shown in these last few weeks that they are just as bad as the Liberal Party of Canada, in terms of doing whatever it takes to get the votes. The NDP screams from their corner in the House of Commons for attention, and little else — in previous weeks, anyway.

On the issue of child care, the New Democrats fought the election on the premise that universal child care should be a necessity; now, it looks as though they're going to support the May 2 budget, because the bonus initiative of the Government of Canada seems "good enough". They started talking about tougher crime in the last election, only to get votes from Harper and Martin supporters — he was following suit, not following principles.

The New Democrats are just as much to blame for the disarray that has overcome the Parliament of Canada and the climate of negativity that has taken the electorate like a plague.

Every party is to blame. The New Democrats are not blameless.

 

[elevennevele]

I can not agree with you. You blame the New Democratic party for causing the election and you want them to get their act together now.. by what causing another election so you can just rant on more when the conservatives get a magority. How soon do we forget the Liberal government which fell was not willing to even to really listen to the NDP's health care issues even if it would have saved their government. The New Democrats didn't kill the last government, no indeed the Liberals killed the last government for acting as if they had a magority. They knew the NDP could not vote against puplic health care and the NDP didn't.

The NDP did back down from their beliefs.

They got much of what they wanted with the child care package the Liberals would have put out. However, they still brought on the election. Now the conservatives are putting out a deal that is practically the antithesis of what they wanted and the NDP are talking about working with it. Harper even entered leadership on a slimmer minority than the Liberals. Why isn’t Harper now held to be more accountable to the different parties interests? A fault I blame on both the Liberals and the NDP.

I would admire the NDP a lot more if they were at least consistent in their cause and the fight for that cause. That would be integrity. Giving in now doesn’t speak of any high standard as to their principles.

My observation was this: Layton felt he could hold the threat of election over the Liberals and thus force their hand to concede to ‘everything’ he wanted because the other parties made it clear that they already would vote in favour of a new election. They tried to defeat the government once before so they were just vultures in wait.

That meant the Liberals remaining in power basically hinged on Layton’s support. So Layton felt he was holding all the cards. However if the Liberals would have been so easily blackmailed with the threat of an election as to give another party all that they wanted, what respect could they continue to have from their constituents? Would that mean that Layton could just always threaten election and make policy by way of proxy?

This tactic was a stupid move by Layton. Now Layton basically put himself in a box. He talked the talk so he basically had to walk the walk. He bartered the threat of an election over the premise of getting everything that he wanted. The Liberals however couldn’t look like pushovers so they stood their ground to what they had previously compromised with the NDP as to a child care package. However since Layton “talked the talk” and to not look like a hypocrite, Layton had to call the election.

He chopped his own legs off. Where is the fight now? Where are the principles he stood so strongly for when dealing with the Liberals on the child care package?

This inconsistency is what really gets me and defeats the NDP in my mind. He sold out on Canada having a much more NDPish child care package with the Liberals and now seems to concede on Harper’s kind of parent tax giveaway. A monetary return which might even now favour wealthier parents over lower income class and single parents. Something which should instead define what the NDP are suppose to be against.

And such is the joke (on us).

 

[Finder]

When it comes down to it Paradox and elevennevele, the Democrats tried to work with the Liberals but the Liberals refused to change a piece of legislation. The NDP told them they could not support the legislation so the NDP lost confidance in the government with the Bloq and the Conservative party. The Liberals said the NDP would pay for this in way of the voters and the only party which really paid for this was the Liberal party of Canada. Paradox and elevennevele you may be blind to the fact that on election day the people spoke loud and clear what they thought of the NDP and the opistion felt about the last government and took away the liberal government and rewarded both the Conservatives and the Democrats with more seats. You two may not care much about democracy or what the people of Canada felt and want to place the blame of the liberals losing government on the Democrats as a scapgoat, but the Liberals only have themselves to blame for losing the last government.

I generally think the liberals in Parliment know why they lost the government and the election.

The Democrats have no commitment to supporting a Liberal government, Jack Layton said he had come to Paul Martin after the election and asked about a coalition and Paul Martin laughed and said he came up 2 seats short. How can the Democrats work with such arrogance. I think the Democrats have a better chance with the Conservatives, until the Liberals wake up and smell the coffee. Hopefully that time will be after the Liberal leadership vote.

