McGuinty Shows Courage

Ontario has a garbage problem. Well, Toronto has a garbage problem and when Toronto has a problem, everyone has a problem. Ontario also has an energy problem. Lo and behold, a politician has put two and two together. Incineration is an excellent idea. However, it is not an easy sell. From all indications, if done correctly garbage can be burnt with very little environmental damage. My beloved MPP (I'm sorry, I have a personal issue with Tabuns) who is quoted in the article above may not believe so, but it can. It's funny how little the NDP who claims to be progressive believes in progress. Technologies change and improve. The depressing thing is that my neighbours in Toronto-Danforth will agree with Mr. Tabuns. The NDP has scared them half to death with all the fear-mongering done about the building of the natural gas plant. If they say incineration and there will be old Greek ladies having heart attacks. With the NDP gaining strength in Toronto this was a dangerous position for the premier to take. Also, Toronto does about all the waste diversion you can do. We do a lot more in the Big Smoke than they do here in Sweden, I'll tell you that much. Trucking the garbage to Michigan or half way across the province to ruin the soil in some landfill is not any better for the environment. All those who say that Liberals are only about getting elected should take a good hard look at this one. The Liberal Party, okay, my vision of the Liberal Party is about doing the right thing at the right time. McGuinty has nailed it on the head with this one.


Quick side note: My beef with Tabuns stems from when I met him during the last by-election. I answered the door at my parents house (where I'm registered to vote) and Tabuns immediately asked for my parents. Okay, I was only 19 at the time but he has a voters list with him. There are four voters in the house including two males. Maybe there are university students in the house? The NDP is supposed to be the party of youth. I wouldn't have been offended had he asked if I was old enough to vote. However, I have no respect for someone who doesn't bother to ask for my vote when they're talking to me.

Super Mario!

Je pense que c'est necessaire pour moi de faire ce poste en francais. Je connais que mon francais n'est pas parfait mais je veux essayer de faire. C'est vrai, Jean Charest a gagné une deuxième terme la nuit dernière, mais tu es fou si tu penses que le PLQ a gagné. Le seulement gangnant est L'ADQ. Mario Dumont a annoncé à tout le monde qu'il est arrivé. Il y a une bonne possibilité que L'ADQ peux former le gouvernement après le prochaine élection. L'ADQ a gagné dans 41 circonscriptions. En 2003, ils ont gagné dans 4. Ils ont fini deuxième pas seulement dans le numéro de circonscriptions gagné mais aussi dans le vote populaire. Quand j'ai vu les resultats j'etait stupifié. Cet élection changera le politique Québecois. Il y a maintenant un autre choix pour les citoyens. Le division fédéraliste/séparatiste est fini. Je croix que c'etait logicale après l'élection fédérale où le même chose a passé. Les Conservateurs ont donné les Québecois une troisième choix et les Conservateurs ont gagné dans dix circonscriptions et ont fini deuxième au vote populaire. L'ADQ a donné le même chose et ils ont recu une resultat meilleur. Le succés de l'ADQ dans tous les régions du Québec est mal pour Stéphane Dion et Gilles Duceppe. J'ai dit dans une autre poste que je croix que le succés de l'ADQ est indicative de la succés Conservateur. Ce matin, il y a beaucoup de nouveaux circonscriptions pour Stephen Harper. Mario Dumont peux maintenant chercher meilleur candidats pour le prochaine fois.

Pour André Boisclair cet élection était une belle désastre. Il a tombé plus vite que Perdita Félicien dans joux Olympique. C'est impossible pour lui de continuer comme chef péquiste. Le PQ n'est pas une parti qui va être content avec une fini dans troisième place. Une autre élection de chef donnera un petit peu de temps à Jean Charest. Il est impossible pour le PQ de combatter un autre élection sans chef. Donc, le prochaine élection Québecois ne peux pas passer avant l'élection d'un nouveaux chef péquiste. C'est vraiement étrange qu'un gouvernement Libérale sera functionner à le cause des Péquistes. Il y a les columniste qui pense que cet élection va dire que l'élection fédérale passera ce printemps. Je ne peux pas comprendre ca. Gilles Duceppe n'était pas stupide. Le PQ a leur mauvais resultat dans 35 annés, ce n'est pas un bon temps pour le Bloc. L'élection passera en automne après l'élection Ontarien.

