Harper pledges.......

[Colpy]

Re: RE: Harper pledges.......

Private prisons would be the next step. What happened in the US is that the huge number of people incarcerated because of the phony war on drugs increased costs massively. The government then began to privatise the industry as a cost saving measure, because that's what neo-cons do.

Human rights groups have expressed grave concern about this trend because prisoners have been denied access to proper medical care, safe environments, and even proper food in many private facilities.

If Harper were to begin incarcerating people at the same rate the US does, he would quickly have to follow the same path. The US prison problem is a direct off-shoot of their failed drug policies and is exacerbated by the neo-conservative push to privatise public institutions. Harper wants to institute those same polices here. We will end up with the same result.

This is a little unfair, isn't it? Sort of Extreme Extrapolation?

How about some tiny, even miniscule bit of evidence that Harper plans to privatise the prison system.

I mean, by this logic, I could say ridiculous things like........The NDP want Medicare to cover everything for everybody, totally paid for from gov't coffers.......everybody knows this is unsustainable with our aging population.........so Layton will start euthanizing people when they reach 70 years of age....

Come on.....it is a little hard to argue policy when you pull them out of thin air.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Nice try, Colpy, but no. Harper is following a very definite model in hid drug policy. We know where that came from and we've the results from that model.

How does he plan to pay for all of the people he wants to imprison? How does he plan to even get them through our back-logged court system?

Harper also follows the neo-conservative of privatising everything. That is the model, when combined with failed drug policy, that created private prisons in the US.

Is Harper willing to stand up and say that categorically that he won't bring the nighmare of private prisons to Canada? If he does so can we trust him, given his flip-flopping on other issues?

 

[no1important]

Tories pledge $1,200 for each child under six

Teaser:

Stephen Harper is promising that a government led by the Conservatives would dole out day-care dollars directly to Canadian parents.

Under a Tory child-care strategy, individual families would be able to choose how they would utilize the day-care money they receive from the government -- money intended to give parents more choice than the Liberals' plan.[/teaser]

Wow 25 a week for child care, wow I know people who spend double that in a day. Plus it is taxable on lowest wahe earner in family. I like Martins Daycare deal he just signed with the provinces a lot better.

 

[MMMike]

Martins daycare plan is a total flop. The only beneficiaries will be union fatcats who will get a stranglehold on daycare workers throughout the country. It'll eliminate choices - no more neighbour next door to look after your kids, it has to be the official state run centre or nothing. It does nothing for stay-at-home parents who look after their own kids. They can continue to underwrite the more wealthy double income families. Look at Quebecs experience with the $5 dollar daycare - costs have been spiralling upwards, and it is mostly two-income middle class households that benefit most. The conservative plan is the right one - it lets parents decide what is the best childcare arrangement for them. No nanny state making decisions for you.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Wow 25 a week for child care

That's 2-1/2 hours of babysitting by a teenaged girl whose main qualification is that her boyfriend brings his own booze instead of drinking yours.

The Conservatives don't have a child care plan, what they have is a cynical attempt to buy the June Cleaver vote.

 

[Colpy]

Wow 25 a week for child care

That's 2-1/2 hours of babysitting by a teenaged girl whose main qualification is that her boyfriend brings his own booze instead of drinking yours.

The Conservatives don't have a child care plan, what they have is a cynical attempt to buy the June Cleaver vote.

The problem is the real world..........and the Quebec experience shows this........subsidized daycare is disproportionately used by upper middle class families. In other words, Martin is creating a welfare scheme for the well-to-do.

When I was raising kids, as were my friends, either one parent made the necessary sacrifice abnd stasyed home, or friends and relatives helped out for a little money.

We were working poor......and Martin's little plan wouldn't have helped a bit. Harper's would.

That is without even mentioning my belief about Martin's secret agenda to "early educate" kids to the political benefit of the Liberal Party of Canada.........

Oh Sorry....I'm starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist.

Been hanging around here too long.

 

[no1important]

That is without even mentioning my belief about Martin's secret agenda to "early educate" kids to the political benefit of the Liberal Party of Canada.........

That is silly.

When I was raising kids, as were my friends, either one parent made the necessary sacrifice abnd stasyed home, or friends and relatives helped out for a little money.

Good for you and one parent being a stay at home parent is better, but the reality is with the cost of things froms clothes to rent/mortgage it is all but impossible for both parents not to work.

We were working poor......and Martin's little plan wouldn't have helped a bit. Harper's would.

Martin is going to announce tomorrow his 5 billion Child care plan will be doubled and with proposed income tax deduction for one parent working families, it is better than Harpers.

The NDP has the best one, one that will create an additional 200,000 high quality, affordable, public, not-for-profit child care spaces within four years.

 

[no1important]

Harper threatened national unity: Stronach

A teaser:

Liberal MP Belinda Stronach lashed out Monday at the leader of her former party, saying she defected because of the threat Stephen Harper posed to national unity.

