The Apology today was our political leaders, both the House of Commons partisan and the national aboriginal leadership, at their very finest. I want to specifically thank Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the authenticity and sincerity he personally conveyed in articulating the depth of our national shame and in detailing the sad and sorrowful reasons for which we need to apologize.
Canada was proud to be recognized as the best place in the world to live by the United Nations Human Development Index for about 6 straight years. We were quickly relegated to 6th place once the lives and plight of our aboriginal peoples were included in the UN evaluation. That re-evaluation underscores the consequences of our collective shame and for our failings of aboriginal peoples as exemplified by the Residential School tragedy.
Grand Chief Phil Fontaine said this day is "...a testimony to the achievment of the impossible." Mary Simon of the Inuit said that today this is the “dawning of a new day.” There is a need for us to find a new way to go forward and to commit ourselves to develop more mutual trust and respect. That is going to be so necessary before we can overcome that part of our shared history and the abject injury that has been wrought upon so many aboriginal people.
This day will be iconic in the history of this country. The struggle for truth and reconciliation starts today but we have an auspicious start. Well done and thank you to all those who made "the impossible" happen and all those political and aboriginal leaders who spoke today and made it so meaningful.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Harper's Greasy Little Spot Ads Backfire!
The Harper Cons “Greasy Little Spot” Ads are running into some slippery slopes of their own. Seems like the company that owns the advertising monitors on gas pumps that these anti-Dion diatribes were going to be imposed on innocent people do not want anything to do with the slick and oily political propaganda that is oozing from the Harper message machine.
What is more, there is some chatter on the blogosphere about boycotting any gas station running the ads. Big oil will not be amused if they get caught in the PR disaster that the paid and personal attacks by the Harper political machine could bring upon them.
More proof that the cheap political tactics of the Harper Cons are wearing thin for a growing number of Canadians. I want peace, order and good government Mr. Harper. So far you have given me is war, confusion and no governance…with a leadership style that is just conniving and bullying.
I don’t want an election now either. However, I would like a government I can trust and respect and that has the best interests of Canadian citizens at its core, not just a lust for personal political power. Is that too much to ask?
What is more, there is some chatter on the blogosphere about boycotting any gas station running the ads. Big oil will not be amused if they get caught in the PR disaster that the paid and personal attacks by the Harper political machine could bring upon them.
More proof that the cheap political tactics of the Harper Cons are wearing thin for a growing number of Canadians. I want peace, order and good government Mr. Harper. So far you have given me is war, confusion and no governance…with a leadership style that is just conniving and bullying.
I don’t want an election now either. However, I would like a government I can trust and respect and that has the best interests of Canadian citizens at its core, not just a lust for personal political power. Is that too much to ask?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Humanity Lobotomy - Second Draft
This video is about 10 minutes long and worth every minute of it if you value freedom of speech and the open nature of the Internet.
We in Alberta have a head start on all of this because we have the SuperNet. The Alberta SuperNet is one of the most empowering and enabling communications innovations on the planet. It is unique to our province and was paid for by you the Alberta taxpayer and citizen.
It is in or available to our hospitals, schools, municipal offices and libraries - all over Alberta.
It could now be available to you directly as a citizen too. Can you imagine the impact that will have on empowering and enabling Albertans in virtually all aspects of our lives?
I will tell you more about this innovation in future blog posts. In the mean time watch this video for some background and the American experience.
We have to make sure our SuperNet stays in our hands as owners and citizens through public ownership. It is vital infrastructure for us to thrive in a 21st century knowledge and conceptual based economy.
Harper Goes Neo-Republican With an Ad Campaign Based on Truthiness
The Harper Cons are at it again. They are spending advertising money to frame the issues around Dion’s emerging carbon reduction strategy as just a tax grab. The Dion initiative is more about shifting taxes to discourage green house gas emissions and to reduce personal income tax to offset the overall government income and overall tax neutrality.
The Harper Cons are running “several thousands of dollars” (according to Jason Kenny) of election style attack ads (again) but spending funds raised from supporters donated for actual election costs. This is the tried and true Cons legal but ethically wrong tactic of using paid campaign advertising and kind of “pretending” there is an election so they can spend donor dollars and not be subject to the election spending limits. Remember the Cons have decided to sue Elections Canada for ruling they breach the law with their famous “In-and-Out” and very own election spending adscam. Remember?
This political tactic is an approach that is so American Republican and Karl Rovian in its style and substance. The MSM love the newsiness and the truthiness of the misleading story and give the Harper Cons scads of “earned media” (sic) for the sham. The coverage they give to this cheap political ploy actually makes it worth the money for the Cons. They get much more coverage and I’ll bet at a higher dollar value than the ads they actually buy.