Je m'excuse une autre fois pour mon francais horrible.

I suppose I should make a prediction...

On the eve of the Quebec election, it is customary for bloggers and other pundits to make predictions. Why? Because we can. This race is almost impossible to call. I don't and never have lived in Quebec which makes this even harder. This race has been, in many ways, a race to the bottom. Are Quebecois more angry about Charest's lacklustre record as premier or more dubious about the pathetic Boisclair. In a race where disenfranchisement and malaise is the order of the day, the title of this blog becomes all the more important. Local races will decide this election. Which ever party is successful in getting out the vote on election day will win. This is not a cliche, it's the truth. I honestly don't know who has the advantage in that department. As I say, I'm not a Quebecker. I will close my eyes and throw some darts at a prediction, as I said before, only because I can:

PQ: 50 seats
PLQ: 45 seats
ADQ: 30 seats

Voter turnout low. Fringe parties (Parti Vert, Quebec Solidaire) get over 5% of the vote.

I know this is a high estimate for the ADQ but I think a party which sets itself up as outsiders should do well in this election. I have no idea who governs or how they govern. However, I disagree with Mr. Ibbitson in the Globe. I don't think it would be a good idea for M. Charest to try to govern without a plurality. I think it would be a lightning rod for separatist sympathy and could easily contribute to a PQ majority in a year or two's time when the government inevitably collapsed.

An Honour Well Deserved

My favourite radio personality just one a North American wide award. Bob McCown is the best in the business and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. Three cheers for the Bobcat!

Duceppe saw his shadow: 6 more months of Conservative Government

Liberals across the country should be thanking Gilles Duceppe. He has allowed the party to escape a spring election which would be horrible for the party. Why so horrible given the last polls? Well, it would be horrible because this is actually a pretty good budget. No, I haven't become a Conservative. I disagree with the budget, but it is a moderate if conservative budget. I would have liked to see at least some of the tax cuts given to social services like child care and the environment, but you can't expect blood from a turnip. This is the kind of budget Stephen Harper told Canadians he would deliver. Duceppe recognizes that this is a good deal for Quebec. By 'fixing' the 'fiscal imbalance,' Harper has given Quebec hundreds of millions this year alone. However, there are some things even a Liberal can be happy about:

• guaranteed funding for the extension of the Spadina subway and other transit improvements in the GTA. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
  
• More money for post-secondary education. No, not enough, but more money is better than less money.
• The federal debt has been lowered. The Tories have not gone into deficit yet. The burden on my generation has been lowered a bit.
• levy/rebate for fuel efficiency. I have to admit this one floored me because its such good policy. Jacking up the price of an SUV and lowering the price of a hybrid is a good way to start the fight against climate change and meet our Kyoto targets. Whether or not the Conservatives did it for that reason or not is another issue.

All in all, this is not a budget where I could honestly say the government had to be defeated to prevent its passage.

And I Thought She Got It

So Elizabeth May has announced that she's running in Central Nova. This is the wrong move on so many levels. Shall we count the ways?

1. She doesn't live in Central Nova. As far as I can tell, she never has. She's from Cape Breton and now lives in Ottawa. Either she should run in Ottawa where she's lived for over 20 years or in Cape Breton-Canso or Sidney-Victoria depending on which part of Cape Breton she's from. I believe people should live where they run. I hate the idea of voting for someone who can't vote for themselves. Cough... Jack Layton... Cough.
   
2. She can't win this race. Peter McKay can probably hold this seat till he dies. No matter how incompetent he has been at foreign affairs, he will still win in Central Nova. The Greens have got to be tearing out their hair. Here they have a charismatic leader and there's no way she gets into the house to do her thing.
3. The Greens have a disheartening tradition of running their leaders against big names (Frank de Jong v. Ernie Eves 2003; Jim Harris v. Jack Layton 2004). Ms. May is continuing in this sorry tradition. It does not give a party credibility when they aren't a little more concerned about winning their leader a seat.
4. This means that the media and the people are even less likely to treat the Greens seriously. Instead of trying to get into parliament and pursue her agenda, May has chosen to create a media circus in Central Nova. This means no place in the debate any time soon(which they don't deserve, but never mind).

