Harper Proroguing Parliament again

[Fresh Start]

He also promised that if he was re-elected, he would deliver a balanced budget, even after all his warnings.

Turned out it was the biggest lie in the history of Canadian politics

Hyperbole much?

You know, I'm really perturbed by the baseless accusations people will conjure up when they know in their heart of hearts that their own pick cannot and would not do any better. I received another comment today declaring democracy in Canada is now dead, probably because of the proroguing. Which is just silly and childish because Mr. Chretien prorogued four times during his recent three terms, at least once every session and including when the AG’s sponsorship report came out. Where was the ranting about democracy then? It’s amusing that Chretien won his largest majority with 38.4% and the Prime Minister currently polls around the same number with even the Bloc in the mix. Hmm. Methinks if not for the proliferation of fringe parties splintering the vote, Harper's clear majority would be obvious. Almost 3 million more Canadians casted a blue ticket than did those for the next highest voted for party. Why quiet is good for Harper... the status quo is most loyal when it's not disturbed i.e. they have no compelling reason to roll the dice on change.

I find it interesting that the opposition threatened a coalition a year ago because the Conservatives would not implement a big stimulus package. At least that was their excuse. So, the gov’t now has a deficit. What on earth are they ever going to do when the gov’t puts forth a plan to pay it down? You guessed it. They are going to scream and yell about cuts to this or that. Yet, that is exactly what Paul Martin did to the provinces to pay down the last deficit — which was really what was left over from the Trudeau years. I seem to remember all the press laughing at PM Harper, and the Liberals saying how can he be so insensitive to Canadians when the recession started and he said: "now would be a good time to invest in the stock market" during a CTV interview in 2008. Anyone who was smart enough, has made a tidy little profit. I personally made $1700 in profits on my GIC, woot!! How many of these Liberals and smart ass MSM are laughing now as the markets TSX and Dow both had fantastic years in 2009? Prime Minister Harper has led this country through a recession and we hardly felt it happening, I least no one I know has. Gotta love a guy who can just shrug off the BS and tell it like it is to the rest of the world and to Canadians as he did in his year end interview on CTV. The dollar went from 76 cents to now virtually being on par with the greenback and oil is sitting at $96.00. Wait, I thought I heard the Liberals say the sky was falling?

And now just two days ago, the Prime Minister proves why he is like just regular ole us canadians, having a great time, so natural and thrilled to be around hockey legends. He knew it, and you could see the kid in all of us on that stage. Wonderful sense of humour by all, so proud to call these great men Canadians. I am so proud of Canada's success at the Olympics and proud to be a Canadian and most of all, so grateful to not have useless ineffectual whinos airing our country's dirty laundry during such an important diplomatic event.

 

[old boy]

Hyperbole much?

You know, I'm really perturbed by the baseless accusations people will conjure up when they know in their heart of hearts that their own pick cannot and would not do any better. I received another comment today declaring democracy in Canada is now dead, probably because of the proroguing. Which is just silly and childish because Mr. Chretien prorogued four times during his recent three terms, at least once every session and including when the AG’s sponsorship report came out. Where was the ranting about democracy then? It’s amusing that Chretien won his largest majority with 38.4% and the Prime Minister currently polls around the same number with even the Bloc in the mix. Hmm. Methinks if not for the proliferation of fringe parties splintering the vote, Harper's clear majority would be obvious. Almost 3 million more Canadians casted a blue ticket than did those for the next highest voted for party. Why quiet is good for Harper... the status quo is most loyal when it's not disturbed i.e. they have no compelling reason to roll the dice on change.

I find it interesting that the opposition threatened a coalition a year ago because the Conservatives would not implement a big stimulus package. At least that was their excuse. So, the gov’t now has a deficit. What on earth are they ever going to do when the gov’t puts forth a plan to pay it down? You guessed it. They are going to scream and yell about cuts to this or that. Yet, that is exactly what Paul Martin did to the provinces to pay down the last deficit — which was really what was left over from the Trudeau years. I seem to remember all the press laughing at PM Harper, and the Liberals saying how can he be so insensitive to Canadians when the recession started and he said: "now would be a good time to invest in the stock market" during a CTV interview in 2008. Anyone who was smart enough, has made a tidy little profit. I personally made $1700 in profits on my GIC, woot!! How many of these Liberals and smart ass MSM are laughing now as the markets TSX and Dow both had fantastic years in 2009? Prime Minister Harper has led this country through a recession and we hardly felt it happening, I least no one I know has. Gotta love a guy who can just shrug off the BS and tell it like it is to the rest of the world and to Canadians as he did in his year end interview on CTV. The dollar went from 76 cents to now virtually being on par with the greenback and oil is sitting at $96.00. Wait, I thought I heard the Liberals say the sky was falling?

And now just two days ago, the Prime Minister proves why he is like just regular ole us canadians, having a great time, so natural and thrilled to be around hockey legends. He knew it, and you could see the kid in all of us on that stage. Wonderful sense of humour by all, so proud to call these great men Canadians. I am so proud of Canada's success at the Olympics and proud to be a Canadian and most of all, so grateful to not have useless ineffectual whinos airing our country's dirty laundry during such an important diplomatic event.

