tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46538505386096872192011-05-21T22:25:11.851-04:00Commentary on Canadian political events and other abnormal behaviour. Warning: Strongly held views posted here. The posts are my views only, but comments to posts are the view of individual contributors.burpnrunnoreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-43537437661705038012011-05-07T11:58:00.008-04:002011-05-07T13:00:21.796-04:00

The infamous "Vegas" candidate isn't the only democratic body that Jack Layton and the NDP have hidden from public view.It's quite apparent that Layton has taken great pains to hide the NDP's Constitution from public scrutiny as well. Really great pains. In fact, a complete cleansing from Google, based on my searches and those of many others.Why would they do this? Are they ashamed or afraid

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-11221980017486621612011-05-05T15:12:00.004-04:002011-05-05T15:49:55.842-04:00

A little earlier than I had expected (see "NDP" section here) , Thomas Mulcair pops up and starts erecting the wall between "his" Quebec NDP contingent, and Jack's ROC contingent.Mulcair has now laid out his role as the leader, mentor, trainer and handler of all Quebec resources of the NDP. Also confirmed by this is that the Quebec contingent has an insular, purely Quebec-focussed view of their

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-17398052760144966912011-05-05T14:22:00.002-04:002011-05-05T14:39:36.050-04:00

The Greens in particular, followed closely by the NDP, know that in an election they will never be competitive in a host of ridings beyond a nominally small percentage of votes cast. However, to maintain the fiction of being a "national" party and, most importantly to vacuum up the taxpayer-subsidized $2/year/vote "reward" for each vote cast in their direction, they create "candidates" in each

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-32265555887518649342011-05-04T09:50:00.006-04:002011-05-04T11:32:20.284-04:00

For whatever it is worth, I believe that all Quebec did on May 2nd was to park its votes in a temporary storage container called "The NDP".May 2nd was an opportunity for Quebecers to dispatch the Bloc Quebecois to the hinterlands, after having become an anachronism and possibly a major annoyance. At the federal level, Liberals were clearly in deflation mode (and not to be trusted in any case),

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-91635588461176114552011-05-03T10:17:00.003-04:002011-05-03T12:04:11.683-04:00

167 - 102 - 34 - 4 - 1. Four years of stability and yet, of massive change. Here's what I see:LiberalsFor the Liberals, it's a real opportunity to renew their party. They should be reading every book they can on Stephen Harper, because his journey in reconstituting the right is exactly what the Liberals need to do. Beliefs, policies, leadership and positioning. A first step will be the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-60872213635005635842011-05-02T08:58:00.002-04:002011-05-02T09:09:29.669-04:00

"An Accord on a Cooperative Government to Address the Present Economic Crisis" was signed by the Liberals and NDP on December 1, 2008 and runs through until June 30, 2011. In this Coalition Accord, the following prime minister and cabinet appointments are specified, quote:The Prime Minister will be the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.The Minister of Finance will be appointed from the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-17542854949712168662011-05-01T15:21:00.004-04:002011-05-02T11:51:18.539-04:00

This says it all:Terrence Corcoran, on the NDP's roots and Hidden Agenda, in the Financial Post.More specifically, the “principles of democratic socialism” that guide the party, according to its 2003 Constitution, include: That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-3163375304351506652011-04-27T11:10:00.007-04:002011-04-30T07:27:48.360-04:00

The following is my view, and my view alone.What do George Soros, the Canadian union movement, the Canadian media, left-of-centre political parties, various activist groups and Quebec have to do with each other in the 2011 election?Quite a lot, it seems. All are conducting "Anything But Conservative" (ABC) campaigns in this election. And many of these organizations are coordinating their

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-86174990697884550062011-04-26T20:25:00.003-04:002011-04-26T20:33:35.464-04:00

This is a joke.It's obvious that they are only there to collect the $2/vote/year taxpayer subsidy for the NDP, for poor souls deceived into voting NDP.This is Jack's Dream Team? Pathetic.The only Surge there is in Quebec for Jack, is his BS that comes through the media pipes.