When Ms. May finished second in the London-North Centre by-election I thought she had finally dedicated the Greens to getting into the House of Commons. Apparently, I was wrong. This kind of decision dooms the Greens to stay in the political wilderness. Well, as a Liberal this, like when any other party screws up, makes me happy. It just means more political space for the Grits.

Does Racist Cokehead Offend You in Either Language M. Boisclair?

So I said in my last post that Boisclair seemed to have avoided falling on his face in the debate. Well, he has followed up that performance by promptly falling on his face. His comments about Asian-Canadians is offensive and unacceptable. His defense that the comments aren't offensive in French is absurd in it is so pathetic. M. Boisclair should apologize. While I am happy to see the PQ doing so horribly, I cannot feel right about federalism gaining because of racism. M. Boisclair, with all due respect, you are an idiot. In either language.

National Politics

And by national, I mean the only recognized political nation in the country, Quebec. I haven't had a chance to watch the leader's debate from last night. I intend to and will post more substantively on it later. Just a few things from what the reports that I've heard.

• Dumont seems to be garnering most of the press with his claims about the bridge collapse. I can't decide whether or not this story has legs. It seems like the Charest government knew there was a problem but had no proposals from the responsible agencies on how to fix it. The optics may be more damaging then anything else.
• Boisclair didn't fall on his face. This is important. He might get a similar bounce to the one enjoyed by his fellow cocaine user, George W. Bush after his debate with Al Gore. People expected so little after the start of his campaign that a mediocre performance may work wonders for him.
  
• With Charest's performance neither here nor there, I think Boisclair might be the surprise winner when the post-debate polls come out.
  

Everybody in the Pool!

It's March Madness time again. Get out your brackets! WOOT!

Riddle me this...

So the oracle of Halton is declaring that the election will be May 28th. While I agree that Mr. Harper would love to go to the polls at that time, I don't really see how he gets there from here. Mr. Harper doesn't have a majority to work with. Furthermore, he's already said he's going to the polls four years from the previous election unless the opposition forces him to go earlier. So why exactly would all three opposition parties who are down in the polls conspire to bring about their own demise? Don't you think one if not more of the parties will support the Tory budget? First of all, this is going to be prepped as an election budget. Opposing it is going to be difficult. If the Quebec polls hold, this will in all likelihood be the PQ's worst election in thirty years, surely the Bloc is not going to think that is a good time to go to the polls. The Liberals (or at least I) would much rather have Dion go on the barbecue circuit this summer and go to the polls with better numbers in the fall. As for the NDP, did you see the puppets? Elizabeth May has them scared, really scared. They don't want to go any time soon. So how does Harper bring down the government? Does he start the election campaign by breaking yet another promise? To me, the issue he could have gone on is already been voted on. He could have made the anti-terrorism bill a confidence issue and force the opposition's hand that way. I don't see what wedge he's going to find to bring himself down on. I feel like I'm missing something here. Please help me out.

Yuck!

Just finished looking through the anti-semitic crap being spewed over at the head of the blogging dippers blog. Good on the NDP and on Jason Cherniak for fighting against this. Racism is despicable in any form. While anti-semitic comments hit closer to my home, any sort of racism is unacceptable. It is depressing to see this kind of tripe posted by fellow Canadians.

You Say You Want A Revolution?

It has been my long held belief that two of the most important provinces in Canada were long overdue for political revolution. Both provinces have a history of massive political and social change and thus are more susceptible then other provinces. These provinces are Alberta and Quebec. The chances of political change in Alberta are currently poor. However, we may be witnessing the start of a political revolution in la belle provence. Recent polls (these are in an election campaign so they matter) have placed the ADQ within striking distance of the PQ and PLQ. This combined with the election of 10 Conservative MP's in Quebec in the 2006 election shows a definite trend. The trend seems to be a massive swing to a) the right and/or b) soft nationalism within the province. I'd tend to think its the latter. Quebecois are angry with Liberals both provincially and federally. They are growing tired of wasting their votes on the Bloc nationally and are appalled by the leadership of Bernard Landry and now Andre Boisclair, provincially. In other words, the old options have grown stale. The time is ripe for massive political change. Whether or not Mario Dumont's ADQ is the vessel for this revolution is the only real question left. If not, we may have to wait a little while before seeing the full consequences of this sea change.

