The federal budget

That all or nothing approach of yours sometimes is a bit much. To say they have no plan is another over the top statement. Of course they have a plan, or plans. I think Rona is as smart as she is hot, and if she is, then her plan will be great. Give it time.

How you feeling?

I'm feeling... alright. Not great, by any stretch of the term, unfortunately.

In terms of this budget, though, it contains no plan for the environment. It ends the plans implemented (or that were supposed to be implemented) by the previous Government of Canada, but this budget does not express any sort of environment strategy, other than a lack thereof, and other than mentioning something about being "made-in-Canada", the Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P., the Member for Edmonton—Spruce Grove and the Minister for the Environment has offered nothing constructive.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the missed targets mostly due to the Alberta Oil Sands now in high production due to rising oil costs? Extracting the oil from the sands is a huge pollution/environmental problem and one that is difficult to solve. It's no wonder shell keeps putting out those PR commercials.

The previous government would have been slammed if they hindered the economic windfall and growth surrounding the oil sands but there isn’t really any great way around the environmental damage in order to reap those windfalls.

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

The thing about Harper is he will blast the record, cut the programs while at the same time not have alternatives in place. The guy doesn’t have a leg to stand making these accusations.

I would like to see some sort of data that shows how we missed those targets. What where the areas/causes responsible for those missed targets. If it was the oil sands, then again Harper again has no leg to stand on with regards to environmental criticisms unless he would have thought the Liberals should have capped production on those sands.

My concern is that Harper will remove environmental accountability by the energy producers/oil companies much the same way as Bush did in the US. Did any of you hear about how Bush claimed great progress with the environment through wetland creation, but then it turned out that they were classifying golf courses as wetlands. This is why it's important to look at the data in relationship to claims made by politicians. Because in reality the politicians might be actually sidelining the public with bull*Sh.


http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/canenv.html

Canada: Environmental Issues (first three paragraphs)

Introduction
Canada's energy abundance has encouraged the development of a highly energy-intensive economy based on natural resource extraction and processing. Total Canadian oil production, for example, increased from 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 1984 to an estimated 3.1 million bbl/d in 2003. Canada’s growth in oil output, particularly recently, can be attributed to the development of oil sands in Western Canada, as well as to large oil projects off the coast of Newfoundland. Oil sands projects are large, use considerable amounts of energy, particularly natural gas, and release both gaseous and particulate emissions into the atmosphere. Although the oil sands processes have become more efficient and have reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of production, an increase in output could lead to an increase in total emissions. Other environmental challenges associated with oil sands processing are disposing of tailings, wastewater management, and land reclamation.

Canada is the world’s third largest natural gas producer and second largest natural gas exporter. According to Environment Canada (EC), a branch of the Canadian government, about half of all homes in Canada use natural gas as the main source for heating. Natural gas also is used extensively by the electricity generation, industrial and commercial sectors. Oil and natural gas exploration is impacting coastal communities from the Beaufort Sea region to waters off Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island.

Heavy reliance on energy-intensive industries could make it more difficult for Canada to meet its environmental commitments, particularly on climate change. Despite protests from Canadian industries and provincial governments, the Canadian House of Commons on December 17, 2002, ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 5.2% below 1990 levels during the period 2008-2012. The loudest protests came from Alberta’s oil sands producers worried that the protocol would hurt the economics of their operations. In July 2003, former Prime Minister Chrétien attempted to quell their worries by promising safeguards to the Canadian oil industry to limit the economic impact of the Kyoto Protocol. Nonetheless, the protocol remains controversial in Canada. Newly-appointed Prime Minister Paul Martin commented in December 2003 that Canada does not yet have a concrete plan for meeting its Kyoto commitments.

3 % cut in corporate taxes while increasing the taxes on the lower and middle income Canadians. Well you guys voted for them.

They were also poor on childcare, post-secondary education, aboriginal affairs, I guess that is because they don't have support in those areas among other things.

Also to point out the Conservatives have dropped the idea that it will create spaces in Canada under their plan, from watching Cpac asll they say is that it will create choice, which it wouldn't.

Also finally, I think we should have had more money to the military, 1.1 billion isn't enough because it is going to pay for the 23,000 new soldiers.