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-64542790765132395842011-04-26T17:00:00.004-04:002011-04-26T17:10:41.059-04:00

There is no promise that Layton will not make, or no part of Canada he will not sell out, to get another vote for his socialist party.First he promised to re-open constitutional talks with Quebec. Jack knows full well that Meech Lake just about blew up the nation. He also knows that we have economic uncertainty to conquer right now, need more jobs and the world's economy is very fragile indeed.

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-34742750338724137692011-04-26T10:47:00.007-04:002011-04-26T11:57:57.857-04:00

Subtitle: How I Learned to Live with the NDP's Higher Taxes, and Love It!Normally, Jack's promises and his stated cost of those promises don't get much scrutiny during an election, since there's perceived to be no chance of the NDP forming a government or being the official opposition. But this election is different. So it's probably a good idea to take a look at what Jack's platform looks like

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-40181658018951813852011-04-25T01:15:00.008-04:002011-04-25T13:08:03.023-04:00

Saskatchewan-based blogger Kate McMillan at "Small Dead Animals" credits "Buckdog" with turning up a very interesting set of photos.Joe Volpe (Liberal Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence in Toronto) is knocking on doors, and his assistant/handler is inserting Liberal flyers into mailboxes.Only thing is, the handler is removing other parties' flyers first, and trashing them. In this case,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-69605408077385822502011-04-24T15:29:00.003-04:002011-04-24T15:40:55.854-04:00

Last night Ignatieff got booed out of a Mississauga hockey arena at commencement of a Junior "A" playoff game.The next morning, not a mention of this rather interesting occurrence could be found in the mainstream media (MSM). Even the Canada Press account of the game omitted the fact that any politician was at the game, let alone that booing took place. How peculiar.But by 9:00 am, SunTV News

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-60990379983492643212011-04-24T07:03:00.007-04:002011-04-24T13:26:07.296-04:00

Courtesy of Saskatchewan-based blogger Kate McMillan at "Small Dead Animals" comes this alternate reality news item about Michael Ignatieff at a hockey game yeasterday. Amazingly, his attendance was apparently not in the same time dimension as Canada's mainstream media, including the Canadian Press which is a news gathering organization jointly owned by the Globe & Mail, TorStar (Toronto Star)

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-24977829889643630522011-04-23T11:47:00.012-04:002011-04-27T00:04:16.433-04:00

The following is my view, and my view alone, of this travesty to Canadian democracy.NOTE: See "update" section at bottom of this post; critical information.The common cry from vested interests in this 2011 election is that "It's all about Democracy!". That may be true, but what they aren't telling you is that it isn't about YOUR democracy, or MY democracy. Rather, it's all about THEIR

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-62211993283329666952011-04-22T13:10:00.005-04:002011-04-23T19:19:42.795-04:00

It seems that folks in Ignatieff's riding are waking up to the fact that, while he might just be visiting Canada, it isn't his constituency that he's visiting!According to reports, Iggy actually lives in the toney Yorkville area of downtown Toronto, a mid-town enclave of high class shops (think YSL, Givenchy, etc.), the cafe-latte crowd, expensive restaurants, high-rise condos, the museum and art

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-68249876653685844862011-04-21T11:33:00.007-04:002011-04-22T09:48:37.955-04:00

The following is my view, and my view alone, of this travestry to Canadian democracy.I believe we owe many thanks to poster "DBSmith" who, in the comment thread of a Globe & Mail article by Jane Taber dated April 21, 2011, succinctly wrote:"Premier Wall has stepped into the fray, He, like us, has had enough.Ignatieff is plotting a coup, and this reality so incensed the Saskatchewan premier he was

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-39175424214400595712011-04-19T13:32:00.004-04:002011-04-19T13:54:33.649-04:00

On everyone's lips --- what will Ignatieff do after he and the Liberals lose this election, as they inevitably will?Will he go back to Harvard, as many believe? Or take up Eyebrow Cultivation as a Green subsidy qualifier? Or even start up a school for arrogant Liberals? For that, we have to look at what skills he might possess that would be attractive to Harvard or others.He is self-described

