Liberals Preparing For A Summer Election

[L Gilbert]

It's a tough call, especially in economic downturns to balance the budget (without victimising the elderly and students all the while doling out goodies to rich buddies like Martin did while Chretien was in the PMO, as I pointed out many times to people who can't seem to get that through their heads and still idolize the scumbags). As I also pointed out, Harpy did continue rolling the debt clock backwards until this economic mess happened. Given the choice between reducing the overall debt and adding some to the yearly deficit, I'd continue to pay off the debt thereby reducing the amount of interest wasted on the debt.
I don't give a hoot WHO is in the PMO; if the world's economy heads for the crapper, Canada will be heading there, too.

 

[Machjo]

It's a tough call, especially in economic downturns to balance the budget (without victimising the elderly and students all the while doling out goodies to rich buddies like Martin did while Chretien was in the PMO, as I pointed out many times to people who can't seem to get that through their heads and still idolize the scumbags). As I also pointed out, Harpy did continue rolling the debt clock backwards until this economic mess happened. Given the choice between reducing the overall debt and adding some to the yearly deficit, I'd continue to pay off the debt thereby reducing the amount of interest wasted on the debt.
I don't give a hoot WHO is in the PMO; if the world's economy heads for the crapper, Canada will be heading there, too.

But any forward-looking MP should be looking to the future. We all know that we have economic cycles now and then. Any respensible politician would have saved to prepare for this crash. Where did that surplus the Liberals had go to? It coud have come mighty handy now, don't you think?

 

[L Gilbert]

Perhaps some of that surplus went back to refurbishing the damage that Martin did to seniors programs and calming the students down and things like that. I also remember several polls asking what people would do with the surplus. The results were that most people wanted more debt to be paid off. I would imagine that a lot of dangerous and antique military equipment was scrapped or refurbished, too, after decades of being ignored (mostly by liberal gov'ts). That's just off the top of my head, though.

(Any "forward-looking MP" will only look forward to the next election, no further).

 

[Machjo]

A responsible MP should always be looking at 15-70 years down the road, not to the next election. But again, it's the voters fault cause we vote that way.

As for the military, if we shared a military force with another country or countries, that would remove alot of top-heavy military bureaucracy, saving much money that could then be rediverted to that kind of equipment.

 

[L Gilbert]

A responsible MP should always be looking at 15-70 years down the road, not to the next election. But again, it's the voters fault cause we vote that way.

Not solely. Many other countries manage to look further into the future than we do. Besides, we have little choice because of the electoral system. FPTP is archaic nonsense. It is NOT very representative, especially in a country like Canada where people vary widely from region to region. What similarities are there between people of the prairies and the people of Newfoundland, for instance? Or between Yukon people and Ontarians?

As for the military, if we shared a military force with another country or countries, that would remove alot of top-heavy military bureaucracy, saving much money that could then be rediverted to that kind of equipment.

Possibly. The States would want to run it, though, and a lot of squawking would ensue, but it'd get its way.

 

[Machjo]

Not solely. Many other countries manage to look further into the future than we do. Besides, we have little choice because of the electoral system. FPTP is archaic nonsense. It is NOT very representative, especially in a country like Canada where people vary widely from region to region. What similarities are there between people of the prairies and the people of Newfoundland, for instance? Or between Yukon people and Ontarians?

Either that or go non-partisan, independent candidates only.

Possibly. The States would want to run it, though, and a lot of squawking would ensue, but it'd get its way.

Canada could choose which countries to share with based on a fair agreement. If the US should choose not to play the game, fine. We move on and see if another country might be interested. Once the US sees how much money other countries are saving from this and how much it's holding the US economy back on the world stage, the US would soon change its toon and start looking for something mroe reasonable too.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

For one thing, Mulroney was in for nine years.

Juan, in Canada the PM has absolute power, he can do pretty much anything he wants. Mulroney could have repealed the law of gravity, had he wished.

He could have cut the size of the government through attrition without laying off anyone. Chrétien eliminated the deficit in a couple years.

Mulroney didn’t have the will, Chrétien had the will (personally I think Martin was the main motivating force behind balancing the budget).

Any time a finance minister can't tell us how much the debt is, that minister should be fired.

When he was the finance minister in Ontario, he couldn’t tell us how much was the deficit. He claimed (during Ontario election campaign) that it was 2 billion $, while in fact it turned out to be 6 billion $. Why should now be any different? Just because he changed his office from Toronto to Ottawa doesn’t mean that he gained any wisdom along the way.

 

[Machjo]

The Pm has the power of an MP plus whatever power other Mp's choose to give him. Since we vote for parties, however, it becomes in MPs interests to give the Pm that power.

 

[JLM]

re: auto sector bailout - this bailout was to specific companies - not the SECTOR.

I don't believe that iff GM or Chryslar were allowed to fail, there would not have been mass layoffs. Someone would have bought the factories (Ford, VW, maybe even Magna?), etc... at bargin prices, and someone else would have built cars. The demand for cars is still there.

The whole "auto sector bailout" was a scam, and a waste of money.

I'm inclined to agree- let businesses succeed/fail on their own merits. I remember the days (late 50s) when there were more Chevs and Pontiacs on the road than all the other cars put together. (At least that was someone's claim)

 

[L Gilbert]

Repealed the law of gravity? What an inane comment.
Anyway, I think it's best if a PM would never mind about the rest of the planet so much and do things to fix the crap here. So far, none since before Turdeau have done a decent job.

 

[Machjo]

Though co-operating with the rest of the planet in sharing services to reduce administrative redundancies could save us alot of money.

 

[JLM]

Repealed the law of gravity? What an inane comment.
Anyway, I think it's best if a PM would never mind about the rest of the planet so much and do things to fix the crap here. So far, none since before Turdeau have done a decent job.

It's what's known as "poetic license".

 

[L Gilbert]

Or political license. lol

 

[JLM]

Or political license. lol

Since when do those bastards need a license?

 

[Machjo]

Since when do those bastards need a license?

Hey, keep their parents out of this debate.

 

[L Gilbert]

Who said they actually had parents? I think at least some of them are results of cultures (not the sociological type either. I'm speaking of lab cultures).

 

[Machjo]

Who said they actually had parents? I think at least some of them are results of cultures (not the sociological type either. I'm speaking of lab cultures).

They fell from the sky?

 

[L Gilbert]

Lab cultures are usually grown from some fungus or other I think, but perhaps a few are a bit alien to solid ground.

 

[#juan]

Perhaps some of that surplus went back to refurbishing the damage that Martin did to seniors programs and calming the students down and things like that. I also remember several polls asking what people would do with the surplus. The results were that most people wanted more debt to be paid off. I would imagine that a lot of dangerous and antique military equipment was scrapped or refurbished, too, after decades of being ignored (mostly by liberal gov'ts). That's just off the top of my head, though.

When Chretien took power the country was broke. We were in debt up to our ears and Kim Campbel handed Chretien a forty odd billion dollar deficit. If we don't have the money we have to lose some of the services. That is simple math. The interest on the debt was taking a sizable chunk out of the budget. What did Mulroney do for our military?

 

[Machjo]

Lab cultures are usually grown from some fungus or other I think, but perhaps a few are a bit alien to solid ground.

Hmmm... those politicians do seem a little strange. Could be.