Now the Cons will have our gas pumps talking to us about tax trickery in government. How Orwellian can you get? Sad and scary isn’t it? This is why most Canadians feel they just can't trust Stephen Harper. More and more they are coming to the conclusion that he is just too cunning and conniving to be trusted and worthy to continue to serve as our Prime Minister.
The Harper Cons are trying to convince us Dion’s climate change strategy will only be an old time traditional Liberal tax and spend policy. The Liberal’s under Martin cut spending and reduced taxes in record amounts. Harper is off base with the facts in this ad campaign but is is consistent with his major political talent of ignoring the inconvenient truths that contradict and hurts his political positioning messaging control with his Reform/Alliance base.
Dion better get his climate change strategy up and out there before he misses another opportunity to define himself, instead of letting Harper’s henchmen have at him. Polls show that Canadians are ready for some straight talk and honest effort at tackling the climate change issues and will take some pain to achieve those ends.
Harper is trying to buy his way into the Canadian consciousness and is telling us Dion is all about “raising taxes and increasing government spending.” Neither one of these Harper Cons misrepresentations are anywhere close to being an accurate characterization of what Dion is proposing in a climate change response strategy. Talk about being “tricky.” The Harper Cons take the cake.
The Harper Cons are running “several thousands of dollars” (according to Jason Kenny) of election style attack ads (again) but spending funds raised from supporters donated for actual election costs. This is the tried and true Cons legal but ethically wrong tactic of using paid campaign advertising and kind of “pretending” there is an election so they can spend donor dollars and not be subject to the election spending limits. Remember the Cons have decided to sue Elections Canada for ruling they breach the law with their famous “In-and-Out” and very own election spending adscam. Remember?
This political tactic is an approach that is so American Republican and Karl Rovian in its style and substance. The MSM love the newsiness and the truthiness of the misleading story and give the Harper Cons scads of “earned media” (sic) for the sham. The coverage they give to this cheap political ploy actually makes it worth the money for the Cons. They get much more coverage and I’ll bet at a higher dollar value than the ads they actually buy.
Now the Cons will have our gas pumps talking to us about tax trickery in government. How Orwellian can you get? Sad and scary isn’t it? This is why most Canadians feel they just can't trust Stephen Harper. More and more they are coming to the conclusion that he is just too cunning and conniving to be trusted and worthy to continue to serve as our Prime Minister.
The Harper Cons are trying to convince us Dion’s climate change strategy will only be an old time traditional Liberal tax and spend policy. The Liberal’s under Martin cut spending and reduced taxes in record amounts. Harper is off base with the facts in this ad campaign but is is consistent with his major political talent of ignoring the inconvenient truths that contradict and hurts his political positioning messaging control with his Reform/Alliance base.
Dion better get his climate change strategy up and out there before he misses another opportunity to define himself, instead of letting Harper’s henchmen have at him. Polls show that Canadians are ready for some straight talk and honest effort at tackling the climate change issues and will take some pain to achieve those ends.
Harper is trying to buy his way into the Canadian consciousness and is telling us Dion is all about “raising taxes and increasing government spending.” Neither one of these Harper Cons misrepresentations are anywhere close to being an accurate characterization of what Dion is proposing in a climate change response strategy. Talk about being “tricky.” The Harper Cons take the cake.
Issues on MLA Pay Raises Get Confusing and Are Not Going Away.
My friend Les Brost is up to his Old Prairie Dog antics again. This time he also takes on the pay hikes to Alberta's provincial politicians. He sees the process problems with this decision much like I do. He sees the pay hikes a part of a "secret deal" apparently done before the election intended to help recruit better candidates - but it was all kept quiet during the election.
Interestingly there are follow up news stories of interviews rookie PC politicians who openly say they never had such conversations. The old MLA pay was known going in and of no concern to them as candidates. This is getting murkier and sticking to the Stelmach Premiership in the minds of many Albertans. the MSM will tire of it soon given the short attention span of the 24 hour MSM machine. However, it will lurk and linger in the minds of Albertans, and with Google, they will be able to refresh their memories and rekindle their anger any time they want to do a search on "Alberta MLA pay raises."
Check out what Les has to say on his opinion piece in the Calgary Herald today.
Interestingly there are follow up news stories of interviews rookie PC politicians who openly say they never had such conversations. The old MLA pay was known going in and of no concern to them as candidates. This is getting murkier and sticking to the Stelmach Premiership in the minds of many Albertans. the MSM will tire of it soon given the short attention span of the 24 hour MSM machine. However, it will lurk and linger in the minds of Albertans, and with Google, they will be able to refresh their memories and rekindle their anger any time they want to do a search on "Alberta MLA pay raises."
Check out what Les has to say on his opinion piece in the Calgary Herald today.
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