I have received some dramatic statistics that Albertans will be very interested in about how Harper has already shifted money out of Alberta into central Canada. According to the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation the Harper Conservatives are not only taking the Alberta voters for granted, they are actively directing federal funds away from Alberta.
Since June 2008 Harper’s election announcements will redistribute money out of Alberta and into the vote rich central Canada. The West Wanted In and Harper’ s win in 2006 accomplished that goal. Has the fact that the Prime Minister comes from Alberta done us any good. NO! In fact it is doing us harm.
Look where Harper’s per capita election spending announcement spending is going:
QUEBEC $951 PER PERSON
ONTARIO $647 PER PERSON
ALBERTA $15 PER PERSON - Ouch!!!
SO MUCH FOR HARPER TAKING CARE OF ALBERTA
Now Harper wants to interfere in the free market place and stop exports of Alberta’s oil sands UNLESS Harper personally approves the deals first. So much for a free enterprise open market political party. Harper is on notice from Premier Stelmach that he is in for a fight over Alberta's constitutional rights over natural resources. Who would have thought Harper would become the New Trudeau. Well he has.
Based on how badly Harper treated us on his Income Trusts betrayal and how badly he is treating us NOW on federal program spending, Albertans have to think hard if he even cares about Alberta's future.
I am interested in pragmatic pluralist politics, citizen participation, protecting democracy and exploring a full range of public policy issues from an Albertan perspective.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Harper Retreats From "Do Nothing" to "Do Very Little Too Late."
I see that Mr. Harper is now saying there needs to be a co-ordinated effort to deal with the economic crisis. Harper is now in full retreat mode.
First he has his mistaken mantra that there is nothing wrong with the Canadian economy, the fundamentals are sound...even as we drop 21% off the TSX in a month...DUH!
Next he says the best approach to the American metldown going global is to do nothing. DUH again. It is not what is he thinking. The real question is: IS he thinking?
Then he says Dion's quick response for a comprehensive coordinated consultations with the best minds involved with all the issues we need to address meet and come up with a plan within 30 days of Dion's election. Harper calls that a panic reaction. Hardly! Is is responsive and responsible governing.
Harper is a one-man show and thinks he is always the smartest guy in the room, if not the country. He need to only talk to himself in order to deal with policy issues. His solution to a global economic crisis is...DO NOTHING!
Well to day the retreat of Stephen Harper is just about complete. Bloomberg is reporting this morning that Harper, the Man Who Wants to be the First President of Canada, is calling for a coordinated planned effort to deal with the economic crisis. The retreat from Harper's economic policy is complete.
I can't wait to read his hurried-up and too late Campaign Platform he is finally releasing tomorrow. You only have a week to read and understand it Canada. Better cram and examine it carefully. Expect even more of Too Little-Too Late from Mr. Harper.
Too little too late Mr. Harper is the fundamental campaign platform of the Harper Conservatives this election and it is costing him. First he lost the trust of Quebecers with his insidious insincerity and cold, callous policy about arts and culture plus the heartless and harrmful incarceration of children for life sentences. And now you have forfeited the benefit of the doubt from Canadians with your distain and indifference for their plight and the coming economic calamity.
Harper is not worth the risk.
First he has his mistaken mantra that there is nothing wrong with the Canadian economy, the fundamentals are sound...even as we drop 21% off the TSX in a month...DUH!
Next he says the best approach to the American metldown going global is to do nothing. DUH again. It is not what is he thinking. The real question is: IS he thinking?
Then he says Dion's quick response for a comprehensive coordinated consultations with the best minds involved with all the issues we need to address meet and come up with a plan within 30 days of Dion's election. Harper calls that a panic reaction. Hardly! Is is responsive and responsible governing.
Harper is a one-man show and thinks he is always the smartest guy in the room, if not the country. He need to only talk to himself in order to deal with policy issues. His solution to a global economic crisis is...DO NOTHING!
