If we have any hope of removing this corrupt and dangerous government from power, and taking our country back; we must donate a bit of money to the progressive party of our choice.
Join them if you're able, so they know you're on their side. Most membership fees are about $ 10.00.
And if you can, throw a few bucks their way now and then. They'll need it to be able to campaign effectively.
Harper has the backing of the corporate elite and the wealthy religious right (though he's still using OUR money to campaign), while the other parties have to compete with each other for support.
I can't just sit and do nothing, while they destroy this beautiful country, and tarnish our good name.
We have to get them out of office and hopefully have Jason Kenney committed, because that boy needs some serious help.
So here are the links. If you have other parties you would like me to add, send them to me and I'll post them. But remember, this election it has to be about getting rid of this horror show. We can't let vote-splitting hang us up again.
We knew it was coming. We knew that Stephen Harper would cut and run and leave the troops to bear the shame of the Afghan Detainee issue. We knew he would NEVER EVER stand up for them, when he prefers to hide behind them.
But his cowardice has reached new heights, when he once again will use OUR money for HIS campaign; this time to attack our men and women in uniform.
Boy when he suggested he hated Canada, who knew it was this much?
The Conservatives are planning a full frontal attack on the troops by implying that the opposition members are accusing them of all sorts.
However, every single person in this country and abroad, with any sense at all, knows that the only ones who could be complicit in torture and potentially charged with war crimes; are Stephen Harper, Lawrence Cannon, Peter MacKay, Rick Hillier and Gordon O'Connor.
I find their latest ten per center to be unconscionable, and may be even more vile than their antisemitic profiling of Jewish Canadians.
For the record, it was NOT the opposition who raised the alarm over detainee abuse. It was groups like Amnesty International, B.C. Civil Liberties, the Red Cross, OXFAM, NATO, the U.S. State Department, our military police, the Afghan Human Rights Commission; to name just a few.
This man is unbelievable. I hope it backfires and Canadians finally see him for what he is. A spineless, gutless bully, who huffs and puffs and then hides at the first sign of trouble.
Conservatives are fighting back over the Afghan detainee controversy, accusing Liberals of questioning the actions of Canadian troops in a flyer that will arrive in mailboxes this week. The householder — known as a 10-per-center — highlights quotes from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and other Grit MPs — including one that suggests soldiers might have committed war crimes.
“The men and women of the Canadian Forces serve our country proudly each and every day. From Afghanistan to Haiti, our troops lead the way in helping to rebuild shattered societies and provide security. Sadly, Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party have questioned their actions in Afghanistan,” the flyer reads.
The rights revolution has become a sexual revolution, and in the process, it has transformed all our most important social relationships: between men and women, between parents and children, and between heterosexuals and homosexuals.
All liberal democracies have gone through the same social transformation. The only distinctive aspect of the Canadian pattern has been the speed with which courts and legislatures have responded to demands for children's rights, easier divorce, abortion rights, the equation of marriage and cohabitation, and the full entrenchment of rights to sexual difference. The fact that these rights were conceded speedily does not mean that they were conceded without a struggle. Nor does it mean that the struggle is over. Michael Ignatieff (1)
That was the Canada that I knew, with a full entrenchment of rights. And while we knew that the struggle wasn't over, we didn't realize that we would have to start to fight the same battles again. The battles we had already won.
When Stephen Harper announced with much fanfare that the theme for the international summit would be maternal health, Michael Ignatieff asked if that was going to include access to safe abortions and birth control, and what happened?
Michael Ignatieff was criticized for “politicizing” the government’s program by asking whether it would include funding for “reproductive health services,” but I applaud him for taking an unequivocal position here. It’s unusual these days to hear a politician take a stand on something other than hockey, our troops and the laughter of innocent children. (2)
He was accused of promoting eugenics and was even called racist. But the sad truth is that women often need access to contraceptives and safe abortion, if they have any real chance of survival. Bringing more children into their situation, only increases their impoverishment and limits their opportunities to better themselves. The World Health Organization estimates that 68,000 women die every year from botched abortions, often leaving their other children orphaned.
I know the abortion issue is a contentous one, but it is a women's health issue that cannot be ignored. From Antonia Zerbisias:
“We don’t want to have women dying because of botched procedures. We don’t want to have women dying in misery,” Ignatieff told reporters today after meetings on Parliament Hill on issues of international development. “We’ve had a pro-choice consensus in this area for a couple of generations and we want to hold it.”
Of course, if Harper gets his majority, it's game over for women's reproductive freedoms. The Prime Minister announced in the Star and at Davos, Switzerland, last week that the health of mothers and children would be the focus of Canada’s attention during this summer’s G-8 meetings in this country. Harper has not specifically said what this aid would include, but support for abortion would be a tough sell for him within his own Conservative caucus, where there are pockets of considerable sentiment against abortion. ''Pockets?''
The Harper government has entrenched themselves in the "pro-life" movement which is now the politically correct term for anti-abortion. But if this group was really pro-life they would be lobbying government to eradicate poverty and protect our public health care and education.