There might be a Senate seat for you, my friend.

 

[shumoon]

I seem to remember all the press laughing at PM Harper, and the Liberals saying how can he be so insensitive to Canadians when the recession started and he said: "now would be a good time to invest in the stock market" during a CTV interview in 2008. Anyone who was smart enough, has made a tidy little profit. I personally made $1700 in profits on my GIC, woot!! How many of these Liberals and smart ass MSM are laughing now as the markets TSX and Dow both had fantastic years in 2009? Prime Minister Harper has led this country through a recession and we hardly felt it happening, I least no one I know has. Gotta love a guy who can just shrug off the BS and tell it like it is to the rest of the world and to Canadians as he did in his year end interview on CTV. The dollar went from 76 cents to now virtually being on par with the greenback and oil is sitting at $96.00. Wait, I thought I heard the Liberals say the sky was falling?

The Dow had a fantastic year huh? Only if your year is only 9 months long and starts in April. The Dow Jones reached a closing low of 6,547.05 on March 9, 2009 (after an intra-day low of 6,469.95) its lowest close since April 1997, and had lost 20% of its value in only six weeks.

 

[Fresh Start]

^ Which is your long-winded way of saying that things have actually gotten progressively better over the course of last year, and not worst. And the Dow Jones is American, transnational even; how on earth you expect Canada to have any controlling interest in the global marketplace is beyond me. Fact: we faired better than the States, the EU, most of East Asia; virtually most of the developed world... and Stephen Harper was the man at the helm through all of this. Harper negotiated on behalf of the Canadian worker several amendments to Obama's economic policy that'll benefit our hardworking blue-collars on both sides of the fence. Tell me this, do you want a Master's in Economics or a history professor giving the nation and our allies talking points on the economy? Nuff said.

 

[Roy G Biv]

^ Which is your long-winded way of saying that things have actually gotten progressively better over the course of last year, and not worst. And the Dow Jones is American, transnational even; how on earth you expect Canada to have any controlling interest in the global marketplace is beyond me. Fact: we faired better than the States, the EU, most of East Asia; virtually most of the developed world... and Stephen Harper was the man at the helm through all of this. Harper negotiated on behalf of the Canadian worker several amendments to Obama's economic policy that'll benefit our hardworking blue-collars on both sides of the fence. Tell me this, do you want a Master's in Economics or a history professor giving the nation and our allies talking points on the economy? Nuff said.

Harper was the man at the helm as Canada entered a recession and plunged into deficits.

It's ok to abstain from voting if you can't understand the issues. You'd be a patriot by doing the country a service!

 

[Tewder]

Harper was the man at the helm as Canada entered a recession and plunged into deficits.

It's ok to abstain from voting if you can't understand the issues. You'd be a patriot by doing the country a service!

So now Harper is responsible for the world-wide recession in which Canada has fared relatively well? Wow, powerful guy indeed.

 

[Tewder]

When did the liberals steal money from the pockets of fixed-income taxpayers because I think that should have been a bigger news story. Did they sneak up behind the taxpayers and take the money when the taxpayers weren't looking. Or did they distract the taxpayer with a diversionary tactic and then strike. We need to make sure this never happens again because it sounds terrible.

Yes, they did both of those things in fact, but obviously your partisanship blinds you to a little thing called the sponsorship scandal. Using government revenue - earned by and contributed by taxpayers - for corrupt ends is theft, pure and simple. Worse, it is treason given the misappropriation of the government office. You may smugly forget this but there are many hard-working taxpayers, and fixed-income Canadians among them, who have not lost this perspective.

And if this is a reference to the sponsorship scandal from ... oh, ... 4 governments ago, then don't you remember it was the Liberals who called in the RCMP and called an enquiry over it. The guilty parties were prosecuted and imprisoned.

You're the one who considers the breaking of an election promise to be the 'biggest lie in Canadian history'. Your words. I'm not a fan of politicians breaking promises but this is nowhere in the league of Liberal theft, no matter how many governments ago.

 

[GenerationW]

There might be a Senate seat for you, my friend.

lol

 

[Fresh Start]

Harper was the man at the helm as Canada entered a recession and plunged into deficits.

It's ok to abstain from voting if you can't understand the issues. You'd be a patriot by doing the country a service!

And it's okay for you not to tell me to relenquish my civic duty and political responsibility to be smart with my vote and not make myself be susceptable to ad populum coercion. I can see that a false consciousness premeates in the GTA that blinds most people from seeing the real reality. Fortunately, I know enough about politics (gotcha!) to know that I'd prefer having a fiscal conservative managing my money and resources. We're only in a deficit now because every other nation on earth is in deficit. In fact, even China had to enact a huge stimulus plan to avoid financial collapse, just like the USA and several other nations did. Every country in the world is now being subjected to massive inflation from the world's central banks.

