Tories: "Is it hot in here? Or is just me?"

I dedicate this blog whole heartedly to my misguided Tory friends on the right side of the political spectrum, who wish to bask in the glory of their former poster boy's public demand for an inquiry into the Schreiber affair, all the while fooling themselves into thinking they are champions of vigilance in government. It is you who most of all, need to keep it real here. A commission of inquiry is completely futile.

Harper would've done well to have taken some notes from the Adscam Inquiry, during witch (pun intended) time he was the leader of the official opposition. After all, it was Paul Martin that called the inquiry, and the honesty did nothing to protect Liberals from the voter in the following election. How interesting that in Ontario, Canada's most important battle ground, the Liberals now enjoy %43 support, the Conservatives %32 as of today (reported on CTV 14 November 2007). How easy the tables turn.

Commissions of inquiry, more often than not, bitterly divide a country and generally invoke cynicism from its citizens. Furthermore they completely paralyze the House of Commons which is already moving slowly due to the minority government. Keep it real, what's needed is a criminal investigation, not a Royal Commission. And wasn't I delighted to read in today's Globe and Mail that the RCMP has stated that it is investigating into the matter. Dated Wednesday November 14th 2007 [QUOTE] "Later yesterday, the RCMP said it was examining Mr. Schreiber's affidavit. 'As with any investigation, should new information come to the light of the RCMP, then we would review it and determine the next appropriate course of action,' said RCMP spokeswoman Nathalie Deschenes" [END QUOTE]. Delighted because under normal circumstances on any other day of the week, I would have been in possession of a quarter instead of a loonie, and as such, would have purchased the Ottawa Sun as I always do.

The bottom line is this: if there was any criminal activity that can be proven under the Criminal Code, than the appropriate charges will be laid, and the parties involved will stand trial and, any persons found guilty shall be appropriately punished. As was the case with Paul Coffin, Jean Brault, and Chuck Guite for their roles in Adscam. Anything else that may have happened is immaterial. Commissions destroy reputations and ultimatly cannot charge any person or persons who may be guilty. Harper, you watched the Liberal Party lose its governance of this great nation because of the royal commission into Adscam, which cleared every single liberal politician of any wrong doing. Harper, your days are numbered, so stay tuned, because my next blog is really going to keep it real......enter Jack Layton.

P.S. Thank you Conservatives for handing the Seperatists a victory in the next election

Realism 101

If you asked me to describe myself politically, I would have to say I'm simply a realist. As a political species, we realists are hard to find and are few and far between. Realism for me, means that I have sworn to call a spade a spade --> untill the day I die, even if it means I have to admit I was wrong. For my generation, this is known as "Keeping it Real." It is by no mistake that this blog goes by that very name.

Now here is exactly where I get to "Keep it real." Harper will win a majority in the next federal election. I want to be on thee record as having made that statement as both a realist and a liberal. My reasons for predicting a majority government for the conservative party is not so much due to good government or crafty and innovative policy implementation as it is due to a complete lack of opposition. Never have I witnessed such a flacid and impotent government in my life time. Absolutly no mention of health care in the speech from the throne; absolutly no advancment of the equalization file. What else? Lets see...their promise of elected senators still hasn't happened yet. Even Harper's promise of honest government has been proven to be nothing but rhetoric. No matter what bill a Prime Minister may table in the house to battle corruption, he can never guarantee that he will have a credible opposition party two sword lengths directly across from him in the house of commons. A strong and united opposition to the government is the only real protection Canadians can ever hope to count on from the abuses of corruption in the government. That is after all the very essence of democracy. There is no doubt in my mind that a lack of opposition is why Mr. Harper enjoys the fruits of governing this great land, and I draw no distinction between the advantage Mr. Harper enjoys now, and those that the Chretien government benefited from during their tenure. After all, it led the liberals to three straight majority governments. Harper was definatly taking notes every time Chretien spanked another one of his opposition parties.

But this blog is not about Harper. It is about why I have to refer to him as the "Right Honourable" Mr. Harper - Stephan Dion. Thus far, Harper has only been successful in: settling, not winning Canada's softwood lumber dispute (only %80 of the illegal levee's imposed by the U.S. were returned to Canada); bringing back the same sex marriage bill to the house of commons to re-vote on the issue (passing by a far greater majority the second time); and of course, his measly little %2 cut to the GST. By the way, it seems to me that %2 of the GST would go a long way to help solving the health care crisis in this country. But you just keep on believing them when they tell you that health care needs to be privatized. There has been no decisive action taken, and no direction in particular that Canada is being led. What is most crucial in these times of dire straights for the liberal party is to unite.

Stephan Dion's personal staff are running away from him like he has the flesh eating disease. The caucus is fractured and members are forming various alliances behind the curtains. This is evidence of a leader who has failed to rally his troops and is scared to engage in battle. A strong leader (I suggest John Manley or Gerard Kennedy) is what's badly needed right now for my party. Only then will the recently departed experience and wisdom return to the party, as did many Mulroney Conservatives for Mr. Harper. Everything else is easy. The Kelowna accord is BETTER than what we're getting now. The Health Care Accord is BETTER than what we're getting now. The Off Shore oil deal that was made under the Prime Minister Paul Martin was publicly praised by Premier Danny Williams and squashed this issue 2 years ago and is better than what we are getting now. THE ISSUES HAVEN'T CHANGED. This is evidence of an idle government. I believe our liberal values resonate more with Canadians. Crime prevention is BETTER than crime and punishment. Public health care is BETTER than private health care. Public child care is BETTER than getting $100 of your own money per month and still not having any day care providers. Income tax cuts are BETTER than GST cuts; peace keeping would be a BETTER way to serve the people in Aftghanistan than the current combat mission. And finally, strong laws to combat global warming is BETTER than doing next to nothing and calling it the "Clean Air Act."

If this blog sounded like a rant to you, then good. That is exactly what it was. The conservatives are begging to be toppled. This Country was strongly united just a few short years ago. Just for now, until we have a stronger liberal leader to unite the party and the country, I think I'll take some Jack Layton. Anyone else?

Environmentalists miss the mark

1:23am October 13, 2007 I had a revelation. In the darkness of my living room I realized that all environmentalists alike have missed the real issue on climate change. I for one am not completely convinced that we are solely responsible for the current dilemma we face. Now that I have the full attention of every environmentally conscious reader, I would like to point out "Completely" as being the operative word here. My instincts, better judgment, and the overwhelming evidence lead me to believe that we are responsible for the current state of our environment, and I remain optimistic that it is not too late to reverse course on a path that will surely lead to our impending doom. Now, this is where I believe every expert, politician, environmentalist, and scholar has got it wrong on the issue. We are not hurting the planet, we are altering it. What is important about that statement is that that the Earth has been altered to every imaginable extreme, both before and during the presence of humans. The ice caps are melting, the ozone has a hole in it, temperatures are hotter, and sea levels are rising. These are all undeniable facts that are of no concern to me. What concerns me is that there are those that wish to focus the debate on how the Earth has been altered and how we are hurting this planet. Although it may take eons, the Earth will right itself after any stress we humans could possibly unleash upon it. It will also someday return to another ice age.This issue should never have been about the planet. We humans are a selfish species. The fact we have altered the balance of an entire planet is proof of that. It is only through the selfishness of mankind that a tangible solution to our fate may be exploited. The focus of this debate needs to shift from planet Earth, which nobody gives a damn about, to what started this SNAFU in the first place.....us. We are killing ourselves. The Earth will survive all of the alterations we force upon her. We will not. If the experts took that approach, maybe we'd give a damn.