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-57961711548039977632011-04-18T14:25:00.004-04:002011-04-18T14:34:08.165-04:00

Hi, fellow Canadians.Since Ignatieff's Liberals have stomped on their own crank again in an attack ad, attributing a quote by someone else to Stephen Harper, I thought I'd bring back a great moment of a previous Liberal campaign. The 2006 federal election.First up, absolutely a Liberal classic, if not "The" Liberal Classic. The one that got them laughed out of the election, and into Opposition

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-87006980203765923182011-04-17T09:15:00.007-04:002011-04-18T10:08:02.428-04:00

It's all over, folks. Except for the constant barrage of BS we will hear from the Liberal side of the house over the next 14 days.The Liberals are finished. Their polling numbers are still flat or declining. Ignatieff is trusted only slightly more than Gilles Duceppe, so that will give you some understanding of how bad it is. Nobody is listening to, or believes Ignatieff and the Liberals any

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-72117075345284710972011-04-15T21:06:00.007-04:002011-04-17T09:28:44.855-04:00

I wonder if the Liberal Party realizes that, by getting their tame press to keep slinging dirt at the Conservatives:Very little is sticking; andThe static is so annoyingly bad that Canadians just may take the Conservatives up on their offer to make "all this bickering go away" by electing a Harper majority; andIt's occupying space that their own messaging urgently needs to connect with

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-24322633469275978702011-04-15T09:28:00.002-04:002011-04-15T09:32:52.776-04:00

Jack Layton's famous "silver stake through Ignatieff's heart/campaign" zinger in the English language Debate, April 12th:"You know, most Canadians, if they don't show up for work, they don't get a promotion,"To pound the stake deeper through Iggy's pious and false "democracy-pulsing" heart, the NDP quickly released a mini-advert about Ignatieff's dismal voting record:Voting Attendance (NDP Advert

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-20981431840092279252011-04-14T13:49:00.007-04:002011-04-14T15:03:35.269-04:00

The debates are over, and the electoral landscape has become clearer. At dissolution of parliament, the 308 seats were distributed as follows:Conservatives: 143Liberals: 77Bloc: 47NDP: 36Vacant/Independent: 7Although I'm a small-c conservative and a complete rube on all things campaign oriented, I'm still going to try to put on paper what I see at this point in time. Of course, there's still 17

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-24059599067909142552011-04-07T12:54:00.005-04:002011-04-07T13:11:15.071-04:00

The Greens released their 2011 platform today. Two Great Things about it:We now have new definitions for "fringe party", "dingbats", "height of insanity", and "sucking and blowing at the same time":The Greens propose to legalize and tax Marijuana. This will produce tax revenues of $2.5 billion over three years, they say. At the same time, though, they will have a program to "discourage marijuana

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-64609972339057610062011-04-06T13:07:00.002-04:002011-04-06T13:32:34.529-04:00

The National Post has an article here on Ignatieff's "promise" to expand high-speed internet to rural and northern communities. Admirable program, but one which I believe has been underway by the government for some time already.Anyway, this is what I wrote in the Comments Section of the article:Rural and northern communities are generally served by only one telco. The Liberals would be

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-36374258471572365642011-04-06T10:35:00.002-04:002011-04-06T10:52:20.374-04:00

Repeat after me:"Cap and Trade" is a "Carbon Tax", and is the Liberal Party of Canada's motherlode of taxes needed to fund their high-cost, big-spending programs.Under "cap and trade", a government sets carbon emission targets. In the case of the Liberals, this would be Kyoto fairyland targets. Businesses and industries, if they are above targets, can make massive investments to come into

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-37918102749536645152011-04-05T14:36:00.019-04:002011-04-05T21:04:26.136-04:00

