Nobleton Clear

Last night on the National Peter Mansbridge announced that Harper refused to come on the Your Turn interview. I can only think this is because Harper does not want to answer question directly from the public because he can't control the information that may be asked for.

Last week we saw the real Mr Harper that the Conservatives adds had tried to cover up come to the for. If a bully is someone who picks on those less able, vulnerable and different than themselves then Mr Harper is a true bully. He would throw the 14 year olds who are not old enough to vote or drive in jail as adults because they can't resist or express their views as voters. He had party members blame the new guy on the block for problems and you have Richardson blaming crime on the new immigrants. He ridiculed and sneered at those who enjoy cultural activities .
These comments are upsetting, divisive and distortions of a reality needed to build a future Canada as they pit one Canadian against another.
Let us watch Dion's integrity and honest vision of how to build a better united Canada shine through in this weeks debate.

The stage is set for a very offensive hard nosed attack as the Liberals move into the final weeks of the campaign. Vigorous impassioned articulation of our policies will win the day. Clear repetition of the message we are the best managers of the economy, having given the Tories a 12 billion dollar surplus, and the party with a vision of Canada for tomorrow benefiting all Canadians will be heard.

There has been considerable talk about the Green Shift and Carbon Tax to address global warming but the burning of fossil fuels is only a part of a needed total environmental plan. Where is a plan to address habitat destruction, such as, the clear cutting of our virgin forests, strip mining, contamination of our fresh water, the loss of our prime fertile farm land and raw sewage dumping by cities like Victoria. With the loss of habitat we loose species vital to the integrity of our ecosystem. Environmental protection is more that a Carbon Tax.

Mr. Harper's comments about arts funding showed the mean spirited side we are use to in the commons and when ever he does not like the way Canadians voice a concern that is dear to them. Ordinary Canadians are people who go to and support to local theater or local museum or local sports teams. We are not on a gala circuit. Harper can not be trusted

The newest polls reflect the electorate has put trust as a key issue with the conservatives. This past week brought us two more apologies and show us the Conservatives are a party without any quality depth in the ranks. The stumbling economy to the south with massive nationalization of major financial institutions( bailouts) leaves Canadians wondering if the deregulation of food inspection is the tip of the iceberg here in Canada.
At the same time Dion reiterated his commitment to the environment and a green innovative economy. The Liberal team seen this week demonstrates the depth,quality and strength of the Liberal party. These two differences provide the voter with a clear choice. A strong party with good policies or a bullying leader with no vision for a future Canada.

I believe past behaviour is the best indicator of future behaviour. Which means I believe that Mr. Harper will change his mind and even go against the laws of the land to get power ( the investigation in to last election's spending by the Tories and the election we have now that was not due yet).
He is ideologically driven in the belief good government is less government. Last April the meat packing industry was given the green light to self inspect and by the summer we have death and sickness across Canada as a result of listeria. Families of average Candaians suffer unduley and as tax payers additional health care tax costs will flow our way as well as the costs up coming law suits. .
We need a leader who up hold the laws of the land and believes the lives and health of Canadians is more important than strict objective regulated industries.

So Mr Harper wants to change the rules for foreign investment. I guess he really did want to give a US arms manufacturer control of tax payer created Canadian innovative technologies. Canadians must keep control of our inventions and leadership in communications technologies.

Last Friday Harper announced he would make it easier for foreign take overs. Foreign ownership results in reinvestment decision making moving offshore along with the profits. If Canada is to stay competitive and dynamic we need reinvestment by the Canadian private sector and the government. Unfortunately a lot of our manufacturing is owned offshore and we have seen a steady decline in our manufacturing capacity as the production is move to low cost labour markets. this at a time we have a Government that is ideologically against government participation in the economy and has cut taxes to the point it has curb its financial ability to respond to changing economic stresses with out running up a deficit. The net result is less money for infrastructure, incentives or services to keep Canada competitive.
I would like to see a nationalist economic policy clearly articulated /debated as part of the campaign. Canadians need to know where the next government will stand to promote and support creativity and competitiveness beyond just cutting taxes.

Ecojustice has put out it Waterproof II report card. There are some bright spots and most jurisdictions are showing positive movement to protect our most valuable resource. The one notable exception is our federal government that received an F grade. Fresh water is a limited diminishing vital resource. It should be a right of all Canadians to have access to safe portable fresh water.

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I was putting out last week's papers in the recycling when and article by James Daw in the Toronto Star's Business section caught my eye.
The article outlines how the Conservatives inherited a surplus that had been fritter away. It quotes a David Wolf of Merill Lynch predicting a potential deficit of up to 6 Billion with those less pessimistic saying the deficit would be 2.5 billion deficit.
No wonder the Conservatives cancelled the new supply ships our military needs to get the supplies to Afghanistan and cancelled the Coast Guard new equipment putting our national security at risk
You can be sure the next fiance minister will have to cut programmes. to control the deficit. The Conservatives will go after social programmes and the arts with a vengeance.
Save Canada's finances Vote Liberal!

This week in the King Weekly Peter Van Loan Said "the Conservative Party is responsible for Canada's economic position."

For all of our retired citizens who had their retirement income destroyed by the scrapping of Income trusts,

For all of our community members who have lost their jobs in the manufacturing sector,

For all of you who like paying and extra 13 cents a litre for gas when the price of crude is going down,

save your money Vote Liberal

Keep up the tradition Vote Conservative for Recession

History is set to repeat it self. If we can learn anything from history it is that to vote conservative is to have an economic slow down/recession/ depression:
1911 Borden, 1930 Bennett, 1957 Diefenbaker, 1988 Mulroney, 2008 Harper. We are in another economic slowdown the stewardship of which belongs with the current government. Keep the tradition vote conservative have a recession.

Green Party Should Be in the Debate

I strongly believe that the green party should be in the nationally televised debates and that the networks have it all wrong. I have four reasons for this belief.
First, the Green Party is a national party with candidates across the county and a sitting MP.
Second, the Green Party receives tax payer money as a result of the votes they got in the last election and I should see what I am paying for.
Third, in a poll I saw lat night on A channel the Green Party had 9 % of the decided voters the same as the Bloc which is only a regional party dedicated to the break up of the country.
Fourth, in a democracy we should see that legitimate parties are not discriminated against and prevented from having their platform, values and beliefs exposed to public scrutiny..
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Harper’s rush to call the election could disenfranchise our youth.
With many of our young voters heading off to college and university away from home they will be hard pushed to be able to vote. As our youth is more concerned about the environment, is this not a deliberate attempt by Harper to reduce or nullify their vote because of the total lack of any Conservative environmental plan to reverse the effects of climate change?

Can we afford any more time with a Conservative government?

I have been away and come back in dismay to see the Minister of Agriculture defend the processing industries right to self inspect in the face of the Listeria outbreak at Maple Leaf Packing. The Canadian public’s health is at risk by this Conservative Government and we drive up our public health care costs solving the results of a very bad policy shift. Inspectors should be under Health Canada not the Department of Agriculture and fully independent of the company they are inspecting.