So You've Decided to go to Kingston...

The OYL AGM is in Kingston this weekend. Since I am still on the wrong side of the pond to welcome you personally, I will leave a few tips on my blog. Here's a few things to remember when visiting the Limestone City:

1. Kingston is the birthplace of Sir John A. Macdonald. This does not mean that you have to go on a three day gin bender. However, if you do, I'm sure old Sir John A. will be proud.
2. Housing standards in the student ghetto are up for interpretation. Stylish wood signs by the door will get you a fine, but giant holes in windows/roof/exterior walls are a-ok by the standards commissioner.
3. The wind in Kingston is a constant. It blows off the lake (well, mostly) and it usually blows hard. Umbrellas are for those who feel like getting wet.
4. Kingston is the home of 7, yes 7 prisons. That doesn't include the two just outside the city limits. One of the most famous current resident of Kingston is Paul Bernardo. Go by the Kingston Pen and say hi!
5. The mayor of Kingston has a cold attitude towards students. I mean this in the "let's have a big outdoor party in November and have the police use water cannons for crowd control" kind of way. Thank God old Harvey was re-elected in November.
6. If you are a woman and you see Dan Ackroyd at a night club, walk away. I'm not saying anything more.
7. Queen's University students are actually nice people. I'm serious. We're not all rich arrogant snobs. The Liberal Association (QULA) will undoubtedly throw a great bash for all the visitors.
8. I don't know for sure if Speaker Milliken is going to be there since this is a provincial bash. If he is there (my guess is he'd show), make sure you get a chance to say hi. A really nice guy. It might be hard to find him though because he is a bit vertically challenged. There's a reason the Speaker's chair goes up and down.

All in all, I wish you all the best in Canada's former capitol.

The Insurgency is in its Last BOOM! Throes

So, Dick Cheney is welcomed to Afghanistan by a car bomb. It used to be that these little visits were well orchestrated photo ops. Now, they seem to be an excuse for the Taliban to kill people. More than five years after the invasion of Afghanistan and things seem to be in worse shape than ever. M. Dion needs to get out there now and take Gerard Kennedy's position on Afghanistan to the people. This is a good idea for a host of reasons:

1. Kennedy was right. We need to either redesign this mission or end it. The mission as currently constructed will fail no matter how bravely and nobly our soldiers fight.
2. Calling for a withdrawal in the face of mounting Canadian casualties is a dangerous game. People can call you a coward or accuse you of using a soldier's death for political gain. However, the Canadian mission has not lost a soldier in weeks. The timing is perfect.
3. Dion has become a one-trick pony and desperately needs another trick. We cannot win the next election on the environment alone. We need to present a more comprehensive vision. Here's a first step.
4. The announced withdrawal of British troops has been viewed by many as intelligent if perhaps not completely honourable. Announcing a Canadian withdrawal at the same time will frame it in the right context.

Now, I know Mr. Ignatieff will hate this position. I don't care. Iggy's (and Harper's) argument that the overwhelming force of the American military will produce peace is demonstrably false. It would be necessary to respect the peacekeeping force in order for his plan to work. You don't try to blow up a diplomatic partner.

Kennedy's Lieutenants

I've returned from a frozen Warsaw to a slushy Lund. Still catching up on the news... I've been noticing that a lot of been centred in one way or another around members of the Gerard Kennedy campaign. From the strength of Mark Holland's work in question period, to Harper's slur of Navdeep Bains to the announcement of Justin Trudeau running in Papineau. What does this mean? Probably nothing. I'm just pointing out the coincidence.

Suzuki on the Environment

Okay, this is slightly out of context but from the Mercer Report:

David Suzuki "The planet?! Hell! what about my nuts?"

Isn't that what Alberta's asking?