When you really look closely at the Liberals' 2011 Platform document, a.k.a. the Red Book, your can easily discern the core thrust of their planning. Seemingly something for everyone, especially Liberal friends. In reality, though, there's very little for taxpayers in their plan, but there is a huge, hidden, and uncosted set of social engineering thrusts that subsequently will bankrupt

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-10359846200671841152011-04-04T14:17:00.005-04:002011-04-04T14:31:21.474-04:00

The following is an e-mail that I sent to the CBC Ombudsman, via their input form at CBC site, 10:30pm, April 1, 2011. It says it all:It is quite apparent that the Liberal party of Canada has misrepresented its positions on a variety of policies in this model. Other parties may also have inaccurate policy positioning in the model; I haven't checked.For example, if all positions are completed as

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-73270674041172031992011-04-04T13:34:00.002-04:002011-04-04T13:48:36.598-04:00

I suppose everyone on the planet, except die-hard Liberal supporters, believes that the Globe and Mail is ... how should I put it ... ardently, nay, blindly pro-Liberal this election.So imagine my surprise when I came across this epic article of Truth, penned by John Ibbitson, on the Liberals' 2011 platform. I note that it has been quickly buried into the archives so, if you can't find the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-54369149443665503872011-04-04T12:53:00.008-04:002011-04-05T16:08:57.645-04:00

I don't generally have much time for what Jane (Giggles) Taber of the Globe and Mail writes, but this piece provides so much fodder for Canadians to munch on this election, that I couldn't pass it up.Iggy was asked whether he and his party would follow Harper's lead and announce firm support for Newfoundland and Labrador's cherished Lower Churchill Falls project. Do the following quotes look

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-15086640206297923472011-04-04T08:45:00.007-04:002011-04-05T16:09:32.690-04:00

Heard on the street. Liberal Red Book, 2004 Edition.Never heard of it? One page, one promise. Limited Edition, one copy.In 2004, three Liberal backroom heavyweights travelled to Harvard and made Ignatieff an offer that his vanity couldn't refuse. Return to Canada and become Prime Minister. A "done deal", they said. Take it to the bank.Unfortunately for Ignatieff, he believed what that Red

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-78272553069877450032011-04-03T17:36:00.009-04:002011-04-05T16:09:56.665-04:00

I've just had a quick look at the 2011 version of the Liberal's "Red Book" of broken promises infamy, and here are some topline take-aways so far:Biggest Redistribution of your Hard-Earned Tax Dollars Since Pierre TrudeauMuch Higher Deficits, By Far, Compared to ConservativesNo Set Date for Return to Balanced Budgets ("verbal assurances", though)New Tax IncreasesMore Spending on Unaccountable "

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-82964414272574586472011-04-03T14:17:00.007-04:002011-04-05T16:10:15.928-04:00

If you are a resident of Ontario, perhaps you recall Dalton McGuinty's infamous written "pledge", signed in 2003 in front of cameras during an election, "not to raise taxes" if elected. Immediately after gaining office, he and his Liberal government immediately imposed a "Health Premium" of up to $1,100 on the taxpayers of Ontario.The Canadian Taxpayers Federation took the Liberal government,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-51996446507087005732011-04-03T13:17:00.002-04:002011-04-03T13:26:13.169-04:00

It's not hard to discern the extreme political bias during this election in content produced by the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and certain portions of CTV and CBC broadcasts. This is what I call "soft advertising". It's unregulated, unbridled, and it clearly benefits a particular political party or set of parties.Conversely, it disadvantages one or more parties. This election it's the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-38653482369865340762011-04-02T14:41:00.005-04:002011-04-02T15:23:16.719-04:00

It's always fun to muse and fantasize about political futures, so her goes my shot at it.The Dreaded Coalition: Is Stephen Harper saving his "Coup de grace" for the English debate night? How about this line, to Ignatieff: "Has the Liberal Party terminated the current Coalition Accord which is still in effect until June 30, 2011"?Yes, folks, that Accord is still alive. Worse, for the Liberals,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-15675652010922628942011-04-02T12:38:00.002-04:002011-04-02T12:53:34.836-04:00