 

[FiveParadox]

Finder[/i]]When it comes down to it Paradox and elevennevele, the Democrats tried to work with the Liberals but the Liberals refused to change a piece of legislation. The NDP told them they could not support the legislation so the NDP lost confidance in the government with the Bloq and the Conservative party. The Liberals said the NDP would pay for this in way of the voters and the only party which really paid for this was the Liberal party of Canada. Paradox and elevennevele you may be blind to the fact that on election day the people spoke loud and clear what they thought of the NDP and the opistion felt about the last government and took away the liberal government and rewarded both the Conservatives and the Democrats with more seats. You two may not care much about democracy or what the people of Canada felt and want to place the blame of the liberals losing government on the Democrats as a scapgoat, but the Liberals only have themselves to blame for losing the last government.

Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the Thirty-eighth Parliament. The New Democratic Party of Canada chose not to defeat the previous Government of Canada due to a failure to amend legislation, but rather to defeat them because the Government refused to set the election to the date of the opposition parties' choosing. The Government was defeated on a motion that read "that this House has lost confidence in the Government" — there was no legislation anywhere in this process, and I would urge you to review the Hansard in the days leading up to that vote.

Finder[/i]]I generally think the liberals in Parliment know why they lost the government and the election.

I would be the first person to concede that the previous Government messed things up in a harsh way. The undercurrent of corruption became too much for the support structure of the aging Government to carry, and support decreased in accordance with that. However, this election was precipitated due to the convictions of four parties: The Conservative Party of Canada wanted to taste the blood of the Government (figuratively), the Bloc Québécois thought that they could score in the Province of Québec due to the poor conduct of the incumbent Government, the New Democratic Party of Canada wanted everything or nothing, and the Liberal Party of Canada was arrogant.

Finder[/i]]The Democrats have no commitment to supporting a Liberal government, Jack Layton said he had come to Paul Martin after the election and asked about a coalition and Paul Martin laughed and said he came up 2 seats short. How can the Democrats work with such arrogance. I think the Democrats have a better chance with the Conservatives, until the Liberals wake up and smell the coffee. Hopefully that time will be after the Liberal leadership vote.

The New Democrats may not have a commitment to supporting a Liberal Government, but would appear that they also have no such commitments to their own principles. The New Democrats' preparedness to accept the destruction of a national child care program (for which they had been steadfast advocates, by the way, during their campaign) in favour of the Conservative child bonus rebate is an affront to their own party. As for hoping that the Liberals "wake up and smell the coffee", I don't think you'd particularly care one way or the other. You are decidedly opposed to the Liberal Party of Canada, under any circumstances, and I wouldn't expect that to change in the future.

 

[Jersay]

I can not agree with you. You blame the New Democratic party for causing the election and you want them to get their act together now.. by what causing another election so you can just rant on more when the conservatives get a magority. How soon do we forget the Liberal government which fell was not willing to even to really listen to the NDP's health care issues even if it would have saved their government. The New Democrats didn't kill the last government, no indeed the Liberals killed the last government for acting as if they had a magority. They knew the NDP could not vote against puplic health care and the NDP didn't.

I give the New Democrats all the credit in the world for having the balls to not back down from their beliefs. LOOK the New Democrats are not Liberals, the New Democrats don't have to and will not vote for Liberal priorities. The New Democrats were elected to office to protect things many Canadians care for and if the Democrats turn their back on the people just to keep a government which none of the other opisition parties were willing to support then it can not be blamed on the New Democrats, Conservatives, nor the Bloq, for the former Liberal government, elected to a minority government actted as if they had a magority and lost the government because of this.

The Conservatives will fall the same way if they are not smart. But for now they are safe, because the Liberals are searching for a new leader. Also if you respect the democratic process and good leadership you will relieze these things are needed in political parties. When a leadersteps down you can not just go... ummmm Bob Rae will lead us... Or ummm Ken Dryden will do good.

The Liberals are the opistion party with the Democrats and bloq, and the government has a small minpority and will have to work with the idea they're government can fall any time. But if an election is called too soon, I fear only the conservatives can gain from such a call.