Stronach said the Conservative leader was determined to bring down the Liberal minority government last May for his own "immediate partisan benefit."

She called it an "ill-conceived assault" on federalism in Quebec.

"I didn't work so hard to put the two conservative parties together to have Mr. Harper break apart this country," Stronach told the Canadian Club in a speech Monday in Toronto.

She said only the Liberals were capable of keeping Canada together. [/teaser]

That Stephen Harper sounds scarier by the minute. I will have to relocate to Hans Island if he ever gets elected.

 

[Briteyes]

Martins daycare plan is a total flop. The only beneficiaries will be union fatcats who will get a stranglehold on daycare workers throughout the country. It'll eliminate choices - no more neighbour next door to look after your kids, it has to be the official state run centre or nothing. It does nothing for stay-at-home parents who look after their own kids. They can continue to underwrite the more wealthy double income families. Look at Quebecs experience with the $5 dollar daycare - costs have been spiralling upwards, and it is mostly two-income middle class households that benefit most. The conservative plan is the right one - it lets parents decide what is the best childcare arrangement for them. No nanny state making decisions for you[/quote

I have to disagree I know many people in Quebec and most of the people that I know have chosen to have nanny's instead if they can afford it that is. And for those people they get tax breaks from their province to help pay for that and to keep those day care spaces open. Stephen Harper's plan will do very little for low income working parents because they still will not be able to afford decent childcare and those people will still loose. But of course the conservative movement does not think of those people anyway.

 

[PoisonPete2]

"The terms would apply to people convicted of trafficking, manufacturing or importing hard drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, Harper said Saturday during an election stop in Burnaby, B.C."

Why would he lose the elections over this? I'm just curious.

Answer - read up on 'harm reduction'. The imprisonment of a person for non-violent 'crimes' is a neandrathal approach to tough social issues. The U.S. has turned prison into a major private industry with much more than half of all convicted for non-violent offences.

Especially irritating is his idea of prison sentences for 'grow-ops'. God, its pot, end the prohibition and start using the plant for good. The evidence is more than overwhelming toward this. Harper is playing to US gov. sentiments. We don't want fascism here.

 

[PoisonPete2]

Re: RE: Harper pledges.......

I get the impression that the Cons have a plan to privatize the prison system?

Answer - he indicated that any service that can be done by the private sector should be done by the private sector. Terrible idea.

 

[Said1]

I find the childcare issue very interesting. At the moment, I have 5 subsidized spots and another friend of mine has 3. That is 8 spots in my area alone - which BTW employs thousands of federal government workers.

I will however say what we make is pathetic and most single mothers doing this sort of work need to take in the full five these days to survive.

The biggest problem I think parents face is finding spots for schoolaged children. This applies to all parents for whom nannies are not an option - for whatever reason. I don't want them because they take up a full spot, require too much running around, and the pay is only about $8 a day. Daycares can't take them, and few schools offer schoolaged programs. That needs to be fixed, along with what the government pays us.

Many women do it privately, but you'd be sursprised how low on the priority list paying your caregiver is, despite how high their income. Going through an agancy pays much less, but you don't have to chase people for your money.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Part of what Stronach is saying is true...Quebec would not tolerate Stephen Harper's regressive social policies for long and his long history of divisive rhetoric would be a constant issue.

Harper's drug plan is based on the US phony war on drugs. He'd be turning people into criminals for having cigarette papers if he could. This is the same kind of thinking that had Tommy Chong locked up for making and selling bongs.

Harper's policy of privatising everything he could would almost certainly lead to the privatisation of prisons as the population of Canadians behind bars grew exponentially.

The Liberals are certainly no great prize though. The BQ have successfully used the Sponsorship Scandal to increase separatist sentiment.

The Liberals are the party that allowed DEA agents into Canada. They are the party that allowed Texas State Troopers into Canada to teach the RCMP how to conduct illegal searches. They are the party that have refused to say that they will not extradite Marc Emery.

The Liberals have dragged their feet on the decriminalization legislation so it still hasn't passed. Meanwhile, all of the studies point to to legalisation being the way to go.

 

[Colpy]

Harper threatened national unity: Stronach

A teaser:

Liberal MP Belinda Stronach lashed out Monday at the leader of her former party, saying she defected because of the threat Stephen Harper posed to national unity.

Stronach said the Conservative leader was determined to bring down the Liberal minority government last May for his own "immediate partisan benefit."

She called it an "ill-conceived assault" on federalism in Quebec.

"I didn't work so hard to put the two conservative parties together to have Mr. Harper break apart this country," Stronach told the Canadian Club in a speech Monday in Toronto.

She said only the Liberals were capable of keeping Canada together. [/teaser]

That Stephen Harper sounds scarier by the minute. I will have to relocate to Hans Island if he ever gets elected.

Stronach defected because she is a spoiled little rich girl who was offered a cabinet post. The word "whore" comes to mind.

