I've never been quite so shocked in my life.
I don't think that I had noticed it before, but the media around the country has finally started calling Stephane Dion's liberals "Grits" again. It's music to my ears guys, the symbolic nickname is back and the Liberals are once again looking like danger red instead of muted pink.
Why did this happen?
My guess is that due to the recent events that have been piling up against the Conservatives in the past few days; like the Cadman Affair, the Conservative HQ raids, and the Bernier scandal, coupled with the fact that Dion has finally started to show his policy zing again is the reason behind the long forgotten but much loved jargon. Harper is losing control over what happens in Ottawa and Dion finally has a clue.
The new Liberal Carbon Tax borrowed from their provincial counterparts in BC looks like it could sell. Tax energy and electricity but not fuel, seeing as the price of that is already high enough. The plan is promised to be revenue neutral as well, giving Canadians a tax break with the green loonies and putting some of the cash towards environmental technologies.
It's the kind of thing where you ask yourself, "Hey, why didn't anyone think of this before?" Well, someone probably did, they just had to clear it with 50 different people first, look at five hundred different test runs and opinion polls to see if it would fly with the public, and get the forms signed in triplicate by every single party bureaucrat you could think of, and their mothers before the kids brought the forms back to school late the day after it was due, except that it was a long weekend then Marty had this thing in Montreal that couldn't wait and....sorry I'm ranting. But seriously, the Carbon Tax idea was probably thought up six years ago and Dion liked it. But things just take so long to get rolling in politics that it hasn't even seen the light of day until yesterday, or whenever it was that the Grits introduced that policy.
And it still might not become reality. Obviously, the Liberals aren't in government, so they can't really get it passed until they get there. Of course, they could talk to all the other parties for reinforcements, but in that case we'd probably have an election.
And we know how skittish Dion is about calling those.
But, there's a gleam in his eye, a spring in his step and a sparkle to his smile that hasn't been seen since he won the leadership contest.
So look out Harper. It's blue season and you're in the crosshairs.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A Grain of Salt
Well congratulations Ottawa, you finally summoned the chutzpah to say that precious phrase of two words, "I'm Sorry."
Today Stephen Harper will formally apologize on national TV to all those aboriginal persons affected negatively by the residential schools that plagued first nations of Canada for almost a century. And all I can say is it's about time. Paul Martin was going to do something like this when he signed the Kelowna Accord, but we decided we didn't like the Liberals and their double-dealing ways, so we elected Harper instead.
Now, after squishing the Kelowna Accord, the Conservative government is finally giving another overdue apology to the victims of residential schools. Now, as I recall things, Brian Mulroney did something similar back in the 1980's, but that must have been for something different. Now all that's left is for the government to put their money where their mouth is. An apology is very symbolic, but once the dough starts rolling out, that means that you really don't want to be sor--er, really want to say you're sorry.
Now, if I were Stephane Dion at this point, I would add this to my growing the growing sheaf of ammunition that he could use in the event of an election. Oh, I'm sorry, the Liberals aren't ready for an election, or rather, their leader isn't. Everyone else seems to be ready. I mean with the Cadman Affair, the Bernier Scandal, the controversy in Afghanistan, the molasses action of the government on global warming, and now this, you'd think that Dion would be hyped, and get the writ dropped at a moments notice.
But no. Stephen Harper has looked Stephane Dion in the eye and he still doesn't see the spark that once propelled him to victory in the leadership race of a faraway December. And until he sees that again, he's pretty much free to do whatever he wants.
Today Stephen Harper will formally apologize on national TV to all those aboriginal persons affected negatively by the residential schools that plagued first nations of Canada for almost a century. And all I can say is it's about time. Paul Martin was going to do something like this when he signed the Kelowna Accord, but we decided we didn't like the Liberals and their double-dealing ways, so we elected Harper instead.
Now, after squishing the Kelowna Accord, the Conservative government is finally giving another overdue apology to the victims of residential schools. Now, as I recall things, Brian Mulroney did something similar back in the 1980's, but that must have been for something different. Now all that's left is for the government to put their money where their mouth is. An apology is very symbolic, but once the dough starts rolling out, that means that you really don't want to be sor--er, really want to say you're sorry.
Now, if I were Stephane Dion at this point, I would add this to my growing the growing sheaf of ammunition that he could use in the event of an election. Oh, I'm sorry, the Liberals aren't ready for an election, or rather, their leader isn't. Everyone else seems to be ready. I mean with the Cadman Affair, the Bernier Scandal, the controversy in Afghanistan, the molasses action of the government on global warming, and now this, you'd think that Dion would be hyped, and get the writ dropped at a moments notice.
But no. Stephen Harper has looked Stephane Dion in the eye and he still doesn't see the spark that once propelled him to victory in the leadership race of a faraway December. And until he sees that again, he's pretty much free to do whatever he wants.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Grain of Salt
The biggest thing in Ottawa today is not Stephen Harper's cold shoulder, but instead it's the Bernier ScandalTM. Now for those of you who are unaware of what happened, good old Maxy and his new wife Julianne Coulliard got married some time ago, and when they did several questions were asked about Mrs. Coulliard's past affiliation with the Hells Angels. Of course Ottawa assured us that everything was fine, that Mr. Bernier wouldn't leak anything secretive from the ministry of Foreign Affairs to his wife or anything bad like that.
Oops.
A few months later, Bernier has slipped up and is demoted to back-bencher MP. His hopes of one day becoming the new Tory leader or even Prime Minister were dashed across the rocks along with his privacy. An witch hunt has been called in Ottawa and the crosshairs are on Max.
To me, the whole thing seems absurd. Certainly, his choice of wife is questionable, but I would argue that his marriage to her indicates that he trusts her. So, if he trusts her, then wouldn't he share information with her anyways? And shouldn't we trust his judgement as an elected official and a former Cabinet minister (from Quebec mind you, which is no small feat) to be a good judge of character? Call me naive, but I think that regardless of who his wife was there is an almost implied danger of both man and wife knowing all the details of whatever cabinet post he holds.
I think, and this is a rare case, that I'm with Harper on this one. Stay out of Max's private life, and you won't be forced to cast your opinion on something that doesn't even matter. Like I said before, she's his wife for Pete's sake. She's supposed to know what he does. It's her job.
And even if by some random turn of events, what if it leaks to the Hells Angels? What are they going to do with it? It's Foreign Affairs. Maybe they'll find out that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn't particularly like Western governments. Big surprise there.
Oops.
A few months later, Bernier has slipped up and is demoted to back-bencher MP. His hopes of one day becoming the new Tory leader or even Prime Minister were dashed across the rocks along with his privacy. An witch hunt has been called in Ottawa and the crosshairs are on Max.
To me, the whole thing seems absurd. Certainly, his choice of wife is questionable, but I would argue that his marriage to her indicates that he trusts her. So, if he trusts her, then wouldn't he share information with her anyways? And shouldn't we trust his judgement as an elected official and a former Cabinet minister (from Quebec mind you, which is no small feat) to be a good judge of character? Call me naive, but I think that regardless of who his wife was there is an almost implied danger of both man and wife knowing all the details of whatever cabinet post he holds.
I think, and this is a rare case, that I'm with Harper on this one. Stay out of Max's private life, and you won't be forced to cast your opinion on something that doesn't even matter. Like I said before, she's his wife for Pete's sake. She's supposed to know what he does. It's her job.
And even if by some random turn of events, what if it leaks to the Hells Angels? What are they going to do with it? It's Foreign Affairs. Maybe they'll find out that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn't particularly like Western governments. Big surprise there.
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