I have to agree with Finder on this issue. It is not the NDP that should be blamed for what the Liberals did for themselves. The Liberals did this too themselves, and they did not even listen to NDP proposals, with regards to Health care.

Now, the NDP is trying to make this parliment work, and if that means to negotiate with the Conservatives, last time I checked the cons were the ones in power.

Also, saying that the Liberals would have done what the NDP asked for is just silly. First if they did what the NDP asked, you wouldn't need an NDP party. Second, the Liberal party is well known to flip from right to left on the political spectrum when they see it sufficent to their needs. Finally, the Liberals had 13 years to do the demands of the NDP. They didn't do one.

And if the Cons continue on the way of the Liberals they will be out the door too, and maybe just like in Ontario people will vote in an NDP government if they get tired of the stupidity of the Liberal and Conservative governments.

 

[Finder]

Jersay
HERE HERE!!!!

truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Jersay]

Jersay
HERE HERE!!!!

truer words have never been spoken.

Thank you Finder. You have to set some Liberal people straight on why their government fell and why the NDP stood up for their principles unlike some parties.

 

[Finder]

You are again right. I think generally the Liberals in parliment know they have to take the blame for that government falling, but the blind loyalists like to find scapegoats.

Hey I might be a Democrat but I don't blame the PC's or the Liberals for defeating the Ontario Democrats. I blame the party itself and Bob Rae. But now I see Bob Rae is a Liberal problem now. mwahahahahaha.

 

[FiveParadox]

You are again right. I think generally the Liberals in parliment know they have to take the blame for that government falling, but the blind loyalists like to find scapegoats.

If this is going to turn into a New Democrat convention, instead of actually addressing any of my points, then it would probably be better for me to withdraw from this debate now. I don't think I am a "blind loyalist." If you would look above, I had declared that I knew perfectly well why the Government was defeated.

 

[Jersay]

Admit it Five, we NDP guys didn't bring around the election because we just decided out of the blue that we wanted Harper in power. We got rid of a corrupt government, and if Harper screws up we have a very good chance to sneak in.

During the elections, polls changed constantly so anything is possible.

 

[vishliberal]

The opposition parties better get their act together. I’m disappointed in both Liberals and NDP right now. They need to shake their heads to the reality of what Harper really plans for this country and get all these little facts down to hold Harper to what should be a minority government governing by a supportive balance of views as to the vote distribution over the parties. There doesn't seem to be that balance to voter represention with governing.

The Liberals are wasting their time with leadership issues and making themselves weaker each moment with the fragmentation. They need to act like a real opposition or Canadians won’t take them seriously anymore. Stand on principle rather than worry about poll numbers. Defensive posturing just makes them look bad. They should have had leadership issues resolved immediately and kept some sort of momentum from having so recently held power. Foolish, foolish, foolish. Forget past glories and live in the new reality of being delegated to “opposition party”.

The NDP in my mind got us in this mess with basically causing an election that put in a Harper minority over a Liberal Minority. They did this despite government being able to work and attune policy towards what most Canadians wanted with their hand in it. With their input! The Liberal Government was already punished by being put into minority status.

The NDP stood to gain so much more on their priorities through a Liberal Minority than a Harper Minority and they basically chopped their own legs off. Foolish, foolish, foolish.

That child care package isn’t a child care package. It’s more or less amounts to a tax refund for parents which isn’t really going to solve the problem of covering the cost of affordable child care. It’s great for a stay at home parent, but for lower income earners, both parents typically need to work to support the family or achieve a more middle class lifestyle.

Now they have to watch as Harper slashes Kyoto. The NDP are suppose to be big on the environment, but they gave way to a Harper Government that will even muzzle an environmental scientist on climate change.

The devil is in the details. The opposition needs to recognize the pieces and put them together for the overall picture that all Canadians can understand. They aren’t going to read everything that’s out there and figure it all out for themselves. The average person doesn’t have the time or sometimes the will.

They need to get all these little facts together and portray the complete image of this government because the whole picture the Harper government is trying to mask begins to paint a scary direction for this country.