But none of that is taking place. Instead they are pushing for lower taxes, especially to corporations, in an attempt to starve the beast of government. Too much interference in their lives they claim, yet they are interfering in the most personal aspects of our lives. The right to choose when and if to procreate. It doesn't get more personal than that.
In 2006, Canada was tied for second place out of 17 developed nations, in terms of infant mortality rate. The United States was the highest. In 2008, the numbers of children who did not survive their first year rose by almost 10%.
From the Toronto Star
One in nine Canadian children, more than a million, live below the poverty line according to the 2008 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada ... “For many families, it’s very difficult to get out of poverty. There isn’t enough money to feed the children, clothe them properly, or even enough money to pay for the bus fare or to look for a job,” says Grant Wilson, President of Canadian Children’s Rights Council. It’s even harder for new Canadian children and aboriginal families as they are at a greater risk of living in poverty. (3)
So why isn't that on the pro-life agenda? It's one thing to want all pregnancies to go full term, but they offer no solution to families ill equipped to properly feed, clothe and shelter these offspring.
Here in Canada, in one of the richest countries of the world, the very poorest are getting poorer. This is not the result of some external or unforeseen crisis. It is happening in the midst of a long-running economic boom and reflects the deliberate decisions of elected governments presumably supported by the Canadian public at large to purge the roughly 1.7 million people consigned to welfare from our collective consciousness.
It is shameful. It is pretty much criminal. And, as the National Council on Welfare, an advisory body to the federal government, warned in a report released yesterday, it is remarkably short-sighted. In particular, it is short-sighted for those of us in the broader middle classes who assume wrongly that we could never end up on the dole. (4)
So maybe instead of marching with signs to simply end abortion, they should march against poverty and homelessness. I am pro-choice, but it might be nice if women were provided with more choices. However, that doesn't mean that access to birth control and safe abortions aren't among them.
Sources:
1. The Rights Revolution: CBC Massey lectures, By Michael Ignatieff, Anansi, 2000, ISBN: 978-088784-762-2, Pg. 87
4. In rich Canada, welfare worsens: Recipients get less than 20 years ago, Public is turning a blind eye to issue, By Thomas Walkom, The Toronto Star, August 25, 2006
When Harper decided to tap into the theo-cons for support, he turned on the money tap of the Religious Right, who see him as their best hope at achieving their Old Testament goals. They may be the Nuts on the Hill, but they've got big wallets and even bigger plans for this country.
However, it was nice to hear that the the Opposition members have resonated with ordinary Canadians, and that their fortunes are also on the rise.
If we hope to get this country out of the clutches of evil, we have to support all progressive parties. I'm going to provide links soon to make donations. Just have to track them all down.
Even if it's just $10.00, every bit counts.
We are encouraging the opposition parties to work together, because we will need all hands on deck to get this horrible party out of office, before they completely destroy our reputation and our country.
I'm now hoping for a March election, or the formation of a coalition.
Stephen Harper behaving badly. There is a correlation between the Prime Minister's behaviour, Liberal Party President Alfred Apps says, rising poll numbers and how much money his party is able to raise. “Whenever Stephen Harper behaves badly our donations levels go up -
The NDP also had good numbers by sticking to positive messaging:
The NDP, meanwhile, are thrilled with their results. Campaign director Brad Lavigne says that for New Democrats, 2009 represents the best non-election fourth-quarter to date. The NDP raised $1.6-million in the period ending in December. He says this is up more than $1-million from the first quarter of 2009 and that the party raised more money on-line in December than it did in the previous 11 months combined.
Reasons? “We sent out better targeted emails on a more frequent basis,” he says. And their campaign on "Making Parliament Work” drove a good response.
We have been hearing a lot about our own advocacy group; Rights and Democracy and how the Conservatives, or I should say Stephen Harper; has created such controversy that one man may have died as a result.
After planting a party faithful, Aurel Braun, to head up the agency, a culture of fear replaced caring and sound judgement. Everyone was under investigation and under attack.
Remy Beauregard was harassed so vigorously, that he suffered a heart attack and died.
According to Haroon Siddiqui; Four of Beauregard's predecessors – including Ed Broadbent and Warren Allmand – called on Harper to hold an inquiry. And 45 of 47 staff at the agency demanded the resignation of Braun, as well as vice-chair Jacques Gauthier and director Elliot Tepper.
I wish we had a legitimate media in this country and I wish even more that we had a real Governor General. Someone like Ed Broadbent should be able to go to her and request that she step in. But she won't.
This country is in serious trouble and someone needs to take charge. When Harper made the controversial Darrel Reid his chief of staff, we knew his agenda would be accelerated. We are no longer governed by our constitution but the Old Testament.
Reid once stated: "I think every Christian is under an obligation to change laws to reflect biblical values...Only God can make Canada a truly Christian country... We are called to speak biblical truth to seek justice – and that obviously has implications for our political life."