Deficits are a sign of the times and I dare you to tell me how the Liberals had planned on avoiding one. Did you seriously think that Canada would've been immune? At least harper had the good common sense to forewarn Canadians of what was coming, instead of propose to implement carbon taxes. What, more taxation during a recession? That you interpreted his demeanour as being too hopeful (which you've probably spun as him not giving a __ about Canadians) when issuing this forecast; is pure MSM propogandist platitudes, and you fell for it. And guess what, his predictions were correct. Had they come to pass in a more timely fashion, we'd be living in a quite different version of Canada right now.

So you'd be doing me a grand gesture by not voting yourself so that Toronto wards may actually start seeing some real-world improvements get proposed and put into place. Tramsfer City, lol! I couldn't even tell you who my local Liberal MP is cause they've never made available to address community concerns. That what you get when you vote in ineffectual glory-seeking whinos.

 

[Fresh Start]

There might be a Senate seat for you, my friend.

What, and have my every unfortunate misgiving smeared and villianized by our sensationist, scandal-seeking media with a severe politically correct chip on their shoulder? No thank you, I prefer not to live under that level of scrutiny. I have faith that the right individuals will be vetted and put in office to continue Canada's outstanding track-record these past four years.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Like Mike Duffy?

AoD

 

[Roy G Biv]

So now Harper is responsible for the world-wide recession in which Canada has fared relatively well? Wow, powerful guy indeed.

I'm trying to prove Fresh Start's logic as faulty, which you have helped me do. Harper is getting his vote because Canada came out of the recession relatively unscathed, and he was the leader. Equally, you could say that he was the leader as we entered the recession....

Causation vs. Correlation...

Fortunately, I know enough about politics (gotcha!) to know that I'd prefer having a fiscal conservative managing my money and resources.

And how is Harper a fiscal conservative? By running the highest spending government in Canadian history?

The notion that conservatism = fiscal conservatism is pure bull-shit. Look at Bush and Reagan's record in the US...

 

[Fresh Start]

Wipe off the froth, calm down, and then take a minute to understand that a majority of Canadians are comfortable with the Harper government. Who knows? You may actually understand one day that compromise, not ideology/dogma, is the name of the game. Harper had to compromise on the budget with the Liberals. And the Liberals are the ones responsible for demanding $64 billion in deficit spending over the next two years be included in the budget for so-called 'infrastructure programs'.

Mr. Ignatieff forgets the recent past when Goodale was finance minister. He predicted a $1.5 -2.8 billion surplus for 2007-2008 which is very close to Flaherty's. He also predicted a slow down in growth as a possible looming recession. These were done to allow for massive spending if they were elected. Somewhere in the $25-30 billion range of extra government spending. They were not going to give tax breaks and in fact were going to add new environment taxes to everything carbon created. Harper kept his promise of reducing the burden on ALL Canadians not just the select few.

Weren't Liberals also demanding about 3% of GDP be spent for stimulus? Maybe the difference now is that it's not necessarily their friends and party insiders who are first in line to profit. So the Liberals once again are showing themselves to be opportunists who complain about everything but offer NOTHING.

 

[GraphicMatt]

A majority of Canadians have never supported the current Harper government. (To be fair, a majority of Canadians haven't supported any government since Mulroney's first.)

Harper did have to compromise on his budget, as initially he refused to believe Canada was in recession and wanted to carry on like normal. It was a good and necessary compromise.

Harper has not cut government spending nor given us any significant tax cuts. He gave us the GST cut which I suppose is notable in that it's a tax cut that was a huge mistake and will make deficit recovery far more difficult than it would have been otherwise.

The Dion-led Green Shift plan would have seen significant income tax cuts. It was a tax shift, not a new tax. Those who were successfully able to lower their carbon footprint would have seen significant tax savings. In recent months, Harper has openly mused about the necessity of a carbon tax of his own down the line.

No one is faulting the Conservatives for stimulus spending. It was necessary for economic recovery. The issue is that the government has not presented a clear path that will return the country to surplus and the distribution of stimulus funds was less than efficient.

Also, real question: where do you get your news?

 

[afransen]

The Liberals substantially reduced the tax burden in Canada (as a % of GDP) during the latter half of their time in government. Harper/Flaherty pushed it a bit further, and it turns out that it was just enough to put us into a ~1% GDP ($15 -$20 billion) structural deficit. I support Harper/Flaherty corporate tax cuts--they will improve Canada's competitiveness and attract foreign capital investment here, leading to increased productivity and thus wages. I don't support the GST cut. It was ineffective, considering we have much worse taxes in effect. The cut also put us into a structural deficit, because they did not make any tough choices about spending.

You're correct that the Liberals called for stimulus. I'd argue that the Liberals' stimulus proposals were in some ways more logical than what the government went with, since they were leaning more towards actual infrastructure spending rather than transfers to middle and upper class families to perform renovations to their homes. Nonetheless, the government is solely responsible for what they've done to federal finances since they gained power. They can't blame the opposition for the bill while handing out the cheques.