Harper has learned well from the manipulators in the USA. He has met with political right wing think tanks from the USA. He might do something very anti Canadian with media and with our soldiers sacrifices, but then he will make some tough talk speech with lots of rhetoric and imagery on an issue like crime and try to look presidential. It’s image over substance, but if the opposition does not know how to challenge him and tackle the image he works to create for himself, the image sticks and the details fade from the public mind. Parliamentary sentencing? Come on, it’s Canadian to have judges use discretion with each individual case. Don’t let Harper control the presentation. The devil is in the details.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/realitycheck/20060406gray.html

For what it's worth, at a police conference in Calgary this week a former police chief was asked his view on the direction of Canadian public policy on law and punishment. He said he was appalled. It would be, he said, "a move toward the American model of criminal justice and I think that's a big mistake."

The officer in question should know what he is talking about. He was Norm Stamper, former police chief of Seattle.

Reagan developed the tactic. It was something like, “get in front of the camera as much as possible and look presidential. The public won’t remember what was being talked about but the image of looking important will stick and people tend to believe anything they see on television.”

I think Harper is as much to be blamed for his actions as is the opposition parties. Saying that the Liberals are "wasting their time" with leadership issues is incorrect. What is a party without a proper leader?? Right now they have a temporary leader, Bill Graham. The party is in a state right now where it needs a new fresh leader to rejuvinate the party, and then they can act like a real opposition and if needs be force an election in the future. The Liberal party is in a bad state right now because of previous leaders and scandals, etc. They need a new leader who can bring them out of this and get the party back on track. The Liberal party was hurt recently by losing the election and by Paul Martin's retirement so it needs time to rejuvinate, find a new leader, etc. This is the process which you think they are "wasting their time with". The next leader will have a great impact on the party so by saying that they are wasting their time with leadership issues is wrong. Im not sure how you wanted them to resolve the leadership situation immediately. A new leader is important to the party and needs to be taken into full consideration, Bill Graham was chosen immediately until a permanent leader is chosen. A major decision like this cannot be made "immediately". They are serving as opposition, dont blame them entirely for Harpers actions and decisions. There is only a certain amount they can do and right now the Liberals are millions of dollars in debt and are in search of a new leader to lead them. They have alot to focus on, and still be in opposition. They are doing their job in the opposition and there is only an amount they can do with Harpers decisions. The NDP and Liberals child care plan was much better and obviously they can propose it and propagate it as they did, but ultimately Harper can veto that, Harper can use his child care plan. That is not the opposition's fault. There is only a certain amount that the opposition can do. Right now, the Liberal party is in a tough position and is doing their best to balance everything until they get a new leader. Once a new leader is elected, then they can function properly, as a proper opposition and also work towards rejuvinating the party. Right now for the time being, Bill Graham is doing the best he can. Dont blame the opposition for Harpers actions. There is only a certain amount that they can do and its up to the Conservatives to take them into consideration.

 

[elevennevele]

You are again right. I think generally the Liberals in parliment know they have to take the blame for that government falling, but the blind loyalists like to find scapegoats.

Hey, I’m not suggesting the Liberals were devoid of their own responsibility from losing the election. Of course they have to blame themselves for their not running an effective enough campaign after Layton called the election. Losing an election is not the other parties responsibility. I never suggested that. And yes, of course the sponsorship scandal eroded their support and they needed to be held very much accountable for it.

I was rather speaking of the NDP election decision from a strategic point of view. When we consider what would have most benefited the party of the NDP, Layton really flopped. So I think you’ve missed my real point.

Here are the question you seem unable to answer:
• What have the NDP gain from having called an election?
• Did they really make gains in voter support?
• Are they now helping to pass legislation which favour NDP policy by way of the Harper minority?

http://www.canadawebpages.com/pc-polls.asp

And here are the answers you seem to fail to recognized:
• They haven’t made any real gains now in political policy or support.
• They still bounce around in their range (I included the link which shows their polls bouncing in that range).
• They sacrificed working with party (A) where they were able help make legislation more in NDP interests, for party (B) whose policies are very contrary to the NDP and who don’t seem to care a whole lot about Layton’s input.

— Wow, what a brilliant political tactician Layton is!