It's April 2nd, and the first week of the warped reality of Canadian politics has drawn to a close.Psychological Campaign Strategy of the ToriesAs usual, the polls are all over the place. In general, though, there is agreement that Harper's Conservatives have continued their slow climb in popular support, breaking through the 40% level into possible majority territory. More importantly, their

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-62672911815954403392008-12-15T10:54:00.005-05:002008-12-15T11:04:59.206-05:00

Unwittingly, Canada owes the Three Stooges Coalition its undying gratitude. However, I doubt that the coalition sees it this way, or that they planned it so.The appearance of the coalition has caused the notion of proportional voting to be put on the back-burner, or to be killed for a really long time. Always distressing to those that thought it through, proportional voting has a killer main

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-71912477844833540762008-12-12T16:04:00.003-05:002008-12-12T16:25:41.875-05:00

I am utterly dismayed by the lack of meaningful progress of the Green Party of Canada (GPC) since the 2006 election. No, make that appalled by the amount of GPC political and financial capital that had been wasted through the disastrous actions of its leader, Elizabeth May.When you cheese off a major media newspaper, as May has with the National Post, you know that the leader was a train wreck

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-31615613672835901522008-12-12T15:27:00.004-05:002008-12-12T15:55:39.127-05:00

Yes, I realize that Elizabeth May is probably entirely focused on getting a Senate seat now, having shilled so well for the LPC during the last election, but here's some question for her and her crew while she's waiting for her Coalition gravy train to arrive:Who authorized Ms. May to enter into an agreement with the Liberal Party and/or its (then) leader, Stephane Dion, concerning "cooperation"

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-36400988039251610062008-12-11T14:37:00.004-05:002008-12-11T14:45:28.529-05:00

I just came across an amusing post here, titled "How to Depress a Quebecois Reporter". Most recommended.As a matter of fact, clicking on the "Archives" link on the left-hand side of that blog will reveal a number of editorials of good sense and perspective.

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-61715003811020043712008-12-09T13:42:00.003-05:002008-12-09T13:50:25.403-05:00

Discuss:Has it proposed ANY solutions for solving Canada's reputed economic woes, which was supposedly THE REASON (not the $1.95 elimination, no, never!) for the coalition's existence? Answer bonus: Should Canada/government continue to wait for US/Obama thrusts/impacts to become clearer, or whether Canada with the strongest economy of the G8 should run immediately huge deficits so that we can be

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-86259460102834602362008-12-09T13:32:00.006-05:002008-12-09T14:37:36.499-05:00

Less than two weeks into the Three Stooges circus show, instigators of the most traitorous act in Canadian political history appear to be slithering into their underground holes, hopefully for good, although that can't be certain.If Bob Rae gives up on his leadership bid this afternoon, the battle for control of the Liberal party by the coalition, and for the party's ideological direction (if not

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-9210446694731099272008-12-09T13:29:00.001-05:002008-12-09T13:32:07.748-05:00

Has anyone noticed that, with all the federal Liberals firmly gazing at their navels in the self-interest circus called the "Leadership Crisis", that not one second has been devoted to "fixing" the economy by these twits or its slimy coalition partners?After all, the economy WAS the reason for the Unholy Coalition, wasn't it?

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-12769949647824106402008-12-09T13:28:00.000-05:002008-12-09T13:29:36.410-05:00

Now that I have some more time, especially since the slimy coalition of self-interests has surfaced and slithered around, it's time to get back to blogging!