I don't know if I'm frightened, sickened or disgusted. Perhaps all three. I just know that this could end badly. How did we let this happen?
OTTAWA - Three senior managers at a government-funded rights agency rocked by allegations of Conservative meddling have been suspended, including one of its longest-serving employees.
A well-placed source with the organization told The Canadian Press that Marie-France Cloutier, Razmik Panossian and Charles Vallerand were suspended with pay from Rights and Democracy late Friday, and told that they were the subjects of an internal investigation.
While our esteemed dictator continues to entertain us with his musings, we find today's message comes not from the holy one, but from his personal media source, Pravda Ca-na-da; also known as Canwest Media.
The writers there are down right giddy now, believing that Harper's ace-in-the-hole will be the announcement from one his disciples, brother Gary Lunn, that Conservative ministers will be handing out all the medals at the Olympics.
Now personally, I think seeing them there, when they are supposed to be at work, will only fan the flames of our anger over sending our elected representatives away so they don't have to contend with the ignorant masses.
I intend to fight back in my own little way by creating photo shops from their photo-ops and making sure everyone knows that these guys support the end of our democracy. I was originally hoping the crowd would boo them, but I don't want to take any glory away from the winning athletes.
So mine will be a silent protest. I mean they've already made a right mess out of this event, what harm can come from seeing their mugs plastered all over the newspapers?
Besides, we'll be able to take care of next years' Christmas gifts - instant dartboards.
Harper government hopes to reap political gains from Games Ottawa staked a strong claim with its financial commitment to the 2010 Olympics. B.C., meanwhile, bears the brunt of the criticism February 2nd, 2010 By Canwest Global Canwest News Service
The Olympic Winter Games are as much a political as an athletic event, with attendance confirmed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and at least seven of his cabinet members.
Ottawa has invested a whack of cash (our cash, I might add) in the Games and has a number of goals it wants to achieve by way of the extravaganza. Lest there be any doubt about ownership, the federal government's website, canada2010.gc.ca, makes it clear: "Although the 2010 Winter Olympics will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler, they are Canada's Games." (Good point. So why are they becoming the Conservatives games?)
I went over to that article and left a response.
I had to read your headline several times and then hope that the article was satiric. Do you honestly believe that seeing Harper or any other MPs at the Olympics is going to make us feel all warm and fuzzy?
It will only be a reminder that they are at the games when they are supposed to working.
And for the record, that is OUR money that they are throwing around and at a time of economic instability, it again makes me wonder if Harper is really trying to pilot us through this recession or is simply charting his own course.
Besides, if these were really Canada’s games, as they suggest. Why did they have an American firm build the Canadian pavilion?
I really like James Travers and will continue to promote him as a progressive member of the media, who are sadly too few and far between these days.
I have found myself annoyed with even him, sometimes though. Mainly because he is, or at least he was; constantly bringing up the sponsorship scandal, seemingly using it as balanced reporting when writing of Reform-Conservative corruption.
That doesn't mean I condone Adscam. Not by a long shot. I never really liked Jean Chretien and never voted for him, though I think he makes a great statesman now.
The infrastructure for the sponsorship scandal was created by Brian Mulroney and capitalized on by the Liberals; but I felt that by bringing it up so often, it hindered our chances of getting rid of the horrible Harper regime. We can't defend Harper by comparing him to Chretien. Both men may be devoid of principles; but Chretien is gone and Harper is still the albatross around our necks.
Travers column today is very good, as he suggests that backward thinking by the Harper team will hurt us in the long run. However, he, like many others, is clearly missing the point. The media and pundits and everyone else, who thinks that Harper or Flaherty have abandoned Conservative principles; need to understand one thing and one thing only: THEY NEVER HAD THEM!
Hayek urged reducing government intervention in people's social and economic lives to a bare minimum. No social programs, no environmental or consumer regulation. In Hayek's world, government officials do not serve the public. Instead, they are self-serving empire builders ... Harper studied Hayek as an undergraduate at the University of Calgary and developed his free-market philosophy.
Hayek opposed democracy referring to a nation's citizens as the 'bewildered herd', and one Hayek strategy was to : starve government and fuel the voluntary sector. Remove as many activities as possible from the public-policy arena and put them in the hands of private charity providers. Let the wealthy elite, not the people, determine Canada's social and environmental justice policies.
George Bush ascribed to this free marketeering and almost bankrupted the United States. But that doesn't stop Harper and Flaherty from moving full speed ahead. A record deficit is a dream come true, and from here on in; Roger Douglas takes over, with his simple message; "Don't blink". They won't.
Some coincidences are too delicious. On the very morning this week that Canadians woke to find they have new, even lower greenhouse gas emission targets, Americans learned that China is surging ahead in the renewable energy race.
Before any remaining climate-change deniers fire email bullets from their grassy knolls, what follows is not primarily about climate change or even how successive federal governments failed to act. No, it's about the difference between talk and a conversation ....
If we have any hope of removing this corrupt and dangerous government from power, and taking our country back; we must donate a bit of money to the progressive party of our choice.