It would by “reality” seem that the expense of calling the election ‘cost’ the NDP rather than gain anything. And now it costs them them more in their integrity by how they’ve decided to concede in supporting a flawed un-NPDish child care program. Are you folks ‘happy NDP supporters’ that they’ve taken this direction? Or is this another one of those questions you won’t really answer in that it may suggest any criticism of the party you support?

Last question, can you please tell me where Layton’s legs are?

Layton might now need that “call an election card” if Harper keeps making policy that is the antithesis of NDP policy, but he kind of used it up in defeating the Liberals. He knows that to put his face on pushing another election will probably hurt his party even more at this time. It would give him the appearance of someone who keeps shutting down government when it doesn’t go his way. He will be seen as a ‘trouble maker’.

The irony is Harper is now taking Canada in a dangerous direction. The sponsorship scandal was a real bad thing but the government was still working and making policy that was beneficial to our society and the NDP at the time had their hand in it. That is what really should have mattered in the end with the NDP (if they really stood for their own ideals). To observe them appearing ineffectual and watching as Harper slowly dismantles our democracy for an American style political landscape is quite sad.

And it’s too bad that it seems Layton’s legs got up and ran away in the face of it.

 

[elevennevele]

Vishliberal, you know I could very much be truly wrong in this instance, and I really hope that in the end you are right and I am wrong. That the Liberal Leadership race was all worth it in all the months it’s taking away from the party being a cohesive opposition.

I really hope the wait is worth it and this new leader can still dismantle the American style politics that the Harper government seems to be in the process of putting in place over our political landscape (slashing environmental policies, media controls, less transparent governance, weakening of social programs, US parliamentary style judicial system, a more US style foreign policy, handling of military evolvement and the fallen soldiers, etc.). Yes, Harper seems to have done a lot in so little amount of time.

I really hope you can get back here and tell me I was wrong and it was worth it. As political strategy however, I see Harper is using this situation as an opportunity to capitalize on the Liberals fragmentation. By the time the Liberals are ready, he might have already passed more damaging policy, consolidated himself in power, and then use that as political leverage. Moreover, the Liberals are missing out on opportunities to capitalize in the media with what he as done to date.

The media tends to not like raising ruckus on their own as to politics. That is unless the other parties make enough stink about something for it to gain traction. The media tends to cover a story with the amount of interest that is shown by the public or by the other parties.

Basically, my concern is an underestimation of Harper by opposition parties and wasting opportunities. They underestimated Bush in the United States. They kind of get it now, but look at what he has already done with their political, economic, and social landscape.

I hope you prove me wrong vishliberal.

 

[elevennevele]

If this is going to turn into a New Democrat convention, instead of actually addressing any of my points, then it would probably be better for me to withdraw from this debate now. I don't think I am a "blind loyalist." If you would look above, I had declared that I knew perfectly well why the Government was defeated.

Five, there is no need to debate your contribution to the discussion. Not only have I seen you contribute opinion, but you also reference documentation to support that opinion. I don’t think it’s really much concern whether or not you get the support of anyone else posting. If you can still make a valid point, there are others who I’m sure just read these boards and evaluate based on the points, reasoning, and references made.

I didn’t contribute your posted reference as to the grounds by which the NDP called on the election, and I think it would have been a loss to my argument if you hadn’t contributed it.

If you have something of value to contribute, contribute regardless of whether your in a bobblehead doll shop, or a lions den.

 

[annabattler]

My particular rant is that government has become so complex,so layered with complex(lawyer driven) considerations, that the average person cannot begin to make head nor tail of it all.
And,it seems to me,that in a country as well off as Canada, the fact that we still have food banks should be a national disgrace.
The federal government has long been the one most removed from the general population...followed by the provincial government. The local municipal government used to be the one most accessible to people...and it's the one government that is not allowed to run a deficit.Now,even local government is becoming removed from the people...and I'm not talking about huge urban governments,like Toronto's...I'm talking about one mayor and five councillors...one of whom is our 'representative "on a regional council..of which the chairman(at a huge salary)is UNELECTED by the people...and who sets huge spending targets...all supported(you've got it)financially,by we,the people. It's nuts!!!!