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-36963429469778728272008-06-16T08:48:00.007-04:002008-06-16T10:35:11.260-04:00

From the "I can't believe a twit would say this" category of comments: "The Conservatives are trying to "shut up the opposition by taking them to court" over the Chuck Cadman affair and could financially cripple the Liberals if the court proceedings drag on, says one political expert."It's not only libel chill, this goes at the very heart of the economics of politics," says University of

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-47514730022496138402008-06-14T14:27:00.004-04:002008-06-14T14:42:40.572-04:00

Then perhaps the Conservative Party of Canada should start thinking about representing the interests of ordinary Canadians, rather that just the interests of big business or, more succinctly, the interests of American business.1. Codify the rights of ordinary Canadians in a new Copyright Act. As their draft now stands, it trashes our rights. For a starting point, maybe something along the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-90737162558451528512008-06-14T13:15:00.003-04:002008-06-14T13:31:59.187-04:00

I've looked at the draft legislation and, along with comments on the web, have come to the conclusion that it's a complete sellout of the rights of Canadians. If not a betrayal and a big PR lie.Let me state what I think the CPC should consider the RIGHT of all Canadians, and which the CPC should embody in any copyright legislation:1. To be able to buy software, music and movies and whatnot in any

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-39294077295153629502008-06-12T16:21:00.004-04:002008-06-12T17:20:01.841-04:00

Canadians, you have just been screwed royally by the Conservatives.Prentice of the (Conservative) government tabled Bill C-61, the new Copyright Act, today. Almost simultaneously I received a canned e-mail from him, possibly in response to my own e-mail to him some time ago, essentially touting the "balanced" nature of this draft legislation.Hogwash. Balderdash. Disingenious and, possibly,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-53484825577635392522008-05-17T13:42:00.003-04:002008-05-17T13:49:14.605-04:00

As an outsider looking at America, I have nothing but pity for what the Cheney/Bush axis of evil has accomplished in eight short years.Committed America to a war that cannot be won, that has no exit strategy, that is hugely expensive, and that has seemingly rewarded only private interests and corporations. Think of what $150 billion (or a lot less) per year could do for universal medicare in the

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-21811321208946220812008-05-14T08:00:00.002-04:002008-05-14T08:06:20.556-04:00

A truly excellent post by Lorrie Goldstein in the Toronto Sun today.Dealing with Dion's proposal for a "revenue-neutral" Carbon Tax, the article really gets you wondering if:Dion has actually thought this out; orDion is a blithering idiot, or thinks that we are.Recommended reading. Especially for when Liberal canvassers arrive at your doorstep during the next election!

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-54265566373777025162008-04-30T08:35:00.005-04:002008-04-30T09:54:31.918-04:00

Chris Buckley, president of Canadian Auto Workers, Local 222 wants "our Canadian government to get up off their asses and start to give some attention to our declining auto industry". Great idea. And how does he propose that the Canadian government do this?Well, Mr. Buckley wants the government to control "rising fuel costs, a higher dollar, and "unfair" trade practices that allow foreign-made

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-84297610992915062712008-04-27T09:51:00.002-04:002008-04-27T10:05:18.192-04:00

The Mexican judge handed out a 5-year sentence to Ms. Martin, plus a $3,500 (equivalent) fine.The paperwork to extricate Martin out of Mexico to serve her sentence in Canada obviously takes a lot of work and time. But this didn't stop her rabid supporters, including the usual federal Liberal stooges, from mouthing off about the Canadian government dragging its feet.However, not one of her "

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-30286801155331396582008-02-05T16:09:00.000-05:002008-02-06T13:24:18.885-05:00

So Microsoft has made an offer for Yahoo! equivalent to $31 per share. Big deal. NOT.Yahoo's interests in two Asian properties are worth perhaps $12 per share. So Microsoft would get Yahoo! for a net of $19 per share, at a time when Yahoo! is at a low point ... management turmoil and firings, a very disappointing quarter, an aggressive competitor (Google) eating more of its lunch each day,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-14360496920652387872008-01-23T11:22:00.000-05:002008-01-23T11:26:58.810-05:00

Courtesy of the Daily Reckoning, the following is worth a read by Canadians, even though it is written with an American perspective:DISARRAYby James Howard KunstlerThe dark tunnel that the U.S. economy has entered began to look more and more like a black hole recently, sucking in lives, fortunes, and prospects behind a Potemkin facade of orderly retreat put up by anyone in authority with a story

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-50213262305911567452007-11-29T23:36:00.000-05:002007-11-30T10:52:12.522-05:00