Well to day the retreat of Stephen Harper is just about complete. Bloomberg is reporting this morning that Harper, the Man Who Wants to be the First President of Canada, is calling for a coordinated planned effort to deal with the economic crisis. The retreat from Harper's economic policy is complete.
I can't wait to read his hurried-up and too late Campaign Platform he is finally releasing tomorrow. You only have a week to read and understand it Canada. Better cram and examine it carefully. Expect even more of Too Little-Too Late from Mr. Harper.
Too little too late Mr. Harper is the fundamental campaign platform of the Harper Conservatives this election and it is costing him. First he lost the trust of Quebecers with his insidious insincerity and cold, callous policy about arts and culture plus the heartless and harrmful incarceration of children for life sentences. And now you have forfeited the benefit of the doubt from Canadians with your distain and indifference for their plight and the coming economic calamity.
Harper is not worth the risk.
Harper Fiddles As the Economy Burns
How many Harper Conservatives does it take to change a light bulb?
Zero!
They don't like change and would rather stay in the dark and do nothing.
Zero!
They don't like change and would rather stay in the dark and do nothing.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Post-Debate Poll Shows a Glimmer of Hope for Dion
Nanos has the first poll results I have seen post-debate. The debate may have been won by Harper according to an Ipsos Reid poll but remember that poll was taken only after the first hour of the debate not after the entire event was completed. People need to see the how show before they will form any kind of dependable poll based conclusion. Take the Ipsos poll on debate results with a large grains of salt given the questionable methodology used.
Nanos sees Dion doing rather well with a bump in the party standings as well as in perceptions about his leadership skills. The Cons have dropped to 34% from a high of 41%. They are more than 2% points below the January 2006 election results. The Liberals under Dion are exactly where they were in the last election under Martin. The Dipper are up 1.5 points and the Bloc is not changed and the Greens are up 2 points over the 2006 election results.
This is not telling us much more. Remember Harper's votes are very efficiently concentrated in rural ridings and the rest of the players split the towns and cities. Harper could still do well in total seats. And we don't know is this is a one-time shift or a sustainable trend yet.
Stay tuned. This week will set the tone and make or break Stephen Harper's aspirations for a majority government. His last minute release of a campaign platform better be great or it will just remind voters how indifferent he is to telling them his plans - other than do nothing to help in the growing financial fallout from the American financial meltdown.
The last long weekend before the voting will be where Canadians reflect on Harper, his leadership style of bullying and do nothing about the environment and the economy and his one-man command and control governance style. Does he truly reflect the kind of Canada we are and want to become. That is where the trust, openness and honesty issues will come to bear on his political prospects.
Nanos sees Dion doing rather well with a bump in the party standings as well as in perceptions about his leadership skills. The Cons have dropped to 34% from a high of 41%. They are more than 2% points below the January 2006 election results. The Liberals under Dion are exactly where they were in the last election under Martin. The Dipper are up 1.5 points and the Bloc is not changed and the Greens are up 2 points over the 2006 election results.
This is not telling us much more. Remember Harper's votes are very efficiently concentrated in rural ridings and the rest of the players split the towns and cities. Harper could still do well in total seats. And we don't know is this is a one-time shift or a sustainable trend yet.
Stay tuned. This week will set the tone and make or break Stephen Harper's aspirations for a majority government. His last minute release of a campaign platform better be great or it will just remind voters how indifferent he is to telling them his plans - other than do nothing to help in the growing financial fallout from the American financial meltdown.
The last long weekend before the voting will be where Canadians reflect on Harper, his leadership style of bullying and do nothing about the environment and the economy and his one-man command and control governance style. Does he truly reflect the kind of Canada we are and want to become. That is where the trust, openness and honesty issues will come to bear on his political prospects.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Stephen Harper's Canada in 60 seconds
More hard hitting political video commentary from the Blogosphere.
Politics has changed forever with the Internet.
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