I Thought Harper Was Smarter Than This

I just finished watching Harper's moronic attack on the integrity of Navdeep Bains and his family. This is unacceptable. There is no other word for it. Has Mr. Harper no sense of decency? Has he no shame? Has he no respect for the office that he holds? What's next an attack ad featuring Stephane Dion and Osama bin Laden a la Saxby Chambliss' attack on Max Cleland? Harper claims that he was merely pointing out the importance of the bill. Don't piss on my leg, and tell me it's raining. I thought Harper was trying to court minorities in the 905. This is the way to lose the 905 and any vote of a Canadian with a moral conscience. Mr. Harper may have just given the Liberals seats in the next election. It is tragic that it had to come at the expense of the good name of Navdeep Bains and his family. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

I really should just give up this politics thing now...

DemocraticSpace is reporting that the Citizens Assembly has deemed Mixed Member Proportional as the best of the non-first-past-the-past systems. This does not mean that this will be on the ballot only that if anything is on the ballot it will be this. I will reserve judgment and comment until they come out with their proposal in full. There are far too many variables undecided to start critiquing now. I just wanted to note that my preferred system, two-round voting, got exactly 0% of the vote. WOOT! I rock.

Oh... some opinion poll came out. Apparently bad news. Let's see... are we in an election yet? No? Then read my lips: it doesn't mean anything!

Could Someone Please Wake Up Alberta?

So, I just finished watching the new French Conservative attack ads. What strikes me is how far Stephen Harper has fled from his Reform Party roots. Could you imagine Preston Manning releasing an ad saying "Avec les Conservateur, Le Quebec prends des forces" as Harper does in all three of his new ads. Weren't these the guys who split from Mulroney's Tories because he gave too many concessions to Quebec. Harper's new ads talk about the ghosts of the Liberal past. Someone needs to show all those West Wants In people that their boy Harper has been possessed by the still living spirit of Brian Mulroney. The Liberals should just run the end of the Conservative ads with English subtitles in Alberta as an attack ad. Let's review the classic Reform complaints and how Harper has done:

1. Stop cow-towing to Quebec. Let's see... special deals left right and centre. Most prominently the appointment of a Quebec representative to UNESCO
2. No More Appointed Senators: Calling Senator Fortier. Not only appointed to the senate but also to Cabinet
3. Electoral Reform: ..... Was that tumbleweed?
4. More Westerners in Cabinet: Let's see, Here's some key positions in Harper's cabinet: Minister of Finance: Ontario. Minster of Health: Ontario. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Nova Scotia. Minister of Defence: Ontario. Minister of Transport: Quebec.
   

Four strikes and you're.... rewarded with 28 seats in the next election. Mulroney in a cowboy hat is not a Reformer. WAKE UP!!!

It's Quebec Stupid

I openly worried about Stephane Dion's electability in La Belle Provence before he became leader. I am still worried today. Especially, as the next election seems to be destined to be in some way or another focused on Quebec. The first thing that is related to Quebec is the timing. With the Quebec election now basically set for the end of March after the federal budget, the federal election will take place after that, how far depends on who pulls the plug. Here are the scenarios:

1. What the Bloc and the Liberals want: If Charest wins it will in all likelihood be related to his ability to get a deal on the 'fiscal imbalance.' Therefore, the opposition will be reluctant to go right after a budget that is popular in Quebec. If Boisclair wins on the other hand, the Bloc will sense momentum for separatism and the Liberals will be able to portray Mr. Harper as being unable to stop separatism.
2. What the Harper wants: If Charest wins, Harper will undoubtedly view this as a ringing endorsement from Quebecois. He will try to force the opposition to bring him down. On the other hand, if Boisclair wins, Harper will be forced to wait lest he try to run on a budget that was rebuked by Quebeckers.

In any case, Quebec is likely to be the reason Canadians go the polls. M. Dion's credibility in the province is still low. Quebeckers are getting tired of voting for a party that can never hold power and are looking for an alternative. Right now, they don't see one. The Conservatives are so wildly out of step with Quebec on almost every policy area and Stephane Dion, as the Bloc is sure to remind voters, is the author of the Clarity Act. Stephane Dion may prefer to wear a green scarf, but the Clarity Act is still the millstone he wears in his home province. M. Dion may have helped to relieve his ultra-federalist label by voting for nation motion in December but he is still toxic to many Quebeckers. If Liberals are able to win the next election it will be because Dion is able to reinvent himself in Quebec. I hope that he will but as I say I'm worried.