Let's see if I have this right:Mulroney was Prime Minister from September 1984 until June 24, 1993; andHe ceased being the leader of the Progressive Conservative party before he ended his term as Prime Minister.And, Schreiber says in his unsubstantiated affidavit, he paid Mulroney $100,000 in the following time frames:August, 1993;December, 1993; andDecember, 1994.Neither the timing of these

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-9311785773385626012007-11-29T14:41:00.000-05:002007-11-29T14:53:12.899-05:00

So Schreiber is refusing to say anything (worthwhile, completely made up, substantiated, you decide which) unless he can stay in Canada to avoid extradition to Germany to face fraud and other serious charges.WOW! What a surprise! I didn't see that coming!OK, now that this guy has screwed the Commons Committee, screwed Canadians, and screwed our justice system for eight years with the best that

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-534608761065140002007-11-28T09:21:00.000-05:002007-11-28T09:41:34.405-05:00

If Mulroney had been convicted of fraud, the most he probably would have been given as a sentence is community service. After all, many DUI murderers receive this and Mulroney's "crime", if he is ever in court, could not exceed this, surely.But he has not been charged, nor is there any apparent "crime". There are tons of allegations though, ALL of them politically motivated by Liberal and NDP

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-57937269357007367012007-11-22T12:29:00.000-05:002007-11-22T13:07:21.345-05:00

I recommend that you glance over this short report of a recent decision of Canada's Human Rights Commission. The implications are appalling.While I may or may not support Jessica Beaumont's views, I do support her right to voice those views --- including posting extracts or a precis of a scripture. I hold the same view of extracts of the Koran or the Talmud, or any other religios scriptures ...

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-12023700168277541552007-11-21T14:33:00.001-05:002007-11-21T14:58:33.820-05:00

To my previous post you can add the following observation.Canada's reputation has been besmirched by the lying and incompetent RCMP actions in the Robert Dziekanski tragedy. And it certainly hasn't been helped by the bumbling Harper government response to this outrage.And we really needed the video to be shown on 60 Minutes, didn't we?What a bunch of losers we have for a national police force,

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-87658583222293719352007-11-21T13:34:00.000-05:002007-11-21T13:44:20.607-05:00

The tragic and totally unnecessary death at Vancouver airport of a Polish immigrant, Robert Dziekanski, at the hands of the RCMP is the final betrayal of Canada by its national police force. And a huge setback in the much-vaunted "law and order" and "good governance" claims or aspirations of the Harper administration.Relatives of Mr. Dziekanski have their own personal tragedy to bear. Canadians

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-40506457565052552112007-10-19T11:47:00.000-04:002007-10-19T12:41:58.697-04:00

If you are Stephen Harper, in a minority government situation, and want to grow your market share amongst Canadians, would your strategy be to:Show voters that you don't have scary agendas, let alone any "hidden" ones; andDemonstrate that your governing policies are forward-thinking, responsive to the real needs of your constituents; andIllustrate that you and your party have a firm understanding

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-51076595637700015182007-10-17T22:39:00.000-04:002007-10-17T22:55:33.293-04:00

There's a reason that columnists are paid big bucks ... their ability to conjure up images through their prose. To write the bon mot, the twist of the phrase, and to provide us rare insights into the psyche of the moment.Read Don Martin's chronicle of the new Captain Chicken, a.k.a. Stephane Dion, who has assumed this dubious mantle from his predecessor, Paul Martin.This moment has been a long

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653850538609687219.post-33158538112505025282007-10-17T12:33:00.000-04:002007-10-17T13:00:47.948-04:00

As my wife and I sat on the porch last night after viewing the Throne Speech, we talked about how changed the political landscape had become since Harper first lead the CPC in an election.No longer were there insidious accusations of Hidden Agendas, Right-Wing Christian Fundamentalist conspiracies, or that old chestnut "Bush's lapdog". Moreover, all Canadians were still awaiting the appearance

burpnrunnoreply@blogger.com0