Harper wanted the government to fall because it was to his own partisan benefit? NO! REALLY?????? Politicians work for their own partisan benefit? I am so shocked!!

Of course he tried to bring down the gov't for his own "partisan benefit". He knows the Liberals are too damn corrupt to be left with the reins of power. They have screwed up the situation in Quebec completely. Their actions during the referendum (or lack of action) and after the referendum (you know, the whole adscam thing) are indefensible. The only thing they did reasonably is pass the Clarity Act, almost too late.

What this country needs (and, unfortunately, I don't think the CPC would do it) is a government that very clearly marks out the lines in the sand for Quebec separation.

- a 60% or higher majority.

- a question agreed upon by the Quebec and Federal governments.

- in the case of a "yes" vote, negotiations to establish boundaries, debt repayment, access to the St. Lawrence Seaway, trade agreements, etc.

- a UDI would be considered a declaration of war.

A yes vote simply would not happen in such a case.

Even if it did, it would be the safest way to go, as both sides know the rules, and slipping accidentally into armed conflict would be unlikely.

Only the Liberals are capable of sitting on their fat, stupid, oh-so-corrupt arses and watching the country fall apart because they don't know how this situation can be twisted to their own electoral advantage. Which is the ONLY damn thing they care about - POWER.

I can't believe these bastards have the arrogance, the gall to claim to be Canada's saviour in Quebec.

It is the same as some moron that date rapes a girl, then asks her out again, and later claims he has only her interests at heart.

Anyone that swallows this..................

Well, personally "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" (Tom Waits)

 

[Reverend Blair]

Still mad at Belinda? Get over it already.

Harper would be worse than Martin when it comes to national unity. At least half of Alberta and BC CPC MPs have one foot in the western separatist movement. They have demonstrated no knowledge of the political reality in Quebec. They have demonstrated no knowledge of the issues and history behind the Quebec separatist movement. The have displayed no knowledge of the Quebec people, separatist or not.

The Liberals screwed up in Quebec, that's true. the Conservatives are the only party that could manage to be worse.

 

[Jay]

And how has any other party demonstrated anything else but a lack of understanding of the Quebec issue?

Under Liberal leadership, the Quebec situation is a million times worse, and the spark of separation is now lighting a fire in Alberta.

The conservatives are the only party willing to put power back into the hands of the provinces where it belongs, and that is the real issue here.

 

[Colpy]

Re: RE: Harper pledges.......

Still mad at Belinda? Get over it already.

Harper would be worse than Martin when it comes to national unity. At least half of Alberta and BC CPC MPs have one foot in the western separatist movement. They have demonstrated no knowledge of the political reality in Quebec. They have demonstrated no knowledge of the issues and history behind the Quebec separatist movement. The have displayed no knowledge of the Quebec people, separatist or not.

The Liberals screwed up in Quebec, that's true. the Conservatives are the only party that could manage to be worse.

I've been mad at Belinda ever since she had the Ontario Conservatives present their budget in a bloody TV studio, fer God's sake. A violation of every relevant constitutional principle that I could think of.

I swore if the silly "censored" won the CPC leadership race, I would quit voting.

Just what we need. Another damned pampered billionaire arsehole trying to run things. Her and Martin make a good pair.

It's about time someone that didn't understand Quebec led this country. I am SOOOOO tired of this entire nation having its lips securely attached to Quebecois arse that a crowbar couldn't loose them.

I've been tempted, in the past, to propose a referendum in the ROC on separating from Quebec.

Quebec has pushed the agenda in this country for 45 years. Time to give them a friendly slap on the butt, tell them its time to pull out, we got work to do. Some of it involves stuff other than finding new ways to kiss their arse.


That is the problem. The BQ are going to sweep Quebec, the PQ will probably win the next provincial election, and its down the Neverendum Highway. What we DON"T need in power in such a case are the useless Liberals. Time to settle the issue.

 

[Colpy]

Here's a calmer question.

Why haven't the NDP done anything in Quebec?

Ideologically speaking, they are a perfect fit with the BQ (if you leave out the independence thing), and Quebec as a province is MUCH more left than Canada as a whole.

So how come Federalists in Quebec don't go NDP?

I mean, they even went PC with Mulroney.

 

[Reverend Blair]

The conservatives are the only party willing to put power back into the hands of the provinces where it belongs, and that is the real issue here.

Like their anti-corruption witch-hunt position that doesn't fit into our legal system and would stomp all over the existing rights of the provinces?

I swore if the silly "censored" won the CPC leadership race, I would quit voting.

You should quit voting anyway, you know, in protest.

It's about time someone that didn't understand Quebec led this country. I am SOOOOO tired of this entire nation having its lips securely attached to Quebecois arse that a crowbar couldn't loose them.

I've been tempted, in the past, to propose a referendum in the ROC on separating from Quebec.

See? This is a perfect example of why the Conservaitves are incapable of dealing with any issue having to do with Quebec.

 

[Jo Canadian]